Photoresponsive Polymer and Polymer Composite Membranes for Gas Separation

Stimuli-responsive materials, referred to as “smart” or “intelligent” materials, have gained significant attention in the separation fields, including gas separation. Among a variety of available stimuli, the use of light as a nondestructive, cost-efficient, chemical-reagent-free stimulus with a relatively fast response is very promising. Herein, we summarize and highlight the approaches applied for the synthesis of photoresponsive organic polymeric membranes, inorganic metal–organic framework thin films, and inorganic–organic mixed-matrix membranes. We discuss the application of these materials for gas separation and provide selected state-of-the-art examples from recently conducted studies. Additionally, the photoresponsive gas separation membrane testing cell plays a crucial role in evaluating and comparing the performance of photoresponsive membranes in the gas separation process. Therefore, we review the development of photoresponsive gas separation membrane testing cells along with the ascribed drawbacks and limitations. A third generation testing system designed to highlight test accuracy is proposed and discussed

Exosomes From miRNA-126-Modified Endothelial Progenitor Cells Alleviate Brain Injury and Promote Functional Recovery After Stroke

Aims: We previously showed that the protective effects of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs)-released exosomes (EPC-EXs) on endothelium in diabetes. However, whether EPC-EXs are protective in diabetic ischemic stroke is unknown. Here, we investigated the effects of EPC-EXs on diabetic stroke mice and tested whether miR-126 enriched EPC-EXs (EPC-EXs miR126 ) have enhanced efficacy. Methods: The db/db mice subjected to ischemic stroke were intravenously administrated with EPC-EXs 2 hours after ischemic stroke. The infarct volume, cerebral microvascular density (MVD), cerebral blood flow (CBF), neurological function, angiogenesis and neurogenesis, and levels of cleaved caspase-3, miR-126, and VEGFR2 were measured on day 2 and 14. Results: We found that (a) injected EPC-EXs merged with brain endothelial cells, neurons, astrocytes, and microglia in the peri-infarct area; (b) EPC-EXs miR126 were more effective than EPC-EXs in decreasing infarct size and increasing CBF and MVD, and in promoting angiogenesis and neurogenesis as well as neurological functional recovery; (c) These effects were accompanied with downregulated cleaved caspase-3 on day 2 and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2) upregulation till day 14. Conclusion: Our results indicate that enrichment of miR126 enhanced the therapeutic efficacy of EPC-EXs on diabetic ischemic stroke by attenuating acute injury and promoting neurological function recovery

Establishment of a HEK293T cell line able to site-specifically integrate and stably express GDNF by rAAV-2 vector

Background: Using recombinant adeno-associated virus 2 (rAAV-2), we attempted to establish a HEK293T cell line that is able to site-specifically integrate and stably express glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF). Results: Recombinant vector with enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) and GDNF (pTR-P5-EGFP-IRES-GDNF), as well as that carrying Rep genes and SV40 promoters (pSVAV2) were constructed and packed. HEK293T cells were co-infected with rAAV-2/EGFP-GDNF and rAAV-2/SVAV2 virus separately at 1 7 104, 1 7 105, and 1 7 106 of multiplicity of infection (MOI). The efficiency of transduction was detected using flow cytometry. Additionally, the infected HEK293T cells were separately validated by touchdown polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Western-blot. After 72 h of transduction, the rate of EGFP positive cell was 22%, 45% and 49% at the MOIs of 1 7 104, 1 7 105 and 1 7 106, respectively. On the 3rd, 6th and 9th day of cell passage, there was no significant difference in the cell viability and proliferation rate between transduction and control groups. Importantly, touchdown PCR showed that there was a specific PCR amplified product band in the lane of infected cells. Furthermore, GDNF expression was detected in the infected cells after 15 and 180 d of cultivation. Conclusions: A HEK293T cell line able to site-specifically integrate and stably express GDNF was established

Identifying tumor antigens and immune subtypes of gastrointestinal MALT lymphoma for immunotherapy development

MALT lymphoma is an extranodal B-cell lymphoma of the marginal zone of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT), caused by malignant transformation of B-cells in the marginal zone. In this work, we aim to explore the potential relationship between MALT lymphoma and DLBCL. Vaccines derived from messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) may provide satisfactory results. Despite being a promising treatment option, immunotherapy isn’t widely used in treating renal cell carcinoma, as only a few patients respond to the treatment. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) analysis revealed gene expression profiles and clinical information. Antigen-presenting cells infiltrated the immune system using TIMER tool (http://timer.cistrome.org/). GDSC (Genomics of Drug Sensitivity in Cancer) data were used to estimate drug sensitivity. Immune-related genes were associated with a better prognosis in MALT lymphoma patients and higher levels of antigen-presenting cells. There is a significant relationship between these immune subtypes and immunological checkpoints, immunogenic cell death regulators, and prognostic variables for MALT lymphoma patients. In this study, we provide a theoretical foundation for the development of mRNA vaccines and suggest that KLHL14 could potentially be used as antigens to develop mRNA vaccines for MALT lymphoma

Lithosphere thinning beneath west North China Craton: Evidence from geochemical and Sr-Nd-Hf isotope compositions of Jining basalts

This study shows lithosphere evolution history in the west North China Craton (NCC) from the early Cretaceous to Quaternary by studying the major element, trace element and Sr-Nd-Hf isotope compositions in Jining basalts of 119.6-108.6. Ma, 23.5-21.9. Ma and 1.3-0.11. Ma.The early Cretaceous basalts (119.6-108.6Ma) display enriched characteristics with high contents of incompatible elements, high 87Sr/86Sri, low εNd(t) and low εHf(t). These basalts resulted from partial melting of ancient metasomatized lithospheric mantle, and we consider the 119.6-108.6Ma magmatism as indicating lithosphere thinning in the west NCC. Although the Pacific slab seen seismically in the mantle transition zone beneath eastern China is no older than 60Ma, there exists convincing evidence for the presence of the Paleo-Pacific slab in the transition-zone in the Mesozoic. Thus we propose that the water released from the transition-zone slab hydrated the overlying lithosphere and further converted the base of the lithosphere into asthenosphere. This is the most likely mechanism responsible for the lithosphere thinning in the west NCC and the petrogenesis of the Jining 119.6-108.6Ma basalts.The Jining 23.5-21.9Ma basalts also have high contents of incompatible elements, but they display high εNd(t), high εHf(t) and variably low 87Sr/86Sri. We propose that these Miocene basalts were derived from the asthenosphere with contributions from ancient metasomatized lithospheric mantle during melt ascent. The Jining Quaternary basalts (1.3-0.11Ma) represent the melt of upwelling asthenosphere with low 87Sr/86Sri, high εNd(t) and high εHf(t). Upwelling and decompression melting of the eastward flowing asthenosphere from beneath western plateaus to beneath eastern hilly plains in the Cenozoic is the most plausible mechanism for the petrogenesis of Jining Cenozoic basalts (both of 23.5-21.9Ma and 1.3-0.11Ma), but the Jining 1.3-0.11Ma basalts must have been produced beneath even thinner lithosphere.Taken together geophysical studies and our petrological and geochemical studies of all these three episodes of the Jining basalts, we propose that the lithosphere in the west NCC has been thinning since the early Cretaceous and the thinning continues to the present

Metal-Organic Framework MIL-68(In)-NH2_{2} on the Membrane Test Bench for Dye Removal and Carbon Capture

The metal-organic framework (MOF) MIL-68(In)-NH$_{2}$ was tested for dye removal from wastewater and carbon capture gas separation. MIL-68(In)-NH$_{2}$ was synthesized as a neat, supported MOF thin film membrane and as spherical particles using pyridine as a modulator to shape the morphology. The neat MIL-68(In)-NH$_{2}$ membranes were employed for dye removal in cross-flow geometry, demonstrating strong molecular sieving. MIL-68(In)-NH$_{2}$ particles were used for electrospinning of poylethersulfone mixed-matrix membranes, applied in dead-end filtration with unprecedented adsorption values. Additionally, the neat MOF membranes were used for H$_{2}$/CO$_{2}$ and CO$_{2}$/CH$_{4}$ separation

Investigation of mass transport processes in a microstructured membrane reactor for the direct synthesis of hydrogen peroxide

Microstructured membrane reactors present a promising approach to master the productivity and safety challenges during the direct synthesis of hydrogen peroxide. However, various mass transport processes occur in this complex system. In order to gain a deeper understanding of these processes, the saturation and desaturation behaviour of the liquid reaction medium with the gaseous reactants is investigated experimentally to examine possible cross-contamination. Moreover, the employed PDMS membrane’s permeances to hydrogen and oxygen are researched at different pressures, by using a variable-pressure/constant-volume setup for the behaviour at ambient pressure and a constant-pressure/variable-volume setup for the behaviour at elevated pressures. A mathematical model in MATLAB is applied to simulate the results. It is shown that a certain desaturation of the gasses through the membrane occurs, and the results are underlined by the modelled ones using a solution-diffusion model in MATLAB. Thus a constant flushing of the gas channels of the reactor is required for safety reasons. Moreover, the measured permeance values indicate that the species transport is mainly limited by the diffusion in the liquid phase and not the membrane resistance

Metabolomics-Based Identification of Bleached Shellac in Liquid Fruit Wax

The purpose of this study was to identify whether liquid fruit waxes could be added with bleached shellac. The compounds of bleached shellac from different sources were analyzed by targeted metabolomics based on liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-QTOF-MS) combined with liquid chromatography with evaporative light scattering detection. Twelve target compounds were selected by multivariate statistical analysis including unsupervised principal component analysis (PCA) and supervised partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA). According to variable importance in the projection (VIP) value, five differential compounds and seven shared compounds were identified. Finally, the viability of this method in the detection of commercial liquid fruit wax products was verified using the shared compounds as biomarkers. These results showed that chromatography combined with mass spectrometry can identify whether bleached shellac could be added in liquid fruit wax

Comparative transcriptomic analyses of two sugarcane Saccharum L. cultivars differing in drought tolerance

Sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) is an important cash crop, and drought is an important factors limiting its yield. To study the drought resistance mechanism of sugarcane, the transcriptomes of two sugarcane varieties with different levels of drought resistance were compared under different water shortage levels. The results showed that the transcriptomes of the two varieties were significantly different. The differentially expressed genes were enriched in starch and sucrose metabolism, linoleic acid metabolism, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, and glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolic pathways. Unique trend genes of the variety with strong drought resistance (F172) were significantly enriched in photosynthesis, mitogen-activated protein kinases signaling pathway, biosynthesis of various plant secondary metabolites, and cyanoamino acid metabolism pathways. Weighted correlation network analysis indicated that the blue4 and plum1 modules correlated with drought conditions, whereas the tan and salmon4 modules correlated with variety. The unique trend genes expressed in F172 and mapped to the blue4 module were enriched in photosynthesis, purine metabolism, starch and sucrose metabolism, beta-alanine metabolism, photosynthesis-antenna proteins, and plant hormone signal transduction pathways. The expression of genes involved in the photosynthesis-antenna protein and photosynthesis pathways decreased in response to water deficit, indicating that reducing photosynthesis might be a means for sugarcane to respond to drought stress. The results of this study provide insights into drought resistance mechanisms in plants, and the related genes and metabolic pathways identified may be helpful for sugarcane breeding in the future