Anti-abrasion collagen fiber-based membrane functionalized by UiO-66-NH_(2)with ultra-high efficiency and stability for oil-in-water emulsions separation

Membrane separation strategies offer promising platform for the emulsion separation.However,the low mechanical strength of membrane separation layers and the trade-off between separation flux and efficiency present significant challenges.In this study,we report a CFM@UiO-66-NH_(2)membrane with high separation flux,efficiency and stability,through utilizing a robust anti-abrasion collagen fiber membrane(CFM)as the multifunctional support and UiO-66-NH_(2)by an in-situ growth as the separation layer.The high mechanical strength of the CFM compensated for the weakness of the separation layer,while the charge-breaking effect of UiO-66-NH_(2),along with the size sieving of its constituent separating layers and the capillary effect of the collagen fibers,contributed to the potential for efficient separation.Additionally,the CFM@UiO-66-NH_(2)membrane exhibited superhydrophilic properties,making it suitable for separating oil-in-water microemulsions and nanoemulsions stabilized by anionic surfactants.The membrane demonstrated remarkable separation efficiencies of up to 99.960%and a separation flux of370.05 L·m^(-2)·h^(-1).Moreover,it exhibits stability,durability,and abrasion resistance,maintaining excellent separation performance even when exposed to strong acids and alkalis without any damage to its structure and performance.After six cycles of reuse,it achieved a separation flux of 417.97 L·m^(-2)·h^(-1)and a separation efficiency of 99.747%.Furthermore,after undergoing 500 cycles of strong abrasion,the separation flux remained at 124.39 L·m^(-2)·h^(-1),with a separation efficiency of 99.992%.These properties make it suitable for the long-term use in harsh operating environments.We attribute these properties to the electrostatic effect resulting from the amino group on UiO-66-NH_(2)and its in-situ growth on the CFM,which forms a size-screening separation layer.Our work highlights the potential of the CFM@UiO-66-NH_(2)membrane as an environmentally friendly size-screening material for the efficient emulsion wastewater separation.

Effect of sodium starch octenyl succinate-based Pickering emulsion on the physicochemical properties of hairtail myofibrillar protein gel subjected to multiple freeze-thaw cycles

A Pickering emulsion based on sodium starch octenyl succinate(SSOS)was prepared and its effects on the physicochemical properties of hairtail myofibrillar protein gels(MPGs)subjected to multiple freeze-thaw(F-T)cycles were investigated.The whiteness,water-holding capacity,storage modulus(G')and texture properties of the MPGs were significantly improved by adding 1%-2%Pickering emulsion(P<0.05).Meanwhile,Raman spectral analysis demonstrated that Pickering emulsion promoted the transformation of secondary structure,enhanced hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions,and promoted the transition of disulfide bond conformation from g-g-g to g-g-t and t-g-t.At an emulsion concentration of 2%,theα-helix content decreased by 10.37%,while theβ-sheet content increased by 7.94%,compared to the control.After F-T cycles,the structure of the MPGs was destroyed,with an increase in hardness and a decrease in whiteness and water-holding capacity,however,the quality degradation of MPGs was reduced with 1%-2%Pickering emulsion.These findings demonstrated that SSOS-Pickering emulsions,as potential fat substitutes,can enhance the gel properties and the F-T stability of MPGs.

Hyperspectral remote sensing identification of marine oil emulsions based on the fusion of spatial and spectral features

Marine oil spill emulsions are difficult to recover,and the damage to the environment is not easy to eliminate.The use of remote sensing to accurately identify oil spill emulsions is highly important for the protection of marine environments.However,the spectrum of oil emulsions changes due to different water content.Hyperspectral remote sensing and deep learning can use spectral and spatial information to identify different types of oil emulsions.Nonetheless,hyperspectral data can also cause information redundancy,reducing classification accuracy and efficiency,and even overfitting in machine learning models.To address these problems,an oil emulsion deep-learning identification model with spatial-spectral feature fusion is established,and feature bands that can distinguish between crude oil,seawater,water-in-oil emulsion(WO),and oil-in-water emulsion(OW)are filtered based on a standard deviation threshold–mutual information method.Using oil spill airborne hyperspectral data,we conducted identification experiments on oil emulsions in different background waters and under different spatial and temporal conditions,analyzed the transferability of the model,and explored the effects of feature band selection and spectral resolution on the identification of oil emulsions.The results show the following.(1)The standard deviation–mutual information feature selection method is able to effectively extract feature bands that can distinguish between WO,OW,oil slick,and seawater.The number of bands was reduced from 224 to 134 after feature selection on the Airborne Visible Infrared Imaging Spectrometer(AVIRIS)data and from 126 to 100 on the S185 data.(2)With feature selection,the overall accuracy and Kappa of the identification results for the training area are 91.80%and 0.86,respectively,improved by 2.62%and 0.04,and the overall accuracy and Kappa of the identification results for the migration area are 86.53%and 0.80,respectively,improved by 3.45%and 0.05.(3)The oil emulsion identification model has a certain degree of transferability and can effectively identify oil spill emulsions for AVIRIS data at different times and locations,with an overall accuracy of more than 80%,Kappa coefficient of more than 0.7,and F1 score of 0.75 or more for each category.(4)As the spectral resolution decreasing,the model yields different degrees of misclassification for areas with a mixed distribution of oil slick and seawater or mixed distribution of WO and OW.Based on the above experimental results,we demonstrate that the oil emulsion identification model with spatial–spectral feature fusion achieves a high accuracy rate in identifying oil emulsion using airborne hyperspectral data,and can be applied to images under different spatial and temporal conditions.Furthermore,we also elucidate the impact of factors such as spectral resolution and background water bodies on the identification process.These findings provide new reference for future endeavors in automated marine oil spill detection.

Construction of all-organic low dielectric polyimide hybrids via synergistic effect between covalent organic framework and cross-linking structure

Polyimide(PI)is a promising electronic packaging material,but it remains challenging to obtain an all-organic PI hybrid film with decreased dielectric constant and loss without modifying the monomer.Herein,a series of allorganic PI hybrid films were successfully prepared by introducing the covalent organic framework(COF),which could induce the formation of the cross-linking structure in the PI matrix.Due to the synergistic effects of the COF fillers and the cross-linking structure,the PI/COF hybrid film containing 2 wt%COF exhibited the lowest dielectric constant of 2.72 and the lowest dielectric loss(tanδ)of 0.0077 at 1 MHz.It is attributed to the intrinsic low dielectric constant of COF and a large number of mesopores within the PI.Besides,the cross-linking network of PI prevents the molecular chains from stacking and improves the fraction of free volume(FFV).The molecular dynamics simulation results are well consistent with the dielectric properties data.Furthermore,the PI/COF hybrid film with 5 wt%COF showed a significant enhancement in breakdown strength,which increased to 412.8 kV/mm as compared with pure PI.In addition,the PI/COF hybrid film achieve to reduce the dielectric constant and thermal expansion coefficient(CTE).It also exhibited excellent thermal,hydrophobicity,and mechanical performance.The all-organic PI/COF hybrid films have great commercial potential as next-generation electronic packaging materials.

The use of bacterial cellulose from kombucha to produce curcumin loaded Pickering emulsion with improved stability and antioxidant properties

Curcumin is a bioactive molecule with limited industrial application because of its instability and poor solubility in water.Herein,curcumin-loaded Pickering emulsion was produced using purified bacterial cellulose from fermented kombucha(KBC).The morphology,particle size,stability,rheological properties,and antioxidant activities of the curcumin-loaded Pickering emulsion were investigated.The fluorescence microscope and scanning electron microscopy images showed that the curcumin-loaded Pickering emulsion formed circular droplets with good encapsulation.The curcumin-load Pickering emulsion exhibited better stability under a wide range of temperatures,low p H,sunlight,and UV-365 nm than the free curcumin,indicating that the KBC after high-pressure homogenization improved the stability of the CPE.The encapsulated curcumin retained its antioxidant capacity and exhibited higher functional potential than the free curcumin.The study demonstrated that the KBC could be an excellent material for preparing a Pickering emulsion to improve curcumin stability and antioxidant activity.

Cross-Linking of Sago Starch with Furan and Bismaleimide via the Diels-Alder Reaction

This research paper describes the synthesis of thermo-reversible cross-linking of sago starch by grafting a furan pendant group(methyl 2-furoate)onto the starch backbone,followed by a Diels-Alder(DA)reaction of the furan functional group with 1,1′-(methylenedi-4,1-phenylene)bismaleimide(BM).The proof of principles was provided by FTIR and 1H-NMR analyses.The relevant FTIR peaks are the carbonyl peak(υC=O sym)at 1721 cm^(−1);the two peaks appeared after DA cross-linking,i.e.,at 1510 cm^(−1)(corresponding toυCH=CH BM aromatic rings,stretching vibrations),and at 1173 cm^(−1)(assigned to cycloadduct(C-O-C,δDA ring))while the^(1)H-NMR result shows evidence for the presence of a furan ring in the starch matrices(in the range ofδ6.3-7.5 ppm).The crosslinked starch product is indeed thermally reversible,as is evident from the appearance of exothermal(DA,temperature range of 50℃-70℃)and endothermal(retro DA,temperature range of 125℃-150℃)transitions in the DSC thermograms.This paper not only proves the thermal reversibility but also demonstrates that the final product properties(chemical,morphology,and thermal stability)can be tuned by varying the annealing temperature,BM intake,and reaction time.

Synthesis of Microcrystalline Cellulose—Polyvinyl Alcohol Stabilized Polyvinyl Acetate Emulsion

Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) colloid stabilized Polyvinyl acetate (PVAc) based wood adhesive has poor performance in highly humid conditions. Currently, the addition of natural fillers in the wood adhesive is one of the most effective ways to enhance the performance of PVAc wood adhesive in highly moist conditions. Microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) are strong renewable, bio-based material and has great potential in a reinforcement of the polymeric matrix. Hence, the present work investigates the applicability of microcrystalline cellulose incorporated 3% and 5% in situ emulsion polymerization PVAc wood adhesives. Effect on physical, thermal and mechanical properties was studied by viscosity, pH, contact angle measurement, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and pencil hardness test of films. Emulsions with different proportions of MCC were prepared and the shear strength of the applied adhesive on wood was measured. The viscosity of the adhesives was increased by increasing the concentration of MCC. The mechanical properties like tensile strength of adhesives with MCC were measured by universal tensile machine (UTM). Thermal stability was studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The tensile shear strength demonstrates that MCC can improve bonding strength as compared to PVAc Homo based adhesive in the wet condition which was validated through a contact angle study. The hardness of PVAc films were also changed positively by the addition of MCC. Here, we studied the effect of the addition of different concentrations of MCC materials in situ polymerization of PVAc on their performance properties.

Design and manufacture of emulsion liquid membrane based on various amine extractants for separation and extraction of succinic acid from fermentation broth

The aim of this study was to design a new emulsion liquid membrane(ELM)system for the separation of succinic acid from aqueous solutions.The concentration of succinic acid varied from 20 to 60 mmol·L^(-1).The prepared ELM system includes tributylamine(TBA)as a carrier,commercial kerosene as a solvent,Span 80 as a surfactant,and Na2CO3as a stripping agent.In order to control the membrane swelling,different values of cyclohexanone were added to the membrane phase.The effect of various empirical variables on the extraction of the succinic acid such as acid concentration in the feed solution,initial feed concentration,carrier concentration,the stirring speed of the extraction,Na2CO3,surfactant,and cyclohexanone concentrations,and treat ratio in the ELM system.The best result was obtained when TBA was used as the carrier.The final acid extraction efficiency was independent of pH variations of the aqueous feed solution.The extraction of succinic acid solution with a concentration of 40 mmol·L^(-1)was improved by increasing the treat ratio 1:7-1:3,stripping phase concentration 0.5-1.5 mol·L^(-1),stirring speed 300-500 r·min^(-1)and cyclohexanone concentration in the membrane phase 1.2-1.6 mol·L^(-1).No considerable effect on the extraction rate was observed for the carrier concentration in the membrane phase.But,the surfactant concentration in the feed phase showed a dual effect on the extraction efficiency.

Temperature-induced hydrophobicity transition of MXene membrane for directly preparing W/O emulsions

Although hydrophilic membranes are desired for reducing resistance to water permeation, hydrophilic surfaces are not used in the water-in-oil(W/O) membrane emulsification process because water spreads on the hydrophilic surface without forming droplets. Here, we report that a hydrophilic ceramic membrane can form a hydrophobic interface in diesel at a higher temperature;interestingly, the experiments show that the contact angle increases when the temperature rises. The hydrophilic membrane surface evolves into a hydrophobic interface, particularly near the boiling point of water, resulting in a water contact angle of 147.5° ± 1.2°. This work established a method for preparing W/O monodispersed emulsions by direct emulsification of hydrophilic ceramic membranes at a temperature close to the boiling point of water.Additionally, it made high flux of membrane emulsification of monodispersed W/O emulsions possible,which satisfied the industrial requirements of fluidized catalytic cracking in the petrochemical industry.

Demulsification Behavior, Characteristics, and Performance of Surfactant Stabilized Oil-in-Water Emulsion under Bidirectional Pulsed Electric Field

As a novel electric demulsification method,bidirectional pulsed electric field(BPEF)was employed to demulsify the surfactant stabilized oil-in-water(SSO/W)emulsion for oil/water separation in this work.The demulsification behavior,characteristics,and stages under BPEF were explored.It was discovered that BPEF drove SSO/W emulsion to move and form vortexes,during which the oil droplets aggregated and accumulated to generate an oil droplet layer(ODL).ODL subsequently transformed into a continuous oil layer(COL)leading to the demulsification and separation of SSO/W emulsion.The conversion rate of ODL to COL was defined and used to evaluate the demulsification process and reflect the coalescence ability and transformation efficiency of dispersed oil droplets into COL.Furthermore,the effects of BPEF voltage,frequency,duty cycle,ratio of pulse output time,and surfactant type and content on the demulsification performance were examined.The optimal values of BPEF parameters for demulsification operation were 400 V,25 Hz,50%,and 4:1.O/W emulsion containing anionic surfactant was apt to be demulsified by BPEF,nonionic surfactant took the second place and cationic surfactant was the most difficult.A high surfactant content was not conducive to the BPEF demulsification.This work is anticipated to provide useful guidance for oil/water separation and oil recovery from actual emulsified oily wastewater by BPEF.

3D inner-outer asymmetric sponge for enormous-volume emulsion wastewater treatment based on a new“demulsification-transport”mechanism

Although oily wastewater treatment realized by superwetting materials has attracted heightened attention in recent years,how to treat enormous-volume emulsion wastewater is still a tough problem,which is ascribed to the emulsion accumulation.Herein,to address this problem,a material is presented by subtly integrating chemical demulsification and 3D inner-outer asymmetric wettability to a sponge substrate,and thus wettability gradient-driven oil directional transport for achieving unprecedented enormous-volume emulsion wastewater treatment is realized based on a“demulsification-transport”mechanism.The maximum treatment volume realized by the sponge is as large as 3 L(2.08×10^(4) L per cubic meter of the sponge)in one cycle,which is about 100 times of the reported materials.Besides,owing to the large pore size of the sponge,9000 L m^(2)h^(-1)(LMH)separation flux and 99.5%separation efficiency are realized simultaneously,which overcomes the trade-off dilemma.Such a 3D inner-outer asymmetric sponge displaying unprecedented advantage in the treatment volume can promote the development of the oily wastewater treatment field,as well as expand the application prospects of superwetting materials,especially in continuous water treatment.

Interaction of 28Si with Emulsion Nuclei at 4.5 AGeV/c in View of Thermo-Statistical Approach

In this work, we study some changes of nuclear matter in the interactions of 28Si with emulsion nuclei at 4.5 AGeV/c. From the experimental quantities investigated using Tsallis’ statistics, we deduced the temperature, entropy density and non-equilibrium factor of the nuclear medium. These obtained parameters were used to reveal variations in the nuclear matter at the stated interaction energy. The results that came up from this study were compared with their corresponding results obtained from other heavy ion collision experiments at wide energy range.

Effect of carboxymethyl konjac glucomannan coating on curcumin-loaded multilayered emulsion:stability evaluation

The stability against various environmental stresses of the curcumin-loaded secondary and tertiary emulsions that was emulsified by whey protein isolate(WPI)and coated by chitosan(CHI),carboxymethyl konjac glucomannan(CMKGM),or their combination through layer-by-layer assembly was investigated.Generally,the multilayered emulsions were destabilized in high Na Cl concentrations or medium p H that could interrupt the electrostatic interaction between the three polyelectrolytes or deprotonate CHI,indicating that electrostatic interaction played an important role in the stability of emulsions.Compared with the primary emulsion that was solely stabilized by WPI,extra coating with CHI and CMKGM generally increased the stability of the emulsion against repeated freezing-thawing,improved the retention of curcumin against heating,UV irradiation,and long-term storage,and the effects were more remarkable in the tertiary emulsion with CMKGM locating in the outmost layer.Since CMKGM has shown the colon-targeted delivery potency,the multilayered emulsions assembled by layer-by-layer deposition,especially the tertiary emulsion,could be used as an effective carrier for the targeted delivery of curcumin.

Rheo-optic in situ synchronous study on the gelation behaviour and mechanism of waxy crude oil emulsions

An improved rheo-optic in situ synchronous measurement system was employed to investigate the gelation behaviour and mechanism of waxy crude oil emulsions. By combining transmitted natural light and reflected polarized light microscopy, a multiangle composite light source was built to achieve the simultaneous observation of wax crystals and emulsified water droplets, as well as their dynamic aggregation process. Main outcomes on the microscopic mechanism were obtained by developed microscopic image processing method. It was found that the microstructure of W/O waxy crude oil emulsion has the evolution of “individual structure--homogeneous aggregate structure--heterogeneous coaggregate structure--floc structure” during the static cooling, which results in the four stages during gelation process. Different from previous studies, the aggregation of emulsified water droplets was found to be more significant and contributes to the formation and development of the wax crystals-emulsified water droplets coaggregate, which plays a decisive role in the further evolution of the gelled microstructure. Time series microscopic images show the dynamic aggregation of emulsified water droplets and wax crystals. Two different aggregation behaviours between wax crystals and water droplets were observed. That wax crystals can not only embed in gaps between adjacent water droplets and enhance the structure, but also surround the outside of the water droplets and continue to grow resulting in the interconnection of different coaggregates to form a larger floc structure. In addition, correlation between viscoelasticity and microstructure evolution of waxy crude oil emulsions of different water contents was discussed. With increasing water contents, the microstructure is changed from wax crystal flocculation structure as the main skeleton and the emulsified water droplets embedded in it, into the aggregation of emulsified water droplets occupying the main position. When the number of wax crystals and water droplets reaches a certain ratio, did wax crystals form coaggregates with emulsified water droplets, and the remaining wax crystals formed an overall flocculation structure, the viscoelasticity of the waxy crude oil emulsion is the highest.

Preparation and characterization of genipin-cross-linked chitosan microparticles by water-in-oil emulsion solvent diffusion method

Chitosan (CS) microparticles with and without cross-linking were prepared by a water-in-oil emulsion solvent diffusion method without any surfactants. Aqueous CS solution and ethyl ace- tate were used as water and oil phases, respectively. Genipin was used as a cross-linker. Influ- ences of genipin ratios and cross-linking times on CS microparticle characteristics were investigated. Non-cross-linked and cross-linked CS microparticles were spherical in shape and rough in surface. Microparticle matrices showed porous structures. Surface roughness, mean par- ticle sizes and bulk density of CS microparticles increased and their dissolutions in acetic acid solution decreased when genipin ratio and cross- linking time increased.

Mechanism of high Li-ion conductivity in poly(vinylene carbonate)-poly(ethylene oxide)cross-linked network based electrolyte revealed by solid-state NMR

Solid polymer electrolytes(SPEs)have become increasingly important in advanced lithium-ion batteries(LIBs)due to their improved safety and mechanical properties compared to organic liquid electrolytes.Cross-linked polymers have the potential to further improve the mechanical property without trading off Li-ion conductivity.In this study,focusing on a recently developed cross-linked SPE,i.e.,the one based on poly(vinylene carbonate)-poly(ethylene oxide)cross-linked network(PVCN),we used solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR)techniques to investigate the fundamental interaction between the chain segments and Li ions,as well as the lithium-ion motion.By utilizing homonuclear/heteronuclear correlation,CP(cross-polarization)kinetics,and spin-lattice relaxation experiments,etc.,we revealed the structural characteristics and their relations to lithium-ion mobilities.It is found that the network formation prevents poly(ethylene oxide)chains from crystallization,which could create sufficient space for segmental tumbling and Li-ion co nductio n.As such,the mechanical property is greatly improved with even higher Li-ion mobilities compared to the poly(vinylene carbonate)or poly(ethylene oxide)based SPE analogues.

Residual alkali-evoked cross-linked polymer layer for anti-air-sensitivity LiNi_(0.89)Co_(0.06)Mn_(0.05)O_(2)cathode

High-energy density lithium-ion batteries(LIBs)with layered high-nickel oxide cathodes(LiNi_(x)Co_(y)Mn_(1-x-y)O_(2),x≥0.8)show great promise in consumer electronics and vehicular applications.However,LiNi_(x)Co_(y)Mn_(1-x-y)O_(2)faces challenges related to capacity decay caused by residual alkalis owing to high sensitivity to air.To address this issue,we propose a hazardous substances upcycling method that fundamentally mitigates alkali content and concurrently induces the emergence of an anti-air-sensitive layer on the cathode surface.Through the neutralization of polyacrylic acid(PAA)with residual alkalis and then coupling it with 3-aminopropyl triethoxysilane(KH550),a stable and ion-conductive cross-linked polymer layer is in situ integrated into the LiNi_(0.89)Co_(0.06)Mn_(0.05)O_(2)(NCM)cathode.Our characterization and measurements demonstrate its effectiveness.The NCM material exhibits impressive cycling performance,retaining 88.4%of its capacity after 200 cycles at 5 C and achieving an extraordinary specific capacity of 170.0 mA h g^(-1) at 10 C.Importantly,this layer on the NCM efficiently suppresses unfavorable phase transitions,severe electrolyte degradation,and CO_(2)gas evolution,while maintaining commendable resistance to air exposure.This surface modification strategy shows widespread potential for creating air-stable LiNi_(x)Co_(y)Mn_(1-x-y)O_(2)cathodes,thereby advancing high-performance LIBs.

Influence of surfactants used in surfactant-polymer flooding on the stability of Gudong crude oil emulsion

The influences of an anionic-nonionic composite surfactant and petroleum sulfonate, used in surfactant-polymer flooding in Shengli Gudong oilfield, East China, on the interfacial properties of Gudong crude model oil and synthetic formation water was studied by measuring interfacial tension, interfacial viscoelasticity and Zeta potential. The in？ uence of the surfactants on the stability of Gudong water-in-oil （W/O） and oil-in-water （O/W） emulsions was evaluated by separating water from the W/O emulsion and residual oil in the aqueous phase of the O/W emulsion respectively. The results showed that the two kinds of surfactants, namely anionic-nonionic composite surfactant and petroleum sulfonate, are both able to decrease the interfacial tension between the oil phase and the aqueous phase and increase the surface potential of the oil droplets dispersed in the O/W emulsion, which can enhance the stability of the W/O and O/W crude oil emulsions. Compared with petroleum sulfonate, the anionic-nonionic composite surfactant is more interfacially active and able to enhance the strength of the interfacial film between oil and water, hence enhance the stability of the W/O and O/W emulsions more effectively.

Brucea javanica oil emulsion improves the effect of radiotherapy on esophageal cancer cells by inhibiting cyclin D1-CDK4/6 axis

BACKGROUND Esophageal cancer is one of the most common cancers around the world, and it has high incidence and mortality rates. The conventional therapy for esophageal cancer is radiotherapy, although its effect is highly limited by the resistance of esophageal cancer cells. Thus, strong radiosensitizers can be very crucial during radiotherapy against esophageal cancer. Brucea javanica oil emulsion (BJOE) is a widely used drug against various cancers, such as liver, colon, and ovarian cancer. However, its anti-cancer effect and mechanism and the use of BJOE as a radiosensitizer have not been explored in esophageal cancer. AIM To evaluate the anti-cancer effect and mechanism of BJOE and explore the potential use of BJOE as a radiosensitizer during radiotherapy. METHODS The inhibitory effect of BJOE and its enhancement function with radiation on cell viability were examined with the calculated half-maximal effective concentration and half-maximal lethal concentration. The influence of BJOE on cell migration and invasion were measured with EC109 and JAR cells by wound-healing and transwell assay. Clonogenesis and apoptotic rate, which was measured by Hoechst staining, were investigated to confirm its enhancement function with radiation. To investigate the molecular pathway underlying the effect of BJOE, the expressions of several apoptosis- and cycle-related proteins was detected by western blotting.cell lines more than normal cell lines, and it markedly reduced migration and invasion in esophageal cancer cells (EC109 and JAR). Moreover, it promoted cell apoptosis and enhanced the effect of radiotherapy against esophageal cancerous cells. In the viability test, the values of half-maximal effective concentration and half-maximal lethal concentration were reduced. Compared to the control, only around 1/5 colonies formed when using BJOE and radiation together in the clonogenic assay. The apoptotic rate in EC109 was obviously promoted when BJOE was added during radiotherapy. Our study suggests that the expression of the apoptosis-proteins Bax and p21 were increased, while the expression of Bcl-2 was stable. Further detection of downstream proteins revealed that the expression of cyclin D1 and cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 were significantly decreased. CONCLUSION BJOE has a strong anti-cancer effect on esophageal cancer and can be used as a radiosensitizer to promote apoptosis in cancerous esophageal cells via the cyclin D1-cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 axis.

Influence of polymers on the stability of Gudao crude oil emulsions

The influence of different types and concentrations of polymers on the stability of Gudao crude oil emulsion was investigated by measuring the volume of water separated from the emulsions and the interfacial shear viscosity of the oil/water interfacial film. Experimental results indicate that the simulated water-in-oil emulsion with 40 mg/L of partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide （HPAM） 3530S could be easily broken by adding demulsifier C and was readily separated into two layers. However, HPAM AX-74H and hydrophobically associating water-soluble polymer （HAP） could stabilize the crude oil emulsion. With increasing concentration of AX-74H and HAP, crude oil emulsions became more stable. Water droplets were loosely packed in the water-in model oil emulsion containing HPAM 3530S, but water droplets were smaller and more closely packed in the emulsion containing AX-74H or HAP. The polymers could be adsorbed on the oil/water interface, thereby increasing the strength of the interracial film and enhancing the emulsion stability.