Lotus Leaf Research Articles

Top-Down Effect of Arthropod Predator Chinese Mitten Crab on Freshwater Nutrient Cycling.

Aquatic litter decomposition is highly dependent on contributions and interactions at different trophic levels. The invasion of alien aquatic organisms like the channeled apple snail (Pomacea canaliculata) might lead to changes in the decomposition process through new species interactions in the invaded wetland. However, it is not clear how aquatic macroinvertebrate predators like the Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis) will affect the nutrient cycle in freshwater ecosystems in the face of new benthic invasion. We used the litter bag method to explore the top-down effect of crabs on the freshwater nutrient cycle with the help of soil zymography (a technology previously used in terrestrial ecosystems). The results showed significant feeding effects of crabs and snails on lotus leaf litter and cotton strips. Crabs significantly inhibited the intake of lotus litter and cotton strips and the ability to transform the environment of snails by predation. Crabs promoted the decomposition of various litter substrates by affecting the microbial community structure in the sediment. These results suggest that arthropod predators increase the complexity of detrital food webs through direct and indirect interactions, and consequently have an important impact on the material cycle and stability of freshwater ecosystems. This top-down effect makes macrobenthos play a key role in the biological control and engineering construction of freshwater ecosystems.

Lotus leaf extract can attenuate salpingitis in laying hens by inhibiting apoptosis

This study aimed to determine whether the lotus leaf extract (LLE) had the effect of treating salpingitis in laying hens. First, the salpingitis model was established by the method of bacterial infection. Differential genes between salpingitis and healthy laying hens were identified by transcriptome sequencing, and GO and KEGG enrichment analyses were performed. Groups of treatment of antibiotics and LLE were established to verify the feasibility of the lotus leaf extract in treating salpingitis. Furthermore, the active component and pharmacological effects of LLE were identified using the UPLC-Q-TOF-MS and network pharmacology technique. At last, the mechanism of LLE treating salpingitis was further evaluated by DF-1 cells infected with bacteria. The results showed that LLE significantly reduced the levels of TLR4 and IFN-γ (P < 0.05), accelerated the levels of IgA and IgG (P < 0.05), regulated the levels of SOD and MDA (P < 0.05) in laying hens with salpingitis. A total of 1,874 differential genes were obtained according to the transcriptome sequencing. It was revealed a significant role in cell cycle and apoptosis by enrichment analysis. In addition, among the 28 components identified by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS, 20 components acted on 58 genes, including CDK1, BIRC5, and CA2 for treating salpingitis. After bacterial infection, cells were damaged and unable to complete the normal progression of the cell cycle, leading to cell cycle arrest and further apoptosis formation. However, with the intervention of LLE, bacterial infection was resisted. The cells proliferation was extensively restored, and the expression of NO was increased. The addition of LLE significantly decreased cell apoptosis. The G1 phase increased, the S phase and the G2 phase decreased in the model group; after the intervention of LLE, the G1 phase gradually returned to the average level, and G2 and S phases increased. The mRNA expression levels of BIRC5, CDK1, and CA2 were consistent with the predicted results in network pharmacology. At the same time, the mRNA expression levels of Caspase-3 and Caspase-7 were reduced after added with LLE. The mRNA expression levels of TNF-α, TRADD, FADD, Caspase-8, Caspase-10, and Caspase-9 (P < 0.05), which would inhibit death receptor activation and decrease the apoptotic cascade, were upregulated after bacterial infection. However, the results in LLE groups were downregulated (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, the mRNA expression levels of BCL-2 in LLE groups were increased significantly compared with it in model group (P < 0.05). Notably, LLE administration inhibited apoptosis and regulated the cell cycle distribution in the salpingitis induced by bacterial infection. These results indicated that the LLE attenuated bacterial-induced salpingitis by modulating apoptosis and immune function in laying hens.

Multi-bioinspired Janus-shedding fabric: One-way sweat transport and rapid sweat removal for improved personal moisture management

In recent years, Janus fabrics that can effectively facilitate personal moisture management have received great attention. However, they are still limited in sweat shedding issue of their superhydrophilic outer surface. Here, inspired by the lotus leaf and Namib Desert beetles, we propose a Janus-shedding fabric with superhydrophilic/hydrophobic patterns and asymmetric wetting property. Through femtosecond-laser microfabrication, we successfully construct superhydrophilic/hydrophobic patterns on the outside surface of Janus fabrics. The method prevents the usage of toxic chemical reagent, thus is completely environmentally-friendly. The as-prepared Janus-shedding fabrics possess one-way liquid transport property. More importantly, the fabrics can achieve rapid liquid/sweat removal on their hydrophilic outer surfaces. The liquid shedding mechanism can be explained that the hydrophilic/hydrophobic patterns on the outer fabric surface can create less surface tension of water which can only fix small volume of water. Moreover, they can maintain human body temperature 3.2 ℃ lower than covered with pristine cotton fabrics. This work provides new insights for the design and fabrication of advanced smart fabrics with both sweat transport and removal property for satisfying the growing demands of personal comfort.

Fabrication of biomimetic lotus leaf film of ZnO by a two-step method of nanoimprint and hydrothermal growth for superhydrophobic applications

Fabrication of biomimetic lotus leaf film of ZnO by a two-step method of nanoimprint and hydrothermal growth for superhydrophobic applications

Facile fabrication of biometric cellulose-based films with superhydrophobicity and tunable optical performance

Sustainable and biodegradable products processed from natural biomass offer promising replacement alternatives for nondegradable petrochemical-based plastics. While, the poor water tolerance of biomass is typically insufficient for practical use in applications, such as packaging. This study proposes a simple strategy to imitate the lotus leaf structure. Precision imprinting is performed to construct surface microstructure with simple templates, followed by in situ grafting of low-surface-energy nanoparticles onto the micro-architecture of the cellulose composite film surface. The resulting biometric superhydrophobic cellulosic composite (BSCC) exhibits both stable superhydrophobicity and excellent optical performance (anti-counterfeiting, high transparency (approximately 87%), and high haze (approximately 75%)) owing to the designed microstructure. The BSCC exhibits good self-cleaning behavior, and high tensile strength (>91.4 MPa), and is biodegradable in soil within 87 d. Importantly, this work demonstrates a simple approach to engineering and enhancing cellulose-based materials with superhydrophobicity and tunable optical performance to be able to replace petrochemical plastics.

Chemoprevention of lotus leaf ethanolic extract through epigenetic activation of the NRF2-mediated pathway in murine skin JB6 P+ cell neoplastic transformation.

Skin is one barrier protecting from environmental risk factors that can make skin cells cancerous through DNA damage and oxidative stress. The nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) pathway is an anti-stress defense system that can be regulated by DNA methylation and histone modification. Dietary phytochemicals have chemopreventive properties that can inhibit or delay carcinogenesis. The lotus leaf is a traditional medicinal plant containing many polyphenols whose extracts show many biological activities, including antioxidant, anti-obesity, and anti-cancer. This study aim to investigate the effect of lotus leaves on neoplastic transformation in murine skin JB6 P+ cells. Lotus leaves were extracted with water (LL-WE) and ethanol (LL-EE), and the LL-WE residues were further extracted with ethanol (LL-WREE). JB6 P+ cells were treated with different extracts. The chemoprotective effect would be evaluated by heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1), NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase (NQO1), and UDP glucuronosyltransferase family 1 member A1 (UGT1A1) expression. LL-EE contained higher total phenolics and quercetin among extracts. In mouse skin JB6 P+ cells with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate treatment, LL-EE showed the greatest potential to suppress skin carcinogenesis. LL-EE activated the NRF2 pathway by upregulating antioxidant and detoxification enzymes upregulates antioxidant and detoxification enzymes, including HO-1, NQO1, and UGT1A1, and downregulates DNA methylation, which might be caused by lower DNA methyltransferase and histone deacetylase levels. Therefore, our results show that LL-EE reduces the neoplastic transformation of skin JB6 P+ cells, potentially by activating the NRF2 pathway and regulating epigenetic DNA methylation and histone acetylation.

Effects and action mechanisms of lotus leaf (Nelumbo nucifera) ethanol extract on gut microbes and obesity in high-fat diet-fed rats.

The present study aimed to clarify the effect of the lotus leaf ethanol extract (LLEE) on the mechanism of antiobesity and the intestinal microbiota of obese rats. A total of 40 specific pathogen-free (SPF) male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were split into the blank control group, the model control group, the Orlistat capsule control group, and the LLEE group. All the groups were intervened and fed specific diets for 5 months. During the experiment, we evaluated the rats' body weight, length, serum biochemical indicators, and inflammatory factor levels. After dissection, the liver; epididymal and perirenal white adipose tissue (WAT); and the contents of the cecum were collected for pathological evaluation and intestinal flora analysis. Lotus leaf alcohol extract can significantly reduce the serum total cholesterol, triglyceride, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. It also decreases the accumulation of fatty deposits in the liver of rats and the levels of serum inflammatory factors IL-6 and TNF-α and increases the level of IL-10. Lotus leaf alcohol extracts significantly increased the abundance of Muribaculaceae in the intestinal flora of rats, reduced the abundance of pro-inflammatory bacteria Firmicutes, and relieved fatty liver and other inflammation and diseases caused by a high-fat diet. Besides, the ethanol extract of the lotus leaf significantly regulated the abundance of Ruminococcus, suggesting that the ethanol extract of the lotus leaf may prevent hyperlipidemia. We elucidated the effects and action mechanisms of LLEE on obesity in high-fat diet-fed rats to provide suggestions for regulating intestinal flora through dietary intervention and thus improving blood lipid metabolism.

Miquelianin, a main functional flavonoid of lotus leaf, induces thermogenic signature via p38‐PINK1‐PARKIN‐mediated mitophagy and mimicking NRF2 signaling during brown adipocyte differentiation

AbstractAdipocytes thermogenesis is an important mechanism for increasing energy expenditure. Here, screening of thermogenic activators (Sirt1 and Ucp1) investigated in C3H10T1/2 cells revealed ethanol extract of lotus leaf (LLE) may exert higher activity compared with that of the other 11 ingredients. UPLC‐MS/MS analysis showed that miquelianin was identified as the main flavonoid compounds in LLE (12.8%) and therefore deserves further investigation. The results in C3H10T1/2 cells revealed miquelianin promoted lipolysis, enhanced thermogenic programming (Sirt1, Ppargc1a, Prdm16, Cox7a, Nrf1, Cox2, and Ucp1), and induced brown‐like adipocyte formation (Fgf21, Cd137, Tmem26, Tbx1, Cd40, and Cited1). Moreover, miquelianin increased mitochondrial abundance, mitochondrial membrane potential, and NAD+/NADH ratio, suggesting its potential in mitochondria activity. We also observed that miquelianin improved mitochondrial quality by the establishment of mitochondrial dynamics (Mfn1, Mfn2, Opa1, Drp1, and Fis1) and subsequent suppression of autophagy. Chemical inhibition experiment revealed miquelianin may trigger browning via p38‐PINK1‐PARKIN‐mediated mitophagy. Furthermore, in ML385‐treated cells, NRF2, HMOX1, TFAM, and UCP1 were compromised by miquelianin treatment, suggesting that NRF2 signaling is necessary during miquelianin‐induced mitochondria biogenesis. Together, our findings demonstrate that miquelianin may induce browning and mitochondria thermogenic programing by suppressing mitophagy via p38‐PINK1‐PARKIN and mimicking NRF2 signaling.

Environmentally-friendly foam-coating synthetic strategy for fabrics with robust superhydrophobicity, self-cleaning capability and flame retardance properties

Fiber fabrics, especially those with multi-functions, play an important role in the realm of construction industry, ecology, aerospace, etc. In this work, a novel one-step foam-coating method was proposed for multi-functionalization of fabric, co-instilling outstanding superhydrophobicity and flame retardation for better practicality. Furthermore, our proposed coating formulation is green with fluorine- and halogen-free attribute, with only ammonium polyphosphate (APP), Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and phytic acid-dissolved Cu (PA-Cu) co-incorporated in the system. The finished fabric is light and highly breathable, ascribed to its extremely thin coating layer. Also, our proposed method permits material coating with low liquid content, thereby enabling water saving up to 60%. Upon evaluating, fabric, upon treated with our proposed method, promises superhydrophobicity with an high contact angle of 154.8 ± 1.9°. This is endowed by the microstructure and roughened surface of fabric that repels water like lotus leaf. Consequently, an astonishing self-cleaning capability was also realized, allowing facile ‘picking up’ of surface dirt as water rinses over the fabric. As for flame retardation, the treated fabric recorded a high limiting oxygen index (LOI) of 37.5%, comparing to 17.5% of its pristine counterpart. This can be related to the collective functions enabled by the components (APP, PDMS and PA-Cu) in our foam formulation. Principally, our reported effective and low-consumption foam-coating strategy enriches the splendid properties of novel on-demand fabrics for broad applications, concurrently opening up an insightful horizon for other artificial material design as well.

Multiscale Architectured Nafion Membrane Derived from Lotus Leaf for Fuel Cell Applications.

Hierarchically patterned proton-exchange membranes (PEMs) have the potential to significantly increase the specific surface area, thus improving the catalyst utilization rate and performance of proton-exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). In this study, we are inspired by the unique hierarchical structure of the lotus leaf and proposed a simple three-step strategy to prepare a multiscale structured PEM. Using the multilevel structure of the natural lotus leaf as the original template, and after structural imprinting, hot-pressing, and plasma-etching steps, we successfully constructed a multiscale structured PEM with a microscale pillar-like structure and a nanoscale needle-like structure. When applied in a fuel cell, the multiscale structured PEM resulted in a 1.96-fold increase in discharge performance and a significant improvement in mass transfer compared to the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) with a flat PEM. The multiscale structured PEM has the combined advantage of a nanoscale and a microscale structure, benefiting from the markedly reduced thickness, increased surface area, and improved water management inherited from the multiscale structured lotus leaf's superhydrophobic characteristic. Using a lotus leaf as a multilevel structure template avoids the complex and time-consuming preparation process required by commonly used multilevel structure templates. Moreover, the remarkable architecture of biological materials can inspire novel and innovative applications in many fields through nature's wisdom.

Biomimetic Superhydrophobic Materials through 3D Printing: Progress and Challenges.

Superhydrophobicity, a unique natural phenomenon observed in organisms such as lotus leaves and desert beetles, has inspired extensive research on biomimetic materials. Two main superhydrophobic effects have been identified: the "lotus leaf effect" and the "rose petal effect", both showing water contact angles larger than 150°, but with differing contact angle hysteresis values. In recent years, numerous strategies have been developed to fabricate superhydrophobic materials, among which 3D printing has garnered significant attention due to its rapid, low-cost, and precise construction of complex materials in a facile way. In this minireview, we provide a comprehensive overview of biomimetic superhydrophobic materials fabricated through 3D printing, focusing on wetting regimes, fabrication techniques, including printing of diverse micro/nanostructures, post-modification, and bulk material printing, and applications ranging from liquid manipulation and oil/water separation to drag reduction. Additionally, we discuss the challenges and future research directions in this burgeoning field.

Dynamically adjustable wet ridge for directional liquid movement and controllable coating distribution

Controllable wettability on the surface is widely used in architecture coating, energy transfer, microfluidics, etc. Much progress has been focused on liquid wetting state transition of the artificial surface by external induction, while it is still difficult to realize in situ reversible and controllable transformation of the wetting state in real-time to meet the requirement for complex practical applications. Herein, inspired by the unique functions of the superhydrophobic self-cleaning lotus leaf and long-term preservation of rose petal resulting from special wetting states, we achieve the real-time unidirectional movement of droplet on superhydrophobic ZnO nanoarrays surface via the dynamically adjustable wet ridge. By changing the height of the nanorod and the wetting direction of the solvent, the dynamic wet ridge occurs and controls the existence of air in nanostructure, that is, symmetrical wet ridge can realize in situ reversible wetting state transition, while asymmetrical wet ridge can drive water droplet to move. Based on this, the strategy can be used to effectively adjust wettability of coating solution on superhydrophobic surface and to further obtain controllable coating distribution. This work offers an available strategy to achieve real-time droplet movement and controllable complex coating even on structurally challenging substrate, so as to provide opportunities and positive effects for designing functional materials and devices.

Rhamnogalacturonan I-Enriched Pectin, Flavonoids, and Alkaloids from Lotus Leaf Infusion in Regulating Glycolipid Absorption and Metabolism: Isolation, In Vitro Bioactivity Verification, and Structural Characterization.

Lotus leaf is effective in regulating glycolipid absorption and metabolism, but the roles of small-molecule compounds and polysaccharides are unknown. In this study, the small-molecule compounds including flavonoids, alkaloids, and polysaccharides were gradually isolated from lotus leaf infusion by multi-column chromatography and applied to in vitro activity verification and structural characterization. Although flavonoids and alkaloids were effective in inhibiting pancrelipase and α-glucosidase, polysaccharides more effectively bounded bile acids, inhibited cholesterol micelle solubility, and stimulated the growth of Bifidobacterium than lotus leaf infusion. Polysaccharides, presented as spherical conformation in water, were identified as rhamnogalacturonan I-enriched (93%) low-ester pectin with multiple branches mainly composed of arabinan, arabinogalactan-type II, and galactan formed by →3)-Galp-(1→, →5)-Araf-(1→ and →4)-Galp-(1→ residues. Polysaccharides, which were a key constituent of lotus leaf infusion in regulating glycolipid absorption and metabolism, should be paid more attention and developed as a functional food ingredient.

The Design of a Biomimetic Hierarchical Thin-Walled Structure Inspired by a Lotus Leaf and Its Mechanical Performance Analysis.

Inspired by the macro- and microstructures of the lotus leaf, a series of biomimetic hierarchical thin-walled structures (BHTSs) was proposed and fabricated, exhibiting improved mechanical properties. The comprehensive mechanical properties of the BHTSs were evaluated using finite element (FE) models constructed in ANSYS, which were validated by the experimental results. Light-weight numbers (LWNs) were used as an index to assess these properties. The simulation results were compared with the experimental data to validate the findings. The compression results indicated that the maximum load carried by each BHTS was very similar, with the highest bearing load being 32,571 N and the lowest being 30,183 N, resulting in only a 7.9% difference between them. In terms of the LWN-C values, the BHTS-1 exhibited the highest value at 318.51 N/g, while the BHTS-6 had the lowest value at 295.16 N/g. For the torsion and bending results, these findings suggested that increasing the bifurcation structure at the end side of the thin tube branch significantly improved the torsional resistance properties of the thin tube. For the impact characteristics of the proposed BHTSs, enhancing the bifurcation structure at the end of the thin tube branch significantly increased the energy absorption capacity and improved the energy absorption (EA) and the specific energy absorption (SEA) values of the thin tube. The BHTS-6 had the best structural design in terms of both the EA and SEA among all the BHTSs, but its CLE value was slightly lower than that of the BHTS-7, indicating slightly lower structural efficiency. This study provides a new idea and method for developing new lightweight and high-strength materials as well as designing more effective energy absorption structures. At the same time, this study has important scientific value in understanding how biological structures in nature exhibit their unique mechanical properties.

Biomimetic high water adhesion superhydrophobic surface via UV nanoimprint lithography

Imitating nature and comprehending its workings is a means for human beings to advance the development of functional materials. In this study, UV nanoimprint lithography technology was utilized to successfully replicate the micro-nano hierarchical structure (micro-papillae and nano-wax tube crystals) present on the surface of the natural fresh lotus leaf. A series of UV-curable waterborne polyurethane acrylate (UV-WPUA) surfaces with special wetting and superhydrophobic properties were obtained. The polydimethylsiloxane negative stamp with lotus leaf’s structure was obtained through a stamp replica molding method, and then the UV-WPUA resin covered with the negative stamp was exposed to 172 nm Xe2* excimer and medium-pressure mercury lamps to mimic the micro-nano hierarchical structure of the lotus leaf. The UV-WPUA surfaces displayed high water adhesion superhydrophobic properties, with a water contact angle reaching 160.8° and water adhesive force of 140.0 μN, and exhibiting excellent self-cleaning performance. The results indicate that higher the UV intensity, the more accurately the surface replicates the micro-nano hierarchical structure of the lotus leaf, resulting in larger water contact angle and higher adhesive force. This study paves the way for the advancement of functional surfaces through the simulation of natural materials.

Mechanical criteria and analytical modeling of mixed-state wetting on multiscale surfaces: Of the importance of nanoscale topography for water-repellency

Multiple natural surfaces exhibit excellent water-repellent properties. Such surfaces systematically demonstrate multiscale surface topographies. However, current mechanical criteria for composite-wetting equilibrium can only be applied on model micrometric pillars. This paper suggests a theoretical basis on the foundation of which we introduce multiscale mechanical criteria for mixed-state equilibrium on real surfaces. A method for the analytical modeling of mixed-state wetting on real textured surfaces and the retrieval of critical wetting parameters such as the total solid-liquid contact area and the total triple line perimeter at the effective anchorage depth is introduced. This method is applied to the case of the sacred Lotus leaf on which we predict the effective anchorage depth of the triple lines. Results show that the nanoscale topography of these leaves leads to the minimization of the effective anchorage depth of the droplet on the sides of the micrometric asperities, a determining parameter with regards to its effect on the total solid-liquid contact area and the total triple line perimeter, unveiling a little more the role of nanoscale wax crystals in nature’s strategies for water-repellency.

Diospyros lotus leaf extract and its main component myricitrin regulate pruritus through the inhibition of astrocyte activation.

Diospyros lotus is a deciduous plant native to Asian countries, including Korea, Japan and China, and southeast Europe. In traditional medicine, Diospyros lotus is used as an anticancer, antidiabetic and antipyretic agent. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of Diospyros lotus leaf extract (DLE) in ameliorating histamine-independent pruritus. Activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) in astrocytes contributes to pruritus. In this study, the effects of DLE and its main component, myricetin (MC), on the activation of STAT3, expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and production of lipocalin-2 (LCN2) in IL-6-treated astrocytes and chloroquine-injected mice were investigated through western blot, reverse transcription-quantitative PCR, and immunofluorescence staining. DLE and MC inhibited STAT3 activation, GFAP expression and LCN2 release via inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor type 1 blockade in astrocytes. DLE and MC ameliorated scratching behavior, expression of GFAP, mast cell infiltration and serum IL-6 levels in chloroquine-injected mice. These results suggested that DLE and MC can be used as oral therapeutic agents for the treatment and management of pruritus.

Lotus leaf polysaccharides prepared by alkaline water, deep eutectic solvent and high pressure homogenization-assisted dual enzyme extraction: A comparative study of structural features, prebiotic activities and functionalities

Currently, there is a shortage of lotus leaf pectin-type polysaccharide (LLP)-based prebiotic functional foods due to its low extraction efficiency and indistinct prebiotic and functional properties. In the study, medium-temperature alkali water, deep eutectic solvent, high pressure homogenization-assisted dual enzyme, and reflux extraction methods were used to screen out a process for LLP with high extraction efficiency, in vitro prebiotic activity, and functionality. It was demonstrated that LLPs prepared by high pressure homogenization-assisted dual enzyme, deep eutectic solvent (choline chloride and urea) and reflux extraction methods showed excellent prebiotic activities. Among them, LLP prepared by high pressure homogenization-assisted dual enzyme extraction (LLP-EP) had high extraction efficiency, high purity, high content of RG-I domain, fine homogeneity, low esterification degree, strong in vitro prebiotic activity, and comprehensive functional properties i.e. good water dispersibility and stability, rheological property, and emulsification stability. According to the structure-activity relationship analysis using a series of partially acid-hydrolyzed LLP-EP as prebiotics, the prebiotic activity of LLP-EP was mainly depended on high content of RG-I domain. These findings indicated that LLP had the potential to be used in beverages-based prebiotic functional foods, and also provided the theoretical basis for structural features of pectins to be better prebiotics.

Wetting Effect on Patterned Substrates.

A droplet deposited on a solid substrate leads to the wetting phenomenon. A natural observation is the lotus effect, known for its superhydrophobicity. This special feature is engendered by the structured microstructure of the lotus leaf, namely, surface heterogeneity, as explained by the quintessential Cassie-Wenzel theory (CWT). In this work, recent designs of functional substrates are overviewed based on the CWT via manipulating the contact area between the liquid and the solid substrate as well as the intrinsic Young's contact angle. Moreover, the limitation of the CWT is discussed. When the droplet size is comparable to the surface heterogeneity, anisotropic wetting morphology often appears, which is beyond the scope of the Cassie-Wenzel work. In this case, several recent studies addressing the anisotropic wetting effect on chemically and mechanically patterned substrates are elucidated. Surface designs for anisotropic wetting morphologies are summarized with respect to the shape and the arrangement of the surface heterogeneity, the droplet volume, the deposition position of the droplet, as well as the mean curvature of the surface heterogeneity. A thermodynamic interpretation for the wetting effect and the corresponding open questions are presented at theend.

Effect of crystal orientation on elastic stresses and vibration characteristics of nickel-based single crystal turbine blade

The impact of crystal orientation on the elastic stress and vibration properties of nickel-based single-crystal turbine blades is complex and can affect their performance. By defining and describing single-crystal blade orientation by Euler angles rotation, this work presents the influence rule of crystal orientation on the elastic stress and dynamic frequency of blade through lotus leaf diagrams. The results shows that the rotations of three Euler angles can affect significantly the distribution of the region where the stress extremum occurs, and the difference between the maximum and minimum of stress is 210.11 MPa. In addition, the degree and mechanism of influence of Euler angles rotations on the several order frequencies are different. From the 1st to 3st order mode, the influence range of the crystal orientation on the dynamic frequency increases gradually, but the frequency ranges of the 3st, 4st and 5st order are roughly the same, and the frequency range of 6st order is the largest variation range. The blade is most likely to generate resonance when the second-order frequency reaches the minimum fmin2. The Euler angle β has a significant influence on the resonance margin, and the larger resonance margin can be obtained easily when the Euler angle β is large enough.