Bioinspired Universal Flexible Elastomer-Based Microchannels

Flexible and stretchable microscale fluidic devices have a broad range of potential applications, ranging from electronic wearable devices for convenient digital lifestyle to biomedical devices. However, simple ways to achieve stable flexible and stretchable fluidic microchannels with dynamic liquid transport have been challenging because every application for elastomeric microchannels is restricted by their complex fabrication process and limited material selection. Here, a universal strategy for building microfluidic devices that possess exceptionally stable and stretching properties is shown. The devices exhibit superior mechanical deformability, including high strain (967%) and recovery ability, where applications as both strain sensor and pressure‐flow regulating device are demonstrated. Various microchannels are combined with organic, inorganic, and metallic materials as stable composite microfluidics. Furthermore, with surface chemical modification these stretchable microfluidic devices can also obtain antifouling property to suit for a broad range of industrial and biomedical applications.Chemistry and Chemical Biolog

Food Frontiers : An academically sponsored new journal

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How do urban residents use energy for winter heating at home? A large-scale survey in the hot summer and cold winter climate zone in the Yangtze River region

The increasing demand for improving indoor thermal environment in the hot summer and cold winter climate zone (HSCW) in the Yangtze River region in China poses enormous challenges in terms of energy policy and design solutions for this unique region. A comprehensive understanding of people’s habits and behaviors involving winter heating is imperative for decision making for urban heating infrastructure investment strategies that significantly impact the decarbonization of heating. However, there are little studies of a large-scale survey to gain such knowledge acrose the region. The aim of this study is to develop a rigorous survey method in order to obtain reliable data for analysis. Five municipal/capital cities across the upper, middle and downstream Yangtze River were surveyed based on 30 randomly generated locations in each city. A total of 8481 valuable samples were obtained in the survey conducted in the winter from November 2017 to March 2018. It is revealed that air conditioning/air source heat pumps are the predominant systems, accounting for 63% and 58% for bedroom and living room heating respectively. The use patterns of heating are diverse featuring ‘part-time-part-space’ systems in accordance with the occupancy patterns. There is significant evidence of the habit of opening a window to provide a gap for fresh air irrespective of whether the heating is in use. Two-step cluster analysis is employed to subdivide occupants’ heating-related behaviors into three clusters to characterize households. This study fills the knowledge gap of winter-heating-related behaviors. The research outcomes will benefit building energy simulations for energy prediction and help policy makers making decisions on providing strategic guidance in terms of winter heating solutions in this region

Photothermally induced liquid gate with navigation control of the fluid transport

The ability to control multiphase flows is essential for applications such as microvalves, chemical analyses, microreactors, and multiphase separators. Furthermore, more specific controls, including the positional navigation control of fluids under steady-state pressures, will improve the development of these applications. Here, we present a fundamentally new photothermally induced liquid gating system that allows light-controlled contactless fluid transport and gas/liquid separations at designated locations, with seconds response times, under constant pressures. Experiments and theoretical calculations demonstrate the stability of our system and its novel regulation mechanism, which is based on a photothermally induced liquid-reconfigurable gate with a change in the surface/interfacial tension and Marangoni flow redistribution of the gating liquid at the illuminated location. This regulation mechanism with positional navigation properties requires neither mechanical parts nor complex accessories and can further enable the miniaturization and integration of various engineering processes. Our application demonstrations confirm the potential of this system in fields of smart valves, multiphase separations, multiphase microreactors, and beyond

Targeting mitochondrial quality control in muscle aging: Natural dietary products as potential interventions

Abstract Mitochondria are the main sources of energy production for muscle tissues, including skeletal, cardiac, or smooth muscle, to support their activities. Mitochondrial dysfunction and dysregulation of their quality control systems are significant characteristics in aged muscle. Increasing evidence indicates that natural products, especially phytochemicals, can prevent or improve age‐related muscle disorders. Among them, some dietary components specifically regulate mitochondrial quality control (MQC) to play their efficacy. However, the content of related studies is currently not systematically reviewed. In this review, composition, changes, and associated regulators in the MQC network during muscle aging were summarized by comprehensive literature retrieval. Subsequently, the effects and mechanisms of dietary active ingredients on this control network were described. This review showed that mitochondrial dysfunction is a common feature in different types of muscle aging. And four main ways of MQC are involved in maintaining mitochondrial homeostasis and they form a tight and integral system, for muscle‐healthy aging. The benefits of specific endogenous metabolites and exogenous components on aged muscle health are mediated in the above ways. Dietary phytochemicals including phenols, terpenoids, and alkaloids, unfold their influential roles in delaying muscle aging via promoting mitochondrial biogenesis and mitophagy. These findings suggest that MQC is a promising action site against muscle aging and food or herbal‐derived natural products are representative potential interventions. More clinical studies in the future are worthy of future investigation of these natural products