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Developing flexible polymer electrolytes that can concurrently promote ion conduction, uniform Li deposition, and robust solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) formation is promising for the development of next-generation lithium metal batteries (LMBs). Herein, a new polymeric zwitterionic electrolyte with a glass fiber support was investigated. A sulfobetaine zwitterionic crosslinker participated in in situ UV-triggered photopolymerization with a carbonate monomer and ether type dimethacrylate. The zwitterionic gel electrolyte (ZGE) demonstrated a high ionic conductivity exceeding 1 × 10−3 S cm−1 and electrochemical oxidative stability (>5 V vs. Li+/Li). The zwitterionic crosslinker in the ZGE was able to mediate homogeneous Li+ flux toward the lithium anode and suppress lithium dendrites (the Li/ZGE/Li cell can cycle stably for more than 1400 h with a current density of 0.1 mA cm−2). The ZGE also helped construct a LiF-rich SEI favorable for dendrite suppression. A Li/ZGE/LiFePO4 (LFP) cell demonstrated excellent long-term cycling stability (>600 cycles with a capacity retention of 92%, high discharge capacity of 155 mA h g−1, and coulombic efficiency of >99.5%). The ZGE could also support a Li/Ni0.815Co0.15Al0.035O2 (NCA) cell to operate with a high specific capacity of 232 mA h g−1. The flexible ZGE made it possible for a pouch-type Li/LFP cell to cycle and function well in a flat and bending state. This polymer electrolyte holds great promise for the exploration of high-energy polymeric LMBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to cope with the limited supply of feed for global animal production, there is a pressing need to explore alternative feed resources. Orange pulp, a by-product of agriculture and industry, has shown potential to positively or neutrally impact pig productive performance when included in their diet. However, there is a lack of research on the effects of fermented navel orange pulp (FNOP) on pig growth and productive performance. This study aimed to investigate the effects of FNOP as a dry matter substitute on pig's growth performance, carcass characteristics, meat quality, meat nutritional value, and serum biochemical indicators. The experiment involved 128 finishing Tibetan pigs, divided into four feed treatment groups, with varying levels (0%, 5%, 10% and 15%) of FNOP replacing dry matter in the basal diet. The results indicate that substituting 5% to 15% FNOP had no adverse effects on pig growth performance. However, at a 15% substitution rate, there was a decrease in serum growth hormone and IGF-1 levels, along with an increase in the feed-to-gain ratio. A 10% FNOP replacement notably increased the loin-eye muscle area of pigs. Additionally, 5% and 10% FNOP substitutions reduced the drip loss of pork. The study also found that substituting 5% to 15% FNOP increased unsaturated fatty acids and umami nucleotide contents in pork and raised serum total protein and uric acid (nucleotide-metabolism-related product) levels. These findings suggest that moderate FNOP substitution might improve meat quality, nutritional value, and maintain growth and productive performance in Tibetan pigs by improving protein synthesis and nucleotide metabolism, while also reducing feed costs. The optimal substitution ratio identified was 10%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Plant essential oils (PEOs) have received significant attention in animal production due to their diverse beneficial properties and hold potential to alleviate weaning stress. However, PEOs effectiveness is often compromised by volatility and degradation. Microencapsulation can enhance the stability and control release rate of essential oils. Whether different microencapsulation techniques affect the effectiveness remain unknown. This study aimed to investigate the effects of PEOs coated by different microencapsulation techniques on growth performance, immunity, and intestinal health of weaned Tibetan piglets., Methods: A total of 120 Tibetan piglets, aged 30 days, were randomly divided into five groups with four replicates, each containing six piglets. The experimental period lasted for 32 days. The groups were fed different diets: a basal diet without antibiotics (NC), a basal diet supplemented with 10 mg/kg tylosin and 50 mg/kg colistin sulfate (PC), 300 mg/kg solidified PEO particles (SPEO), 300 mg/kg cold spray-coated PEO (CSPEO), or 300 mg/kg hot spray-coated PEO (HSPEO)., Results: The results showed that supplementation with SPEO, CSPEO, or HSPEO led to a notable decrease in diarrhea incidence and feed to gain ratio, as well as duodenum lipopolysaccharide content, while simultaneously increase in average daily gain, interleukin-10 (IL-10) levels and the abundance of ileum Bifidobacterium compared with the NC group ( p  < 0.05). Supplementation with SPEO, CSPEO, or HSPEO significantly elevated serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels and concurrently reduced serum lipopolysaccharide and interferon γ levels compared with the NC and PC groups ( p  < 0.05). Serum insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) levels in the SPEO and HSPEO groups significantly increased compared with the NC group ( p  < 0.05). Additionally, CSPEO and HSPEO significantly reduced jejunum pH value ( p  < 0.05) compared with the NC and PC groups (p<0.05). Additionally, Supplementation with HSPEO significantly elevated levels of serum immunoglobulin M (IgM) and interleukin-4 (IL-4), abundance of ileum Lactobacillus, along with decreased serum interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) levels compared with both the NC and PC groups., Discussion: Our findings suggest that different microencapsulation techniques affect the effectiveness. Dietary supplemented with PEOs, especially HSPEO, increased growth performance, improved immune function, and optimized gut microbiota composition of weaned piglets, making it a promising feed additive in piglet production., Competing Interests: WW was employed by Jiangxi Tianjia Biological Engineering Co., Ltd. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Chen, Song, Xiong, Cheng, Wei, Zhou, Xu, Song, Ji, Hu and Zou.)