Green spaces can effectively reduce atmospheric particulate matter (PM) pollution and regulate negative air ions (NAI), this ecological function of green spaces is directly determined by their types ...and structures. However, the mechanism of the interactions among the types and structures of green spaces, PM, and NAI are still unclear. In the present study, we selected Dongling Park in Shenyang, China as an example of a typical green space. We ran field experiments to analyze the influences of various green space types and structures on PM10, PM2.5, and NAI. The results showed that green spaces had significantly lower PM10 and PM2.5 and higher NAI concentrations than non-green spaces. Among the four vegetation types (tree-shrub-herb, tree-herb, shrub-herb, and tree-shrub), the tree-shrub-herb type most effectively decreased atmospheric PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations (32.54 ± 8.14% and 21.26 ± 4.07%, respectively) and increased NAI concentrations (115.43 ± 10.00%) to a significantly greater extent than the other vegetation types (p < 0.05). Canopy density was strongly and significantly positively correlated with PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations (r = 0.84* and r = 0.86**, respectively). By contrast, shrub layer richness was significantly negatively correlated with PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations (r = −0.68* and r = −0.74*, respectively). Furthermore, significant positive correlations with NAI concentrations were detected in the canopy density and proportion of evergreen tree species significantly (r = 0.40* and r = 0.46*, respectively). The results illustrate that the green space vegetation types and structures, especially the density of tree canopy, the richness of shrub layer, and the proportion of evergreen tree species, can influence the airborne PM10, PM2.5 and NAI concentrations. Therefore, vegetation types and structures should be considered in the process of planning urban green spaces that perform the ecological function of improving air quality.
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•Significantly lower PM and higher NAI concentrations were recorded in green space than in non-green space.•Tree-shrub-herb type most effectively decreased atmospheric PM and increased NAI concentrations.•The CD, SR-S, and EDR could significantly affect the PM and NAI concentrations.
Droplet energy harvesting technologies, such as droplet triboelectric nanogenerators (D-TENGs) and droplet-based electricity generators (DEGs), which are not restricted by geographical location, have ...been vigorously developed in recent years. However, achieving electricity generation with high performance is still challenging. Here, we demonstrate a new approach for droplet-based energy harvesting device named droplet electrochemical cell (DECC) which could enhance energy generation performance by utilizing the formation of non-equilibrium electrical double layers. The DECC is designed by drawing inspiration from the zinc-copper primary battery system and demonstrated remarkable results when tested with dynamically impinging water droplets. The peak current and transferred charge generated by a 100 μL droplet are found to be 400 μA and 3.2 μC, respectively. The short circuit current is also found to increase by approximately 30 times when the dynamic impinging frequency of the droplets is increased. This study provides valuable insights into the development of energy harvesting devices based on droplets.
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•Droplet electrochemical cell is demonstrated inspired by primary battery.•Non-equilibrium EDL plays important role for boosted droplet energy harvesting.•Peak current and transferred charge of 400 μA and 3.2 μC achieve per droplet.
To investigate the relationship between obesity and aggressive periodontitis (AgP).
A total of 151 AgP patients and 94 healthy controls were recruited. Body weight and height were measured, and body ...mass index (BMI) was calculated. Periodontal clinical parameters were examined. Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the association between obesity and AgP.
The mean value of probing depth and clinical attachment loss were (4.8 +/- 2.1) mm and (4.7 +/- 2.8) mm respectively in AgP patients. The numbers of obese and underweight patients in AgP group were 20 and 41 respectively. Five and eight subjects in control group were with BMI values lower and higher than normal range respectively. Both under weight and obesity were risk indicators for AgP, and the OR were 3.60 (P < 0.05) and 4.61 (P < 0.01) respectively.
Underweight and obesity may be risk indicators for AgP.
Nano Drug Delivery
In article number
2302586
, Peng Wang, Huan Meng, and their colleagues have successfully developed a nano‐enabled drug delivery acupuncture technology known as nd‐Acu. The nd‐Acu ...platform demonstrates remarkable versatility, allowing for both individual and co‐delivery of various structurally controlled molecules, in addition to enabling acupuncture. This technique has exhibited effective efficacy in enhancing therapeutic outcomes in a knee osteoarthritis murine model, thanks to its synergistic effects of acupuncture and drug delivery.
Landscape patterns (LP) and plant functional types (PFTs) are the key factors for green space to reduce atmospheric particulate matter (PM). Although considerable attention has been paid to ...understanding PM concentrations in the green spaces, few studies focus on identifying which LP and PFTs of the green space might maximize airborne PM removal. This study attempted to quantify the relationship between LP, PFTs, and PM, thus exploring the relative influence of LP and PFTs on PM. The results indicated that landscape patterns can significantly affect the reduction ability of PM on residential scale. The reduction would be maximized when the green space area and perimeters are 28.03 ha and 3.50 km for PM
2.5
, 32.69 ha and 3.88 km for PM
10
, respectively. Additionally, the PM reduction ability of different PFTs had significant differences. The PM reductions were more effective for the broadleaf-needle leaf mixed forest and less effective for the grassland type. The average PM
2.5
and PM
10
reduction rates of the broadleaf-needleleaf mixed forest were 40.21% and 29.89%, which were 2.88 and 2.99 times higher than that of the grassland type. Correlation analysis revealed that the leaf area index (LAI) and evergreen-deciduous ratio (EDR) of PFTs could increase the PM
10
(
r
= 0.35* and 0.32*) and PM
2.5
reduction (
r
= 0.33* and 0.37*), while canopy density (CD) decreased PM
10
(
r
= − 0.40*) and PM
2.5
(
r
= − 0.48**) reduction. The findings will contribute to our present understanding of the most key landscape patterns and plant functional types that are more efficient to reduce PM pollution for future planning and design of urban green areas.
Graphical Abstract
We developed a dispersal method for multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) that allows quantitative assessment of dispersion on profibrogenic responses in tissue culture cells and in mouse lung. We ...demonstrate that the dispersal of as-prepared (AP), purified (PD), and carboxylated (COOH) MWCNTs by bovine serum albumin (BSA) and dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) influences TGF-β1, PDGF-AA, and IL-1β production in vitro and in vivo. These biomarkers were chosen based on their synergy in promoting fibrogenesis and cellular communication in the epithelial–mesenchymal cell trophic unit in the lung. The effect of dispersal was most noticeable in AP- and PD-MWCNTs, which are more hydrophobic and unstable in aqueous buffers than hydrophilic COOH-MWCNTs. Well-dispersed AP- and PD-MWCNTs were readily taken up by BEAS-2B, THP-1 cells, and alveolar macrophages (AM) and induced more prominent TGF-β1 and IL-1β production in vitro and TGF-β1, IL-1β, and PDGF-AA production in vivo than nondispersed tubes. Moreover, there was good agreement between the profibrogenic responses in vitro and in vivo as well as the ability of dispersed tubes to generate granulomatous inflammation and fibrosis in airways. Tube dispersal also elicited more robust IL-1β production in THP-1 cells. While COOH-MWCNTs were poorly taken up in BEAS-2B and induced little TGF-β1 production, they were bioprocessed by AM and induced less prominent collagen deposition at sites of nongranulomatous inflammation in the alveolar region. Taken together, these results indicate that the dispersal state of MWCNTs affects profibrogenic cellular responses that correlate with the extent of pulmonary fibrosis and are of potential use to predict pulmonary toxicity.
As a traditional writing instrument for calligraphy and painting, the Chinese brush has enjoyed a high reputation over the last 5,000 years due to its ability to controllably handle liquid ink, and ...has been widely used to deposit ink into certain characters or figures as a means of cultural communication. In this mini-review, we first show how the key to the controllable liquid transfer in a Chinese brush lies in the anisotropic multi-scale structural features of the freshly emergent hairs. Then, drawing inspiration from this, applications in controllable liquid pumping, highly efficient liquid transfer and template-free printing microlines are addressed. We envision that the fundamentals of Chinese brushes and their applications in liquid manipulation mentioned in this review may also be extended to other liquid phase functional material systems.
To assess the effect of traditional Chinese medicine, oral rinse of Turkish gall (extracts from Turkish gall) on periodontal and halitosis parameters.
This single-blinded randomized controlled trial ...recruited 70 patients with gingivitis or mild to moderate chronic periodontitis. All the patients received the same professional oral hygiene instruction and using toothbrush and fluoride-only paste with same brand and size dispatched by the investigator from baseline to the end. The tested group by oral rinse of Turkish gall on the base of conventional oral hygiene, and control group with conventional oral hygiene only, were assigned randomly at baseline. Then periodontal parameters including Plaque index (PlI), Bleeding index (BI), Probing depth (PD) and Staining index (SI), halitosis index including volatile sulphur compounds (VSCs) by Halimeter, organoleptic score (OS), area of tongue coating (Ta), thickness of tongue coating (Tt), were measured at baseline and two-weeks after.
After two weeks, all the periodo
To evaluate the subgingival prevalent rates of 6 periodontal pathogenic bacteria in gingival crevicular fluids of CP patients before and after treatment, to analyze the relationship between the ...prevalent variance and periodontal clinical parameters, and to provide a microbiologic method of evaluating curative effect and estimating the prognosis.
Gingival crevicular fluids of 13 CP patients were collected at baseline, 2 weeks, 2 months and 4 months after periodontal mechanical treatment. Also, gingival crevicular fluids were collected from 11 healthy subjects. Six periodontal pathogenic bacteria including Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans (Aa), Porphyromonas gingivalis(Pg), Tannerella forsythensis (Tf), Prevotella intermedia (Pi), Fusobacterium nucleatum(Fn), Prevotella nigrescens (Pn) were detected by 16S rRNA based PCR.
The PLI, PD, BI of the CP patients 2 months and 4 months after periodontal mechanical treatment were evidently less than those before treatment. These 4 months after treatment were a littl
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