Electronic skins (e‐skins) have gained tremendous attention in health monitoring and disease diagnosis. However, the accumulated sweat at the skin/e‐skin interface would compromise the comfort, ...reliability, and fidelity for long‐term monitoring. Here, inspired by the active liquid transport phenomenon in nature, a biomimetic gold/thermoplastic polyurethane/cellulose membrane (Au/TPU/CM) based e‐skin is reported that can “pump” perspiration from the interface immediately through the combination of gradient porosity and surface energy gradient. The resulting electrode possesses good conductivity (2.68 Ω sq–1), excellent flexibility (the resistance only fluctuated 1.1% and 0.4% after 10 000 bending cycles and 2500 tensile cycles, respectively), and outstanding water vapor transmission and water evaporation rate (2.2 and 7.1 times as much as that of cotton fabric, respectively). The ultrafast perspiration‐wicking capability not only improves the wearing comfort but also minimizes the measurement error of skin hydration and temperature due to perspiration, eliminates the risk of short circuit in sensor array, and reduces the noise level, significantly enhancing the accuracy and reliability of multimodal sensing in e‐skins. The design strategy may encourage more material and structure development in e‐skins with improved sweat tolerance.
This study leverages controlled liquid transport principles in biosystems in e‐skin design and achieves active and unidirectional transportation of sweat away from the skin through the construction of dual porosity and surface energy gradients, preventing signal degradation and wearing discomfort caused by perspiration accumulation.
Mechanism exploitation of energy homeostasis is urgently required because of the worldwide prevailing of obesity-related metabolic disorders in human being. Although it is well known that leptin ...plays a central role in regulating energy balance by suppressing food intake and promoting energy expenditure, the existence of leptin resistance in majority of obese individuals hampers the utilization of leptin therapy against these disorders. However, the mechanism of leptin resistance is largely unknown in spite of the globally enormous endeavors. Current theories to interpret leptin resistance include the impairment of leptin transport, attenuation of leptin signaling, chronic inflammation, ER tress, deficiency of autophagy, as well as leptin itself. Leptin-activated leptin receptor (LepRb) signals in hypothalamus via several pathways, in which JAK2-STAT3 pathway, the most extensively investigated one, is considered to mediate the major action of leptin in energy regulation. Upon leptin stimulation the phosphorylation of STAT3 is one of the key events in JAK2-STAT3 pathway, followed by the dimerization and nuclear translocation of this molecule. Phosphorylated STAT3 (p-STAT3), as a transcription factor, binds to and regulates its target gene such as POMC gene, playing the physiological function of leptin. Regarding POMC gene in hypothalamus however little is known about the detail of its interaction with STAT3. Moreover the status of p-STAT3 and its significance in hypothalamus of DIO mice needs to be well elucidated. This review comprehends literatures on leptin and leptin resistance and especially discusses what STAT3 phosphorylation would contribute to central leptin resistance.
Co-substituted LaFeO3 was electrodeposited on the surface of BiVO4 as a co-catalyst to enhance the water splitting performance. Compared to bare BiVO4, the BiVO4/Co-LaFeO3 composite photoanode shows ...a water oxidation photocurrent of 3.4 mA/cm2 at 1.23 V versus reverse hydrogen electrode, accompanied by a notable cathodic shift in the onset potential for 300 mV. Combined optical and electrochemical characterizations show that the solid/electrolyte charge transfer efficiency of BiVO4 are dramatically improved by the incorporation of Co-substituted LaFeO3. From the surface kinetic study of charge carriers by intensity-modulated photocurrent spectroscopy, a suppressed surface recombination rate constant is observed and the enhanced photoelectrochemical water splitting performance observed in the BiVO4/Co-LaFeO3 photoanode is attributed to the surface passivation effect of Co-substituted LaFeO3.
Magnetic target localization using the magnetic gradient tensor (MGT) plays a significant role in underwater localization. However, this method inherently has a localization dead zone, which presents ...challenges for real-world applications. This paper delves into the root cause of this dead zone, identifying the non-invertibility of the MGT when the magnetic moment vector is orthogonal to the position vector from the target to the observation point. To tackle this issue, a method based on the eigenvector constraints is proposed. By constructing an objective function with eigenvector constraints and leveraging the property that its gradient at the observation point is zero, we derive an equivalent expression for the inverse of MGT that always holds and further develop a dead-zone-free localization method. To validate the robustness and efficacy of the proposed localization method, a comparative analysis with other methods is conducted. Simulation results in a 10 m × 10 m area under Gaussian noise demonstrate the proposed method’s capability to eliminate the dead zone and achieve an average localization error of 0.032 m. Experimental results further demonstrate that the proposed method eliminates the localization dead zone and exhibits greater robustness than the dominant method in the normal region. In summation, this paper provides an effective method for eliminating localization dead zone, offering a more stable and reliable method for magnetic target localization in practice.
Fucosylated chondroitin sulfate is a unique glycosaminoglycan isolated from sea cucumbers, with excellent anticoagulant activity. The fucosyl branch in FCS is generally located at the 3-OH of
...-glucuronic acid but, recently, a novel structure with α-
-fucose linked to the 6-OH of
-acetyl-galactosamine has been found. Here, using functionalized monosaccharide building blocks, we prepared novel FCS tetrasaccharides with fucosyl branches both at the 6-OH of GalNAc and 3-OH of GlcA. In the synthesis, the protective group strategy of selective
-sulfation, as well as stereoselective glycosylation, was established, which enabled the efficient synthesis of the specific tetrasaccharide compounds. This research enriches knowledge on the structural types of FCS oligosaccharides and facilitates the exploration of the structure-activity relationship in the future.
Understanding the colloidal stability of graphene is essential for predicting its transport and ecological risks in aquatic environments. We investigated the agglomeration of 14C-labeled few-layer ...graphene (FLG) at concentrations spanning nearly four orders of magnitude (2 μg/L to 10 mg/L) using dynamic light scattering and sedimentation measurements. FLG agglomerates formed rapidly in deionized water at concentrations >3 mg/L. From 1 mg/L to 3 mg/L, salt-induced agglomeration was decreased with dilution of FLG suspensions; the critical coagulation concentration of the more concentrated suspension (3 mg/L) was significantly lower than the dilute suspension (1 mg/L) in the presence of NaCl (1.6 mmol/L and 10 mmol/L, respectively). In contrast, FLG underwent slow agglomeration and settling at concentrations ≤0.1 mg/L in NaCl solutions and ambient waters with low ionic strength (<10 mmol/L). FLG nanoparticles with smaller lateral sizes (25 nm–75 nm) were shown to agglomerate more slowly than larger FLG, and these small FLG particles exhibited greater bioaccumulation in zebrafish embryo and stronger chorion penetration ability than larger FLG particles. These findings suggest that FLG at more environmentally relevant concentration is relatively stable and may have implications for exposure of small FLG to ecological receptors.
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•Dilution retards the attachment, agglomeration and sedimentation of FLG.•FLG agglomerates rapidly in deionized water at concentrations >3 mg/L.•FLG (≤0.1 mg/L) is relatively stable in electrolyte solutions and ambient waters.•Ionic strength affects FLG stability in a manner consistent with the DLVO theory.•Suspended small FLG has strong chorion penetration ability in zebrafish embryos.
Identifying unbalanced phase currents is crucial for control and fault alarm rates in power grids, especially in urban distribution networks. The zero-sequence current transformer, specifically ...designed for measuring unbalanced phase currents, offers advantages in measurement range, identity, and size, compared to using three separate current transformers. However, it cannot provide detailed information on the unbalance status beyond the total zero-sequence current. We present a novel method for identifying unbalanced phase currents based on phase difference detection using magnetic sensors. Our approach relies on analyzing phase difference data from two orthogonal magnetic field components generated by three-phase currents, as opposed to the amplitude data used in previous methods. This enables the differentiation of unbalance types (amplitude unbalance and phase unbalance) through specific criteria and allows for the simultaneous selection of an unbalanced phase current in the three-phase currents. In this method, the amplitude measurement range of magnetic sensors is no longer a critical factor, allowing for an easily attainable wide identification range for current line loads. This approach offers a new avenue for unbalanced phase current identification in power systems.
Ageratina adenophora can enhance its invasive ability by using beneficial rhizosphere bacteria. Bacillus cereus is able to promote plant growth and provide a positive feedback effect to A. adenophora .... However, the interaction between A. adenophora and B. cereus under the influence of native polyphagous insect feeding is still unclear. In this study, Eupatorium lindleyanum , a local species closely related to A. adenophora , was used as a control, aimed to compare the content of B. cereus in the roots of A. adenophora and rhizosphere soil after different densities of Aphis gossypii feeding, and then investigated the variations in the population of A. gossypii and soil characteristics after the addition of B. cereus . The result showed that B. cereus content in the rhizosphere soil and root of A. adenophora increased significantly under A. gossypii feeding compared with local plants, which also led to the change of α-diversity and β-diversity of the bacterial community, as well as the increase in nitrate nitrogen (NO 3 – N) content. The addition of B.cereus in the soil could also inhibit the population growth of A. gossypii on A. adenophora and increase the content of ammonium nitrogen (NH 4 + -N) in the soil. Our research demonstrated that B. cereus enhances the ability of A. adenophora to resist natural enemy by increasing soil ammonium nitrogen (NH 4 + -N) and accumulating other beneficial bacteria, which means that rhizosphere microorganisms help invasive plants defend themselves against local natural enemies by regulating the soil environment.
Interferon-stimulated gene 15 (ISG15) is strongly upregulated during viral infections and exerts pro-viral or antiviral actions. While many viruses combat host antiviral defenses by limiting ISG ...expression, PRV infection notably increases expression of ISG15. However, studies on the viral strategies to regulate ISG15-mediated antiviral responses are limited. Here, we demonstrate that PRV-induced free ISG15 and conjugated proteins accumulation require viral gene expression. Conjugation inhibition assays showed that ISG15 imposes its antiviral effects via unconjugated (free) ISG15 and restricts the viral release. Knockout of ISG15 in PK15 cells interferes with IFN-β production by blocking IRF3 activation and promotes PRV replication. Mechanistically, ISG15 facilitates IFN
α
-mediated antiviral activity against PRV by accelerating the activation and nuclear translocation of STAT1 and STAT2. Furthermore, ISG15 facilitated STAT1/STAT2/IRF9 (ISGF3) formation and ISGF3-induced IFN-stimulated response elements (ISRE) activity for efficient gene transcription by directly interacting with STAT2. Significantly, ISG15 knockout mice displayed enhanced susceptibility to PRV, as evidenced by increased mortality and viral loads, as well as more severe pathology caused by excessive production of the inflammatory cytokines. Our studies establish the importance of free ISG15 in IFN
α
-induced antiviral immunity and in the control of viral infections.
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