Effects of Polypyrrole/Graphene Oxide Composites with Different Reaction Times on Electrochemical Performance

Graphene oxide (GO) was prepared using the modified Hummers method and used as a template for polypyrrole. Polypyrrole was polymerized in situ on the surface of GO to finally obtain the polypyrrole/graphene oxide composite material. The effects of different reaction times on the electrochemical performance of polypyrrole/graphene oxide in the second step were studied. It was obtained that the composite material had optimal properties when the reaction time was 24 h

Synthesis and Characterization of 4,4′-Dibromoazobenzene

Abstract: Azobenzene molecules show excellent application potential in many fields due to their photoisomerization properties. Azobenzene molecules will gradually change from trans-structure to cis-structure under the irradiation of UV. In this paper, we have synthesized 4,4'-dibromoazobenzene molecules and characterized their photoisomerization properties. We found that with the extension of UV time, the trans absorption peak at 343 nm decreased significantly, while the cis absorption peak at 435 nm showed an upward trend. Furthermore, photoisomerization of azobenzene is not a first-order reaction

A Search for Light Fermionic Dark Matter Absorption on Electrons in PandaX-4T

We report a search on a sub-MeV fermionic dark matter absorbed by electrons with an outgoing active neutrino using the 0.63 tonne-year exposure collected by PandaX-4T liquid xenon experiment. No significant signals are observed over the expected background. The data are interpreted into limits to the effective couplings between such dark matter and electrons. For axial-vector or vector interactions, our sensitivity is competitive in comparison to existing astrophysical bounds on the decay of such dark matter into photon final states. In particular, we present the first direct detection limits for an axial-vector (vector) interaction which are the strongest in the mass range from 25 to 45 (35 to 50) keV/c$^2$

Chemical constituents from the rhizome of Acorus tatarinowii Schott and their anti-inflammatory activities in LPS induced PC12 cells

Introduction: Acorus tatarinowii Schott is a traditional Chinese medicine that aromatizes dampness, opens the body and pacifies the mind, and is used medicinally as the dried rhizome of Acorus tatarinowii, family Tenaxaceae. Research has confirmed that it has a strong anti-inflammatory activity, however, its mechanism of anti-inflammatory is still unclear, and we continue to investigate its chemical composition and anti-inflammatory mechanism. Methods: The separation and purification of the EtOH extract was carried out by preparative thin layer chromatography and column chromatography. The structures of the isolated compounds were identified by NMR spectroscopy and comparing their spectral data with those previously reported in literature. CCK-8 method was used to evaluate the anti-inflammatory activity of all compounds. The MDA, NO, SOD, IL-10, IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α levels were analyzed using ELISA kits. TNF-α and Beclin-1 expression were examined by western blot and immunofluorescence. Results: Ten compounds, named cinnamic acid(1), sinapic acid(2), isoferulic acid(3), α-asarone(4), ferulic acid(5), arbutin (6), caffeic acid (7), 3-(3-hydroxyl phenyl)propanol(8), ethyl caffeate(9) and β-asarone(10) were isolated from the rhizome of Acorus tatarinowii Schott. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analyses, as well as by comparison with literature data. The anti-inflammatory effects of the all compounds were evaluated in lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-induced PC12 cell models in our study. The results of activity test showed that compounds 3 and 6 had good inhibitory effects on 5 μg·mL−1 LPS-induced PC12 cells. The IC50 of compounds 3 and 6 against PC12 cells were 27.41 ± 0.09 µmol·L−1 and 30.19 ± 0.10 µmol·L−1, respectively. Moreover, compounds 3 and 6 showed a significant protective effect on inflammation by increasing the IL-10 and SOD levels, and reducing the TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, MDA and NO levels. The most important point is that their anti-inflammatory effect is related to the autophagy factor Beclin-1. Conclusion: These findings imply that compounds 3 and 6 exerts anti-inflammatory effects by regulating TNF-α/Beclin-1 pathway, which provide a new basis for the anti-inflammatory activity of Acorus tatarinowii Schott

Effect of Paraffin Impregnation Modification on Bamboo Properties and Microstructure

Phase-change energy-storage paraffin regulates the thermal management of buildings, and the material can regulate room temperature as it absorbs and discharges heat. As a porous adsorbent material, bamboo has high permeability. The aim of this study was to increase the amount of paraffin inside bamboo and the latent heat of the phase change. It was performed using vacuum pressurization (VP) and ultra-high-pressure (UHP) impregnation treatments. The effect of UHP impregnation and properties of bamboo were studied. The weight gain, paraffin loss and dimensional changes were measured and compared. The morphology of UHP-impregnated bamboo were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The main conclusions are as follows: After UHP impregnation, the highest weight gain was 42%. The loss of paraffin was low, and a high weight percentage gain was maintained. The crystallinity of cellulose decreased to 24% at 100 MPa. The latent heat of the bamboo slices was up to 25.66 J/g at 50 MPa, and the phase change temperature was close to room temperature. At 150 MPa, the hydroxyl content was reduced, and the hydrophilicity decreased. In addition, the content of substances such as hemicellulose in the amorphous zone was reduced under UHP, no new characteristic peaks appeared, and no chemical modifications occurred. The vascular bundles were compressed and dense, and the pores and cell gaps decreased. The thin-walled cells were deformed, and the original cell structure was completely destroyed. The surface of the cells was wrapped or covered with paraffin, confirming that the paraffin could impregnate the bamboo cells under UHP. Therefore, bamboo impregnated with paraffin can regulate temperature and save energy in buildings. It is resistant to biological attacks, and UHP improves the impregnation efficiency

Effect of Hydrothermal Treatment on the Mechanical and Microscopic Properties of Moso Bamboo

In this study, moso bamboo was used as a raw material. To increase the plasticity of bamboo to achieve a greater softening effect, the softening method of hydrothermal treatment was used. Hardness and the flexural elastic modulus were used as the evaluation indices, and the crystallinity and main functional groups of the softened bamboo were analysed using X-ray diffraction and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. Combined with the examination of timber colour, micromorphology, bending strength, and nanomechanical tests, our analysis showed the effects of the hydrothermal treatment on bamboo. The results showed that the hardness and flexural moduli of bamboo decreased with the increase in hydrothermal treatment temperature. However, cracking occurred after 3.5 and 4 h of treatment at 180 °C and 190 °C. This indicated that the softening effect was most pronounced when the treatment temperature and time were 180 ℃ and 3 h, respectively. The cellulose crystallinity of bamboo increased and then decreased with the increase in treatment temperature. Cracks were produced in the cell structure, starch locally disappeared, and the hardness and the elasticity modulus of the thin-walled bamboo cells first increased and then decreased with the increase in treatment temperature

A study of temperature variability on admissions and deaths for cardiovascular diseases in Northwestern China

Abstract Objective To explore the effect of temperature variability (TV) on admissions and deaths for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Method The admissions data of CVDs were collected in 4 general hospitals in Jinchang City, Gansu Province from 2013 to 2016. The monitoring data of death for CVDs from 2013 to 2017 were collected through the Jinchang City Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Distributed lag nonlinear model (DLNM) was combined to analyze the effects of TV (daily temperature variability (DTV) and hourly temperature variability (HTV)) on the admissions and deaths for CVDs after adjusting confounding effects. Stratified analysis was conducted by age and gender. Then the attribution risk of TV was evaluated. Results There was a broadly linear correlation between TV and the admissions and deaths for CVDs, but only the association between TV and outpatient and emergency room (O&ER) visits for CVDs have statistically significant. DTV and HTV have similar lag effect. Every 1 ℃ increase in DTV and HTV was associated with a 3.61% (95% CI: 1.19% ~ 6.08%), 3.03% (95% CI: 0.27% ~ 5.86%) increase in O&ER visits for CVDs, respectively. There were 22.75% and 14.15% O&ER visits for CVDs can attribute to DTV and HTV exposure during 2013–2016. Males and the elderly may be more sensitive to the changes of TV. Greater effect of TV was observed in non-heating season than in heating season. Conclusion TV was an independent risk factor for the increase of O&ER visits for CVDs, suggesting effective guidance such as strengthening the timely prevention for vulnerable groups before or after exposure, which has important implications for risk management of CVDs

sj-docx-1-tct-10.1177_15330338231219415 - Supplemental material for Extracellular Vesicles Obtained From Lung Adenocarcinoma Cells Cultured Under Intermittent Hypoxia Induce M2 Macrophage Polarization via miR-20a-5p Delivery

Supplemental material, sj-docx-1-tct-10.1177_15330338231219415 for Extracellular Vesicles Obtained From Lung Adenocarcinoma Cells Cultured Under Intermittent Hypoxia Induce M2 Macrophage Polarization via miR-20a-5p Delivery by Yuanling Liu, Minzhen Lu, Feng Liu, Gang Xu, Congrui Feng, Yuluo Chen, Danyan Cai, Huake Sun, Yanjun Zeng, Jian Xie, Wei Ma and Xinglin Gao in Technology in Cancer Research & Treatment</p