To better reutilize heavy metal contaminated river sediment containing organic matter, the sediments in a river located in Chongming District, Shanghai were collected and Portland cement was used as ...a curing agent along with commercial organic matter to conduct the solidification/stabilization experiment. The unconfined compressive strength and heavy metal leaching concentrations of solidified blocks with different water content, organic matter content, and cement content were tested and analyzed to determine the optimal ratio. The effects of fulvic acid (FA), humic acid (HA), and an HA/FA ratio on the solidification and stabilization, as well as the speciation of heavy metals in sediment before and after solidification and stabilization, were studied. The results showed that when the organic content of the sediment is 6.16%, the water content is 65% and the cement content is greater than 38%, so the curing effect proves to be satisfactory. Fulvic acid has a stronger inhibiting effect on cement hydration than humic acid, and its consumption in the curing process is more significant. The addition of humic acid contributes to the stabilization of heavy metals, while the increase in fulvic acid greatly weakens the stability of heavy metals. The exchangeable state of heavy metals in the sediment has been reduced to varying degrees after solidification and stabilization. The research results can provide a basis for the reclamation and utilization of heavy metal contaminated river sediment with organic matter.
Variability in the distribution of natural total Sb and Cd in freshwater sediments leads to difficulties in background value (BV) determination. This study aimed to establish a method to determine BV ...more accurately by investigating the vertical distribution of Sb and Cd in sediment cores collected from a typical river in alluvial plain in China and revealed the factors that control the variation of Sb and Cd BV, which has not been studied in alluvial freshwater sediment. The results suggested that uncontaminated samples for BV calculation should be determined by statistical analysis as human and natural disturbance led to high variation in contamination depth, from <5 cm to >55 cm. The sequential chemical extraction method showed a considerable amount of non-residual fractions of Sb and Cd, which accounted for 48% and 43% of the total, respectively. Acid extractable Cd (16%) was associated to the limestone geology in the area. Fine particles which governed by sedimentary environment contained more natural Sb and Cd, as strong positive correlation was found between clay content and Sb concentration (r = 0.89,
< 0.01), as well as Cd concentration (r = 0.54,
< 0.01). Based on these findings, a method combined with standard deviation and geochemical method was established to calculate the BV of Sb and Cd, and counter maps were made to cover the variation of BV in the Taipu river sediment. The pollution level has been evaluated by the geoaccumulation index more accurately.
IntroductionFast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR), is a standard for exchanging data. It is a common framework that makes it easier to read, write, and transfer medical data, such as ...patient information securely. SMART is a platform that builds upon the FHIR specification and provides developers with a set of APIs to create applications on top of FHIR. These applications range from retrieving a patient‘s medication history, to evaluating a patient‘s risk of cardiac arrest. The aim of this project was to help individual doctors, small teams of developers, or large medical organisations, who may not be familiar with FHIR, to discover the capabilities of SMART APIs and build applications for this next generation of digital healthcare.MethodAs part of a joint collaboration between GOSH and UCL computer science (CS), through the industry exchange network programme. CS Students developed a web application using Django, a framework written in Python that employs a model-template-view (MTV) pattern. The client-side templates were built using React. The application’s back-end encapsulates the app’s logic; and interacts with the data persistency layer- a SQLite database. The code snippets are run by querying the SMART STU3 Sandbox.ResultsA functional web application was developed that collates a catalogue of modular SMART functions that a developer can use to implement in their own application. The platform allows non-coders to explore SMART on FHIR components and develop prototype applications. It has a library of runnable code snippets that can act as a helpful tool and reference when building SMART applications.ConclusionThis application supports the development of SMART applications that adhere to FHIR standards in data interoperability, for developers who lack specific knowledge of FHIR standards. Such resources are likely to be of increasing importance as NHS organisations begin to develop customised local programmes using SMART on FHIR.
•Dense TiO2 films can be obtained in the electrolyte containing fluoride ions.•This interesting result contradicts the dissolution reactions of fluoride ions.•The current–time curve is divided into ...ionic current and electronic current.•A two-current model is used to explain the formation mechanism of dense films.
Nowadays, the formation mechanism of anodic titanium dioxide nanotubes (ATDNs) is still controversial. Although the field-assisted dissolution reactions are widely cited, more and more experimental facts cannot be explained. In this work, the anodizing processes of Ti in three different electrolytes containing 0.7 wt% NH4F and 1.8 vol% H2O are carefully compared. Although the anodizing current–time curves obtained in ethanol electrolyte are similar to those of ethylene glycol, ATDNs are obtained in ethylene glycol but dense TiO2 films are obtained in ethanol. This interesting result contradicts the field-assisted dissolution reactions of fluoride ions. Based on the oxygen bubble mould and the ionic current and electronic current model, a reasonable interpretation for this result is presented. The low conductivity of the ethanol electrolyte results in small ionic current, which leads to slow growth of the oxide, so the embryos of nanotubes cannot be formed around the oxygen bubbles. In addition, the rises in the current–time curves of ethanol electrolyte are due to the generation of electronic current which leads oxygen bubbles to release from the surface of anodic films directly. This important conclusion is confirmed by ATDNs obtained in the mixture of ethanol and ethylene glycol electrolyte containing the same concentration of fluoride ions.
Purpose
Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is one of the most malignant cancers in the gynecologic system. Many patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage with disseminated intra-peritoneal metastases. ...EOC spreads via both direct extension and trans-coelomic spread. However, the interplay between human peritoneal mesothelial cells (HPMCs) and EOC cells is still ambiguous. We hypothesize that integrins (ITG) in HPMCs may play important roles in EOC metastasis.
Methods
The expression of different integrin subtypes from HPMCs was assessed using Western blotting. The expression of integrin α5β1 (ITGA5B1) and its co-localization with asparaginyl endopeptidase (AEP) in HPMCs derived from EOC patients (EOC-HPMCs) were assessed using immunofluorescence. The role and mechanism of the exosomal ITGA5B1/AEP complex in HPMCs was assessed using both in vitro and in vivo assays. A retrospective study involving 234 cases was carried out to assess ITGA5B1 and AEP levels in circulating sera and ascites of EOC patients, as well as associations between ITGA5B1/AEP expression and overall survival.
Results
We found that ITGA5B1was highly expressed and co-localized with AEP in EOC cells, and that the exosomal ITGA5B1/AEP complex secreted by EOC cells played an important role in the proliferation and migration of HPMCs. High levels of exosomal ITGA5B1/AEP were also found in circulating sera and ascites of EOC patients, and the expression of ITGA5B1/AEP in EOC tissues was found to be negatively associated with overall survival.
Conclusions
Our data indicate that EOCs may regulate the function of HPMCs through exosomal ITGA5B1/AEP, which may be crucial for peritoneal metastasis.
Although the first report of Hofmeister effects is more than 130 years old, the origins of the Hofmeister series remain debated. In this study, quantum mechanics (QM) analyses, dispersion-corrected ...p-DFT calculations, and dynamic light scattering (DLS) determinations are combined with the aim to unravel such a scientific basis. QM analyses show that asymmetric hybridization occurs for the outer-shell nsnp z orbitals at charged interfaces, and the asymmetric sp z hybridization further initiates two unique processes for the interfacial ions: unusual polarization with a greatly enlarged polarizability and a new type covalent bonding of surface reactions with the asymmetric sp z hybridization. The asymmetric hybridization theory is then applied and verified by surface reactions of K+ and Na+ with the charged montmorillonite surface. As predicted by QM analyses, p-DFT calculations show that, under no or low electric fields, the covalent bonding does not exist for both Na+ and K+, while under strong electric fields, covalent bonding is produced for K+ with surface-O atoms but remains absent for Na+. Also, as predicted by QM analyses, the DLS results confirm that the interfacial Na+ reactions are governed by two forces, as Coulomb interaction and unusual polarization, while in addition to these two forces (unusual polarization of K+ is 2.067 times as that of Na+), covalent bonding emerges for the interfacial K+ and plays a dominant role. This study provides new scientific bases of Hofmeister effects at the subatomic level, which is of critical importance in both physical and biological systems.
Reducing the swelling of tissue‐adhesive hydrogels is crucial for maintaining stable tissue adhesion and inhibiting tissue inflammation. However, reported strategies for reducing swelling always ...result in a simultaneous decrease in the tissue adhesive strength of the hydrogel. Furthermore, once the covalent bonds break in the currently reported hydrogels, they cannot be rebuilt, and the hydrogel loses its tissue adhesive ability. In this work, a nonswelling hydrogel (named as “PAACP”) possessing regenerable high tissue adhesion is synthesized by copolymerizing and crosslinking poly(vinyl butyral) with acrylic acid, gelatin, and chitosan‐grafted N‐acetyl‐l‐cysteine. The tissue adhesive strength of the obtained PAACP reaches 211.4 kPa, which is approximately ten times higher than that of the reported nonswelling hydrogels, and the hydrogel can be reused for multiple cycles. The as‐prepared hydrogel shows great potential in soft bioelectronics, as muscle fatigue is successfully monitored via the electrode array and strain sensor integrated on PAACP substrates. The success of these bioelectronics offers potential applicability in the long‐term diagnosis of muscle‐related health conditions and prosthetic manipulations.
Nonswelling hydrogels with regenerable high wet tissue adhesion are fabricated. Subsequently, neural microelectrode arrays and rapid‐response strain sensors are integrated into the hydrogel to fabricate bifunctional tissue‐interface bioelectronics. Additionally, these bioelectronics possess excellent electrical properties. Electrocardiogram (ECG), electromyography (EMG), and tissue movement information are accurately recorded by the bioelectronics, and tissue fatigue is successfully monitored.
Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) hold significant potential as vehicles for drug delivery due to their expansive specific surface area, biocompatibility, and versatile attributes. Concurrently, ...magnetically actuated micro/nano-robots (MNRs) offer distinct advantages, such as untethered and precise manipulation. The fusion of these technologies presents a promising avenue for achieving non-invasive targeted drug delivery. Here, we report a MOF-based magnetic microrobot swarm (MMRS) for targeted therapy. Our approach overcomes limitations associated with a single MNR, including limited drug loading and the risk of loss during manipulation. We select Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework-8 (ZIF-8) as the drug vehicle for its superior loading potential and pH-sensitive decomposition. Our design incorporates magnetic responsive components into the one-pot synthesis of Fe@ZIF-8, enabling collective behaviors under actuation. Tuning the yaw angle of alternating magnetic fields and nanoparticles’ amount, the MMRSs with controllable size achieve instantaneous transformation among different configurations, including vortex-like swarms, chain-like swarms, and elliptical swarms, facilitating adaptation to environmental variations. Transported to the subcutaneous T24 tumor site, the MMRSs with encapsulated doxorubicin (DOX) automatically degrade and release the drug, leading to a dramatic reduction of the tumor
in vivo.
Our investigation signifies a significant advancement in the integration of biodegradable MOFs into microrobot swarms, ushering in new avenues for accurate and non-invasive targeted drug delivery.
Macrophage lipid accumulation indicates a pathological change in atherosclerosis. Ilexgenin A (IA), a pentacyclic triterpenoid compound, plays a role in preventing inflammation, bacterial infection, ...and fatty liver and induces a potential anti-atherogenic effect. However, the anti-atherosclerotic mechanism remains unclear. The present study investigated the effects of IA on lipid accumulation in macrophage-derived foam cells and atherogenesis in apoE−/− mice. Our results indicated that the expression of adenosine triphosphate-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) was up-regulated by IA, promoting cholesterol efflux and reducing lipid accumulation in macrophages, which may be regulated by the protein tyrosine phosphatase non-receptor type 2 (PTPN2)/ERK1/2 signalling pathway. IA attenuated the progression of atherosclerosis in high-fat diet-fed apoE−/− mice. PTPN2 knockdown with siRNA or treatment with an ERK1/2 agonist (Ro 67–7476) impeded the effects of IA on ABCA1 upregulation and cholesterol efflux in macrophages. These results suggest that IA inhibits macrophage lipid accumulation and alleviates atherosclerosis progression via the PTPN2/ERK1/2 signalling pathway.
•Ilexgenin A increases ABCA1 expression and promotes cholesterol efflux to apoA-I.•IA attenuated the progression of atherosclerosis in high-fat diet-fed apoE−/− mice.•IA inhibits macrophage lipid accumulation and alleviates atherosclerosis progression via the PTPN2/ERK1/2 signalling pathway.•IA is a potential therapeutic agent against atherosclerosis.
In response to the intensification of urbanization, characterized by increasingly dense land use, the proliferation of high-rise residences has emerged as a predominant housing solution, particularly ...evident in developed cities like those in China. With a primary aim of enhancing the residential living environment within high-rise structures, this study advocates for a comprehensive whole life cycle perspective. By employing digital technology and conducting experiments centered on a representative case study, this paper focuses on optimizing the functional layout of public activity spaces within high-rise residential projects. Specifically, this article aims to address challenges such as the inadequate configuration and articulation of various public spaces, along with the underutilization of peripheral activity areas. Central to the optimization efforts is the utilization of the Kruskal algorithm, which enables the analysis of flow lines and functions, ultimately leading to the derivation of optimal solutions. Through a detailed analysis of our case study, this paper provides actionable insights into enhancing the feasibility and effectiveness of public spaces within high-rise residential projects. Recognizing the pivotal role of public space layout in shaping residents’ living experiences, the importance of addressing this issue early in the design phase was emphasized. By integrating scientifically driven digital technology solutions, smart, inclusive, and convenient communities that cater to the diverse needs of their inhabitants are aspired to be created.
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