Symptomatic joint degeneration is a common chronic musculoskeletal disorder worldwide. The literature has noted that some clinicians find treating this condition “technically challenging,” while others find it to be “unchallengingly routine.” We believe that all clinicians treating symptomatic joint degeneration should have a robust understanding of the mechanobiological interactions between the synovial lining, synovial cells, synovial fluid, articular cartilage, and subchondral bone. This four-part narrative review describes how inner lining synovitis and cellular changes in the subchondral region, including the development of bone marrow edema, are symptom generators in some patients with various grades of joint degeneration. This review suggests that physical therapists (PTs) should acquaint themselves with the concept of mechanotransduction and more fully consider cellular mechanosensitivity and mechanoresponsiveness as exercise loading and manual interventions loads are placed upon joints with degenerative change. We call for additional research efforts in the area of protocol development for low-load exercise intervention and between PTs and physicians who may have access to laboratory facilities and imaging equipment. This research could allow for both direct and indirect assessment of intra-articular pressure, synovial fluid, and bone marrow edema after the application of therapeutic exercise and joint mobilization.

Capacitive deionization (CDI) represents a novel technology for the desalination and purification of seawater. Selecting the appropriate electrode material is crucial, with carbon electrodes frequently employed owing to their high specific surface area, extensive porous structure, and environmentally sustainable nature. This study presents a nitrogen-doped porous carbon, derived from household waste, which demonstrates outstanding electrochemical and desalination performance. The purified chitosan was mixed with a specific ratio of CaCO3 and carbonized at 800 °C to produce chitosan porous carbon (CPC-T). To verify the role of the templating agent, its performance was compared with chitosan porous carbon (CPC) prepared by direct carbonization. CPC-T possesses more mesoporous structures (31.25%), shortening ion transport pathways and significantly enhancing charge transfer rates. The nitrogen-rich doping (8.65 at%) provides numerous active sites and excellent conductivity, making it highly appropriate for capacitive deionization applications. Compared to CPC prepared without a templating agent, CPC-T has a higher specific capacitance (101.5 F g− 1 at a scan rate of 2 mV s− 1) and good cycling stability. The CDI cell made from it exhibits a salt adsorption capacity (SAC) of 25.8 mg g− 1 for 500 mg L− 1 NaCl solution at an applied voltage of 1.4 V, retaining 88% capacity after 50 adsorption–desorption cycles, demonstrating excellent desalination regeneration performance. Additionally, among different concentrations of salt solutions, the CPC-T material shows the best desalination performance for the test solution at a concentration of 500 mg L− 1. For different solute ions, the CDI cell with this material as the electrode exhibits excellent desalination performance for Ca2+, with a SAC value of up to 34.02 mg g− 1. This is a self-doped porous carbon material that significantly outperforms traditional carbon-based materials.

Presently, the majority of cancer treatments are non-specific, leading to undesirable side effects from intense medications. This issue may be addressed through the revolutionary advancement of nanotechnology, which enables the control of materials at the nanoscale. By offering advantages such as customized drug delivery, minimized dose-associated side effects, and extended drug circulation times, nanotechnology has significantly impacted cancer therapy over recent decades. Due to their unique combination of superior optical, thermal, electrical, and mechanical properties, carbon-based nanoparticles are emerging as promising tools in cancer research. These nanoparticles also offer ease of modification and a large surface area, making them ideal for efficient drug delivery. These nanoplatforms can serve as carriers for multiple types of molecules, enabling targeted and controlled delivery of pharmaceuticals, nucleotides, and diagnostic agents. The synthesis techniques and functionalization approaches of carbon-based nanostructures, both covalently and noncovalently bound, will be explored in detail within this review. In addition, the properties of carbon nanostructures, their potential for delivering anticancer drugs and genetic material, as well as their antibacterial capabilities, will be analyzed. Lastly, the challenges associated with utilizing carbon nanostructures and future perspectives will be discussed.

This paper evaluates the effect of two kinds of recycled coarse aggregate with different sized particles on the performance of concrete. The test program is introduced, which investigated the compressive strength, axial compressive strength, the mass loss rate of concrete specimens after a freeze-thaw cycle and dynamic elasticity modulus change. The results show that the mechanical properties of the concrete decreased when it was prepared with recycled aggregate having the same size as that of the natural aggregates. The strength of the concrete with large-size recycled aggregate increased, and then decreased as the blend proportion rose above 50%. The strength of concrete incorporating oversized recycled aggregates exhibited a trend of rising and then falling with increasing mixing ratio. The 28-day compressive strength reached 45Mpa when the mixing amount was 50%. The durability of the large-size recycled aggregate was also found to improve compared with the freezing and thawing cycle experiments. These results provide a reference for research on the performance of recycled aggregate concrete.