Regulating Zn deposition via an ion-sieving, nanoporous cellulose separator for high performance aqueous zinc-ion batteries.

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs), one of the most promising renewable energy storage devices, are largely impeded by the disreputable cycling stability in its large-scale application as a result of the undesirable Zn dendrites growth and the side reactions. In this context, a carboxylate (-COO) anionic group functionalized cellulose nanofibrils separator (A-CNF) with nanoporous structure and ion-sieving effect is developed to realize a stable Zn anode without dendrites and by-products. An increased Zn transference number and uniform Zn deposition can be achieved through the electrostatic adsorption between -COO and Zn.

Flavor characterization of pork cuts in Chalu black pigs using multi-omics analysis.

The study investigated the flavor variations in four different fresh pork cuts (longissimus thoracis, LT; trapezius muscle, TM; hamstring muscle, HM; Pork Belly, PB) from Chalu black pigs (ten castrated boars) using multi-omics techniques. The research also explored the influence of muscle fiber type on the flavor profiles of these cuts. Results from quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) indicated significant differences in muscle fiber type across the four pork cuts in various anatomical locations.

Comprehensive analysis of single-nucleotide variants and alternative polyadenylation between inbred and outbred pigs.

Inbreeding can lead to the accumulation of homozygous single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the genome, which can significantly affect gene expression and phenotype. In this study, we examined the impact of homozygous SNPs resulting from inbreeding on alternative polyadenylation (APA) site selection and the underlying genetic mechanisms using inbred Luchuan pigs. Genome resequencing revealed that inbreeding results in a high accumulation of homozygous SNPs within the pig genome.

Effects of Chinese herbal feed additives on the sperm quality and reproductive capacity in breeding boars.

Currently, Chinese herbal feed additives (CHFA) are commonly utilized in domestic pig farms. However, their impact on the sperm quality and reproductive capacity of imported breeding boars has yet to be thoroughly explored. In this study, the effect of CHFA on the sperm quality and reproductive capacity of the imported Duroc boars was investigated.

Efficient and Robust Molecular Solar Thermal Fabric for Personal Thermal Management.

Molecular solar thermal (MOST) materials, which can efficiently capture solar energy and release it as heat on demand, are promising candidates for future personal thermal management (PTM) applications, preferably in the form of fabrics. However, developing MOST fabrics with high energy-storage capacity and stable working performance remains a significant challenge because of the low energy density of the molecular materials and their leakage from the fabric. Here, an efficient and robust MOST fabric for PTM using azopyrazole-containing microcapsules with a deep-UV-filter shell is reported.

Comparative Transcriptome Analysis Provides Insight into Spatio-Temporal Expression Characteristics and Genetic Regulatory Network in Postnatal Developing Subcutaneous and Visceral Fat of Bama Pig.

The depot differences between Subcutaneous Fat (SAF) and Visceral Fat (VAF) are critical for human well-being and disease processes in regard to energy metabolism and endocrine function. Miniature pigs () are ideal biomedical models for human energy metabolism and obesity due to the similarity of their lipid metabolism with that of humans. However, the regulation of differences in fat deposition and development remains unclear.

A Soft Wearable and Fully-Textile Piezoresistive Sensor for Plantar Pressure Capturing.

The trends of wearable health monitoring systems have led to growing demands for gait-capturing devices. However, comfortability and durability under repeated stress are still challenging to achieve in existing sensor-enabled footwear. Herein, a flexible textile piezoresistive sensor (TPRS) consisting of a reduced graphene oxide (rGO)-cotton) fabric electrode and an Ag fabric circuit electrode is proposed.

Printable, Highly Sensitive Flexible Temperature Sensors for Human Body Temperature Monitoring: A Review.

In recent years, the development and research of flexible sensors have gradually deepened, and the performance of wearable, flexible devices for monitoring body temperature has also improved. For the human body, body temperature changes reflect much information about human health, and abnormal body temperature changes usually indicate poor health. Although body temperature is independent of the environment, the body surface temperature is easily affected by the surrounding environment, bringing challenges to body temperature monitoring equipment.

Genome-Wide Characterization and Comparative Analyses of Simple Sequence Repeats among Four Miniature Pig Breeds.

Simple sequence repeats (SSRs) are commonly used as molecular markers in research on genetic diversity and discrimination among taxa or breeds because polymorphisms in these regions contribute to gene function and phenotypically important traits. In this study, we investigated genome-wide characteristics, repeat units, and polymorphisms of SSRs using sequencing data from SSR-enriched libraries created from Wuzhishan (WZS), Bama (BM), inbred Luchuan (LC) and Zangxiang (ZX) miniature pig breeds. The numbers and types of SSRs, distributions of repeat units and polymorphic SSRs varied among the four breeds.

Microbial conversion of glycerol to 1,3-propanediol by an engineered strain of Escherichia coli.

In an effort to improve industrial production of 1,3-propanediol (1,3-PD), we engineered a novel polycistronic operon under the control of the temperature-sensitive lambda phage P(L)P(R) promoter regulated by the cIts857 repressor and expressed it in Escherichia coli K-12 ER2925. The genes for the production of 1,3-PD in Clostridium butyricum, dhaB1 and dhaB2, which encode the vitamin B(12)-independent glycerol dehydratase DhaB1 and its activating factor, DhaB2, respectively, were tandemly arrayed with the E. coli yqhD gene, which encodes the 1,3-propanediol oxidoreductase isoenzyme YqhD, an NADP-dependent dehydrogenase that can directly convert glycerol to 1,3-PD.

[Analysis of polymorphism on exon 2 of SLA-DRB in Wuzhishan, Erhualian and Pietrain pigs with PCR-RFLP and PCR-SSCP].

Exon 2 of SLA-DRB gene in three strains of pigs was genotyped by PCR-RFLP and PCR-SSCP methods. The strains involved were Wuzhishan, Erhualian and Pietrain, and the numbers of them were 17, 28 and 28, respectively. After genotyping by PCR-RFLP with Msp I, all pigs showed the same band pattern (143 bp/102 bp) named M.