Streptococcus suis serotype 2(S.suis 2)is a zoonotic pathogen that clinically causes severe swine and human infections(such as meningitis,endocarditis,and septicemia).In order to cause widespread diseases in different...Streptococcus suis serotype 2(S.suis 2)is a zoonotic pathogen that clinically causes severe swine and human infections(such as meningitis,endocarditis,and septicemia).In order to cause widespread diseases in different organs,S.suis 2 must colonize the host,break the blood barrier,and cause exaggerated inflammation.In the last few years,most studies have focused on a single virulence factor and its influences on the host.Membrane vesicles(MVs)can be actively secreted into the extracellular environment contributing to bacteria-host interactions.Gram-negative bacteria-derived outer membrane vesicles(OMVs)were recently shown to activate host Caspase-11-mediated non-canonical inflammasome pathway via deliverance of OMV-bound lipopolysaccharide(LPS),causing host cell pyroptosis.However,little is known about the effect of the MVs from S.suis 2(Gram-positive bacteria without LPS)on cell pyroptosis.Thus,we investigated the molecular mechanism by which S.suis 2 MVs participate in endothelial cell pyroptosis.In this study,we used proteomics,electron scanning microscopy,fluorescence microscope,Western blotting,and bioassays,to investigate the MVs secreted by S.suis 2.First,we demonstrated that S.suis 2 secreted MVs with an average diameter of 72.04 nm,and 200 proteins in MVs were identified.Then,we showed that MVs were transported to cells via mainly dynamin-dependent endocytosis.The S.suis 2 MVs activated NLRP3/Caspase-1/GSDMD canonical inflammasome signaling pathway,resulting in cell pyroptosis,but it did not activate the Caspase-4/-5 pathway.More importantly,endothelial cells produce large amounts of reactive oxygen species(ROS)and lost their mitochondrial membrane potential under induction by S.suis 2 MVs.The results in this study suggest for the first time that MVs from S.suis 2 were internalized by endothelial cells via mainly dynamin-dependent endocytosis and might promote NLRP3/Caspase-1/GSDMD pathway by mitochondrial damage,which produced mtDNA and ROS under induction,leading to the pyroptosis of endothelial cells.展开更多
We report a universal method to transfer freestanding La_(0.7)Sr_(0.3)MnO_(3)membranes to target substrates.The 4-unit-cell-thick freestanding La_(0.7)Sr_(0.3)MnO_(3)membrane exhibits the enhanced ferromagnetism,condu...We report a universal method to transfer freestanding La_(0.7)Sr_(0.3)MnO_(3)membranes to target substrates.The 4-unit-cell-thick freestanding La_(0.7)Sr_(0.3)MnO_(3)membrane exhibits the enhanced ferromagnetism,conductivity and out-of-plane magnetic anisotropy,which otherwise shows nonmagnetic/antiferromagnetic and insulating behavior due to the intrinsic epitaxial strain.This work facilitates the promising applications of ultrathin freestanding correlated oxide membranes in electronics and spintronics.展开更多
Membrane fouling is always the biggest problem in the practice of membrane separation technologies,which strongly impacts their applicability,separation efficiency,cost effectiveness,and service lifespan.Herein,a simp...Membrane fouling is always the biggest problem in the practice of membrane separation technologies,which strongly impacts their applicability,separation efficiency,cost effectiveness,and service lifespan.Herein,a simple but effective 3D modification approach was designed for permanently functionalizing polymeric membranes by directly cross-linking polyvinyl alcohol(PVA)under gamma-ray irradiation at room temperature without any additives.After the modification,a PVA layer was constructed on the membrane surface and the pore inner surface of polyvinylidene fluoride(PVDF)membranes.This endowed them with good hydrophilicity,low adsorption of protein model foulants,and easy recoverability properties.In addition,the pore size and distribution were customized by controlling the PVA concentration,which enhanced the rejection ability of the resultant membranes and converted them from microfiltration to ultrafiltration.The crosslinked PVA layer was equipped with the resultant membranes with good resistance to chemical cleaning by acidic,alkaline,and oxidative reagents,which could greatly prolong the membrane service lifetime.Furthermore,this approach was demonstrated as a universal method to modify PVDF membranes with other hydrophilic macromolecular modifiers,including polyethylene glycol,sodium alginate,and polyvinyl pyrrolidone.This modification of the membranes effectively endowed them with good hydrophilicity and antifouling properties,as expected.展开更多
Metal–organic frameworks(MOFs)with angstrom-sized pores are promising functional nanomaterials for the fabrication of cation permselective membranes(MOF-CPMs).However,only a few research reports show successful prepa...Metal–organic frameworks(MOFs)with angstrom-sized pores are promising functional nanomaterials for the fabrication of cation permselective membranes(MOF-CPMs).However,only a few research reports show successful preparation of the MOF-CPMs with good cation separation performance due to several inherent problems in MOFs,such as arduous selfassembly,poor water resistance,and tedious fabrication strategies.Besides,low cation permeation flux due to the absence of the cation permeation assisting functionalities in MOFs is another big issue,which limits their widespread use in membrane technology.Therefore,it is necessary to fabricate functional MOF-CPMs using simplistic strategies to improve cation permeation.In this context,we report a facile in situ smart growth strategy to successfully produce ultrathin(<600 nm)and leaflike UiO-66-SO3H membranes at the surface of anodic alumina oxide.The physicochemical characterizations confirm that sulfonated angstrom-sized ion transport channels exist in the as-prepared UiO-66-SO3H membranes,which accelerate the cation permeation(~3×faster than non-functionalized UiO-66 membrane)and achieve a high ion selectivity(Na^+/Mg^2+>140).The outstanding cation separation performance validates the importance of introducing sulfonic acid groups in MOF-CPMs.展开更多
The CS/PVA/Fe_3O_4 nanocomposite membranes with chainlike arrangement of Fe_3O_4 nanoparticles are prepared by a magnetic-field-assisted solution casting method. The aim of this work is to investigate the relationship...The CS/PVA/Fe_3O_4 nanocomposite membranes with chainlike arrangement of Fe_3O_4 nanoparticles are prepared by a magnetic-field-assisted solution casting method. The aim of this work is to investigate the relationship between the microstructure of the magnetic anisotropic CS/PVA/Fe_3O_4 membrane and the evolved macroscopic physicochemical property. With the same doping content, the relative crystallinity of CS/PVA/Fe_3O_4-M is lower than that of CS/PVA/Fe_3O_4.The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FT-TR) measurements indicate that there is no chemical bonding between polymer molecule and Fe_3O_4 nanoparticle. The Fe_3O_4 nanoparticles in CS/PVA/Fe_3O_4 and CS/PVA/Fe_3O_4-M are wrapped by the chains of CS/PVA, which is also confirmed by scanning electron microscopy(SEM) and x-ray diffraction(XRD)analysis. The saturation magnetization value of CS/PVA/Fe_3O_4-M obviously increases compared with that of non-magnetic aligned membrane, meanwhile the transmittance decreases in the UV-visible region. The o-Ps lifetime distribution provides information about the free-volume nanoholes present in the amorphous region. It is suggested that the microstructure of CS/PVA/Fe_3O_4 membrane can be modified in its curing process under a magnetic field, which could affect the magnetic properties and the transmittance of nanocomposite membrane. In brief, a full understanding of the relationship between the microstructure and the macroscopic property of CS/PVA/Fe_3O_4 nanocomposite plays a vital role in exploring and designing the novel multifunctional materials.展开更多
Al 2O 3-SiO 2-TiO 2-ZrO 2 supported membranes were prepar ed by Sol-Gel method. These composite ceramic membranes are level, even and no macro crack. There exist several crystalline phases such as Al 2O 3, TiO...Al 2O 3-SiO 2-TiO 2-ZrO 2 supported membranes were prepar ed by Sol-Gel method. These composite ceramic membranes are level, even and no macro crack. There exist several crystalline phases such as Al 2O 3, TiO 2(a natase), Al 2SiO 5, and ZrO 2 in these membranes. Changing the molar ratio of Al∶Si∶Ti∶Zr,the kinds and content of crystal phases of composite membranes could be different, which may lead to a variety of microstructure of membranes. The surface nanoscale topography and microstructure of membranes were investiga ted by XRD,SEM,AFM,EPMA. The effects of additives and heat treatments on the sur face nanoscale topography and microstructure of composite ceramic membranes were also analyzed.展开更多
The preparation process of γ-A12O3 nanofiltration membranes were studied by N2 absorption and desorption test and retention rate vs thickness gradient curve method. It was found that template and thermal treatment we...The preparation process of γ-A12O3 nanofiltration membranes were studied by N2 absorption and desorption test and retention rate vs thickness gradient curve method. It was found that template and thermal treatment were key factors for controlling pore size and its distribution. Under the optimized experimental conditions, the BJH (Barret-Joyner-Halenda) desorption average pore diameter, BJH desorption cumulative volume of pores and BET (Brunauer-Emmett-Teller) surface area of obtained membranes were about 3.9 nm, 0.33 cm3/g and 245 m2/g respectively, the pore size distribution was very narrow. Pore size decreased with the increasing of thickness and no evident change after the dense top layer was formed. The optimum thickness can be controlled by retention rate vs thickness gradient curve method.展开更多
Supported γ-Al2O3 membranes without defects were prepared by the sol-gel procedure. The sol-gel method involved peptization of a boehmite (AlOOH) sol prepared from ammonium aluminium sulphate. The morphology of the s...Supported γ-Al2O3 membranes without defects were prepared by the sol-gel procedure. The sol-gel method involved peptization of a boehmite (AlOOH) sol prepared from ammonium aluminium sulphate. The morphology of the supported membranes was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and 3D rotational microscopy. Furthermore, the effects of different preparing conditions on morphological characteristics of the membrane were also investigated. The results show that PVA is a good crack-preventing agent and the morphology of supported membranes is affected by many factors, such as Al2O3 and PVA contents of the sol, drying and sintering procedures and intrinsic defects on the substrate surface.展开更多
γ-Al2O3 membranes were successfidly deposited on the top of porous α-Al2O3 support by sol-gel process and characterized by means of XRD , SEM, N2 adsorption and gas permeation. The γ-Al2O3 membranes, free of pin-h...γ-Al2O3 membranes were successfidly deposited on the top of porous α-Al2O3 support by sol-gel process and characterized by means of XRD , SEM, N2 adsorption and gas permeation. The γ-Al2O3 membranes, free of pin-holes and cracks, adhere tightly to the supports and have a thlekness of about 7μm. When sintered at 400 ℃ , γ-Al2O3 membranes have a rutrrow pore size distribution, with a pore diameter of 3.6nm, and the transport of both H2 and CO2 in supported γ-Al2O3 membrane is governed by Knudsen mechanism, with H2 permeance of 3.3× 10^-6 molm^-2Pa^-1s^-1 and H2/ CO2 permselectivity close to the ideal Knudsen value at 50 ℃ . The γ-Al2O3 membranes are suitable for being used as the substrates of microparoas membranes .展开更多
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(U22A20520)the Innovation Team Project of Modern Agricultural Industrial Technology System of Guangdong Province,China(2023KJ119)the Natural Science Foundation Program of Guangdong Province,China(2023A1515012206)。
文摘Streptococcus suis serotype 2(S.suis 2)is a zoonotic pathogen that clinically causes severe swine and human infections(such as meningitis,endocarditis,and septicemia).In order to cause widespread diseases in different organs,S.suis 2 must colonize the host,break the blood barrier,and cause exaggerated inflammation.In the last few years,most studies have focused on a single virulence factor and its influences on the host.Membrane vesicles(MVs)can be actively secreted into the extracellular environment contributing to bacteria-host interactions.Gram-negative bacteria-derived outer membrane vesicles(OMVs)were recently shown to activate host Caspase-11-mediated non-canonical inflammasome pathway via deliverance of OMV-bound lipopolysaccharide(LPS),causing host cell pyroptosis.However,little is known about the effect of the MVs from S.suis 2(Gram-positive bacteria without LPS)on cell pyroptosis.Thus,we investigated the molecular mechanism by which S.suis 2 MVs participate in endothelial cell pyroptosis.In this study,we used proteomics,electron scanning microscopy,fluorescence microscope,Western blotting,and bioassays,to investigate the MVs secreted by S.suis 2.First,we demonstrated that S.suis 2 secreted MVs with an average diameter of 72.04 nm,and 200 proteins in MVs were identified.Then,we showed that MVs were transported to cells via mainly dynamin-dependent endocytosis.The S.suis 2 MVs activated NLRP3/Caspase-1/GSDMD canonical inflammasome signaling pathway,resulting in cell pyroptosis,but it did not activate the Caspase-4/-5 pathway.More importantly,endothelial cells produce large amounts of reactive oxygen species(ROS)and lost their mitochondrial membrane potential under induction by S.suis 2 MVs.The results in this study suggest for the first time that MVs from S.suis 2 were internalized by endothelial cells via mainly dynamin-dependent endocytosis and might promote NLRP3/Caspase-1/GSDMD pathway by mitochondrial damage,which produced mtDNA and ROS under induction,leading to the pyroptosis of endothelial cells.
基金supported in part by the National Key R&D Program of China(Grant No.2022YFA1402404)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.62274085,11874203,and 61822403)。
文摘We report a universal method to transfer freestanding La_(0.7)Sr_(0.3)MnO_(3)membranes to target substrates.The 4-unit-cell-thick freestanding La_(0.7)Sr_(0.3)MnO_(3)membrane exhibits the enhanced ferromagnetism,conductivity and out-of-plane magnetic anisotropy,which otherwise shows nonmagnetic/antiferromagnetic and insulating behavior due to the intrinsic epitaxial strain.This work facilitates the promising applications of ultrathin freestanding correlated oxide membranes in electronics and spintronics.
基金This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.11875313,12075153,and 11575277).
文摘Membrane fouling is always the biggest problem in the practice of membrane separation technologies,which strongly impacts their applicability,separation efficiency,cost effectiveness,and service lifespan.Herein,a simple but effective 3D modification approach was designed for permanently functionalizing polymeric membranes by directly cross-linking polyvinyl alcohol(PVA)under gamma-ray irradiation at room temperature without any additives.After the modification,a PVA layer was constructed on the membrane surface and the pore inner surface of polyvinylidene fluoride(PVDF)membranes.This endowed them with good hydrophilicity,low adsorption of protein model foulants,and easy recoverability properties.In addition,the pore size and distribution were customized by controlling the PVA concentration,which enhanced the rejection ability of the resultant membranes and converted them from microfiltration to ultrafiltration.The crosslinked PVA layer was equipped with the resultant membranes with good resistance to chemical cleaning by acidic,alkaline,and oxidative reagents,which could greatly prolong the membrane service lifetime.Furthermore,this approach was demonstrated as a universal method to modify PVDF membranes with other hydrophilic macromolecular modifiers,including polyethylene glycol,sodium alginate,and polyvinyl pyrrolidone.This modification of the membranes effectively endowed them with good hydrophilicity and antifouling properties,as expected.
基金funding supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.21490581,91534203,21878282,and 21606215)
文摘Metal–organic frameworks(MOFs)with angstrom-sized pores are promising functional nanomaterials for the fabrication of cation permselective membranes(MOF-CPMs).However,only a few research reports show successful preparation of the MOF-CPMs with good cation separation performance due to several inherent problems in MOFs,such as arduous selfassembly,poor water resistance,and tedious fabrication strategies.Besides,low cation permeation flux due to the absence of the cation permeation assisting functionalities in MOFs is another big issue,which limits their widespread use in membrane technology.Therefore,it is necessary to fabricate functional MOF-CPMs using simplistic strategies to improve cation permeation.In this context,we report a facile in situ smart growth strategy to successfully produce ultrathin(<600 nm)and leaflike UiO-66-SO3H membranes at the surface of anodic alumina oxide.The physicochemical characterizations confirm that sulfonated angstrom-sized ion transport channels exist in the as-prepared UiO-66-SO3H membranes,which accelerate the cation permeation(~3×faster than non-functionalized UiO-66 membrane)and achieve a high ion selectivity(Na^+/Mg^2+>140).The outstanding cation separation performance validates the importance of introducing sulfonic acid groups in MOF-CPMs.
基金Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.11475197,11575205,11404100,and 11304083)the Key Scientific and Technological Project of Henan Province,China(Grant No.102102210186)
文摘The CS/PVA/Fe_3O_4 nanocomposite membranes with chainlike arrangement of Fe_3O_4 nanoparticles are prepared by a magnetic-field-assisted solution casting method. The aim of this work is to investigate the relationship between the microstructure of the magnetic anisotropic CS/PVA/Fe_3O_4 membrane and the evolved macroscopic physicochemical property. With the same doping content, the relative crystallinity of CS/PVA/Fe_3O_4-M is lower than that of CS/PVA/Fe_3O_4.The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FT-TR) measurements indicate that there is no chemical bonding between polymer molecule and Fe_3O_4 nanoparticle. The Fe_3O_4 nanoparticles in CS/PVA/Fe_3O_4 and CS/PVA/Fe_3O_4-M are wrapped by the chains of CS/PVA, which is also confirmed by scanning electron microscopy(SEM) and x-ray diffraction(XRD)analysis. The saturation magnetization value of CS/PVA/Fe_3O_4-M obviously increases compared with that of non-magnetic aligned membrane, meanwhile the transmittance decreases in the UV-visible region. The o-Ps lifetime distribution provides information about the free-volume nanoholes present in the amorphous region. It is suggested that the microstructure of CS/PVA/Fe_3O_4 membrane can be modified in its curing process under a magnetic field, which could affect the magnetic properties and the transmittance of nanocomposite membrane. In brief, a full understanding of the relationship between the microstructure and the macroscopic property of CS/PVA/Fe_3O_4 nanocomposite plays a vital role in exploring and designing the novel multifunctional materials.
文摘Al 2O 3-SiO 2-TiO 2-ZrO 2 supported membranes were prepar ed by Sol-Gel method. These composite ceramic membranes are level, even and no macro crack. There exist several crystalline phases such as Al 2O 3, TiO 2(a natase), Al 2SiO 5, and ZrO 2 in these membranes. Changing the molar ratio of Al∶Si∶Ti∶Zr,the kinds and content of crystal phases of composite membranes could be different, which may lead to a variety of microstructure of membranes. The surface nanoscale topography and microstructure of membranes were investiga ted by XRD,SEM,AFM,EPMA. The effects of additives and heat treatments on the sur face nanoscale topography and microstructure of composite ceramic membranes were also analyzed.
文摘The preparation process of γ-A12O3 nanofiltration membranes were studied by N2 absorption and desorption test and retention rate vs thickness gradient curve method. It was found that template and thermal treatment were key factors for controlling pore size and its distribution. Under the optimized experimental conditions, the BJH (Barret-Joyner-Halenda) desorption average pore diameter, BJH desorption cumulative volume of pores and BET (Brunauer-Emmett-Teller) surface area of obtained membranes were about 3.9 nm, 0.33 cm3/g and 245 m2/g respectively, the pore size distribution was very narrow. Pore size decreased with the increasing of thickness and no evident change after the dense top layer was formed. The optimum thickness can be controlled by retention rate vs thickness gradient curve method.
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC 20503015)
文摘Supported γ-Al2O3 membranes without defects were prepared by the sol-gel procedure. The sol-gel method involved peptization of a boehmite (AlOOH) sol prepared from ammonium aluminium sulphate. The morphology of the supported membranes was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and 3D rotational microscopy. Furthermore, the effects of different preparing conditions on morphological characteristics of the membrane were also investigated. The results show that PVA is a good crack-preventing agent and the morphology of supported membranes is affected by many factors, such as Al2O3 and PVA contents of the sol, drying and sintering procedures and intrinsic defects on the substrate surface.
文摘γ-Al2O3 membranes were successfidly deposited on the top of porous α-Al2O3 support by sol-gel process and characterized by means of XRD , SEM, N2 adsorption and gas permeation. The γ-Al2O3 membranes, free of pin-holes and cracks, adhere tightly to the supports and have a thlekness of about 7μm. When sintered at 400 ℃ , γ-Al2O3 membranes have a rutrrow pore size distribution, with a pore diameter of 3.6nm, and the transport of both H2 and CO2 in supported γ-Al2O3 membrane is governed by Knudsen mechanism, with H2 permeance of 3.3× 10^-6 molm^-2Pa^-1s^-1 and H2/ CO2 permselectivity close to the ideal Knudsen value at 50 ℃ . The γ-Al2O3 membranes are suitable for being used as the substrates of microparoas membranes .