Dietary supplementation of zinc oxide modulates intestinal functionality during the post-weaning period in clinically healthy piglets

Background To improve our understanding of host and intestinal microbiome interaction,this research investigated the effects of a high-level zinc oxide in the diet as model intervention on the intestinal microbiome and small intestinal functionality in clinically healthy post-weaning piglets.In study 1,piglets received either a high concentration of zinc(Zn)as zinc oxide(Zn O,Zn,2,690 mg/kg)or a low Zn concentration(100 mg/kg)in the diet during the post weaning period(d 14–23).The effects on the piglet's small intestinal microbiome and functionality of intestinal tissue were investigated.In study 2,the impact of timing of the dietary zinc intervention was investigated,i.e.,between d 0–14 and/or d 14–23 post weaning,and the consecutive effects on the piglet's intestinal functionality,here referring to microbiota composition and diversity and gene expression profiles.Results Differences in the small intestinal functionality were observed during the post weaning period between piglets receiving a diet with a low or high concentration Zn O content.A shift in the microbiota composition in the small intestine was observed that could be characterized as a non-pathological change,where mainly the commensals inter-changed.In the immediate post weaning period,i.e.,d 0–14,the highest number of differentially expressed genes(DEGs)in intestinal tissue were observed between animals receiving a diet with a low or high concentration Zn O content,i.e.,23 DEGs in jejunal tissue and 11 DEGs in ileal tissue.These genes are involved in biological processes related to immunity and inflammatory responses.For example,genes CD59 and REG3G were downregulated in the animals receiving a diet with a high concentration Zn O content compared to low Zn O content in both jejunum and ileum tissue.In the second study,a similar result was obtained regarding the expression of genes in intestinal tissue related to immune pathways when comparing piglets receiving a diet with a high concentration Zn O content compared to low Zn O content.Conclusions Supplementing a diet with a pharmaceutical level of Zn as Zn O for clinically healthy post weaning piglets influences various aspects intestinal functionality,in particular in the first two weeks post-weaning.The model intervention increased both the alpha diversity of the intestinal microbiome and the expression of a limited number of genes linked to the local immune system in intestinal tissue.The effects do not seem related to a direct antimicrobial effect of Zn O.

Electronic and thermal properties of Ag-doped single crystal zinc oxide via laser-induced technique

The doping of ZnO has attracted lots of attention because it is an important way to tune the properties of ZnO.Postdoping after growth is one of the efficient strategies.Here,we report a unique approach to successfully dope the single crystalline ZnO with Ag by the laser-induced method,which can effectively further post-treat grown samples.Magnetron sputtering was used to coat the Ag film with a thickness of about 50 nm on the single crystalline ZnO.Neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet(Nd:YAG)laser was chosen to irradiate the Ag-capped ZnO samples,followed by annealing at700℃for two hours to form ZnO:Ag.The three-dimensional(3D)information of the elemental distribution of Ag in ZnO was obtained through time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry(TOF-SIMS).TOF-SIMS and core-level x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS)demonstrated that the Ag impurities could be effectively doped into single crystalline ZnO samples as deep as several hundred nanometers.Obvious broadening of core level XPS profiles of Ag from the surface to depths of hundred nms was observed,indicating the variance of chemical state changes in laser-induced Ag-doped ZnO.Interesting features of electronic mixing states were detected in the valence band XPS of ZnO:Ag,suggesting the strong coupling or interaction of Ag and ZnO in the sample rather than their simple mixture.The Ag-doped ZnO also showed a narrower bandgap and a decrease in thermal diffusion coefficient compared to the pure ZnO,which would be beneficial to thermoelectric performance.

Maternal zinc alleviates tert-butyl hydroperoxide-induced mitochondrial oxidative stress on embryonic development involving the activation of Nrf2/PGC-1αpathway

Background Mitochondrial dysfunction induced by excessive mitochondrial reactive oxygen species(ROS)damages embryonic development and leads to growth arrest.Objective The purpose of this study is to elucidate whether maternal zinc(Zn)exert protective effect on oxidative stress targeting mitochondrial function using an avian model.Result In ovo injected tert-butyl hydroperoxide(BHP)increases(P<0.05)hepatic mitochondrial ROS,malondialdehyde(MDA)and 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine(8-OHdG),and decreases(P<0.05)mitochondrial membrane potential(MMP),mitochondrial DNA(mtDNA)copy number and adenosine triphosphate(ATP)content,contributing to mitochondrial dysfunction.In vivo and in vitro studies revealed that Zn addition enhances(P<0.05)ATP synthesis and metallothionein 4(MT4)content and expression as well as alleviates(P<0.05)the BHP-induced mitochondrial ROS generation,oxidative damage and dysfunction,exerting a protective effect on mitochondrial function by enhancing antioxidant capacity and upregulating the mRNA and protein expressions of Nrf2 and PGC-1α.Conclusions The present study provides a new way to protect offspring against oxidative damage by maternal Zn supplementation through the process of targeting mitochondria involving the activation of Nrf2/PGC-1αsignaling.

Efficient degradation of dye pollutants in wastewater via photocatalysis using a magnetic zinc oxide/graphene/iron oxide-based catalyst

In this paper, we present a proof-of-concept study of the enhancement of photocatalytic activity via a combined strategy of fabricating a visible-light responsive ternary heterostructure and improving overall photostability by incorporating magnetic zinc oxide/graphene/iron oxide (ZGF). A solvothermal approach was used to synthesize the catalyst. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopic, energy dispersive X-ray, transmission electron microscopic, vibrating sample magnetometric, and ultraviolet–visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopic techniques were used to characterize the synthesized samples. The obtained optimal Zn(NO_(3))_(2) concentration, temperature, and heating duration were 0.10 mol/L, 600℃, and 1 h, respectively. The XRD pattern revealed the presence of peaks corresponding to zinc oxide, graphene, and iron oxide, indicating that the ZGF catalyst was effectively synthesized. Furthermore, when the developed ZGF was used for methylene blue dye degradation, the optimum irradiation time, dye concentration, catalyst dosage, irradiation intensity, and solution pH were 90 min, 10 mg/L, 0.03 g/L, 100 W, and 8.0, respectively. Therefore, the synthesized ZGF system could be used as a catalyst to degrade dyes in wastewater samples. This hybrid nanocomposite consisting of zinc oxide, graphene, and iron oxide could also be used as an effective photocatalytic degrader for various dye pollutants.

Effects of Zinc Oxide Particles with Different Sizes on Root Development in Oryza sativa

Given the consistent release of zinc oxide(ZnO)nanoparticles into the environment,it is urgent to study their impact on plants in depth.In this study,grains of rice were treated with two different concentrations of ZnO nanoparticles(NP-ZnO,10 and 100 mg/L),and their bulk counterpart(B-ZnO)were used to evaluate whether ZnO action could depend on particle size.To test this hypothesis,root growth and development assessment,oxidative stress parameters,indole-3-acetic acid(IAA)content and molecules/enzymes involved in IAA metabolism were analyzed.In situ localization of Zn in control and treated roots was also performed.Though Zn was visible inside root cells only following nanoparticle treatment,both materials(NP-ZnO and B-ZnO)were able to affect seedling growth and root morphology,with alteration in the concentration/pattern of localization of oxidative stress markers and with a different action depending on particle size.In addition,only ZnO supplied as bulk material induced a significant increase in both IAA concentration and lateral root density,supporting our hypothesis that bulk particles might enhance lateral root development through the rise of IAA concentration.Apparently,IAA concentration was influenced more by the activity of the catabolic peroxidases than by the protective action of phenols.

Multi-Objective Adaptive Optimization Model Predictive Control:Decreasing Carbon Emissions from a Zinc Oxide Rotary Kiln

The zinc oxide rotary kiln,as an essential piece of equipment in the zinc smelting industrial process,is presenting new challenges in process control.China’s strategy of achieving a carbon peak and carbon neutrality is putting new demands on the industry,including green production and the use of fewer resources;thus,traditional stability control is no longer suitable for multi-objective control tasks.Although researchers have revealed the principle of the rotary kiln and set up computational fluid dynamics(CFD)simulation models to study its dynamics,these models cannot be directly applied to process control due to their high computational complexity.To address these issues,this paper proposes a multi-objective adaptive optimization model predictive control(MAO-MPC)method based on sparse identification.More specifically,with a large amount of data collected from a CFD model,a sparse regression problem is first formulated and solved to obtain a reduction model.Then,a two-layered control framework including real-time optimization(RTO)and model predictive control(MPC)is designed.In the RTO layer,an optimization problem with the goal of achieving optimal operation performance and the lowest possible resource consumption is set up.By solving the optimization problem in real time,a suitable setting value is sent to the MPC layer to ensure that the zinc oxide rotary kiln always functions in an optimal state.Our experiments show the strength and reliability of the proposed method,which reduces the usage of coal while maintaining high profits.

Incorporation of Nano-Zinc Oxide in Lamellar Zirconium Phosphate: Synthesis and Characterization

In order to provide ultraviolet barrier, antifungal and antibacterial properties, nano-zinc oxide (ZnO) was added to lamellar zirconium phosphate (ZrP). The phosphate was synthesized via reaction of zirconium oxychloride octahydrate and phosphoric acid following its chemical modification with Jeffamine and nano-ZnO. Diffractometric, morphological, thermal, structural and relaxometric evaluations were conducted. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) revealed increase of the area between 4000 - 3000 cm-1 due to the formation of ionic specie PO? +NH3-[C-(H)(CH3)-CH2-O-(C-(H)(CH3)-CH2-O)8-(CH2-CH2-O-CH3)] and nano-ZnO particles. Wide-angle X-ray diffraction indicated that intercalation of Jeffamine was successful. Thermogravimetry confirmed that nano-ZnO particle forced the expulsion of Jeffamine outside ZrP galleries. Scanning electron microscopy evidenced the Jeffamine intercalation and sample heterogeneity. Hydrogen molecular relaxation indicated the increase of molecular rigidity owing to the formation of ionic specie and the addition of nano-ZnO particles. It was postulated that a multifunctional and miscellaneous material constituted by as prepared ZrP, some delaminated ZrP platelets and nano-ZnO particles was achieved. The material has potential for usage as filler in polymeric composites.

Effect of RF power on the properties of transparent conducting zirconium-doped zinc oxide films prepared by RF magnetron sputtering

Transparent and conducting zirconium-doped zinc oxide films with high transparency and relatively low resistivity have been successfully prepared by radio frequency （RF） msgnetron sputtering at room temperature, The RF power is varied from 75 to 150 W. At first the crystallinity and conductivity of the film are improved and then both of them show deterioration with the increase of the RF power, The lowest resistivity achieved is 2.07 × 10^-3Ωcm at an RF power of 100W with a Hall mobility of 16cm^2V^-1s^-1 and a carrier concentration of 1.95 × 10^20 cm^-3. The films obtained are polycryetalline with a hexagonal structure and a preferred orientation along the c-axis, All the films have a high transmittance of approximately 92% in the visible range. The optical band gap is about 3.33 eV for the films deposited at different RF powers.

Recovery of zinc from low-grade zinc oxide ores by solvent extraction

The recovery of zinc from low-grade zinc oxide ores with solvent extraction-electrowinning technique was investigated by using D2EHPA as extractant and 260 # kerosene as diluent. The results show that it is possible to selectively leach zinc from the ores by heap leaching. The zinc concentration of leach solution in the first leaching cycle is 32.57 g/L, and in the sixteenth cycle the zinc concentration is 8.27g/L after solvent extraction. The leaching solution is subjected to solvent extraction, scrubbing and selective stripping for enrichment of zinc and removal of impurities. The pregnant zinc sulfate solution produced from the stripping cycle is suitable for zinc electrowinning. Extra-pure zinc metal was obtained in the electrowinning test under conventional conditions.

Extracting reaction mechanism analysis of Zn and Si from zinc oxide ore by NaOH roasting method

The orthogonal test was used to optimize the reaction conditions of roasting zinc oxide ore with NaOH aiming to comprehensively utilize zinc oxide ore.The optimized reaction conditions were molar ratio of NaOH to zinc oxide ore 6:1,roasting temperature 450°C,holding time 150 min.The molar ratio of NaOH to zinc oxide ore was the most predominant factor affecting the extraction ratios of zinc oxide and silica.The mineral phase transformations were investigated by testing the phases of specimens obtained at different temperatures.The process was that silica reacted with molten NaOH to form Na_2SiO_3 at first,then transformed into Na_4SiO_4 with temperature rising.ZnCO_3 and its decomposing product ZnO reacted with NaOH to form Na_2ZnO_2.Na_2ZnSiO_4was also obtained.The reaction rate was investigated using unreacted shrinking core model.Two models used were chemical reaction at the particle surface and diffusion through the product layer.The results indicated that the reaction rate was combine-controlled by two models.The activation energy and frequency factor were obtained as 24.12 k J/mol and 0.0682,respectively.

Synthesis,Growth Mechanism,and Applications of Zinc Oxide Nanomaterials

This article reviews recent progresses in growth mechanism, synthesis, and applications of zinc oxide nano-materials （mainly focusing on one-dimensional （1D） nanomaterials）. In the first part of this article, we briefly introduce the importance, the synthesis methods and growth mechanisms, the properties and applications of ZnO 1D nanomaterials. In the second part of this article, the growth mechanisms of ZnO 1D nanomaterials will be discussed in detail in the framework of vapor-liquid-solid （VLS）, vapor-solid （VS）, and aqueous solution growth （ASG） approaches. Both qualitative and quantitative information will be provided to show how a controlled synthesis of ZnO 1D nanomaterials can be achieved. In the third part of this article, we present recent progresses in our group for the synthesis of ZnO 1D nanomaterials, and the results from other groups will only be mentioned briefly. Especially, experiment designing according to theories will be elaborated to demonstrate the concept of controlled synthesis. In the fourth part of this article, the properties and potential applications of ZnO 1D nanomaterials will be treated. Finally, a summary part will be presented in the fifth section. The future trend of research for ZnO 1D nanomaterials will be pointed out and key issues to be solved will be proposed.

Carbothermic Reduction of Zinc Oxide Concentrate by Microwave

Industrial application of microwave, as a heating source for material processing, was reviewed. The feasibility of carbothermic reduction of zinc oxide concentrate, as well as the effect of operating parameters was investigated, using a home style microwave oven at 2.45 GHz. Zinc oxide concentrate does not effectively absorb microwave energy, while any source of carbon, which is used as the reduction agent, absorbs microwave energy very well. In this respect coke breeze was found to be the best, and thus, coke was used both as the reducing agent and the absorbent of microwave energy. It was also found that any increase in the carbon content and size, increases the reduction rate. Increasing the microwave power and the size of the sample could also increase the reduction rate. Further investigation shows that when zinc oxide is exposed to the microwave for some time, the rate of the reduction by conventional method increases.

Electrochemical Synthesis and Photocatalytic Property of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles

Zinc oxide(ZnO) nanoparticles of varying sizes(20, 44 and 73 nm) have been successfully synthesized by a hybrid electrochemical-thermal method using aqueous sodium bicarbonate electrolyte and sacrificial Zn anode and cathode in an undivided cell under galvanostatic mode at room temperature. The as-synthesized product was characterized by X-ray diffraction(XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectra(XPS), Scanning electron microscopy along with Energy dispersive analysis of X-ray(SEM/EDAX), Transmission electron microscopy(TEM), Ultra Violet- Diffuse reflectance spectroscopic methods(UV-DRS). and UV-DRS spectral methods.The as-synthesized compound were single-crystalline and Rietveld refinement of calcined samples exhibited hexagonal(Wurtzite) structure with space group of P63mc(No.186). The band gaps for synthesized ZnO nanoparticles were 3.07, 3.12 and 3.13 e V, respectively, based on the results of diffuse reflectance spectra(DRS). The electrochemically synthesized ZnO powder was used as photocatalysts for UV-induced degradation of Methylene blue(MB). Photodegradation was also found to be function of exposure time and dye solution p H. It has been found that as-synthesized powder has excellent photocatalytic activity with 92% degradation of MB, indicating ZnO nanoparticles can play an important role as a semiconductor photocatalyst.

Indium recovery from zinc oxide flue dust by oxidative pressure leaching

Indium was recovered from zinc oxide flue dust(ZOFD)with sulfuric acid by oxidative pressure leaching in an autoclave, and the effects of different technological conditions on indium leaching were studied.Potassium permanganate and hydrogen peroxide were used as oxidants.The atmospheric pressure leaching experiments were also carried out.The experimental results show that the leaching rate of indium can be effectively improved by oxidative pressure leaching.The optimum conditions of pressure leaching are determined as sulfuric 5.10 mol/L acid,leaching time 150 min,temperature 90℃,and the H2O2 dosage of 0.5 mL/g or 2.5%KMnO4.The leaching rate of indium is more than 90%,which is increased by 13%compared with that of atmospheric pressure leaching process without oxidant under the optimum conditions.

Scavenging Action of Zinc and Green Tea Polyphenol on Cisplatin and Nickel Induced Nitric Oxide Generation and Lipid Peroxidation in Rats

Objective Toxic metal ions have been implicated in the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitric oxide (NO). Metallothionines (MT) and plant flavonoids have been reported in the intervention against oxidative damage. We investigated the effect of zinc induced MT and green tea polyphenol (GTP) in reducing the oxidative responses induced by nickel and platinum. Methods Zinc (10 mg/kg b. wt, sc) was administered to rats twice at a gap of 24hrs and GTP (10 mg/100 mL in drinking water) was fed ad libitum for 8 days. Nickel chloride (150 umol/kgb.wt, ip) and cisplatin (50 mmol/kg b.wt, sc) was administered to rats 24 h after Zn or GTP pre-treatment. Animals of all the groups were sacrificed 16 hrs after treatment and biochemical markers for toxicity were monitored. Results Zinc or GTP pre-treatment caused significant protection against nickel or cisplatin enhanced mortality in rats, and reduction in lipid peroxidation and NO. Conclusion It is proposed that inhibition of ROS and NO by GTP and zinc may prove useful as a selective pharmacological agent in the amelioration of metal toxicity.

Synthesis, characterization and biocompatibility studies of zinc oxide(ZnO) nanorods for biomedical application

Nanoparticles are increasingly being recognized for their potential utility in biological applications including nanomedicine.Here,we have synthesized zinc oxide(ZnO)nanorods using zinc acetate and hexamethylenetetramine as precursors followed by characterizing using X-ray diffraction,fourier transform infrared spectroscopy,scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy.The growth of synthesized zinc oxide nanorods was found to be very close to its hexagonal nature,which is confirmed by X-ray diffraction.The nanorod was grown perpendicular to the long-axis and grew along the[001]direction,which is the nature of ZnO growth.The morphology of synthesized ZnO nanorods from the individual crystalline nucleus was confirmed by scanning and transmission electron microscopy.The length of the nanorod was estimated to be around 21 nm in diameter and 50 nm in length.Our toxicology studies showed that synthesized ZnO nanorods exposure on hela cells has no significant induction of oxidative stress or cell death even in higher concentration(10μg/ml).The results suggest that ZnO nanorods might be a safer nanomaterial for biological applications.

Recent progress of the native defects and p-type doping of zinc oxide

Zinc oxide（ZnO） is a compound semiconductor with a direct band gap and high exciton binding energy.The unique property,i.e.,high efficient light emission at ultraviolet band,makes ZnO potentially applied to the short-wavelength light emitting devices.However,efficient p-type doping is extremely hard for ZnO.Due to the wide band gap and low valence band energy,the self-compensation from donors and high ionization energy of acceptors are the two main problems hindering the enhancement of free hole concentration.Native defects in ZnO can be divided into donor-like and acceptorlike ones.The self-compensation has been found mainly to originate from zinc interstitial and oxygen vacancy related donors.While the acceptor-like defect,zinc vacancy,is thought to be linked to complex shallow acceptors in group-VA doped ZnO.Therefore,the understanding of the behaviors of the native defects is critical to the realization of high-efficient p-type conduction.Meanwhile,some novel ideas have been extensively proposed,like double-acceptor co-doping,acceptor doping in iso-valent element alloyed ZnO,etc.,and have opened new directions for p-type doping.Some of the approaches have been positively judged.In this article,we thus review the recent（2011-now） research progress of the native defects and p-type doping approaches globally.We hope to provide a comprehensive overview and describe a complete picture of the research status of the p-type doping in ZnO for the reference of the researchers in a similar area.

Synthesis of Zinc Oxide Nanostructures on Graphene/Glass Substrate via Electrochemical Deposition: Effects of Potassium Chloride and Hexamethylenetetramine as Supporting Reagents

The effects of the supporting reagents hexamethylenetetramine(HMTA)and potassium chloride(KCl)mixed in zinc nitrate hexahydrate(Zn(NO3)2 6H2O)on the morphological,structural,and optical properties of the resulting Zn O nanostructures electrodeposited on graphene/glass substrates were investigated.The supporting reagent HMTA does not increase the density of nanorods,but it does remarkably improve the smoothness of the top edge surfaces and the hexagonal shape of the nanorods even at a low temperature of 75°C.Hydroxyl(OH-)ions from the HMTA suppress the sidewall growth of non-polar planes and promote the growth of Zn O on the polar plane to produce vertically aligned nanorods along the c axis.By contrast,the highly electronegative chlorine(Cl-)ions from the supporting reagent KCl suppress the growth of Zn O on the polar plane and promote the growth on non-polar planes to produce vertical stacking nanowall structures.HMTA was found to be able to significantly improve the crystallinity of the grown Zn O structures,as indicated by the observation of much lower FWHM values and a higher intensity ratio of the emission in the UV region to the emission in the visible region.Equimolar mixtures of Zn(NO3)2 6H2O and the supporting reagents HMTA and KCl seem to provide the optimum ratio of concentrations for the growth of high-density,uniform Zn O nanostructures.The corresponding transmittances for such molar ranges are approximately 55–58%(HMTA)and 63–70%(KCl),which are acceptable for solar cell and optoelectronic devices.

Oxide-based cathode materials for rechargeable zinc ion batteries:Progresses and challenges

With the increasing demands for electrical energy storage technologies,rechargeable zinc ion batteries(ZIBs)have been rapidly developed in recent years owing to their high safety,low cost and high energy storage capability.The cathode is an essential part of ZIBs,which hosts zinc ions and determines the capacity,rate and cycling performance of the battery.The mainstream cathodes for ZIBs are oxidebased materials with tunnel,layer or 3 D crystal structures.In this review,we mainly focus on the latest advanced oxide-based cathode materials in ZIBs,including manganese oxides,vanadium oxides,spinel compounds,and other metal oxide based cathodes.In addition,the mechanisms of zinc storage and recent development in cathode design have been discussed in detail.Finally,current challenges and perspectives for the future research directions of oxide-based cathodes in ZIBs are presented.

Three‑Dimensional Ordered Mesoporous Carbon Spheres Modified with Ultrafine Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles for Enhanced Microwave Absorption Properties

Currently,electromagnetic radiation and interference have a significant effect on the operation of electronic devices and human health systems.Thus,developing excellent microwave absorbers have a huge significance in the material research field.Herein,a kind of ultrafine zinc oxide(ZnO)nanoparticles(NPs)supported on three-dimensional(3D)ordered mesoporous carbon spheres(ZnO/OMCS)is prepared from silica inverse opal by using phenolic resol precursor as carbon source.The prepared lightweight ZnO/OMCS nanocomposites exhibit 3D ordered carbon sphere array and highly dispersed ultrafine ZnO NPs on the mesoporous cell walls of carbon spheres.ZnO/OMCS-30 shows microwave absorbing ability with a strong absorption(−39.3 dB at 10.4 GHz with a small thickness of 2 mm)and a broad effective absorption bandwidth(9.1 GHz).The outstanding microwave absorbing ability benefits to the well-dispersed ultrafine ZnO NPs and the 3D ordered mesoporous carbon spheres structure.This work opened up a unique way for developing lightweight and high-efficient carbon-based microwave absorbing materials.