AMP-activated protein kinase mediates (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) to promote lipid synthesis in mastitis cows.

Mastitis, a serious threat to the health and milk production function of dairy cows decreases milk quality. Blood from three healthy cows and three mastitis cows were collected in this study and their transcriptome was sequenced using the Illumina HiSeq platform. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened according to the |log2FoldChange| > 1 and -value < 0.

Soil bacterial community composition in rice-turtle coculture systems with different planting years.

The rice-turtle coculture system is the most special rice-fish integrated farming system. In this study, we selected four paddy fields, including a rice monoculture paddy and three rice-turtle paddies with different planting years, to investigate the soil bacterial community composition with Illumina MiSeq sequencing technology. The results indicated that the contents of soil available nitrogen (AN), soil available phosphorus (AP) and soil organic matter (OM) in 9th year of rice-turtle paddy (RT9) were increased by 5.

Soap Film Transfer Printing for Ultrathin Electronics.

Flexible and stretchable electronics have attractive applications inaccessible to conventional rigid electronics. However, the mainstream transfer printing techniques have challenges for electronic films in terms of thickness and size and limitations for target substrates in terms of curvature, depth, and interfacial adhesion. Here a facile, damage-free, and contamination-free soap film transfer printing technique is reported that enables the wrinkle-free transfer of ultrathin electronic films, precise alignment in a transparent manner, and conformal and adhesion-independent printing onto various substrates, including those too topographically and adhesively challenging by existing methods.

Mucus Penetration of Surface-Engineered Nanoparticles in Various pH Microenvironments.

The penetration behavior of nanoparticles in mucous depends on physicochemical properties of the nanoparticles and the mucus microenvironment, due to particle-mucin interactions and the presence of the mucin mesh space filtration effect. To date, it is still unclear how the surface properties of nanoparticles influence their mucus penetration behaviors in various physiological and pathophysiological conditions. In this study, we have prepared a comprehensive library of amine-, carboxyl-, and PEG-modified silica nanoparticles (SNPs) with controlled surface ligand densities.

Long-Term Stability Challenges and Opportunities in Acidic Oxygen Evolution Electrocatalysis.

Polymer electrolyte membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE) has been regarded as a promising technology for renewable hydrogen production. However, acidic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysts with long-term stability impose a grand challenge in its large-scale industrialization. In this review, critical factors that may lead to catalyst's instability in couple with potential solutions are comprehensively discussed, including mechanical peeling, substrate corrosion, active-site over-oxidation/dissolution, reconstruction, oxide crystal structure collapse through the lattice oxygen-participated reaction pathway, etc.

Electrical stimulation enhances the neuronal differentiation of neural stem cells in three-dimensional conductive scaffolds through the voltage-gated calcium ion channel.

Electrical stimulation (ES) or electroconductive scaffold has been proved to have the positive effects on the behavior of neural stem cells (NSCs). We previously developed a novel three-dimensional conductive composite scaffold of poly (3, 4-ethylenedioxythiophen)/chitosan/gelatin (PEDOT/Cs/Gel) for neural tissue engineering. In the present study, we further studied the effect of three-dimensional conductive scaffolds combined with ES on the neuronal differentiation of NSCs.

Enrichment Effects Induced by Non-uniform Wettability Surfaces in the Presence of Non-condensable Gas: A Molecular Dynamics Simulation.

For vapor condensation, the control of heterogeneous nucleation and spatial distribution of nuclei are crucial for regulating droplet dynamics and improving condensation efficiency. However, due to the complex characteristics of multicomponent, multiphase, and multiscale, the underlying mechanism of mixed vapor condensation remains unclear, especially at the nucleation stage. In this paper, we focus on the enrichment effects of non-uniform wettability surfaces by molecular dynamics simulation, which could intensify the droplet nucleation and growth processes in a water-air mixed system.

Mechanistic elucidation of freezing-induced surface decomposition of aluminum oxyhydroxide adjuvant.

The freezing-induced aggregation of aluminum-based (Alum) adjuvants has been considered as the most important cause of reduced vaccine potency. However, the intrinsic properties that determine the functionality of Alum after freezing have not been elucidated. In this study, we used engineered aluminum oxyhydroxide nanoparticles (AlOOH NPs) and demonstrated that cryogenic freezing led to the mechanical pressure-mediated reduction of surface hydroxyl.

Green Tea Polyphenols Alleviate Hydrogen Peroxide-Induced Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, and Apoptosis in Bovine Mammary Epithelial Cells by Activating ERK1/2-NFE2L2-HMOX1 Pathways.

Oxidative stress (OS) is one of the main limiting factors affecting the length of lactation and milk quality in dairy cows. For high-producing dairy cows, the OS of mammary glands is a serious problem. Green tea polyphenols (GTP), found mainly in tea, are a combination of many phenols.

Microscopic Observation of Preferential Capillary Pumping in Hollow Nanowire Bundles.

Numerous studies have focused on designing micro/nanostructured surfaces to improve wicking capability for rapid liquid transport in many industrial applications. Although hierarchical surfaces have been demonstrated to enhance wicking capability, the underlying mechanism of liquid transport remains elusive. Here, we report the preferential capillary pumping on hollow hierarchical surfaces with internal nanostructures, which are different from the conventional solid hierarchical surfaces with external nanostructures.

Optimal Operation of an Oscillatory Flow Crystallizer: Coupling Disturbance and Stability.

In the process of industrial crystallization, it is always difficult to balance the secondary nucleation rate and metastable zone width (MSZW). Herein, we report an experimental and numerical study for the cooling crystallization of paracetamol in an oscillatory flow crystallizer (OFC), finding the optimal operating conditions for balancing the secondary nucleation rate and MSZW. The results show that the MSZW decreases with the increase of oscillation Reynolds number ( ).

Few-layer graphene on nickel enabled sustainable dropwise condensation.

Condensation is critical for a wide range of applications such as electrical power generation, distillation, natural gas processing, dehumidification and water harvest, and thermal management. Compared with "filmwise" mode of condensation (FWC) prevailing in industrial-scale systems, dropwise condensation (DWC) can provide an order of magnitude higher heat transfer rate owing to drastically reduced thermal resistance from the formation of discrete and mobile droplets. In the past, promoting DWC by controlling surface wetting has attracted wide attention, but DWC highly relies on non-wetting surfaces and only lasts days under practical conditions due to the poor reliability of coatings.

Hydrophilic Slippery Surface Promotes Efficient Defrosting.

Frost accretion occurs ubiquitously in various industrial applications and causes tremendous energy and economic loss, as manifested by the Texas power crisis that impacted millions of people over a vast area in 2021. To date, extensive efforts have been made on frost removal by micro-engineering surfaces with superhydrophobicity or lubricity. On such surfaces, air or oil cushions are introduced to suspend the frost layer and promote the rapid frost sliding off, which, although promising, faces the instability of the cushions under extreme frosting conditions.

Rapid and Persistent Suction Condensation on Hydrophilic Surfaces for High-Efficiency Water Collection.

Water collection by dew condensation emerges as a sustainable solution to water scarcity. However, the transient condensation process that involves droplet nucleation, growth, and transport imposes conflicting requirements on surface properties. It is challenging to satisfy all benefits for different condensation stages simultaneously.

Coupling droplets/bubbles with a liquid film for enhancing phase-change heat transfer.

Evaporation, boiling, and condensation are fundamental liquid-vapor phase-change heat transfer processes and have been utilized in many conventional and emerging energy systems. Recent advances in the manipulation of interface wetting and heterogeneous nucleation using micro/nano-structured surfaces have enabled exciting two-phase flow dynamics and heat transfer enhancement. However, independently manipulating droplets, bubbles, or liquid films through surface modification has encountered bottlenecks.

Effect of a Superhydrophobic Surface Structure on Droplet Jumping Velocity.

The coalescence-induced droplet jumping on superhydrophobic surfaces is fundamentally significant from an academic or practical viewpoint. However, approaches to enhance droplet jumping velocity are very limited. In this work, the effect of structural parameters of the triangular prism on droplet jumping is studied systematically.

Preferential Vapor Nucleation on Hierarchical Tapered Nanowire Bunches.

Controlling vapor nucleation on micro-/nanostructured surfaces is critical to achieving exciting droplet dynamics and condensation enhancement. However, the underlying mechanism of nucleation phenomena remains unclear because of its nature of nanoscale and transience, especially for the complex-structured surfaces. Manipulating vapor nucleation via the rational surface design of micro-/nanostructures is extremely challenging.

Preparation, characterization and antioxidant activity of protocatechuic acid grafted carboxymethyl chitosan and its hydrogel.

In this study, protocatechuic acid (PCA) was grafted onto carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS) via EDC/NHS to improve the antioxidant effect. The grafting ratio of PCA-g-CMCS conjugates could be controlled by adjusting the pH value and feed ratio of raw materials. The conjugates exhibited similar pH sensitivity to CMCS and showed dramatic enhancements of DPPH and ABTS radicals scavenging activities, total antioxidant capacity, reducing power, and Fe-chelating activity.

Assessment of neurotoxicity induced by different-sized Stöber silica nanoparticles: induction of pyroptosis in microglia.

With the wide application of Stöber silica nanoparticles and their ability to access the brain, it is crucial to evaluate their neurotoxicity. In this study, we used three in vitro model cells, i.e.

The neurotoxicity induced by engineered nanomaterials.

Engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) have been widely used in various fields due to their novel physicochemical properties. However, the use of ENMs has led to an increased exposure in humans, and the safety of ENMs has attracted much attention. It is universally acknowledged that ENMs could enter the human body via different routes, eg, inhalation, skin contact, and intravenous injection.

Vaccine adjuvants: Understanding the structure and mechanism of adjuvanticity.

In conjugate, inactivated, recombinant, and toxoid vaccines, adjuvants are extensively and essentially used for enhanced and long-lasting protective immune responses. Depending on the type of diseases and immune responses required, adjuvants with different design strategies are developed. With aluminum salt-based adjuvants as the most used ones in commercial vaccines, other limited adjuvants, e.

3D culture of neural stem cells within conductive PEDOT layer-assembled chitosan/gelatin scaffolds for neural tissue engineering.

Neural stem cells (NSCs), as a self-renewing and multipotent cell population, have been widely studied for never regeneration. Engineering scaffold is one of the important factors to regulate NSCs proliferation and differentiation towards the formation of the desired cells and tissues. Because neural cells are electro-active ones, a conductive scaffold is required to provide three-dimensional cell growth microenvironments and appropriate synergistic cell guidance cues.

Biodegradable and electroconductive poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/carboxymethyl chitosan hydrogels for neural tissue engineering.

Electroconductive hydrogels with excellent electromechanical properties have become crucial for biomedical applications. In this study, we developed a conductive composite hydrogel via in-situ chemical polymerization based on carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS), as a biodegradable base macromolecular network, and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT), as a conductive polymer layer. The physicochemical and electrochemical properties of conductive hydrogels (PEDOT/CMCS) with different contents of PEDOT polymer were analyzed.

Synthesis of protocatechuic acid grafted chitosan copolymer: Structure characterization and in vitro neuroprotective potential.

Excessive free radicals can cause oxidative damage to human tissues, which results in a variety of diseases. Therefore, the development of antioxidant materials is one of the great projects in biomedical field. In this work, antioxidant protocatechuic acid (PCA) monomers were grafted onto chitosan (CS) backbones to develop a PCA grafted chitosan (PCA-g-CS) antioxidant copolymer via the method of free radical-induced grafting reaction.