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In this study, we aim to examine the morphological evolution of block copolymer (BCP) nanostructured thin films through solvent evaporation at different rates for solvent swollen polystyrene-block-poly(l-lactide) (PS-PLLA). Interesting phase transitions from disorder to perpendicular cylinder and then gyroid can be found while using a partially selective solvent for PS to swell PS-PLLA thin film followed by solvent evaporation. During the transitions, gyroid-forming BCP thin film with characteristic crystallographic planes of (111)G, (110)G, and (211)G parallel to air surface can be observed, and will gradually transform into coexisting (110)G and (211)G planes, and finally transforms to (211)G plane due to the preferential segregation of constituted block to the surface (i.e., the thermodynamic origin for self-assembly) that affects the relative amount of each component at the air surface. With the decrease on the evaporation rate, the disorder phase will transform to parallel cylinder and then directly to (211)G without transition to perpendicular cylinder phase. Most importantly, the morphological evolution of PS-PLLA thin films is strongly dependent upon the solvent removal rate only in the initial stage of the evaporation process due to the anisotropy of cylinder structure. Once the morphology is transformed back to the isotropic gyroid structure after long evaporation, the morphological evolution will only relate to the variation of the surface composition. Similar phase transitions at the substrate can also be obtained by controlling the ratio of PLLA-OH to PS-OH homopolymers to functionalize the substrate. As a result, the fabrication of well-defined nanostructured thin films with controlled orientation can be achieved by simple swelling and deswelling with controlled evaporation rate.

An investigation involving the addition of surfactant to remediate cadmium-contaminated soils was performed to determine the optimal surfactant enhanced remediation system. Anionic (sodium dodecyl sulfate, SDS), nonionic (Triton X-100, TX100) and cationic (cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, CTAB) surfactants were used to elucidate the extraction efficiency of surfactant. EDTA and diphenylthiocarbazone (DPC) were also added to enhance the extraction efficiencies of surfactants. Moreover, the pH effect was examined to determine the optimal surfactant systems. The addition of anionic and nonionic surfactants can enhance the desorption rates of cadmium, lead and zinc, whereas the addition of cationic surfactant decreased the desorption efficiency of heavy metals. The desorption efficiency was found to increase linearly with the increasing surfactant concentration below critical micelle concentration (CMC) and remained relatively constant above the CMC. Moreover, the addition of EDTA can significantly enhance the desorption efficiency of heavy metals. Cationic surfactant was shown to be a more effective surfactant than nonionic and anionic surfactants in extracting heavy metals under acidic environment. The desorption efficiency of heavy metal in the surfactant/EDTA mixture system was in the order of Cd > Pb > Zn. However, the addition of DPC lowered the heavy metal removals by 2 to 4 times. Also, increasing pH value can decrease the extraction capabilities of nonionic and anionic surfactants. The results of this study demonstrate that surfactant in combination with complexing agents can be effectively used as chemical amendments to flush cadmium-contaminated soil by proper selection of type and concentration of surfactant and complexing agent at different pH values.

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Leucine-rich alpha⁃2 glycoprotein 1 (LRG1) is an important member of the leucine-rich repetitive sequence protein family. LRG1 was mainly involved in normal physiological activities of the nervous system, such as synapse formation, synapse growth, the development of nerve processes, neurotransmitter transfer and release, and cell adhesion molecules or ligand-binding proteins. Also, LRG1 affected the development of respiratory diseases, hematological diseases, endocrine diseases, tumor diseases, eye diseases, cardiovascular diseases, rheumatic immune diseases, infectious diseases, etc. LRG1 was a newly discovered important upstream signaling molecule of transforming growth factor⁃β (TGF⁃β) that affected various pathological processes through the TGF⁃β signaling pathway. However, research on LRG1 and its involvement in the occurrence and development of diseases was still in its infancy and the current studies were mainly focused on proteomic detection and basic animal experimental reports. We could reasonably predict that LRG1 might act as a new direction and strategy for the treatment of many diseases.