Interlayer reinforcement of 3D printed concrete by the in-process deposition of U-nails

3D concrete printing has tremendous potential for construction manufacturing; however, weak interface bonding between adjacent layers remains a well-known issue that affects the mechanical properties of printed structures. The layers introduce anisotropy and reduce the capacity to resist tensile and shear loads. Reinforcements, inserted perpendicular to the printed layers to traverse the interfaces, can improve these limitations, but the insertion of reinforcements is difficult to achieve in practice, and there are few published studies exploring appropriate methods. This study presents a promising approach using U-shaped nails inserted into concrete during the printing process. The bridging effect and dowel action of the applied U-nails are visualised and analysed to elucidate the toughness improvement. The ultimate tensile strength and shear strength of 3D printed concrete are significantly increased by 145.0% and 220.0%, respectively. U-nails with a filament thickness of 2–2.5 mm are recommended to yield optimal improvement in the interlayer strength

Additional file 1 of Inhalable CAR-T cell-derived exosomes as paclitaxel carriers for treating lung cancer

Additional file 1: Figure S1. The purity of different batches of CAR-Exos. Exosome purity level required for preclinical studies: 1 × 1011 particle/mg. Figure S2. Representative TEM image of PTX@CAR-Exo. Scale bar: 100 nm. Size distribution and zeta potential of CAR-Exo and PTX@CAR-Exo measured by NTA and DLS. Data are presented as the mean ± SD of three biological replicates. Figure S3. Determination of the standard curve for detecting PTX using a spectrophotometer. Mass of PTX = 0.77636 × OD value − 0.01551. Figure S4. Storage stability of CAR-Exo or PTX@CAR-Exo at − 80 °C. The average size of PTX@CAR-Exo did not change within 30 days at − 80 °C. Data are presented as the mean ± SD of three biological replicates. Figure S5. Representative histological images for H&E staining were obtained from the lung, liver, spleen, heart, and kidney of mice with different treatments post inhalation. Scale bars: 100 µm. Body weights of control mice and mice receiving different treatments. Serum ALT, ALP, and AST levels in mice from different treatments were used as indicators of liver injury. Serum CRE and BUN levels in mice from different treatments were used as indicators of kidney function. Data are presented as the mean ± SD of three biological replicates. PBS, T-Exo, CAR-Exo, PTX@CAR-Exo. Figure S6. The targeting of CAR-Exos to the orthotopic lung cancer in vivo. The accumulation of inhaled CAR-Exos labeled with DiR post administration were measured by IVIS system. Figure S7. Survival analysis of tumor-bearing mice after CAR-Exos inhalation. *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001, ****P < 0.0001, ns: not significant. Figure S8. Cytokine concentrations in mouse peripheral blood following intravenous CAR-T cells administration or inhalation of CAR-Exos. Data are presented as the mean ± SD of three biological replicates. *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001, ****P < 0.0001, ns: not significant

Flexible and Degradable Paper-Based Strain Sensor with Low Cost

It is a challenge to fabricate low-cost and flexible electronic devices with degradable materials. In this work, a flexible and degradable strain sensor was fabricated on a paper substrate by dip-coating in an aqueous suspension of carbon black (CB) and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC). The composition of CB and CMC in the suspension was first studied for producing a uniform conducting layer on the paper. Then the strain sensor was obtained by assembling the coated paper and wires with silver paste. The sensor exhibits gauge factor of 4.3 and responsive time of approximately 240 ms, demonstrating the capability of monitoring various human motions with high stability >1000 cycles. The microgaps between CB particles and cracks on the surface of the CB layer can account for this resistive-type sensitivity. The degradation test shows that the sensor can be degraded soon under gentle rubbing in wet state, implying it is an environmentally friendly “green” electronic device. Furthermore, the cost of the sensor is quite low (<$0.001/sensor) due to the cheap raw materials used, which provides an opportunity for its future utilization in various intelligent systems

Extended <i>EaZIP</i> cDNA sequence of <i>Epipremnum aureum</i> ‘Golden Pothos’.

<p>Genomic DNA was used for PCR amplification to extend 5’ region of <i>EaZIP</i> cDNA. Putative cTP region is highlighted.</p

Transgenic tobacco leaves.

<p>A. EGFP-CK, plants harboring EGFP gene as a control, plants did not exhibit leaf variegation; B-F. Plants harboring <i>EaZIPwocTP</i> gene, which showed different degrees of leaf variegation.</p

Comparison of chloroplast density of leaf tissues among transgenic tobacco plant lines overexpressing <i>EGFP</i> (EGFP-CK), <i>EaZIPwocTP</i>, and <i>EaZIPwcTP</i>.

<p>Samples from three each of <i>EGFP</i>, <i>EaZIPwocTP</i>, and <i>EaZIPwcTP</i> plant lines were examined. Bar represent average 1000 x chloroplasts per mg tissue. Standard errors were indicated (n = 3). Different letters above bars indicate significant difference (<i>P</i> < 0.05) among examined leaves according to Fisher’s LSD test.</p

GFP expression segregation in seeds of tobacco T1 progeny overexpressing <i>EaZIP</i>.

<p>Tobacco plants were grown to maturity. Seeds were collected from each line and subject to GFP expression observation. Representative images from examined lines were presented. Segregation ratios between GFP positive and negative seeds were indicated in parentheses. A, non-transformed tobacco plant; B and C: <i>EaZIPwocTP</i> plant lines; and D and E: <i>EaZIPwcTP</i> plant lines.</p

Leaves of tobacco plants derived from axillary shoots.

<p>(A) a GFP-CK control plant (no variegated leaves) and (B) an <i>EaZIPwocTP</i> line with variegated leaves.</p

Overexpression of an <i>EaZIP</i> gene devoid of transit peptide sequence induced leaf variegation in tobacco

<div><p>Leaf variegation is an ornamental trait that is not only biologically but also economically important. In our previous study, a Mg-protoporphyrin IX monomethyl ester cyclase homologue, <i>EaZIP</i> (<i>Epipremnum aureum</i> leucine zipper) was found to be associated with leaf variegation in <i>Epipremnum aureum</i> (Linden & Andre) G.S. Bunting. The protein product of this nuclear-encoded gene is targeted back to chloroplast involving in chlorophyll biosynthesis. Based on a web-based homology analysis, the <i>EaZIP</i> was found to lack a chloroplast transit peptide (cTP) sequence. In the present study, we tested if overexpression of the <i>EaZIP</i> cDNA with or without the cTP sequence could affect leaf variegation. Transgenic tobacco plants overexpressing <i>EaZIP</i> genes with (<i>EaZIPwcTP</i>) and without (<i>EaZIPwocTP</i>) cTP sequence were generated. Many plant lines harboring <i>EaZIPwocTP</i> showed variegated leaves, while none of the plant lines with <i>EaZIPwcTP</i> produced such a phenotype. Molecular analysis of T0 plants and selfed T1 progeny, as well as observations of tagged marker GFP (green fluorescent protein) did not show any other difference in patterns of gene integrity and expression. Results from this study indicate that transgenic approach for expressing <i>EaZIPwocTP</i> could be a novel method of generating variegated plants even through the underlying mechanisms remain to be elucidated.</p></div

T-DNA and PCR-detection of <i>EaZIP</i> and <i>NPTII</i> sequences from transgenic tobacco plants.

<p>A. Schematic presentation of T-DNA region containing marker gene and <i>EaZIP</i> genes (<i>EaZIPwocTP</i> or <i>EaZIPwcTP</i>) for overexpression analysis. R and L: Right and left borders of T-DNA; EGFP/NPTII: EGFP and NPTII translational fusion marker; BDPC: Bidirectional dual promoter complex derived from double enhancer CaMV35S and CsVMV promoters; Ter: 35S transcript terminator. PCR primers including NRT53, NRT34, ENEW-53 and ENC-32 along with expected amplicons are marked. B. PCR products to show presence of <i>EaZIP</i> cDNA fragment in analyzed tobacco lines. M indicates marker DNA, CEJ225: plasmid DNA containing the <i>EaZIP</i> short version; nontransgenic control plant; <i>EaZIPwocTP</i> lines 1–4; and <i>EaZIPwcTP</i> lines 1–4. C. PCR products detecting presence of <i>NPTII</i> gene sequence in <i>EaZIPwocTP</i> and <i>EaZIPwcTP</i> tobacco lines as well as nontransgenic control plant.</p