High-performance porous materials with a low carbon footprint provide sustainable alternatives to petroleum-based lightweight foams and can help meet carbon neutrality goals. However, these materials ...generally face a trade-off between thermal management capabilities and structural strength. Here, a mycelium composite with a hierarchical porous structure, including both macro- and microscale pores, produced from multiple and advanced mycelial networks (elastic modulus of 1.2 GPa) binding loosely distributed sawdust is demonstrated. The morphological, biological, and physicochemical properties of the filamentous mycelium and composites are discussed in terms of how they are influenced by the mycelial system of the fungi and the way they interact with the substrate. The composite shows a porosity of 0.94, a noise reduction coefficient of 0.55 at a frequency range of 250-3000 Hz (for a 15 mm thick sample), a thermal conductivity of 0.042 W m
K
, and an energy absorption of 18 kJ m
at 50% strain. It is also hydrophobic, repairable, and recyclable. It is expected that the hierarchical porous structural composite with excellent thermal and mechanical properties can make a significant impact on the future development of highly sustainable alternatives to lightweight plastic foams.
Flexible strain sensors have been extensively studied for their potential value in monitoring human activity and health. However, it is still challenging to develop multifunctional flexible strain ...sensors with simultaneously high transparency, strong self-adhesion, fast self-healing and excellent tensile properties. In this study, we used
N
,
N
-dimethylacrylamide (DMA) in the imidazolium-based ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl imide (BMIMTf
2
N) for one-step" UV irradiation. A poly(
N
,
N
-dimethyl)acrylamide (PDMA) ion-conductive gel was prepared by site polymerization. Based on the good compatibility between PDMA and ionic liquid, the prepared ion-conductive gel has good transparency (∼90%), excellent stretchability (1080%), strong self-adhesion (67.57 kPa), fast self-healing (2 s at room temperature) and great antibacterial activity (∼99% bacterial killing efficiency). Moreover, the strain sensor based on the PDMA ion-conductive gel has good electromechanical performance and can detect different human motions. Based on the simple and easy-to-operate preparation method and the endowed multifunctionality of the PDMA ion-conductive gel, it has broad application prospects in the field of flexible electronic devices.
An poly(
N,N
-dimethyl)acrylamide (PDMA) ion-conductive gel was prepared by "one-step" UV irradiation polymerization. Such ion gel has excellent electromechanical properties and can be used as a strain sensor to monitor human movements.
The application of game elements of gamification in online shopping is attracting interest from researchers and practitioners. However, it remains unclear how gamification affects and improves ...consumer purchase intention on online shopping platforms, which still leaves a gap in our knowledge. To narrow this theoretical gap, a theoretical model has been built in this study. This model adopts cognitive evaluation theory to explain the impact of gamification elements on consumer purchase intention. Data was collected from 322 online shopping consumers who used a flash game to test their purchase intention after playing games. The results show that game rewards, absorption and autonomy of gamification positively enhance sense of enjoyment, and that it helps people meet their psychological needs, which ultimately affects the online purchase intention of consumers. This study is helpful in analyzing the factors involved in the successful introduction of gamification on online shopping platforms in more detail.
Thermal Insulation Mycelium CompositesIn article number 2302827, Jinzhen Cao and co‐workers report a strategy for the scalable manufacture of highly sustainable and high‐performance lightweight ...insulating composite via microbial metabolic biosynthesis systems. Trametes versicolor, as a living cell, reorganizes loosely distributed sawdust through multiple and advanced mycelial networks into mycelium composite with a hierarchical porous structure, including both macro‐ and microscale pores.
This article reveals the single-pulse and repetitive-pulse unclamped-inductive-switching (UIS) withstanding device model and energy loss mechanism for p-GaN high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) ...with Schottky type gate contact. Usually, silicon/silicon carbide (Si/SiC)-based devices dissipate the surge current from the load inductor through the avalanche process. However, p-GaN HEMT can withstand the energy by storing it in the output capacitance and dissipating it by the output capacitance loss and drain leakage current loss. The device models are proposed to describe the UIS process. The maximum current loss caused by the energy storage process of the output parasitic capacitor is about 30%. During highvoltage processes, the energy loss by leakage current is of the same order as the storing energy in the inductor, so a parallel resistor is added to the device model. The parallel resistor varies based on changes in maximum voltage and maximum current during the UIS process. The experimental results are basically consistent with the theoretical calculation results. After the repetitive UIS stresses are applied to the device, the threshold voltage shifts positively and the on-resistance increases.
Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) and stearic acid (SA) are integrated to fabricate a double-layer thin film composite material with potential applications in sustainable packaging and coating ...materials. The effect of SA concentration on the moisture and wear resistance at the macroscale of the composite are studied. The amount of SA on the surface (>SA5H) is beneficial in increasing anti-wear behavior and reducing the friction coefficient by 25%. The petal-shaped crystals formed by SA are distributed on the surface of the double-layer film, increasing its hydrophobicity. When subjected to wear, the SA crystals on the surface of the double-layer film are fractured into debris-like abrasive particles, forming an optimal third-body of moderate shape and particle size, and imparting anti-wear and lubricating characteristics.
BackgroundColorectal cancer (CRC) is a common malignancy worldwide, and gut microbiota plays a critical role in its development. Streptococcus gallolyticus (Sg) is a commensal bacterium of the human ...gut but is also known to be an opportunistic pathogen associated with CRC. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between Sg and CRC and explore the promoting effect of Sg supernatant (Sgsup) on CRC and its underlying mechanisms.MethodsTumor and adjacent tissue samples from 43 CRC patients were collected to detect Sg and analyze its correlation with clinical indicators. HCT116 and HT29 cells were used to study the impact of Sgsup and protein-inactivated supernatant on CRC cell proliferation. In vivo experiments were conducted on female Balb/c mice with AOM/DSS-induced. Tumor growth and indicators were measured by mouse colonoscopy, and macrophage polarization was assessed by immunohistochemical staining and flow cytometry. RNA-seq analysis was performed to analyze differential gene expression and signaling pathways in mouse tumor tissue.ResultsThe prevalence of Sg was higher in CRC tissues and correlated with the tumor location of CRC patients (IDDF2023-ABS-0195 Figure 1(A) Sg abundance in CRC tumor and adjacent tissues) (IDDF2023-ABS-0195 Figure 1(B) High Sg abundance correlated with the tumor location). Sgsup was found to promote the proliferation of HCT116 and HT29 cells compared with vehicle, even after protein inactivation (IDDF2023-ABS-0195 Figure 1(C) Cell proliferation assay). In vivo experiments showed that Sgsup intervention significantly increased the burden of colon tumors in mice, aggravated inflammatory response, and upregulated the expression of inflammatory factors Ptgs2, IL-6, and IL-8 (IDDF2023-ABS-0195 Figure 1(D) Mouse colonoscopy) (IDDF2023-ABS-0195 Figure 1(E) Tumor load analysis and the expression of inflammatory factors). Immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry results showed an increase in macrophage proportion and M2 polarization after Sgsup intervention (IDDF2023-ABS-0195 Figure 2(A) Flow cytometry analysis of macrophages) (IDDF2023-ABS-0195 Figure 2(B) Analysis of macrophage ratios). RNA-seq analysis showed that the IL-17 pathway was enriched after Sqsup treatment (IDDF2023-ABS-0195 Figure 1(F) KEGG pathway enrichment analysis).ConclusionsOverall, these findings suggest a potential role of Sg in the pathogenesis of CRC, and targeting its supernatant may represent a promising approach for the prevention and treatment of CRC.Abstract IDDF2023-ABS-0195 Figure 1(A) Sg abundance in CRC tumor and adjacent tissues (B) High Sg abundance correlated with the tumor location (C) Cell proliferation assay (D) Mouse colonoscopy (E) Tumor load analysis and the expression of inflammatory factors (F) KEGG pathway enrichment analysisAbstract IDDF2023-ABS-0195 Figure 2(A) Flow cytometry analysis of macrophages (B) Analysis of macrophage ratios
Compound xueshuantong capsule (CXC) is an oral traditional Chinese herbal formula (CHF) comprised of Panax notoginseng (PN), Radix astragali (RA), Salvia miltiorrhizae (SM), and Radix ...scrophulariaceae (RS). The present investigation was designed to explore the core bioactive components promoting blood circulation in CXC using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and animal studies. CXC samples were prepared with different proportions of the 4 herbs according to a four-factor, nine-level uniform design. CXC samples were assessed with HPLC, which identified 21 components. For the animal experiments, rats were soaked in ice water during the time interval between two adrenaline hydrochloride injections to reduce blood circulation. We assessed whole-blood viscosity (WBV), erythrocyte aggregation and red corpuscle electrophoresis indices (EAI and RCEI, respectively), plasma viscosity (PV), maximum platelet aggregation rate (MPAR), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), and prothrombin time (PT). Based on the hypothesis that CXC sample effects varied with differences in components, we performed grey relational analysis (GRA), principal component analysis (PCA), ridge regression (RR), and radial basis function (RBF) to evaluate the contribution of each identified component. Our results indicate that panaxytriol, ginsenoside Rb1, angoroside C, protocatechualdehyde, ginsenoside Rd, and calycosin-7-O-β-D-glucoside are the core bioactive components, and that they might play different roles in the alleviation of circulation dysfunction. Panaxytriol and ginsenoside Rb1 had close relevance to red blood cell (RBC) aggregation, angoroside C was related to platelet aggregation, protocatechualdehyde was involved in intrinsic clotting activity, ginsenoside Rd affected RBC deformability and plasma proteins, and calycosin-7-O-β-D-glucoside influenced extrinsic clotting activity. This study indicates that angoroside C, calycosin-7-O-β-D-glucoside, panaxytriol, and protocatechualdehyde may have novel therapeutic uses.
The colorectal-cancer (CRC) incidence rate and mortality have remained high for several years. In recent years, immune-checkpoint-inhibitor (ICI) therapy has rapidly developed. However, it is only ...effective in a few CRC patients with microsatellite-instability-high (MSI-H) or mismatch-repair-deficient (dMMR) CRC. How to improve the efficiency of ICI therapy in CRC patients with microsatellite stability (MSS) remains a huge obstacle. Tumor-associated neutrophils (TANs), which are similar to macrophages, also have N1 and N2 phenotypes. They can be recruited and polarized through different cytokines or chemokines, and then play an antitumor or tumor-promoting role. In CRC, we find that the prognostic significance of TANs is still controversial. In this review, we describe the antitumor regulation of TANs, and their mechanism of promoting tumor progression by boosting the transformation of inflammation into tumors, facilitating tumor-cell proliferation, metastasis and angiogenesis. The targeting of TANs combined with ICIs may be a new treatment model for CRC. Relevant animal experiments have shown good responses, and clinical trials have also been carried out in succession. TANs, as “assistants” of ICI treatment, may become the key to the success of CRC immunotherapy, although no significant results have been obtained.
In this study, cellulose flour (CF) and lignin flour (LF) were separated from wood flour (WF) by nitric acid–ethanol method and ball-milling coupled with dioxane extraction method, respectively. The ...separated CF, LF, and the original WF were blend with two types of polymers, namely, polypropylene (PP) and poly (lactic acid) (PLA) to make composites. The physical, mechanical, and thermal properties of the thus-filled composites were tested. The results showed that: (1) both CF and LF had significant influence on physical, mechanical, and thermal properties of PP or PLA composites; (2) CF benefited to most mechanical properties of the composites, while LF reduced water uptake and improved thermal stability. WF was more hydrophilic and was easier to thermal degrade than CF and LF. However, the flexural modulus was high in WF groups; (3) for different polymer matrix, the interface bonding between WF components and polymer was different. The interaction between LF and PP was stronger, while it was more compatible for CF and PLA, which showed totally contrary influence on the crystallization behavior of PP and PLA.
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