Chronic inflammation induced by amyloid-beta (Aβ) plays a key role in the development of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-8 may be associated with chronic inflammation in AMD. Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) regulates inflammation via inhibition of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling, and resveratrol has been reported to prevent Aβ-induced retinal degeneration; therefore, we investigated whether this action was mediated via activation of SIRT1 signaling. Human adult retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells were exposed to Aβ, and overactivation and knockdown of SIRT1 were performed to investigate whether SIRT1 is required for abrogating Aβ-induced inflammation. We found that Aβ-induced RPE barrier disruption and expression of IL-6, IL-8, and MMP-9 were abrogated by the SIRT1 activator SRT1720, whereas alterations induced by Aβ in SIRT1-silenced RPE cells were not attenuated by SRT1720. In addition, SRT1720 inhibited Aβ-mediated NF-κB activation and decrease of the NF-κB inhibitor, IκBα. Our findings suggest a protective role for SIRT1 signaling in Aβ-dependent retinal degeneration and inflammation in AMD.

Nanofiltration (NF) membranes have been widely applied in many important environmental applications, including water softening, surface/groundwater purification, wastewater treatment, and water reuse. In recent years, a new class of piperazine (PIP)-based NF membranes featuring a crumpled polyamide layer has received considerable attention because of their great potential for achieving dramatic improvements in membrane separation performance. Since the report of novel crumpled Turing structures that exhibited an order of magnitude enhancement in water permeance (Science2018360518521), the number of published research papers on this emerging topic has grown exponentially to approximately 200. In this critical review, we provide a systematic framework to classify the crumpled NF morphologies. The fundamental mechanisms and fabrication methods involved in the formation of these crumpled morphologies are summarized. We then discuss the transport of water and solutes in crumpled NF membranes and how these transport phenomena could simultaneously improve membrane water permeance, selectivity, and antifouling performance. The environmental applications of these emerging NF membranes are highlighted, and future research opportunities/needs are identified. The fundamental insights in this review provide critical guidance on the further development of high-performance NF membranes tailored for a wide range of environmental applications.

Interlayered thin-film nanocomposite (TFNi) membranes have experimentally demonstrated a great potential for achieving major gains in water permeance over conventional thin-film composite membranes, making them promising candidates for many environmental applications. Nevertheless, existing literature often reports contradicting observations on the effectiveness of interlayers. In this study, we implement a three-dimensional solution-diffusion model to analyze a geometry-induced funnel effect and an interlayer-promoted gutter effect. Our simulation results suggest that even an ultrathin interlayer of a few nanometers in thickness could serve as a low-resistance gutter layer, which minimizes the transversal water transport in the less permeable polyamide layer and thereby mitigate the unfavorable funnel effect. The actual available water permeance is bounded by the ideal polyamide-limited upper bound and the substrate-limited lower bound, with the interlayer regulating the competition between the funnel effect and the gutter effect. Water permeance can be potentially improved by an order of magnitude with the interlayer, and this enhancement is more pronounced for thinner polyamide layers, less porous substrates, and more permeable interlayers. We further analyze the role of the interlayer on improving the flux distribution/uniformity over a membrane surface, which has major implications on membrane fouling propensity. Our study establishes a theoretical framework for understanding the fundamental transport mechanisms in TFNi membranes, which provides important guidance on the future development of high-performance desalination membranes.

Subretinal transplantation of hADSCs in RCS rats effectively delayed the retinal degeneration, enhanced the retinal cell survival and improved the visual function. Mechanistically this was mainly due to hADSC dependent anti-apoptotic and neuroprotective effects through its secretion of growth and neurotrophic factors including VEGF. Clinical application of hADSCs merits further investigation.