Current research has focused on effective solutions to mitigate global warming and the accelerating greenhouse gas emissions. Compared to most cooling methods requiring energy and resources, passive ...daytime radiative cooling (PDRC) technology offers excellent energy savings as it requires no energy consumption. However, existing PDRC materials encounter unprecedented problems such as complex structures, low flexibility, and performance degradation after stretching. Thus, this study reports a porous structured thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) film with bimodal pores to produce high‐efficiency PDRC with efficient solar scattering using a simple process. The TPU film exhibited an adequately high solar reflectivity of 0.93 and an emissivity of 0.90 in the atmospheric window to achieve an ambient cooling of 5.6 °C at midday under a solar intensity of 800 W m−2. Thus, the highly elastic and flexible TPU film was extremely suitable for application on objects with complex shapes. The radiative cooling performance of 3D‐printed models covered with these TPU films demonstrated their superior indoor cooling efficiency compared to commercial white paint (8.76 °C). Thus, the proposed design of high‐efficiency PDRC materials is applicable in various urban infrastructural objects such as buildings and vehicles.
Stretchable thermal emitter: Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) coolers that can be wrapped on buildings and vehicles are used as efficient passive daytime radiative cooling materials. The bimodal pore structure of TPU produces high solar reflectivity and high emissivity. The TPU coating has a cooling effect of 5.6 °C below ambient temperature.
16S rRNA gene sequences have been widely used for the identification of prokaryotes. However, the flood of sequences of non-type strains and the lack of a peer-reviewed database for 16S rRNA gene ...sequences of type strains have made routine identification of isolates difficult and labour-intensive. In the present study, we generated a database containing 16S rRNA gene sequences of all prokaryotic type strains. In addition, a web-based tool, named EzTaxon, for analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences was constructed to achieve identification of isolates based on pairwise nucleotide similarity values and phylogenetic inference methods. The system developed provides users with a similarity-based search, multiple sequence alignment and various phylogenetic analyses. All of these functions together with the 16S rRNA gene sequence database of type strains can be successfully used for automated and reliable identification of prokaryotic isolates. The EzTaxon server is freely accessible over the Internet at http://www.eztaxon.org/
Summary
Globally, Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas) have a high market demand owing to their increased nutritional value. Crassostrea gigas can be a dietary source to meet the daily nutritional ...needs. Several studies have evaluated the nutritional value and bioactivity of C. gigas. However, a review of studies examining the nutritional value and bioactivity of C. gigas has not been previously performed. This study aimed to review the studies evaluating the nutritional value and bioactivities of C. gigas components using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses guidelines. The online databases Web of Science, ScienceDirect, MEDLINE and PubMed were searched to retrieve published studies on the nutritional value and bioactivity of C. gigas. Among the 37 studies obtained after filtering, the highest number of studies evaluated other bioactivities of C. gigas, followed by studies evaluating the antioxidant activity. This review examined the C. gigas components, including protein, moisture, glycogen, minerals, essential amino acids and fatty acids, which exerted beneficial effects on human health. Environmental conditions and cultivation techniques influenced the nutritional contents of C. gigas. The bioactive components of C. gigas exhibited antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti‐inflammatory, antitumor and anticancer, hepatoprotective, antihypertensive, hypoglycaemic, skin whitening, skin immunomodulatory, antiwrinkle, cholesterol‐lowering, antiaudiogenic seizure and probiotic activities. In conclusion, C. gigas has a high nutritional value and comprises various bioactive components. Thus, C. gigas can be a source of bioactive components and a functional food. However, most studies evaluating the bioactivity of C. gigas were performed in vitro.
The bioactive compounds of C. gigas and their biological activities.
Although mice have long served as an animal model for periodontitis, information on the composition of their indigenous oral microbiota is limited. The aim of the current study was to characterize ...mouse oral bacterial flora by applying extensive parallel pyrosequencing using the latest model pyrosequencer, a Roche/454 Genome Sequencer FLX Titanium. In addition, the effect of Toll-like receptor (TLR) 2 deficiency on oral microbiota was evaluated.
Eight oral bacterial communities of wild-type (n = 4) and TLR2 knock-out (n = 4) C57BL/6 mice were characterized by analyzing 80,046 reads of 16S rRNA genes obtained by pyrosequencing. Excluding the PCR primers, the average length of each sequencing product was 443 bp. The average species richness of the murine oral bacterial communities was estimated to be about 200, but the communities were dominated by only two main phyla and several species. Therefore, the bacterial communities were relatively simple. The bacterial composition of the murine oral microbiota was significantly different from that of humans, and the lack of TLR2 had a negligible effect on the murine oral microbiota.
Pyrosequencing using the Roche/454 FLX Titanium successfully characterized mouse oral bacterial communities. The relatively simple oral bacterial communities of mice were not affected by TLR2 deficiency. These findings will provide a basis for future studies on the role of periodontal pathogens in the murine model of periodontitis.
Inspired by the high specific capacitances found using ultrathin films or nanoparticles of manganese oxides (MnOx), we have electrodeposited MnOx nanoparticles onto sheets of carbon nanotubes (CNT ...sheets). The resulting composites have high specific capacitances (Csp <= 1250 F/g), high charge/discharge rate capabilities, and excellent cyclic stability. Both the Csp and rate capabilities are controlled by the average size of the MnOx nanoparticles on the CNTs. They are independent of the number of layers of CNT sheets used to form an electrode. The high-performance composites result from a synergistic combination of large surface area and good electron-transport capabilities of the MnOx nanoparticles with the good conductivity of the CNT sheets. Such composites can be used as electrodes for lithium batteries and supercapacitors.
Cruciferous plants produce a wide variety of glucosinolates as a protection against herbivores and pathogens. However, very little is known about the importance of individual glucosinolates in plant ...defense and the regulation of their production in response to herbivory. When Myzus persicae (green peach aphid) feeds on Arabidopsis aliphatic glucosinolates pass through the aphid gut intact, but indole glucosinolates are mostly degraded. Although aphid feeding causes an overall decrease in Arabidopsis glucosinolate content, the production of 4-methoxyindol-3-ylmethylglucosinolate is induced. This altered glucosinolate profile is not a systemic plant response, but is limited to the area in which aphids are feeding. Aphid feeding on detached leaves causes a similar change in the glucosinolate profile, demonstrating that glucosinolate transport is not required for the observed changes. Salicylate-mediated signaling has been implicated in other plant responses to aphid feeding. However, analysis of eds5, pad4, npr1 and NahG transgenic Arabidopsis, which are compromised in this pathway, demonstrated that aphid-induced changes in the indole glucosinolate profile were unaffected. The addition of purified indol-3-ylmethylglucosinolate to the petioles of cyp79B2 cyp79B3 mutant leaves, which do not produce indole glucosinolates, showed that this glucosinolate serves as a precursor for the aphid-induced synthesis of 4-methoxyindol-3-ylmethylglucosinolate. In artificial diets, 4-methoxyindol-3-ylmethylglucosinolate is a significantly greater aphid deterrent in the absence of myrosinase than its metabolic precursor indol-3-ylmethylglucosinolate. Together, these results demonstrate that, in response to aphid feeding, Arabidopsis plants convert one indole glucosinolate to another that provides a greater defensive benefit.
In this study, a series of thermoresponsive cross‐linked copolymer poly N‐isopropylacrylamide(NIPAm)‐co‐N‐isopropylmethacrylamide(NIPMAm) (P‐M series samples: P‐M‐0, 10, 20, 30, 40, where numbers are ...co‐monomer contents) hydrogels were prepared by free radical polymerization using the main monomer N‐isopropylacrylamide (NIPAm), co‐monomer N‐isopropylmethacrylamide (NIPMAm), cross‐linking agent N, N‐methylenebisacrylamide, initiator (ammonium persulfate)/catalyst, and solvent water. In addition, a series of samples P‐G series samples: P‐G‐0, 10, 20, 30, 40, where numbers are co‐solvent glycerol content) were prepared using P‐M‐40 as components and water/co‐solvent glycerol as a mixed solvent. The effects of co‐monomer NIPMAm and co‐solvent glycerol contents on the lower critical solution temperature (LCST)/freezing temperature and light transmittance as function of temperature of the prepared copolymer gels were investigated. The resulting thermoresponsive polymer gels had LCSTs in the range of 17.9 to 38.7°C and freezing points in the range of 6.3 to −38.5°C. These gels are suitable materials for smart windows that are responsive to various environmental conditions.
Two series of thermoresponsive (temperature‐responsive) co‐polyacrylamides hydrogel materials to be used for smart windows were prepared using water/glycerol as a mixed solvent. By investigating the effect of co‐monomer and glycerol content on LCST and freezing point of materials, it was confirmed that various materials with various LCSTs (17.9 ∼ 38.7°C) and freezing points (6.3 ∼ −38.5°C) can be obtained. It was found that these materials have applicability to smart windows in various temperature environments.
Active, paper‐based, microfluidic chips driven by electrowetting are fabricated and demonstrated for reagent transport and mixing. Instead of using the passive capillary force on the pulp to actuate ...a flow of a liquid, a group of digital drops are transported along programmed trajectories above the electrodes printed on low‐cost paper, which should allow point‐of‐care production and diagnostic activities in the future.
In this study, poly(ethylene‐co‐vinyl acetate) (EVA)/high‐density polyethylene (HDPE)/aluminum hydroxide (ATH)/clays composites were prepared via melt‐mixing followed by electron beam irradiation ...(EBI). The effects of clays and EBI on the properties of the composites were investigated in terms of their flame retardancy, thermal, and mechanical properties. As the clay content increased, the gel content, tensile strength, and elongation‐at‐break increased. The gel content, tensile strength, thermal stability, and flame retardancy of the composites increased with increasing absorbed dose due to the formation of crosslinked network structures. These results suggest that the addition of clays and the formation of crosslinked network structures by EBI can be an effective method for improving the physical properties and flame retardancy of composites.
Display omitted
•The isolated mackerel peptides demonstrated higher antioxidant activities.•The m/z of the selected peptides ranged from 547.29 Da to 1049 Da.•Purified peptides were rich in ...hydrophobic and polar amino acids.•Mackerel could serve as an alternative to develop cost-effective bioactive peptide.
Antioxidant peptides are commonly used as functional ingredient in the pharmaceutical industries. Here, we characterized the antioxidant peptides from mackerel muscle protein hydrolysates (MPHs). MPHs showing higher bioactivities were separated into seven groups by FPLC. MPH-3 which exhibited significantly higher (p < 0.05) DPPH scavenging activity (32.12 ± 3.01%) was fractionated using RP-HPLC to obtain purified fractions A and B, which were further subjected to MALDI-TOF/TOF-MS for mass fingerprinting. Fraction A exhibited the highest (p < 0.05) DPPH scavenging activity (34.11 ± 1.52%), and it contained 21 peptides characterized by LC-MS/MS-. Ten peptides were synthesized, and their antioxidant activities were evaluated; one of the peptides, ALSTWTLQLGSTSFSASPM, showed the highest (p < 0.05) DPPH scavenging activity (36.34 ± 4.64%) and another peptide, LGTLLFIAIPI, exhibited the highest (p < 0.05) SOD-like activity (28.94 ± 4.19%). The results of this study indicate that MPHs could serve as a suitable source of antioxidant peptides.
PDF
