Owing to the growing global environmental problems, demands for environmentally friendly, fully biodegradable sustainable composites have substantially increased across various industries. Inspired by the composite structure of cocoon silk, we fabricated a fully green composite fiber (GCF) that is based on the lotus fiber (LF) and a biodegradable polymer, namely poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA). After the formation of cross-linkages between the LF and PVA, the mechanical properties of this bioinspired GCF had substantially improved. In particular, the specific mechanical properties are superior to those of cocoon silk and other natural fibers. These findings suggest that LFs may be used as reinforcement materials for the fabrication of bulk green materials for various industries, such as the textile, medical, automobile, and aerospace industries.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/anie.201310656 | DOI Listing |
Microbiome
January 2025
Key Laboratory for Agro-Ecological Processes in Subtropical Region, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha, Hunan, China.
Background: The microbes residing in ruminant gastrointestinal tracts play a crucial role in converting plant biomass to volatile fatty acids, which serve as the primary energy source for ruminants. This gastrointestinal tract comprises a foregut (rumen) and hindgut (cecum and colon), which differ in structures and functions, particularly with respect to feed digestion and fermentation. While the rumen microbiome has been extensively studied, the cecal microbiome remains much less investigated and understood, especially concerning the assembling microbial communities and overriding pathways of hydrogen metabolism.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSci Rep
January 2025
Office of Research and Development, United States Environmental Protection Agency, 104 Mason Farm Rd., Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, USA.
Potential pathways linking urban green spaces to improved health include relaxation, stress alleviation, and improved immune system functioning. Epigenetic age acceleration (EAA) is a composite biomarker of biological aging based on DNA methylation measurements; it is predictive of morbidity and mortality. This cross-sectional study of 116 adult residents of a metropolitan area in central North Carolina investigated associations between exposure to residential green spaces and EAA using four previously developed epigenetic age formulas.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Biol Macromol
January 2025
College of Food Science and Engineering, Shaanxi Engineering Research Centre of Dairy Products Quality, Safety and Health, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China. Electronic address:
The probiotic encapsulation system has the potential to enhance the prebiotic effects of probiotics. However, challenges arise from the release behavior of this system in vivo and the large size of hydrogel beads. This study aims to address the issues related to the size of previous hydrogel beads and assess the colon-targeted delivery of probiotic polysaccharides composite hydrogel beads (PPHB).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPoult Sci
January 2025
State Key Laboratory of Swine and Poultry Breeding Industry, Sichuan Agricultural, University, Chengdu, 611130, China; Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China; Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-omics, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Animal and Technology (Institute of Animal Genetics and Breeding), Chengdu, 611130, China. Electronic address:
Probiotics benefit the health and production performance of chickens, but their impact on egg and eggshell quality, particularly in the later stage, remains unclear. Here, 1-day-old Tianfu green shell-laying hens were fed either non-probiotics feed (n = 180) or feed supplemented with 100 mg / kg probiotics (n = 180). 16S rDNA sequencing indicated that dietary probiotics decreased the distribution of uterine p_Firmicutes, g_Fusobacterium, and s_Fusobacterium_unclassified, while increased p_Proteobacteria, g_Ralstonia, and s_Ralstonia_unclassified.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSpectrochim Acta A Mol Biomol Spectrosc
January 2025
Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology, Shibpur, Howrah 711103, West Bengal, India.
Dy/Tb co-doped glasses have drawn profound attention for their potential in solid state lighting due to their unique luminescence properties. This research highlights the effect of compositional variation on structural and optical characteristics of Dy/Tb co-doped phospho-tellurite glasses through a comprehensive analysis involving X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and photoluminescence (PL) studies. XRD and FTIR spectroscopy are conducted to characterize the glass matrix and confirm its structural integrity.
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