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The utilization of biodegradable magnesium (Mg) alloys in the fabrication of temporary non-vascular stents is an innovative trend in biomedical engineering. However, the heterogeneous degradation profiles of these biomaterials, together with potential bacterial colonization that could precipitate infectious or stenotic complications, are critical obstacles precluding their widespread clinical application. In pursuit of overcoming these limitations, this study applies the principles of biomimicry, particularly the hydrophobic and anti-fouling characteristics of lotus leaves, to pioneer the creation of nanocomposite coatings. These coatings integrate poly-trimethylene carbonate (PTMC) with covalent organic frameworks (COFs), to modify the stent's surface property. The strategic design of the coating's topography, porosity, and self-polishing capabilities collectively aims to decelerate degradation processes and minimize biological adhesion. The protective qualities of the coatings were substantiated through rigorous testing in both in vitro dynamic bile tests and in vivo New Zealand rabbit choledochal models. Empirical findings from these trials confirmed that the implementation of COF-based nanocomposite coatings robustly fortifies Mg implantations, conferring heightened resistance to both biocorrosion and biofouling as well as improved biocompatibility within bodily environments. The outcomes of this research elucidate a comprehensive framework for the multifaceted strategies against stent corrosion and fouling, thereby charting a visionary pathway toward the systematic conception of a new class of reliable COF-derived surface modifications poised to amplify the efficacy of Mg-based stents. Biodegradable magnesium (Mg) alloys are widely utilized in temporary stents, though their rapid degradation and susceptibility to bacterial infection pose significant challenges. Our research has developed a nanocomposite coating inspired by the lotus, integrating poly-trimethylene carbonate with covalent organic frameworks (COF). The coating achieved self-polishing property and optimal surface energy on the Mg substrate, which decelerates stent degradation and reduces biofilm formation. Comprehensive evaluations utilizing dynamic bile simulations and implantation in New Zealand rabbit choledochal models reveal that the coating improves the durability and longevity of the stent. The implications of these findings suggest the potential COF-based Mg alloy stent surface treatments and a leap forward in advancing stent performance and endurance in clinical applications. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 8th edition of the American Joint Commission on Cancer (AJCC) Staging System for gallbladder cancer (GBC) has been used in clinical practice, but we have found some deficiencies in this edition. Survival analyses were performed to evaluate the application of various editions of the AJCC staging systems using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database (N = 9616 patients) and Fudan University Zhongshan Hospital (FUZH) database (N = 327 patients). A modified staging system was proposed based on the 8th edition of the AJCC Staging System. Although all N2 diseases were grouped into stage IVB as M1 in the 8th edition, some patients with N2 diseases could undergo R0 resection, and had longer survival than patients with M1 diseases had in both cohorts (p < 0.001 in SEER, p = 0.041 in FUZH). Furthermore, in the SEER database, stage IIIA patients aberrantly had poorer survival than stage IIIB patients had (p < 0.001). Therefore, we proposed a modified staging system by rearranging the substages. N2 disease was subdivided and reappraised according to T stage, and the aberrant survival reversal of stage IIIA and stage IIIB disease was also corrected. Through our modification, the C-index of the 8th AJCC Staging System was elevated from 0.596 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.585–0.607] to 0.623 (95% CI: 0.612–0.634) for local disease in the SEER cohort. Similar findings were also observed in the FUZH cohort. Our modified 8th AJCC Staging System is more suitable for GBC and could be adopted for clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This article compared the clinicopathological differences between the cystic duct carcinoma and type I/II perihilar cholangiocarcinoma. • This article compared the efficacy of routine imaging examinations to distinguish between the cystic duct carcinoma and type I/II perihilar cholangiocarcinoma. • This article suggested NLR and GS as new indicators for the differential diagnosis of the cystic duct carcinoma and type I/II perihilar cholangiocarcinoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital light processing 3D printing can be applied to fabricate complex silicon nitride (Si 3 N 4) components. However, because of the surface hydroxyl groups and large refractive index, it is still a foremost challenge to realize a stable photosensitive Si 3 N 4 slurry with combined benefits of low viscosity and large curing depth. In this study, we propose a new formulation strategy to prepare Si 3 N 4 slurry. Starting from the optimization of monomer ratio, we have systematically optimized powder particle size, dispersant and photoinitiator on the rheological properties and curing properties of Si 3 N 4 slurry. Specifically, we have fabricated a stable photosensitive Si 3 N 4 slurry (48 vol%) with a viscosity of 2.09 Pa s (30 s−1), a critical curing energy of 126.09 mJ/cm2 and a maximum curing depth of 80 µm. Finally, based on this optimized slurry, we have successfully obtained complex Si 3 N 4 green body with no defect, which demonstrates great potential to fabricate arbitrary complex ceramic components for various applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the magnetic properties of spinel oxide MnCo 2 O 4 at low temperatures which is prepared through the sol-gel reaction process. The XPS results suggest that Mn3+ atoms exist in the octahedral sublattice originally occupied by Co3+ atoms. Afterwards, the AC susceptibility was measured at various frequencies, confirming a spin glass behavior at low temperatures. Additionally, analysis of the hysteresis loops revealed the presence of the exchange bias effect in our sample. The coexistence of spin glass behavior and the exchange bias effect in MnCo 2 O 4 is attributed to the competition between ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic interaction. The disorders of magnetic atoms in the lattice will also provide synergy for these magnetic behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For new-generation miniaturized and high-frequency electronics, it is of vital importance to develop advanced electronic packaging materials, which combine high electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding effectiveness (SE) and efficient thermal management capabilities, including heat absorption, thermal conductivity (TC) and heat dissipation. However, high EMI SE and efficient thermal management usually cannot complement each other for the same packaging material, because EMI shielding devices convert electromagnetic radiation directly into heat consumption, leading to consequent severe challenge to dispose heat dissipation. Herein, we have newly developed a high-performance phase change composites, in which MXene is confined in shape-stabilized phase change material (PCM) for simultaneous achievement of high EMI SE and efficient thermal management. Regarding high EMI, MXene can effectively shield electromagnetic radiation by converting the radiation into heat consumption. As for thermal management, PCM enables efficient heat absorption via the phase change process, and MXene enhances the thermal conductivity (TC) of MXene/PCM composite to facilitate heat dissipation. As a result, our developed MXene/PCM composite can achieve a high EMI SE of 64.7 dB in X-band, with an improved TC of 0.74 W/m·K. Furthermore, the interlayer capillary effect of MXene inhibits the leakage of liquid PCM during the solid-liquid phase transition, which can maintain the PCM shape stability. Our newly-designed shape-stabilized MXene/PCM composites with high EMI SE and large TC shed new light on designing EMI shielding materials with prolonged exposure to electromagnetic radiation, which can be envisioned to exhibit vast implications for advanced new-generation miniaturized and high-frequency electronics. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nano-SiO 2 porous thermal insulating material (TIM) has drawn tremendous research interests due to its advantages of low density, high porosity and low thermal conductivity. However, its long-term stability in humid environment can be severely deteriorated by the high hydrophilicity resulting from tetrahedral coordination of oxygen and capillary effect of porous structure. It is still a great challenge to cost-effectively fabricate bulk TIM with superior hydrophobicity and consequent remarkable self-cleaning capability. Herein, via an oil-in-water microemulsion treatment, we have proposed a new strategy to construct 3D superior hydrophobic nano-SiO 2 porous TIM. The polymethylhydrosiloxane-modified TIM exhibits a large water contact angle of 166°, and corresponding excellent self-cleaning characteristic while maintaining low thermal conductivity of 0.031 W/m·K. Moreover, our high hydrophobicity of TIM exhibits excellent durability under high temperature up to 400 °C, high humidity of 100%, and chemical erosions. Detailed knowledge of the physical chemistry basis of the superior hydrophobic nano-SiO 2 porous TIM can provide great opportunity to fabricate advanced self-cleaning and heat insulating devices especially targeted for harsh environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high integration density of microelectronic devices leads to local heat accumulation, and effective heat dissipation and signal transmission of packaging materials have become the primary issues to be solved. However, existing polymer materials have difficulty meeting the requirements due to their unsatisfactory thermal conductivity and thermal expansion properties. In this work, we proposed the use of digital light processing (DLP) printing technology to construct a triply periodic minimum surface (TPMS) skeleton, and a continuous and efficient heat conduction path was successfully constructed in epoxy resin by impregnating h-BN on the skeleton surface. When the loading of h-BN was 20 vol%, the thermal conductivity of the TPMS(SiO 2)@BN/EP(BN) composites was 1.86 W/(m·K), which was 786 % higher than that of pure epoxy resin. In addition, the thermal expansion coefficient of the composites decreased by more than 70 %. At the test frequencies of 3∼10 MHz, the composites showed stable dielectric properties, and the dielectric constant was always maintained in a low range, between 3.85 and 4.15. This work has realized the transformation of the method for constructing a heat conduction path from disordered to ordered and from random to repeatable. This provides a new strategy for the selection of microelectronic packaging materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organoids refer to 3D cultures established to recapitulate histology, pathology, architecture, and genetic traits of various organs and tissues in the body, thereby replacing 2D cell cultures, xenograft, and animal models. Organoids form a 3D in vitro mimic of original tissues like the liver and are derived from embryonic or adult tissue stem cells. Liver and bile duct tumor organoids, also called, tumoroids capture genetic diversity, cellular, and pathophysiological properties of original tumors. Moreover, co-culture techniques along with genetic modulation of organoids allow for using tumoroids in liver and bile duct cancer research and drug screening/testing. Therefore, tumoroids are promising platforms for studying liver and bile duct cancer, which paves the way for the new era of personalized therapies. In the current review, we aimed to discuss liver and bile duct organoids with special emphasis on tumoroids and their applications, advantages, and shortcomings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have optimized a CuO-doped silver paste to significantly improve the adhesion strength of silver thick film on AlN ceramic substrate, which can be widely applied in power electronic packaging applications. Via a combination of scanning electron microscope and X-ray diffraction, we have systematically studied the silver layer morphology on top of AlN ceramic substrate, and the interphases between the silver thick film and AlN substrate. Due to the CuAl 2 O 4 intermediate formed at the silver layer/AlN interface, the adhesion strength of silver thick film can be greatly improved. Particularly, the silver paste with 3 wt% nano-CuO sintered on AlN ceramic substrate exhibits high adhesion strength of 15.3 MPa with good electrical conductivity of 0.9 mΩ/□. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents that polyethylene glycol (PEG) synthesizes a form-stable phase change material (FS-PCM) with high thermal conductivity and considerable heat storage density. PEG was confined to the chain structure of epoxy resin (EP) via high-temperature melt blending and curing, which solves the leakage problem of PCMs during phase transformation. In order to increase the thermal conductivity and stability of the PEG/EP while maintaining good heat storage capacity and insulation ability, a low loading of reticulated porous Al 2 O 3 ceramic (RPC) was introduced into the PEG/EP matrix. RPC increases the thermal conductivity of FS-PCM by 5.5 times and the heat storage rate by 4 times. In addition, FS-PCM filled with 13.8 vol% RPCs has a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of 80 ppm/K at 85–150 °C -a decrease of 62% over the matrix. Furthermore, the BN network is formed on RPC by vacuum impregnation technology, which further improves the thermal conductivity. This novel FS-PCM has excellent comprehensive properties and does not need for case package, indicating great prospects in thermal management and thermal storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: CD133+ tumor cells are responsible for the initiation, propagation and recurrence of tumors, which raises the question of how to effectively target CD133+ tumor cells. Arsenic trioxide (As2O3) has considerable efficacy in treating solid tumors with induction of apoptosis. Here, we found that purified CD133+ gallbladder carcinoma cells are highly resistant to conventional chemotherapy. However, As2O3 effectively induces CD133+ gallbladder carcinoma cells apoptosis. Treatment with As2O3 reduces CD133 expression at transcriptional levels. Furthermore, the ectopic expression of CD133 attenuated the apoptotic effect of As2O3 on cells through activation of AKT signaling pathways. Collectively, As2O3 effectively targets CD133 in gallbladder carcinoma, providing a new mechanism of As2O3-induced cell apoptosis and a better understanding of drug resistance in gallbladder carcinoma. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Gallbladder carcinoma (GBC) is a considerable challenge because of its high metastatic potential. The tumor microenvironment is characterized by nutrient starvation, which promotes tumor metastasis. Stathmin1, an important microtubuleregulating protein, is overexpressed and promotes metastasis in GBC. It remains unclear how the harsh tumor microenvironment regulates stathmin1 expression to affect GBC metastasis. We employed glucose deficiency to mimic nutrient starvation and found that glucose deficiency upregulated stathmin1 transcription. However, glucose deficiency also promoted p27 degradation. There was a significant negative correlation between stathmin1 and p27 protein levels under glucose deficiency. Further study revealed that, under glucose deficiency, human kinase interacting with stathmin (hKIS) induced phosphorylation at Ser10 of p27 and its translocation to the cytoplasm for degradation, which upregulated the transcription factor E2F1 to promote stathmin1 transcription. hKIS knockdown significantly inhibited p27 cytoplasmic translocation and its consequent degradation. Stathmin1 knockdown significantly inhibited GBC cell migration and invasion in vitro. Our study revealed the role of the hKIS/p27/E2F1 axis in upregulating stathmin1 transcription to promote GBC cell migration and invasion under glucose deficiency conditions • We model the nutrition starvation conditions with glucose deficiency; • We found increased levels of stathmin1 of GBC in nutrition starvation condition; • Glucose deficiency induced phosphorylation of p27Kip1 at Ser10 and consequently degradation; • Phosphorylation of p27 at Ser10 promoted GBC migration and invasion; • hKIS/p27/E2F1 axis regulated stathmin1 expression and GBC cell migration and invasion under glucose deficiency conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

B Introduction: b The 8 SP th sp edition of the AJCC staging system for gallbladder cancer (GBC) has been used in clinical practice, but we have found some deficiencies in the new edition. In our modified edition, N2 disease obtained a significant subdivision and reappraisal according to T stage, and the aberrant survival reversal of stage IIIA and stage IIIB was also corrected. [Extracted from the article]

B Introduction: b Despite the advantages of 3D laparoscopy was reported, the effect of 3D laparoscopy in choledocholithiasis remained unclear. B Conclusion: b 3D laparoscopy would significantly reduce operation time, blood loss and conversion rate in patients with moderate abdominal adhesions. [Extracted from the article]