Morphological processing

The design of functional supramolecular assemblies from individual molecular building blocks is a fundamental challenge in chemistry and material science. We report on the fabrication of "honeycomb" films by light-induced coassembly of diacetylene derivatives and carbon dots. Specifically, modulating noncovalent interactions between the carbon dots, macrocyclic diacetylene, and anthraquinone diacetylene facilitates formation of thin films exhibiting a long-range, uniform pore structure. We show that light irradiation at distinct wavelengths plays a key role in the assembly process and generation of unique macro-porous morphology, by both initiating interactions between the carbon dots and the anthraquinone moieties and giving rise to the topotactic polymerization of the polydiacetylene network...

The accessibility of genomic tools in evolutionary biology has allowed for a thorough exploration of various evolutionary processes associated with adaptation and speciation. However, genomic studies in natural systems present numerous challenges, reflecting the inherent complexities of studying organisms in their native habitats. The utilization of museum specimens for genomics research has received increased attention in recent times, facilitated by advancements in ancient DNA techniques. In this study, we have utilized a museum genomics approach to analyze historic specimens of Woolly-necked storks (Ciconia sps...

The morphologic properties of brain regions co-vary or correlate with each other. Here we investigated the structural covariances of cortical thickness and subcortical volumes in the ageing brain, along with their associations with age and cognition, using cross-sectional data from the UK Biobank (N = 42,075, aged 45-83 years, 53% female). As the structural covariance should be estimated in a group of participants, all participants were divided into 84 non-overlapping, equal-sized age groups ranging from the youngest to the oldest...

The sensitive and reliable nanozyme-based sensor enables the detection of low concentrations of H2O2 in biological microenvironments, it has potential applications as an in-situ monitoring platform for cellular H2O2 release. The uniformly dispersed bimetallic sulfide (Zn2SnS4) nanoflowers were synthesized via a one-pot hydrothermal method and the two kinds of metal ions can serve as morphology and structure directing agents for each other in the synthetic process. The nanoparticles were utilized as nanozyme materials to fabricate a novel electrochemical sensor, and it exhibits a distinct electrochemical response towards H2O2 with excellent stability and detection capability (with a minimum detection limit of 1...

Pnictogen nanomaterials have recently attracted researchers' attention owing to their promising properties in the field of electronic, energy storage, and nanomedicine applications. Moreover, especially in the case of heavy pnictogens, their chemistry allows for nanomaterial synthesis using both top-down and bottom-up approaches, yielding materials with remarkable differences in terms of morphology, size, yield, and properties. In this study, we carried out a comprehensive structural and spectroscopic characterization of antimony-based nanomaterials (Sb-nanomaterials) obtained by applying different production methodologies (bottom-up and top-down routes) and investigating the influence of the synthesis on their oxidation state and stability in a biological environment...

Molecular dynamics simulations were applied to investigate the formation of P84 polyimide membranes through the non-solvent induced phase separation (NIPS) process, considering two scenarios: one using a conventional organic solvent like n-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) and the other a greener alternative, γ-butyrolactone (GBL), with water serving as the non-solvent. Different compositions of polymer solutions were established along the binodal boundaries of the respective systems, derived from experimental cloud point data on the ternary phase diagram...

Antibody-based fluorescence analysis of female reproductive tissues in research of sexually transmitted diseases allows for an in-depth understanding of protein localization, interactions, and pathogenesis. However, in many cases, cryosectioning is not compatible with biosafety regulations; at all times, exposure of lab personnel and the public to potentially harmful pathogens from biological infectious material must be avoided; thus, formaldehyde fixation is essential. Due to formaldehyde's cross-linking properties, protein detection with antibodies can be impeded...

The production of small-diameter artificial vascular grafts continues to encounter numerous challenges, with concerns regarding the degradation rate and endothelialization being particularly critical. In this study, porous PCL scaffolds were prepared, and PCL vascular grafts were fabricated by 3D bioprinting of collagen materials containing adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs) on the internal wall of the porous PCL scaffold. The PCL vascular grafts were then implanted in the abdominal aorta of Rhesus monkeys for up to 640 days to analyze the degradation of the scaffolds and regeneration of the aorta...

Cu2 ZnSn (S,Se)4 (CZTSSe), a promising absorption material for thin-film solar cells, still falls short of reaching the balance limit efficiency due to the presence of various defects and high defect concentration in the thin film. During the high-temperature selenization process of CZTSSe, the diffusion of various elements and chemical reactions significantly influence defect formation. In this study, a NaOH-Se intermediate layer introduced at the back interface can optimize Cu2 ZnSnS4 (CZTS)precursor films and subsequently adjust the Se and alkali metal content to favor grain growth during selenization...

Interaction between tumor-associated macrophages and tumor cells is crucial for tumor development, metastasis, and the related immune process. However, the macrophages are highly heterogeneous spanning from anti-tumorigenic to pro-tumorigenic, which needs to be understood at the single-cell level. Herein, a sessile microdroplet system designed for monitoring cellular behavior and analyzing intercellular interaction, demonstrated with macrophage-tumor cell pairs is presented. An automatic procedure based on the inkjet printing method is utilized for the precise pairing and co-encapsulation of heterotypic cells within picoliter droplets...

The key to any controlled supramolecular polymerization (CSP) process lies in controlling the nucleation step, which is typically achieved by sequestering monomers in a kinetically trapped state. However, kinetic traps that are shallow cannot prevent spontaneous nucleation, thus limiting the applicability of the CSP in such systems. We use a molecular additive to overcome this limitation by modifying the energy landscape of a competitive self-assembly process and increasing the kinetic stability of an otherwise short-lived trap state...

Among numerous biologically important metal cations, strontium (Sr2+ ) has received much attention in bone tissue regeneration because of its osteoinductive properties combined with its ability to inhibit osteoclast activity. In this study, strontium-doped hydroxyapatite (Sr-HAp) nanorods with varying molar ratios of Ca : Sr (10 : 0, 9 : 1, 5 : 5, 3 : 7 and 0 : 10) were synthesized using the chemical precipitation technique...

The folding/unfolding mechanism and collision recovery effect of the beetle's hind wings can provide biomimetic inspiration for the optimization of wing deplorability and the investigation of collision prevention recovery mechanism of new amphibious morphing vehicle. In this study, a method is described to investigate the structural response and mechanical properties of the hind wings of the beetle Protetia brevitarsis under natural conditions. The specially processed test samples were conducted to tensile testing, which facilitates the evaluation of the mechanical properties of specific areas of the hind wing...

Tobacco ( Nicotiana tabacum L.) shows promise for remediating Cd-contaminated soil due to its significant Cd accumulation capabilities. Although various tobacco varieties exhibit distinct Cd bioaccumulation capacities, a comprehensive understanding of the underlying mechanisms is lacking. This study, conducted using hydroponics, explores differences in Cd accumulation and tolerance mechanisms between two tobacco varieties, Basma and Yunyan 87. The results showed that Cd stress reduced the dry weight, tolerance index, and root morphology for both varieties...

Electrocatalytic generation of H2 O2 via the 2-electron pathway of oxygen reduction reaction (2e-ORR) is an attractive technology compared to the anthraquinone process due to convenience and environmental friendliness. However, catalysts with excellent selectivity and high activity for 2e-ORR are necessary for practical applications. Reported here is a catalyst comprising boron-doped porous carbon hollow spheres (B-PCHSs) prepared using the hard template method coupled with borate transesterification. In an alkali electrolyte, the selectivity of B-PCHS for 2e-ORR above 90% in range of 0...

Anisakiasis is a food-borne parasitic disease mainly caused by the third stage of Anisakis simplex (s. s.) and Anisakis pegreffii. Traditional methods for detecting of Anisakis involve morphology identification such as visual inspection, enzyme digestion, and molecular methods based on PCR, but they have certain limitations. In this study, the internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS 1) regions of Anisakis were targeted to develop a visual screening method for detecting A. simplex (s. s.) and A. pegreffii in fish meat based on recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) combined with lateral flow dipstick (LFD)...

The separation of CO2 from flue gases presents a crucial challenge that needs to be addressed. However, membrane processes offer a promising alternative solution. Polysulfone (PSF)membranes were prepared using N -methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) and tetrahydrofuran (THF) using a dry-wet phase inversion technique. The membranes were fabricated with the selection of casting parameters, PSF concentration (20-30 wt%), solvent ratio of THF/NMP (0/100-35/65), and evaporation time (0-4 min). In this work, the interaction between these influencing factors during preparation and membrane performance was studied...

Chrysanthemum  ×  morifolium has great ornamental and economic value on account of its exquisite capitulum. However, previous studies have mainly focused on the corolla morphology of the capitulum. Such an approach cannot explain the variable inflorescence architecture of the chrysanthemum. Previous research from our group has shown that NO APICAL MERISTEM ( ClNAM ) is likely to function as a hub gene in capitulum architecture in the early development stage. In the present study, ClNAM was used to investigate the function of these boundary genes in the capitulum architecture of Chrysanthemum lavandulifolium , a closely related species of C...

Vacancies, as well as their derivatives, usually play a crucial role in many essential properties of materials. However, they always behave erratically, especially under universal thermal vibration, and are therefore difficult to accurately locate. Until now, the lack of an accurate and flexible method for locating and identifying vacancies has hampered the development of relative fields. In this paper, we present a new method to solve this problem. The strategy is to target the atomic cage enwrapping vacancies instead of the vacancies themselves...

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the world's second most common gastrointestinal malignancy. Preventing tumor cell proliferation and dissemination is critical for patient survival. Polyphenols have a variety of health advantages and can help prevent cancer. The current study examined different cellular activities of the gut-microbiota metabolite urolithin A (UA) on several colon cancer cell lines. The results revealed that UA suppressed cell growth in a dose- and time-dependent manner. In the current investigation, UA substantially affected cell migration in the wound-healing experiment and greatly decreased the number of colonies generated in each CRC cell culture...