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Journal of Advanced Research Jul 2023Environmental microparticle is becoming a global pollutant and the entire population is increasingly exposed to the microparticles from artificial materials. The...
INTRODUCTION
Environmental microparticle is becoming a global pollutant and the entire population is increasingly exposed to the microparticles from artificial materials. The accumulation of microparticles including microplastics and its subsequent effects need to be investigated timely to keep sustainable development of human society.
OBJECTIVES
This study aimed to explore the accumulation of environmental particles in thrombus, the pathological structure in the blood circulation system.
METHODS
Patients receiving cardiovascular surgical operations were screened and twenty-six thrombi were collected, digested and filtered. Non-soluble microparticles were enriched on the filter membrane and then were analyzed and identified with Raman Spectrometer. The associations of particle status (presence or absence) or particle number in the thrombus and clinical indicators were examined. One strict quality control-particle detection system was designed to eliminate environmental contaminations.
RESULTS
Among twenty-six thrombi, sixteen contained eighty-seven identified particles ranging from 2.1 to 26.0 μm in size. The number of microparticles in each thrombus ranged from one to fifteen with the median reaching five. All the particles found in thrombi were irregularly block-shaped. Totally, twenty-one phthalocyanine particles, one Hostasol-Green particle, and one low-density polyethylene microplastic, which were from synthetic materials, were identified in thrombi. The rest microparticles included iron compounds and metallic oxides. After the adjustment for potential confounders, a significantly positive association between microparticle number and blood platelet levels was detected (P < 0.01).
CONCLUSION
This study provides the first photograph and Raman spectrum evidence of microparticles in thrombi. A large number of non-soluble particles including synthetic material microparticles could accumulate in arteries, suggesting that the risk of microparticle exposure was under-estimated and the re-evaluation of its health effects is urgently needed. There will be a series of reports on assessing the health effects of microparticle exposure in humans in the future and this research provided clues for the subsequent research.
Topics: Humans; Microplastics; Plastics; Thrombosis; Blood Platelets; Polyethylene
PubMed: 36116710
DOI: 10.1016/j.jare.2022.09.004 -
Journal of Nanobiotechnology Aug 2023Gene therapy holds great promise for treating a multitude of inherited and acquired diseases by delivering functional genes, comprising DNA or RNA, into targeted cells... (Review)
Review
Gene therapy holds great promise for treating a multitude of inherited and acquired diseases by delivering functional genes, comprising DNA or RNA, into targeted cells or tissues to elicit manipulation of gene expression. However, the clinical implementation of gene therapy remains substantially impeded by the lack of safe and efficient gene delivery vehicles. This review comprehensively outlines the novel fastest-growing and efficient non-viral gene delivery vectors, which include liposomes and lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), highly branched poly(β-amino ester) (HPAE), single-chain cyclic polymer (SCKP), poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimers, and polyethyleneimine (PEI). Particularly, we discuss the research progress, potential development directions, and remaining challenges. Additionally, we provide a comprehensive overview of the currently approved non-viral gene therapeutics, as well as ongoing clinical trials. With advances in biomedicine, molecular biology, materials science, non-viral gene vectors play an ever-expanding and noteworthy role in clinical gene therapy.
Topics: Genetic Therapy; Esters; Polyethyleneimine; Polymers; RNA
PubMed: 37592351
DOI: 10.1186/s12951-023-02044-5 -
National Science Review Jul 2023The degradation of plastics has attracted much attention from the global community. Polyethylenes (PEs), as the most abundant synthetic plastics, are most frequently...
The degradation of plastics has attracted much attention from the global community. Polyethylenes (PEs), as the most abundant synthetic plastics, are most frequently studied. PE is non-degradable and non-polar because of the sole presence of the pure hydrocarbon components. Concurrent incorporation of both in-chain cleavable and functional groups into the PE chain is an effective pathway to overcome the non-degradable and non-polar issue; however, the method for achieving this pathway remains elusive. Here, we report a strictly non-alternating (>99%) terpolymerization of ethylene with CO and fundamental polar monomers via a coordination-insertion mechanism using late transition metal catalysts, which effectively prevents the formation of undesired chelates originating from both co-monomers under a low CO concentration. High-molecular-weight linear PEs with both in-chain isolated keto (>99%) and main-chain functional groups are prepared. The incorporation of key low-content isolated keto groups makes PEs photodegradable while retaining their desirable bulk material properties, and the introduction of polar functional groups considerably improves their surface properties.
PubMed: 37600561
DOI: 10.1093/nsr/nwad039 -
Chemical Reviews Mar 2024Polyethylene deconstruction to reusable smaller molecules is hindered by the chemical inertness of its hydrocarbon chains. Pyrolysis and related approaches commonly... (Review)
Review
Polyethylene deconstruction to reusable smaller molecules is hindered by the chemical inertness of its hydrocarbon chains. Pyrolysis and related approaches commonly require high temperatures, are energy-intensive, and yield mixtures of multiple classes of compounds. Selective cleavage reactions under mild conditions (
polyethylene chains during the step-growth or chain-growth synthetic construction of designed-for-recycling polyethylene-type materials. Alternatively, they can be accomplished by postpolymerization functionalization of postconsumer polyethylene waste via dehydrogenation and follow-up reactions or through oxidation to long-chain dicarboxylates. Deconstruction of litter under environmental conditions via the aforementioned break points can alleviate plastics' persistency, as a backstop to closed-loop recycling. PubMed: 38408312
DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.3c00587 -
Polymers Dec 2023Available literature on the aging of plasma-activated polyethylene due to hydrophobic recovery has been reviewed and critically assessed. A common method for the... (Review)
Review
Available literature on the aging of plasma-activated polyethylene due to hydrophobic recovery has been reviewed and critically assessed. A common method for the evaluation of hydrophobic recovery is the determination of the static water contact angle, while the surface free energy does not reveal significant correlations. Surface-sensitive methods for the characterization of chemical composition and structure have limited applicability in studying the aging phenomenon. Aging is driven by thermodynamics, so it is observed even upon storage in a vacuum, and hydrophobic recovery increases with increasing temperature. Storage of plasma-activated polyethylene in the air at ambient conditions follows almost logarithmic behavior during the period studied by most authors; i.e., up to one month. The influence of the storage medium is somehow controversial because some authors reported aging suppression by storing in polar liquids, but others reported the loss of hydrophilicity even after a brief immersion into distilled water. Methods for suppressing aging by hydrophobic recovery include plasma treatment at elevated temperature followed by brief treatment at room temperature and application of energetic ions and photons in the vacuum ultraviolet range. Storing at low temperatures is a trivial alternative, but not very practical. The aging of plasma-activated polyethylene suppresses the adhesion of many coatings, but the correlation between the surface free energy and the adhesion force has yet to be addressed adequately.
PubMed: 38139920
DOI: 10.3390/polym15244668 -
Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety Sep 2023Polyethylene microplastics have been detected in farmland soil, irrigation water, and soil organisms in agroecosystems, while plastic mulching is suggested as a crucial... (Review)
Review
Polyethylene microplastics have been detected in farmland soil, irrigation water, and soil organisms in agroecosystems, while plastic mulching is suggested as a crucial source of microplastic pollution in the agroecosystem. Plastic mulch can be broken down from plastic mulch debris to microplastics through environmental aging and degradation process in farmlands, and the colonization of polyethylene-degrading microorganisms on polyethylene microplastics can eventually enzymatically depolymerize the polyethylene molecular chains with CO release through the tricarboxylic acid cycle. The selective colonization of microplastics by soil microorganisms can cause changes in soil microbial community composition, and it can consequently elicit changes in enzyme activities and nutrient element content in the soil. The biological uptake of polyethylene microplastics and the associated disturbance of energy investment are the main mechanisms impacting soil-dwelling animal development and behavior. As polyethylene microplastics are highly hydrophobic, their presence among soil particles can contribute to soil water repellency and influence soil water availability. Polyethylene microplastics have been shown to cause impacts on crop plant growth, as manifested by the effects of polyethylene microplastics on soil properties and soil biota in the agroecosystems. This review reveals the degradation process, biological impacts, and associated mechanisms of polyethylene microplastics in agroecosystems and could be a critical reference for their risk assessment and management.
Topics: Animals; Microplastics; Plastics; Agriculture; Polyethylene; Soil Pollutants; Soil
PubMed: 37499389
DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2023.115274 -
Polymers Oct 2023Effective insulation of buildings and other industrial objects requires the use of materials and system solutions that ensure maximum uniformity and density of...
Effective insulation of buildings and other industrial objects requires the use of materials and system solutions that ensure maximum uniformity and density of insulation shells. The study focuses on the development of insulation systems based on expanded polyethylene and, in particular, on the development of modified polyethylene with reduced flammability containing a flame-retardant modified montmorillonite clay, which does not hinder gas formation, and silicate nanofillers in layered construction. Active experiments based on mathematical design methods allowed us to establish an analytical relationship between flame-retardant and modifier consumption and extruder pressure and response functions: average density of polyethylene foam and flammability criterion. The flammability criterion was taken as the oxygen index of the modified polyethylene foam. A foaming agent masterbatch was used as the flame retardant. Analytical optimization of mathematical models obtained as a result of active experiments allowed us to determine the optimal flame-retardant consumption, which was 3.7-3.8% of the polymer mass. Optimised systems for average density and oxygen index of flammability of modified polyethylene were obtained. A nomogram for predicting the material properties and selecting the composition, and an algorithm for a computer program for evaluating the properties of modified polyethylene foam as a function of the values of various factors, were developed. Taking into account the possible expansion of the scope of application of rolled polyethylene foam and seamless insulation shells based on it, possible solutions for insulation systems were studied using the program THERM, and a combined insulation system was adopted.
PubMed: 37896348
DOI: 10.3390/polym15204104 -
Journal of ISAKOS : Joint Disorders &... Oct 2023Anatomical total shoulder arthroplasty in its modern form where it reproduces the normal shoulder has been utilized clinically for more than half a century. As the... (Review)
Review
Anatomical total shoulder arthroplasty in its modern form where it reproduces the normal shoulder has been utilized clinically for more than half a century. As the technology and the designs have changed to recreate the humeral and glenoid sides of the joint, the sophistication of design has resulted in the growing number of cases annually worldwide. This increase is due in part to the increasing number of indications that the prosthesis can treat with successful results. On the humeral side, there have been design changes to better reflect the proximal humeral anatomy, and humeral stems are increasingly placed safely without cement. Platform systems which allow conversion of a failed arthroplasty to a reverse configuration without stem extraction is another design change. Similarly, there has been increasing utilization of short stem and stemless humeral components. Extensive experience with shorter stem and stemless devices, however, has yet to demonstrate the purported advantages of these devices, as recent studies have demonstrated equivalent blood loss, fracture rates, operative times, and outcome scores. Easier revision with these shorter stems remains to be definitively established, with only one study comparing the ease of revision between stem types. On the glenoid side, hybrid cementless glenoids, inlay glenoids, cementless all-polyethylene glenoids, and augmented glenoids have all been investigated; however, the indications for these devices remain unclear. Lastly, innovative surgical approaches to implanting shoulder arthroplasty and the use of patient specific guides and computerized planning, while interesting concepts, still await validation before they are utilized on a widespread basis. While reverse shoulder arthroplasty has been increasingly used to reconstruct the arthritic shoulder, anatomic glenohumeral replacement maintains a significant role in the armamentarium of the shoulder surgeon.
Topics: Humans; Prosthesis Design; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Shoulder; Joint Prosthesis; Shoulder Prosthesis; Polyethylene
PubMed: 37207983
DOI: 10.1016/j.jisako.2023.05.001