Improvement of mechanical and electrical properties of poly(ethylene glycol) and cyanoresin based polymer electrolytes

Ionic conductivity and mechanical properties of a mixed polymer matrix consisting of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and cyanoresin type M (CRM) with various lithium salts and plasticizer were examined. The CRM used was a copolymer of cyanoethyl pullulan and cyanoethyl poly(vinyl alcohol) with a molar ratio of 1:1, mixed plasticizer was ethylene carbonate (EC) and propylene carbonate (PC) at a volume ratio of 1:1. The conductive behavior of polymer electrolytes in the temperature range of 298∼338 K was investigated. The PEG/LiClO₄ complexes exhibited the highest ionic conductivity of ∼10⁻⁵ S/cm at 25°C with the salt concentration of 1.5 M. In addition, the plasticized PEG/LiClO₄ complexes exhibited improvement of ionic conductivity. However, their complexes showed decreased mechanical properties. The improvement of ionic conductivity and mechanical properties could be obtained from the polymer electrolytes by using CRM. The highest ionic conductivity of PEG/CRM/LiClO₄/(EC-PC) was 5.33×10⁻⁴ S/cm at 25°C.     

Therapeutic Potential of Phlorotannin-Rich Ecklonia cava Extract on Methylglyoxal-Induced Diabetic Nephropathy in In Vitro Model

Advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) play a vital role in the pathogenesis of diabetic complications. Methylglyoxal (MGO), one of the major precursors of AGEs, is a highly reactive dicarbonyl compound that plays an important role in the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy. This study was designed to evaluate the therapeutic potential of phlorotannin-rich Ecklonia cava extract (ECE) on MGO-induced diabetic nephropathy in in vitro models using mouse glomerular mesangial cells. ECE showed anti-glycation activity via breaking of AGEs-collagen cross-links and inhibition of AGEs formation and AGE-collagen cross-linking formation. The renoprotective effects were determined by assessing intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and MGO accumulation, cell apoptosis, and the Nrf-2/ARE signaling pathway. MGO-induced renal damage, intracellular ROS production level, and MGO-protein adduct accumulation were significantly decreased by pretreating ECE. Moreover, ECE pretreatment exhibited preventive properties against MGO-induced dicarbonyl stress via activation of the Nrf2/ARE signaling pathway and reduction of RAGE protein expression in mouse glomerular mesangial cells. Collectively, these results indicated potential anti-glycation properties and prominent preventive effects of ECE against MGO-induced renal damage. Additionally, ECE may be utilized for the management of AGE-related diabetic nephropathy.     

Preparation of regenerated cellulose fiber via carbonation. I. Carbonation and dissolution in an aqueous NaOH solution

Cellulose carbonate was prepared by the reaction of cellulose pulp and CO₂ with treatment reagents, such as aqueous ZnCl₂ (20–40 wt%) solution, acetone or ethyl acetate, at −5–0°C and 30–40 bar (CO₂) for 2 hr. Among the treatment reagents, ethyl acetate was the most effective. Cellulose carbonate was dissolved in 10% sodium hydroxide solution containing zinc oxide up to 3 wt% at −5–0°C. Intrinsic viscosities of raw cellulose and cellulose carbonate were measured with an Ubbelohde viscometer using 0.5 M cupriethylenediamine hydroxide (cuen) as a solvent at 20°C according to ASTM D1795 method. The molecular weight of cellulose was rarely changed by carbonation. Solubility of cellulose carbonate was tested by optical microscopic observation, UV absorbance and viscosity measurement. Phase diagram of cellulose carbonate was obtained by combining the results of solubility evaluation. Maximum concentration of cellulose carbonate for soluble zone was increased with increasing zinc oxide content. Cellulose carbonate solution in good soluble zone was transparent and showed the lowest absorbance and the highest viscosity. The cellulose carbonate and its solution were stable in refrigerator (−5°C and atmospheric pressure).     

Evaluation of the effects of climate change on forest watershed hydroecology using the RHESSys model: Seolmacheon catchment

Paddy and Water Environment - This study examines the effects of future climate changes on watershed hydroecology, including runoff, evapotranspiration, soil moisture content, gross primary...     

Effect of LDPE microplastics on chemical properties and microbial communities in soil

The accumulation of plastics in the soil ecosystem poses an increasing environmental concern worldwide. However, little is known about the effect of plastic concentrations on soil properties and soil biota. In this study, we investigated the effect of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) microplastics (MPs) on the chemical and microbial properties of agricultural soil using a set of microcosm experiments. The soil was incubated for 100 days with LDPE at concentrations of 0%, 0.1%, 1%, 3%, 5%, and 7% at 25°C with 70% water-holding capacity. Along with soil chemical analysis, we conducted an analysis of soil microbial properties on the first day and again after 100 days of incubation. LDPE concentrations of ≥1% significantly (p < .05) decreased the pH but increased the electrical conductivity of the soil in comparison with the control (0% LDPE at 100 days). Increasing the LDPE concentration did not affect the soil exchangeable cation content or the available Pb concentration. Firmicutes were the most abundant phyla in the soil on the first day, whereas Proteobacteria, Firmicutes and Actinobacteria became dominant in all treatments after 100 days. An increasing LDPE concentration increased the abundance of Actinobacteria and decreased Proteobacteria. Principal component analysis demonstrated that only 7% LDPE was positively correlated with Actinobacteria, indicating that higher concentrations of LDPE contributed to the growth of this phylum. The findings of this study imply that MP contamination could affect soil chemical properties and microbial activity and that these effects primarily depend on MP concentrations in soil.     

Rheological behavior of magnetic carbon nanotubes and their application as kevlar coating

Carbon nanotube (CNT)/magnetite (Fe₃O₄) nanocomposites were successfully fabricated by nanocoating. When the CNT/Fe₃O₄ nanocomposites were added to a carbonyl (CI) based magnetorheological fluid (MRF), the magnetic rheological properties of the MRF were enhanced. Such enhancement in magnetic rheological properties of the CI-CNT/Fe₃O₄ MRF is considered to be attributable to both the superparamagnetic property of the magnetic layer covering the CNT surface and the high length to diameter ratio of the CNT/Fe₃O₄ nanocomposite. Impact properties for CI-CNT/Fe₃O₄ MRF treated Kevlar fabrics were also tested, and improved impact properties were observed with external magnetic fields compared to CI-MRF treated Kevlar fabrics.     

Anti-inflammatory effects of a Houttuynia cordata supercritical extract

Anti-inflammatory effects of Houttuynia cordata supercritical extract (HSE) were investigated in a carrageenan-air pouch model. HSE (200 mg/kg, oral) suppressed exudation and albumin leakage, as well as inflammatory cell infiltration. Dexamethasone (2 mg/kg, i.p.) only decreased exudation and cell infiltration, while indomethacin (2 mg/kg, i.p.) reduced exudate volume and albumin content. HSE lowered tumor-necrosis factor (TNF)-α and nitric oxide (NO), as well as prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂). Dexamethasone only reduced TNF-α and NO, while indomethacin decreased TNF-α and PGE₂. The suppressive activity of HSE on NO and PGE₂ production was confirmed in RAW 264.7. These results demonstrate that HSE exerts anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting both TNF-α-NO and cyclooxygenase II-PGE₂ pathways.     

Ultrafast flash thermal conductance of molecular chains

At the level of individual molecules, familiar concepts of heat transport no longer apply. When large amounts of heat are transported through a molecule, a crucial process in molecular electronic devices, energy is carried by discrete molecular vibrational excitations. We studied heat transport through self-assembled monolayers of long-chain hydrocarbon molecules anchored to a gold substrate by ultrafast heating of the gold with a femtosecond laser pulse. When the heat reached the methyl groups at the chain ends, a nonlinear coherent vibrational spectroscopy technique detected the resulting thermally induced disorder. The flow of heat into the chains was limited by the interface conductance. The leading edge of the heat burst traveled ballistically along the chains at a velocity of 1 kilometer per second. The molecular conductance per chain was 50 picowatts per kelvin.     

The mTOR-regulated phosphoproteome reveals a mechanism of mTORC1-mediated inhibition of growth factor signaling

The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) protein kinase is a master growth promoter that nucleates two complexes, mTORC1 and mTORC2. Despite the diverse processes controlled by mTOR, few substrates are known. We defined the mTOR-regulated phosphoproteome by quantitative mass spectrometry and characterized the primary sequence motif specificity of mTOR using positional scanning peptide libraries. We found that the phosphorylation response to insulin is largely mTOR dependent and that mTOR exhibits a unique preference for proline, hydrophobic, and aromatic residues at the +1 position. The adaptor protein Grb10 was identified as an mTORC1 substrate that mediates the inhibition of phosphoinositide 3-kinase typical of cells lacking tuberous sclerosis complex 2 (TSC2), a tumor suppressor and negative regulator of mTORC1. Our work clarifies how mTORC1 inhibits growth factor signaling and opens new areas of investigation in mTOR biology.