Robust,healable and hydrophobically recoverable polydimethylsiloxane based supramolecular material with dual-activate hard segment

Science China Technological Sciences - In this paper, a novel dual-activate hard segment strategy is proposed for the fabrication of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) based supramolecular polymer...     

城市步行街区空间品质对街区活力的影响

步行街区作为城市公共空间的重要组成部分,其空间活力程度对城市经济与社会发展具有重要意义.为探讨街区空间品质对街区活力的影响效应及其影响程度,以合肥市淮河路步行街区为例,通过调研街区的建筑品质、景观品质、文化品质和管理维护品质,采用回归分析定量研究街区空间品质对街区活力的影响效应及程度.研究结果表明,街区空间的文化品质对街区活力的影响最大,景观品质其次,建筑和管理维护品质最小.未来进行城市步行街区设计时,应注重塑造街区的文化品质.     

多元醇稀释法制备环糊精包裹白藜芦醇的工艺研究

传统的环糊精包裹活性物的制备工艺都是以有机溶剂作为溶解活性物的载体。本研究使用化妆品中常用的多元醇代替有机溶剂,首次采用多元醇稀释法操作工艺。以白藜芦醇为活性物代表,用多元醇溶解,稳定高效地将活性物包埋于羟丙基-β-环糊精中,很好避免了有机溶剂残留的问题,并进行稳定性测试,采用光学电子显微镜观察析出物结构。采用高效液相色谱对多元醇稀释法环糊精包裹白藜芦醇水溶液中的白藜芦醇含量检测。采用红外光谱法、紫外光谱法和透射电子显微镜对其进行表征。本研究创新的多元醇稀释法工艺与传统工艺在包裹率、稳定性、溶解度等保持一致,并能成功应用于化妆品开发。     

In-depth investigation on the factors affecting the performance of high oil-absorption resin by response surface method

A series of high oil-absorption resins with low cross-linking degree were synthesized by suspension polymerization using stearyl methacrylate(SMA), 2-Ethylhexyl methacrylate(EHMA), and styrene(St) as monomers.Response surface methodology(RSM) with central composite design(CCD) was also applied to determine the optimal parameters that are mainly known to affect their synthesis. Thus, the effects of the monomer mass ratio(EHMA:SMA), the rigid monomer(St) dosage, the porous agent(acetone) dosage, and their pairwise interaction on the resin's oil-absorption capacity were analyzed, highlighting PSES-R_2 as the resin with the optimum performance. The pure oil-absorption rates of PSES-R2 for gasoline, diesel, and kerosene were 11.19 g·g~(-1),16.25 g·g~(-1), and 14.84 g·g~(-1), respectively, while the oil removal rates from oily wastewater were 98.82%,65.11%, and 99.63%, respectively.     

Catalase (CAT) Gene Family in Rapeseed (Brassica napus L.): Genome-Wide Analysis,Identification, and Expression Pattern in Response to Multiple Hormones and Abiotic Stress Conditions

Catalase (CAT) is an antioxidant enzyme expressed by the CAT gene family and exists in almost all aerobic organisms. Environmental stresses induce the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that eventually hinder plant growth and development. The CAT enzyme translates the hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) to water (H₂O) and reduce the ROS levels to shelter the cells’ death. So far, the CAT gene family has not been reported in rapeseed (Brassica napus L.). Therefore, a genome-wide comprehensive analysis was conducted to classify the CAT genes in the rapeseed genome. The current study identified 14 BnCAT genes in the rapeseed genome. Based on phylogenetic and synteny analysis, the BnCATs belong to four groups (Groups I–IV). A gene structure and conserved motif analysis showed that Group I, Group II, and Group IV possess almost the same intron/exon pattern, and an equal number of motifs, while Group III contains diverse structures and contain 15 motifs. By analyzing the cis-elements in the promoters, we identified five hormone-correlated responsive elements and four stress-related responsive elements. Further, six putative bna-miRNAs were also identified, targeting three genes (BnCAT4, BnCAT6, and BnCAT8). Gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis showed that the BnCAT genes were largely related to cellular organelles, ROS response, stimulus response, stress response, and antioxidant enzymes. Almost 10 BnCAT genes showed higher expression levels in different tissues, i.e., root, leaf, stem, and silique. The expression analysis showed that BnCAT1–BnCAT3 and BnCAT11–BnCAT13 were significantly upregulated by cold, salinity, abscisic acid (ABA), and gibberellic acid (GA) treatment, but not by drought and methyl jasmonate (MeJA). Notably, most of the genes were upregulated by waterlogging stress, except BnCAT6, BnCAT9, and BnCAT10. Our results opened new windows for future investigations and provided insights into the CAT family genes in rapeseed.     

Formation of Proto-Kranz in C3 Rice Induced by Spike-Stalk Injection Method

Introduction of C4 photosynthetic traits into C3 crops is an important strategy for improving photosynthetic capacity and productivity. Here, we report the research results of a variant line of sorghum–rice (SR) plant with big panicle and high spikelet density by introducing sorghum genome DNA into rice by spike-stalk injection. The whole-genome resequencing showed that a few sorghum genes could be integrated into the rice genome. Gene expression was confirmed for two C4 photosynthetic enzymes containing pyruvate, orthophosphate dikinase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase. Exogenous sorghum DNA integration induced a series of key traits associated with the C4 pathway called “proto-Kranz” anatomy, including leaf thickness, bundle sheath number and size, and chloroplast size in bundle sheath cells. Significantly, transgenic plants exhibited enhanced photosynthetic capacity resulting from both photosynthetic CO₂-concentrating effect and improved energy balance, which led to an increase in carbohydrate levels and productivity. Furthermore, such rice plant exhibited delayed leaf senescence. In summary, this study provides a proof for the feasibility of inducing the transition from C3 leaf anatomy to proto-Kranz by spike-stalk injection to achieve efficient photosynthesis and increase productivity.     

Low Dielectric Polyimide/Fluorinated Ethylene Propylene (PI/FEP) Nanocomposite Film for High-Frequency Flexible Circuit Board Application

The low dielectric polymer films have drawn great attention to the application as the dielectric insulating materials in high-frequency circuit boards, while the weak adhesion to the copper foils and the poor processability resulted from the fluorinated or rigid structures limited their high-frequency application. In this work, the low dielectric and high adhesive polyimide/fluorinated ethylene propylene (PI/FEP) nanocomposite film for high-frequency flexible circuit board application is developed. It is indicated that the fluorocarbon surfactants can significantly improve the dispersion of FEP in PI substrate, and thus, the PI/FEP nanocomposite film exhibits excellent mechanical properties, including the tensile strength increases to 46.6 MPa and the elongation at the break increases to 13.7%. Importantly, at the high-frequency of 10 GHz, the 60 wt% FEP filled PI nanocomposite film displays an ultralow dielectric loss (0.006) and a reduced dielectric constant (2.69). In addition, the high-frequency flexible circuit board with the PI/FEP film as the dielectric insulating layer has a high peel strength of 0.75 N mm⁻¹, indicating this PI/FEP nanocomposite film can meet the requirements of the high-frequency flexible circuit board application.     

Synergistic Effect of PVDF-Coated PCL-TCP Scaffolds and Pulsed Electromagnetic Field on Osteogenesis

Bone exhibits piezoelectric properties. Thus, electrical stimulations such as pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMFs) and stimuli-responsive piezoelectric properties of scaffolds have been investigated separately to evaluate their efficacy in supporting osteogenesis. However, current understanding of cells responding under the combined influence of PEMF and piezoelectric properties in scaffolds is still lacking. Therefore, in this study, we fabricated piezoelectric scaffolds by functionalization of polycaprolactone-tricalcium phosphate (PCL-TCP) films with a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) coating that is self-polarized by a modified breath-figure technique. The osteoinductive properties of these PVDF-coated PCL-TCP films on MC3T3-E1 cells were studied under the stimulation of PEMF. Piezoelectric and ferroelectric characterization demonstrated that scaffolds with piezoelectric coefficient d₃₃ = −1.2 pC/N were obtained at a powder dissolution temperature of 100 °C and coating relative humidity (RH) of 56%. DNA quantification showed that cell proliferation was significantly enhanced by PEMF as low as 0.6 mT and 50 Hz. Hydroxyapatite staining showed that cell mineralization was significantly enhanced by incorporation of PVDF coating. Gene expression study showed that the combination of PEMF and PVDF coating promoted late osteogenic gene expression marker most significantly. Collectively, our results suggest that the synergistic effects of PEMF and piezoelectric scaffolds on osteogenesis provide a promising alternative strategy for electrically augmented osteoinduction. The piezoelectric response of PVDF by PEMF, which could provide mechanical strain, is particularly interesting as it could deliver local mechanical stimulation to osteogenic cells using PEMF.     

3D Printing Conductive Composites with Poly(ionic liquid) as a Noncovalent Intermedia to Fabricate Carbon Circuits

In this study, a kind of imidazole type poly(ionic liquid) ([PEP-MIM]Cl) is synthesized, which can disperse carbon effectively. [PEP-MIM]Cl is used as an intermediate to coat carbon on the poly(acrylic acid)(PAA-co-MBA) via ion exchange to obtain conductive polymer composite (CPC). A series of characterizations are performed. Experiments show that carbon can be coated on the PAA-co-MBA uniformly, and compared with using carbon as filler, this method requires less carbon to achieve good conductive performance. The carbon layer on the polymer's surface is enriched via the swelling-shrinking properties of PAA-co-MBA according to the SEM images. Furthermore, in combination with 3D printing technology, PAA-co-MBA can be designed into different shapes to achieve various functions such as pressure-sensing element. Finally, a new type of CPC named carbon clad polymeric laminate (CCPL) is prepared by using the carbon coating method and 3D printing technology. It has the potential to replace copper clad laminate (CCL) and printed circuit board (PCB), to a certain extent. This technology expands the preparation method and application of the CPC such as flexible and wearable conductive fabrics.     

粉煤灰高附加值利用研究进展

粉煤灰是火电厂燃煤过程中产生的固体残渣, 其成分复杂, 具有毒性, 若处理不当会对环境造成危害。因此, 粉煤灰的高附加值利用迫在眉睫。然而, 粉煤灰的品质是制约其高附加值利用的主要因素。目前, 中国粉煤灰品质参差不齐, 缺少完善的品质评价体系, 由此造成粉煤灰利用领域的局限性。针对上述问题, 首先分析了中国粉煤灰的资源化特性, 总结了粉煤灰的品质评价方法, 并重点阐述了适用于粉煤灰高附加值利用的品质评价方法;其次, 详细介绍了粉煤灰高附加值利用技术（高附加值提取技术、高附加值材料制备技术）;最后, 对粉煤灰高附加值利用的发展趋势做出了展望。