Development of Binder-Free Pigment Inks for Direct Inkjet Printing on Cotton Fabric without Pretreatment.

Inkjet printing technology is widely used in the textile digital printing application today though the current technology still requires pretreatment and postwashing procedures before and after printing. Additional chemical treatment generates a large amount of wastewater and complicates the process. Among the many potential approaches for reducing chemical waste, pigments with self-dispersing capability were prepared and formulated into binder-free inkjet inks that require no pretreatment or after-washing process when printing cotton fabrics. The new self-dispersing pigment inks were tested and evaluated on cotton fabrics. The distribution of particles was between 122.2 and 188.5 nm, and inks have excellent storage capability. Printed fabrics' light fastness and acid/alkali resistance are about grade 5, and printed cotton's washing and rubbing fastness are above grade 3. The mechanism and performance of ink drops were investigated by LF-NMR and ink-drop observation methods. This work provides a possible solution for reducing wastewater in the textile industry.

Modification of Hollow Expanded Microspheres with Superior Thermal Insulation Properties and Their Applications.

Thermally expandable microspheres (TEMs) are hollow polymeric particles in which a blowing gas has been encapsulated. This property makes them excellent for thermal insulation applications, such as lightweight fillers. This study has developed a viable technology for further improving thermal insulation properties in the field that needs excellent thermal insulation of textile fabrics. The ATO/TEMs composites were designed and prepared to reduce sunlight radiation by the charge gravity method. The test results showed that the ATO-coated TEMs effectively block thermal radiation from sunlight. The temperature difference between ATO/TEMs treated cotton and the uncoated cotton fabric was 9 °C, and the thermal conductivity coatings were 0.0432 W/m⋅K. The UPF value of ATO/TEMs (ILs) coated cotton fabric is 440, significantly higher than pure cotton. This approach can provide insight into the design of high-performance solar insulation composite structures.

Identification of Candidate lncRNA and Pseudogene Biomarkers Associated with Carbon-Nanotube-Induced Malignant Transformation of Lung Cells and Prediction of Potential Preventive Drugs.

Mounting evidence has linked carbon nanotube (CNT) exposure with malignant transformation of lungs. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and pseudogenes are important regulators to mediate the pathogenesis of diseases, representing potential biomarkers for surveillance of lung carcinogenesis in workers exposed to CNTs and possible targets to develop preventive strategies. The aim of this study was to screen crucial lncRNAs and pseudogenes and predict preventive drugs. GSE41178 (small airway epithelial cells exposed to single- or multi-walled CNTs or dispersant control) and GSE56104 (lung epithelial cells exposed to single-walled CNTs or dispersant control) datasets were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Weighted correlation network analysis was performed for these two datasets, and the turquoise module was preserved and associated with CNT-induced malignant phenotypes. In total, 24 lncRNAs and 112 pseudogenes in this module were identified as differentially expressed in CNT-exposed cells compared with controls. Four lncRNAs (MEG3, ARHGAP5-AS1, LINC00174 and PVT1) and five pseudogenes (MT1JP, MT1L, RPL23AP64, ZNF826P and TMEM198B) were predicted to function by competing endogenous RNA (MEG3/RPL23AP64-hsa-miR-942-5p-CPEB2/PHF21A/BAMBI; ZNF826P-hsa-miR-23a-3p-SYNGAP1, TMEM198B-hsa-miR-15b-5p-SYNGAP1/CLU; PVT1-hsa-miR-423-5p-PSME3) or co-expression (MEG3/MT1L/ZNF826P/MT1JP-ATM; ARHGAP5-AS1-TMED10, LINC00174-NEDD4L, ARHGAP5-AS1/PVT1-NIP7; MT1L/MT1JP-SYNGAP1; MT1L/MT1JP-CLU) mechanisms. The expression levels and prognosis of all genes in the above interaction pairs were validated using lung cancer patient samples. The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed the combination of four lncRNAs, five pseudogenes or lncRNAs + pseudogenes were all effective for predicting lung cancer (accuracy >0.8). The comparative toxicogenomics database suggested schizandrin A, folic acid, zinc or gamma-linolenic acid may be preventive drugs by reversing the expression levels of lncRNAs or pseudogenes. In conclusion, this study highlights lncRNAs and pseudogenes as candidate diagnostic biomarkers and drug targets for CNT-induced lung cancer.

Thermoreversible Polymer Gels in DMF Formed from Charge- and Crystallization-Induced Assembly.

Polymer organogels formed through dynamic interactions are interesting for various applications. The fabrication of polymer organogels in polar solvents through ionic interaction is rare, although such organogels in non-polar organic solvents have been well studied. Herein, polymer organogels in a polar solvent N,N-dimethyl formamide (DMF) were fabricated from a triblock copolymer, poly(4-vinyl pyridine)-block-poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(4-vinyl pyridine) (4VPm-EGn-4VPm), and a fluorinated surfactant, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), and their microphase separation and properties were studied. Ordered microphase separation and the crystalline structures were revealed by small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS), respectively. All the 4VPm-EGn-4VPm/PFOA organogels are sensitive to temperature, and the ratio of PFOA to pyridine groups reversibly. The polymer organogels are also responsive to triethylamine and triethylammonium acetate.

A Simple and Cost-Effective Method for Producing Stable Surfactant-Coated EGaIn Liquid Metal Nanodroplets.

Liquid metals show unparalleled advantages in printable circuits, flexible wear, drug carriers, and electromagnetic shielding. However, the efficient and large-scale preparation of liquid metal nanodroplets (LM NDs) remains a significant challenge. Here, we propose a simple and efficient method for the large-scale preparation of stable eutectic gallium indium nanodroplets (EGaIn NDs). We compared different preparation methods and found that droplets with smaller particle sizes could quickly be produced using a shaking technique. The size of EGaIn NDs produced using this technique can reach 200 nm in 30 min and 100 nm in 240 min. Benefiting from the simple method, various surfactants can directly modify the surface of the EGaIn NDs to stabilize the prepared droplets. In addition, we discovered that shaking in an ice bath produced spherical nanodroplets, and after shaking for 30 min in a non-ice bath, rod-shaped gallium oxide hydroxide (GaOOH) appeared. Furthermore, the EGaIn NDs we produced have excellent stability-after storage at room temperature for 30 days, the particle size and morphology change little. The excellent stability of the produced EGaIn NDs provides a wider application of liquid metals in the fields of drug delivery, electromagnetic shielding, conductive inks, printed circuits, etc.

Simply mixing with poly(ethylene glycol) enhances the fraction of the active chemical form of antitumor drugs of camptothecin family.

This paper reveals a new function of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) - a common polymer in pharmaceutics - enhancement of the active chemical form of the antitumor drugs of camptothecin (CPT) analogs. All of members in the CPT family confront the severe problem of hydrolysis of the active lactone ring to the inactive carboxylate, leading to not only less efficiency but also more toxicity. Herein, we report that the equilibrium fraction of the active lactone form could be enhanced significantly by simply mixing the drug solution with PEG. For instance, while the equilibrium lactone fraction of topotecan (TPT) was only a bit more than 10% under neutral pH at 37°C, it was increased to nearly 50% in the presence of 40wt.% PEG. Two CPT family members, TPT and 10-hydrocamptothecin, and six PEG agents with molecular weight from 200 to 5000, were tested, and the phenomenon was confirmed to be universal. The underlying reason was further discussed. The in vivo drug efficacy was also observed in a solid tumor model in mice.

Effects of amphiphilic block copolymers on the equilibrium lactone fractions of camptothecin analogues at different pHs.

Camptothecin (CPT) and its analogues constitute one of the most important families of anticancer drugs. However, the CPT-family members have to confront the severe problem of hydrolysis from lactone form, the only form capable of antitumor efficacy, to the carboxylate form, leading to a significant decrease in therapy efficiency as well as severe side effects. Herein, two CPT analogues with different water solubilities, 10-hydrocamptothecin (HCPT) and topotecan (TPT), and four poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(propylene glycol)-poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG-PPG-PEG, Pluronic) copolymers of varied hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) values, were examined with emphasis on the change of the equilibrium lactone fraction (flactone) of the drugs after addition of the copolymers. In all cases, flactone was enhanced. For weak water-soluble HCPT, the enhancement extent was significantly increased with decrease of the copolymer HLB, which is influenced by the block chain length for a given series of amphiphilic block copolymers. The effect was less significant for TPT, a more hydrophilic drug. The fluorescence experiments confirmed the assembly of the drugs into polymeric micelles. A series of pH titrations were also carried out, which quantified the shift of pH1/2 (pH when flactone = 0.5) after addition of the copolymers. The optimal or most sensitive pH, pHopt, which gave the maximum enhancement of flactone by the polymers, was found to depend upon the type of drug, the HLB value of copolymer, and also the polymer concentration. Hence, this work has indicated the universality of the enhancement effect of polymeric micelles on the equilibrium lactone fractions of CPT analogues, and meanwhile revealed the dependence of the enhancement extent upon the HLB values of the copolymer and hydrophilicity of the drug. The concept of optimal pH has also been put forward for the first time.

Enhancement of the fraction of the active form of an antitumor drug topotecan via an injectable hydrogel.

Poly(D,L-lactic acid-co-glycolic acid)-b-poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(D,L-lactic acid-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA-PEG-PLGA) hydrogels were tried as implants to encapsulate antitumor drug topotecan (TPT), a derivative of camptothecin (CPT). Despite of water solubility of TPT, the in vitro release of this low-molecular-weight drug from hydrogels sustained for 5 days with only a mild initial burst. The antitumor efficacy of the released TPT was further validated in S180-bearing mice. Surprisingly, the fraction of the active lactone form of TPT was increased to above 50% in the hydrogel matrix, while the fraction was just about 10% in phosphate buffer saline under physiological pH at 37°C. This significant effect was interpreted not by the local acidic pH within the hydrogel, but by the increase of pK(a) of the carboxylate group of the open-ring form due to the hydrophobic interaction between the amphiphilic polymer and TPT. Theoretical analysis via a pK(a)-related mechanism was also performed, which was consistent with our experimental measurements. Hence, this study has revealed that an appropriate biomaterial could, via drug-material interactions, enhance the drug efficacy by increasing the active fraction of some drugs which exhibit a reversible conversion between the active and inactive structures.

N-Boc-histidine-capped PLGA-PEG-PLGA as a smart polymer for drug delivery sensitive to tumor extracellular pH.

A pH-sensitive polymer was synthesized by introducing the N-Boc-histidine to the ends of a PLGA-PEG-PLGA block copolymer. The synthesized polymer was confirmed to be biodegradable and biocompatible, well dissolved in water and forming micelles above the CMC. DOX was employed as a model anticancer drug. In vitro drug release from micelles of N-Boc-histidine-capped PLGA-PEG-PLGA exhibited significant difference between pH = 6.2 and pH = 7.4, whereas DOX release from micelles composed of un-capped virgin polymers was not significantly sensitive to medium pH. Uptake of DOX from micelles of the new polymer into MDA-MB-435 solid tumor cells was also observed, and pH sensitivity was confirmed. Hence, the N-Boc-histidine capped PLGA-PEG-PLGA might be a promising material for tumor targeting.