Phase separation and transcriptional regulation in cancer development

Liquid-liquid phase separation,a novel biochemical phenomenon,has been increasingly studied for its medical applications.It underlies the formation of membrane-less organelles and is involved in many cellular and biological processes.During transcriptional regulation,dynamic condensates are formed through interactions between transcriptional elements,such as transcription factors,coactivators,and mediators.Cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell proliferation,but the precise mechanisms underlying tumorigenesis often remain to be elucidated.Emerging evidence has linked abnormal transcriptional condensates to several diseases,especially cancer,implying that phase separation plays an important role in tumorigenesis.Condensates formed by phase separation may have an effect on gene transcription in tumors.In the present review,we focus on the correlation between phase separation and transcriptional regulation,as well as how this phenomenon contributes to cancer development.

Sludge granulation and efficiency of phase separator in UASB reactor treating combined industrial effluent

Sludge granulation and the effect of gas-liquid-solid separator （GLSS） design on the efficiency of upflow anaerobic sludge blanket （UASB） and upflow anaerobic sludge filter （UASF） reactors, operating at HRTs ranging from 3 to 12 h was investigated. VSS/TS ratio gradually increased in both the reactors with increasing sludge age （from 0.5 to more than 0.7 for UASB reactor and 0.012 to 0.043 for UASF reactor）. X-Ray diffraction analysis of the UASF sludge showed the presence of expanding clays revealing its additional absorption capability. Fuoraphyllite and albite precipitation related to excellular polymers of the microbial shell structure, showed the extended growth of microorganisms during sludge granulation. A gradual decrease （82%-69%） in COD removal with decreasing HRT was apparent in UASF reactor. In case of UASB reactor, this decrease was marginal because addition of GLSS device significantly improved （14%-20%） the overall efficiency of the UASB reactor. GLSS enhanced the efficiency of the UASB reactor by increasing the settleability of suspended particles and accelerating the coagulation of colloidal particles due to the velocity gradient.

Efficiency of Plate Separators for Dispersed Liquid-Liquid Systems

The basic flow model of laminar flow field and the trajectory model of dispersed phase drops are derived. Based on the comparable volumetric flow rate, the dispersed flow rate can be linearly discretized. Consequently, the trajectory of a droplet in the channel can be tracked, and the trajectories of all drops are observed in order to statistically analyse the drops for capture or entrainment. Therefore, in terms of theoretical model of motion, the stratified two phase flow systems are studied in the mixture of nitrobenzene and concentrated sulfuric acid. The analytical results indicate that the trajectories of droplets of different diameters are different at the same location. The larger droplets can help to promote the efficiency of plate separators. The thickness of trickling film has a significant influence on the efficiency of numerical simulation when the concentration of the dispersed phase is greater than 10%. So the modification of thickness of trickling film can help to get the real flow field efficiency. The low flow rate lowers the average Renolds number so that the lighter phase droplets have sufficient time to interact with the trickling film. It is an indispensable factor for predicting efficiency that coalesced drops flow off inclined plates together with trickling films. A comparison confirms that the simulation results are in good agreement with the experiment results.

A phase inversion based sponge-like polysulfonamide/SiO_2 composite separator for high performance lithium-ion batteries

In this work,a sponge-like polysulfonamide(PSA)/SiO_2 composite membrane is unprecedentedly prepared by the phase inversion method,and successfully demonstrated as a novel separator of lithium-ion batteries(LIBs).Compared to the commercial polypropylene(PP) separator,the sponge-like PSA/SiO_2 composite possesses better physical and electrochemical properties,such as higher porosity,ionic conductivity,thermal stability and flame retarding ability.The LiCoO_2/Li half-cells using the sponge-like composite separator demonstrate superior rate capability and cyclability over those using the commercial PP separator.Moreover,the sponge-like composite separator can ensure the normal operation of LiCoO_2/Li half-cell at an extremely high temperature of 90 °C,while the commercial PP separator cannot.All these encouraging results suggest that this phase inversion based sponge-like PSA/SiO_2 composite separator is really a promising separator for high performance LIBs.

Enhancement of vertical phase separation in sequentially deposited organic photovoltaics through the independent processing of additives

Herein,the impact of the independent control of processing additives on vertical phase separation in sequentially deposited (SD) organic photovoltaics (OPVs) and its subsequent effects on charge carrier kinetics at the electron donor-acceptor interface are investigated.The film morphology exhibits notable variations,significantly depending on the layer to which 1,8-diiodooctane (DIO) was applied.Grazing incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering analysis reveals distinctly separated donor/acceptor phases and vertical crystallinity details in SD films.Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry analysis is employed to obtain component distributions in diverse vertical phase structures of SD films depending on additive control.In addition,nanosecond transient absorption spectroscopy shows that DIO control significantly affects the dynamics of separated charges in SD films.In SD OPVs,DIO appears to act through distinct mechanisms with minimal restriction,depending on the applied layer.This study emphasizes the significance of morphological optimization in improving device performance and underscores the importance of independent additive control in the advancement of OPV technology.

Fluorinated semi-interpenetrating polymer networks for enhancing the mechanical performance and storage stability of polymer-bonded explosives by controlling curing and phase separation rates

Herein, the effect of fluoropolymer binders on the properties of polymer-bonded explosives(PBXs) was comprehensively investigated. To this end, fluorinated semi-interpenetrating polymer networks(semiIPNs) were prepared using different catalyst amounts(denoted as F23-CLF-30-D). The involved curing and phase separation processes were monitored using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, a haze meter and a rheometer. Curing rate constant and activation energy were calculated using a theoretical model and numerical method, respectively. Results revealed that owing to its co-continuous micro-phase separation structure, the F23-CLF-30-D3 semi-IPN exhibited considerably higher tensile strength and elongation at break than pure fluororubber F2314 and the F23-CLF-30-D0 semi-IPN because the phase separation and curing rates matched in the initial stage of curing.An arc Brazilian test revealed that F23-CLF-30-D-based composites used as mock materials for PBXs exhibited excellent mechanical performance and storage stability. Thus, the matched curing and phase separation rates play a crucial role during the fabrication of high-performance semi-IPNs;these factors can be feasibly controlled using an appropriate catalyst amount.

Physical information-enhanced graph neural network for predicting phase separation

Although phase separation is a ubiquitous phenomenon, the interactions between multiple components make it difficult to accurately model and predict. In recent years, machine learning has been widely used in physics simulations. Here,we present a physical information-enhanced graph neural network(PIENet) to simulate and predict the evolution of phase separation. The accuracy of our model in predicting particle positions is improved by 40.3% and 51.77% compared with CNN and SVM respectively. Moreover, we design an order parameter based on local density to measure the evolution of phase separation and analyze the systematic changes with different repulsion coefficients and different Schmidt numbers.The results demonstrate that our model can achieve long-term accurate predictions of order parameters without requiring complex handcrafted features. These results prove that graph neural networks can become new tools and methods for predicting the structure and properties of complex physical systems.

A Cu-Pd alloy catalyst with partial phase separation for the electrochemical CO_(2) reduction reaction

Cu catalysts can convert CO_(2) through an electrochemical reduction reaction into a variety of useful carbon-based products.However,this capability provides an obstacle to increasing the selectivity for a single product.Herein,we report a simple fabrication method for a Cu-Pd alloy catalyst for use in a membrane electrode assembly(MEA)-based CO_(2) electrolyzer for the electrochemical CO_(2) reduction reaction(ECRR)with high selectivity for CO production.When the composition of the Cu-Pd alloy catalyst was fabricated at 6:4,the selectivity for CO increased and the production of multi-carbon compounds and hydrogen is suppressed.Introducing a Cu-Pd alloy catalyst with 6:4 ratio as the cathode of the MEAbased CO_(2) electrolyzer showed a CO faradaic efficiency of 92.8%at 2.4 V_(cell).We assumed that these results contributed from the crystal planes on the surface of the Cu-Pd alloy.The phases of the Cu-Pd alloy catalyst were partially separated through annealing to fabricate a catalyst with high selectivity for CO at low voltage and C_(2)H_4 at high voltage.The results of CO-stripping testing confirmed that when Cu partially separates from the lattice of the Cu-Pd alloy,the desorption of~*CO is suppressed,suggesting that C-C coupling reaction is favored.

Numerical simulation of the Liquid-liquid phase separation and microstructure evolution of Al-In immiscible alloys during cooling

A numerical model has been developed to describe the microstructural evolution of Al In immiscible alloys through the miscibility gap. The model considers the common action of nucleation, diffusible growth, Brownian collision and motion collision between the second phase droplets. The simulation results are dynamically visualized and show that the volume fraction, distribution and size of the second phase droplets satisfactorily agree with the experimental results. So the model can be used to predict the microstructural evolution of Al In immiscible alloys during the cooling process.

TIR domain protein-mediated phase separation activates plant immunity

We spotlight recent findings from a Nature paper unveiling captivating insights into how substrates such as NADþand ATP stimulate the condensation of TIR domain proteins.This process culminates in the formation of a quaternary structural pattern akin to the catalytic arrangement observed in conventional TNL proteins.Consequently,this mechanism enables the production of pivotal signaling molecules crucial for fortifying plant immunity.Expanding on these revelations,we propose the prospect of creating modulatory compounds capable of initiating the phase separation of TIR domain proteins as an innovative approach to enhance plant immunity against pathogenic challenges.

Liquid-liquid phase separation in highly undercooled Ni-Pb hypermonotectic alloys

Liquid-liquid phase separation in the undercooled Ni-20%Pb(mole fraction, the same below if not mentioned) hypermonotectic melts was investigated by the observation of the water-quenched structure and DTA analysis. The results indicate that the number of spherical cells in the water-quenched microstructure increases with dropping temperature, and the cells gather and grow up obviously. The spherical cell origins from L1 phase separated from homogeneous melt, and is the product of monotectic reaction. Both results of the water-quenched structures and DTA analysis prove that liquid phase separation still occurs in the highly undercooled Ni-Pb hypermonotectic alloy melts, and liquid phase separation in the immiscible gap can not be fully inhibited by high undercooling and rapid solidification.

Thermodynamics and kinetics of liquid-liquid phase separation in poly（acrylonitrile-co-maleic acid）/DMSO/nonsolvent system

Based on that the poly（acrylonitrile-co-maleic acid） （PANCMA）/DMSO/nonsolvent system agreed with the empirical linearized cloud point （LCP） relation, thermodynamics and kinetics of liquid-liquid phase separation behavior of this system were investigated through coagulation value and phase diagram. It was found that adding solvent to the coagulation bath decreased the coagulation power and diffusion exchange rate of solvent and nonsolvent, and the system became more stable thermodynamically. On the other hand, the system with poly（vinyl alcohol） （PVA） as additive was thermodynamically less stable than that with poly （vinylpyrrolidone） （PVP） and/or not. In addition, the polymer solution system at higher temperature became thermodynamically more stable and had a higher nonsolvent tolerance. Moreover, higher temperature heightened the diffusion exchange rate of solvent and nonsolvent and accelerated phase separation. It is indicated that phase diagram and coagulation value offered some useful and necessary thermodynamic and kinetic information to establish optimal conditions and guide practical membrane fabrication in the results.

Separation Properties of a New Polysiloxane-Anchored β-Cyclodextrin Derivative as Gas Chromatography Stationary Phase

A new capillary gas chromatography stationary phase, monokis (2,6 di O benzyl 3 O propyl (3’)) hexakis(2,6 di O benzyl 3 O methyl) β CD bonded polysiloxane, was synthesized. It exhibited separation abilities to disubstituted benzene isomers and some chiral solutes. It was also found that the polarity of CD derivatives can be lowered both by chemically bonding it to polysiloxane and by diluting it in polysiloxane. The separation abilities of the polysiloxane anchored CDs (SP CD) are higher than that of the unbonded CDs (S CD) and the diluted S CD at lower column temperature. Hydrosilylation reaction is one of the best methods to lower the operating temperature of CDs.

Time-resolved photoluminescence of anatase/rutile TiO_2 phase junction revealing charge separation dynamics

Junctions are an important structure that allows charge separation in solar cells and photocatalysts. Here, we studied the charge transfer at an anatase/rutile TiO2 phase junction using time-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy. Visible （-S00 nm） and near-infrared （NIR, -830 nm） emissions were monitored to give insight into the photoinduced charges of anatase and rutile in the junction, respectively, New fast photoluminescence decay components appeared in the visible emission of futile-phase dominated TiO2 and in the NIR emission of many mixed phase TiO2samples. The fast decays confirmed that the charge separation occurred at the phase junction. The visible emission intensity from the mixed phase TiO2 increased, revealing that charge transfer from rutile to anatase was the main pathway. The charge separation slowed the microsecond time scale photolumines- cence decay rate for charge carriers in both anatase and rutile. However, the millisecond decay of the charge carriers in anatase TiO2 was accelerated, while there was almost no change in the charge carrier dynamics of rutile TiO2. Thus, charge separation at the anatase/rutile phase junction caused an increase in the charge carrier concentration on a microsecond time scale, because of slower electron-hole recombination. The enhanced photocatalytic activity previously observed at ana- tase/rutile phase junctions is likely caused by the improved charge carrier dynamics we report here. These findings may contribute to the development of improved photocatalytic materials.

Magnetically induced phase separation in the fcc phase and thermodynamic calculations of phase equilibria of the Co-Cr system

Two-phase equilibria between the ferromagnetic fcc and the paramagnetic fcc phase from 800 ℃ to 900 ℃ in the Co-rich region have been detected by the diffusion couple technique. Two phase separation region of the fcc has been confirmed along the Curie temperature.The phase equilibria including the present results and the thermodynamic data of the Co-Cr system reported in the literature were analyzed on the basis of the thermodynamic evaluation. A set of thermodynamic values for the liquid, fcc, hcp, bcc, sigma phases was obtained. The calculated phase equilibria were in good agreement with most of the experimental data.

Construction of Renewable Superhydrophobic Surfaces via Thermally Induced Phase Separation and Mechanical Peeling

We report a simple preparation method of a renewable superhydrophobic surface by thermally induced phase separation （TIPS） and mechanical peeling. Porous polyvinylidene fluoride （PVDF） membranes with hierarchical structures were prepared by a TIPS process under different cooling conditions, which were confirmed by scanning electron microscopy and mercury intrusion porosimetry. After peeling off the top layer, rough structures with hundreds of nanometers to several microns were obtained. A digital microscopy determines that the surface roughness of peeled PVDF membranes is much higher than that of the original PVDF membrane, which is important to obtain the superhydrophobicity. Water contact angle and sliding angle measurements demonstrate that the peeled membrane surfaces display super- hydrophobicity with a high contact angle （152°） and a low sliding angle （7.2°）. Moreover, the superhydrophobicity can be easily recovered for many times by a simple mechanical peeling, identical to the original superhydrophobicity. This simple preparation method is low cost, and suitable for large-scale industrialization, which may offer more opportunities for practical applications.

Microporous carbon nanofibers prepared by combining electrospinning and phase separation methods for supercapacitor

Microporous carbon nanofibers (MCNFs) derived from polyacrylonitrile nanofibers were fabricated via electrospinning technology and phase separation in the presence of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). PVP together with a mixed solvent of N, N-Dimethylformamide and dimethyl sulfoxide was used as pore forming agent. The influences of PVP content in casting solution on the structure and electrochemical performance of the MCNFs were also investigated. The highest capacitance of 200 F/g was obtained on a three-electrode system at a scan rate of 0.5 A/g. The good performance was owing to the high specific surface area and the large amount of micro-pores, which enhanced the absorption and the transportation efficiency of electrolyte ion during charge/discharge process. This research indicated that the combination of electrospinning and phase separation technology could be used to fabricate microporous carbon nanofibers as electrode materials for supercapacitors with high specific surface area and outstanding electrochemical performance. (C) 2016 Science Press and Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. and Science Press. All rights reserved.

Exchange Bias Effect in Phase Separated La0.33Pr0.34Ca0.33MnO3 Thin Films

Exchange bias effect is observed in the phase separated La0.33Pr0.34Ca0.33MnO3 thin films. High exchange bias field of about 1 kOe is achieved at 4 K. The exchange bias effect in La0.33Pr0.34Ca0.33MnO3 thin films might originate from the intrinsic phase separation of the La0.33Pr0.34Ca0.33MnO3 or surface effect. The dependence of exchange bias effect on temperature, cooling field, and thickness is also investigated. This work would open an avenue to the application in the magnetic memory devices based on the phase separated manganites.

Dynamic scaling behaviour of late-stage phase separation in Ni75AlxV25-x alloys

The dynamic scaling behaviour of late-stage phase separation and coarsening mechanisms of L12 and D022 in Ni75AlxV25-x （3 ≤ x ≤ 10, at.%） alloys are studied using the microscopic phase-field dynamic model. The microelaso ticity field is incorporated into the diffusion dynamic model. The results show the morphology and coarsening dynamics being greatly changed by the elastic interactions among different precipitates, the particles aligning along the dominant directions, the average domain size （ADS） of L12 and D022 deviating from the exponent of temporal power-law, and the growth slowing down due to the increasing of elastic interactions. The dynamic scaling regime of late-stage coarsening of the precipitates is attained. Thus the scaling behaviour of structure function is also applicable for elastic interaction systems. It is also found that the variations of ADS and scaling function depend on the volume fraction of precipitates.

METASTABLE PHASE SEPARATION OF Fe_(50)Cu_(50) HYPOPERITECTIC ALLOY UNDER SPACE SIMULATION CONDITIONS

A 3m drop-tube was used to investigate the solidification of Fe50Cu50 hypoperitectic alloy. The falling droplets solidified as spheres and splats. The obtained particles range from 1000μm to 80μm in diameter. It was found that the phase separation occurred if the Fe-Cu liquid was undercooled to a certain extent before solidification.In the big particles macroscopic separation of Fe-rich phase always appeared in the cented of the particles, and in the small ones the Fe-rich phase usually solidified as little spheres. In the flakes the Fe-rich and Cu-rich layers alternatively displayed from top to bottom.