In this work, hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticles (HMSNs) with three pore sizes were manufactured to control the drug release rate, and the biological roles of these HMSNs were evaluated in multidrug-resistant (MDR) cancer cells. As novel pore-size-controllable inorganic materials, HMSNs showed negligible cytotoxicity and efficient cellular uptake toward drug-sensitive MCF-7 and drug-resista...

The transport of anionic drinking water contaminants (fluoride, chloride, nitrate and nitrite) through narrow pores ranging in effective radius from 2.5 to 6.5 Å was systematically evaluated using molecular dynamics simulations to elucidate the magnitude and origin of energetic barriers encountered in nanofiltration. Free energy profiles for ion transport through the pores show that energy barr...

Hybrid materials using a macroporous sponge and spherical microporous adsorbents have been developed for an effective rapid pretreatment of water samples. Various adsorbents, including methacrylate series, divinylbenzene (DVB), and graphite particles, were utilized for hybridization with a macroporous sponge consisting of polyethylene and polyvinyl acetate, EVA resin. Both the EVA resin and eac...

The paper is devoted to the homogenization of porous piezoelectric materials saturated by electrically inert fluid. The solid part of a representative volume element consists of the piezoelectric skeleton with embedded conductors. The pore fluid in the periodic structure can constitute a single connected domain, or an array of inclusions. Also the conducting parts are represented by several mut...

We examine mixture separations with microporous adsorbents such as zeolites, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs), operating under conditions close to pore saturation. Pore saturation is realized, for example, when separating bulk liquid phase mixtures of polar compounds such as water, alcohols and ketones. For the operating conditions used in industrial pr...

measurement of soil saturated hydraulic conductivity, ks, is normally affected by flow patterns such as macro pore; however, most current techniques do  not differentiate flow types, causing major problems in describing water and chemical flows within the soil matrix. this study compares eight models for scaling ks and predicted matrix and macro pore ks, using a database composed of 50 datasets...

Reticulated porous ceramic (RPC) made of ceria are promising structures used in solar thermochemical redox cycles for splitting CO₂ and H₂O. They feature dual-scale porosity with mm-size pores for effective radiative heat transfer during reduction and µm-size pores within its struts for enhanced kinetics during oxidation. In this work, the detailed 3D digital representation of the complex dual-...

A parametric study approach evaluating drained/undrained behavior of sand has been developed as a simple/quick hypo-elastic model capable of being used in engineering applications. The volumetric interaction of sand grains behavior against pore water pressure induces the tendency of soil mass volume change to contract/dilate due to variation of effective mean stress on solid grain, pore water p...

An understanding of how the nuclear pore complex (NPC) mediates nucleocytoplasmic exchange requires a comprehensive inventory of the molecular components of the NPC and a knowledge of how each component contributes to the overall structure of this large molecular translocation machine. Therefore, we have taken a comprehensive approach to classify all components of the yeast NPC (nucleoporins). ...

The study of the nuclear pore complex (NPC) is a fascinating endeavor, as it not only implies uncovering the 'engineering marvel' of its architecture and function, but also provides a key window into a significant evolutionary event: the origin of the eukaryotic cell. The combined efforts of many groups in the field, with the help of novel methodologies and new model organisms, are facilitating...