Crosstalk between MicroRNA and Oxidative Stress in Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) plays a key role in the pathogenesis of primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), a chronic neurodegenerative disease that damages the trabecular meshwork (TM) cells, inducing apoptosis of the retinal ganglion cells (RGC), deteriorating the optic nerve head, and leading to blindness. Aqueous humor (AH) outflow resistance and intraocular pressure (IOP) elevation contribute to disease progression. Nevertheless, despite the existence of pharmacological and surgical treatments, there is room for the development of additional treatment approaches. The following review is aimed at investigating the role of different microRNAs (miRNAs) in the expression of genes and proteins involved in the regulation of inflammatory and degenerative processes, focusing on the delicate balance of synthesis and deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) regulated by chronic oxidative stress in POAG related tissues. The neutralizing activity of a couple of miRNAs was described, suggesting effective downregulation of pro-inflammatory and pro-fibrotic signaling pathways, including nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-kB), transforming growth factor-beta 2 (TGF-β2), Wnt/β-Catenin, and PI3K/AKT. In addition, with regards to the elevated IOP in many POAG patients due to increased outflow resistance, Collagen type I degradation was stimulated by some miRNAs and prevented ECM deposition in TM cells. Mitochondrial dysfunction as a consequence of oxidative stress was suppressed following exposure to different miRNAs. In contrast, increased oxidative damage by inhibiting the mTOR signaling pathway was described as part of the action of selected miRNAs. Summarizing, specific miRNAs may be promising therapeutic targets for lowering or preventing oxidative stress injury in POAG patients.     

A Smart Flexible Solid State Photovoltaic Device with Interfacial Cooling Recovery Feature through Thermoreversible Polymer Gel Electrolyte

Quasi‐solid‐state dye‐sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) fabricated with lightweight flexible substrates have a great potential in wearable electronic devices for in situ powering. However, the poor lifespan of these DSSCs limits their practical application. Strong mechanical stresses involved in practical applications cause breakage of the electrode/electrolyte interface in the DSSCs greatly affecting their performance and lifetime. Here, a mechanically robust, low‐cost, long‐lasting, and environment‐friendly quasi‐solid‐state DSSC using a smart thermoreversible water‐based polymer gel electrolyte with self‐healing characteristics at a low temperature (below 0 °C) is demonstrated. When the performance of the flexible DSSC is hindered by strong mechanical stresses (i.e., from multiple bending/twisting/shrinking actions), a simple cooling treatment can regenerate the electrode/electrolyte interface and recover the performance close to the initial level. A performance recovery as high as 94% is proven possible even after 300 cycles of 90° bending. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first aqueous DSSC device with self‐healing behavior, using a smart thermoreversible polymer gel electrolyte, which provides a new perspective in flexible wearable solid‐state photovoltaic devices.     

乙醇/磷酸氢二钾双水相体系提取洋葱黄酮工艺条件研究

该文对乙醇/磷酸氢二钾双水相体系提取洋葱黄酮的工艺条件进行研究,考察乙醇质量分数、磷酸氢二钾质量分数、洋葱粉添加量、提取温度和提取时间对洋葱黄酮提取率的影响。通过响应面试验设计及分析确定最佳提取条件。结果表明,乙醇/磷酸氢二钾双水相体系提取洋葱黄酮的最佳条件为:乙醇质量分数41.8%,磷酸二氢钾质量分数22%,洋葱添加量0.24 g,提取温度50℃、提取时间30 min,在此条件下,洋葱黄酮的提取率达5.32%。     

Oxygenated VOCs,aqueous chemistry,and potential impacts on residential indoor air composition

Dampness affects a substantial percentage of homes and is associated with increased risk of respiratory ailments; yet, the effects of dampness on indoor chemistry are largely unknown. We hypothesize that the presence of water‐soluble gases and their aqueous processing alters the chemical composition of indoor air and thereby affects inhalation and dermal exposures in damp homes. Herein, we use the existing literature and new measurements to examine the plausibility of this hypothesis, summarize existing evidence, and identify key knowledge gaps. While measurements of indoor volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are abundant, measurements of water‐soluble organic gases (WSOGs) are not. We found that concentrations of total WSOGs were, on average, 15 times higher inside homes than immediately outside (N = 13). We provide insights into WSOG compounds likely to be present indoors using peer‐reviewed literature and insights from atmospheric chemistry. Finally, we discuss types of aqueous chemistry that may occur on indoor surfaces and speculate how this chemistry could affect indoor exposures. Liquid water quantities, identities of water‐soluble compounds, the dominant chemistry, and fate of aqueous products are poorly understood. These limitations hamper our ability to determine the effects of aqueous indoor chemistry on dermal and inhalation exposures in damp homes.     

Poly(2,5-Dihydroxy-1,4-Benzoquinonyl Sulfide) As an Efficient Cathode for High-Performance Aqueous Zinc–Organic Batteries

Aqueous rechargeable zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) have attracted considerable attention as a promising candidate for low-cost and high-safety electrochemical energy storage. However, the advancement of ZIBs is strongly hindered by the sluggish ionic diffusion and structural instability of inorganic metal oxide cathode materials during the Zn²⁺ insertion/extraction. To address these issues, a new organic host material, poly(2,5-dihydroxy-1,4-benzoquinonyl sulfide) (PDBS), has been designed and applied for zinc ion storage due to its elastic structural factors (tunable space and soft lattice). The aqueous Zn-organic batteries based on the PDBS cathode show outstanding cycling stability and rate capability. The coordination moieties (O and S) display the strong electron donor character during the discharging process and can act as the coordination arms to host Zn²⁺. Also, under the electrochemical environment, the malleable polymer structure of PDBS permits the rotation and bending of polymer chains to facilitate the insertion/extraction of Zn²⁺, manifesting the superiority and uniqueness of organic electrode materials in the polyvalent cation storage. Finally, quasi-solid-state batteries based on aqueous gel electrolyte demonstrate highly stable capacity under different bending conditions.     

Stable Aqueous Anode-Free Zinc Batteries Enabled by Interfacial Engineering

Anode-free zinc batteries (AFZBs) are proposed as promising energy storage systems due to their high energy density, inherent safety, low cost, and simplified fabrication process. However, rapid capacity fading caused by the side reactions between the in situ formed zinc metal anode and electrolyte hinders their practical applications. To address these issues, aqueous AFZBs enabled by electrolyte engineering to form a stable interphase are designed. By introducing a multifunctional zinc fluoride (ZnF₂) additive into the electrolyte, a stable F-rich interfacial layer is formed. This interfacial layer can not only regulate the growth orientation of zinc crystals, but also serve as an inert protection layer against side reactions such as H₂ generation. Based on these synergy effects, zinc deposition/dissolution with high reversibility (Coulombic efficiency > 99.87%) and stable cycling performance up to 600 h of are achieved in the electrolyte optimized by ZnF₂. With this electrolyte, the cycling life of AFZBs is significantly improved. The work may initiate the research of AFZBs and be useful for the design of high energy, high safety, and low-cost power sources.     

Synthetic copolymer (AM/AMPS/DMDAAC/SSS) as rheology modifier and fluid loss additive at HTHP for water-based drilling fluids

In the petroleum industry, high temperature and high pressure (HTHP) would dramatically worsen rheological properties and increase fluid loss volumes of drilling fluids. Synthetic polymer as an indispensable additive has attracted more and more attention recently. In this article, a new copolymer (named AADS) of 2-acrylamide-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid, acrylamide, dimethyl diallyl ammonium chloride, and sodium styrene sulfonate was synthesized through aqueous solution polymerization. The chemical structure of the copolymer was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance. Moreover, its thermal stability was simultaneously analyzed using a differential scanning calorimetry. The results showed that the synthetic polymer contained all the designed functional groups, and its structure was consistent to the desired one. Under contamination of sodium chloride, AADS solution maintained relatively high viscosity in high concentration brine, showing a good antisalt capacity. Furthermore, the effect of AADS content and temperature on rheological behavior and fluid loss volume of the water-based drilling fluid (WBDF) containing the synthesized product were investigated according to the American Petroleum Institute standard. Results showed that the rheological and filtration properties of the prepared WBDF were improved with the increase in the AADS concentration before and after the thermal aging test. In addition, in the temperature range of 80–240 °C, a reversible rheological behavior was observed during the heating–cooling process, and the HTHP fluid loss was controlled within 22.5 mL, suggesting that the copolymer AADS was suitable for making WBDF s with high temperature resistance. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019 , 136, 47813.     

低温冷冻技术对纸张性能的影响

目前图书馆、档案馆多选用低温冷冻技术杀灭害虫。为研究该技术对纸张的影响,选择6种纸样(道林纸、字典纸、双胶纸、打字纸、新闻纸和试卷纸)进行180个周期的低温冷冻处理,测定其与室温下避光保存纸样的机械性能和水抽提液pH值等性能指标的相对变化。结果显示,各项性能指标相对变化率基本都不超过5%,只有打字纸冷冻后抗张指数相对变化率达到8. 6%。因此多次低温冷冻基本不会对纸张性能造成影响,还有利于缓解漂白程度较高的纸张保存过程中白度和抗张强度的下降程度,适宜用于图书档案的杀虫操作。     

Solution-Processed Organic Solar Cells with High Open-Circuit Voltage of 1.3 V and Low Non-Radiative Voltage Loss of 0.16 V

Compared with inorganic or perovskite solar cells, the relatively large non-radiative recombination voltage losses (ΔV_non-rad) in organic solar cells (OSCs) limit the improvement of the open-circuit voltage (V_oc). Herein, OSCs are fabricated by adopting two pairs of D–π–A polymers (PBT1-C/PBT1-C-2Cl and PBDB-T/PBDB-T-2Cl) as electron donors and a wide-bandgap molecule BTA3 as the electron acceptor. In these blends, a charge-transfer state energy (E_CT) as high as 1.70–1.76 eV is achieved, leading to small energetic differences between the singlet excited states and charge-transfer states (ΔE_CT ≈ 0.1 eV). In addition, after introducing chlorine atoms into the π-bridge or the side chain of benzodithiophene (BDT) unit, electroluminescence external quantum efficiencies as high as 1.9 × 10⁻³ and 1.0 × 10⁻³ are realized in OSCs based on PBTI-C-2Cl and PBDB-T-2Cl, respectively. Their corresponding ΔV_non-rad are 0.16 and 0.17 V, which are lower than those of OSCs based on the analog polymers without a chlorine atom (0.21 and 0.24 V for PBT1-C and PBDB-T, respectively), resulting in high V_oc of 1.3 V. The ΔV_non-rad of 0.16 V and V_oc of 1.3 V achieved in PBT1-C-2Cl:BTA3 OSCs are thought to represent the best values for solution-processed OSCs reported in the literature so far.