The electrocoalescence of droplets plays a crucial role in various fields. However, studies on the effects of droplet radius on the electrocoalescence behaviors of droplets have not been conducted ...until now. In this work, the electrocoalescence behaviors of two unequally sized conducting droplets are investigated via molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The influences of electric field strength and droplet radius on the electrocoalescence behaviors of two unequally sized droplets are investigated. When the electric field strength increases, the contact cone angle between the droplets increases, and the two droplets are more likely to partially coalesce and bounce. When the radius of the smaller droplet between the two droplets increases at the same electric field strength, the contact cone angle, daughter droplet size, and ions in the daughter droplet increase, whereas the critical electric field strength (E d) for generating the daughter droplet decreases. Furthermore, the daughter droplet is ejected from the smaller droplet when the two droplets have different radii.
The phylogeny and systematics of cordycipitoid fungi have been extensively studied in the last two decades. However, systematic positions of some taxa in the family Cordycipitaceae have not yet been ...thoroughly resolved. In this study, a new phylogenetic framework of Cordycipitaceae is reconstructed using multigene (nr
SSU
, nr
LSU, tef-1α, rpb1
and
rpb2
) sequence data with large-scale taxon sampling. In addition, ITS sequence data of species belonging to the
Lecanicillium
lineage in the family Cordycipitaceae are used to further determine their phylogenetic placements. Based on molecular phylogenetic data together with morphological evidence, two new genera (
Flavocillium
and
Liangia
), 16 new species and four new combinations are introduced. In the new genus
Flavocillium
, one new species
F. bifurcatum
and three new combinations previously described as
Lecanicillium
, namely
F. acerosium, F. primulinium
and
F. subprimulinium
, are proposed
.
The genus
Liangia
is built by the new species
Lia. sinensis
with
Lecanicillium-
like asexual morph, isolated from an entomopathogenic fungus
Beauveria yunnanensis
. Due to the absence of
Paecilomyces hepiali
, an economically and medically significant fungus, in the earlier phylogenetic analyses, its systematic position has been puzzling in both business and academic communities for a long time. Here,
P. hepiali
is recharacterized using the holotype material along with seven additional samples. It is assigned to the genus
Samsoniella
(Cordycipitaceae, Hypocreales) possessing
Cordyceps
-like sexual morph and
Isaria-
like asexual morph, and thus a new combination, namely
S. hepiali
is proposed
.
An additional nine new species in
Samsoniella
are described:
S. alpina, S. antleroides, S. cardinalis, S. cristata, S. lanmaoa, S. kunmingensis
,
S. ramosa, S. tortricidae
and
S. yunnanensis.
Four new species in
Cordyceps
are described:
C. chaetoclavata, C. cocoonihabita, C. shuifuensis
and
C. subtenuipes
.
Simplicillium yunnanense
, isolated from synnemata of
Akanthomyces waltergamsii
, is described as a new species.
Developing highly efficient electrochemical desalination techniques with both high salt removal capacity as well as sufficient longterm durability is urgently required in settling the global water ...crisis. Herein, we developed a high-performance hybrid capacitive deionization (HCDI) through the deployment of freestanding, Mn2O3 nanoflower decorated carbon nanofibers (CNF@Mn2O3) with pseudo-capacitive behavior as the electrode. The CNF@Mn2O3 synthesized via electrospinning and in-situ deposition of Mn2O3 shows both excellent pseudo-capacitive performance and freestanding nanostructure, which enables the CNF@Mn2O3-based HCDI system to exhibit superior desalination performance(27.43 mg∙g−1) as well as long-term stability (14.3% declination for 30 cycles). Such outstanding desalination performance should be ascribed to the high pseudo-capacitance, excellent charge transfer performance, and the freestanding nature of the CNF@Mn2O3. This study is interesting because it exemplifies the importance of designing pseudo-capacitive electrode materials for constructing a high-performance HCDI system, which could cast light on the further development of high-efficiency electrochemical desalination systems.
Highly-efficient hybrid capacitive deionization system is developed based on utilizing freestanding Mn2O3 nanoflower decorated carbon nanofibers as electrode material. Display omitted
•Freestanding Mn2O3 nanoflower coated carbon nanofibers (CNF@Mn2O3) was fabricated.•Pseudo-capacitive CNF@Mn2O3 was used for novel hybrid capacitive deionization.•The CNF@Mn2O3-based HCDI exhibits excellent desalination capacity of 27.43 mg∙g−1.•The HCDI displays superior long-term stability (14.4% declination after 30 cycles)
Growing evidence has shown that gut microbiome is a key factor involved in liver health. Therefore, gut microbiota modulation with probiotic bacteria, such as Saccharomyces boulardii, constitutes a ...promising therapy for hepatosis. In this study, we aimed to investigate the protective effects of S. boulardii on D-Galactosamine-induced liver injury in mice. Liver function test and histopathological analysis both suggested that the liver injury can be effectively attenuated by S. boulardii administration. In the meantime, S. boulardii induced dramatic changes in the gut microbial composition. At the phylum level, we found that S. boulardii significantly increased in the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes, and decreased the relative abundance of Firmicutes and Proteobacteria, which may explain the hepatic protective effects of S. boulardii. Taken together, our results demonstrated that S. boulardii administration could change the gut microbiota in mice and alleviate acute liver failure, indicating a potential protective and therapeutic role of S. boulardii.
Recent studies have found that total immunoglobulin E (IgE) and allergen-specific IgE were associated with some metabolic diseases. However, the role of IgE in metabolism among adolescents is still ...unclear. Herein, this study aims to investigate the associations of serum total IgE and allergen-specific IgE with insulin resistance (IR) in adolescents, in order to provide some reference for the prevention and treatment of metabolic diseases in a young age.
Data of 870 adolescents were extracted from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database in 2005-2006 in this cross-sectional study. Weighted univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were utilized to screen covariates and explore the relationships of serum total IgE and allergen-specific IgE with IR. The evaluation indexes were odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). In addition, these relationships were also assessed in subgroups of allergy history, asthma history, and number of allergens.
Among eligible adolescents, 168 had IR. No significant association between serum total IgE level and IR was found. However, adolescents with higher level of allergen-specific IgE to rye grass OR = 0.47, 95%CI: (0.25-0.91), white oak OR = 0.57, 95%CI: (0.37-0.88), or peanut OR = 0.38, 95%CI: (0.15-0.97) seemed to have lower odds of IR, whereas those had higher level of shrimp-specific IgE OR = 2.65, 95%CI: (1.21-5.84) have increased odds of IR. In addition, these associations between allergen-specific IgE and IR were also discovered in adolescents who had allergy history or asthma history, or had different numbers of allergens.
Paying attention to different allergens in adolescents may be important in the early identification of IR among this high-risk population. The study results relatively provided some reference for further exploration on IR prevention.
Several studies have shown that the immune system is highly regulated by tryptophan metabolism, which serves as an immunomodulatory factor. The indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1), as an ...intracellular enzyme that participates in metabolism of the essential amino acid tryptophan in the kynurenine pathway, is an independent prognostic marker for pancreatic cancer (PC). First, overexpression of IDO1 inhibits the maturation of dendritic cells and T-cell proliferation in the liver and spleen. Second, the high expression of kynurenine induces and activates the aryl hydrocarbon receptor, resulting in upregulated programmed cell death protein 1 expression. Third, the induction of IDO1 can lead to loss of the T helper 17 cell/regulatory T cell balance, mediated by the proximal tryptophan catabolite from IDO metabolism. In our study, we found that overexpression of IDO1 upregulated CD8+ T cells and reduced natural killer T cells in pancreatic carcinoma in mice. Hence, it may be essential to pay more attention to tryptophan metabolism in patients, especially those who are tolerant to immunotherapy for PC.
Quality of stored almonds is compromised by insect infestations and microbial contamination. Nitric oxide (NO) is a potent fumigant for postharvest pest control on fresh and stored products. NO ...fumigation must be conducted under ultralow oxygen conditions, and it always produces nitrogen dioxide (NO2), depending on the O2 level in the fumigation chamber. NO and NO2 have proven antimicrobial effects but have not been tested for efficacy against microbes in almonds. We evaluated, in this study, fumigation of unpasteurized almonds with NO2 at different levels for inhibition of bacteria and fungi. Almonds were fumigated with 0.1, 0.3, or 1.0% NO under ambient O2 to generate 0.1, 0.3, or 1.0% NO2 conditions; the fumigation treatments lasted 1 or 3 days at 25°C. GreenLight rapid enumeration tests on diluted wash-off almond samples from NO2 fumigation treatments showed either greatly reduced microbial loads or complete control of microorganisms, depending on NO2 concentration and treatment duration. NO2 fumigation was more effective against fungi than against bacteria. These results suggest that postharvest NO fumigation with proper levels of NO and NO2 can be used for insect and microorganism control on stored almonds.
Interleukin 17-producing helper T cells (TH 17 cells) have a major role in protection against infections and in mediating autoimmune diseases, yet the mechanisms involved are incompletely understood. ...We found that interleukin 26 (IL-26), a human TH 17 cell-derived cytokine, is a cationic amphipathic protein that kills extracellular bacteria via membrane-pore formation. Furthermore, TH 17 cell-derived IL-26 formed complexes with bacterial DNA and self-DNA released by dying bacteria and host cells. The resulting IL-26-DNA complexes triggered the production of type I interferon by plasmacytoid dendritic cells via activation of Toll-like receptor 9, but independently of the IL-26 receptor. These findings provide insights into the potent antimicrobial and proinflammatory function of TH 17 cells by showing that IL-26 is a natural human antimicrobial that promotes immune sensing of bacterial and host cell death.
The relationship between the molecular structure of polymeric binders and mechanical properties of a TATB‐based polymer bonded explosive (PBX) were studied by using five different fluoropolymers as ...binders to compare the quati‐stastic and dynamic mechanical property, as well as the three‐point bending creep property of the PBX. F‐ binder A, which was composed of vinylidene fluoride (VDF) and chlorotrifluoroethylene (CTFE), endowed the PBX−A with the best mechanical strength and creep resistance ability. The fracture surfaces of the PBXs after the Brazilian tests were investigated by a field emission‐scanning electron microscope (FE‐SEM). The rupture mode in PBX−A and PBX−B was transcrystalline fracture together with interfacial debonding, but only interfacial debonding in PBX−C and PBX−D. It was explained that the C−Cl bond in CTFE played the key role to keep the polymeric binder rigid and increase the strength of the PBX.
In the research of computer vision and machine perception, 3D objects are usually represented by 2-manifold triangular meshes M. In this paper, we present practical and efficient algorithms to ...construct iso-contours, bisectors, and Voronoi diagrams of point sites on M, based on an exact geodesic metric. Compared to euclidean metric spaces, the Voronoi diagrams on M exhibit many special properties that fail all of the existing euclidean Voronoi algorithms. To provide practical algorithms for constructing geodesic-metric-based Voronoi diagrams on M, this paper studies the analytic structure of iso-contours, bisectors, and Voronoi diagrams on M. After a necessary preprocessing of model M, practical algorithms are proposed for quickly obtaining full information about iso--contours, bisectors, and Voronoi diagrams on M. The complexity of the construction algorithms is also analyzed. Finally, three interesting applications-surface sampling and reconstruction, 3D skeleton extraction, and point pattern analysis-are presented that show the potential power of the proposed algorithms in pattern analysis.
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