The wearable electronic skin with high sensitivity and self-power has shown increasing prospects for applications such as human health monitoring, robotic skin, and intelligent electronic products. ...In this work, we introduced and demonstrated a design of highly sensitive, self-powered, and wearable electronic skin based on a pressure-sensitive nanofiber woven fabric sensor fabricated by weaving PVDF electrospun yarns of nanofibers coated with PEDOT. Particularly, the nanofiber woven fabric sensor with multi-leveled hierarchical structure, which significantly induced the change in contact area under ultra-low load, showed combined superiority of high sensitivity (18.376 kPa
, at ~100 Pa), wide pressure range (0.002-10 kPa), fast response time (15 ms) and better durability (7500 cycles). More importantly, an open-circuit voltage signal of the PPNWF pressure sensor was obtained through applying periodic pressure of 10 kPa, and the output open-circuit voltage exhibited a distinct switching behavior to the applied pressure, indicating the wearable nanofiber woven fabric sensor could be self-powered under an applied pressure. Furthermore, we demonstrated the potential application of this wearable nanofiber woven fabric sensor in electronic skin for health monitoring, human motion detection, and muscle tremor detection.
A biomimetic vascular scaffold with excellent mechanical properties and biocompatibility is urgently needed, and designing such a scaffold is a challenge. The majority of vascular scaffolds have ...satisfactory biocompatibility, but poor mechanical properties. Herein, biodegradable poly(
l
-lactide-co-caprolactone) (PLCL) with biomimetic mechanical properties was used to prepare small-diameter (< 1.5 mm) PLCL/tussah silk fibroin (TSF) nanofiber vascular scaffolds grafted with TSF using the core-spun electrospinning technology. The morphology, biocompatibility, and mechanical properties of the PLCL/TSF nanofiber vascular scaffolds were characterized. The diameter of PLCL/TSF nanofibers was almost unchanged after grafting TSF with an average diameter of 408 ± 13 nm and a reduced water contact angle of 56 ± 8°. The protein adsorption was twice that of pure PLCL nanofiber vascular scaffolds. Remarkably, PLCL/TSF nanofiber vascular scaffolds displayed excellent mechanical properties. Their radial tensile strength and axial Young’s modulus were twice and more than three times those of traditional nanofiber vascular scaffolds, respectively. The biological properties of PLCL/TSF nanofiber vascular scaffolds were evaluated by in vitro culture of vascular endothelial cells. The scaffolds effectively promoted vascular endothelial cell adhesion and proliferation. The developed PLCL/TSF nanofiber vascular scaffolds are potentially valuable for use as readily available vascular grafts.
Electrospun nanofibers are widely used in air-filtration materials because of their fine fiber diameter, small pore size, and high porosity. However, nanofiber membranes exhibit a dense structure, ...such that they present a large resistance to any air flow. In this study, we set out to design and develop composite nanofiber materials with fluffy structures, as well as blended structures of coarse and fine fibers, through electrospinning technology. These materials could be used in air filtration applications, given that they offer high efficiency and low resistance. The results show that, compared with pure PAN nanofibers, the diameter of PAN nanofibers doped with CNT decreased from 192.36 to 124.37 nm; when the spinning ratio of PS coarse fiber (1053 nm) and PAN/CNT fine fiber is 3:1, the resulting nanofiber membrane materials has an obvious three-dimensional structure, with a specific surface area of 103.16 m
2
/g, a pore size of 2.25 µm, and a quality factor of 0.0947 Pa
−1
. Under test conditions featuring an air flow of 32 L/min, and 0.3 µm NaCl aerosol particles, the filtration efficiency was 99.37 % and the resistance was 35 Pa. Furthermore, the dust-holding capacity of the nanofiber air-filter paper was found to be almost the same as that of melt-blown air-filter papers. Even after being water-soaked 50 times, the filtering efficiency of the nanofiber air-filter paper was still higher. Interestingly, the nanofiber membrane materials doped with CNT also exhibited excellent sound-absorption abilities. Thus, the composite nanofiber material could potentially be applied to areas with serious air pollution and high noise pollution.
Because people spend a lot of time indoors every day, the presence of particulate matter with a diameter less than 2.5 µm (PM
2.5
) and volatile organic molecular substances in indoor air adversely ...affect public health. These toxic compounds can be removed from the air using high-efficiency air-filter materials with adsorption capacity. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are among the most suitable materials for air purification as they are synthetic porous materials with excellent adsorption ability. In this study, the zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) is uniformly grown on the surface of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibers using an in situ growth method to prepare ZIF-8@PAN nanofiber composite membranes. The nanofiber composite membrane effectively removes PM
2.5
and formaldehyde from the air. After loading the optimal amount of ZIF-8, the filtration efficiency of the nanofiber membrane for salt aerosol with a diameter of 0.3 µm increases from 90.3 % to 96.9 %, and the removal rate of formaldehyde becomes 98 % within 20 min in the enclosed space of the laboratory. Moreover, after five repeated tests, the formaldehyde adsorption rate remains above 80 %. In addition, ZIF-8@PAN nanofiber membranes are used to fabricate anti-haze window screens, which have great potential to improve indoor air quality and mitigate related health risks.
Colistin has been identified in a
chemical screening as an immunostimulatory agent that activates the conserved p38/PMK-1 pathway and provides protection against pathogens. Here we aimed to extend ...those findings to a mammalian model and evaluate the immunomodulatory effects of colistin on rat macrophages.
Macrophages were isolated from Sprague-Dawley (SD) rat. The effects of colistin on the cytokine secretion, phagocytic activity and protein expression were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), flow cytometry, and Western blotting analysis, respectively. The relative microRNA expression was determined by microarray, and Kyoto Encylopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) was used to identify potential signaling pathways.
Our data showed that 5, 10, and 20 µg/ml colistin significantly increased the secretion of TNF-α, while 20 and 5 µg/ml colistin significantly increased the levels of IL-1β and IL-6, respectively. Flow cytometry results showed that the relative mean fluorescence intensity and percentage of phagocytosis in colistin treatment groups were significantly higher compared with the control group, while the increased phagocytosis phenomenon can be blocked by p38 inhibitor. The phagocytic ability of macrophages against
was significantly increased after colistin treatment. Microarray and KEGG pathway analyses revealed that mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), chemokine, and B cell receptor were the main pathways involved in the colistin stimulation process. Western blotting analysis demonstrated that the phosphorylated p38 protein level of colistin treatment groups was increased in a dose dependent manner.
Present study is the first to demonstrate that colistin had immunomodulatory effects on macrophages in mammals, and the p38/MAPK pathway was involved in such colistin-induced immunomodulatory effect.
One-dimensional, flexible yarn-shaped supercapacitors for woven cloth have the potential for use in different kinds of wearable devices. Nevertheless, the challenge that supercapacitors face is low ...energy density. In this paper, we present a low-cost and large-scale manufacturing method to construct a supercapacitor yarn with high power and high energy density. To construct the novel and flexible poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): poly(styrenesulfonate)⁻polyacrylonitrile (PDEOT: PSS-PAN)/Ni cotton (PNF/NiC) capacitor yarn, an electrospinning technique was initially used to wrap the polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibers around the core Ni-coated yarn. The PEDOT: PSS⁻PAN nanofiber composite electrode was created using in situ deposition and H₃PO₄/PVA was used as a gel electrolyte. This electrode material has a yarn/nanofiber/PEDOT: PSS nanoparticle hierarchical structure, providing a high specific area and enhanced pseudocapacitance. The electrode demonstrated a high volumetric capacitance of 26.88 F·cm
(at 0.08 A·cm
), an energy density of 9.56 mWh·cm
, and a power density of 830 mW·cm
. In addition, the PNF/NiC capacitor yarns are lightweight, highly flexible, resistant to bending fatigue, can be connected in series or parallel, and may be suitable for a variety of wearable electronic products.
Waterproof-breathable (WB) materials with outstanding waterproofness, breathability, and mechanical performance are critical in diverse consumer applications. Electrospun nanofibrous membranes with ...thin fiber diameters, small pore sizes, and high porosity have attracted significant attention in the WB fabric field. Hot-press treatment technology can induce the formation of inter-fiber fusion structures and hence improve the waterproofness and mechanical performance. By combining electrospinning and hot-press treatment technology, polyurethane/fluorinated polyurethane/thermoplastic polyurethane/alkylsilane-functionalized graphene (PU/FPU/TPU/FG) nanofiber WB fabric was fabricated. Subsequently, the morphologies, porous structure, hydrostatic pressure, water vapor transmission rate (WVTR), and stress-strain behavior of the nanofiber WB fabric were systematically investigated. The introduction of the hydrophobic FG sheet structure and the formation of the inter-fiber fusion structure greatly improved not only the waterproofness but also the mechanical performance of the nanofiber WB fabric. The optimized PU/FPU/TPU-50/FG-1.5 WB fabric exhibited an excellent comprehensive performance: a high hydrostatic pressure of 80.4 kPa, a modest WVTR of 7.6 kg m
d
, and a robust tensile stress of 127.59 MPa, which could be used to achieve various applications. This work not only highlights the preparation of materials, but also provides a high-performance nanofiber WB fabric with huge potential application prospects in various fields.
Developing solid-free nanoemulsions with pH responsiveness is desirable in enhanced oil recovery (EOR) applications. Here, we report the synthesis of an interfacial activity controllable surfactant ...(T−DBA) through dynamic imine bonding between taurine (T) and p-decyloxybenzaldehyde (DBA). Instead of macroemulsions, nanoemulsions can be prepared by using T−DBA as an emulsifier. The dynamic imine bond of T−DBA enables switching between the active and inactive states in response to pH. This switching of interfacial activity was used to gate the stability of nanoemulsions, thus enabling us to turn the nanoemulsions off and on. Using such dynamic imine bonds to govern nanoemulsion stability could enable intelligent control of many processes such as heavy oil recovery and interfacial reactions.
is the biggest genus in the family Ranunculaceae with about 300 species.
is also a globally important commercial group of flowers, especially in the United States and European countries. Their petals ...with different colors and shapes make the genus the "Queen of the Vines". However, the genomic information and phylogeny of
based on existing molecular studies are limited. In this paper, new microsatellites (SSR) markers were identified from the transcriptome data of
obtained using the Illumina paired-end sequencing technology.
Sequences on a total of 71,900 high-quality unigenes with the mean length of 865 bp were produced in this study. There were 6192unigenes annotated and classified into 49 functional sub-groups in three main ontology categories in GO (Gen Ontology) database,14,022 unigenes mapped to COGs (Clusters of Orthologous Groups) database and classified into 25 functional categories, and 21,494 unigenes obtained and divided into 128 pathways of KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes) Database. A total of 7532 SSRs were discovered from 6337 unigenes. We randomly tested 210 primer pairs, of which 52 primer pairs were able to generate specific products, and 19 possessed polymorphism in the 13 wild populations of six species from
, which were used as a test material.
The dataset of
transcriptome and the identified new SSR markers will promote genetic research and breeding effort in
.
Heat shock transcription factors (HSFs) are among the most important regulators of plant responses to abiotic stimuli. They play a key role in numerous transcriptional regulatory processes. However, ...the specific characteristics of HSF gene family members and their expression patterns in different tissues and under drought stress have not been precisely investigated in Heimia myrtifolia. This study analyzed transcriptome data from H. myrtifolia and identified 15 members of the HSF family. Using a phylogenetic tree, these members were classified into three major classes and fifteen groups. The amino acid physicochemical properties of these members were also investigated. The results showed that all HmHSF genes are located in the nucleus, and multiple sequence alignment analysis revealed that all HmHSF proteins have the most conserved DBD structural domains. Interestingly, a special HmHSF15 protein was found in the three-dimensional structure of the protein, which has a conserved structural domain that performs a function in addition to the unique structural domain of HSF proteins, resulting in a three-dimensional structure for HmHSF15 that is different from other HmHSF proteins. GO enrichment analysis shows that most HmHSFA-like genes are part of various biological processes associated with abiotic stresses. Finally, this study analyzed the tissue specificity of HmHSF genes in different parts of H. myrtifolia by qRT-PCR and found that HmHSF genes were more abundantly expressed in roots than in other tissues, and HmHSF05, HmHSF12, and HmHSF14 genes were different from other HSF genes, which could be further analyzed to verify their functionality. The results provide a basis for analyzing the functions of HmHSF genes in H. myrtifolia and help to explore the molecular regulatory mechanism of HmHSF in response to drought stress.
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