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Drug side effects are one of the major concerns in the drug discovery. A great number of machine learning-based computational methods have been proposed to predict drug side effects. Many methods combine diverse drug features for the side effect prediction, but complete features are not available for all drugs. Drug side effect prediction with limited information is challenging and meaningful. In this paper, we propose a novel computational method “feature-derived graph regularized matrix factorization” (FGRMF), which predicts unobserved side effects for approved drugs based on known drug-side effect associations and available drug features. FGRMF projects the drug-side effect association relationship into the low-dimensional space, which uncovers the latent features of drugs and side effects. A graph is constructed based on individual drug features, and the graph regularization which preserves the structure of the drug graph is incorporated into FGRMF. FGRMF is different from the traditional matrix factorization technique, and can take the biomedical context into account. In the computational experiments, FGRMF can produce satisfying results, and outperforms benchmark side effect prediction methods on the benchmark datasets. When complete features are available, we can extend FGRMF to integrate diverse features. We develop a web server to facilitate drug side effect prediction, available at http://www.bioinfotech.cn/FGRMF/ . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hindered phenol functionalized graphene oxide (HPFGO) was prepared by grafting 2,6-Di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxymethyl phenol (DBHMP) onto graphene oxide (GO) using isophorone diisocyanate as bridging agent. FT-IR, XPS, XRD and TGA results confirmed the chemical structure of HPFGO. By latex-mixing method, HPFGO was uniformly dispersed in natural rubber (NR) matrix and obviously enhanced the thermal stability. Importantly, HPFGO significantly improved the thermo-oxidative aging resistance of NR vulcanizate, which was attributed to not only the synergistic antioxidative effect between hindered phenol and urethane groups, but also the barrier role of HPFGO sheets to oxygen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Barnacles robustly adhere themselves to diverse submarine substrates through a proteinaceous complex termed the “barnacle cement”. Previous studies have indicated that certain peptides derived from some barnacle cement proteins can self-assemble into amyloid fibrils. In this study, we assessed the self-assembly behavior of a full-length 19 kDa cement protein from Balanus albicostatus ( Bal cp19k) in different buffers. Results of Thioflavin T binding assay, transmission electron microscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy suggested that the bacterial recombinant Bal cp19k was able to aggregate into typical amyloid fibrils. The time required for the self-assembly process was close to that required for the complete curing of barnacle cement complex. Moreover, the solubility of Bal cp19k amyloid deposits in guanidine hydrochloride and urea was same as that of the cured cement. These results indicated the inherent self-assembling nature of Bal cp19k, implying that the amyloid fibril formation plays a critical role in barnacle cement curing procedure and its insolubility. Our results should be conducive to understanding barnacle underwater adhesion mechanisms and have implications in the development of new-generation antifouling techniques and in the designing of novel wet adhesives for biomedical and technical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three-dimensional metal carbide MXene/reduced graphene oxide hybrid nanosheets are prepared and applied as a cathode host material for lithium-sulfur batteries. The composite cathodes are obtained through a facile and effective two-step liquid-phase impregnation method. Owing to the unique 3 D layer structure and functional 2 D surfaces of MXene and reduced graphene oxide nanosheets for effective trapping of sulfur and lithium polysulfides, the MXene/reduced graphene oxide/sulfur composite cathodes deliver a high initial capacity of 1144.2 mAh g−1 at 0.5 C and a high level of capacity retention of 878.4 mAh g−1 after 300 cycles. It is demonstrated that hybrid metal carbide MXene/reduced graphene oxide nanosheets could be a promising cathode host material for lithium-sulfur batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new member of the contryphans family was isolated from the venom of Conus betilinus, a vermivorous species distributed in the South China Sea. Its sequence, ZSGCO(D-W)KPWC-NH 2 (Z, pyroglutamic acid), was established by a combination of de novo MS/MS sequencing and venom-duct transcriptome sequencing. The occurrence of D-Trp 6 was confirmed by chemical synthesis and HPLC behavior comparison. Like known contryphans, contryphan-Bt produces the “stiff-tail” syndrome in mice and contains one disulfide bond, a hydroxyproline, a D-tryptophan, and an amidated C-terminus. However, contryphan-Bt differs from previously identified contryphans by a pyroglutamic acid at the N terminus. CD spectrum reveals that contryphan-Bt possess β-turn in solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Superhydrophobic material has great potential applications in the field of anti-icing due to its special wettability. However, the poor wear resistance of the material has restricted its practical applications. Based on this, a simple two-step spray method was used to prepare a self-healing and robust superhydrophobic coating with excellent photothermal/electrothermal effect for anti-icing using epoxy modified ethylene octene copolymer (POEG) resin as the substrate layer and the fluorinated carbon black as the top coating. Results showed that the obtained composite coating showed multi-level rough structure and possessed excellent superhydrophobicity toward water droplets with different pH. Meanwhile, the composite coating could resist abrasion and kept superhydropbobicity even 250 cycles abrasion test with a water contact angle higher than 150o. When the surface was subjected to the intense abrasion, the rough structure and the superhydrophobic property of the surface were destroyed. However, it could be restored by the abrasion of the rougher surface. In addition, the scratches on the surface could be completely repaired by the heat treatment, indicating the good self-healing performance of the composite coating. Due to the existence of the carbon black particles, the superhydrophobic coating had good photothermal/electrothermal effects, which endowed the surface with excellent anti-icing performance of removing the icing under the conditions of electrothermal and light. This paper provides a simple and convenient way to prepare functional self-healing superhydrophobic coating, and a new idea for the preparation of anti-icing coating. [Display omitted] • The stable superhydrophobic coating showed excellent abrasion resistance performance. • The damaged composite coating could be easily repaired by heating self-healing. • The superhydrophobic coating possessed excellent electrothermal/photothermal effects. • The superhydrophobic coating showed excellent anti-icing performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antenna is the main chemosensory organ in mosquitoes. Characterization of the transcriptional changes after blood meal, especially those related to chemoreception, may help to explain mosquito blood sucking behavior and to identify novel targets for mosquito control. Anopheles sinensis is an Asiatic mosquito species which transmits malaria and lymphatic filariasis. However, studies on chemosensory biology in female An. sinensis are quite lacking. Here we report a transcriptome analysis of An. sinensis female antennae pre- and post- blood meal. We created six An. sinensis antenna RNA-seq libraries, three from females without blood meal and three from females five hours after a blood meal. Illumina sequencing was conducted to analyze the transcriptome differences between the two groups. In total, the sequenced fragments created 21,643 genes, 1,828 of them were novel. 12,861 of these genes were considered to be expressed (FPKM >1.0) in at least one of the two groups, with 12,159 genes expressed in both groups. 548 genes were differentially expressed in the blood-fed group, with 331 genes up-regulated and 217 genes down-regulated. GO enrichment analysis of the differentially expressed genes suggested that there were no statistically over represented GO terms among down-regulated genes in blood-fed mosquitoes, while the enriched GO terms of the up-regulated genes occurred mainly in metabolic process. For the chemosensory gene families, a subtle distinction in the expression levels can be observed according to our statistical analysis. However, the firstly comprehensive identification of these chemosensory gene families in An. sinensis antennae will help to characterize the precise function of these proteins in odor recognition in mosquitoes. This study provides a first global view in the changes of transcript accumulation elicited by blood meal in An. sinensis female antennae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To restrain the migration and extractability of the antioxidants and improve the dispersion of nanosilica in natural rubber (NR), antioxidant 2- tert-butyl-6-(3- tert-butyl-2-hydroxy-5-methylbenzyl)-4-methyphenyl acrylate (GM) functionalized nanosilica was prepared using antioxidant coupling agent (KH590-GM) as functional modifier, which was first synthesized through thiol-ene reaction between the mercapto group of γ-mercaptopropyl trimethoxysilane (KH590) and the CC double bonds of antioxidant GM. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance confirmed the structure of KH590-GM and GM functionalized nanosilica. Thermogravimetry analysis indicated that the grafting rate of GM functionalized nanosilica reached 13.4%, and the antioxidant had good thermal stability. Scanning electron microscope and mechanical properties measurement showed GM functionalized nanosilica was dispersed uniformly in NR vulcanizates, and helpful for the increase of the tensile strength and tensile stress of NR vulcanizates. Based on the study of the antioxidative behavior and extraction resistance of the NR vulcanizates, it was found that in contrast to NR vulcanizates with GM, the ageing coefficient and oxidation induction time of that with GM functionalized nanosilica increased to 0.66 and 39 min from 0.58 and 30 min, respectively. Furthermore, the NR vulcanizates with GM functionalized nanosilica also exhibited excellent extraction resistance. POLYM. COMPOS., 38:1241-1247, 2017. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The authors previously reported that the c-kit-positive (c-kitPOS) cells isolated from slowly adhering (SA) but not from rapidly adhering (RA) fractions of cardiac mesenchymal cells (CMCs) are effective in preserving left ventricular (LV) function after myocardial infarction (MI).Objectives: This study evaluated whether adherence to plastic alone, without c-kit sorting, was sufficient to isolate reparative CMCs.Methods: RA and SA CMCs were isolated from mouse hearts, expanded in vitro, characterized, and evaluated for therapeutic efficacy in mice subjected to MI.Results: Morphological and phenotypic analysis revealed that murine RA and SA CMCs are indistinguishable; nevertheless, transcriptome analysis showed that they possess fundamentally different gene expression profiles related to factors that regulate post-MI LV remodeling and repair. A similar population of SA CMCs was isolated from porcine endomyocardial biopsy samples. In mice given CMCs 2 days after MI, LV ejection fraction 28 days later was significantly increased in the SA CMC group (31.2 ± 1.0% vs. 24.7 ± 2.2% in vehicle-treated mice; p < 0.05) but not in the RA CMC group (24.1 ± 1.2%). Histological analysis showed reduced collagen deposition in the noninfarcted region in mice given SA CMCs (7.6 ± 1.5% vs. 14.5 ± 2.8% in vehicle-treated mice; p < 0.05) but not RA CMCs (11.7 ± 1.7%), which was associated with reduced infiltration of inflammatory cells (14.1 ± 1.6% vs. 21.3 ± 1.5% of total cells in vehicle and 19.3 ± 1.8% in RA CMCs; p < 0.05). Engraftment of SA CMCs was negligible, which implies a paracrine mechanism of action.Conclusions: We identified a novel population of c-kit-negative reparative cardiac cells (SA CMCs) that can be isolated with a simple method based on adherence to plastic. SA CMCs exhibited robust reparative properties and offered numerous advantages, appearing to be more suitable than c-kitPOS cardiac progenitor cells for widespread clinical therapeutic application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes) in the intervertebral disc may result in low back pain. The purpose of this study was to determine how P. acnes accesses the disc.Methods: Patients with low back pain and/or sciatica were examined using X-ray and MRI before surgery. The intervertebral disc space height was measured on X-ray image. Disc and muscle samples were obtained from 46 patients undergoing discectomy at the lumbar spine. The tear of annulus was inspected before discectomy. In the disc and muscle tissue cultures, 16S rDNA gene specific for P. acnes was examined using PCR.Results: The discs from 11 (23.9 %) patients were identified as 16S rDNA positive, in which two patients also had 16S rDNA in their muscles. 16S rDNA gene was significantly more likely to appear in the discs with annular tear than those without tear (P < 0.05). The disc space height was significantly decreased when the disc contained P. acnes.Conclusion: P. acnes is significantly more likely to be present in herniated discs with an annular tear than in herniated discs without such a tear. Since in the vast majority of these cases, no P. acnes was found in control muscle samples, a true infection with P. acnes is far more likely than a contamination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Per-2,3-acetyl-β-cyclodextrin is first synthesized by selective modification and used as core molecule for preparing a star-shaped macromolecular antioxidant (β-CD-DBHMP) via a two-step method. β-CD-DBHMP is characterized by 1H-NMR, MALDI-TOF MS, and TGA. The performance of β-CD-DBHMP as antioxidant for natural rubber is determined by OIT and accelerated thermal aging test, and its extraction resistance is also investigated. The results show that β-CD-DBHMP with a Mn of 4.03 × 103 g · mol−1 is successfully obtained, and it possesses high thermal stability with an initial weight loss temperature of 290 °C. Moreover, β-CD-DBHMP is superior to DBHMP for the stabilization of NR against thermal oxidation, and exhibits better extraction resistance. Its possible antioxidative mechanism is also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The barnacle is well known for its tenacious and permanent attachment to a wide variety of underwater substrates, which is accomplished by synthesizing, secreting and curing a mixture of adhesive proteins termed “barnacle cement”. In order to evaluate interfacial adhesion abilities of barnacle cement proteins, the cp19k homologous gene in Balanus albicostatus (Balcp19k) was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. Here, we report an intriguing discovery of a gel-like super adhesive aggregation produced by Trx-Balcp19k, a recombinant Balcp19k fusion protein. The Trx-Balcp19k consists of an 18 kDa fragment at the N-terminus, which is encoded by pET-32a(+) plasmid and mainly comprised of a thioredoxin (Trx) tag, and Balcp19k at the C-terminus. The sticky aggregation was designated as “Trx-Balcp19k gel”, and the bulk adhesion strength, biochemical composition, as well as formation conditions were all carefully investigated. The Trx-Balcp19k gel exhibited strong adhesion strength of 2.10 ± 0.67 MPa, which was approximately fifty folds higher than that of the disaggregated Trx-Balcp19k (40 ± 8 kPa) and rivaled those of commercial polyvinyl acetate (PVA) craft glue (Mont Marte, Australia) and UHU glue (UHU GmbH & Co. KG, Germany). Lipids were absent from the Trx-Balcp19k gel and only a trace amount of carbohydrates was detected. We postulate that the electrostatic interactions play a key role in the formation of Trx-Balcp19k gel, by mediating self-aggregation of Trx-Balcp19k based on its asymmetric distribution pattern of charged amino acids. Taken together, we believe that our discovery not only presents a promising biological adhesive with potential applications in both biomedical and technical fields, but also provides valuable paradigms for molecular design of bio-inspired peptide- or protein-based materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cryptochrome/photolyase superfamily is a class of flavoproteins that can regulate the growth and development in plants, as well as the circadian clock and the potential magnetic navigation in animals, primarily by absorbing UV-A and blue light. It is generally agreed that these functions depend on the photochemical reaction of the flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) chromophore, non-covalently binding to cryptochromes or photolyases. Irradiation can initiate either photoreduction between FAD and certain electron donors or electron jumping in FAD, thereby leading to the generation of intermediates that activate the protein. This signaling process is known as photoactivation. Subsequently, the activated protein will interact with downstream receptors to transfer the photo and magnetic signals. Based on in-depth research on photoactivation, two photo-cycle mechanisms for the photoreception/photosignaling of the cryptochrome/photolyase superfamily, i.e., the photolyase model and the phototropin model, have been proposed. There is no apparent alternative to the photo-cycle of cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer (CPD) or (6-4) photolyase following the photolyase model. However, the mechanism is not clear for the photoactivation of cryptochromes and CRY-DASH, a new subcategory of photolyase. Since the photoactivation process is the first step for the physiological function of proteins, more and improved research efforts in this field have been widely developed. This review first briefly presents the structure, the photoactivation, and the repair mechanism of CPD and (6-4) photolyase. Next, we review in detail the photoactivation of cryptochromes and CRY-DASH by analyzing the current status of research, as well as the contradictions in the resting redox states of FAD, intermediates in photoreactions, the photo-cycle of FAD, the signaling state of proteins, and the necessity of given tryptophans for protein activity. Based on these studies, the correlations of photoactivation and photo-cycle mechanisms, as well as the correlations of photoactivation and magnetoreception of proteins, are discussed. Finally the crucial open questions regarding the photoactivation mechanisms of the cryptochrome/photolyase superfamily are outlined, considering the hypothesis for a cryptochrome-based model of avian magnetoreception. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A fully organic and biodegradable superhydrophobic sponge is rationally constructed. • All of raw materials are derived from cheap renewable natural resources. • The sponge presents great separation performance for immiscible oil/water mixtures. • Multi-layer compressed porous structure achieves gravity-driven high-flux emulsion separation. Facile fabrication of functional superhydrophobic porous materials with full biodegradability for efficient removal of oily pollutants from water has been of considerable interest for its great significance in environmental protection. Herein, a fully organic and biodegradable superhydrophobic sponge is fabricated with carnauba wax (CW) via dip-coating, nonsolvent induced phase separation and spraying processes on a freeze-dried pomelo peel. The as-fabricated sponge was covered with flower-shaped patterns aggregated by CW nanosheets, and presented great water repellency with a contact angle of 154°. Thanks to the 3D porous architecture and superhydrophobicity/superoleophilicity, the sponge exhibited great oil absorptive capacity, oil selectivity, separation efficiency and reusability for immiscible oil/water mixtures. Interestingly, the multi-layer compressed sponges realized gravity-driven surfactant-stabilized water-in-oil emulsion separation with high permeation flux of up to 5729 L·m−2·h−1 and excellent efficiency of oil purity larger than 99.9%. Importantly, the superhydrophobic sponge was derived from cheap renewable natural resources, and capable of being completely biodegraded after discarding. The findings conceivably stand out as a new tool to fabricate superhydrophobic materials with sustainability and biodegradability for oil accidents and industrial sewage emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using tetraethoxysilane and 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane as the silica sources, amino-functionalized mesoporous silica thin films with 3-dimensional cubic structure have been deposited on conducting ITO substrate in the presence of surfactant F127 templates under acid conditions. The acetylcholinesterase (AchE) and cytochrome c (Cyt c) were incorporated into the pores of mesoporous thin films, and an amperometric biosensor was obtained. After adsorption of AchE and Cyt c, the ordered cubic structure of mesoporous silica and the bioactivities and electrochemical activities of the immobilized protein and enzyme molecules were retained. The sensor properties of the biosensor were investigated by using acetylthiocholine iodide as the substrate and Cyt c as the electron transfer mediator. The inhibition versus the logarithm of concentration was found to be linear to organophosphorus pesticide dichlorvos over the concentration ranges of 1.0×10-8 mol/L to 1.0×10-3 mol/L with the detection limit of 3.1×10-9 mol/L. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The epsilon isoform of protein kinase C (PKCepsilon) is a member of the PKC family of serine/threonine kinases and plays a critical role in protection against ischemic injury in multiple organs. Functional proteomic analyses of PKCepsilon signaling show that this isozyme forms multiprotein complexes in the heart; however, the precise signaling mechanisms whereby PKCepsilon orchestrates cardioprotection are poorly understood. Here we report that Lck, a member of the Src family of tyrosine kinases, forms a functional signaling module with PKCepsilon. In cardiac cells, PKCepsilon interacts with, phosphorylates, and activates Lck. In vivo studies showed that cardioprotection elicited either by cardiac-specific transgenic activation of PKCepsilon or by ischemic preconditioning enhances the formation of PKCepsilon-Lck modules. Disruption of these modules, via ablation of the Lck gene, abrogated the infarct-sparing effects of these two forms of cardioprotection, indicating that the formation of PKCepsilon-Lck signaling modules is required for the manifestation of a cardioprotective phenotype. These findings demonstrate, for the first time to our knowledge, that the assembly of a module (PKCepsilon-Lck) is an obligatory step in the signal transduction that results in a specific phenotype. Thus, PKCepsilon-Lck modules may serve as novel therapeutic targets for the prevention of ischemic injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sedimentary basins of Yunnan, Southwest China, record detailed histories of Cenozoic paleoenvironmental change. They track regional tectonic and palaeobiological evolution, both of which are critically important for the development of modern floral diversity in southwestern China and throughout Asia more generally. However, to be useful, the sedimentary archives within the basins have to be placed within a well-constrained timeframe independent of biostratigraphy. Using high resolution U-Pb dating, we redefine the age of fossil-bearing strata in the Wenshan Basin. Regarded as Miocene for the last half century, these basin sediments encompass 30 ± 2 and 32 ± 1 Ma early Oligocene tuffaceous horizons, thus indicating a significantly greater antiquity than previously recognized. Together with other regional age revisions our result points to widespread Yunnan basin and orographic development as largely having taken place by the end Paleogene. This age revision provides an important new perspective on the preserved biotas and their evolution in Yunnan, and especially our understanding of the origin of Asian biodiversity which, regionally, had a near-modern composition by the early Oligocene. Crucially, this revised age evidences late Eocene-early Oligocene regional tectonism, pointing to the rise of eastern Tibet and the Hengduan Mountains before the growth of the Himalaya, and that Asia's high plant diversity has a Paleogene origin. • New U/Pb ash date revises the 'Miocene' Wenshan Basin, Yunnan, to early Oligocene. • The new dates confirm a Paleogene modernization of biodiversity in SW China. • This supports major tectonic restructuring of SW China in the late Paleogene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A star-shaped macromolecular antioxidant (β-CD-DBHMP) was synthesized via a two-step method by binding 2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxy methyl phenol (DBHMP) onto per-2,3-acetyl-β-cyclodextrin (β-CD-core) using isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI) as linkage. FT-IR, 1 H –NMR, MALDI-TOF MS and GPC results confirmed the star-shaped structure of β-CD-DBHMP. Accelerated thermal aging test and water extraction test indicated β-CD-DBHMP could protect natural rubber (NR) against thermal oxidation and also exhibit good extraction resistance in NR matrix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The photocurrent density of WO 3 /RGO/Ni:FeOOH increased by a factor of 2.05. • The onset potential of WO 3 /RGO/Ni:FeOOH negatively shifted 83 mV. • Ni:FeOOH acts as a bi-functional modifier. • Ni:FeOOH improves light absorption and charge transfer process. • RGO as a conductive bridge-linker promote charge separation. The instability and low activity of WO 3 is the hot-topic for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting, which is decreased by a sluggish interfacial kinetics and incomplete water oxidation. Aiming at such issues, we designed a ternary WO 3 /RGO/Ni:FeOOH photoanode, which exhibits 2.05 times larger photocurrent (1.32 mA cm−2) than the WO 3 NFs in 0.5 M Na 2 SO 4 electrolyte solution, accompanied with 83 mV cathodic shift of onset potential. These results demonstrates PEC response can occurs only in Ni:FeOOH but not FeOOH. Therefore, Ni:FeOOH acting as bi-functional modifier, can not only increase light absorption but also promote charge transfer process by forming p-n heterojunction with the WO 3 NFs. Besides, RGO forming a continuously conducting network can further improve charge separation process. Owing to their synergistic effects, the Faradaic efficiency and stability are both improved compared to its counterparts and the bare WO 3 NFs. This work may inspire the PEC application in other co-catalyst decorated systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Capturing the spatial heterogeneity and characteristic scale is the key to determining the spatial patterns of land surfaces. In this research, the core observation area of the middle reaches of the Heihe River Basin was selected as the study area, and the scale identification of several typical objects was carried out by implementing experiments on moderate- and high-resolution remotely sensed ASTER and CASI NDVI images. The aim was to evaluate the potential of the local variance and semivariance analysis to characterize the spatial heterogeneity of objects, track their changes with scale, and obtain their scales. Our results show that natural objects have multiscale structures. For a single object with a recognizable size, the results of the two methods are relatively consistent. For continuously distributed samples of indistinctive size, the scale obtained by the local variance is smaller than that obtained by the semivariance. As the image resolution becomes coarser and the research scopes expand, the scales of objects are also increasing. This article also indicates that with a small research area of uniform objects, the local variance and semivariance are easy to facilitate researchers to quickly select the appropriate spatial resolution of remote sensing data according to the research area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: An overview of the formation mechanisms, fabrication methods, and applications of bioinspired wrinkling patterns on curved substrates is provided. The effect of substrate curvature is described in detail to clarify the difference of wrinkling patterns between planar and curved substrates. Opportunities and challenges of the surface wrinkling in the biofabrication, three-dimensional micro/nano fabrication, and four-dimensional printing are discussed. The surface wrinkling of biological tissues is ubiquitous in nature. Accumulating evidence suggests that the mechanical force plays a significant role in shaping the biological morphologies. Controlled wrinkling has been demonstrated to be able to spontaneously form rich multiscale patterns, on either planar or curved surfaces. The surface wrinkling on planar substrates has been investigated thoroughly during the past decades. However, most wrinkling morphologies in nature are based on the curved biological surfaces and the research of controllable patterning on curved substrates still remains weak. The study of wrinkling on curved substrates is critical for understanding the biological growth, developing three-dimensional (3D) or four-dimensional (4D) fabrication techniques, and creating novel topographic patterns. In this review, fundamental wrinkling mechanics and recent advances in both fabrications and applications of the wrinkling patterns on curved substrates are summarized. The mechanics behind the wrinkles is compared between the planar and the curved cases. Beyond the film thickness, modulus ratio, and mismatch strain, the substrate curvature is one more significant parameter controlling the surface wrinkling. Curved substrates can be both solid and hollow with various 3D geometries across multiple length scales. Up to date, the wrinkling morphologies on solid/hollow core–shell spheres and cylinders have been simulated and selectively produced. Emerging applications of the curved topographic patterns have been found in smart wetting surfaces, cell culture interfaces, healthcare materials, and actuators, which may accelerate the development of artificial organs, stimuli-responsive devices, and micro/nano fabrications with higher dimensions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonprecious metal single‐atom materials have attracted extensive attention in the field of electrocatalysis due to their low cost, high reactivity, high selectivity, and high atomic utilization. However, the high surface energy of a single atom causes agglomeration during preparation and catalytic measurement, resulting in damage to the catalytic sites. The strong interaction between substrate and monoatoms is the key factor to prevent the aggregation of individual metal atoms, and the geometry and electronic structure of the catalysts can be adjusted to optimize the catalytic activity. Due to the hierarchically pores, high specific surface area, and defect effect, nitrogen‐doped porous carbon (NPC) has been widely studied as an ideal nonprecious metal single‐atom support, which synergistically enhance the electrocatalytic performance toward oxygen reduction reaction, oxygen evolution reaction, hydrogen evolution reaction, carbon dioxide reduction reaction, and nitrogen reduction reaction with non‐noble metal single atoms. This review summarizes the controllable synthesis, characterization, theoretical calculation, and application of M (M = Co, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Mo, etc.) single atoms on nitrogen‐doped porous carbon. Finally, the future development and challenges of nitrogen‐doped porous carbon supported nonprecious metal single‐atom electrocatalysts for practical commercialization are concluded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The commercialization of high-energy-density and low-cost lithium-sulfur batteries has been severely impeded by capacity fading and electrochemical polarization. Here we report a strategy to entrap polysulfides and boost the cathodic redox kinetics by embedding the surface oxidized quantum-dot-size TiN (TiN-O) within the highly ordered mesoporous carbon matrix. While the carbon scaffold offers sufficient electrical contact to the insulate sulfur, benefiting the full usage of sulfur and physical confinement of polysulfides. The surface oxygen renders TiN-O with a strong charge polarization effect for polysulfides via S-O-Ti bond as verified experimentally and theoretically. The suppressed shuttle effect and high lithium ion diffusion coefficient (7.9 × 10−8 cm2 s−1) lead to a high capacity of 1264 mA h g−1 at 0.2 C with a negligible capacity fading rate of 0.06% per cycle. Additionally, TiN-O based prototype soft-package cells also exhibit excellent cycling stability with flexibility, demonstrating their potential for practical applications. Capacity fading and electrochemical polarization pose barriers to the commercial use of lithium-sulfur batteries. Here the authors show improved charge polarization and electrochemical performance in a surface oxidized quantum-dot-size titanium nitride embedded within a highly ordered mesoporous carbon matrix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Template‐free, highly efficient, and large‐area construction of complex multiscale architectures is still a great challenge for microfabrications. Inspired by the hierarchical micropapillae on the superhydrophobic surface of natural rose petals, here, a facile 3D shrinking method is reported to build a graphene oxide (GO) papillae array. Circular GO speckles with a gradient of thickness are deposited on an inflated latex balloon through the water‐evaporation‐driven assembly of GO nanosheets, which then shrink into hierarchical papillae under compressive stresses upon deflation. The fluoroalkylsilane modified GO papillae array exhibits a combined performance of strong superhydrophobicity (CA > 170°), tunable adhesive force (39.2–129.4 µN), and ultralarge liquid capacity (25 µL). The wetting states (Wenzel, Cassie‐I, and Cassie‐Baxter), the adhesive forces, and the liquid capacities all can be tuned by varying the buckling topography (microwrinkle or microfold), the papillae number (3, 4, 6, or 7), and the array arrangement (triangle, square, or hexagon). For one single papillae, the highest adhesive force and the highest liquid capacity incresed to a record breaking value of 26.5 µN and 4.2 µL, respectively, which are promising for programmable manipulations of microdroplets and relevant for multistep microreactions. Inspired by the multiscale papillae on the rose petal, a template‐free 3D‐shrinking method is developed. The obtained bioinspired papillae array exhibits strong superhydrophobicity (CA > 170°), ultralarge liquid capacity (25 µL), and tunable adhesive force (39.2–129.4 µN). Its application for programmable transfer of microdroplets and for multistep microreaction platforms is demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]