Biological processes and technological applications cannot work without liquid control, where versatile water droplet manipulation is a significant issue. Droplet motion is conventionally manipulated ...by functionalizing the target surface or by utilizing additives in the droplet, still, with uncontrolled limitation on superhydrophobic surfaces since droplets are either unable to move fast or are difficult to stop while moving. A controllable high‐speed “all‐in‐one” no‐loss droplet manipulation, that is, in‐plane moving and stopping/pinning in any direction on a superhydrophobic surface, with electrostatic charging is demonstrated. The experimental results reveal that the transport speed can vary from zero to several hundreds of millimeters per second. Controlled dynamic switching between the onset moving state and the offset pinning state of a water droplet can be achieved by out‐of‐plane electrostatic charging. This work opens the possibility of droplet control techniques in various applications, such as combinatory chemistry, biochemical, and medical detection.
A revolution to the microfluidic device commonly used in biological processes and technological applications is demonstrated. The new approach, which moves drops at a high speed with low adhesion or retention by electrostatic attraction or repulsion on a superhydrophobic surface, can enable microfluidic experiments to be conducted more efficiently, cost‐effectively, and at larger scales.
•Simple synthesis of N, P-doped fluorescent carbon quantum dots (N, P-CQDs) by one-step hydrothermal method.•Simultaneous fluorescence detection of both Fe2+ and Fe3+ by N, P-CQDs.•Fluorescence ...detection of Fe2+ and Fe3+ by N, P-CQDs in real samples.•Application of N, P-CQDs on CaCO3 Sscale Iinhibitor.
Nitrogen, phosphorus-doped carbon quantum dots (N, P-CQDs) were synthesized by a low-cost and simple one-step hydrothermal method by using Amino trimethylene phosphonic acid (ATMP) and sodium citrate as the nitrogen source, phosphorus source and carbon source. The synthesized N, P-CQDs had bright blue fluorescence, good water dispersibility and stability. The fluorescence of N, P-CQDs was only quenched by Fe2+ and Fe3+, indicating extremely high selectivity to Fe2+ and Fe3+. The N, P-CQDs fluorescent probe could specifically measure Fe2+ and Fe3+ in the range of 0-600 μM and 0-250 μM and the limits of detection were 0.298 μM and 0.447 μM, respectively. The sensor system based on N, P-CQDs could also be used to determine Fe2+ and Fe3+ ions in real water samples. Through research, it was found that the quenching mechanism of Fe2+/Fe3+ on N, P-CQDs may be static quenching. Besides, N, P-CQDs showed excellent CaCO3 scale inhibition efficiency. Therefore, synthesized N, P-CQDs has broad application prospects in iron ions detection and scale inhibition.
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A wearable and effective tribopositive material, especially an economical and eco-friendly triboelectric fabric developed from biomaterials, is highly crucial for the development of green wearable ...triboelectric nanogenerators. In this work, we design a porous nanocomposite fabric (PNF) with strong charge accumulation capacity through a facile dry-casting method and use it as a tribopositive material to construct attractive wearable triboelectric nanogenerators (abbreviated as TENGs). Specifically, the porous nanocomposite is developed by the incorporation of nano-Al2O3 fillers into cellulose acetate networks. By adjusting the concentration of casting solution and the content of nano-Al2O3 fillers, we systematically engineer the physical properties of the PNF for obtaining a large triboelectric charge yield. When a 10 wt % solution concentration and 10 wt % nanofiller content are adopted for the PNF, the corresponding PNF-TENG can deliver an electrical performance of ∼2.5 mW/cm2 on a 0.8 MΩ external resistor. This remarkable output can be ascribed to the synergistic effect between the appropriate porous network and improved dielectric properties of the nanocomposite. Moreover, the PNF-TENG also exhibits good reliable electrical outputs under multiple stain-washing measurements or after experiencing cyclical contact–separation 13,500 times. Also, the device is capable of charging various capacitors, lighting LED arrays, and driving commercial wrist watches and is proven to be an efficient and reliable green wearable power source. Furthermore, a PNF-TENG-based elbow supporter and a grip ball, as self-powered sensors, are proposed to realize real-time detection for human actions during sports exercise. This work proposes an eco-friendly nanocomposite fabric as an effective tribopositive material, verifies the feasibility of developing environmentally friendly wearable power sources and sensors, and provides new insights into the design of green wearable triboelectric nanogenerators.
Organic semiconductor materials have been widely used in various optoelectronic devices due to their rich optical and/or electrical properties, which are highly related to their excited states. ...Therefore, how to manage and utilize the excited states in organic semiconductors is essential for the realization of high‐performance optoelectronic devices. Triplet–triplet annihilation (TTA) upconversion is a unique process of converting two non‐emissive triplet excitons to one singlet exciton with higher energy. Efficient optical‐to‐electrical devices can be realized by harvesting sub‐bandgap photons through TTA‐based upconversion. In electrical‐to‐optical devices, triplets generated after the combination of electrons and holes also can be efficiently utilized via TTA, which resulted in a high internal conversion efficiency of 62.5%. Currently, many interesting explorations and significant advances have been demonstrated in these fields. In this review, a comprehensive summary of these intriguing advances on developing efficient TTA upconversion materials and their application in optoelectronic devices is systematically given along with some discussions. Finally, the key challenges and perspectives of TTA upconversion systems for further improvement for optoelectronic devices and other related research directions are provided. This review hopes to provide valuable guidelines for future related research and advancement in organic optoelectronics.
A comprehensive summary of advances toward developing efficient triplet–triplet annihilation (TTA) upconversion materials and their application in optoelectronic devices is systematically given. The key challenges and perspectives of TTA upconversion systems for further improvement for optoelectronic devices and other related research directions are provided. This review hopes to provide valuable guidelines for future advancement in organic optoelectronics.
Geological movements and climatic fluctuations stand as pivotal catalysts driving speciation and phylogenetic evolution. The genus Polyspora Sweet (Theaceae), prominently found across the Malay ...Archipelagos and Indochina Peninsula in tropical Asia, exhibits its northernmost distribution in China. In this study, we investigated the evolutionary and biogeographical history of the genus Polyspora in China, shedding light on the mechanisms by which these species respond to ancient geological and climatic fluctuations.
Phylogenetic relationships of 32 representative species of Theaceae were reconstructed based on the chloroplast genome and ribosome 18-26 S rRNA datasets. Species divergence time was estimated using molecular clock and five fossil calibration. The phylogeography and population genetics in 379 individuals from 32 populations of eight species were analyzed using chloroplast gene sequences (trnH-psbA, rpoB-trnC and petN-psbM), revealing the glacial refugia of each species, and exploring the causes of the phylogeographic patterns.
We found that Chinese Polyspora species diverged in the middle Miocene, showing a tropical-subtropical divergence order. A total of 52 haplotypes were identified by the combined chloroplast sequences. Chinese Polyspora exhibited a distinct phylogeographical structure, which could be divided into two clades and eight genealogical subdivisions. The divergence between the two clades occurred approximately 20.67 Ma. Analysis of molecular variance revealed that the genetic variation mainly occurred between species (77.91%). At the species level, Polyspora axillaris consists of three lineages, while P. speciosa had two lineages. The major lineages of Chinese Polyspora diverged between 12 and 15 Ma during the middle to late Miocene. The peak period of haplotype differentiation in each species occurred around the transition from the last interglacial to the last glacial period, approximately 6 Ma ago.
The primary geographical distribution pattern of Chinese Polyspora was established prior to the last glacial maximum, and the population historical dynamics were relatively stable. The geological and climatic turbulence during the Quaternary glacial period had minimal impact on the distribution pattern of the genus. The genus coped with Quaternary climate turbulence by glacial in situ survival in multiple refuges. The Sino-Vietnam border and Nanling corridor might be the genetic mixing center of Polyspora.
Developing high-mobility emissive organic semiconductors with tunable colors is crucial for organic light-emitting transistors (OLETs), a pivotal component of integrated optoelectronic devices, but ...remains a great challenge. Here, we demonstrate a series of color-tunable, high-mobility, emissive, organic semiconductors via molecular doping with a high-mobility organic semiconductor, 2,6-diphenylanthracene, as the host. The well-matched molecular structures and sizes with efficient energy transfer between the host and guest enable the intrinsically high charge transport with tunable colors. High mobility with the highest value >2 cm
2
V
−1
s
−1
and strong emission with photoluminescence quantum yield >15.8% are obtained for these molecular-doped organic semiconductors. Last, a large color gamut for constructed OLETs is up to 59% National Television System Committee standard, meanwhile with an extremely high current density approaching 326.4 kA cm
−2
, showing great potential for full-color smart display, organic electrically pumped lasers and other related logic circuitries.
Color-tunable, high-mobility, emissive, organic single crystals and their light-emitting transistors are demonstrated.
Inflammation can induce cognitive dysfunction in patients who undergo surgery. Previous studies have demonstrated that both acute peripheral inflammation and anaesthetic insults, especially ...isoflurane (ISO), are risk factors for memory impairment. Few studies are currently investigating the role of ISO under acute peri-inflammatory conditions, and it is difficult to predict whether ISO can aggravate inflammation-induced cognitive deficits. HDACs, which are essential for learning, participate in the deacetylation of lysine residues and the regulation of gene transcription. However, the cell-specific mechanism of HDACs in inflammation-induced cognitive impairment remains unknown.
Three-month-old C57BL/6 mice were treated with single versus combined exposure to LPS injected intraperitoneally (i.p.) to simulate acute abdominal inflammation and isoflurane to investigate the role of anaesthesia and acute peripheral inflammation in cognitive impairment. Behavioural tests, Western blotting, ELISA, immunofluorescence, qRT-PCR, and ChIP assays were performed to detect memory, the expressions of inflammatory cytokines, HDAC2, BDNF, c-Fos, acetyl-H3, microglial activity, Bdnf mRNA, c-fos mRNA, and Bdnf and c-fos transcription in the hippocampus.
LPS, but not isoflurane, induced neuroinflammation-induced memory impairment and reduced histone acetylation by upregulating histone deacetylase 2 (HDAC2) in dorsal hippocampal CaMKII
neurons. The hyperexpression of HDAC2 in neurons was mediated by the activation of microglia. The decreased level of histone acetylation suppressed the transcription of Bdnf and c-fos and the expressions of BDNF and c-Fos, which subsequently impaired memory. The adeno-associated virus ShHdac2, which suppresses Hdac2 after injection into the dorsal hippocampus, reversed microglial activation, hippocampal glutamatergic BDNF and c-Fos expressions, and memory deficits.
Reversing HDAC2 in hippocampal CaMKII
neurons exert a neuroprotective effect against neuroinflammation-induced memory deficits.
Spherical targets are widely used in coordinate unification of large-scale combined measurements. Through its central coordinates, scanned point cloud data from different locations can be converted ...into a unified coordinate reference system. However, point cloud sphere detection has the disadvantages of errors and slow detection time. For this reason, a novel method of spherical object detection and parameter estimation based on an improved random sample consensus (RANSAC) algorithm is proposed. The method is based on the RANSAC algorithm. Firstly, the principal curvature of point cloud data is calculated. Combined with the k-d nearest neighbor search algorithm, the principal curvature constraint of random sampling points is implemented to improve the quality of sample points selected by RANSAC and increase the detection speed. Secondly, the RANSAC method is combined with the total least squares method. The total least squares method is used to estimate the inner point set of spherical objects obtained by the RANSAC algorithm. The experimental results demonstrate that the method outperforms the conventional RANSAC algorithm in terms of accuracy and detection speed in estimating sphere parameters.
To promote drop mobility, lubricating the gap between liquid drop and solid surface is a facile method which has been widely exploited by nature. Examples include lotus and rice leaves using ...entrapped air to “lubricate” water and Nepenthes pitcher plant using a slippery water layer to trap insects. Inspired by these, here, we report a strategy for transporting drop cargoes via the unidirectional spreading of immiscible lubricants on the peristome-mimetic surface. Oleophilic/hydrophobic peristome-mimetic surfaces were fabricated through replicating three-dimensional printed samples. The peristome-mimetic surface, via unidirectional immiscible hexadecane spreading, can transport a wide diversity of drop cargoes over a long distance with no loss with controllable drop volumes and velocities, hence mixing multiphase liquids and even reacting liquids. We anticipate this unidirectional drop cargo transport technique will find use in microfluidics, microreactors, water harvesting systems, etc.
Aberrant energy metabolism in the brain is a common pathological feature in the preclinical Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Recent studies have reported the early elevations of glycolysis-involved enzymes ...in AD brain and cerebrospinal fluid according to a large-scale proteomic analysis. It’s well-known that astrocytes exhibit strong glycolytic metabolic ability and play a key role in the regulation of brain homeostasis. However, its relationship with glycolytic changes and cognitive deficits in early AD patients is unclear. Here, we investigated the mechanisms by which astrocyte glycolysis is involved in early AD and its potential as a therapeutic target. Our results suggest that Aβ-activated microglia can induce glycolytic-enhanced astrocytes in vitro, and that these processes are dependent on the activation of the AKT-mTOR-HIF-1α pathway. In early AD models, the increase in L-lactate produced by enhanced glycolysis of astrocytes leads to spatial cognitive impairment by disrupting synaptic plasticity and accelerating Aβ aggregation. Furthermore, we find rapamycin, the mTOR inhibitor, can rescue the impaired spatial memory and Aβ burden by inhibiting the glycolysis-derived L-lactate in the early AD models. In conclusion, we highlight that astrocytic glycolysis plays a critical role in the early onset of AD and that the modulation of glycolysis-derived L-lactate by rapamycin provides a new strategy for the treatment of AD.
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•Aβ-activated microglia can induce the reactive astrocytes with enhanced glycolysis in vitro.•Persistently glycolysis-derived L-lactate influx can impair spatial cognition and accelerate Aβ aggregation.•Enhanced glycolysis in reactive astrocyte is dependent on the activation of AKT-mTOR-HIF-1α pathway.•Rapamycin can rescue the impaired spatial memory and Aβ burdens by inhibiting glycolysis-derived L-lactate in AD models.
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