Existing stretchable, transparent conductors are mostly electronic conductors. They limit the performance of interconnects, sensors, and actuators as components of stretchable electronics and soft ...machines. We describe a class of devices enabled by ionic conductors that are highly stretchable, fully transparent to light of all colors, and capable of operation at frequencies beyond 10 kilohertz and voltages above 10 kilovolts. We demonstrate a transparent actuator that can generate large strains and a transparent loudspeaker that produces sound over the entire audible range. The electromechanical transduction is achieved without electrochemical reaction. The ionic conductors have higher resistivity than many electronic conductors; however, when large stretchability and high transmittance are required, the ionic conductors have lower sheet resistance than all existing electronic conductors.
Human-machine interfaces have benefited from the advent of wireless sensor networks and the internet of things, but rely on wearable/attachable electronics exhibiting stretchability, ...biocompatibility, and transmittance. Limited by weight and volume, wearable devices should be energy efficient and even self-powered. Here, we report practical approaches for obtaining a stably self-cleanable, transparent and attachable ionic communicator based on triboelectric nanogenerators. The communicator can be easily applied on human skin due to softness and chemically anchored robust layers. It functions as a means of real-time communication between humans and machines. Surface functionalization on the communicator by (heptadecafluoro-1,1,2,2-tetrahydrodecyl)trichlorosilane improves sensitivity and makes the communicator electrically and optically stable due to the self-cleaning effect without sacrificing transmittance. This research may benefit the potential development of attachable ionics, self-powered sensor networks, and monitoring systems for biomechanical motion.
Restriction or ban on antibiotic administration in aquaculture encourages the development of environment‐friendly feed additives as immunostimulants. Short‐chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and their salts ...are ‘Generally Regarded as Safe’ and are often used as antimicrobials in the livestock feed industry. Formate, acetate, propionate, butyrate and their salts are among the most studied SCFAs in aquaculture. These SCFAs affect the host performance as well as physiological response upon three ways: either through effects of the feeds that are being administered, through effects on the gastrointestinal tract of the animal or through direct effects on metabolism. To date, most of the available data are focused on the effects of SCFAs on growth performance and feed utilization. Despite extensive research studies on the effects of the different type of SCFAs and their salts on growth performance and feed utilization, the effects of these feed additives on the health of aquatic organisms have only been receiving attention recently. The results of the studies demonstrated beneficial effects of SCFAs as promising feed additives in aquaculture. The present review article summarizes and discusses the topic of dietary administration of SCFAs and their salts in aquaculture with a closer look at the recent findings regarding the effects of SCFAs on growth performance and health status of fish and shellfish. Furthermore, this review identifies the gaps of existing knowledge regarding the roles of SCFAs in the growth and health status of aquatic animals and suggests research areas that merit further investigations.
As many devices for human utility aim for fast and convenient communication with users, superb electronic devices are demonstrated to serve as hardware for human–machine interfaces in wearable forms. ...Wearable devices for daily healthcare and self‐diagnosis offer more human‐like properties unconstrained by deformation. In this sense, stretchable ionics based on flexible and stretchable hydrogels are on the rise as another means to develop wearable devices for bioapplications for two main reasons: i) ionic currents and choosing the same signal carriers for biological areas, and ii) the adoption of hydrogel ionic conductors, which are intrinsically stretchable materials with biocompatibility. Here, the current status of stretchable ionics and future applications are introduced, whose positive effects can be magnified by stretchable ionics.
Stretchable ionics are becoming central to wearable devices, adopting polymer‐based materials including hydrogels as stretchable ionic conductors. Stretchable and transparent touch panels, loudspeakers, and generators, as well as stretchable electroluminescent actuators are developed. In bridging electronics with biological studies, further progress in the development stretchable ionics for human–machine interfaces is anticipated.
Highly stretchable, transparent ionic touch panel Kim, Chong-Chan; Lee, Hyun-Hee; Oh, Kyu Hwan ...
Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science),
08/2016, Letnik:
353, Številka:
6300
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Because human-computer interactions are increasingly important, touch panels may require stretchability and biocompatibility in order to allow integration with the human body. However, most touch ...panels have been developed based on stiff and brittle electrodes. We demonstrate an ionic touch panel based on a polyacrylamide hydrogel containing lithium chloride salts. The panel is soft and stretchable, so it can sustain a large deformation. The panel can freely transmit light information because the hydrogel is transparent, with 98% transmittance for visible light. A surface-capacitive touch system was adopted to sense a touched position. The panel can be operated under more than 1000% areal strain without sacrificing its functionalities. Epidermal touch panel use on skin was demonstrated by writing words, playing a piano, and playing games.
Ionic skin Sun, Jeong-Yun; Keplinger, Christoph; Whitesides, George M. ...
Advanced materials,
December 3, 2014, Letnik:
26, Številka:
45
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Electronic skins (i.e., stretchable sheets of distributed sensors) report signals using electrons, whereas natural skins report signals using ions. Here, ionic conductors are used to create a new ...type of sensory sheet, called “ionic skin”. Ionic skins are highly stretchable, transparent, and biocompatible. They readily measure strains from 1% to 500%, and pressures as low as 1 kPa.
Along with the intensification of culture systems to meet the increasing global demands, there was an elevated risk for diseases outbreak and substantial loss for farmers. In view of several ...drawbacks caused by prophylactic administration of antibiotics, strict regulations have been established to ban or minimize their application in aquaculture. As an alternative to antibiotics, dietary administration of feed additives has received increasing attention during the past three decades. Probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics and medicinal plants were among the most promising feed supplements for control or treatments of bacterial, viral and parasitic diseases of fish and shellfish. The present review summarizes and discusses the topic of potential application of probiotics as a means of disease control with comprehensive look at the available literature. The possible mode of action of probiotics (Strengthening immune response, competition for binding sites, production of antibacterial substances, and competition for nutrients) in providing protection against diseases is described. Besides, we have classified different pathogens and separately described the effects of probiotics as protective strategy. Furthermore, we have addressed the gaps of existing knowledge as well as the topics that merit further investigations. Overall, the present review paper revealed potential of different probiont to be used as protective agent against various pathogens.
Glutathione (GSH) protects against oxidative damage in many tissues, including retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). Oxidative stress-mediated senescence and death of RPE and subsequent death of ...photoreceptors have been observed in age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Although the consequences of GSH depletion have been described previously, questions remain regarding the molecular mechanisms. We herein examined the downstream effects of GSH depletion on stress-induced premature senescence (SIPS) and cell death in human RPE cells. Briefly, cultured ARPE-19 cells were depleted of GSH using: (1) incubation in cystine (Cys
)-free culture medium; (2) treatment with buthionine sulphoximine (BSO, 1000 µM) to block de novo GSH synthesis for 24-48 h; or (3) treatment with erastin (10 µM for 12-24 h) to inhibit Cys
/glutamate antiporter (system x
). These treatments decreased cell viability and increased both soluble and lipid reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation but did not affect mitochondrial ROS or mitochondrial mass. Western blot analysis revealed decreased expression of ferroptotic modulator glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4). Increased autophagy was apparent, as reflected by increased LC3 expression, autophagic vacuoles, and autophagic flux. In addition, GSH depletion induced SIPS, as evidenced by increased percentage of the senescence-associated β-galactosidase-positive cells, increased senescence-associated heterochromatin foci (SAHF), as well as cell cycle arrest at the G1 phase. GSH depletion-dependent cell death was prevented by selective ferroptosis inhibitors (8 μM Fer-1 and 600 nM Lip-1), iron chelator DFO (80 μM), as well as autophagic inhibitors Baf-A1 (75 nM) and 3-MA (10 mM). Inhibiting autophagy with Baf-A1 (75 nM) or 3-MA (10 mM) promoted SIPS. In contrast, inducing autophagy with rapamycin (100 nM) attenuated SIPS. Our findings suggest that GSH depletion induces ferroptosis, autophagy, and SIPS. In addition, we found that autophagy is activated in the process of ferroptosis and reduces SIPS, suggesting an essential role of autophagy in ferroptosis and SIPS.
Color, as perceived through the eye, transcends mere information in the visible range of electromagnetism and serves as an agent for communication and entertainment. Mechanochromic systems have thus ...far only aimed at satisfying the sense of vision and have overlooked the possibility of generating acoustic vibrations in concert with their visual color responses that would enable the simultaneous satisfaction of the auditory system. Transcending the boundaries of the two senses (i.e., sound and color), herein a strategy for their concurrent and synesthetic fulfillment is elucidated by electrically actuating an organogel photonic device, controlled by a single input signal. This new class of devices that integrate a color module with a speaker is fabricated from a mechanochromic layer that comprises close‐packed photonic lattice with an organogel matrix pervading the void fraction. Exploiting a dielectric elastomer actuator, the system's mechanical response permits the simultaneous, yet independent, exploration of visible‐light reflection alongside audible sound‐wave generation. Large areal strains at low frequencies of actuation tune the photonic stop‐band, whereas the layer remains incompressible and exhibits negligible strain when actuated at higher frequencies (e.g., tens of Hz), thereby making it amenable to modulate sound and color simultaneously yet independently.
Soft photonic organogel devices are presented to realize synesthetic perception of sound and color. The integration of a mechanochromic organogel with a dielectric elastomer enables the device to display a targeted color simultaneously generating vibration for sound. The device can be operated via a single input control with merged DC and AC biases, presenting a way to satisfy both hearing and vision.