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Abstract Egg-laying performance is of great economic importance in poultry, but the underlying genetic mechanisms are still elusive. In this work, we conduct a multi-omics and multi-tissue integrative study in hens with distinct egg production, to detect the hub candidate genes and construct hub molecular networks contributing to egg-laying phenotypic differences. We identifiy three hub candidate genes as egg-laying facilitators: TFPI2, which promotes the GnRH secretion in hypothalamic neuron cells; CAMK2D, which promotes the FSHβ and LHβ secretion in pituitary cells; and OSTN, which promotes granulosa cell proliferation and the synthesis of sex steroid hormones. We reveal key endocrine factors involving egg production by inter-tissue crosstalk analysis, and demonstrate that both a hepatokine, APOA4, and an adipokine, ANGPTL2, could increase egg production by inter-tissue communication with hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis. Together, These results reveal the molecular mechanisms of multi-tissue coordinative regulation of chicken egg-laying performance and provide key insights to avian reproductive regulation.

Machine Learning (ML), an Artificial Intelligence (AI) technique that includes both Traditional Machine Learning (TML) and Deep Learning (DL), aims to teach machines to automatically learn tasks by inferring patterns from data. It holds significant promise in aiding medical care and has become increasingly important in improving professional processes, particularly in the diagnosis of psoriasis. This paper presents the findings of a systematic literature review focusing on the research and application of ML in psoriasis analysis over the past decade. We summarized 53 publications by searching the Web of Science, PubMed and IEEE Xplore databases and classified them into three categories: (i) lesion localization and segmentation; (ii) lesion recognition; (iii) lesion severity and area scoring. We have presented the most common models and datasets for psoriasis analysis, discussed the key challenges, and explored future trends in ML within this field. Our aim is to suggest directions for subsequent research.

Short-term energy-consumption prediction is the basis of anomaly detection, real-time scheduling, and energy-saving control in manufacturing systems. Most existing methods focus on single-node energy-consumption prediction and suffer from difficult parameter collection and modelling. Although several methods have been presented for multinode energy-consumption prediction, their prediction performance needs to be improved owing to a lack of appropriate knowledge guidance and learning networks for complex spatiotemporal relationships. This study presents a symmetric spatiotemporal learning network (SSTLN) with a sparse meter graph (SMG) (SSTLN-SMG) that aims to predict multiple nodes based on energy-consumption time series and general process knowledge. The SMG expresses process knowledge by abstracting production nodes, material flows, and energy usage, and provides initial guidance for the SSTLN to extract spatial features. SSTLN, a symmetrical stack of graph convolutional networks (GCN) and gated linear units (GLU), is devised to achieve a trade-off not only between spatial and temporal feature extraction but also between detail capture and noise suppression. Extensive experiments were performed using datasets from an aluminium profile plant. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method allows multinode energy-consumption prediction with less prediction error than state-of-the-art methods, methods with deformed meter graphs, and methods with deformed learning networks.

Abstract Multifunctional biomaterial inks are in high demand for adapting hydrogels in biomedical applications through three‐dimensional (3D) printing. Our previously developed xeno‐free system consisting of anionic cellulose nanofibers (T‐CNF) and methacrylated galactoglucomannan (GGMMA) as a photo(bio)polymer provides high‐performance ink fidelity in extrusion‐based 3D printing. The fusion between nanoparticles and this biomaterial‐ink system is a promising yet challenging avenue worth exploring, due to the colloidal stability of T‐CNF being sensitive to electrostatic interactions. Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs), with their robust ceramic matrix and fine‐tunable surface chemistries, are well‐established nanocarriers for different biologicals. Here, we fabricated MSNs with different surface modifications resulting in a net surface charge ranging from highly negative to highly positive to develop printable MSNs‐laden nanocomposite biomaterial inks. We utilized rheology as a comprehensive tool to address the matrix interactions with differently surface‐charged MSNs. Fluorescently labeled bovine serum albumin (FITC‐BSA) was used as a model protein for MSN loading, whereby negatively or neutral‐charged MSNs were found suitable to formulate FITC‐BSA‐loaded biomaterial inks of T‐CNF/GGMMA. Depending on the particles’ surface charge, FITC‐BSA showed different release profiles and preserved its stability after release. Lastly, the proof‐of‐concept to deliver large‐sized biological cargo with MSN‐laden nanocomposite biomaterial inks was established via the 3D printing technique.

Self-healing, stretchable, and moldable hydrogels have a great potential application in tissue engineering and soft robotics. Despite great success in reported hydrogels, it is still a great challenge to construct the moldable hydrogels with an ultrafast self-healing performance. Herein, the composite hydrogels (PBLH) with ultrafast self-healing, stretchable, and moldable properties were successfully constructed by poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA), borate (B), ε-poly-l-lysine (EPL), and hyaluronic acid (HA) based on an efficient one-pot method. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and rheological measurements confirmed the formation of a dynamic network among PVA, B, EPL, and HA through the cross-linking of dynamic borate bonds, electrostatic interaction, and hydrogen bonding. Having fabricated the dynamic network structure, the damage gap of the composite hydrogels can heal within 1 min, presenting an excellent self-healing ability. Simultaneously, the composite hydrogels can be molded into various shapes, and the length of the composite hydrogels can be stretched to 15 times their original length. In addition, the composite hydrogels exhibited an excellent antibacterial property against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Escherichia coli (E. coli). Our results illustrated that the composite hydrogels not only retain the advantages of traditional hydrogels but also possess ultrafast self-healing, outstanding stretchable and antibacterial properties, presenting a prospective candidate for constructing biomedical materials.

Abstract Four pinaceae pine resins analyzed in this study: black pine, shore pine, Baltic amber, and rosin demonstrate excellent dielectric properties, outstanding film forming, and ease of processability from ethyl alcohol solutions. Their trap‐free nature allows fabrication of virtually hysteresis‐free organic field effect transistors operating in a low voltage window with excellent stability under bias stress. Such green constituents represent an excellent choice of materials for applications targeting biocompatibility and biodegradability of electronics and sensors, within the overall effort of sustainable electronics development and environmental friendliness.

The increasing use of wind and solar energy creates an enormous need for intermittent storage of electrical energy in batteries [...]

The applications of non-fullerene acceptor Y6 with a new type of A1-DA2D-A1 framework and its derivatives have increased the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of organic solar cells (OSCs) up to 19%. Researchers have made various modifications of the donor unit, central/terminal acceptor unit, and side alkyl chains of Y6 to study the influences on the photovoltaic properties of OSCs based on them. However, up to now, the effect of changes of terminal acceptor parts of Y6 on the photovoltaic properties is not very clear. In the present work, we have designed four new acceptors—Y6-NO2, Y6-IN, Y6-ERHD, and Y6-CAO—with different terminal groups, which possess diverse electron-withdrawing ability. Computed results show that with the enhanced electron-withdrawing ability of the terminal group, the fundamental gaps become lower; thus, the wavelengths of the main absorption peaks of UV-Vis spectra red-shifts and total oscillator strength increase. Simultaneously, the electron mobility of Y6-NO2, Y6-IN, and Y6-CAO is about six, four, and four times faster than that of Y6, respectively. Overall, Y6-NO2 could be a potential NFA because of its longer intramolecular charge-transfer distance, stronger dipole moment, higher averaged ESP, enhanced spectrum, and faster electron mobility. This work provides a guideline for the future research on modification of Y6.

Nanocellulose (NC) isolated from natural cellulose resources, which mainly includes cellulose nanofibril (CNF) and cellulose nanocrystal (CNC), has garnered increased attention in recent decades due to its outstanding physical and chemical properties. Various chemical modifications have been developed with the aim of surface-modifying NC for highly sophisticated applications. This review comprehensively summarizes the chemical modifications applied to NC so far in order to introduce new functionalities to the material, such as silanization, esterification, oxidation, etherification, grafting, coating, and others. The new functionalities obtained through such surface-modification methods include hydrophobicity, conductivity, antibacterial properties, and absorbability. In addition, the incorporation of NC in some functional materials, such as films, wearable sensors, cellulose nanospheres, aerogel, hydrogels, and nanocomposites, is discussed in relation to the tailoring of the functionality of NC. It should be pointed out that some issues need to be addressed during the preparation of NC and NC-based materials, such as the low reactivity of these raw materials, the difficulties involved in their scale-up, and their high energy and water consumption. Over the past decades, some methods have been developed, such as the use of pretreatment methods, the adaptation of low-cost starting raw materials, and the use of environmentally friendly chemicals, which support the practical application of NC and NC-based materials. Overall, it is believed that as a green, sustainable, and renewable nanomaterial, NC is will be suitable for large-scale applications in the future.

Biomaterial inks based on cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) and photo-crosslinkable biopolymers have great potential as a high-performance ink system in light-aided, hydrogel extrusion-based 3D bioprinting. However, the colloidal stability of surface charged nanofibrils is susceptible to mono-cations in physiological buffers, which complexes the application scenarios of these systems in formulating cell-laden bioinks. In this study, biomaterial inks formulated by neutral and negatively surface charged CNFs (GrowInk-N and GrowInk-T) and photo-crosslinkable biopolymers (gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) and methacrylated galactoglucomannan (GGMMA)) were prepared with Milli-Q water or PBS buffer. Quantitative rheological measurements were performed on the ink formulations to characterize their shear flow recovery behavior and to understand the intermolecular interactions between the CNFs of different kinds with GGMMA or GelMA. Meanwhile, printability assessments, including filament extrudability and shape fidelity of the printed scaffold under varying printing conditions, were carried out to optimize the printing process. Our study provides extensive supporting information for further developing these nanocellulose-based systems into photo-crosslinkable bioinks in the service of cell-laden 3D bioprinting.

Hydrogels with ion exchange properties were synthesized from compounds derived from wood biopolymer hemicellulose and from commercial vinyl monomers to be tested as active materials for the removal of Cu(II), Cr(VI), and As(V) ions. The hemicellulose O-acetyl galactoglucomannan (GGM) was used as the precursor material, and through a transesterification reaction, GGM was converted into a macromonomer GGM–glycidyl methacrylate (GGM-GMA). Subsequently, the GGM-GMA macromonomer, containing more than one methacrylate group, was used as a crosslinking agent in the synthesis of hydrogels through free-radical polymerization reactions in combination with a 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid monomer to produce a cation exchange hydrogel. Also, (3-acrylamidopropyl)trimethylammonium chloride monomer was applied together with the GGM-GMA to form hydrogels that can be used as anion exchange hydrogel. The hydrogels were characterized by Fourier transform-infrared (FT-IR), 1H-NMR spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), as well as derivative thermogravimetry (DTG). The microstructure of the hydrogels was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis with X-ray microanalysis energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The results obtained regarding the absorption capacity of the Cu(II), Cr(VI), and As(V) ions were studied as a function of the pH value and the initial concentration of the metal ions in the solutions. Absorption was carried out in consecutive batches, and it was found that the poly(GGM-GMA/AMPSH) hydrogel reached an absorption capacity of 90 mg g–1 for Cu(II). The poly(GGM-GMA/APTACl) hydrogel reached values of 69 and 60 mg g–1 for Cr(VI) and As(V) oxyanions, respectively. Tests with polymer blends (mixtures of anionic and cationic hydrogels) were also carried out to remove Cu(II), Cr(VI), and As(V) ions from multi-ionic solutions, obtaining satisfactory results.

The physical, mechanical, and chemical properties of both stem wood and knot wood were investigated from two subfossil Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) trunks retrieved from a lake in Finnish Lapland, dated to 404–486 CE and to 1318–1444 CE. Both the stem wood and the knot wood of the younger trunk had higher moisture content, lower density, and lower strength properties in comparison to the older trunk. The ash content of the stem wood of the younger trunk was lower, but the ash content of the knot wood was higher than that of the older trunk. Due to the degradation that occurred over time, all the values of physical and mechanical properties were lower compared to typical values of recently grown Scots pine wood. The chemical composition of both stem wood samples was close to the composition of the recently grown wood, and the only exception was the small decrease of the cellulose and hemicellulose in the subfossil samples. The bulk extractives were well-preserved, but terpenes and fatty acids underwent transformation, resulting in more stable compounds. The SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) showed pros and cons for the productization of subfossil wood, with the branding value of an ancient material being the potential enabler in developing commercial niche uses.

The current statistics on cancer show that 90% of all human cancers originate from epithelial cells. Breast and prostate cancer are examples of common tumors of epithelial origin that would benefit from improved drug treatment strategies. About 90% of preclinically approved drugs fail in clinical trials, partially due to the use of too simplified in vitro models and a lack of mimicking the tumor microenvironment in drug efficacy testing. This review focuses on the origin and mechanism of epithelial cancers, followed by experimental models designed to recapitulate the epithelial cancer structure and microenvironment, such as 2D and 3D cell culture models and animal models. A specific focus is put on novel technologies for cell culture of spheroids, organoids, and 3D-printed tissue-like models utilizing biomaterials of natural or synthetic origins. Further emphasis is laid on high-content imaging technologies that are used in the field to visualize in vitro models and their morphology. The associated technological advancements and challenges are also discussed. Finally, the review gives an insight into the potential of exploiting nanotechnological approaches in epithelial cancer research both as tools in tumor modeling and how they can be utilized for the development of nanotherapeutics.

Improving the heat dissipation ability for light-emitting diode (LED) filament bulb is very difficult. A tri-needle/ring ionic wind generator was developed to improve the heat dissipation condition of bulbs. The operation characteristics of the ionic wind generator, such as the electrode gap, inception voltage, and discharge current with regard to the operation voltage, were studied by experiments. The ionic wind velocity within the bulb was investigated under different electrode gaps and applied voltages. The temperature drop achieved by the ionic was were tested with the consideration of many operation parameters for analysis. The experiments showed that ionic wind can provide efficient and stable cooling effect for LED filament bulbs. The temperature drop of LED junction can reach 30 °C at best. Good stability and adjustability of the ionic wind generator were demonstrated by tracing the temperature history of LED filaments in long-term tests. Finally, the light efficiency of LED filament bulbs with ionic wind cooling was studied. The experimental results showed that light efficiency was improved by 7.3% under the best cooling case. The experimental results indicate that the embedded ionic wind generator can provide an effective solution for cooling LED filament bulbs.

Nanocelluloses have emerged as a catalogue of renewable nanomaterials for bioink formulation in service of 3D bioprinting, thanks to their structural similarity to extracellular matrices and excellent biocompatibility of supporting crucial cellular activities. From a material scientist’s viewpoint, this mini-review presents the key research aspects of the development of the nanocellulose-based bioinks in 3D (bio)printing. The nanomaterial properties of various types of nanocelluloses, including bacterial nanocellulose, cellulose nanofibers, and cellulose nanocrystals, are reviewed with respect to their origins and preparation methods. Different cross-linking strategies to integrate into multicomponent nanocellulose-based bioinks are discussed in terms of regulating ink fidelity in direct ink writing as well as tuning the mechanical stiffness as a bioactive cue in the printed hydrogel construct. Furthermore, the impact of surface charge and functional groups on nanocellulose surface on the crucial cellular activities (e.g., cell survival, attachment, and proliferation) is discussed with the cell–matrix interactions in focus. Aiming at a sustainable and cost-effective alternative for end-users in biomedical and pharmaceutical fields, challenging aspects such as biodegradability and potential nanotoxicity of nanocelluloses call for more fundamental comprehension of the cell–matrix interactions and further validation in in vivo models.

Leptin receptor (LEPR) belongs to the class I cytokine receptor superfamily which share common structural features and signal transduction pathways. Although multiple LEPR isoforms, which are derived from one gene, were identified in mammals, they were rarely found in avian except the long LEPR. Four alternative splicing variants of quail LEPR (qLEPR) had been cloned and sequenced for the first time (Wang et al., 2015 [1]). To define patterns of the four splicing variants (qLEPRl, qLEPR-a, qLEPR-b and qLEPR-c) and locate the conserved regions of qLEPRl, this data article provides nucleotide sequence alignment of qLEPR and amino acid sequence alignment of representative vertebrate LEPR. The detailed analysis was shown in [1]. Keywords: Quail LEPR, Alternative splicing, Evolutionary conservation, Sequence alignment

Spruce galactoglucomannan is a wood-derived polysaccharide with a modest molar mass that has recently been made available in kg-scale for research and development of value-added products. To promote the application of spruce galactoglucomannans in, for example, food prod-ucts, it is vital to understand also the rheological behaviour of the mixtures of galactoglucomannans with other polysaccharides. Rheol-ogical measurements were applied to study the rheological properties of mixtures of spruce galactoglucomannans and high-molar-mass konjac glucomannan, xanthan, guar gum, locust bean gum, and carrageenan. Shear rate-dependence of viscosity and applicability of the Cox-Merz relationship of mixtures of spruce galactoglucomannans with the other polysaccharides were studied. Spray-dried and ethanol-precipitated galactoglucomannans were also prepared for comparison. The effects of polysaccharide mixture ratio, temperature, ionic strength, and deacetyl-ation are discussed. Mixtures of spray-dried galactogluco-mannans and konjac glucomannan showed lower elastic properties than those of ethanol precipitated galactoglucomannans and konjac glucomannan. The viscoelastic spectra of mixtures of both galactoglucomannans and deacetylated galactoglucomannans with konjac glucomannan showed temperature dependency throughout the cooling process. Ionic strength had an effect on the rheological properties of mixtures of galactogluco-mannans with konjac glucomannan. Deacetylation of galactoglucoman-nans did not affect the viscoelastic spectra significantly.

The development of portable and sustainable power sources is crucial for the advancement of flexible electronics. Thermoelectric devices, made from ductile inorganic thermoelectric materials, present an optimal solution due to their remarkable deformability and their ability to efficiently convert heat into electricity. Nevertheless, the scarcity of these materials underscores the pressing need to further explore the material landscape and to devise strategies that enhance both mechanical and thermoelectric properties. The van der Waals layered semiconductor GeAs has emerged as a ductile thermoelectric material. In this study, we utilized a state-of-the-art first-principles approach to examine the mechanical and thermoelectric properties of GeAs in configurations ranging from monolayer to tetralayer. Our research reveals that as GeAs is thinned to a monolayer, its bendability increases significantly, and its structure becomes stiffer. Moreover, reducing the material to a monolayer results in a 10-fold improvement in the thermoelectric figure of merit, ZT, boosting the power factor and lowering lattice thermal conductivity. At 300 K, ZT reaches a value of one, and at 600 K, it doubles. These findings highlight a promising route to achieve exceptional flexibility and superior thermoelectric conversion efficiency by dimension reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photosynthetic microorganisms, such as cyanobacteria and microalgae, have great potential as living cell factories for chemical and fuel production. Immobilisation of cells is an effective technique for enhancing productivity and longevity of the production system, as well as aiding in the separation of cells from the medium. Alginate crosslinked with divalent ions is commonly used for immobilisation, however its ionic crosslinking is reversible in high ionic strength or in the presence of chelating agents leading to matrix degradation. To address these challenges, photocurable materials present a potential solution, especially when coupled with 3D-printing technologies to create complex, tunable 3D architectures for various applications. In this context, we propose a bioink composed of alginate, photocurable galactoglucomannan-methacrylate and photosynthetic cells for 3D-printing green biocatalysts for solar-chemical production. We demonstrate the applicability of this photocurable bioink for the immobilisation of photosynthetic microbes either capable of producing ethylene (specifically-engineered Synechocystis cell factories) or transforming cyclohexanone to e-caprolactone (specifically-engineered Chlamydomonas cell factories), both of which are industrially relevant chemicals. Films produced from photocurable bioinks demonstrate high mechanical stress tolerance compared to films prepared via conventional ionic crosslinking, showing resistance to high ionic strength in the medium. Furthermore, both Synechocystis and Chlamydomonas cells entrapped within 200 µm-thick hydrogel layers, 3D-printed on glass support surfaces, demonstrated notably high (ethylene) or similar (biotransformation of cyclohexanone to e-caprolactone) production titres and space-time yields compared to the conventional biocatalysts. These engineered living materials, being biocompatible and biobased, particularly when used in conjunction with 3Dprinting, provide convenient scalability and potential to enhance sustainability in the chemical industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The physical properties of optical fiber enable it to be used as a sensor to detect the distribution of temperature in space. This paper briefly introduced distributed optical fiber temperature sensor and time domain signal averaging technology used for enhancing digital signal. Then, the distributed optical fiber temperature sensor system was tested by constant temperature water bath box. The spatial resolution, temperature resolution and measurement time of the system under 150, 1500 and 15000 times of signals accumulation were compared. The results showed that time domain signal averaging technology could effectively suppress noise signals, and the more the signal accumulated, the better the suppression effect was and the clearer and smoother the temperature signal curve was; the spatial resolution and temperature resolution of the system increased with the increase of the number of accumulations, and tended to be flat, while the measuring time increased greatly with the increase of the number of accumulations. In conclusion, the time domain signal averaging technology can effectively enhance the weak temperature signal in the optical fiber sensor, but the signal accumulation times need to be set according to the actual measurement accuracy and efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanocelluloses have emerged as a catalogue of renewable nanomaterials for bioink formulation in service of 3D bioprinting, thanks to their structural similarity to extracellular matrices and excellent biocompatibility of supporting crucial cellular activities. From a material scientist's viewpoint, this mini-review presents the key research aspects of the development of the nanocellulose-based bioinks in 3D (bio)printing. The nanomaterial properties of various types of nanocelluloses, including bacterial nanocellulose, cellulose nanofibers, and cellulose nanocrystals, are reviewed with respect to their origins and preparation methods. Different cross-linking strategies to integrate into multicomponent nanocellulose-based bioinks are discussed in terms of regulating ink fidelity in direct ink writing as well as tuning the mechanical stiffness as a bioactive cue in the printed hydrogel construct. Furthermore, the impact of surface charge and functional groups on nanocellulose surface on the crucial cellular activities (e.g., cell survival, attachment, and proliferation) is discussed with the cell--matrix interactions in focus. Aiming at a sustainable and cost-effective alternative for end-users in biomedical and pharmaceutical fields, challenging aspects such as biodegradability and potential nanotoxicity of nanocelluloses call for more fundamental comprehension of the cell--matrix interactions and further validation in in vivo models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. Recently, the problem of diversification of search results has attracted a lot of attention in the infonnation retrieval and Web search research community. For multi-faceted or ambiguous queries, a search engine is generally favoured if it is able to identify relevant documents on a wider range of different aspects. Method. We evaluate the perfonnance of three major Web search engines: Google, Bing and Ask manually using 200 multi-faceted or ambiguous queries from TREC. Analysis. Both classical metrics and intent-aware metrics are used to evaluate search results. Results. Experimental results show that on average Bing and Google are comparable and Ask is slightly worse than the fonner two. However, Ask does very well in one subtype of queries - ambiguous queries. The average perfonnance of the three search engines is better than the average of the top two runs submitted to the TREC web diversity task in 2009-2012. Conclusions. Generally, all three Web search engines do well, this indicates that all of them must use state-of-the-art technology to support the diversification of search results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Aiming at addressing the uneven pesticide distribution when spraying high-spindle apple trees, the parameters of a homemade profiling boom sprayer were analysed, and the optimal parameter combinations of the profiling sprayer were determined. Fluent was used to simulate the spray for various parameter values. The goodness of fit (R2) with experimentally measured data was 0.9270, which verified the accuracy of the numerical simulations. The response surface methodology (RSM) method was used to obtain optimal parameter values from the simulations, and the effective collection rate and spray distribution coefficient of variation were introduced as response values. A sprayer prototype was manufactured based on the optimal parameters determined by RSM analysis, and the results were verified by vertical droplet distribution tests. The results showed that the spray quality increased by 0.7%, 0.9%, and 0.3% for the three best parameters combinations, the droplet distribution was more uniform, and the effect of the profiling spray was better than that of the control tests. The results can provide guidance for the design of sprayers for orchards, and the optimal combination of parameters can provide a basis for subsequent research on precision modelling of profile spraying.

In order to study the manufacturing process of high efficiency and high-power semiconductor lasers, based on the analysis of the main problems in high power semiconductor lasers, detailed studies were made in efficiency of the device, device manufacturing process (ohmic contact, surface passivation, cavity length, cavity mask optimization, packaging, etc.) and explored aspects of performance test. These efforts helped us to find approaches to reduce the threshold improve quantum efficiency and power conversion efficiency, prolong its shelf life and reliability. The ohmic contact of semiconductor lasers was experimentally studied. The influence factors improving the contact resistance were analysed. The series resistance of the device was reduced to 0.12 ohm, which improved the efficiency of power conversion and reduces the Joule heat under high current. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Liver is an important metabolic organ that plays a critical role in lipid synthesis, degradation, and transport; however, the molecular regulatory mechanisms of lipid metabolism remain unclear in chicken. In this study, RNA-Seq technology was used to investigate differences in expression profiles of hepatic lipid metabolism-related genes and associated pathways between juvenile and laying hens. The study aimed to broaden the understanding of liver lipid metabolism in chicken, and thereby to help improve laying performance in the poultry industry. Results: RNA-Seq analysis was carried out on total RNA harvested from the liver of juvenile (n = 3) and laying (n = 3) hens. Compared with juvenile hens, 2567 differentially expressed genes (1082 up-regulated and 1485 down-regulated) with P = 0.05 were obtained in laying hens, and 960 of these genes were significantly differentially expressed (SDE) at a false discovery rate (FDR) of =0.05 and fold-change =2 or =0.5. In addition, most of the 198 SDE novel genes (91 up-regulated and 107 down-regulated) were discovered highly expressed, and 332 SDE isoforms were identified. Gene ontology (GO) enrichment and KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) pathway analysis showed that the SDE genes were most enrichment in steroid biosynthesis, PPAR signaling pathway, biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids, glycerophospholipid metabolism, three amino acid pathways, and pyruvate metabolism (P = 0.05). The top significantly enriched GO terms among the SDE genes included lipid biosynthesis, cholesterol and sterol metabolic, and oxidation reduction, indicating that principal lipogenesis occurred in the liver of laying hens. Conclusions: This study suggests that the majority of changes at the transcriptome level in laying hen liver were closely related to fat metabolism. Some of the SDE uncharacterized novel genes and alternative splicing isoforms that were detected might also take part in lipid metabolism, although this needs further investigation. This study provides valuable information about the expression profiles of mRNAs from chicken liver, and in-depth functional investigations of these mRNAs could provide new insights into the molecular networks of lipid metabolism in chicken liver. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A class of nonionic polysaccharides-based surfactants were synthesised from O-acetyl galactoglucomannan (GGM), water-soluble hemicelluloses from spruce, using naturally-occurring saturated fatty acids, CH3(CH2)nCOOH (n = 7, 12, and 16). Hemicelluloses can be recovered from waste-streams of papermaking and agricultural processes or isolated by hot water extraction of plant tissues integrated into a biorefinery process. Fatty acids can be recovered as byproducts of the agricultural and food industries. Different synthesis routes were applied to yield amphiphilic derivatives with either a grafted or block structure. Fatty acids activated with 1,1'-carbonyldiimidazole (CDI) were grafted to the backbone of GGM molecules on their hydroxyl groups. Alternatively, synthesised amino-activated fatty acids using ethylenediamine were reacted with the reducing end of GGM. By adjusting the reagent ratios, GGM-based surfactants with different hydrophilic to hydrophobic ratios were prepared. Their surface activity was assessed by measuring the surface tension in water. This study presents an approach to design carbohydrate-based surfactants using naturally-occurring fatty acids that may find potential applications in such areas as food, cosmetic, and paint formulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]