DataSheet_1_Physiological effects of γ-aminobutyric acid application on cold tolerance in Medicago ruthenica.pdf

Low temperatures in the seedling stage during early spring limit Medicago ruthenica germination and seedling growth. Elucidating the physiological mechanism of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-regulated cold tolerance in M. ruthenica could provide a reference for alleviating the harmful effects of low temperatures on legumes in alpine meadows. The regulatory effects of GABA on M. ruthenica physiological parameters were explored by simulating the ground temperatures in the alpine meadow area of Tianzhu, China, in early May (2 h at 7°C; 6 h at 15°C; 4 h at 12°C; 2 h at 7°C; 10 h at 3°C). Our results showed that 15 mmol/l GABA was the optimal spray concentration to promote growth in the aboveground and belowground parts and increase the fresh and dry weights of seedlings. At this concentration, GABA enhanced the activities of catalase, peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and ascorbate peroxidase; increased the osmotic balance; and inhibited the production of harmful substances in the cells under low-temperature conditions. GABA also regulated the tissue structure of leaves, increased the cell tense ratio, maintained photochemical activity, increased the amount of light energy to the photochemical reaction center, and improved the photosynthetic rate. Furthermore, exogenous GABA application increased the endogenous GABA content by promoting GABA synthesis in the early stages of low-temperature stress but mainly participated in low-temperature stress mitigation via GABA degradation in the late stages. Our results show that GABA can improve the cold tolerance of M. ruthenica by promoting endogenous GABA metabolism, protecting the membrane system, and improving the leaf structure.</p

Flexible Slippery Surface to Manipulate Droplet Coalescence and Sliding, and Its Practicability in Wind-Resistant Water Collection

A flexible slippery membrane (FSM) with tunable morphology and high elastic deformability has been developed by infusing perfluoropolyether (PFPE) into a fluorinated-copolymer-modified thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) nanofiberous membrane. To immobilize PFPE in TPU matrix, we synthesized a fluorinated-copolymer poly­(DFMA-<i>co</i>-IBOA-<i>co</i>-LMA) with low surface energy, high chemical affinity to PFPE, adequate flexibility, and strong physical adhesion on TPU. Upon external tensile stress, the as-prepared FSM can realize a real-time manipulation of water sliding and coalescence on it. Furthermore, it exhibits the ability to preserve the captured water from being blown away by strong wind, which ensures the water collection efficiency in windy regions

Flexible Slippery Surface to Manipulate Droplet Coalescence and Sliding, and Its Practicability in Wind-Resistant Water Collection

A flexible slippery membrane (FSM) with tunable morphology and high elastic deformability has been developed by infusing perfluoropolyether (PFPE) into a fluorinated-copolymer-modified thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) nanofiberous membrane. To immobilize PFPE in TPU matrix, we synthesized a fluorinated-copolymer poly­(DFMA-<i>co</i>-IBOA-<i>co</i>-LMA) with low surface energy, high chemical affinity to PFPE, adequate flexibility, and strong physical adhesion on TPU. Upon external tensile stress, the as-prepared FSM can realize a real-time manipulation of water sliding and coalescence on it. Furthermore, it exhibits the ability to preserve the captured water from being blown away by strong wind, which ensures the water collection efficiency in windy regions

Beads-on-String Structured Nanofibers for Smart and Reversible Oil/Water Separation with Outstanding Antifouling Property

It is challenging to explore a unified solution for the treatment of oily wastewater from complex sources. Thus, membrane materials with flexible separation schemes are highly desired. Herein, we fabricated a smart membrane by electrospinning TiO₂ doped polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) nanofibers. The as-formed beads-on-string structure and hierarchical roughness of the nanofibers contribute to its superwetting/resisting property to liquids, which is desirable in oil/water separation. Switched simply by UV (or sunlight) irradiation and heating treatment, the smart membrane can realize reversible separation of oil/water mixtures by selectively allowing water or oil to pass through alone. Most importantly, the as-prepared nanofiber membrane possesses outstanding antifouling and self-cleaning performance resulting from the photocatalytic property of TiO₂, which has practical significance in saving solvents and recycling materials. This work provides a route for fabricating cost-effective, easily scaled up, and recyclable membranes for on-demand oil/water separation in versatile situations, which can be of great usage in the new green separation technology

Rationally Tailored Mesoporous Hosts for Optimal Protein Encapsulation

Proteins play important roles in the therapeutic, medical diagnostic, and chemical catalysis industries. However, their potential is often limited by their fragile and dynamic nature outside cellular environments. The encapsulation of proteins in solid materials has been widely pursued as a route to enhance their stability and ease of handling. Nevertheless, the experimental investigation of protein interactions with rationally designed synthetic hosts still represents an area in need of improvement. In this work, we leveraged the tunability and crystallinity of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) and developed a series of crystallographically defined protein hosts with varying chemical properties. Through systematic studies, we identified the dominating mechanisms for protein encapsulation and developed a host material with well-tailored properties to effectively encapsulate the protein ubiquitin. Specifically, in our mesoporous hosts, we found that ubiquitin encapsulation is thermodynamically favored. A more hydrophilic encapsulation environment with favorable electrostatic interactions induces enthalpically favored ubiquitin–MOF interactions, and a higher pH condition reduces the intraparticle diffusion barrier, both leading to a higher protein loading. Our findings provide a fundamental understanding of host–guest interactions between proteins and solid matrices and offer new insights to guide the design of future protein host materials to achieve optimal protein loading. The MOF modification technique used in this work also demonstrates a facile method to develop materials easily customizable for encapsulating proteins with different surface properties