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Fulltext What Influences the Perceived Trust of a Voice-Enabled Smart Home System: An Empirical Study

Liu Y, Gan Y, Song Y, Liu J

Sensors (Basel), 2021 Mar 13;21(6).
PMID: 33805702 DOI: 10.3390/s21062037

Contemporarily, almost all the global IT giants have aimed at the smart home industry and made an active strategic business layout. As the early-stage and entry-level product of the voice-enabled smart home industry, the smart speakers have been going through rapid development and rising fierce market competition globally in recent years. China, one of the most populous and largest markets in the world, has tremendous business potential in the smart home industry. The market sales of smart speakers in China have gone through rapid growth in the past three years. However, the market penetration rate of related smart home devices and equipment still stays extremely low and far from mass adoption. Moreover, the market sales of smart speakers have also entered a significant slowdown and adjustment period since 2020. Chinese consumers have moved from early impulsive consumption to a rational consumption phase about this early-stage smart home product. Trust in the marketing field is considered an indispensable component of all business transactions, which plays a crucial role in adopting new technologies. This study explores the influencing factors of Chinese users' perceived trust in the voice-enabled smart home systems, uses structural equation modeling (SEM) to analyze the interaction mechanism between different variables, and establishes a perceived trust model through 475 valid samples. The model includes six variables: system quality, familiarity, subjective norm, technology optimism, perceived enjoyment, and perceived trust. The result shows that system quality is the essential influence factor that impacts all other variables and could significantly affect the perceived trust. Perceived enjoyment is the most direct influence variable affected by system quality, subjective norm, and technology optimism, and it positively affects the perceived trust in the end. The subjective norm is one of the most distinguishing variables for Chinese users, since China has a collectivist consumption culture. People always expect their behavior to meet social expectations and standards to avoid criticism and acquire social integration. Therefore, policy guidance, authoritative opinions, and people with important reference roles will significantly affect consumers' perceived trust and purchase intention. Familiarity and technology optimism are important influential factors that will have an indirect impact on the perceived trust. The related results of this study can help designers, practitioners, and researchers of the smart home industry produce products and services with higher perceived trust to improve consumers' adoption and acceptance so that the market penetration rate of related products and enterprises could be increased, and the maturity and development of the voice-enabled smart home industry could be promoted.
Dynamic Interfacial Adhesion through Cucurbit[n]uril Molecular Recognition

Liu J, Tan CSY, Scherman OA

Angew Chem Int Ed Engl, 2018 07 16;57(29):8854-8858.
PMID: 29663607 DOI: 10.1002/anie.201800775

Supramolecular building blocks, such as cucurbit[n]uril (CB[n])-based host-guest complexes, have been extensively studied at the nano- and microscale as adhesion promoters. Herein, we exploit a new class of CB[n]-threaded highly branched polyrotaxanes (HBP-CB[n]) as aqueous adhesives to macroscopically bond two wet surfaces, including biological tissue, through the formation of CB[8] heteroternary complexes. The dynamic nature of these complexes gives rise to adhesion with remarkable toughness, displaying recovery and reversible adhesion upon mechanical failure at the interface. Incorporation of functional guests, such as azobenzene moieties, allows for stimuli-activated on-demand adhesion/de-adhesion. Macroscopic interfacial adhesion through dynamic host-guest molecular recognition represents an innovative strategy for designing the next generation of functional interfaces, biomedical devices, tissue adhesives, and wound dressings.
Fulltext Distribution of Holttumochloa (Poaceae: Bambusoideae) in China with description of a new species revealed by morphological and molecular evidence

Zhou M, Liu J, Liang Y, Li D

Plant Divers, 2017 Jun;39(3):135-139.
PMID: 30159503 DOI: 10.1016/j.pld.2017.05.001

Holttumochloa has previously only been recorded from Malaysia. Here we describe and illustrate a new species, Holttumochloa hainanensis sp. nov., from the lowland montane forests of Diaoluo Mountain on the Island of Hainan, South China. Morphologically, H. hainanensis is similar to Holttumochloa korbuensis, but can be clearly distinguished from it in having larger culms covered by white wax, longer leaf blades, larger pseudospikelets and anthers. Furthermore, molecular phylogeny based on the nuclear gene GBSSI corroborates the identification of the new species and its affinity. The biogeographical significance of the new record of Holttumochloa in South China is also highlighted in this study.
Photoelectrocatalytic mechanism of PEDOT modified filtration membrane

Shi L, Liu J, Gao B, Sillanpää M

Sci Total Environ, 2022 Mar 20;813:152397.
PMID: 34923007 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.152397

The generation of free radicals is the key to the photocatalytic efficiency. In this study, the degradation mechanism of photoelectrocatalysis (PEC) membrane could be adequately explained by exploring the generation pathway of different free radicals. The PEC membrane was prepared by gas phase polymerization of poly (3, 4-ethylene dioxythiophene) (PEDOT) on non-woven fabric, industrial filter cloth, ceramic membrane and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membrane, respectively. Three-dimensional fluorescence test showed that the optimal degradation of mixed or monomer contamination (bovine serum protein, sodium humate, and sodium alginate) was achieved by modified ceramic membrane under PEC condition. As for self-cleaning experiment, the membrane resistance decreased 65.7% when the reaction conditions changed from dark to PEC for 30 min. Combined with the characterization results, PEDOT as photocapacitance extended electron lifetime and promoted free radical generation. This system was mainly dependent on superoxide free radicals (0.01 mmol/L) and singlet oxygen (0.10 mmol/L), which came from energy and electron transfer. Oxygen vacancy could adsorb oxygen to produce superoxide radicals, which was further oxidized to singlet oxygen. In addition, the π-electron conjugated system of PEDOT accelerated the hole transfer and the separation of electrons and holes. Also, this study provided a new view of reactive oxygen species generation mechanism from PEDOT modified membrane.
The activation of peroxymonosulfate by biochar derived from anaerobic and aerobic iron-containing excess sludge

Duan Y, Gao B, Liu J, Sillanpää M

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2023 Mar 31.
PMID: 37000396 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-26622-0

The excess sludge from municipal sewage treatment plants is rich in Fe (III) due to chemical dephosphorization. The activation of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) by biochar derived from anaerobic and aerobic iron-containing excess sludge was studied systematically in this research. Fe (III)-containing excess sludge was cultured in an anaerobic environment for conversion of partial Fe (III) to Fe (II), which was further carbonized to prepare biochar labeled AnSx@Fe. Meanwhile, aerobic sludge with different Fe (III) content was directly carbonized to produce biochar labeled AeS@Fe. For biochar (AnS20@Fe-15%) prepared from 15% Fe(III)-containing anaerobic cultured 20 days sludge, the relative contents of Fe (III) and Fe (II) were 21.26% and 78.74%, which were 31.03% and 68.97% for biochar (AeS@Fe-10%) prepared from 10% Fe (III)-containing aerobic sludge. Fe (III) can be reduced to Fe (II) by both anaerobic culture and carbonization. Their removal rates of tetracycline (TC) through 60 min PMS activation were 97% and 98%, with TOC (Total organic carbon) removal of 61.8% and 53.4% respectively. The reactive species including sulfate radical [Formula: see text], hydroxyl radical (·OH) and singlet oxygen (1O2) were produced during PMS activation. After O2-aeration treatment of both AeS@Fe and AnSx@Fe, the relative content of Fe (II) was decreased and group C = O was disappeared, which resulted in reduction of [Formula: see text], ·OH and 1O2. The generation of [Formula: see text] and ·OH was dominated by the Fe (II) activation and the 1O2 generation was originated from graphite type N and C = O. Direct carbonization of aerobic and anaerobic sludge is a feasible method to produce biochar for PMS activation.
Technological innovations for sustainable transformation towards carbon neutrality

Pan X, Liu J, Lee CT, Pan X

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2024 Jun;31(29):41480-41481.
PMID: 38532221 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-024-32401-2
Fulltext Developing Pandemic Prevention and Control by ANP-QFD Approach: A Case Study on Urban Furniture Design in China Communities

Liu J, Kamarudin KM, Liu Y, Zou J

Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2021 Mar 06;18(5).
PMID: 33800764 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18052653

BACKGROUND: An infectious disease can affect human beings at an alarming speed in modern society, where Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has led to a worldwide pandemic, posing grave threats to public security and the social economies. However, as one of the closest attachments of urban dwellers, urban furniture hardly contributes to pandemic prevention and control.
METHODS: Given this critical challenge, this article aims to propose a feasible solution to coping with pandemic situations through urban furniture design, using an integrated method of Quality Function Deployment (QFD) and Analytic Network Process (ANP). Eight communities in China are selected as the research sites, since people working and living in these places have successful experience preventing and containing pandemics.
RESULTS: Three user requirements (URs), namely, usability and easy access, sanitation, and health and emotional pleasure, are determined. Meanwhile, seven design requirements (DRs) are identified, including contact reduction, effective disinfection, good appearance, social and cultural symbols, ergonomics, smart system and technology and sustainability. The overall priorities of URs and DRs and their inner dependencies are subsequently determined through the ANP-QFD method, comprising the House of Quality (HQQ). According to the theoretical results, we propose five design strategies for pandemic prevention and control.
CONCLUSION: It is demonstrated that the incorporated method of ANP-QFD has applicability and effectiveness in the conceptual product design process. This article can also provide a new perspective for pandemic prevention and control in densely populated communities in terms of product design and development.
Fulltext Design and analysis of management platform based on financial big data

Chen Y, Mustafa H, Zhang X, Liu J

PeerJ Comput Sci, 2023;9:e1231.
PMID: 37346728 DOI: 10.7717/peerj-cs.1231

Traditional financial accounting will become limited by new technologies which are unable to meet the market development. In order to make financial big data generate business value and improve the information application level of financial management, aiming at the high error rate of current financial data classification system, this article adopts the fuzzy clustering algorithm to classify financial data automatically, and adopts the local outlier factor algorithm with neighborhood relation (NLOF) to detect abnormal data. In addition, a financial data management platform based on distributed Hadoop architecture is designed, which combines MapReduce framework with the fuzzy clustering algorithm and the local outlier factor (LOF) algorithm, and uses MapReduce to operate in parallel with the two algorithms, thus improving the performance of the algorithm and the accuracy of the algorithm, and helping to improve the operational efficiency of enterprise financial data processing. The comparative experimental results show that the proposed platform can achieve the best the running efficiency and the accuracy of financial data classification compared with other methods, which illustrate the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed platform.
Fulltext Exploring the impact of financial globalization, good governance and renewable energy consumption on environmental pollution: Evidence from BRICS-T countries

Lu R, Yang Y, Liu J, Ayub A

Heliyon, 2024 Jul 15;10(13):e33398.
PMID: 39035500 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e33398

The nations of Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, and Turkey (BRICS-T) have yet to find a satisfactory answer to the problem of how to reduce environmental pollution in their environments significantly. Using panel data from 1990 to 2022, this study analyzes the dynamic relationship between energy financial globalization (FG), good governance (GG), renewable energy consumption (REC), urbanization (URB), economic growth (GDP), and environmental pollution. To estimate the long-run and short-run interaction among the variables, this research included the Cross-sectional- ARDL. This research shows that economic growth, energy use, urbanization, and environmental degradation correlate positively and significantly. In contrast, the BRICS-T economies have significantly reduced environmental pollution due to FG, GG and REC. These results also lend credence to the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) concept for developing nations, which has been the focus of recent attention. Additionally, the results from fixed effects-difference in differences (FE-DK) and AMG robustness tests also validate the results from the CS-ARDL estimator. Finally, the findings found that the BRICS-T countries may benefit from this study.
Heating up the divide: Climate change and the quest for inclusive growth in urban China

Liu X, Liu J, Afthanorhan A, Hao Y

J Environ Manage, 2024 Aug 29;369:122269.
PMID: 39213845 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.122269

Climate change has profoundly affected human production and development, and also brought new challenges to China's goal of achieving inclusive economic growth. Using the data of 273 cities in China from 2001 to 2019, this research evaluates the impact of climate change on urban inclusive economic growth by constructing a temperature bin variable according to the daily average temperature. It is found that with the temperature bin [18 °C, 21 °C) as the benchmark group, both temperature rise and fall have a negative influence on inclusive economic growth. Notably, the adverse effects of high temperatures (above 27 °C) are statistically and economically significant, exhibiting a trend of increasing magnitude. The mechanism test shows that high temperature affects the inclusive growth level of the urban economy mainly by exacerbating the urban‒rural income gap. The heterogeneity analysis found that cities located in hot regions, southern regions or coastal areas are more sensitive to high temperatures and experience more prominent effects. This research holds significant practical implications for China to achieve a win‒win situation of balanced economic development and climate governance.
Ferroptosis-Related Long Noncoding RNA Signature Predicts Prognosis of Clear Cell Renal Carcinoma

Liu JW, Supandi F, Dhillon SK

Folia Biol (Praha), 2022;68(1):1-15.
PMID: 36201853

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is very common and accounts for most kidney cancer deaths. While many studies are being conducted in finding the prognostic signatures of ccRCC, we believe that ferroptosis, which involves programmed cell death dependent on iron accumulation, has therapeutic potential in ccRCC. Recent research has shown that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are involved in ferroptosis-related tumour processes and are closely related to survival in patients with ccRCC. Hence, in this study we aim to further explore the role of ferroptosis-related lncRNAs (FRLs) in ccRCC, hoping to establish a signature to predict the survival outcome of ccRCC. We analysed transcriptome data from The Cancer Genome Atlas database (TCGA) and ferroptosis-related genes (FRGs) from FerrDb to identify FRLs using Pearson's correlation. Lasso Cox regression analysis and multivariate Cox proportional hazards models screened seventeen optimal FRLs for developing prognostic signatures. Kaplan-Meier survival curves and ROC curves were then plotted for validating the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of the identified signatures. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis and CIBERSORT algorithm were deployed to explore the role of these FRLs in the tumour microenvironment. It was concluded that these models demonstrate excellent performance in predicting prognosis among patients with ccRCC, also indicating association with the clinicopathologic parameters such as tumour grade, tumour stage and tumour immune infiltration. In conclusion, our findings provide novel insights into ferroptosis-related lncRNAs in ccRCC, which are important targets for investigating the tumorigenesis of ccRCC.
Fulltext The impact of SLCO1B1 genetic polymorphisms on neonatal hyperbilirubinemia: a systematic review with meta-analysis

Liu J, Long J, Zhang S, Fang X, Luo Y

J Pediatr (Rio J), 2013 07 11;89(5):434-43.
PMID: 23850112 DOI: 10.1016/j.jped.2013.01.008

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether three variants (388 G>A, 521 T>C, and 463 C>A) of the solute carrier organic anion transporter family member 1B1 (SLCO1B1) are associated with neonatal hyperbilirubinemia.
DATA SOURCE: The China National Knowledge Infrastructure and MEDLINE databases were searched. The systematic review with meta-analysis included genetic studies which assessed the association between neonatal hyperbilirubinemia and 388 G>A, 521 T>C, and 463 C>A variants of SLCO1B1 between January of 1980 and December of 2012. Data selection and extraction were performed independently by two reviewers.
SUMMARY OF THE FINDINGS: Ten articles were included in the study. The results revealed that SLCO1B1 388 G>A is associated with an increased risk of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia (OR, 1.39; 95% CI, 1.07-1.82) in Chinese neonates, but not in white, Thai, Latin American, or Malaysian neonates. The SLCO1B1 521 T>C mutation showed a low risk of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia in Chinese neonates, while no significant associations were found in Brazilian, white, Asian, Thai, and Malaysian neonates. There were no significant differences in SLCO1B1 463 C>A between the hyperbilirubinemia and the control group.
CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that the 388 G>A mutation of the SLCO1B1 gene is a risk factor for developing neonatal hyperbilirubinemia in Chinese neonates, but not in white, Thai, Brazilian, or Malaysian populations; the SLCO1B1 521 T>C mutation provides protection for neonatal hyperbilirubinemia in Chinese neonates, but not in white, Thai, Brazilian, or Malaysian populations.
Fulltext Comparison of egg and high yielding MDCK cell-derived live attenuated influenza virus for commercial production of trivalent influenza vaccine: in vitro cell susceptibility and influenza virus replication kinetics in permissive and semi-permissive cells

Hussain AI, Cordeiro M, Sevilla E, Liu J

Vaccine, 2010 May 14;28(22):3848-55.
PMID: 20307595 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2010.03.005

Currently MedImmune manufactures cold-adapted (ca) live, attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) from specific-pathogen free (SPF) chicken eggs. Difficulties in production scale-up and potential exposure of chicken flocks to avian influenza viruses especially in the event of a pandemic influenza outbreak have prompted evaluation and development of alternative non-egg based influenza vaccine manufacturing technologies. As part of MedImmune's effort to develop the live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) using cell culture production technologies we have investigated the use of high yielding, cloned MDCK cells as a substrate for vaccine production by assessing host range and virus replication of influenza virus produced from both SPF egg and MDCK cell production technologies. In addition to cloned MDCK cells the indicator cell lines used to evaluate the impact of producing LAIV in cells on host range and replication included two human cell lines: human lung carcinoma (A549) cells and human muco-epidermoid bronchiolar carcinoma (NCI H292) cells. The influenza viruses used to infect the indicators cell lines represented both the egg and cell culture manufacturing processes and included virus strains that composed the 2006-2007 influenza seasonal trivalent vaccine (A/New Caledonia/20/99 (H1N1), A/Wisconsin/67/05 (H3N2) and B/Malaysia/2506/04). Results from this study demonstrate remarkable similarity between influenza viruses representing the current commercial egg produced and developmental MDCK cell produced vaccine production platforms. MedImmune's high yielding cloned MDCK cells used for the cell culture based vaccine production were highly permissive to both egg and cell produced ca attenuated influenza viruses. Both the A549 and NCI H292 cells regardless of production system were less permissive to influenza A and B viruses than the MDCK cells. Irrespective of the indicator cell line used the replication properties were similar between egg and the cell produced influenza viruses. Based on these study results we conclude that the MDCK cell produced and egg produced vaccine strains are highly comparable.
Increased susceptibility of mice obtained from in vitro fertilization to global cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury: possible role of hydrogen sulphide and its biosynthetic enzymes

Li H, Liu L, Dang M, Zhang W, Liu J

Int J Neurosci, 2020 Jun;130(6):533-540.
PMID: 31516045 DOI: 10.1080/00207454.2019.1667797

Aim of the Study: This study was designed to explore the relative susceptibility of in vitro fertilization (IVF)-conceived mice to global cerebral ischemic injury with the possible role of hydrogen sulphide and enzymes responsible for its production.Materials and Methods: IVF was carried to obtain pups, which were allowed to grow to the age of eight weeks. Thereafter, male mice were subjected to 20 min of global ischemia and 24 h of reperfusion. The mice obtained from other groups including normal mating, superovulation but normal mating and normal mating but embryo implantation were also subjected to global ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury.Results: IVF-derived mice exhibited significant more injury in response to I/R injury in comparison to other groups assessed in terms of impairment in locomotor activity, development of motor in coordination, neurological severity score, cerebral infarction and apoptosis markers (caspase-3 activity and Bcl-2 expression). Moreover, there was a relative decrease in the brain levels of hydrogen sulphide (H2S) and its biosynthetic enzymes viz. cystathionine-β-synthase and cystathionine-γ-lyase. Interestingly, the levels of H2S and cystathionine-γ-lyase were significantly low in IVF-derived mice in basal conditions also, i.e. before subjecting to I/R injury and these biochemical alterations were associated with the behavioural deficits in mice, even before subjecting to I/R injury.Conclusion: It is concluded that in vitro fertilization-derived mice are more susceptible to global cerebral I/R injury, which may be possibly due to decreased levels of hydrogen sulphide and its biosynthetic enzymes viz., cystathionine-β-synthase and cystathionine-γ-lyase.
Fulltext The complete chloroplast genome and phylogenetic analysis of Nephelium lappaceum (rambutan)

Liu J, Zheng C, Liu ZY, Niu YF

Mitochondrial DNA B Resour, 2021 Feb 09;6(2):485-487.
PMID: 33628898 DOI: 10.1080/23802359.2021.1872449

Nephelium lappaceum is a popular tropical fruit belonging to the Sapindaceae family. The plant originated in Malaysia and Indonesia and is commonly called rambutan. Because of its refreshing flavor and exotic appearance, rambutan is widely accepted in the World. Due to its significant medicinal properties, the fruit has also been employed in traditional medicine for centuries. The chloroplast genome of rambutan was sequenced, assembled, and annotated in the present study. The chloroplast genome length was 161,356 bp and contained 132 genes, including 87 protein-coding genes, 37 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes, and 8 ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes. It possessed the typical quadripartite circle structure with a large single-copy region (86,009 bp), a small single-copy region (18,153 bp), and two inverted repeat regions (28,597 bp). A total of 35 SSR markers were found in the chloroplast genome of Nephelium lappaceum, of which 33 were monomer, 1 was dimer and 1 was tetramer. Phylogenetic analysis based on the complete chloroplast genome sequences of 21 plant species showed that rambutan was closely related to Pometia tomentosa. These results provide a foundation for further phylogenetic and evolutionary studies of the Sapindaceae family.
Fulltext Reference Frame Unification of IMU-Based Joint Angle Estimation: The Experimental Investigation and a Novel Method

Yi C, Jiang F, Yang C, Chen Z, Ding Z, Liu J

Sensors (Basel), 2021 Mar 05;21(5).
PMID: 33807746 DOI: 10.3390/s21051813

Inertial measurement unit (IMU)-based joint angle estimation is an increasingly mature technique that has a broad range of applications in clinics, biomechanics and robotics. However, the deviations of different IMUs' reference frames, referring to IMUs' individual orientations estimating errors, is still a challenge for improving the angle estimation accuracy due to conceptual confusion, relatively simple metrics and the lack of systematical investigation. In this paper, we clarify the determination of reference frame unification, experimentally study the time-varying characteristics of reference frames' deviations and accordingly propose a novel method with a comprehensive metric to unify reference frames. To be specific, we firstly define the reference frame unification (RFU) and distinguish it with drift correction that has always been confused with the term RFU. Secondly, we design a mechanical gimbal-based experiment to study the deviations, where sensor-to-body alignment and rotation-caused differences of orientations are excluded. Thirdly, based on the findings of the experiment, we propose a novel method to utilize the consistency of the joint axis under the hinge-joint constraint, gravity acceleration and local magnetic field to comprehensively unify reference frames, which meets the nonlinear time-varying characteristics of the deviations. The results on ten human subjects reveal the feasibility of our proposed method and the improvement from previous methods. This work contributes to a relatively new perspective of considering and improving the accuracy of IMU-based joint angle estimation.
Microstructure of Sodium Montmorillonite Gels with Long Aging Time Scale

Leong YK, Du M, Au PI, Clode P, Liu J

Langmuir, 2018 08 21;34(33):9673-9682.
PMID: 30053778 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.8b00213

Purified sodium montmorillonite (SWy-2) gels of a few percent solids displayed pronounced time-dependent rheological or aging behavior with a long time scale. The aging behavior was characterized by an increasing yield stress with rest time. This increase continued even after a week of rest. An open sponge-like cellular microstructure of the aged gels was captured by cryo-SEM with samples prepared at high pressure. The size of the openings of the cellular structure is small, generally less than 1 μm formed by thin flexible platelet with curling edges. This structure was formed by strong attractive and repulsive forces. The rapid yield stress increase in the early stage of aging is due to rapid bond formation occurring between network platelets and free individual platelet, isolated aggregates, and platelet particles in network with free edges. Over time, all platelets are bonded in the network. During aging, the platelets in the structure would have to adjust continually in response to a net force acting on it by its neighbors. The high concentration of platelets responding to this force imbalance is the cause of the long aging time scale. The operation of the attractive and repulsive forces, and the shape and charge properties of the platelets are responsible for the cellular structure being built. At complete structural recovery, the structure should attain the state of lowest free energy. The repulsive force regulates the development of the microstructure. The aging data of the 3.3 wt % gel were fitted by different aging models.
Fulltext Self-assembled nanoparticles of acid-induced fish (Cyprinus carpio L.) scale gelatin: Structure, physicochemical properties, and application for loading curcumin

Li H, Mustapha WAW, Liu J, Zhang X

Food Chem X, 2024 Mar 30;21:101230.
PMID: 38426076 DOI: 10.1016/j.fochx.2024.101230

This work expands the functionality of fish scale gelatin (FSG) as a carrier of hydrophobic bioactive substances. The hydrophobicity of FSG was enhanced to promote its interaction with hydrophobic curcumin and to increase its bioavailability. This results in a remarkable increase in the curcumin loading capacity of acid-hydrolyzed FSG (HFSG) from 1.08 ± 0.08 μg/mg (0 h) to 9.15 ± 0.21 μg/mg (3 h). The amino acid composition indicated that acid hydrolysis effectively increased the ratio of hydrophobic amino acids of FSG. Acid hydrolysis facilitated the transformation of the α-helical conformation into a β-sheet structure. Hydrophobic interactions between HFSG and curcumin were strengthened by moderate acid hydrolysis. A sustained-release profile emerged for the curcumin-loaded HFSG during simulated gastrointestinal digestion, thereby improving the bioaccessibility and bioavailability of curcumin. These findings contribute to the application of acid hydrolysis in modifying FSG for enhanced hydrophobicity and curcumin loading capacity in the food industry.
Fulltext Toward a versatile toolbox for cucurbit[n]uril-based supramolecular hydrogel networks through in situ polymerization

Liu J, Soo Yun Tan C, Lan Y, Scherman OA

J Polym Sci A Polym Chem, 2017 Sep 15;55(18):3105-3109.
PMID: 28931970 DOI: 10.1002/pola.28667

The success of exploiting cucurbit[n]uril (CB[n])-based molecular recognition in self-assembled systems has sparked a tremendous interest in polymer and materials chemistry. In this study, polymerization in the presence of host-guest complexes is applied as a modular synthetic approach toward a diverse set of CB[8]-based supramolecular hydrogels with desirable properties, such as mechanical strength, toughness, energy dissipation, self-healing, and shear-thinning. A range of vinyl monomers, including acrylamide-, acrylate-, and imidazolium-based hydrophilic monomers, could be easily incorporated as the polymer backbones, leading to a library of CB[8] hydrogel networks. This versatile strategy explores new horizons for the construction of supramolecular hydrogel networks and materials with emergent properties in wearable and self-healable electronic devices, sensors, and structural biomaterials. © 2017 The Authors. Journal of Polymer Science Part A: Polymer Chemistry Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2017, 55, 3105-3109.
Fulltext First report of Neopestalotiopsis clavispora Causing Leaf Spots on Garcinia mangostana in China

Zhu R, Liu YL, Li H, Liu J, Han X

Plant Dis, 2022 Nov 09.
PMID: 36350731 DOI: 10.1094/PDIS-05-22-1120-PDN

Garcinia mangostana L. is a famous tropical fruit in Asia. In April 2021, a leaf disease on G. mangostana cv. Huazhu was observed in Zhanjiang (21.17° N, 110.18° E), Guangdong province, China. Symptoms was on new leaves of 2 year old plants. The spots were circular to irregular, gray in the center, and brown on the lesion margin. The disease incidence was estimated 25% (n = 500 investigated plants from about 50-ha). Twenty diseased leaves were collected from the orchard. The margin of the diseased tissues was cut into 2 mm × 2 mm pieces; surface disinfected with 75% ethanol and 2% sodium hypochlorite for 30 and 60 s, respectively; and rinsed thrice with sterile water. The tissues were plated onto potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium and incubated at 28 ℃. Twenty-eight isolates were obtained (isolation frequency = 28/4×20 = 35%). Single-spore isolation method was used to recover pure cultures for three isolates (GMN-1, GMN-2, and GMN-3) (Liu et al. 2021). The colonies were initially white with cottony aerial mycelium at 7 days on PDA. Then, they developed black acervular conidiomata at 10 days. Conidia were clavate to fusiform, four-septate, straight or slightly curved, and measured 16.5 to 21.4 µm long (average 19.5 µm; n = 40) × 4.5 to 6.5 µm wide (average 5.2 µm; n = 40). The three median cells were versicolored, whereas the basal and apical cells were hyaline. Conidia had a single basal appendage (4.5 to 5.5 µm long; n = 40) and three apical appendages (19.2 to 24.5 µm long; n = 40). The morphological characteristics of the isolates are comparable with those of the genus Neopestalotiopsis (Sajeewa et al. 2012). Molecular identification was performed using the colony polymerase chain reaction method with MightyAmp DNA Polymerase (Takara-Bio, Dalian, China) (Lu et al. 2012). Sequences were generated from the isolates using primers for the rDNA ITS (ITS1/ITS4), TEF1-α (EF1-728F/EF1-986R), and β-tubulin (T1/βt2b) loci (Sajeewa et al. 2012). The sequences of the isolates were submitted to GenBank (ITS, MZ026535-MZ026537; TEF, MZ032203-MZ032205; β-tubulin, MZ032206-MZ032208). The sequences of the isolates were 100% identical to the type strain MFLUCC12-0281 (accession nos. JX398979, JX399014, and JX399045) through BLAST analysis. The isolates clustered with N. clavispora (MFLUCC12-0280 and MFLUCC12-0281). The pathogenicity was tested in vivo. Individual plants (cv. Huazhu) were grown (n = 2, 1-1.5 year old) in a greenhouse at 24 ℃-30 ℃ with 80% relative humidity. Wounded leaflets were inoculated with 5-mm-diameter mycelial plugs or agar plugs (as control). Besides, sterile cotton balls were immersed in the spore suspension (1 × 105 per mL) and sterile distilled water (control) for about 15 s before they were fixed on the leaves for 3 days. One plant employed for each isolate with nine leaves. The test was performed thrice. Disease symptoms were found on the leaflets after 10 days, whereas the controls remained healthy. The pathogen was re-isolated from infected leaves and phenotypically identical to the original isolates to fulfill Koch's postulates. Neopestalotiopsis clavispora and Pestalotiopsis clavispora are synonyms. The fungus appeared to have a wide host range and distribution including in Thailand, Malaysia, North Queensland, and Australia (Sajeewa et al. 2012;Shahriar et al. 2022). Thus, this is the first report of N. clavispora causing leaf spot on G. mangostana in China. This finding will help improve management strategies against the leaf spots on G. mangostana in China.

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