Characterization of physical and chemical properties of dietary fiber from grain bran and its regulation of gut microbiota and metabolite to prevent colitis.

Grain bran dietary fiber (DF) has the effect of promoting intestinal health and is worth being studied. In the present study, the physicochemical properties and prevention effect of DF on ulcerative colitis (UC) were investigated. The results showed that the optimal extraction conditions were determined as α-amylase (350 U/g, 70 °C, pH 7.

Flexible silicon solar cells with high power-to-weight ratios.

Silicon solar cells are a mainstay of commercialized photovoltaics, and further improving the power conversion efficiency of large-area and flexible cells remains an important research objective. Here we report a combined approach to improving the power conversion efficiency of silicon heterojunction solar cells, while at the same time rendering them flexible. We use low-damage continuous-plasma chemical vapour deposition to prevent epitaxy, self-restoring nanocrystalline sowing and vertical growth to develop doped contacts, and contact-free laser transfer printing to deposit low-shading grid lines.

Hydration deactivation mechanism of the 〈100〉 oriented cuprous oxide photocathodes in solar water splitting and the regenerated three-dimensional structure.

Photocorrosion is the most ticklish problem of cuprous oxide (CuO), and it is widely assumed that the deactivation of CuO photocathodes in solar water splitting is caused by spontaneous oxidation-reduction (REDOX) reactions. However, this work shows that 〈100〉-oriented CuO photocathodes undergo a non-REDOX hydration deactivation mechanism. Briefly, water molecules are embedded in the CuO crystals at low potential under illumination and produce amorphous CuOH, which can be dehydrated at high potential to heal the Cu-O-Cu bonds and regenerate foamed CuO films with a three-dimensional skeleton structure.

An acetylcholinesterase biosensor based on graphene-gold nanocomposite and calcined layered double hydroxide.

In this study, a novel acetylcholinesterase-based biosensor was fabricated. Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) was immobilized onto a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) with the aid of Cu-Mg-Al calcined layered double hydroxide (CLDH). CLDH can provide a bigger effective surface area for AChE loading, which could improve the precision and stability of AChE biosensor.