Unveiling molecular mechanisms of pepper resistance to Phytophthora capsici through grafting using iTRAQ-based proteomic analysis.

Phytophthora blight severely threatens global pepper production. Grafting bolsters plant disease resistance, but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we used P. capsici-resistant strain 'ZCM334' and susceptible strain 'Early Calwonder' for grafting. Compared to self-rooted 'Early Calwonder' plants, 'ZCM334' grafts exhibited delayed disease onset, elevated resistance, and reduced leaf cell damage, showcasing the potential of grafting in enhancing pepper resistance to P. capsici. Proteomic analysis via the iTRAQ technology unveiled 478 and 349 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) in the leaves and roots, respectively, between the grafts and self-rooted plants. These DEPs were linked to metabolism and cellular processes, stimulus responses, and catalytic activity and were significantly enriched in the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, carbon fixation in photosynthetic organizations, and pyruvate metabolism pathways. Twelve DEPs exhibiting consistent expression trends in both leaves and roots, including seven related to P. capsici resistance, were screened. qRT-PCR analysis confirmed a significant correlation between the protein and transcript levels of DEPs after P. capsici inoculation. This study highlights the molecular mechanisms whereby grafting enhances pepper resistance to Phytophthora blight. Identification of key genes provides a foundation for studying the regulatory network governing the resistance of pepper to P. capsici.

Have government environmental auditing contributed to the green transformation of Chinese cities?

Faced with growing ecological problems, governments around the world are increasingly focusing on improving ecology and the environment. The topic of urban green transformation has attracted a great deal of research. However, not much of it has focused on the effectiveness of government environmental auditing, especially from the perspective of its role in sustainable governance. This article takes 285 cities in China from 2009 to 2020 as the research scale. It innovatively measures government environmental audits with dual indicators and uses System Gaussian Mixture Model (SGMM) to estimate that government environmental audits significantly promote urban green transformation, and the impact of "whether to implement government environmental auditing" is greater than the "intensity of government environmental auditing". The results show that government environmental audit intensity has a stronger impact on urban green transformation in eastern cities. In contrast, environmental audit coverage has a stronger impact in western cities. Moreover, the effect of government environmental auditing on green transformation is more significant in small and medium-sized cities and key environmental protection cities than in large cities and non-key environmental protection cities, respectively. Government environmental auditing could facilitate urban green transformation by restraining local government behavior, forcing green technology innovation, and promoting industrial structural upgrading. In addition, the intensity of government environmental auditing can better act on green transformation through the fore-mentioned mechanisms. It can play a crucial role in green technology innovation.

Preparation of Dihydromyricetin-Loaded Self-Emulsifying Drug Delivery System and Its Anti-Alcoholism Effect.

Intraperitoneal injection of dihydromyricetin (DMY) has shown promising potential in the treatment of alcoholism. However, its therapeutic effect is limited due to its low solubility, poor stability, and high gut-liver first-pass metabolism, resulting in very low oral bioavailability. In this study, we developed a DMY-loaded self-emulsifying drug delivery system (DMY-SEDDS) to enhance the oral bioavailability and anti-alcoholism effect of DMY. DMY-SEDDS improved the oral absorption of DMY by facilitating lymphatic transport. The area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) of DMY in the DMY-SEDDS group was 4.13-fold higher than in the DMY suspension group. Furthermore, treatment with DMY-SEDDS significantly enhanced the activities of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and acetaldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) in the liver of mice (p < 0.05). Interestingly, DMY-SEDDS also increased ADH activity in the stomach of mice with alcoholism (p < 0.01), thereby enhancing ethanol metabolism in the gastrointestinal tract and reducing ethanol absorption into the bloodstream. As a result, the blood alcohol concentration of mice with alcoholism was significantly decreased after DMY-SEDDS treatment (p < 0.01). In the acute alcoholism mice model, compared to saline treatment, DMY-SEDDS prolonged the onset of LORR (loss of righting reflex) (p < 0.05) and significantly shortened the duration of LORR (p < 0.01). Additionally, DMY-SEDDS treatment significantly reduced gastric injury in acute alcoholism mice. Collectively, these findings demonstrate the potential of DMY-SEDDS as a treatment in the treatment of alcoholism.

The plant nuclear lamina disassembles to regulate genome folding in stress conditions.

The nuclear lamina is a complex network of nuclear lamins and lamin-associated nuclear membrane proteins, which scaffold the nucleus to maintain structural integrity. In Arabidopsis thaliana, nuclear matrix constituent proteins (NMCPs) are essential components of the nuclear lamina and are required to maintain the structural integrity of the nucleus and specific perinuclear chromatin anchoring. At the nuclear periphery, suppressed chromatin overlapping with repetitive sequences and inactive protein-coding genes are enriched. At a chromosomal level, plant chromatin organization in interphase nuclei is flexible and responds to various developmental cues and environmental stimuli. On the basis of these observations in Arabidopsis, and given the role of NMCP genes (CRWN1 and CRWN4) in organizing chromatin positioning at the nuclear periphery, one can expect considerable changes in chromatin-nuclear lamina interactions when the global chromatin organization patterns are being altered in plants. Here we report the highly flexible nature of the plant nuclear lamina, which disassembles substantially under various stress conditions. Focusing on heat stress, we reveal that chromatin domains, initially tethered to the nuclear envelope, remain largely associated with CRWN1 and become scattered in the inner nuclear space. By investigating the three-dimensional chromatin contact network, we further reveal that CRWN1 proteins play a structural role in shaping the changes in genome folding under heat stress. Also, CRWN1 acts as a negative transcriptional coregulator to modulate the shift of the plant transcriptome profile in response to heat stress.

The effects of model age and familiarity on children's reproduction of ritual behaviour.

Rituals are fundamental social acts that structure relationships and enable the filtering of important cognitive attributes (e.g. working memory and inhibitory control) that make humans what they are today. This study investigated the influence of model age and familiarity on the reproduction of ritual behaviour in five-year-old children. Through an exploration of these factors, this study sheds light on the cognitive mechanisms children use to comprehend and replicate rituals. Ninety-eight five-year-old children were divided into two groups: an experimental group, which observed an adult or child model, either familiar or unfamiliar to them, demonstrating eight ritual acts; and a control group, which received no video demonstration. The results revealed that children who observed an adult reproduced more ritual acts than those who observed a child, and children who observed unfamiliar models reproduced ritual acts more frequently than those who observed familiar ones. Additionally, when exposed to unfamiliar models, children's reproductive fidelity was higher. These findings suggest that children have the ability to address new adaptation challenges by participating in rituals at an early age and that they generate suitable solutions depending on the model's characteristics. This provides evidence for the adaptive bias in children's cultural learning from a ritual perspective.

Greening the brain: A horticultural stress management program for perimenopausal symptoms.

Researchers have examined the efficacy of a horticultural stress management program for menopausal women. The quasi-experimental research design was employed by providing stress management and horticulture techniques to the experimental group (n = 55), whereas an informational pamphlet was given to the control group (n = 42). Moreover, this management program was comprised of hands-on training (Herb testing and smelling, Rocky Leaf prints, Grass Doll activity, and Kokedama activity), short lectures, and group discussions (sessions) for two hours, once a week, and continued for four weeks. Data was gathered from public-related activities i.e., camps on women's health and it consisted of three stages; before and after management and one month after completion of the intervention. The primary goal was to increase the stress coping ability, while the secondary goal was to enhance the psychological well-being and decrease menopausal symptoms. The aspects of horticultural attitude, cognitive flexibility, manageability, and knowledge of menopause were measured by using ANCOVA on SPSS 17 v. All the aspects significantly improved in the experimental group. Knowledge of menopause, horticultural attitude, cognitive flexibility, and manageability of stress significantly improved in the experimental group.

Investigating the Public Sentiment in Major Public Emergencies Through the Complex Networks Method: A Case Study of COVID-19 Epidemic.

The main purpose of this study is to investigate what topic indicators correlate with public sentiment during "coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic" and which indicators control the complex networks of the topic indicators. We obtained 68,098 Weibo, categorized them into 11 topic indicators, and grouped these indicators into three dimensions. Then, we constructed the complex networks model of Weibo's topics and examined the key indicators affecting the public's sentiment during the major public emergency. The results showed that "positive emotion" is positively correlated with "recordings of epidemic" and "foreign comparisons," while "negative emotion" is negatively correlated with "government image," "recordings of epidemic," and "asking for help online." In addition, the two vertexes of "recordings of epidemic" and "foreign comparisons" are the most important "bridges" which connect the government and the public. The "recordings of epidemic" is the main connection "hub" between the government and the media. In other words, the "recordings of epidemic" is the central topic indicator that controls the entire topic network. In conclusion, the government should publish the advance of the events through official media on time and transparent way and create a platform where everyone can speak directly to the government for advice and assistance during a major public emergency in the future.

Mechanical response of surface wettability of Janus porous membrane and its application in oil-water separation.

Smart surfaces with switchable wettability are widely studied for environmental application. Although a large number of stimulation routes provide broad prospects for the development of smart surfaces, achieving high sensitivity, fast response and recovery, simple operation, security and good stability is still challenging. Herein, a Janus membrane via electrospinning, chemical bath deposition and heat treatment is constructed. By using the hydrophilic ZIF-L nanosheet to functionalize the hydrophobic thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) substrate, a smart surface utilizes the ZIF-L crack induced by strain in the hydrophilic layer to control surface wettability is obtained. In the range of 0%-100% strain, the wettability of the smart surface presents an obvious change with stretching, and water contact angle of the surface shows a monotonic increase with a maximum tuning range from 47° to 114°. Due to local fusion of the TPU microfibers and good binding between the ZIF-L layer and the TPU substrate after heat treatment, the prepared Janus membrane exhibits consistent and symmetrical hydrophilic-hydrophobic-hydrophilic transition curves in 50 stretching-releasing cycles. Thanks to the porous and asymmetric architecture, the membrane shows good oil-water separation performance, and the separation flux increases with the increase of strain, while the separation efficiency is always higher than 98%. Because of the excellent structural stability, the robust membrane with 100% strain maintains its oil-water separation property for 50 stretching-releasing cycles. This study provides a new perspective for the development of smart material with stimuli responsive surface for oily wastewater purification.

The Mediating Effect of Parenting Stress on the Relationship Between Social Support and Quality of Life in Parents of Children With Autistic Spectrum Disorder: A Meta-Analytic Structural Equation Modeling.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study is to investigate whether parenting stress mediate the relationship between social support and quality of life in parents of children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder. In addition, we examined what other variables moderate the relationships in this mediation model. METHODS: Using the two-stage meta-analytic structural equation modeling approach (MASEM), 44 correlation matrices were synthesized from 28 empirical studies (N = 13,270) and fitted to the hypothesized mediation model. RESULTS: There is a significant partial mediation effect of parenting stress on the relationship between social support and quality of life. Subgroup analysis through the first stage analysis suggested that social support measurements, parental role, and child's age moderated the relationship between social support and parenting stress, and that the focus of quality of life moderated the relationship between social support and quality of life. Subgroup analysis through the second stage analysis indicated that parenting stress had a significantly stronger predictive effect on quality of life in Western culture, while the predictive effect of social support on quality of life was significantly stronger in Eastern culture. CONCLUSION: Having more social support can reduce parents' stress and then improving their quality of life, which can help them cope more positively and effectively with their autistic children.

Post Traumatic Growth for Gestational Diabetic Patients During COVID-19: Role of Partner Supportive Communication and Family Environment.

PURPOSE: Leading a normal life and managing daily psychological or physical stress is hard for everybody but when a person is diagnosed with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) during a widespread pandemic, the battle is inescapable. This research aimed to explore some positive dimensions that can lessen the adversities of these women. DESIGN AND METHODS: We assessed all 200 cases of GDM who were registered in the maternity wards of the government and private hospitals of South Punjab, Pakistan. Respondents were diagnosed with GDM during the first wave of COVID-19. Post-traumatic growth (PTG) inventory, Family environment scale, and Partner supportive communication (PSC) scale were used. SEM and moderation analysis was conducted to test the hypothesized relationship among the variables. RESULTS: Result showed that elicitation of thoughts and feelings (ß = 0.109, t-value = 3.501, p = 0.001), effective listening (ß = -0.144, t-value = 1.928, p = 0.054), and communication towards partner (ß = -0.209, t-value = 4.850, p = 0.005) significantly moderated the relationship between family environment and post traumatic growth. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: This research is beneficial for health practitioners because the trauma of being diagnosed with such a disease can be alleviated by the role of family environment and PSC.

Temperature/Reduction Dual Response Nanogel Is Formed by In Situ Stereocomplexation of Poly (Lactic Acid).

A novel type of dual responsive nanogels was synthesized by physical crosslinking of polylactic acid stereocomplexation: temperature and reduction dual stimulation responsive gels were formed in situ by mixing equal amounts of PLA (Poly (Lactic Acid)) enantiomeric graft copolymer micellar solution; the properties of double stimulation response make it more targeted in the field of drug release. The structural composition of the gels was studied by proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Using transmission electron microscope (TEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS) instruments, the differences in morphology and particle size were analyzed (indicating that nanogels have dual stimulus responses of temperature sensitivity and reduction). The Wide-Angle X-ray diffractionr (WAXD) was used to prove the stereocomplexation of PLA in the gels, the mechanical properties and gelation process of the gels were studied by rheology test. The physically cross-linked gel network generated by the self-recombination of micelles and then stereo-complexation has a more stable structure. The results show that the micelle properties, swelling properties and rheological properties of nanogels can be changed by adjusting the degree of polymerization of polylactic acid. In addition, it provides a safe and practical new method for preparing stable temperature/reduction response physical cross-linked gel.

The effects of oral administration of Aureobasidium pullulans-cultured fluid containing ß-glucan on concanavalin A injected mice.

A black yeast, Aureobasidium pullulans, extracellularly produces ß-(1,3), (1,6)-D-glucan (ß-glucan) under certain conditions. The ß-glucan is known to be an immunomodulatory agent, and ß-glucan enriched A. pullulans cultured fluid (AP-CF) is used in supplements to maintain human health. Concanavalin A (ConA) is a lectin, and when injected it is known to cause T cell mediated autoimmune hepatitis in mice. The present study investigated the effects of oral administration of AP-CF on ConA injection in mice. The results demonstrated that increases in serum alanine transaminase (ALT) levels after ConA injection were significantly suppressed in an AP-CF administered group of mice. To understand the mechanism of the ALT lowering effects of AP-CF, we used Foxp3 (forkhead box P3) knock-in mice which express the green fluorescent protein (GFP) in Foxp3 induced cells, and the effects of AP-CF on the regulatory T cell (Treg) populations were investigated. The results show that the basal level of Foxp3+ Treg populations in peripheral blood lymphocytes, liver infiltrating lymphocytes, and splenocytes was decreased after 7 days of administration of AP-CF. These findings suggest that oral administration of AP-CF suppresses the basal level of inflammation, and that it may be postulated to be involved in the ALT lowering effects of AP-CF.

5-Aminolevulinic acid/sodium ferrous citrate enhanced the antitumor effects of programmed cell death-ligand 1 blockade by regulation of exhausted T cell metabolism in a melanoma model.

Mitochondria are key cytoplasmic organelles. Their activation is critical for the generation of T cell proliferation and cytotoxicity. Exhausted tumor-infiltrating T cells show a decreased mitochondrial function and mass. 5-Aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA), a natural amino acid that is only produced in the mitochondria, has been shown to influence metabolic functions. We hypothesized that 5-ALA with sodium ferrous citrate (SFC) might provide metabolic support for tumor-infiltrating T cells. In a mouse melanoma model, we found that 5-ALA/SFC with a programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) blocking Ab synergized tumor regression. After treatment with 5-ALA/SFC and anti-PD-L1 Ab, tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) were not only competent for the production of cytolytic particles and cytokines (granzyme B, interleukin-2, and γ-interferon) but also showed enhanced Ki-67 activity (a proliferation marker). The number of activated T cells (PD-1+ Tim-3- ) was also significantly increased. Furthermore, we found that 5-ALA/SFC activated the mitochondrial functions, including the oxygen consumption rate, ATP level, and complex V expression. The mRNA levels of Nrf-2, HO-1, Sirt-1, and PGC-1α and the protein levels of Sirt-1 were upregulated by treatment with 5-ALA/SFC. Taken together, our findings revealed that 5-ALA/SFC could be a key metabolic regulator in exhausted T cell metabolism and suggested that 5-ALA/SFC might synergize with anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy to boost the intratumoral efficacy of tumor-specific T cells. Our study not only revealed a new aspect of immune metabolism, but also paved the way to develop a strategy for combined anti-PD-1/PD-L1 cancer immunotherapy.

5-aminolevulinic acid combined with sodium ferrous citrate ameliorated lupus nephritis in a mouse chronic graft-versus-host disease model.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a systemic autoimmune disease characterized by the abnormal activation of immune cells and hypersecretion of autoantibodies and causes irreversible chronic damage, such as lupus nephritis. Chronic graft-versus-host-disease (cGvHD) in mice induced by the injection of parental mouse lymphocytes into F1 hybrids leads to a disease similar to SLE. 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) is a key progenitor of heme, and its combination with sodium ferrous citrate (SFC) can up-regulate the heme oxygenase (HO-1) expression, resulting in an anti-inflammatory effect. While HO-1 had been reported to be involved in T cell activation and can limit immune-based tissue damage through Treg suppression, which promotes effector response. Thus, we hypothesized that treatment with 5-ALA/SFC could ameliorate lupus nephritis in a mouse cGvHD model. Our results showed that 5-ALA/SFC-treatment significantly decreased the anti-double-stranded DNA (ds-DNA) autoantibodies, blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine (Cre) levels, reduced kidney inflammatory dendritic cells (DCs) and B cell activation, and increased the regulatory T cells (Tregs) at nine weeks. Furthermore, 5-ALA/SFC suppressed mRNA expression of TNF-α, IL-1ß, IFN-γ and markers on DCs. In addition, we also found that 5-ALA/SFC treatment increased the HO-1 expression on donor-derived DCs and Tregs concurrently, increased the number of Tregs, and reduced the population of activated DCs, B cells and CD8+ T cells at three weeks (early stage of the disease). We thus identified a novel role of 5-ALA/SFC for therapeutically improving the symptoms of lupus nephritis in a mouse cGvHD model and expanded the current understanding of how this immunoregulatory agent can be used to generate beneficial immune responses and treat autoimmune disease.

5-Aminolevulinic acid combined with sodium ferrous citrate (5-ALA/SFC) ameliorated liver injury in a murine acute graft-versus-host disease model by reducing inflammation responses through PGC1-α activation.

Acute graft-versus-host disease (aGvHD) remains lethal as a life-threatening complication after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Inflammatory responses play an important role in aGvHD. 5-Aminolevulinic acid combined with sodium ferrous citrate (5-ALA/SFC) has been widely reported to have a major effect on the anti-inflammatory response; however, these effects in aGvHD models have never been reported. In this study, a murine aGvHD model was developed by transferring spleen cells from donor B6/N (H-2kb) mice into recipient B6D2F1 (H-2kb/d) mice. In addition to evaluating manifestations in aGvHD mice, we analyzed the serum ALT/AST levels, liver pathological changes, infiltrating cells and mRNA expression of inflammation-related cytokines and chemokines. 5-ALA/SFC treatment significantly ameliorated liver injury due to aGvHD and decreased the population of liver-infiltrating T cells, resulting in a reduced expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. Furthermore, the mRNA expression proliferator-activated receptor-γcoactivator (PGC-1α) was enhanced, which might explain why 5-ALA/SFC treatment downregulates inflammatory signaling pathways. Our results indicated that 5-ALA/SFC can ameliorate liver injury induced by aGvHD through the activation of PGC-1α and modulation of the liver mRNA expression of inflammatory-related cytokines and chemokines. This may be a novel strategy for treating this disease.

SWO1 modulates cell wall integrity under salt stress by interacting with importin ɑ in Arabidopsis.

Maintenance of cell wall integrity is of great importance not only for plant growth and development, but also for the adaptation of plants to adverse environments. However, how the cell wall integrity is modulated under salt stress is still poorly understood. Here, we report that a nuclear-localized Agenet domain-containing protein SWO1 (SWOLLEN 1) is required for the maintenance of cell wall integrity in Arabidopsis under salt stress. Mutation in SWO1 gene results in swollen root tips, disordered root cell morphology, and root elongation inhibition under salt stress. The swo1 mutant accumulates less cellulose and pectin but more lignin under high salinity. RNA-seq and ChIP-seq assays reveal that SWO1 binds to the promoter of several cell wall-related genes and regulates their expression under saline conditions. Further study indicates that SWO1 interacts with importin ɑ IMPA1 and IMPA2, which are required for the import of nuclear-localized proteins. The impa1 impa2 double mutant also exhibits root growth inhibition under salt stress and mutations of these two genes aggravate the salt-hypersensitive phenotype of the swo1 mutant. Taken together, our data suggest that SWO1 functions together with importin ɑ to regulate the expression of cell wall-related genes, which enables plants to maintain cell wall integrity under high salinity.

Enhancing same-gender imitation by highlighting gender norms in Chinese pre-school children.

Children selectively imitate in-group over outgroup individuals under certain experimental conditions. We investigated whether this bias applies to gender in-groups in China. Three- and five-year-olds were shown how to operate novel objects by same-gender and opposite-gender models. Results indicate that the combination of verbally highlighting the gender identity of the model (e.g., 'I am a girl') and making gender norms explicit (e.g., 'girls play this way') significantly enhances high-fidelity imitation. This 'double social effect' was more robust in 5-year-olds than 3-year-olds. Our results underscore how language about gender and the norms for gender-based groups influence behavioural imitation. The pattern of findings enhances our knowledge about pre-schoolers' social learning and imitation as well as the powerful influence of language and group norms on children's voluntary actions and learning.

Enhanced N2 photofixation activity of flower-like BiOCl by in situ Fe(III) doped as an activation center.

Photocatalytic nitrogen fixation has been considered to be a safe, green, eco-friendly, and sustainable technology. However, photoinduced activation of inert dinitrogen is an important factor hindering the development of this technology. Herein, in-situ Fe3+ doped flower-like BiOCl with highly active sites exposure was prepared by a solvent thermal method, which has excellent performance of N2 photofixation. Compared with virgin BiOCl with no nitrogen fixation activity, Fe-BiOCl reached 30 µmol·L-1·h-1 ammonia evolution rate under simulated sunlight without any sacrificial reagent. Characterization results demonstrated that the enhancement of N2 photofixation capacity was mainly attributed to the in-situ doped Fe3+ in BiOCl, the doped Fe3+ not only acts as a reaction center for N2 activation also as an "electron transfer bridge" trapping and migrating electrons from BiOCl to N2 molecules. Furthermore, the transformation of crystal facets from virgin BiOCl (001) to Fe-BiOCl (110) and (102) is more conducive for the exposure and accessibility of iron reactive sites. This work developed a potential strategy by in-situ introducing Fe3+ active sites in BiOCl semiconductor substrate, which establishes a good basis for the application of semiconductor catalysts in nitrogen fixation.

Novel Temperature/Reduction Dual-Stimulus Responsive Triblock Copolymer [P(MEO2MA-co- OEGMA)-b-PLLA-SS-PLLA-b-P(MEO2MA-co-OEGMA)] via a Combination of ROP and ATRP: Synthesis, Characterization and Application of Self-Assembled Micelles.

Novel temperature/reduction dual stimulus-responsive triblock copolymers, poly [2-(2-methoxyethoxy) ethyl methacrylate-co-oligo (ethylene glycol) methacrylate]-b-(L-polylactic acid)-SS-b-(L-polylactic acid)-b-poly[2-(2-methoxyethoxy) ethyl methacrylate-co-oligo(ethylene glycol)methacrylate] [P(MEO2MA-co-OEGMA)-b-PLLA-SS-PLLA-b-P(MEO2MA-co-OEGMA)] (SPMO), were synthesized by ring opening polymerization (ROP) of L-lactide and 2,2'-dithio diethanol (SS-DOH), and random copolymerization of MEO2MA and OEGMA monomers via atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) technology. The chemical structures and compositions of the novel copolymers were demonstrated by proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The molecular weights of the novel copolymers were measured by size exclusive chromatography (SEC) and proved to have a relatively narrow molecular weight distribution coefficient (ÐM ≤ 1.50). The water solubility and transmittance of the novel copolymers were tested via visual observation and UV-Vis spectroscopy, which proved the SPMO had a good hydrophilicity and suitable low critical solution temperature (LCST). The critical micelle concentration (CMC) of the novel polymeric micelles were determined using surface tension method and fluorescent probe technology. The particle size and morphology of the novel polymeric micelles were characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The sol-gel transition behavior of the novel copolymers was studied via vial flip experiments. Finally, the hydrophobic anticancer drug doxorubicin (DOX) was used to study the in vitro release behavior of the novel drug-loaded micelles. The results show that the novel polymeric micelles are expected to become a favorable drug carrier. In addition, they exhibit reductive responsiveness to the small molecule reducing agent dithiothreitol (DTT) and temperature responsiveness with temperature changes.

Stereocomplexation of Poly(Lactic acid) and Chemical Crosslinking of Ethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate (EGDMA) Double-Crosslinked Temperature/pH Dual Responsive Hydrogels.

Physical crosslinking and chemical crosslinking were used to further improve the mechanical properties and stability of the gel. A temperature/pH dual sensitive and double-crosslinked gel was prepared by the stereo-complex of HEMA-PLLA20 and HEMA-PDLA20 as a physical crosslinking agent, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) as a chemical crosslinking agent, and azodiisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as an initiator for free radical polymerization. This paper focused on the performance comparison of chemical crosslinked gel, a physical crosslinked gel, and a dual crosslinked gel. The water absorption, temperature, and pH sensitivity of the three hydrogels were studied by a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and swelling performance research. We used a thermal analysis system (TGA) and dynamic viscoelastic spectrometer to study thermal properties and mechanical properties of these gels. Lastly, the in vitro drug release behavior of double-crosslinked hydrogel loaded with doxorubicin under different conditions was studied. The results show that the double-crosslinked and temperature/pH dual responsive hydrogels has great mechanical properties and good stability.