聚合物基蒙脱土纳米复合材料热稳定性能及阻燃性能

综述了近年来国内外聚合物基蒙脱土纳米复合材料热性能和阻燃性能方面的研究进展及机理，并对蒙脱土与其他绿色阻燃剂协同阻燃的前景进行了展望。     

纳米钠基蒙脱土填充改性聚丙烯

采用熔融法把纳米钠基蒙脱土填充到聚丙烯中。研究了纳米钠基蒙脱土对聚丙烯的力学性能的影响。结果表明：添加适量的纳米钠基蒙脱土能够显著改善聚丙烯的力学性能;与纯聚丙烯相比,当纳米钠基蒙脱土含量达到3％（wt）-5％㈩时,冲击强度能增加30％以上,断裂伸长率增加了16％以上,拉伸强度增加了27％以上,弹性模量降低了17％以上。     

PVC／蒙脱土复合材料的制备与结构研究

采用钠基蒙脱土及经有机化处理后的蒙脱土分别通过纳米粒子直接填充分散法和熔融插层法与PVC混合制备PVC/蒙脱土纳米复合材料。对有机蒙脱土的结构进行了表征；对上述两类纳米复合材料的结构及力学性能进行了研究。此外，考察了采用硅烷偶联剂KH570处理钠基蒙脱土后与PVC熔融混合制备的纳米复合材料的力学性能。结果表明，经硅烷偶联剂处理后，纳米复合材料的拉伸强度和冲击强度均有明显的提高。     

蒙脱土/EPDM纳米复合材料燃烧性能的研究

采用熔融插层法制备了蒙脱土/EPDM纳米复合材料,并研究了燃烧性能。结果表明,EPDM大分子不能与未有机化的钠基蒙脱土(Na+-MMT)插层复合,但能有效插入有机蒙脱土(OMMT)片层之间,形成OMMT/EPDM插层纳米复合材料。Na+-MMT对改善蒙脱土/EPDM纳米复合材料的阻燃和抑烟效果不明显;OMMT/EPDM纳米复合材料的热释放速率、总生烟量及烟密度等参数均明显降低;随OMMT用量的增大,阻燃性和抑烟性变得越来越好,最后趋于稳定。     

聚丙烯/蒙脱土纳米复合材料的制备与性能研究

以马来酸酐接枝低分子量聚丙烯为相容剂,采用双螺杆挤出机熔融挤出法,制备插层型聚丙烯/有机钠基蒙脱土、聚丙烯/酸化有机化钠基蒙脱土、聚丙烯/钠基蒙脱土3种纳米复合材料,发现有机钠基蒙脱土、酸化有机化钠基蒙脱土和钠基蒙脱土对PP力学性能和燃烧性能均有一定程度的提高。经X射线衍射(XRD)和扫描电子显微镜(SEM)观察,发现有机钠基蒙脱土片层间距增幅最大,复合材料的燃烧性能也有很大提高。     

蒙脱土/SBR纳米复合材料阻燃性能的研究

采用熔融插层法制备蒙脱土／SBR纳米复合材料，并研究其阻燃性能。结果表明，SBR大分子不能有效插入钠基蒙脱土（Na—MMT）片层间，而能有效插入有机蒙脱土（OMMT）片层间，形成插层型纳米复合材料；将OMMT与高抗冲聚苯乙烯（HIPS）制成阻燃母粒能进一步提高SBR的插层效果。OMMT可以明显改善复合材料的阻燃和抑烟性能，随着OMMT用量的增大，复合材料的热释放速率、峰值热释放速率、平均热释放速率、总热释放和总生烟量先明显降低然后趋于稳定；HIPS-OMMT阻燃母粒可以明显改善复合材料阻燃性能，但对抑烟性能的改善效果不如OMMT。     

钠基蒙脱土阻燃环氧玻璃钢的制备及性能研究

以环氧树脂为基体,加入钠基蒙脱土、玻璃纤维、阻燃剂三聚氰胺磷酸酯NP-300,并以650聚酰胺树脂及酚醛胺T31复合固化制备出阻燃钠基蒙脱土环氧玻璃钢材料。研究了玻璃纤维、钠基蒙脱土及阻燃剂的含量对玻璃钢性能的影响。结果表明,玻璃纤维、钠基蒙脱土和阻燃剂的质量分数分别为基体树脂质量的30%、5%和20%时,该复合材料的性能最优:拉伸强度22.6 MPa,磨损率0.05%,耐酸、碱、盐失重分别为0.077%、0.011%和0.024%,氧指数27%,垂直燃烧达到UL-94 V-1级标准。     

钠基蒙脱土对工程机械轮胎胎面胶性能的影响

研究钠基蒙脱土对工程机械轮胎胎面胶性能的影响。结果表明:采用乳液共沉法制备钠基蒙脱土/天然橡胶纳米复合母胶,钠基蒙脱土在橡胶基体中分散均匀;与未添加钠基蒙脱土的胶料相比,加入少量钠基蒙脱土的胶料FL变化不大,Fmax提高,ts1,t10,t90缩短,硫化速率提高,硬度、定伸应力、拉伸强度和撕裂强度增大,耐热老化性能提高,磨耗量明显减小;以4份钠基蒙脱土等量替代炭黑,胶料的磨耗量减小33.8%,综合性能较好。     

聚氯乙烯／蒙脱土纳米复合材料的制备与性能

对钠基蒙脱土进行有机化处理,XRD表明有机阳离子已同钠离子发生离子交换。熔融法制备聚氯乙烯／蒙脱土插层复合材料,用X－射线衍射研究复合材料的结构,聚氯乙烯不能插层于钠基蒙脱土,但能插层于有机蒙脱土,形成剥离型纳米复合材料。采用DSC研究了聚氯乙烯／有机蒙脱土复合材料的玻璃化转变温度,研究结果表明,聚氯乙烯／有机蒙脱土比聚 乙烯／钠基蒙脱土复合材料的力学性能优异。     

添加有机蒙脱土/纳米二氧化钛载银抗菌剂的义齿基托材料的性能研究

为探讨添加不同比例的纳米二氧化钛载银抗菌剂及有机蒙脱土对义齿基托材料机械性能及抗菌性能的影响,将有机改性后的纳米二氧化钛载银抗菌剂与有机蒙脱土(OMMT)按一定比例添加到聚甲基丙烯酸甲酯(PMMA)义齿基托材料中并测试其拉伸强度、弯曲强度、硬度、抗菌性能。结果表明:在含2.5%(质量分数)纳米二氧化钛载银抗菌剂的基托材料中添加1.5%有机蒙脱土后材料的拉伸强度、弯曲强度达到最佳;添加1%有机蒙脱土后硬度达到最佳;添加1.5%有机蒙脱土后复合材料对金黄色葡萄球菌和大肠埃希菌仍有强抗菌能力(99%),对白色念珠菌仍有抗菌能力(90%)。按一定比例在义齿基托材料中添加有机蒙脱土与纳米二氧化钛载银抗菌剂可改善材料的机械性能、硬度及抗菌性能。     

污泥生物炭中氮硫行为及环境效应研究进展

污泥生物炭中氮硫元素含量高,其氮硫行为和环境效应对全球气候变化的影响不容忽视。以往的研究中,研究者往往以富碳生物炭作为主要研究对象,关注碳对全球气候变化的行为和功效,而对氮硫元素的作用关注不够。本文从原始污泥基本性质到其热解过程,再到生物炭的老化,逐步对污泥生物炭整个生命周期内氮硫的行为及其环境效应研究进行综述,并对未来应注重开展的研究方向进行展望,为生物炭中氮硫元素固定、释放及与之关联的环境效应和温室气体排放控制研究提供理论基础。分析表明,污泥中氮元素含量普遍高于硫元素,且热解过程中氮比硫更容易转移至气相产物。氮硫元素随热解温度的增加,在三相产物中的分配都是炭中持续减少,油中先增后减,气中一直增加。高温（＞800℃）条件下,气相中的氮含量高于固相,而硫元素则仍然主要存在于固相中。污泥生物炭老化及其环境效应研究表明,污泥生物炭氮硫元素与土壤的相互作用及其温室效应问题在今后的研究中应引起重视。     

Possible Role of Crystal-Bearing Cells in Tomato Fertility and Formation of Seedless Fruits

Crystal-bearing cells or idioblasts, which deposit calcium oxalate, are located in various tissues and organs of many plant species. The functional significance of their formation is currently unclear. Idioblasts in the leaf parenchyma and the development of crystal-bearing cells in the anther tissues of transgenic tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicon L.), expressing the heterologous FeSOD gene and which showed a decrease in fertility, were studied by transmission and scanning electron microscopy. The amount of calcium oxalate crystals was found to increase significantly in the transgenic plants compared to the wild type (WT) ones in idioblasts and crystal-bearing cells of the upper part of the anther. At the same time, changes in the size and shape of the crystals and their location in anther organs were noted. It seems that the interruption in the break of the anther stomium in transgenic plants was associated with the formation and cell death regulation of a specialized group of crystal-bearing cells. This disturbance caused an increase in the pool of these cells and their localization in the upper part of the anther, where rupture is initiated. Perturbations were also noted in the lower part of the anther in transgenic plants, where the amount of calcium oxalate crystals in crystal-bearing cells was reduced that was accompanied by disturbances in the morphology of pollen grains. Thus, the induction of the formation of crystal-bearing cells and calcium oxalate crystals can have multidirectional effects, contributing to the regulation of oxalate metabolism in the generative and vegetative organs and preventing fertility when the ROS balance changes, in particular, during oxidative stresses accompanying most abiotic and biotic environmental factors.     

Early Life Events and Maturation of the Dentate Gyrus: Implications for Neurons and Glial Cells

The dentate gyrus (DG), an important part of the hippocampus, plays a significant role in learning, memory, and emotional behavior. Factors potentially influencing normal development of neurons and glial cells in the DG during its maturation can exert long-lasting effects on brain functions. Early life stress may modify maturation of the DG and induce lifelong alterations in its structure and functioning, underlying brain pathologies in adults. In this paper, maturation of neurons and glial cells (microglia and astrocytes) and the effects of early life events on maturation processes in the DG have been comprehensively reviewed. Early postnatal interventions affecting the DG eventually result in an altered number of granule neurons in the DG, ectopic location of neurons and changes in adult neurogenesis. Adverse events in early life provoke proinflammatory changes in hippocampal glia at cellular and molecular levels immediately after stress exposure. Later, the cellular changes may disappear, though alterations in gene expression pattern persist. Additional stressful events later in life contribute to manifestation of glial changes and behavioral deficits. Alterations in the maturation of neuronal and glial cells induced by early life stress are interdependent and influence the development of neural nets, thus predisposing the brain to the development of cognitive and psychiatric disorders.     

Sp7 Transgenic Mice with a Markedly Impaired Lacunocanalicular Network Induced Sost and Reduced Bone Mass by Unloading

The relationship of lacunocanalicular network structure and mechanoresponse has not been well studied. The lacunocanalicular structures differed in the compression and tension sides, in the regions, and in genders in wild-type femoral cortical bone. The overexpression of Sp7 in osteoblasts resulted in thin and porous cortical bone with increased osteoclasts and apoptotic osteocytes, and the number of canaliculi was half of that in the wild-type mice, leading to a markedly impaired lacunocanalicular network. To investigate the response to unloading, we performed tail suspension. Unloading reduced trabecular and cortical bone in the Sp7 transgenic mice due to reduced bone formation. Sost-positive osteocytes increased by unloading on the compression side, but not on the tension side of cortical bone in the wild-type femurs. However, these differential responses were lost in the Sp7 transgenic femurs. Serum Sost increased in the Sp7 transgenic mice, but not in the wild-type mice. Unloading reduced the Col1a1 and Bglap/Bglap2 expression in the Sp7 transgenic mice but not the wild-type mice. Thus, Sp7 transgenic mice with the impaired lacunocanalicular network induced Sost expression by unloading but lost the differential regulation in the compression and tension sides, and the mice failed to restore bone formation during unloading, implicating the relationship of lacunocanalicular network structure and the regulation of bone formation in mechanoresponse.     

Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetes Causes Changes in Serotonin-Positive Neurons in the Small Intestine in Pig Model

Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine or 5-HT) is an important neurotransmitter of the central and peripheral nervous systems, predominantly secreted in the gastrointestinal tract, especially in the gut. 5-HT is a crucial enteric signaling molecule and is well known for playing a key role in sensory-motor and secretory functions in the gut. Gastroenteropathy is one of the most clinical problems in diabetic patients with frequent episodes of hyperglycemia. Changes in 5-HT expression may mediate gastrointestinal tract disturbances seen in diabetes, such as nausea and diarrhea. Based on the double immunohistochemical staining, this study determined the variability in the population of 5-HT-positive neurons in the porcine small intestinal enteric neurons in the course of streptozotocin-induced diabetes. The results show changes in the number of 5-HT-positive neurons in the examined intestinal sections. The greatest changes were observed in the jejunum, particularly within the myenteric plexus. In the ileum, both de novo 5-HT synthesis in the inner submucosal plexus neurons and an increase in the number of neurons in the outer submucosal plexus were noted. The changes observed in the duodenum were also increasing in nature. The results of the current study confirm the previous observations concerning the involvement of 5-HT in inflammatory processes, and an increase in the number of 5-HT -positive neurons may also be a result of increased concentration of the 5-HT in the gastrointestinal tract wall and affects the motor and secretory processes, which are particularly intense in the small intestines.     

Molecular mechanisms of aging and immune system regulation in Drosophila

Aging is a complex process that involves the accumulation of deleterious changes resulting in overall decline in several vital functions, leading to the progressive deterioration in physiological condition of the organism and eventually causing disease and death. The immune system is the most important host-defense mechanism in humans and is also highly conserved in insects. Extensive research in vertebrates has concluded that aging of the immune function results in increased susceptibility to infectious disease and chronic inflammation. Over the years, interest has grown in studying the molecular interaction between aging and the immune response to pathogenic infections. The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster is an excellent model system for dissecting the genetic and genomic basis of important biological processes, such as aging and the innate immune system, and deciphering parallel mechanisms in vertebrate animals. Here, we review the recent advances in the identification of key players modulating the relationship between molecular aging networks and immune signal transduction pathways in the fly. Understanding the details of the molecular events involved in aging and immune system regulation will potentially lead to the development of strategies for decreasing the impact of age-related diseases, thus improving human health and life span.     

Immunohistochemical Characteristics of the Human Carotid Body in the Antenatal and Postnatal Periods of Development

The evolutionary and ontogenetic development of the carotid body is still understudied. Research aimed at studying the comparative morphology of the organ at different periods in the individual development of various animal species should play a crucial role in understanding the physiology of the carotid body. However, despite more than two centuries of study, the human carotid body remains poorly understood. There are many knowledge gaps in particular related to the antenatal development of this structure. The aim of our work is to study the morphological and immunohistochemical characteristics of the human carotid body in the antenatal and postnatal periods of development. We investigated the human carotid bodies from 1 embryo, 20 fetuses and 13 adults of different ages using samples obtained at autopsy. Immunohistochemistry revealed expression of βIII-tubulin and tyrosine hydroxylase in the type I cells and nerve fibers at all periods of ontogenesis; synaptophysin and PGP9.5 in the type I cells in some of the antenatal cases and all of the postnatal cases; 200 kDa neurofilaments in nerve fibers in some of the antenatal cases and all of the postnatal cases; and GFAP and S100 in the type II cells and Schwann cells in some of the antenatal cases and all of the postnatal cases. A high level of tyrosine hydroxylase in the type I cells was a distinctive feature of the antenatal carotid bodies. On the contrary, in the type I cells of adults, the expression of tyrosine hydroxylase was significantly lower. Our data suggest that the human carotid body may perform an endocrine function in the antenatal period, while in the postnatal period of development, it loses this function and becomes a chemosensory organ.     

Study of the effect of ultrasonic treatment on the surface composition and the flotation performance of high-sulfur coal

This paper highlighted the use of X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy to investigate the changes on the surface composition of high-sulfur coal and pyrite before and after ultrasonic conditioning. The results showed that ultrasonic conditioning resulted in a decrease in the contents of iron and sulfur in coal, an increase in the content of element carbon, and an increase in the purity of the coal. Conversely, ultrasonic conditioning led to an increase in the content of iron and sulfur in pyrite, a decrease in the impure content of calcium, and a relative increase in the purity of the pyrite after ultrasonic conditioning. This study verified that on the one hand, ultrasonic conditioning can promote the pyrite separation from the high-sulfur coal, with the separated pyrite taking the form of FeS; on the other hand, it can produce a cleaning effect on the surface of coal and pyrite with the consequent increase both in hydrophobicity of coal and hydrophilicity of pyrite. The paper introduced ultrasonic pre-treatment of the slurry and stepped froth removal tests of high-sulfur coal and the study on the yield, ash and sulfur content of clean coal in different phases. The results gave further evidence of the increases both in the rate and the selectivity of flotation. This study shows that ultrasonic conditioning can enhance the performance of de-sulphurization of high-sulfur coal flotation.     

Stress and strain state of concrete during freezing and thawing cycles

The objective of this work is to calculate the pressures, stresses, and strains induced into moist concrete during freezing and thawing. The applied theory is based on thermodynamics and the linear theory of elasticity. If no additional salts are dissolved in the pore water the inputs needed in the theory are relative humidity and temperature measured in the sample chamber and inside concrete and evaporable water amount in the pore structure. Theoretical results were compared with the test results made with two concretes cured under water or at 96% relative humidity. One of the concretes was air entrained and in the comparison concrete no air-entraining agents were used. In the test cylinders cured under water the largest tensional stresses in freezing occurred on the surface of the test cylinders both in the axial and tangential direction. The largest tensional stress was 2.2 MPa, both in air-entrained and in non air-entrained concretes. The largest tensional stresses in the warming phase took place at the end of the thawing period when the chamber temperature was around +5 °C. Then the maximum tension occurred in the middle of the concrete cylinder in the axial direction of the cylinder. This maximum tensional stress was over 2.5 MPa in the air-entrained concrete cured in the relative humidity of 96%. The thermodynamic pumping effect at the end of the thawing phase in every cycle can increase the pore water amount remarkably if free water or moisture is available on the surface of the structure or in the environment vapor. The thermodynamic pumping effect seems to be remarkably greater and more dangerous in air-entrained concretes.     

The Effects of Immunosuppressive Treatment during Pregnancy on the Levels of Potassium,Iron, Chromium,Zinc, Aluminum,Sodium and Molybdenum in Hard Tissues of Female Rats and Their Offspring

The ideal immunosuppressive regimen should provide for excellent immunosuppression with no side effects. Yet, current immunosuppressive therapy regimens commonly used in clinical applications fail to meet this criterion. One of the complications caused by immunosuppressive drugs is mineralization disorders in hard tissues. In this study, we evaluated the effects of three immunosuppressive therapies used after transplantation on the levels of potassium, iron, chromium, zinc, aluminum, sodium and molybdenum in the bones and teeth of female rats and their offspring. The study was conducted on 32 female Wistar rats, subjected to immunosuppressive regimens (cyclosporine A, mycophenolate mofetil and prednisone; tacrolimus, mycophenolate mofetil and prednisone; and cyclosporine A, everolimus and prednisone). The hard tissues of rats were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES, ICAP 7400 Duo, Thermo Scientific) equipped with a concentric nebulizer and a cyclonic spray chamber. All the immunosuppressive regimens included in the study affected the concentrations of the studied minerals in hard tissues of female rats and their offspring. The therapy based on cyclosporine A, everolimus and prednisone led to a decline in the levels of iron in bone, zinc in teeth, and molybdenum in the bone and teeth of mothers, while in the offspring, it caused a decline of bone potassium, with a decrease in iron and increase of molybdenum in teeth. Moreover, the regimen caused an increase in aluminum and chromium in the teeth and aluminum in the bones of the offspring, and consequently, it seems to be the therapy with the most negative impact on the mineral metabolism in hard tissues.