Tuning the Interfacial Mechanical Behaviors of Monolayer Graphene/PMMA Nanocomposites

The van der Waals (vdW) force dominated interface between graphene and polymer matrix creates weak points in the mechanical sense. Chemical functionalization was expected to be an effective approach in transfer of the outstanding performance of graphene across multiple length scales up to the macroscopic level, due to possible improvements in the interfacial adhesion. However, published works showed the contradiction that improvements, insensitivity, or even worsening of macro-mechanical performance have all been reported in graphene-based polymer nanocomposites. Particularly central cause of such discrepancy is the variations in graphene/polymer interfacial chemistry, which is critical in nanocomposites with vast interfacial area. Herein, O₃/H₂O gaseous mixture was utilized to oxidize monolayer graphene sheet with controlled functionalization degrees. Hydrogen bonds (H bonds) are expected to form between oxidized graphene sheet/poly­(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) at the interface. On the basis of in situ tensile-micro Raman spectroscopy, the impacts of bonding types (vdW and H-bonds) on both key interfacial parameters (such as interfacial shear strength and critical length) and failure modes of graphene/PMMA nanocomposite were clarified for the first time at the microscopic level. Our results show that owing to improved interfacial interaction via H bonds, the interface tends to be stiffening and strengthening. Moreover, the mechanical properties of the functionalized graphene/PMMA interface will be set by the competition between the enhanced interfacial adhesion and the degraded elastic modulus of graphene, which was caused by structural defects in the graphene sheet during the functionalization process and could lead to catastrophic failure of graphene sheets in our experimental observation. Our results will be helpful to design various nanofiller-based nanocomposites with high mechanical performance

Univariate analysis of risk factors associated with anxiety/depression in Chinese patients with ONFH.

<p>Univariate analysis of risk factors associated with anxiety/depression in Chinese patients with ONFH.</p

Study flow for enrollment of patients and analysis the valid questionnaires.

<p>Study flow for enrollment of patients and analysis the valid questionnaires.</p

The baseline characteristic distribution of 216 Chinese patients with ONFH.

<p>The baseline characteristic distribution of 216 Chinese patients with ONFH.</p

Multivariate logistic regression analysis of anxiety/depression in Chinese patients with ONFH.

<p>Multivariate logistic regression analysis of anxiety/depression in Chinese patients with ONFH.</p

Additional file 1: of Alteration of gut microbiota in association with cholesterol gallstone formation in mice

The unique OTUs and their taxonomic profiles in chow and LD group. (DOC 58 kb

DataSheet1_Peptide hydrogel based sponge patch for wound infection treatment.PDF

Dressing with the function of anti-wound infection and promoting skin repair plays an important role in medicine, beauty industry, etc. In terms of anti-wound infection, traditional dressings, such as gauze, have problems such as excessive bleeding in the process of contact or removal, and slow wound healing due to poor biological compatibility. The development of new functional and biocompatible dressings has essential application value in biomedical fields. In this study, a new type of dressing based on polypeptide functional sponge patch was constructed. The porous sponge patch is made of antimicrobial peptide and medical agarose through gel and freeze-drying technology. In vitro antibacterial experiments and small animal skin wound infection model experiments show that the porous sponge has excellent antibacterial and anti-skin infection activities, as well as the function of promoting wound healing.</p

Fine Mapping of a Degenerated Abdominal Legs Mutant (<i>E^dl</i>) in Silkworm, <i>Bombyx mori</i>

<div><p>In insects, abdominal appendages, also called prolegs, vary due to adaptive evolution. Mutations on prolegs within species provide insights to better understand the mechanisms underlying appendage development and diversity. In silkworm <i>Bombyx mori</i>, extra-crescents and degenerated abdominal legs (<i>E</i>^<i>dl</i>) mutant, belonging to the <i>E</i> pseudoallele group, is a spontaneous mutation that adds crescents and degenerates prolegs on the third abdominal segment (A3). This mutation may be a homeotic transformation of A3 to A2. In this study, the <i>E</i>^<i>dl</i> locus was mapped within approximately a 211 Kb region that is 10 Kb upstream of <i>Bmabdominal-A</i> (<i>Bmabd-A</i>). RT-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) and Western blot analysis of <i>Bmabd-A</i> expression showed a slight but significant decrease, while the expression of <i>BmUltrabithorax</i> (<i>BmUbx</i>) was up-regulated in the <i>E</i>^<i>dl</i> mutant compared to wildtype (Dazao). Moreover, we also found that BmDistal-less (BmDll), which regulated the development of distal proleg structures, was missing at the tips of the A3 prolegs in the <i>E</i>^<i>dl</i> mutant compared to BmDll expression in normally developed prolegs in both the wildtype and mutant. Collectively, we identified approximately a 211 Kb region in the <i>E</i>^<i>dl</i> locus that regulates <i>BmUbx</i> and <i>Bmabd-A</i> expression and found that changes in <i>BmUbx</i> and <i>Bmabd-A</i> expression may lead to the loss of distal proleg structures in <i>B</i>. <i>mori</i>.</p></div

Sequences of primers used in this study.

<p>Sequences of primers used in this study.</p

Additional file 1: Table S1. of Association of a novel point mutation in MSH2 gene with familial multiple primary cancers

Clinical description of cancer patients. Table S2. Statistics of whole-genome sequencing results. Table S3. SNVs and indels that called by GATK and passed the quality control. (DOCX 90 kb