Repair of cartilage defects is highly challenging in clinical treatment. Tissue engineering provides a promising approach for cartilage regeneration and repair. As a core component of tissue ...engineering, scaffolds have a crucial influence on cartilage regeneration, especially in immunocompetent large animal and human. Native polymers, such as gelatin and hyaluronic acid, have known as ideal biomimetic scaffold sources for cartilage regeneration. However, how to precisely control their structure, degradation rate, and mechanical properties suitable for cartilage regeneration remains a great challenge. To address these issues, a series of strategies were introduced in the current study to optimize the scaffold fabrication. First, gelatin and hyaluronic acid were prepared into a hydrogel and 3D printing was adopted to ensure precise control in both the outer 3D shape and internal pore structure. Second, methacrylic anhydride and a photoinitiator were introduced into the hydrogel system to make the material photocurable during 3D printing. Finally, lyophilization was used to further enhance mechanical properties and prolong degradation time. According to the current results, by integrating photocuring 3D printing and lyophilization techniques, gelatin and hyaluronic acid were successfully fabricated into human ear- and nose-shaped scaffolds, and both scaffolds achieved shape similarity levels over 90% compared with the original digital models. The scaffolds with 50% infill density achieved proper internal pore structure suitable for cell distribution, adhesion, and proliferation. Besides, lyophilization further enhanced mechanical strength of the 3D-printed hydrogel and slowed its degradation rate matching to cartilage regeneration. Most importantly, the scaffolds combined with chondrocytes successfully regenerated mature cartilage with typical lacunae structure and cartilage-specific extracellular matrixes both in vitro and in the autologous goat model. The current study established novel scaffold-fabricated strategies for native polymers and provided a novel natural 3D scaffold with satisfactory outer shape, pore structure, mechanical strength, degradation rate, and weak immunogenicity for cartilage regeneration.
Consumers who are environmentally and health conscious are increasingly looking for plant-based alternatives to replace animal-based products in their daily diets. Among these alternatives, there is ...a growing demand for meat analogues that closely resemble the taste and texture of meat. As a result, significant efforts have been dedicated to developing meat analogues with a desirable meat-like structure. Currently, soy protein and wheat gluten are the main ingredients used for producing these meat analogues due to their availability and unique functionalities. This study observed that high moisture extrusion at moisture levels of 50–80% has become a common approach for creating fibrous structures, with soy protein and wheat gluten being considered incompatible proteins. After the structuring process, they form two-phase filled gels, with wheat gluten acting as the continuous phase and soy protein serving as a filler material. Moreover, the formation of soy protein and wheat gluten networks relies on a combination of covalent and non-covalent interaction bonds, including hydrogen bonds that stabilize the protein networks, hydrophobic interactions governing protein chain associations during thermo-mechanical processes, and disulfide bonds that potentially contribute to fibrous structure formation. This review provides case studies and examples that demonstrate how specific processing conditions can improve the overall structure, aiming to serve as a valuable reference for further research and the advancement of fibrous structures.
•Increasing important values of Asteraceae and weeds with degradation of inland salt marsh wetlands.•Higher plant diversity in moderate degraded wetlands.•Soil carbon and nitrogen content declines ...significantly with wetland degradation.•Soil nitrogen content is a key element in wetland degradation processes.
Plant community characteristics and soil properties are critical indicators for evaluating wetland degradation and restoration. In order to investigate how the degradation of inland salt marsh wetlands affects plants and soils as well as the response relationship between plants and soils under different degradation degrees, this paper selected inland salt marsh wetlands with different degradation degrees in the wetland area of western Songnen Plain, and analyzed the characteristics of plant communities, soils and their relationships. The results show that: that the important value of Gramineae plants decreased by about 21% with increasing degradation, while the vital value of Cyperaceae and weeds increased by 10% and 9%, respectively. Plant height decreased significantly, and coverage and density showed a decreasing and then increasing trend. Overall, species diversity shows a trend of increasing and then decreasing, indicating that the structure of plant communities tends to be more straightforward and more complex with increasing degradation. Soil electrical conductivity, total organic carbon (TOC) and total nitrogen (TN) content decreased significantly with the degree of degradation from ND (non degradation) to HD (heavy degradation) by 34.08%, 19.56%, and 35.82%, respectively. Soil C:N increased from 13.13 to 17.97. Soil N:P and C:P decreased from 5.56 to 3.28 and from 71.59 to 54.02, respectively. Soil factors affecting wetland plants were inconsistent at different stages of degradation. Changes in soil nitrogen and phosphorus content were correlated with changes in wetland vegetation community structure. Therefore, exploring how wetland degradation affects plants and soils can provide a scientific basis for wetland degradation assessment and wetland restoration.
Abstract
The increasing water use for human activities is threatening the health of ecosystems. Most previous studies on water scarcity mainly centered on human society. In this study, we developed a ...new indicator, ecological water scarcity (WS
eco
), that considers water quantity, water quality, and environmental flow requirements. WS
eco
was assessed at the provincial level in China. The results show that northern China suffered more severe WS
eco
than southern China. In addition, the WS
eco
level decreased in 65% of provinces from 2016 to 2019, implying the great achievement of China’s effort in saving water and reducing pollution. The main driving factor of WS
eco
in most provinces was pollution rather than human water use. The findings of this study demonstrate the spatial distribution, temporal dynamics, and driving factors of WS
eco
in China. The results can be used to guide efforts for ecological restoration and sustainable water management in different regions.
Three‐dimensional metal‐halide perovskites have emerged as promising light harvesting materials for converting sunlight to electricity in the last few years. High power conversion efficiency of 23.3% ...has been demonstrated. However, the main challenge that currently limits the application of the perovskite solar cells is the long‐term stability, which has ambient, thermal, and photo stability weaknesses. Recently, the quasi two‐dimensional Ruddlesden–Popper perovskites have showed great potential to enhance the stability and achieved an acceptable power conversion efficiency (>13%) compared to the traditional three‐dimensional perovskites. The long organic cations in low‐dimensional perovskites are more hydrophobic than the typically used short methylammonium cation in three‐dimensional perovskites. Here, we summarize recent developments of the Ruddlesden–Popper perovskite solar cells, including Lead‐based quasi two‐dimensional and Lead‐free quasi two‐dimensional perovskite structure. The light harvesting performance and charge‐carrier dynamics in these perovskite solar cells are reviewed. In addition, critical challenges that limit the performance of Ruddlesden–Popper perovskite solar cells are discussed. Perspectives and future directions are proposed.
Recent developments of the Ruddlesden–Popper perovskite solar cells (PSCs) is summarized, including Lead‐based quasi 2D and Lead‐free quasi 2D perovskite structure. The light harvesting performance, stability and charge‐carrier dynamics in these PSCs are reviewed. In addition, The major challenges and perspectives for Ruddlesden–Popper PSCs are also discussed.
Arsenic contamination in groundwater has raised great concern in many countries around the world. In this study, a new activated carbon fiber (ACF) based material targeting the simultaneous removal ...of arsenic and natural organic matter was developed. The ACF, as a support material, was modified by doping with zirconium-based nanoparticles (NP) with chitosan as a linking polymer. The fabrication of Zr-based NP doped ACF was optimized by a L 9 (3) 4 orthogonal experimental design approach. The adsorption kinetics study showed that the adsorption equilibrium was established within 30 h. The adsorption increased as the solution pH was decreased; the optimal pH for adsorption was 3.0. The experimental data were better described by the Langmuir equation than the Freundlich equation; the maximum adsorption capacity of 21.7 mg As per g was achieved at pH 3.0. The adsorption was not reduced in the presence of carbonate. The presence of fluoride and phosphate had some negative effects on the adsorption. The arsenic uptake was however greatly retarded by the silicate. The fixed-bed column filtration experiment demonstrated that the sorbent had 570.4 bed volumes, to meet the maximum contaminant level of 10 µg L −1 when treating simulated arsenic contaminated water with an initial concentration of 106 µg L −1 . The XPS analysis indicated that the adsorption of arsenate was mainly associated with an ion-exchange reaction between hydrogen sulfate and arsenate ions.
In the real Internet of Everything scenario, many large-scale information systems can be converted into interdependent sensor networks, such as smart grids, smart medical systems, and industrial ...Internet systems. These complex systems usually have multiple interdependent sensor networks. Small faults or failure behaviors between networks may cause serious cascading failure effects of the entire system. Therefore, in this paper, we will focus on the security of interdependent sensor networks. Firstly, by calculating the size of the largest functional component in the entire network, the impact of random attacks on the security of interdependent sensor networks is analyzed. Secondly, it compares and analyzes the impact of cascading failures between interdependent sensor networks under different switching edge strategies. Finally, the simulation results verify the effect of the security of the system under different strategies, and give a better exchange strategy to enhance the security of the system. In addition, the research work in this article can help design how to further optimize the topology of interdependent sensor networks by reducing the impact of cascading failures.
Selective laser melting (SLM) was applied to fabricate high-strength and ductile reduced activation ferritic/martensitic (RAFM) steel via modification of heterogeneous microstructure that consists of ...domains of fine and coarse grains as well as lath martensites, but with different grain morphology in respond to the variation in the scanning strategy and resultant thermal history. The SLM-built RAFM steel exhibited an enhanced strength-ductility synergy with high yield strength of 967 MPa and high elongation of 15.1% under a meander scanning strategy, surpassing the previously reported counterparts, which was ascribed to the refined microstructure and improved strain hardening. In contrast, an island scanning strategy deteriorated the ductility down to 3.8% arising from the oriented alignment of columnar coarse grains around island, which initiated micro-voids and cracks during deformation and finally gave rise to a premature failure. This work proposed the microstructural design principles for additively manufacturing high-performance RAFM steels and is expected to facilitate their application in the fusion reactor.
The gut microbiota plays important roles in the occurrence and development of obesity and diabetes through participating in nutrient absorption and metabolism. Microecological regulation is likely to ...be key to understanding the effects of Chinese medicine. The Linggui Zhugan (LGZG) formula is a well-known Chinese medicine for controlling obesity in the clinic. However, its pharmacological effects and mechanism of action in diabetes require further exploration.
To evaluate the effects of LGZG on body weight, glycemic control, lipid levels, and gut microbiota in high-fat diet-induced diabetic mice.
High-fat diet-induced diabetic mice were subjected to an 8-week protocol of LGZG administration. We then evaluated the pharmacological effects of LGZG and its influence on gut microbes in fecal samples using the 16S rRNA-based microbiome profiling technique.
LGZG administration significantly reduced body weight and body fat mass in diabetic mice. Compared with the high-fat diet control group, LGZG favorably influenced blood glucose control, decreased blood glucose levels, and increased glucose tolerance, accompanied by an improvement in lipid metabolism. Furthermore, the global community composition and relative abundance of many taxa differed between mice fed chow or a high-fat diet. As expected, LGZG supplementation altered the general community structure of gut microbiota, the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio, and the relative abundance of certain bacteria, such as
and
.
LGZG effectively controlled obesity and relieved insulin resistance, which may be closely related to its impact on gut microbiota.
The type I interferon (IFN-I) signaling pathway is an important part of the innate immune response and plays a vital role in controlling and eliminating pathogens. African swine fever virus (ASFV) ...encodes various proteins to evade the host's natural immunity. However, the molecular mechanism by which the ASFV-encoded proteins inhibit interferon production remains poorly understood. In the present study, ASFV MGF360-11L inhibited cGAS, STING, TBK1, IKKε, IRF7 and IRF3-5D mediated activation of the IFN-β and ISRE promoters, accompanied by decreases in IFN-β, ISG15 and ISG56 mRNA expression. ASFV MGF360-11L interacted with TBK1 and IRF7, degrading TBK1 and IRF7 through the cysteine, ubiquitin-proteasome and autophagy pathways. Moreover, ASFV MGF360-11L also inhibited the phosphorylation of TBK1 and IRF3 stimulated by cGAS-STING overexpression. Truncation mutation analysis revealed that aa 167-353 of ASFV MGF360-11L could inhibit cGAS-STING-mediated activation of the IFN-β and ISRE promoters. Finally, the results indicated that ASFV MGF360-11L plays a significant role in inhibiting IL-1β, IL-6 and IFN-β production in PAM cells (PAMs) infected with ASFV. In short, these results demonstrated that ASFV MGF360-11L was involved in regulating IFN-I expression by negatively regulating the cGAS signaling pathway. In summary, this study preliminarily clarified the molecular mechanism by which the ASFV MGF360-11L protein antagonizes IFN-I-mediated antiviral activity, which will help to provide new strategies for the treatment and prevention of ASF.
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