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• Vertical graphite nanosheets as cathode materials guide anion transport directionally. • Perpendicular structures facilitate uniform ion gradient for rapid anion diffusion. • Ordered tunnels buffer intercalation volume expansion, enhancing structural stability. Cathode materials based on graphite for dual-ion batteries (DIBs) demonstrate multifarious merits, such as abundant resources and high anion interaction potential etc. However, the traditional irregular spherical graphite cathodes suffer from uneven anion migration through the highly tortuous pathways and the inductive anisotropic electric fields, leading to mass transfer non-uniformity and sluggish reaction kinetics. Simultaneously, large-sized anions and solvent co-intercalation restrict the anion intercalation behavior and cause severe intercalation volume expansion. To address these challenges, the vertical graphite nanosheets (VGNs) were designed to guide the anion transport directionally for the first time. The perpendicular open structures of VGNs regulate the uniform ion gradient and electric field for rapid anion diffusion by the directional and shortened ion channels with low electrode tortuosity. Meanwhile, the ordered tunnels buffer the intercalation volume expansion, enhancing the structural stability. Consequently, the DIBs with the VGNs as cathodes deliver an impressive discharge specific capacity of ∼ 220 mAh/g at 300 mA g−1, superior rate capability of up to 2000 mA g−1, and excellent cycling stability without obvious degradation after 2000 cycles, which surpasses those of reported DIBs based on anion intercalation cathodes significantly. This investigation on vertically aligned graphite nanosheets provides insights for the development of highly efficient nanomaterials for energy storage systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Changes of hepatitis B core antigen antibody (anti-HBc) in liver pathological involvement in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection have not been investigated in detail. This study aimed to explore evolving patterns of anti-HBc following liver pathological states and to investigate validities of anti-HBc for predicting liver pathological states. Methods. 254 HBeAg-positive and 237 HBeAg-negative patients with chronic HBV infection were enrolled. Liver pathological diagnoses referred to Scheuer standard, and anti-HBc was measured using chemiluminescence microparticle immunoassay. Results. Anti-HBc was significantly positively correlated with pathological grades and stages in both HBeAg-positive (rs = 0.312, P < 0.0001 , and rs = 0.268, P < 0.0001) and HBeAg-negative (rs = 0.270, P < 0.0001 , and rs = 0.147, P = 0.0237) patients. The medians of anti-HBc in pathological grades of G1, G2, and G3 and stages of S1, S2, S3, and S4 in HBeAg-positive patients were all significantly lower than those in HBeAg-negative patients (all P < 0.005). The areas under receiver-operating characteristic curves (95% confidence interval) of anti-HBc for predicting pathological grades ≥G2 and ≥G3, and stages ≥S2 and =S4 in HBeAg-positive patients were 0.683 (0.622–0.740) and 0.662 (0.601–0.720), and 0.627 (0.564–0.687) and 0.683 (0.622–0.740), respectively, and in HBeAg-negative patients were 0.681 (0.618–0.740) and 0.702 (0.639–0.760), and 0.569 (0.503–0.633) and 0.630 (0.565–0.691), respectively. Conclusion. Following hepatic aggravation of necroinflammation and progression of fibrosis, anti-HBc increases gradually in HBeAg-positive patients and continues to increase gradually in HBeAg-negative patients, which is a useful but unsatisfactory marker for monitoring pathological states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alterations of epigenetic modulators are extensively associated with cancer, but their key molecular activities in cancer regulation are often unclear. We discovered that lysine demethylase 6A (KDM6A, also known as UTX) suppresses cancer by forming liquid-like condensates with lysine methyltransferase 2D (KMT2D, also known as MLL4) and regulating chromatin activity at multiple levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract A porous metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) of [Cd(pbica) 2 ]·1.5DMF·2CH 3 OH (1 , Hpbica = 2-(pyridin-4-yl)-1H-benzo[ d ]imidazole-5-carboxylic acid) was synthesized under solvothermal reactions. The compound is constructed from the [Cd 2 (COO) 4 N 4 ] secondary building unit (SBU) bridged by a new pyridine-carboxylate dual ligand of pbica−, with a 8-connected bcu net. There are 1D channels with double walls of the ligands and rhombus windows sized at 10.5 × 10.5 Å2, giving a void volume of 45% and permanent porosity to selective adsorb CO 2 over N 2 at low temperature. The nanosized channels are suitable to capture I 2 vapor with a maximal uptake of 0.66 g I 2 per gram de-solvated 1 , and the housed I 2 molecules can be released in ethanol. Solid of 1 exhibits a blue emission at 450 nm, originating from intra-ligand π-π* transformation. Graphical abstract A rigid and porous MOFs is constructed from the [Cd 2 (COO) 4 N 4 ] SBU bridged by a new pyridine-carboxylate dual linker of pbica−, with 1D rhombus channels and double linker walls. The compound exhibits multifunction in selective adsorption of CO 2 over N 2 , high I 2 vapor uptake, and blue emission. Unlabelled Image Highlights • A porous 8-connected bcu net MOFs with 1D channels and double walls were synthesized. • The de-solvated MOFs selectively adsorb CO 2 over N 2 at low temperature. • The nanosized 1D channels are suitable for effective capture of I 2 vapor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is aimed to find an effective method to decompose high-concentration N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAC) in aqueous solution, which is widely used in chemical industry. Thermal activation persulfate/Fenton/thermal system (PS/Fenton/thermal system) was studied for this purpose. Effects of persulfate (PS) dosage, H2O2 dosage, [H2O2]/[Fe2+] molar ratio, and reaction temperature on degradation of DMAC in aqueous solution by PS/Fenton/thermal system were studied through single-factor experiment and response surface methodology. Results revealed that the DMAC and Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) removal efficiencies by PS/Fenton/thermal system (96.5%/35.7%) were much higher than PS/Fenton, Fenton/thermal, PS/thermal, PS, Fenton, and heating systems (i.e., 59.6%/24.8%, 55.3%/20.14%, 9.9%/5.2%, 0.6%/0.3%, 0.2/0, and 0/0). High removal efficiency of the high-concentration DMAC mainly resulted from the synergistic effect of the PS/Fenton/thermal system, and the degradation mechanism was illustrated. In addition, according to the concentration of intermediates detected by high performance liquid chromatography, it can be seen that demethylation of DMAC in PS/Fenton/thermal system was facilitated by SO4·− and HO·, and decomposition pathway of DMAC was proposed. As a result, this work shows that the PS/Fenton/thermal system can be suggested as a high-efficiency process for treating high concentration DMAC-contained wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the effect of minor elements such as oxygen and nitrogen on the growth of graphene is crucial to fabrication of graphene single crystals (GSC) with large grain size. In this study, we investigate the nucleation and growth behavior of graphene domains on commercial copper foils as a function of oxygen partial pressure in the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) chamber. To achieve repeatable fabrication of GSC, it is essential to backfill CVD chamber with moderate amount of oxygen during substrate annealing and graphene growth stages. In another words, the relatively higher background pressure in CVD chamber is beneficial to the fabrication of GSC. In addition to reducing the nucleation density of graphene grains, the backfilled oxygen induces (111) reconstruction of copper foil upon annealing at 1050 °C for 2 h. The oxygen-induced crystallinity of copper substrate should account for the growth of hexagonal-shaped GSC of millimeter-scale on commercial copper foil with single layer nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphene has been widely used in various organic devices as either electrodes or templates to obtain better device performance. Usually, organic molecules with planar backbone prefer to lie down on graphene leading to molecular π−π stacking perpendicular to graphene substrate. However, for organic field-effect transistors, parallel π−π stacking is superior to the perpendicular ones since it enhances the charge carrier's mobility between source and drain. This triggers studies on tuning the crystalline structures of organic thin film on graphene. For metal-phthalocyanines (MPc) which are widely used in organic field-effect device as active layer, so far MPc thin film with parallel molecular π−π stacking on graphene hasn't been reported. In this study, we report a method to fabricate MPc films with single crystalline structure and molecular π−π stacking parallel to graphene surface. Copper nano grains (CNG) were deposited onto graphene surface prior to the deposition of MPc films. MPc films with parallel π−π stacking mode was obtained on graphene substrate which was covered by CNG with nominal thickness of 1 nm. This work provides a conceptually new approach to induce parallel π−π stacking of MPcs on graphene in that no functionalization of graphene is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Problem The regulatory mechanisms governing differential expression of classical major histocompatibility complex ( MHC) class I ( MHC-Ia) and non-classical MHC class I ( MHC-Ib) genes are poorly understood. Method of study Quantitative reverse transcription- polymerase chain reaction ( PCR) was used to compare the abundance of MHC-I transcripts and related transcription factors in peripheral blood mononuclear cells ( PBMC) and placental trophoblast cells ( PTC). Methylation of MHC-I CpG islands was detected by bisulfite treatment and next-generation sequencing. Demethylation of PBMC and PTC with 5′-aza-deoxycytidine was used to assess the role of methylation in gene regulation. Results MHC-I expression was higher in PBMC than PTC and was correlated with expression of IRF1, class II MHC transactivator ( CIITA), and STAT1. The MHC-Ia genes and Bo LA- NC1 were devoid of CpG methylation in PBMC and PTC. In contrast, CpG sites in the gene body of Bo LA- NC2, - NC3, and - NC4 were highly methylated in PBMC but largely unmethylated in normal PTC and moderately methylated in somatic cell nuclear transfer PTC. In PBMC, demethylation resulted in upregulation of MHC-Ib by 2.8- to 6-fold, whereas MHC-Ia transcripts were elevated less than 2-fold. Conclusion DNA methylation regulates bovine MHC-Ib expression and is likely responsible for the different relative levels of MHC-Ib to MHC-Ia transcripts in PBMC and PTC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wet transferring of chemical vapor deposition (CVD) graphene with the assistance of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) usually leaves polymer contaminations onto graphene surface. Knowledge about the influence of PMMA residues on organic film growth properties is crucial for graphene-related organic electronic devices. In this study, we investigate growth properties of coper-phthalocyanine (CuPc) and pentacene on PMMA contaminated graphene substrate. Grain size and morphologies of CuPc and pentacene films were found to be governed by the density of PMMA residues on graphene. Nevertheless, the molecular packing structures of CuPc and pentacene respond differently with the density with PMMA residues. CuPc molecules tend to nucleated into grains with molecular π-π stacking parallel to graphene surface, which is irrespective of the PMMA residues. Whereas the packing behavior of pentacene on PMMA-transferred CVD graphene is sensitive to the density of PMMA residues. Molecular π-π stacking perpendicular to graphene is observed when pentacene was deposited onto as-transferred graphene. Parallel mode was observed only on the substrates without PMMA residues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A green and sustainable approach for leather-making was explored by imparting dehydrated hide (DL) with durable hydrophobicity through reacting with silane coupling agent (TMS). The rational control of hydrolysis and condensation rates of TMS was the key point for achieving efficient penetration and full reaction of TMS in DL, so as to obtain hydrophobic leather (HL-TMS). It was found that the leather-like HL-TMS could be fabricated when the DL with 5% water content reacted with TMS for 12 h under 30 °C at pH 6.0. In these conditions, TMS was evenly distributed in HL-TMS and provided HL-TMS with excellent water resistance, owning a dynamic waterproof time up to 163 h. Moreover, HL-TMS displayed exceptional hydrophobic durability against pH, UV, friction and organic solvents. Compared with DL, the collagen fibers of HL-TMS were well dispersed, and the porosity of which was 59.6% higher than chrome-tanned leather. In addition, the shrinkage area of HL-TMS in heating was 5.03%, remarkably less than chrome-tanned leather (12.11%), while its physical strengths and softness (9.6 mm) were higher than those of chrome-tanned leather. The results suggested that hydrophobic modification could substitute conventional tanning for manufacturing leather, and this hydrophobic modification-based strategy might push leather-making into a cleaner process. [Display omitted] • A tanning-free leather-making approach based on hydrophobic modification of DL by TMS was explored. • HL-TMS was successfully fabricated when DL with 5% water content reacted with TMS for 12 h at pH 6.0. • HL-TMS behaved excellent water resistance with dynamic waterproof time up to 163 h. • The area shrinkage rate of HL-TMS was 5.03% in heating, which was remarkably less than chrome-tanned leather (12.11%). • HL-TMS displayed higher physical strengths and softness than chrome-tanned leather. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OX40/OX40L pathway plays a very important role in the antigen priming T cells and effector T cells. In the present study, we aimed to examine the involvement of OX40/OX40L pathway in the activation of autoreactive T cells in patients with Grave's disease (GD). We found that OX40 and OX40L were constitutively coexpressed on peripheral CD4 + T cells from GD patients using flow cytometry analysis. The levels of OX40 and OX40L coexpression on CD4 + T cells were shown to be correlated with TRAbs. Cell proliferation assay showed that blocking OX40/OX40L signal inhibited T cell proliferation and survival, which suggested that OX40/OX40L could enhance CD4 + T cell proliferation and maintain their long-term survival in GD by self-enhancing loop of T cell activation independent of APCs. Confocal microscopy and coimmunoprecipitation analysis further revealed that OX40 and OX40L formed a functional complex, which may facilitate signal transduction from OX40L to OX40 and contribute to the pathogenesis of GD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flexible silicone foams (SiFs) are high-performance but flammable materials that emit dense smoke in a fire. Two type of low-cost, eco-friendly nanocoatings, i.e., chitosan (CH)/ammonium polyphosphate (APP) and CH/montmorillonite (MMT), were fabricated on SiFs through a layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly. With seven bilayers (BL) of CH/APP coatings, the limiting oxygen index (LOI) increases from 20.2% to 23.8%, the peak heat release rate (pHRR) decreases by 27.6%, and the total smoke production (TSP) decreases 42%. Further deposition of CH/APP, however, partly damaged the fire resistance. In contrast, fire hazard and smoke release of CH/MMT coated SiFs were monotonously reduced. Every 7 BL of coating leads to ca. 12% reduction of TSP. Moreover, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was used to follow the pyrolysis of the coated foams, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX) were applied to analyze the char residues systematically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genipin, a hydrolyzed metabolite of geniposide extracted from the fruit of Gardenia jasminoides Ellis, has shown promise in alleviating depressive symptoms, however, the antidepressant mechanism of genipin remains unclear and incomprehensive. In this study, the metabolic profiles of aqueous and lipophilic extracts in liver of the chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS)-induced rat with genipin treatment were investigated using proton nuclear magnetic resonance ( 1 H NMR) spectroscopy coupled with multivariate data analysis. Significant differences in the metabolic profiles of rats in the CUMS model group (MS) and the control group (NS) were observed with metabolic effects including decreasing in choline, glycerol and glycogen, increasing in lactate, alanine and succinate, and a disordered lipid metabolism, while the moderate dose (50 mg/kg) of genipin could significantly regulate the concentrations of glycerol, lactate, alanine, succinate and the lipid to their normal levels. These biomakers were involved in metabolism pathways such as glycolysis/gluconeogensis, tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle and lipid metabolism, which may be helpful for understanding of antidepressant mechanism of genipin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this work was to investigate the anti-depressant effect of genipin and its mechanisms using 1H-NMR spectroscopy and multivariate data analysis on a chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) rat model. Rat serum and urine were analyzed by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-based metabonomics after oral administration of either genipin or saline for 2 weeks. Significant differences in the metabolic profile of the CUMS-treated group and the control group were observed, which were consistent with the results of behavioral tests. Metabolic effects of CUMS included decreases in serum trimetlylamine oxide (TMAO) and β-hydroxybutyric acid (β-HB), and increases in lipid, lactate, alanine and N-acetyl-glycoproteins. In urine, decreases in creatinine and betaine were observed, while citrate, trimethylamine (TMA) and dimethylamine were increased. These changes suggest that depression may be associated with gut microbes, energy metabolism and glycometabolism. Genipin showed the best anti-depressive effects at a dose of 100 mg/kg in rats. These results indicate that metabonomic approaches could be powerful tools for the investigation of the biochemical changes in pathological conditions or drug treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to search for the gas distribution in the coal seam after hydraulic flushing, introduced a hydraulic flushing field test on the investigation of gas pressure based on Pansan No. 13-1 coal seam occurrence condition. By using RFPA2D-Flow software to simulate the process of coal fracture with hydraulic flushing, studied the effects of hydraulic flushing in seam stress and gas pressure distribution. The results indicate that hydraulic flushing pressure-relief and permeability is a process of the coal around punching holes and rebuild its unstable equilibrium. Around the holes from near and far would form four regions: gas full emission region, gas emission region, gas pressure transition region and natural gas region. The coal in the pressure-relief and permeability region could experience the processes of stress increase, fracture development, stress quick release and recovery equilibrium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

n ideal scaffold for cartilage tissue engineering should be biomimetic in not only its biochemical composition, but also in the morphological structure of the scaffold. In this study, we fabricated a scaffold with an oriented structure using a nanofibrous articular cartilage extracellular matrix (ACECM), in which the ACECM was used to mimic the biochemical composition and oriented structure of articular cartilage. Histology analysis showed that the scaffold contained cartilage ECM (GAGs and collagen II). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) indicated that the scaffolds were composed of nanofibers and possessed vertical microtubules. Chondrogenic differentiation-induced mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were seeded on the scaffold in vitro. SEM showed that MSCs proliferated well and aligned along the vertical microtubules, which mimicked the orientation of deep zone articular cartilage. A cell proliferation assay and live/dead cell staining demonstrated that the ACECM possessed good cell affinity, which favored cell adherence and proliferation. The MSCs that had been labeled with the fluorescent dye PKH26 and seeded on scaffolds were implanted into nude mice. The differentiated cells/ACECM implants formed cartilage-like tissue 4 weeks after implantation, and stained positive for collagen type II and toluidine blue. In addition, the in vivo fluorescent images verified that the MSCs in the implants were the labeled MSCs. These results demonstrated that the oriented ACECM scaffolds hold great promise for use in cartilage tissue engineering applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• From EPIH to EPAH, HBsAg levels decrease steeply and anti-HBc levels increase steeply, and HBcrAg and HBV DNA levels decrease gently. • From ENIH to ENAH, HBcrAg and HBV DNA and anti-HBc levels increase steeply, and HBsAg levels increase gently. • Both HBsAg and anti-HBc for predicting EPAH and both HBV DNA and HBcrAg for predicting ENAH have good performances. Clinical importance of commercially available quantitative HBV markers has not been fully investigated. To choice and to evaluate clinically valuable HBV markers for predicting phases of natural history with chronic HBV infection. 472 naïve patients with chronic HBV infection were enrolled, in which 21 and 220 were confirmed as HBeAg-positive inactive and active hepatitis (EPIH and EPAH), respectively, and 106 and 125 were confirmed as HBeAg-negative inactive and active hepatitis (ENIH and ENAH), respectively. HBsAg, HBcrAg and anti- HBc were measured using chemiluminescent immunoassay, and HBV DNA was measured using PCR-fluorescence probing assay. There were all statistical differences in medians of HBsAg, anti-HBc, HBcrAg and HBV DNA between EPIH and EPAH and between ENIH and ENAH (all P < 0.01). According to binary logistic stepwise regressions, HBsAg and anti-HBc were preferred variables for predicting EPAH, and HBcrAg and HBV DNA were preferred variables for predicting ENAH. Based on normalization for coefficients of preferred variables entering regression equations, a handy model of MEPAH for predicting EPAH and of MENAH for predicting ENAH was constructed, respectively. Area under receiver operating characteristic curves of MEPAH and MENAH for predicting EPAH and ENAH were 0.882 and 0.931, respectively. With standard of MEPAH ≤ 5.997 and MENAH > 10.535, sensitivity or specificity of which for predicting EPAH and ENAH were about 81.0 % and 87.0 %, respectively. HBsAg and anti-HBc for predicting EPAH and HBcrAg and HBV DNA for predicting ENAH are dependable markers; MEPAH for predicting EPAH and MENAH for predicting ENAH have very good performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The effects of ultrasound on titanium tanning of leather were investigated. Either 20 or 40kHz ultrasound was applied to the titanium tanning of pigskins. Five different treatment conditions were carried out and the effects were examined, such as leather shrinkage temperature (T s), titanium content and titanium distribution in the leather. Overall heat loading was carefully controlled. Results showed that 20kHz ultrasound effectively improves titanium agent penetration into the hide and increases the leather’s shrinkage temperature. Doubling the frequency to 40kHz produced negligible enhancements. An impressive 105.6°C T s was achieved using 20kHz ultrasound pretreatment of the tanning liquor followed by 20kHz ultrasound in the tanning mixture (liquor plus pigskins) in a special salt-free medium. Finally, using a unique ultrasonic tanning drum with 26.5kHz ultrasound, the T s reached a record level of 106.5°C, a value not achieved in conventional (no ultrasound) titanium tanning. The ultrasonic effects on titanium tanning of leather are judged to make a superior mineral tanned leather. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Gallotannins play contrasting roles in food quality. They exhibit strong antioxidative and antibacterial properties, and at the same time show certain antinutritional effects. To explore this possible effect of gallotannins, the interaction mechanism between gallotannins and typical food components was investigated. The molecular structure of gallotannins and their interactions with amino acids (glycine, alanine, proline and leucine) were first studied. It is proved that galloyl groups of gallotannins are hydrophobic sites and that these groups can interact with aliphatic side chains of amino acids through hydrophobic association. Further, the binding of gallotannins (1,2,6-tri-O-galloyl-d-glucose (TGG) and 1,2,3,4,6-penta-O-galloyl-d-glucose (PGG)) to typical proteins, phospholipids and sugars was examined quantitatively. It is indicated that gallotannins bound more to proteins (histone, bovine serum albumin, casein and gelatin) and phospholipids (l-α-lecithin, l-α-cephalin and sphingomyelin) than to sugars, and that PGG had stronger binding affinity to proteins, phospholipids and sugars than did TGG. The gallotannin–protein and gallotannin–phospholipid interactions were the result of cooperative effects of hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic association, and hydrogen bonding was the predominant effect in the interactions between gallotannins and sugars. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The lower singlet excited states for 4′-N-dimethylamino-3-hydroxyflavone (DMA3HF) have been investigated. Theoretical calculations have been performed by using time-dependent density functional theory. The B3LYP and MPW1PW91 functionals with 6-31G(d,p) basis set have been used to compute transition energies. Ground-state geometries are optimized by using density functional theory with both B3LYP and MPW1PW91 functionals combined with 6-31G(d,p) basis set. The first excited state geometries are optimized by using configuration interaction all single-excitations methods with 6-31G(d,p). Vertical absorption energy and excited state electronic dipole moments calculations show that the singlet excited states S1 of the normal of DMA3HF has the character of a large charge separation and effective charge transfer. Calculated emission energies for both the normal and tautomer show a large Stokes shift between the absorption and fluorescence maxima. The present calculations suggest that DMA3HF appears dual fluorescence in gas phase. Our results obtained explain the strong ‘dual-fluorescence’ feature that involves the excited-state intramolecular proton transfer and charge transfer of DMA3HF. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this study, significantly higher expression of Gal3ST-2 (Gal: 3-O-sulfotransferase-2) and 3′-sulfated glycoconjugates were observed in highly metastastic cancer cells and in larynx cancer tissues with lymph node metastasis than those in lowly metastatic cancer cells and larynx cancer tissues without metastasis (P &#60;0.01, n =42). These results indicated that there was a marked correlation between the expression of Gal3ST-2 and tumor metastasis potential. After RNAi transfection, a striking morphological change of SMMC7721 hepatoma cells from polygon to shuttle shape and significant decrease in adhesion to sL-selectin and HUVEC were observed. Interestingly, the expression of integrin subunit αV was markedly downregulated and 3′-sulfated subunit αV almost disappeared in the transfectants, but integrin subunit β3 almost had no change. These results suggested that Gal3ST-2 was involved in tumor metastasis process by regulation of adhesion ability to selectins and expression of integrins. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

One simple deformation process, through which a submicron ferrite grained mild steel was fabricated, was introduced. According to the transmission electron microscope images of the microstructures, most of the boundaries formed during the process might be low angle boundaries, which means that most of the ultrafine grains are subgrains. This deformation process is attractive because: (1) the necessary strain was only 1.5, (2) the deformation resistance decreased due to higher rolling temperature, and (3) the as warm-rolled mild steel had a microstructure with equiaxed grains of 0.7 μm in average diameter. The result of mechanical tests indicates that better properties, with comparison to its coarse-grained counterpart, were obtained, including doubled yield strength, high hardness, good work hardening and reliable elongation. Cross effect was observed during tensile process and interpreted from point view of conventional dislocation movement. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The microstructure of an ultrafine grained mild steel was characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and nanoindentation techniques. The results indicate that with the decrease of grain size within the submicron range, the change of Young’s modulus was obvious, which has been attributed to the variation of lattice constants. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Electrochemical lithium insertion behavior of boron-containing carbons was studied by constant-current potentiometry. The boron-containing carbons were prepared by pyrolyzing a phenolic resin chemically bonded with boron atoms, which was synthesized via an esterification reaction of the phenol hydroxyl groups by boric acid. It was found that the as-prepared boron-containing carbons at pyrolysis temperatures higher than 700 °C could accommodate more lithium species than the corresponding boron-free carbon, yet those prepared at pyrolysis temperatures lower than 700 °C accommodated less lithium than the boron-free control sample. In particular, the boron-containing carbon prepared at 900 °C exhibited a capacity higher than the theoretical value of graphite and reasonable charge/discharge voltage curves. The elemental, X-ray diffractometric and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic analysis results indicated that at the pyrolysis temperature of 500 °C, the lithium accommodation capacity of the pyrolytic carbon was mainly dependent on its residual hydrogen content, rather than the boron content. However, when pyrolyzed at 900 °C, more boron atoms were bonded with carbon atoms and introduced to the graphene microcrystallite structure. Therefore, boron atoms exerted a considerable effect on the lithium insertion behavior and more lithium species were reversibly inserted into the carbon matrix due to the electron-deficient nature of boron atoms. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The increasing concerns about health have led to a growing demand for high‐quality fried foods. The potential uses of Ligustrum robustum (Rxob.) Blume, a traditional tea in China, as natural additives to enhance the quality of starchy food during frying was studied. Results indicated that L. robustum polyphenols extract (LREs) could improve the quality of fried starchy food, according to the tests of color, moisture content, oil content, texture property, and volatile flavor. The in vitro digestion results demonstrated that LRE reduced the final glucose content from 11.35 ± 0.17 to 10.80 ± 0.70 mmol/L and increased the phenolic content of fried starch foods from 1.23 ± 0.04 to 3.76 ± 0.14 mg/g. The appearance and polarizing microscopy results showed that LRE promoted large starch bulges on the surface of fried starchy foods. Meanwhile, X‐ray diffraction results showed that LRE increased the intensity of characteristic diffraction peak of fried starch with a range of 21.8%–28%, and Fourier transform infrared results showed that LRE reduced the damage to short‐range order structure of starch caused by the frying process. In addition, LRE increased the aggregation of starch granules according to the SEM observation and decreased the enthalpy of starch gelatinization based on the differential scanning calorimetry results. The present results suggest that LREs have the potential to be utilized as a natural additive for regulating the quality of fried starchy food in food industries. Practical Application: The enhancement of L. robustum polyphenols on the quality of starchy food during frying was found, and its mechanisms were also explored. This work indicated that L. robustum might be used as a novel economic natural additive for producing high‐quality fried foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bating animal hides with trypsin is an essential step for making leathers. But the mechanism why the calcium in the hide influences the bating performance remains unclear. Here, the enzyme activity of trypsin was determined using N-alpha-benzoyl-L-arginine ethyl ester, bovine albumin (BSA) and collagen fibres as substrates in the presence and absence of calcium salts. The interactions of calcium with trypsin, BSA and collagen were analysed by fluorescence spectroscopy and molecular docking. Data reveal that calcium which binds to BSA and collagen improves the structural stability and enzyme resistance of hide proteins. As a result, a high calcium content of delimed hide is useful to obtain an intact surface of bated hide. However, a low calcium content of hide for pickling is necessary for producing leathers with high physical properties and uniform colour. According to these results, a novel bating system involving deliming, bating and redeliming operations was developed. This system provides a high calcium content of hide for bating and a low calcium content of hide for subsequent pickling and tanning, which effectively reduces the risk of hide damage and improves the physical properties and colour uniformity of leather. [Display omitted] • How calcium salts affect hydrolysis of hide proteins with trypsin in bating was revealed. • A high calcium content of delimed hide protects the grain surface of hide. • A low calcium content of hide is necessary for high physical properties of leather. • A novel system involving deliming, bating, and redeliming operations was designed. • This system effectively reduces the risk of hide damage and can ensure leather quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polylactic acid (PLA) is a typical bio-based polymer derived from crops. Its widespread application has been limited due to stress relaxation and brittleness. Here, a sustainable strategy to simultaneously improve the anti-stress relaxation and toughness of PLA biocomposites was proposed by blending PLA with epoxidized soybean oil (ESO)-modified collagen fiber (CF, ESO-CF). ESO enhanced the interfacial interaction between ESO-CF and PLA by constructing cross-linked networks in ESO-CF/PLA. Comparative analyses of stress relaxation and fracture behaviors were conducted between ESO-CF/PLA and pure PLA. The stress–strain curves of ESO-CF/PLA showed lower peak stress reduction rate (1% strain; 27.1%) and irrecoverable strain (zero stress; 0.3%) after 10 cycles compared with those of pure PLA, indicating that the introduction of ESO-CF greatly improved the anti-stress relaxation of PLA. Moreover, the elongation at break and the impact strength of ESO-CF/PLA were 301.6% and 78.9% higher than those of pure PLA, respectively, indicating that ESO-CF improved the toughness of PLA. The enhancements were mainly attributed to the naturally multidirectional and hierarchical structure of ESO-CF and the effective interfacial interaction between ESO-CF and PLA. This work provides insights into the development of PLA biocomposites with enhanced mechanical properties by blending with vegetable oil-modified natural fibers. [Display omitted] • PLA biocomposites with excellent mechanical properties were prepared. • A multifunctional natural filler (ESO-CF) was prepared. • ESO enhanced the interfacial interaction between ESO-CF and PLA. • Crosslinked networks were successfully constructed in ESO-CF/PLA. • The anti-stress relaxation and toughness of PLA were simultaneously improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Viscous emulsions with poor fluidity and high adhesion are extremely difficult to separate. Herein, high‐flux separation of viscous emulsions is realized by developing structural engineered collagen fibers (CFs)‐based composite membrane that featured 3D conductive hierarchical fiber structure with the spaced carbon nanofibers (CNFs) and activated carbon (AC) serving as conductive network and competitive adsorption‐based demulsifying sites, respectively. The as‐designed membrane structure boosts fast spreading of emulsion droplets on membrane surface aided by the synergistic effect of joule heat in situ generated by the spaced CNFs and the capillary effect derived from CFs, which guarantees the full contact of viscous emulsions with the spaced AC for achieving ultra‐efficient demulsifying. The permeation of resultant oily filtrate is accelerated by the capillary effect of hierarchically fibrous structured CFs to exhibit fast transport kinetics, therefore accomplishing high‐flux separation. The structural engineered membrane achieves high‐performance separation toward different viscous emulsions (55.4‐123.7 mPa·s) with separation efficiency >99.9% and flux high up to 259 L m−2 h−1. The investigations provide a novel structural engineering strategy for realizing high‐performance separation of viscous emulsions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores new applications of black phosphorus quantum dots (BPQDs) by adding them to self‐healing material systems for the first time. Self‐healing polyurethane with an ultra‐small amount of BPQDs has biomimetic intelligent responsiveness and achieves balance between its mechanical and self‐healing properties. By adding 0.0001 wt% BPQDs to self‐healing polyurethane, the fracture strength of the material increases from 3.0 to 12.3 MPa, and the elongation at break also increases from 750% to 860%. Meanwhile, the self‐healing efficiency remains at 98%. The addition of BPQDs significantly improves the deformation recovery ability of the composite materials and transforms the surface of self‐healing polyurethane from hydrophilic to hydrophobic, making it suitable for applications in fields such as electronic skin and flexible wearable devices. This study provides a simple and feasible strategy for endowing self‐healing materials with biomimetic intelligent responsiveness using a small amount of BPQDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Flatfoot has a very high incidence of obese children. Functional parameters such as plantar pressures and center of pressure (COP) are sensitive to foot type. However, previous foot biomechanical studies of obese children rarely excluded the flatfoot as a prerequisite of the participants involved.Research Question: This study aimed to determine whether it is essential to define flatfoot as a subject screening criterion in the foot biomechanical study for obese children.Methods: Foot types were classified by arch index (AI). Totally 21 obese children with flatfoot (OF group) along with matched control groups of obese children with normal foot (ON group) and normal-weighted children with flatfoot (NF group) were selected from our database. Barefoot walking trails were conducted using Footscan® plate system. Peak force (PF), peak pressure (PP), pressure-time integral (PTI), contact area (CA) and COP data were recorded. Independent t-test and effect size were used to compare the data between the study group and the control groups. Intraclass correlation coefficient was used to measure the between-trail reliability for the dependent variables.Results: In comparison with the OF group, an upward trend for PF, PP and PTI was found for the ON group, while an opposite tendency for the NF group. The OF group displayed a significant larger CA under the midfoot region than the NF group even if there is no significant difference for AI. The OF group displayed a more medial shift of COP progression compared to the ON group. But no significant differences were found for COP parameters between the OF group and the NF group.Significance: This study provided substantial evidence to support that prospective foot biomechanical research on the obese group needs to identify the flatfoot as one of the subject screening criteria to carry out more reliable results without producing confounding effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: A systematic review and meta‐analysis of observational studies was performed to provide a deeper understanding of the associations between foetal and childhood exposure to famine and the risks of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), metabolic syndrome, hypertension, hyperglycaemia, dyslipidaemia, obesity, overweight, coronary heart disease, stroke, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in adulthood. Both foetal and childhood exposure to famine were positively associated with the risks of T2DM (foetal exposure: RR 1.37, 95% CI, 1.23‐1.52; childhood exposure: RR 1.33, 95% CI, 1.08‐1.64), metabolic syndrome (RR 1.26, 95% CI, 1.07‐1.50; RR 1.24, 95% CI, 1.13‐1.35), hypertension (RR 1.30, 95% CI, 1.07‐1.57; RR 1.33, 95% CI, 1.02‐1.74), hyperglycaemia (RR 1.27, 95% CI, 1.11‐1.45; RR 1.25, 95% CI, 1.10‐1.42), dyslipidaemia (RR 1.48, 95% CI, 1.33‐1.66; RR 1.27, 95% CI, 1.12‐1.45), obesity (RR 1.19, 95% CI, 1.02‐1.39; RR 1.13, 95% CI, 1.00‐1.28), overweight (RR 1.17, 95% CI, 1.07‐1.29; RR 1.07, 95% CI, 1.00‐1.14), coronary heart disease (RR 1.22, 95% CI, 1.00‐1.51; RR 1.21, 95% CI, 1.09‐1.35), and moderate‐to‐severe NAFLD (RR 1.66, 95% CI, 1.07‐2.57; RR 1.68, 95% CI, 1.41‐1.99) in adulthood. No association was observed for the risks of stroke or mild NAFLD. Adjustments for age, alcohol, smoking, body mass index, and physical activity nullified some associations. The associations were generally stronger in women than in men. In summary, foetal and childhood exposure to famine may confer greater risks of developing certain cardiometabolic conditions in adulthood, particularly in women. The extent to which risks for cardiometabolic conditions are associated with early‐life famine appears to be determined by certain factors in adulthood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context Excess weight has been linked to increased risks of 13 types of cancers. Physical activity is a non-nutritional modifiable lifestyle factor that is not only crucial for weight control but is also known to regulate hormones and metabolic pathways that may contribute to carcinogenesis. There is solid evidence that being physically active during middle and late adulthood lowers the risks of 3 obesity-related cancers, namely breast cancer, colon cancer, and endometrial cancer. However, the associations between physical activity at a young age (childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood; age 5 to ≤30 yr) and lifetime physical activity and the risks of breast cancer, colon cancer, and endometrial cancer are less defined. Objective The present systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies was performed in accordance with the MOOSE guidelines to determine whether physical activity at a young age and lifetime physical activity may lower the risks of breast cancer, colon cancer, and endometrial cancer. Data sources The PubMed and Web of Science databases were searched for relevant observational studies published from inception to July 2018. Study selection Observational studies (prospective cohort, case-cohort, nested case-control, historical cohort, and case-control) were considered relevant if they investigated the association between physical activity at a young age or lifetime physical activity and the risks of developing selected cancers. Data extraction A random-effects meta-analysis was performed to generate the summary relative risk (RR) with 95%CI for the highest vs the lowest category of physical activity of any type. Results Eighty publications were included in the present meta-analysis. Higher physical activity at a young age was associated with lower risks of breast cancer (RR 0.81, 95%CI 0.76, 0.87) and colon cancer (RR 0.67, 95%CI 0.50, 0.88). Similarly, lifetime physical activity was inversely associated with the risks of breast cancer (RR 0.79, 95%CI 0.72, 0.86) and colon cancer (RR 0.75, 95%CI 0.69, 0.82). For breast cancer, menopausal status did not appear to modify the observed inverse association. The benefit with respect to endometrial cancer risk reduction was only observed with higher lifetime physical activity (RR 0.77, 95%CI 0.67, 0.88), not with higher physical activity at a young age (RR 0.89, 95%CI 0.73, 1.07). Conclusions Being physically active over a lifetime, starting from early childhood, may lower the risks of developing breast cancer, colon cancer, and endometrial cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flat foot is associated with increased odds of the lower extremity injury and pour posture balance [1]. Orthotic insole is one of the effective treatments to attribute the abnormally distributed pressure and help improve posture balance. The aim of the study is to design orthotic insoles for children with flatfoot based on their arch morphology to improve posture balance, followed by a preliminary validation on the practice effects. Eighty-nine normal weight children aged 8-12 years were recruited, and classified into the flatfoot group (n = 49, AI > 0.26) and the control group (n = 40, 0.21 < AI < 0.26). Foot morphology and plantar pressure of the participants were collected by an Infoot® 3D scanning system and a Footscan® plate measurement system. Orthotic insoles were designed based on the highest point in the anatomical structure of the foot arch of flatfoot group, combined with their typical plantar pressure. Total 9 insoles with three arch heights (2.0 cm, 2.5 cm, 3.0 cm) and three 3D printing infill densities (25%, 30%, 35%) were printed (Fig. 1b). Three infill densities were used to achieve different softness. The weight of each insole was less than 41 grams. To test the effect of restoring balance, 3 participants with flatfoot were recruited to walk in a natural speed with and without the orthotic insoles. The AI of them were 28.9%, 30.4%, and 32.0%, respectively. The center of pressure (COP) trajectory and gait phase were recorded by Footscan® plate measurement system. In the meantime, to quantify the effect of orthotic insoles, a comprehensive scoring scheme was established including the subjective evaluation and balancing effect. All of the orthotic insoles have improved the COP and gait phase of the participants, regarding the pattern of normal foot (Fig. 1c-d). The COP trajectory shifted laterally and the forefoot contact phase decreased when wearing the orthotic insoles. According to the comprehensive scores, the suitable orthotic insole for the three participants was group 8 insole, group 3 insole, and group 3 insole, respectively. Fig. 1 (a) The design of orthotic insole for children with flatfoot. (b) 3D printing orthotic insoles for children with flatfoot. (c) COP trajectories of all participants. (d) Gait phase of all participants. [Display omitted] The orthotic insoles designed in this study improved the posture balance of participants with flat foot. The optimal parameters of orthotics vary with the dgree of flatness, considering the arch height and hardness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: There is emerging evidence that events occurring before and shortly after birth may be important in determining the risk of childhood‐onset type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). We aimed to summarize and synthesize the associations between maternal body mass index (BMI), maternal diabetes mellitus (DM), and maternal smoking during pregnancy and the risk of childhood‐onset T1DM in the offspring by performing a systematic review and meta‐analysis of observational studies. A random effects model was used to generate the summary risk estimates. The PubMed and Web of Science databases were searched to identify relevant observational studies. Twenty one observational studies were included in the present meta‐analysis. Compared with offspring of mothers with normal weight, offspring of women with overweight or obesity were at an increased risk of developing childhood‐onset T1DM (overweight: relative risk [RR] 1.09, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03‐1.15; obesity: RR 1.25, 95% CI, 1.16‐1.34; per 5 kg m−2 increase in BMI: RR 1.10, 95% CI, 1.06‐1.13). No association was found for maternal underweight (RR 0.92, 95% CI, 0.75‐1.13). Maternal DM was associated with an increased risk of childhood‐onset T1DM (RR 3.26, 95% CI, 2.84‐3.74). Regarding the type of maternal DM, the greatest risk of T1DM in the offspring appeared to be conferred by maternal T1DM (RR 4.46, 95% CI, 2.89‐6.89), followed by maternal gestational diabetes mellitus (RR 1.66, 95% CI, 1.16‐2.36), and lastly by maternal type 2 diabetes mellitus (RR 1.11, 95% CI, 0.69‐1.80). Additional analysis of studies comparing maternal versus paternal T1DM within the same population revealed that offspring of fathers with T1DM had a 1.5 times higher risk of developing childhood‐onset T1DM than offspring of mothers with T1DM (RR 9.58, 95% CI, 6.33‐14.48 vs. RR 6.24, 95% CI, 5.52‐7.07). Furthermore, a reduced risk of childhood‐onset T1DM was observed in infants born to mothers who smoked during pregnancy compared with infants born to mothers who did not smoke during pregnancy (RR 0.79, 95% CI, 0.71‐0.87). In summary, our findings add further evidence that early‐life events or environmental factors may play a role in modulating infants' risk of developing T1DM later in life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The VOC emissions of leather with different grades and the health risk were studied. • The hexanal is the main cause of the unpleasant taste in low grade leathers. • The relationship between VOCs and health risk in sofa leathers were determined. • The leather materials barely pose health effects to residents. Furniture is identified as a vital volatile organic compound (VOC) emission source in the indoor environment. Leather has become the most common raw and auxiliary fabric material for upholstered furniture, particularly with extensive consumption in sofas, due to its abundant resources and efficient functions. Despite being widely traded across the world, little research has been conducted on the VOCs released by leather materials and their health risk assessment in the indoor environment. Accordingly, this study investigated the VOC emissions of leather with different grades and the health risk of the inhalation exposure. Based on the ultra-fast gas phase electronic nose (EN) and GC-FID/Qtof, the substantial emissions of aliphatic aldehyde ketones (Aks), particularly hexanal, appear to be the cause of off-flavor in medium and low grade (MG and LG) sofa leathers. The health risk assessment indicated that leather materials barely pose non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic effects to residents. Given the abundance of VOC sources and the accumulation of health risks in the indoor environment, more stringent specifications concerning qualitative and quantitative content should be extended to provide VOC treatment basic for the manufacturing industry and obtain better indoor air quality. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The associations between anthropometric factors and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) risk remain inconclusive. A meta-analysis was performed to clarify these associations. PubMed and Web of Science were searched for relevant prospective observational studies. A random-effects model was used to generate the summary relative risks (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). A total of 22 prospective cohort studies, with over 20,000 NHL cases, were included in the present meta-analysis. The summary RRs of NHL risk were 1.06 (95% CI 1.03, 1.09) for each 5 kg/m 2 increase in body mass index (BMI), 1.11 (95% CI 1.07, 1.16) for each 5 kg/m 2 increase in BMI in early adulthood (age 18–21 years), 1.05 (95% CI 1.01, 1.09) for each 10 kg increase in weight, 1.21 (95% CI 1.15, 1.28) for each 10 kg increase in weight in early adulthood (age 18–21 years), and 1.13 (95% CI 1.10, 1.17) for each 10 cm increase in height. No association was found for waist circumference (WC) and waist-to-hip ratio. By subtypes, all anthropometric factors (but not WC) were associated with an increased risk of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma was positively associated with BMI in early adulthood and with height, whereas follicular lymphoma was only positively associated with height. In summary, BMI and weight in early adulthood may be more relevant to NHL development than current BMI and weight. These findings emphasize the importance of maintaining a healthy weight throughout the life-course, starting from early life, for NHL prevention. Increased NHL risk with taller stature, which may reflect cumulative exposure to hormones/growth factors and nutrition status in early life, further supports the relevance of early life exposure in the etiology of NHL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fabrication of nanostructure can alleviate the problem of electrode pulverization so as to exhibit high cycling stability with large gravimetric energy density. However, the high volumetric fraction of voids in nanomaterials inevitably results in low tap density and poor volumetric energy density. Herein, we prepared micron-sized hierarchical fibrous bundle that is composed of C@Sn@C nanofibers with close-packing arrangement. The C@Sn@C primary nanofiber provided efficient structural accommodation to the huge volumetric change, showing high cycling stability with large gravimetric energy density. The close-packing of constituent C@Sn@C nanofibers minimizes the voids and porosity of formed micron-sized fibrous bundle, exhibiting an extremely high tap density of 1.31 g cm −3 , superior to the sandwiched CNTs@Sn@C nanofiber (0.53 g cm −3 ) and MicroC@Sn@C microfiber (0.94 g cm −3 ) without close-packing arrangement. At the current density of 0.5 A g −1 , the gravimetric energy density of C@Sn@C nanofiber bundle still reached ∼ 580 mAh g −1 , with corresponding volumetric energy density of ∼ 760 mAh cm −3 , higher than those of CNTs@Sn@C and MicroC@Sn@C by ∼ 437 and ∼ 210 mAh cm −3 , respectively. Notably, the gravimetric energy density of C@Sn@C nanofiber bundle is superior to most transition-metal oxides, and the volumetric energy density is comparable to high-performance Si anodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Controlling the self-assembly behaviors of soluble lignin oligomers is key to construct uniformly spherical lignin nanoparticles (LNPs) and benefit to their specific applications. Herein, several H2O-organic solvent systems were selected for solvolysis of the lignin in wood chips to obtain the lignin oligomers with different structural features. Afterwards, the reaction liquors containing soluble lignin oligomers were employed to produce LNPs via continuous adding H2O. The self-assembly behaviors of the lignin oligomers were strongly influenced by the structural features of the lignin oligomers and the existing organic solvents. From solvothermal extraction in H2O-polar aprotic solvents (e.g. tetrahydrofuran, acetone, and γ-valerolactone), the lignin oligomers with widely-ranged molecular weight could self-assemble into regular-shaped and spherical LNPs, making use of every single space. Besides, the conjugated aliphatic side chains with benzene rings and the abundant negative charged groups of the lignin oligomers favored their self-assembly into LNPs with core–shell structures, and the resultant high electric surface charge prevented further aggregation of LNPs into irregular-shaped clusters. Conversely, the existing polar protic solvents (e.g. ethanol and ethylene glycol) and polysaccharides-derived chemicals, dispersed the lignin oligomers and restrained their π–π stacking induced self-assembly via generating undesirable hydrogen bonds. Therefore, ascertaining the ripple effects of the organic solvents on the whole fabrication process of LNPs benefits to control the morphology of LNPs for various applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the high cellulose content of cotton (88.0–96.5%), the flame retardation of cotton fabrics can be achieved via an approach for the flame retardation of cellulose. In this work, a facile water-based flame retardant coating was deposited on cotton fabrics by a ‘simplified’ layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly. The novel coating solution was based on a mild reaction between ammonium polyphosphate (APP) and branched polyethyleneimine (BPEI), and the reaction mechanism was studied. TGA results showed that the char residues of coated fabrics were remarkably increased. The fabric with only 5wt% coating showed self-extinguishing in the horizontal flame test, and the peak heat release rate (pHRR) in cone calorimeter test decreased by 51%. Furthermore, this coating overcame a general drawback of flame-retardant LbL assembly which was easily washed away. Therefore, the simplified LbL method provides a fast, low-cost, eco-friendly and wash-durable flame-retardant finishing for the cellulose-rich cotton fabrics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potential uses of Ligustrum robustum (Rxob.) Blume extract as a natural antioxidant to protect the quality of different oils during storage and frying process were studied. The results showed that L. robustum extract has been shown to retard the decline in the quality of both oils based on the tests of acid value, peroxide value, p‐anisidine value, color, volatile flavor, and fatty acid compositions, and the protective effect of L. robustum extract on the quality of peanut oil was better than that of palm oil. By the component analysis, L. robustum extract was found to have a total phenols content of 140.75 ± 1.52 mg/g, and ligurobustoside C was identified as the main phenolic compound. The thermogravimetric and differential scanning calorimetry results showed that L. robustum extract enhanced the oxidative stability of peanut and palm oils. In addition, Fourier transform infrared results indicated that L. robustum extract had protective effects on the C=C bond and ester bond of oil molecule. Moreover, by using electron spin resonance technique, L. robustum extract showed the ability to inhibit and scavenge alkyl‐free radicals in both oils. The present results suggested that L. robustum extract may protect the quality of oils during the storage and frying process by inhibiting the oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids and might be a potential natural antioxidant in the food industry. Practical Applications: The excellent antioxidant ability of Ligustrum robustum (Rxob.) Blume extract on the oxidation of different oils and its low price indicated that it could be used as a new low‐cost natural antioxidant in oil processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green and efficient acid protease has received increasing attention in bating wet blue (chrome tanned leather). However, acid proteases penetrate slowly in the wet blue, which reduces the dispersion efficiency and uniformity of hide collagen fibers. We explored the factors that affect the penetration of acid proteases in wet blue and the bating performance, including surface charge, molecular weight, particle size, and proteolytic activity of protease. The results show that the most important factor is the surface charge of the acid protease. The acid protease AP-2 derived from Trichoderma reesei had isoelectric point (pI) of 3.6 and penetrated the wet blue more deeply, thereby dispersing collagen fibers and softening the wet blue better than the pepsin (pI 1.9) and the acid protease AP-1 derived from Aspergillus usamii (pI 2.4). This finding is because the negatively charged pepsin and AP-1 are combined easily with the positively charged wet blue at the bating pH of 3.5 and stay on the surface layer rather than transfer into the inner layer of the wet blue. Therefore, choosing acid protease with the pI higher than the bating pH is important for deep penetration and good bating performance. [Display omitted] • Acid proteases had different isoelectric points (pIs) from 1 to 4. • Acid proteases had thermal stability and Cr3+ adaptability for bating environment. • Protease with pI higher than bating pH 3.5 penetrated rapidly in chrome tanned leather. • Positively charged protease penetrated rapidly and dispersed collagen fibers well. • Electrostatic interaction greatly affects protease penetration and bating performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Yield and particle size of L-T3 were controlled by solvent shifting methods. • Co-self-assembly was driven by hydrogen bonding and π-π interactions. • L-T3 can be internalized by adipocytes and increase UCP-1 level in adipocyte. • A single injection of L-T3 into sWAT did not affect mouse plasma T3 levels. • Subcutaneously injection of L-T3 every 5 days ameliorated obesity and liver steatosis. Lignin is considered a promising carrier for drugs with aromatic structures via co-self-assembly, endowing the composite particles with functional properties for biomedical applications. Triiodothyronine (T3) has exhibited beneficial effects in obesity and obesity-related metabolic disorders by increasing the energy expenditure of adipose tissue; however, excess thyroid hormones may adversely affect various tissues. T3, which contains benzene rings and hydrophilic functional groups, is co-self-assembled with lignin to fabricate composite lignin–triiodothyronine (L-T3) particles using solvent-shifting methods. The dual driving forces of hydrogen bonding and π–π interactions enhance the co-self-assembly tendency of lignin and T3, thereby improving their distributions in the composite particles. L-T3 can be taken up by adipocytes with well controlled particle size. Moreover, a single locally delivered L-T3 dose to the subcutaneous white adipose tissue (sWAT) of mice does not affect mouse plasma T3 levels, but decreases the adipocyte size and increases uncoupling protein (UCP-1) expression in the sWAT of normal diet and short-term high-fat diet (HFD)-fed mice. Notably, L-T3 decreases body and adipose tissue weights in long-term HFD-fed mice. Furthermore, HFD-induced liver steatosis is substantially ameliorated by local delivery of L-T3 to sWAT. These results suggest that local delivery of L-T3 in adipose tissue exhibits protective effects against obesity and related metabolic disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The PA-EHL was synthesized by the resource utilization of lignin waste and PA. • The PA-EHL exhibited ultrahigh adsorption capacity for Ce(III) and La(III). • PA-EHL is a competitive candidate for radionuclides adsorption on industrial scale. Low-level radioactive wastewater exhibits a serious jeopardize to the ecology, natural environment, and human health. Hence, this study constructed a novel adsorbent (PA-EHL) via a simple grafting reaction by using enzymatic hydrolysis lignin waste (EHL) and phytic acid (PA) as raw materials. The adsorption capacity of PA-EHL was evaluated using Ce(III) and La(III) as the representative nuclides. PA grafting significantly promoted the formation of good textural properties, high crystalline stability, and abundant phosphorous/oxygen-containing functional groups on lignin surface, thus appreciably strengthening the adsorption performance. The PA-EHL exhibited high adsorption capacity for Ce(III) with 743.16 and for La(III) with 735.60 mg/g within 240 min. In addition, the efficient ability of PA-EHL for adsorbing Ce(III) and La(III) displayed superior anti-ions interference abilities, excellent reusability, and extremely low operational fees. The P-O on PA-EHL surface as the main active site, displayed strong binding affinity for Ce(III) and La(III) via electrostatic attraction-dominated physisorption and complexation-dominated chemisorption, respectively. In summary, the constructed PA-EHL addresses the drawback of conventional adsorbents in view of complicated fabrication process, low adsorption capacity, inferior anti-ions interference abilities, and expensive cost, which makes it as a potential adsorbent in industrial application for the highly efficient treatment of low-level radioactive wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uranium is the main actinide highly related with recycling fission fuel. In this study, we controllably construct a lignin-based covalent organic polymers (AO-EHL), for uranium extraction with high adsorption capacity (94.70 mg/g). The balanced adsorption efficiency for uranium is remarkably high under highly acidic conditions, and even maintains 99.99 % in pH = 1.0. Moreover, the high adaptability, excellent reusability, and extremely low operating costs further indicated the high feasibility of AO-EHL for uranium extraction in industrial scale. The excellent adsorption performance of AO-EHL for uranium is reasonably attributed to synthetic effects of amidoxime groups and the covalent structure of lignin, which can highly prevent the protonation of amidoxime groups, and thus showing strong complexation with uranium at high acidities. This study suggests a promising method to construct advanced functional materials by using cheap and green natural materials and realizing the efficient uranium extraction under highly acidic conditions. [Display omitted] • AO-EHL was synthesized by the resource utilization of lignin. • The adsorption efficiency of AO-EHL for U(VI) maintains 99.99 % in pH = 1.0. • The covalent structure of lignin restrains the protonation of amidoxime. • AO-EHL exhibits large practical potential for U(VI) extraction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Engineering-scale conversion and utilization of Chinese baijiu grains (BG) is imperative for the sustainable development of Chinese Baijiu industry. In this study, we developed a facile catalytic pyrolysis of BG using potassium acetate and investigated the proportions of the solid, liquid, and gaseous products at different temperatures and catalyst loadings. Both parameters affected the product proportions, and the highest combustible gas content (83.3 % of total gaseous products) was observed with 1.0 mol/L potassium acetate at 800 °C. The catalyst also affected the proportion of liquid products. In particular, the bio-oil quality improved and the tar content decreased owing to a decrease in long-chain aliphatic acid and ester contents (<10 % of the total liquid products with 1.0 mol/L potassium acetate at 800 °C) and an increase in hydrocarbon content. In addition, the oxygenated groups in the biochar obtained after pyrolysis were bonded to K via K–O bonds, thus making K@biochar a good controlled-release potassium fertilizer. We believe that our catalytic strategy, which has the abovementioned multiple favorable outcomes, could promote commercial-scale valorization of BG. [Display omitted] • Chinese Baijiu grains was pyrolyzed by the catalysis of potassium acetate. • Pyrolysis product distribution was regulated by potassium acetate and temperature. • Combustible gas production was promoted by using potassium acetate. • Potassium was retained in biochar that could be used a controlled-release fertilizer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering the structural features of chrome-tanned collagen fibers (Cr-CF), the preparation of polymer modification fillers by using chrome shavings may be a feasible approach for the resource utilization of this tannery solid waste. Herein, Cr-CF from chrome shavings was used to modify the mechanical properties of melamine formaldehyde (MF) resin. Results proved that Cr-CF successfully toughened MF resin by intervening in the network polymerization and inhibiting the microcrack growth during material failure. The addition of 5 wt% Cr-CF powder that was prepared with an appropriate mechanochemical treatment enhanced the impact strength of MF resin by 324.4%, and increased the loss factor at 25 °C by 71.4%. These modification effects of Cr-CF were superior to those of other modification fillers. Therefore, the preparation of Cr-CF into toughening agent for thermosetting resin is a feasible method to achieve the effective recycling of chrome shavings. [Display omitted] • Using chrome-tanned collagen fibers as toughening fillers is a new method for the high-value utilization of chrome shavings. • Melamine formaldehyde resin was well toughened via blending with chrome-tanned collagen fibers. • Chrome-tanned collagen fibers intervened the network polymerization of melamine formaldehyde resin. • Chrome-tanned collagen fibers had the ability to inhibit the microcrack growth during material failure. • The toughening effects of chrome-tanned collagen fibers were superior to those of traditional fillers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Boehmite-supported Pd nanoparticles (Pd-TA-boehmite) were successfully synthesized by a hydrothermal method using tannic acid as the structure-directing agent as well as stabilizer. The physicochemical properties of the Pd-TA-boehmite catalyst were well characterized by XPS, XRD, N adsorption/desorption, and TEM analyses. Catalytic hydrogenation of olefins was used as the probe reaction to evaluate the activity of the Pd-TA-boehmite catalyst. For comparison, the Pd-boehmite catalyst prepared without tannic acid was also employed for olefin hydrogenation. For all the investigated substrates, the Pd-TA-boehmite catalyst exhibited superior catalytic performance than the Pd-boehmite catalyst. For the example of hydrogenation of allyl alcohol, the initial hydrogenation rate and selectivity of the Pd-TA-boehmite catalyst were 23,520 mol/mol h and 99 %, respectively, while those of the Pd-boehmite catalyst were only 14,186 mol/mol h and 93 %, respectively. Additionally, the hydrogenation rate of the Pd-TA-boehmite catalyst could still reach 20,791 mol/mol h at the 7th cycle, which was much higher than that of the Pd-boehmite catalyst (5,250 mol/mol h) at the 4th cycle, thus showing an improved reusability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural fiber-based foams demonstrate outstanding potential for energy-efficient building and personal protective equipment applications due to their lightweight, high porosity, and sustainability. However, the weak interfacial interaction among fibers, functional additives, and the matrix hampers effective stress dissipation, largely affecting the material performance. Herein, this paper demonstrates a facile strategy for fabricating high-performance collagen fiber-based foams by constructing efficient energy dissipation networks using tannin-modified leather collagen fibers (T-LCF) and waterborne polyurethane (WPU). Tannin acts as a coupling bridge, linking the fiber and polyurethane to create a hydrogen-bonded network, enhancing energy dissipation and imparting excellent mechanical properties. Compared to WPU foam (WPUF), the T-LCF-based foam (WPUF/T-LCF) showed 65%, 34 times, and 35% improvements in tensile strength, compressive strength, and ultimate oxygen index, respectively. This study provides new insights into the cleaner production of high-performance natural fiber-based foam composites and a new way for the high-value utilization of collagen solid waste. [Display omitted] • Innovatively produces high-performance collagen fiber foam with tannin-modified fibers and polyurethane. • Tannin acts as a bridging agent, enhancing mechanical properties and flame resistance. • Foam exhibits significant improvements in mechanical and thermal insulation behaviors. • This innovative approach contributes to the sustainable utilization of collagen solid waste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conventional methods of enhancing the creep resistance of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) often compromise its resilience. This study proposes a novel strategy to achieve a balance between creep resistance and resilience in PVC-matrix composites by incorporating epoxidised soybean oil-modified collagen fibres (MCFs). A comparative analysis of creep and recovery behaviour was conducted among MCF/PVC, pure PVC, and other conventional modified systems. Results revealed that MCF/PVC exhibited a lower total creep strain (12.82%) than pure PVC and a higher recoverable deformation (10.80%) than the other conventional modified systems. Moreover, MCF/PVC had the longest predicted creep lifetime among all the modification systems, which was 103 times longer than that of pure PVC. These improvements were attributed to the natural multidirectional and hierarchical structure of MCF, which hindered the movement of PVC chains and provided sufficient gaps for recoverable deformation. This work provides a new perspective on developing resilient creep-resistant modifications of polymers by leveraging the structural advantages of natural products. [Display omitted] • The balance between creep resistance and resilience in composites was achieved. • Collagen fibres (CFs) with a multidirectional and hierarchical structure were prepared. • MCF/PVC was successfully prepared by blending PVC with modified CF (MCF). • The mechanism of resilient creep-resistant modification of PVC was revealed. • MCF/PVC exhibited good comprehensive performance and promising application prospects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chrome-free eco-leather production plays an important role in the sustainable development of the leather industry. Here, we established an eco-leather tanning system based on biomass-derived polycarboxylate–aluminum–zirconium complexes (PAZ). The tanning conditions, storage stability, and tanning mechanism of PAZ tanned leather were investigated, and then the industrial-scale application performance of the PAZ tanning system was compared with that of a conventional Cr tanning system from the aspects of collagen microstructure, leather properties, and environmental impacts. The PAZ tanning agent showed a high uptake rate of 95%, endowed the tanned leather with a shrinkage temperature of over 80 °C, and allowed the tanned leather to be stably stored for more than one year. The PAZ penetrated uniformly into the hierarchical structure of collagen fibers and mainly coordinated with the amino and carboxyl groups of collagen, thereby achieving intermolecular and intrafibril cross-linking in the leather matrix. The PAZ tanned leather possessed strong absorption capacity for post-tanning chemicals (over 85%) due to its high isoelectric point (7.2). Thus, the physical properties of PAZ crust leather were comparable to those of the Cr-tanned crust leather. The wastewater of the PAZ tanning system exhibited a reduction of 43.4% in total organic carbon load and better biodegradability than the Cr tanning system. The acute oral toxicity and acute dermal toxicity tests confirmed that the PAZ crust leather has low biotoxicity. This work not only offers insights into the PAZ tanning mechanism at the molecular level but also provides a sustainable and practical approach for manufacturing chrome-free eco-leather. [Display omitted] • Industrial-scale tanning trial verifies the practicability of PAZ tanning system. • PAZ crosslinks between collagen through coordination and non-covalent bonds. • PAZ penetrates into fibril hierarchy and increases the porosity of leather. • The comprehensive properties of PAZ leather are comparable to those of Cr leather. • The good biodegradability and low biotoxicity ensure the ecology of PAZ tanning system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]