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A flat band structure in momentum space is considered key for the realization of novel phenomena. A topological flat band, also known as a drumhead state, is an ideal platform to drive new exotic topological quantum phases. Using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy experiments, we reveal the emergence of a highly localized surface state in a topological semimetal BaAl 4 and provide its full energy and momentum space topology. We find that the observed surface state is localized in momentum, inside a square-shaped bulk Dirac nodal loop, and in energy, leading to a flat band and a peak in the density of state. These results imply this class of materials as an experimental realization of drumhead surface states and provide an important reference for future studies of the fundamental physics of correlated quantum effects in topological materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Model based design of a novel polymerization process is performed. • The process is applicable to solution and slurry polymerization with phase change. • The process can efficiently control product properties and reactor heat load. • Cooled evaporation streams affect concentration gradients and heat transfer rates. • The feature of ethylene/1-octene copolymerization system is studied as an example. This work aims on developing a novel process that is applicable to solution and slurry polymerization, which can efficiently control production efficiency, product properties and reactor thermal load through changing the flow ratios of cooled evaporation streams between different reactors. Furthermore, various process routes can be created by varying the destinations of cooled evaporation streams, markedly enhancing the process flexibility. To provide a thorough insight into the characteristics of the developed process, numerical simulations based on coupling the constructed models of polymerization reaction kinetics, thermodynamic properties and reactors are conducted to comprehensively study the impact of various factors (e.g. , process routes, pressure, monomer and catalyst concentration, flow rates of cooled evaporation streams in different reactors) on the ethylene/1-octene solution copolymerization system with several stirred reactors connected in series. Some strategies for regulating production efficiency, product properties and reactor heat load of different process routes are obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Methodology for designing solution polymerization reactors is established. • The methodology is developed based on multiscale model construction and simulation. • Research scheme for the design of solution polymerization reactors is proposed. • Methods for model construction, cases design and data analysis are suggested. • The copolymerization system of ethylene and 1-octene is studied as an example. This work aims to develop a reliable methodology for designing solution polymerization reactors based on multiscale model construction and simulation. Firstly, accurate polymerization kinetic model, thermodynamic property model, transport property model, fluid dynamic model and simplified equipment model are established. Secondly, process and reactor scale simulations are employed in systematically studying the impact of various factors (e.g., operating variables, reactor type, combination mode, structure) through coupling the established models. The design of reactor system is conducted by deeply analyzing simulated results and comprehensively considering various influence factors. The research scheme for polymerization reactor design, along with the proposed methods for model construction, multiscale modeling, simulation cases design and data analysis, are explained in detail. Furthermore, taking a pilot-scale copolymerization of ethylene and 1-octene as an example, 248 simulation cases are carried out to provide a comprehensive description on the process of its model construction and multi-scale simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Future changes in the global SOC and MBC pools are simulated using TRIPLEX-MICROBE. • SOC simulated by TRIPLEX-MICROBE in the Arctic decreases in 21st under three RCPs. • Tropical and temperate vegetation expand northward along with radiation increase. Abstract Microbial physiology is very important in the biogeochemical cycles of the Earth system. Considerable uncertainty exists in the responses of global soil organic and microbial carbon to future climate change. In this study, future changes in the global soil organic carbon (SOC) and microbial carbon (MBC) pools are simulated using TRIPLEX-MICROBE, which considers and predicts microbial activity, under three future representative concentration pathways (RCPs) in the 21st century. Between 2013 and 2100, TRIPLEX-MICROBE simulates decreases in SOC from 1099 Pg (petagrams, 1012 kg) to 1032 Pg, 996 Pg and 924 Pg under RCP scenarios RCP2.6, RCP4.5 and RCP8.5, respectively, representing reductions of approximately 6.1%, 9.4% and 15.9%, respectively. The MBC reaches a stable state after 2030 under RCP2.6, and it increases from 20.89 Pg to 23.78 Pg between 2013 and 2100. Under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5, MBC increases by 20.3% and 39.6%, respectively, between 2013 and 2100. The SOC stored in the Arctic declines under the priming effect; however, as the climate gradually warms from the equator to the mid-latitudes, the Northern Hemisphere becomes a larger carbon sink, which could offset the carbon losses from high-latitude and high-altitude regions. The latitude where the MBC reaches its maximum during the coldest season of a year in the Northern Hemisphere moves northward approximately 10 degrees under the three RCPs from the latitude in the historical period. Tropical and temperate vegetation expand northward gradually with warming, and vegetation fixes more carbon as it migrates northward to offset the increase in atmospheric CO 2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We prepared the high quality polycrystalline β -CrPO 4 with the cycloidal spiral spin magnetic structure. The multiferroicity is investigated by means of magnetic, heat-capacity, dielectric and ferroelectric polarization measurements. At the Neel temperature T ∼23 K, it is the transition into a spiral magnetic ordered phase, there is an anomaly in the dielectric and heat-capacity data, and the ferroelectric polarization appears. The ferroelectric polarization can be attributed to the cycloidal spiral magnetic ordering, which coincides well with the inverse Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction scenario or the spin-current scenario. The magnitude of ferroelectric polarization decreases with increasing the applied magnetic field, which indicates there is the strong coupling between ferroelectric polarization and magnetism in β -CrPO 4 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microbial physiology plays a critical role in the biogeochemical cycles of the Earth system. However, most traditional soil carbon models are lacking in terms of the representation of key microbial processes that control the soil carbon response to global climate change. In this study, the improved process-based model TRIPLEX-GHG was developed by coupling it with the new MEND (Microbial-ENzyme-mediated Decomposition) model to estimate total global soil organic carbon (SOC) and global soil microbial carbon. The new model (TRIPLEX-MICROBE) shows considerable improvement over the previous version (TRIPLEX-GHG) in simulating SOC. We estimated the global soil carbon stock to be approximately 1195 Pg C, with 348 Pg C located in the high northern latitudes, which is in good agreement with the well-regarded Harmonized World Soil Database (HWSD) and the Northern Circumpolar Soil Carbon Database (NCSCD). We also estimated the global soil microbial carbon to be 21 Pg C, similar to the 23 Pg C estimated by Xu et al. (2014). We found that the microbial carbon quantity in the latitudinal direction showed reversions at approximately 30°N, near the equator and at 25°S. A sensitivity analysis suggested that the tundra ecosystem exhibited the highest sensitivity to a 1°C increase or decrease in temperature in terms of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), microbial biomass carbon (MBC), and mineral-associated organic carbon (MOC). However, our work represents the first step toward a new generation of ecosystem process models capable of integrating key microbial processes into soil carbon cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porous bioceramics have been widely studied for bone tissue engineering. A deep understanding on the mechanism of bone growth and biomineralization depends on the extracted interface information between the new precipitated calcium phosphates (CaPs) and the porous substrate at a nanometer scale. However, due to their intrinsic brittleness and the complexity of the sample shape, there is still lack of such information. Here, by a combination of focused ion beam ( FIB) and transmission electron microscopy ( TEM), in-situ cross-sectional electron transparent interface was prepared. The precipitated dense apatite layer is composed of individual microgranules which further consist of tiny flake-like crystals. The new crystallites grow along c-axis and are mostly oriented perpendicular to HA substrate. This preferred orientation is more pronounced in the presence of protein. This work offers a novel and feasible approach using FIB- TEM to in situ image porous bioceramic scaffold and precipitated apatite layer interface and can be extended to study many other biointerfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-pressure hydraulic fracturing (HF) of cracks is the crucial factor in the safety-assessment of high concrete dams, and fluid–structure interaction in HF is the key to accurately calculate the fluid pressure within cracks. In this study, a hybrid approach combining the extended finite element method (XFEM) and the finite volume method (FVM) is introduced to simulate HF in concrete dams. Through the hybrid approach XFEM-FVM, we can obtain water pressure distribution within cracks, which reflects the coupling relationship between water pressure and fracture width. This approach is verified by an example, and the numerical results agree well with the corresponding analytic solutions. Then, we use it to simulate the HF in a concrete gravity dam. Results show that, in contrast to the constant water pressure distribution within cracks, the distribution calculated by XFEM-FVM varies with time and leads to the bigger crack extension angle, contrary to growth length. It also illustrates the significance of considering fluid–structure interaction in HF progress. This study reveals that the approach is a very efficient tool for HF simulation in concrete dam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iron chalcogenide superconductors have become one of the most investigated superconducting materials in recent years due to high upper critical fields, competing interactions and complex electronic and magnetic phase diagrams. The structural complexity, defects and atomic site occupancies significantly affect the normal and superconducting states in these compounds. In this work we review the vortex behavior, critical current density and high magnetic field pair-breaking mechanism in iron chalcogenide superconductors. We also point to relevant structural features and normal-state properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A series of cobalt (II) complexes ligated by 2-(2-benzoxazolyl)-6-(1-(arylimino)ethyl)pyridines was synthesized and characterized by FT-IR spectroscopic and elemental analysis. The molecular structures of Co1 (Ar=2,6-Me2C6H3), Co2 (Ar=2,6-Et2C6H3) and Co7 (Ar=2,6-Br2C6H3) were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Compounds Co1 and Co2 display a distorted trigonal-bipyramidal geometry, whereas complex Co7 is a distorted square-pyramid. Upon activation with methylaluminoxane (MAO), all cobalt complexes showed reactivity towards ethylene. There was however an unexpected temperature dependence; whereas, at room temperature oligomerization was observed, giving 1-alkenes with high selectivities, at elevated temperatures polyethylene was produced. This unusual catalytic behavior of the new complexes was investigated in detail under various reaction parameters. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A series of 2-(1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl)-N-benzylidenequinolin-8-amines was synthesized and characterized. They are stable as solids while displaying a tendency to decompose in solution. On reaction with NiCl2, different coordination pattern sets of L·NiCl2 or [L2Ni]2+·2Cl− are obtainable in THF or ethanol. When activated by Et2AlCl, the complexes L·NiCl2 exhibit good to high catalytic activities and selectivities for 1-C4 in ethylene oligomerization, while the complexes [L2Ni]2+·2Cl− hardly showed any activity, which is attributable to nickel coordination by two ligands barring interaction of ethylene with the metal center. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A series of tridentate NˆNˆN iron(II) and cobalt(II) complexes containing N-((pyridin-2-yl)methylene)-quinolin-8-amine derivatives were synthesized and characterized by elemental and spectroscopic analyses. The molecular structure of 1a was confirmed by X-ray diffraction analyses. On treatment with modified methylaluminoxane, these metal complexes exhibited good catalytic activities up to 2.8×106 gmol−1(Fe)h−1 for ethylene oligomerization, and butenes were the major products with nice selectivity for 1-C4. The steric and electronic effects on catalytic activities of metal complexes were carefully investigated as well as the influence of various reaction parameters. In the catalytic system, Fe(II) complexes performed better catalytic activities than their Co(II) analogues. With ligands having bulky substituents, the better catalytic activity was observed in catalytic system of Fe(II) complex, however, the lower catalytic activity was obtained in catalytic system of Co(II) complexes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Trigonelline is a plant alkaloid that has generated interest for its neuroprotective roles in brain pathology. However, the protective effect of trigonelline on cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury and the potential mechanism have not been fully evaluated. Our results showed that trigonelline pretreatment ameliorated oxygen-glucose deprivation/reperfusion (OGD/R)-induced hippocampal neurons injury. The OGD/R-caused reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and decreased concentrations of superoxide dismutases (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) were markedly attenuated by trigonelline. In addition, the increased levels of TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β in OGD/R-induced hippocampal neurons were significantly decreased by trigonelline pretreatment. Trigonelline also suppressed caspase-3 activity and bax expression, and induced bcl-2 expression in OGD/R-induced hippocampal neurons. Furthermore, trigonelline induced the activation of PI3K/Akt pathway in hippocampal neurons exposed to OGD/R condition. Inhibition of PI3K/Akt signaling reversed the protective effects of trigonelline on OGD/R-induced hippocampal neurons injury. Taken together, these findings indicated that trigonelline protected hippocampal neurons from OGD/R-induced injury, which was mediated by the activation of PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. • Trigonelline ameliorated OGD/R-induced hippocampal neurons injury. • Trigonelline ameliorated OGD/R-induced oxidative stress in hippocampal neurons. • Trigonelline attenuated OGD/R-induced inflammatory response in neurons. • Trigonelline inhibited OGD/R-induced cell apoptosis in hippocampal neurons. • Trigonelline affected PI3K/Akt activation in hippocampal neurons under OGD/R. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background To determine whether and how miR15a/16 regulate TGF-β signaling pathways during the progression of prostate cancer. Methods We used bioinformatics prediction, reporter gene assay, real-time PCR, Matrigel invasion assay and Western blot to dissect the molecular mechanism of how miR-15a/miR-16 may cause metastasis in prostate tumor. Results MiR-15a/16 targeted and inhibited the expression of endogenous Smad3 and ACVR2A proteins. The overexpression of miR15a/16 down-regulated p-smad3 expression, affected the expression of both MMP2 and E-cadherin, and down-regulated the expression of the EMT-mediated factors Snail and Twist in LNCaP prostate cancer cells. The overexpression of miR15a/16 decreased the invasion of LNCaP cells. MiR-15a/miR-16 cluster could reverse the invasion of activin A-mediated prostate cancer cells. After the inhibition of the activin/smad signaling pathway, the inhibitory effect of invasion in prostate cancer cells by miR-15a/miR-16 cluster disappeared. Conclusion Our data indicated that miR15a/16 inhibited the components of TGF-β signaling pathways in LNCaP cell line, which might relate to the progression and metastasis of prostate cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iterative Closest Point (ICP) algorithm for 3D point set registration has many robust properties that make it widely used. Regardless of the initialization, the Go-ICP method was first presented to search global optimum for 3D point set registration using Branch-and-Bound (BnB) scheme, but it could be time consuming. In this paper, an efficient modification, called Ego-ICP, is presented. The core idea is: (1) SE (3) feasible domain, L 2 -norm registration model of ICP and corresponding local ICP algorithm are reviewed, (2) Chebyshev metamodel is implemented to approximate the registration model with specific rotation, (3) the Chebyshev metamodel based single nested BnB approach is then presented to efficiently search global optimum for 3D point set registration. Furthermore, three experimental targets for different Datasets are demonstrated and shown that the presented approach, as compared with the BNB based method, the geometry based methods and the deep learning based method, (1) can be faster than or close to the efficiency of other compared methods, (2) can be reliable regardless of the initialization, and (3) can be 100% successful even if noise and outlier are existed. Lastly, several insights are provided to further improve the efficiency of our method. • We proposed to construct a efficient BnB approach using Chebyshev metamodel. • Our method is efficient to solve global optimality for point sets registration. • Our method is suitable to achieve fast coarse registration that can be refined by ICP or its variants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a major pathological type of kidney cancer and is one of the most common malignancies worldwide. The unremarkable symptoms of early stages, proneness to postoperative metastasis or recurrence, and low sensitivity to radiotherapy and chemotherapy pose a challenge for the diagnosis and treatment of RCC. Liquid biopsy is an emerging test that measures patient biomarkers, including circulating tumor cells, cell-free DNA/cell-free tumor DNA, cell-free RNA, exosomes, and tumor-derived metabolites and proteins. Owing to its non-invasiveness, liquid biopsy enables continuous and real-time collection of patient information for diagnosis, prognostic assessment, treatment monitoring, and response evaluation. Therefore, the selection of appropriate biomarkers for liquid biopsy is crucial for identifying high-risk patients, developing personalized therapeutic plans, and practicing precision medicine. In recent years, owing to the rapid development and iteration of extraction and analysis technologies, liquid biopsy has emerged as a low cost, high efficiency, and high accuracy clinical detection method. Here, we comprehensively review liquid biopsy components and their clinical applications over the past 5 years. Additionally, we discuss its limitations and predict its future prospects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the Vascular Accreditation, Location & Utilization Evaluation (VALUE) Study on the accreditation status and geographic distribution of vascular testing facilities among Medicare beneficiaries in the U.S. The study uses data sets from the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC), geographic information system (GIS), and descriptive analysis. Results show that IAC accredited facilities are low and vary by region.

Urothelial carcinoma (UC) is a prevalent malignant tumor involving the urinary system. Although there are various treatment modalities, including surgery, chemotherapy, and immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy, some patients experience disease recurrence and metastasis with poor prognosis and dismal long-term survival. Antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs), which combine the targeting ability of antibody drugs with the cytotoxicity of chemotherapeutic drugs, have recently emerged as a prominent research focus in the development of individualized precision cancer therapy. Although ADCs have improved the overall response rate in patients with UC, their effectiveness remains limited. Currently, ADC-based combination therapies, particularly ADC combined with ICIs, have demonstrated promising efficacy. This combination approach has advanced the treatment of UC, exhibiting the potential to become the standard first-line therapy for advanced UC in the future. This article reviewed clinical trials involving ADC-based combination therapy for UC and discussed the possible challenges and future perspectives to provide guidance for the clinical treatment of UC. • ADCs in combination with ICIs have demonstrated remarkable effects. • Clinical studies of ADCs combined therapy may provide new suggestion for UC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) X-inactive specific transcript (XIST) is an important lncRNA derived from the XIST gene in mammals. XIST is abnormally expressed in numerous tumors, in most of which XIST functions as an oncogene. XIST is involved in multiple aspects of carcinogenesis, including tumor onset, progression, and prognosis. In our review, we collected and analyzed the recent studies on the impact of XIST in human tumor development. The multilevel molecular functions of XIST in human tumors are comprehensively reviewed to clarify the pathologic mechanisms and to offer a novel direction for further study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) X-inactive specific transcript (XIST) is an important lncRNA derived from the XIST gene in mammals. XIST is abnormally expressed in numerous tumors, in most of which XIST functions as an oncogene. XIST is involved in multiple aspects of carcinogenesis, including tumor onset, progression, and prognosis. In our review, we collected and analyzed the recent studies on the impact of XIST in human tumor development. The multilevel molecular functions of XIST in human tumors are comprehensively reviewed to clarify the pathologic mechanisms and to offer a novel direction for further study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Increasing evidence shows that circular RNAs (circRNAs) are involved in many biological processes, functioning as microRNA (miRNA) sponges. The aim of this study is to identify differentially expressed circRNAs in bladder cancer (BCa). Methods: The transcriptome of circRNAs in BCa was assayed by microarray. Quantitative real-time PCR was performed to verify the results. Then, potential miRNA response elements (MREs) between circRNAs and miRNAs were predicted. Pathway and ontology enrichment analyses were performed to identify mechanisms related to the gene regulation of differentially expressed circRNAs. Results: Three hundred and eighty-six up-regulated and 394 down-regulated circRNAs were identified, and their potential MREs were predicted in BCa. Conclusion: The differentially expressed circRNAs indicate that circRNAs could play important roles in the molecular pathogenesis of BCa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) in messenger RNA (mRNA) is regulated by m6A methyltransferases and demethylases. Modifications of m6A are dynamic and reversible, may regulate gene expression levels and serve vital roles in numerous life processes, such as cell cycle regulation, cell fate decision and cell differentiation. In recent years, m6A modifications have been reported to exhibit functions in human cancers via regulation of RNA stability, microRNA processing, mRNA splicing and mRNA translation, including lung cancer, breast tumor and acute myeloid leukemia. In the present review, the roles of m6A modifications in the onset and progression of cancer were summarized. These modifications display an oncogenic role in certain types of cancer, whereas in other types of cancer they exhibit a tumor suppressor role. Therefore, understanding the biological functions performed by m6A in different types of tumors and identifying pivotal m6A target genes to deduce the potential mechanisms underlying the progression of cancer may assist in the development of novel therapeutics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effect of noble metal nanoparticles (NPs) for photocatalysis has a significant enhancement. In this system, a plasmonic ternary hybrid photocatalyst of Ag/AgBr/g-C3N4 was synthetized and used in water splitting to generation H2 under visible light irradiation. 18%Ag/AgBr/g-C3N4 showed the highest photoactivity, with the efficiency of hydrogen generation as high as 27-fold to that of pristine g-C3N4. Compared to simple mixture of Ag/AgBr and g-C3N4, hetero-composite Ag/AgBr/g-C3N4 showed a higher photoactivity, even though they contained same content of Ag/AgBr. We find that significant factors for enhancing properties were the synergistic effect between Ag/AgBr and g-C3N4, and the light absorption enhancing by SPR effect of Ag NPs. Ag/AgBr NPs firmly anchored on the surface of g-C3N4 and their high dispersion were also responsible for the improved activity and long-term recycling ability. The structure of Ag/AgBr/g-C3N4 hybrid materials and their enhancement to photocatalytic activity were discussed. Meanwhile, the possible reaction mechanism of this system was proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: A universal strategy was proposed to producing conductive, redox-active, and hydrophilic sulfonated lignin-conductive polymer nanoparticles (CP/LS NPs). By incorporating the CP/LS NPs into hydrogel network, a good conductive, adhesive, and tough hydrogel was obtained. The redox-active NPs maintained enough catechol groups inner the hydrogel for adhesiveness.Conductive polymers (CPs) are generally insoluble, and developing hydrophilic CPs is significant to broaden the applications of CPs. In this work, a mussel-inspired strategy was proposed to construct hydrophilic CP nanoparticles (CP NPs), while endowing the CP NPs with redox activity and biocompatibility. This is a universal strategy applicable for a series of CPs, including polyaniline, polypyrrole, and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene). The catechol/quinone contained sulfonated lignin (LS) was doped into various CPs to form CP/LS NPs with hydrophilicity, conductivity, and redox activity. These CP/LS NPs were used as versatile nanofillers to prepare the conductive hydrogels with long-term adhesiveness. The CP/LS NPs-incorporated hydrogels have a good conductivity because of the uniform distribution of the hydrophilic NPs in the hydrogel network, forming a well-connected electric path. The hydrogel exhibits long-term adhesiveness, which is attributed to the mussel-inspired dynamic redox balance of catechol/quinone groups on the CP/LS NPs. This conductive and adhesive hydrogel shows good electroactivity and biocompatibility and therefore has broad applications in electrostimulation of tissue regeneration and implantable bioelectronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fluoridated hydroxyapatite (FHA) [Ca 10 (PO 4) 6 F x (OH) 2−x , x = 0–2] is believed to be a promising calcium phosphate (CaP) to replace pure hydroxyapatite (HA) for next-generation implants, owing to its better biocompatibility, higher antibacterial activity, and lower solubility. Notably, the shape and size of the CaP crystals play key roles in their performance and can influence their applications. One-dimensional (1D) FHA nanorods are important CaP materials which have been widely used in regenerative medicine applications such as restorative dentistry. Unfortunately, the traditional synthesis methods for FHA nanorods either employ surfactants or take a relatively long time. In this study, we aimed to propose a facile synthesis route to fabricate FHA nanorods without any surfactants using an electrochemical deposition method for the first time. This study focused on preparing FHA nanorods without the assistance of any surfactant, unlike the traditional synthesis methods, to avoid chemical impurities. FHA nanorods with lengths of 124–2606 nm, diameters of 28–211 nm, and aspect ratios of 4.4–21.8 were synthesized using the electrochemical method, followed by a heat treatment. For the as-synthesized FHA nanorods, the Ca/P ratio was 1.60 and the atomic concentration of F was 2.06 at.%. An ultrastructure examination revealed that each FHA nanorod possessed long-range order, good crystallinity, and a defect-free lattice with a certain crystallographic plane orientation along the whole rod. In short, we propose a novel, surfactant-free, cost-saving, and more efficient route to synthesize FHA nanorods which can be widely applied in multiple biomedical applications, including drug delivery, bone repair, and restorative dentistry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• PDA/PLL hybrid coatings were developed to functionalize hydroxyapatite scaffolds. • The hybrid coatings realize tunable and sustained release of BMP2. • The hybrid coatings promote BMSC adhesion and differentiation. • The coating-functionalized scaffolds possess excellent osteoinductive properties. The scaffold for bone tissue engineering should possess proper porosity, adequate mechanical properties, cell affinity for cell attachment, and the capability to bind bioactive agents to induce cell differentiation. In this study, we successfully prepared a porous hydroxyapatite (HA) scaffold that is functionalized by poly(L-lysine)/polydopamine (PLL/PDA) hybrid coating. The PLL/PDA coating takes advantages of the high protein and cell affinity of PDA, as well as the biodegradability of PLL. Therefore, the coating can anchor bone morphogenic protein-2 (BMP2) to the HA scaffold via catechol chemistry under a mild condition so as to protect the bioactivity of BMP2. Meanwhile, the coating can also release BMP2 in a tunable and sustainable manner as the PLL degrades in the physiological environment. The BMP2-entrapped PLL/PDA coating on the HA scaffold can more efficiently promote osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) in vitro and induce ectopic bone formation to a much greater level in vivo compared with a bare HA scaffold that delivers BMP2 in a burst manner. All of these results suggest that the PDA-mediated catechol modification of the HA scaffold can be an effective strategy to develop sustainable protein delivery system, and that the PLL/PDA-coated HA scaffold could be a promising candidate for bone tissue engineering applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The regeneration of flat bone present great challenges owing to the unique metabolic orientation and the great demand for nutrient transport. Reasonable structural design can effectively improve the performance of tissue regeneration of the scaffolds. In this study, bioactive hydroxyapatite scaffolds with various flow channel designs were precisely produced by 3D printing. The mechanical properties, permeability, substance transport and tissue ingrowth capacity brought by flow channel were investigated. Theoretical simulations and experimental results showed that the mechanical properties were highly correlated with the porosity of the scaffolds rather than the flow channel configurations. Curved channel showed a higher permeability for its better ability of omnidirectional diffusion, enhancing the substance transport and cell settlement by forming vortex flow. The flow channel scaffolds had better tissue ingrowth capability due to the abundant blood supply and cells/nutrients enrichment. Especially, the curved flow channel coupling with the annular one showed the best comprehensive performance in all the configurations designed, leading to the efficiency improvement of tissue ingrowth and bone regeneration. This study proposed preliminary principles for the design of planar two-dimensional flow channel based on the characteristics of flat bone, which provided a potential feasible strategy for large-scale flat bone regeneration and repair. [Display omitted] • Flow channel can enhance the substance transport and tissue ingrowth in flat bone repair. • Curved channel shows a higher permeability due to the omnidirectional diffusion. • Curved flow channel coupling with the annular one presents the best performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numb is a protein whose asymmetric segregation during cell division determines cell fate and has numerous functions relevant to multiple fields of study, including developmental neurobiology and cancer biology. Little is known about the role of Numb in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), the predominant histological esophageal carcinoma in Asian populations. In this study, we focused on the expression and biologic functions of Numb in the context of ESCC. From analysis of tissue microarrays with 212 patients, it was found that Numb was significantly upregulated in ESCC tissues compared with corresponding non-cancerous tissues. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis suggests that higher expression of Numb was significantly associated with a high tumor recurrence (p = 0.015) and poor overall post-surgical survival (p = 0.016). Using multiple Cox regression, the expression of Numb was determined to be an independent predictor of poor prognosis. When siRNA was used to knockdown Numb in ESCC cell lines, there was a consistent increase in caspase-3 dependent apoptosis and inhibition of cellular proliferation, as well as downregulation of expression of the cancer stem cell markers Oct-4, SOX-2 and Nanog. In addition, downregulated Numb expression was not significantly associated with the migration of ESCC cells. These results indicate that Numb acts as an oncoprotein and has potential as a novel prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target in ESCC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Response surface method is often employed in simulation based design and optimization for complex products. The sparsity of response surface on the mathematic basis has been explored to accurately represent the variation between design variables and performance response with only a few design points, which is very beneficial to efficient design optimization. Due to the selected basis, it may lead to a large deviation, or under-fitting of the reconstructed response surface since the number of sampling points is often smaller than its sparseness. In this paper, a quasi-sparse response surface is presented to trade-off the sparsity and variation of response surface by introducing coefficient shrinkage regularization and uniformly sampling for the design points, which enables more atoms in the basis included to accurately and robustly reconstruct the surface. The group of basis atoms which are correlated with sampling points instead of the most correlated one are all selected to uniform express the sampling points, and the coefficients of basis atoms are shrunk to improve the prediction performance of the model. Finally, 9 benchmark functions and 1 engineering applications are utilized to demonstrate the significance of the presented approach by comparing with other normally used response surface models, The results shows that the accuracy and robustness of the reconstructed response surface is superior than those of other response surface approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of the new process-based TRIPLEX-GHG model derives from the Integrated Biosphere Simulator (IBIS), which couples nitrification and denitrification processes to quantify nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from natural forests and grasslands. Sensitivity analysis indicates that the nitrification rate coefficient (COENR) is the most sensitive parameter to simulate N2O emissions. Accordingly, we calibrated this parameter using data from 29 global forest sites (across different latitudes) and grassland sites. The average nitrification rate coefficient gradually increases in the order of tropical forest to grassland to temperate forest to boreal forest, and giving means of 0.009, 0.03, 0.04, and 0.09, respectively. This study validated the mean value for each ecosystem at 52 sites globally. Calibration results both indicate the good performance of the model and its suitability in capturing seasonal variation and magnitude of N2O flux; however, it is limited in modeling N2O uptake and increments during periods of snowmelt. Additionally, validation results indicate that simulated and observed annual or seasonal N2O fluxes are highly correlated (R2 = 0.75; P < 0.01). Consequently, our results suggest that the model is suitable in simulating N2O emissions from different forest and grassland land types under varying environmental conditions on a global scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global rivers connect three large carbon reservoirs in the world: soil, atmosphere, and ocean. The amount and spatial pattern of riverine carbon flux are essential for the global carbon budget but are still not well understood. Therefore, three linear regression models for riverine DOC (dissolved organic carbon), POC (particulate organic carbon), and DIC (dissolved inorganic carbon) fluxes were established with related generating and transfer factors based on an updated global database. The three models then were applied to simulate the spatial distribution of riverine DOC, POC, and DIC fluxes and to estimate the total global riverine carbon flux. The major conclusions of this study are as follows: the correlation analysis showed that riverine DOC flux is significantly related to discharge ( r 2 = 0.93, n = 109) and soil organic carbon amount ( r 2 = 0.60), POC flux increases with discharge ( r 2 = 0.55, n = 98) and amount of soil erosion ( r 2 = 0.48), and DIC flux is strongly linked to CO 2 consumption by rock weathering ( r 2 = 0.66, n = 111) and discharge ( r 2 = 0.63). In addition, Asia exports more DOC and POC than other continents and North America exports more DIC. The Atlantic Ocean accepts the major portion of riverine DOC, POC, and DIC fluxes of all the oceans. The highest riverine DOC flux occurs in the 0–30°S zone, and the highest riverine POC and DIC fluxes appear in the 30–60°N zone. Furthermore, re-estimation revealed that global rivers export approximately 1.06 Pg C to oceans every year, including 0.24 Pg DOC, 0.24 Pg POC, 0.41 Pg DIC, and 0.17 Pg PIC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

N6-methyladenosine (m6A), as the most abundant and well-known RNA modification, has been found to play an important role in cancer. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a class of single-stranded covalently closed RNA molecules generated by the reverse splicing process. Recent studies have revealed the vital roles of circRNAs in many diseases, including tumorigenesis. Accumulating evidence also shows an association between m6A modification and circRNAs. This study aimed to review the interactions between m6A modification and circRNAs and illustrate their roles in tumorigenesis. m6A modification can modulate the biogenesis, translation, cytoplasmic export, degradation, and other functions of circRNAs in different tumors. circRNAs can also modulate m6A modification by affecting writers, erasers, and readers. We focused on the potential regulatory mechanisms and the biological consequences of m6A modification of circRNAs, as well as the interactions in tumors of different systems. Finally, we listed the possible development directions of m6A modification and circRNAs, which might facilitate the clinical application of tumor therapy. Not applicable. Keywords • m6A modification could play an important role in the field of oncology. • The regulatory mechanisms and biological functions of m6A modification of circRNAs. • The possible development directions of m6A modification and circRNAs in tumor therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on an updated and comprehensive global NPP database, an artificial neural network (ANN) data mining approach was used to investigate the spatial and temporal patterns and control factors on global terrestrial ecosystem NPP between 1961 and 2010. Five variables (precipitation, air temperature, leaf area index, fraction of photosynthetically active radiation and atmospheric CO 2 concentration) were selected and integrated to develop a three-layer back-propagation (BP) ANN model. The results indicated that the ANN method is capable of simulating and predicting the NPP of the global terrestrial ecosystem, yielding a simulation accuracy of 0.72 and a prediction accuracy of 0.60. The estimated global mean annual NPP was approximately 61.46 Pg C between 1961 and 2010, with an annual increase of 0.23 Pg C and a total increasing of 10.14 Pg C. The middle and high latitudinal zones made the major contribution to the total NPP increasing with percentage of 87.5% (8.87 Pg C), whereas the low latitude zone made the remaining contribution (1.27 Pg C). The atmospheric CO 2 concentration was found to be the dominant factor that controlled the interannual variability and to be the major contribution (45.3%) of global NPP. Leaf area index, climate and fraction of photosynthetically active radiation resulted in NPP increases of 21.8%, 18.3% and 14.6%, respectively. Overall, multiple factors jointly control the variation in global NPP, and it is vital to consider the underlying mechanisms of combined environmental effects on NPP in future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We found micro RNA-133b (miR-133b) was downregulated in urothelial carcinoma of the bladder ( UCB) tissues, and it could inhibit the proliferation and induce apoptosis in UCB cells. Consequently, we intend to explore the clinical significance of miR-133b in UCB patients. Expression of miR-133b in 146 UCB specimens and matched adjacent non-neoplastic bladder tissues were measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. The overall survival ( OS) curve and progression-free survival ( PFS) curve were plotted using the Kaplan-Meier method. Prognostic factors for OS and PFS were identified by univariate and multivariate analyses using the Cox proportional hazards regression model. The expression of miR-133b was significantly downregulated in UCB tissues compared with those in adjacent non-neoplastic bladder tissues ( P < 0.001). Among UCB patients, low expression of miR-133b significantly correlated with aggressive clinicopathological features. Multivariate analysis indicated that the expression of miR-133b was the independent prognostic factors for predicting PFS ( RR: 2.97; 95% CI: 1.78-6.44; P = 0.009) and OS ( RR: 4.23; 95% CI: 1.51-11.8; P = 0.011) in patients with UCB. Our study demonstrated that downregulation of miR-133b associated with aggressive clinicopathological features and predicted unfavorable prognosis in patients with UCB, might serve as feasible biomarker for clinical outcome of UCB patients after surgery and potential therapeutic target in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biomimetic mineralization has been widely applied in the preparation of bone repair materials for achieving better mechanical and biological properties. However, the mineralization effectiveness is not quite satisfactory. Herein, enhanced biomimetic mineralization was realized through polyphosphate modification of gelatin. Molecular dynamics simulations theoretically demonstrated the effectiveness of poly-phosphorylation in augmenting mineralization. Experimental results revealed that poly-phosphorylation could increase the saturation of in-situ mineralization of gelatin from about 25% to more than 40%. Consequently, the compressive strength and elastic modulus of the enhanced mineralized composite were increased by 57.93% and 132.55%, respectively. The osteogenesis was also promoted. Combined with 3D printing, the scaffolds not only had the advantages of enhanced in-situ mineralization but also were endowed with the macro-controllable porous structure to achieve better bone regeneration. It interpreted the mechanism of biomimetic mineralization in terms of the saturation of in-situ mineralization and provided a viable strategy for biomimetic scaffold preparation. Enhanced biomimetic mineralization is achieved through effective in-situ mineralization of polyphosphate modified gelatin. Experiments verify that poly-phosphorylation could increase the saturation of gelatin mineralization from about 25% to more than 40%, by providing more nucleation sites of hydroxyapatite. Combined with 3D printing, the scaffolds are endowed with controllable porous structure, which offers a new avenue to manufacture bone regenerative scaffolds biomimetically. [Display omitted] • Enhanced biomimetic mineralization of organic-inorganic composites was achieved by efficient mineralization of piGel. • It theoretically and experimentally demonstrated the effectiveness of poly-phosphorylation in augmenting mineralization. • The view of saturation of in-situ mineralization was first proposed to interpret the mechanism of enhanced mineralization. • The mechanical and biological properties of enhanced-mineralized nanocomposites were improved greatly. • 3D printing was applied to achieve the construction of the personalized scaffolds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photocatalytic conversion of CO 2 to chemical feedstocks represents an intriguing approach to address the energy and environmental crisis, but faces low conversion efficiencies resulted from unsatisfied light absorption, charge recombination and surface reactivity of traditional semiconductor photocatalysts. Herein, we report stacked graphene/Pd@PtCu nanostructures with atomically thin PtCu shell to overcome above challenges and realize high-efficient CO 2 -to-CH 4 photoreduction. The smart design begins with the excitation of Ru complex with broad visible absorption, which is followed by the smooth movement of photoelectrons via the graphene→Pd→PtCu pathway, and then the highly selective CO 2 reduction on the PtCu surface. As the PtCu thickness decreases, the strengthened Pd–PtCu interfacial charge polarization contributes to improved charge separation/migration. Meanwhile, CO 2 adsorption on the PtCu surface is ameliorated owing to increased electron accumulation and compressive strain. This work provides a new design for boosting the photocatalytic performance by cooperative surface and interfacial modulations. [Display omitted] • Stacked graphene/Pd@PtCu structures with atomically thin PtCu shell are fabricated. • Pd–PtCu interfacial charge polarization promotes the charge separation and transfer. • Increased electron density and lattice strain enhance the CO2 adsorption on PtCu surface. • Photoreduction of CO 2 to CH 4 with high activity, selectivity and stability is reached. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Tetrahedral DNA nanostructure provides an effective drug delivery vehicle. • We constructed a 3D-bioprinted scaffold loaded with TDN-clindamycin complex. • The novel scaffold was biocompatible, with osteogenic and antimicrobial properties. • The scaffold significantly improved repair in rat model of infected bone defect. Infection of bone defects is a common clinical problem that negatively impacts bone repair and may result in the development of antibiotic resistance due to the long-term use of antibiotics. To the best of our knowledge, integrating tetrahedral DNA nanostructure (TDN) drug delivery with 3D bioprinting has not been reported to treat infected bone defects. However, numerous studies have focused on effectively controlling infected bone defects and achieving functional reconstruction. In this study, TDN was proposed as a drug delivery vehicle to enhance cell penetration and the antibacterial properties of clindamycin (CLI), a common antibiotic used to treat osteomyelitis. A 3D hybrid scaffold loaded with TDN-CLI complexes was constructed using bioprinting technology. Its structure and biological properties were characterized, and the scaffold was further applied to treat methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection in a rat model of bone defect. The results demonstrated that the TDN-CLI-loaded 3D bioprinted hybrid scaffold possessed excellent biocompatibility, outstanding osteogenic and antimicrobial activity, and significantly improved the repair of infected bone defects in the rat model. The TDN-CLI-loaded hybrid scaffold developed in the current study has broad application prospects for treating infected bone defects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil respiration is an important component of the carbon cycle and is also recognized as one of the primary pathways that release CO2from the soil into the atmosphere in terrestrial ecosystems. Soil CO2flux resulting from soil microbial activity and root respiration is one of the major components of the total carbon flux in agro-ecosystems. However, the impact of agronomic practices such as mulching on soil respiration in greenhouses has been less thoroughly studied. Consequently, field experiments were conducted during the growing seasons of 2011 and 2012 in greenhouse to evaluate soil respiration and the biotic and abiotic factors that influence it in hot pepper cultivation under four types of mulch practices (without mulch, wheat straw mulch, plastic film mulch, and combined mulch with plastic film and wheat straw). Soil water content had an overriding influence on soil respiration in hot pepper culture during the growing season under mulching treatments in a greenhouse, whereas the influence of soil temperature was relatively less. Additionally, the study showed that root biomass and root vigor should also be incorporated as predictor variables for soil respiration under mulching in greenhouses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immunotherapy is a powerful way to treat cancer, however, systemic treatment-associated adverse effects remain a major concern. In this study, a bioadhesive injectable hydrogel is developed to provide localized immune niches for tumor microenvironment immunomodulation and cancer catalytic immunotherapy. First, a phenolic single atom nanozyme (SAN) was developed by in situ synthesis of Pd single atom on catechol-grafted carbon-quantum-dot (DA-CQD@Pd) templates. Then, the bioadhesive injectable hydrogel consisting of DA-CQD@Pd SAN and immune adjuvant CpGODN was formed through SAN-catalyzed free-radical polymerization. The SAN exhibited peroxidase-like activity to generate ROS and kill tumor cells through catalytic therapy. The hydrogel locally released CpGODN in a sustained manner, which limited the risk of systemic exposure, reducing the impact of CpGODN toxicity, and protecting CpGODN from degradation. The bioadhesive hydrogel immobilized around solid tumor to provide an immune response site after injection. When combined it with the administration of immune checkpoint inhibitor anti-PD-L1, the hydrogel realized localized immunomodulation, maximized therapeutic efficacy and prevents tumor metastasis via a catalytic immunotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • CsPbBr 3 nanocubes, nanorods and nanowires are deposited on 2D NMF, respectively. • The 2D NMF as cocatalyst improves the photocatalytic activity in CO 2 -to-CO conversion. • The photocatalytic enhancement is greatly dependent on the aspect ratio of CsPbBr 3. • The elongation of CsPbBr 3 enlarges the ΔE of CB and improves the charge separation. All-inorganic CsPbBr 3 perovskites have been regarded as promising candidates for photocatalytic CO 2 reduction, but the conversion efficiency is limited by serious charge recombination and poor surface reactivity. Herein, a two-dimensional Ni based metal-organic framework (NMF) has been employed as a cocatalyst, which not only acts as an electron extractor in enhancing the electron-hole separation, but also serves as a CO 2 capturing agent in facilitating the adsorption and activation of CO 2 molecules. As a result, 1.8, 2.5 and 4.1-fold enhancement in CO production has been realized for CsPbBr 3 nanocubes, nanorods and nanowires, respectively, which is proved to be positively correlated with the aspect ratio of CsPbBr 3. The aspect ratio dependent photocatalytic enhancement is attributed to the increased energy difference at the interface between the conduction band of CsPbBr 3 and NMF with the elongation of CsPbBr 3 , which produces an enlarged driving force for promoted interfacial electron transfer and superior charge separation properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bone defect caused by trauma, tumor, infection, and other reasons is a thorny problem that needs to be solved in orthopedic clinic. Customized bone repair biomaterials and their fabrication still need to be explored. Three-dimensional (3D) printing is a high-speed fabrication process for bone tissue biomaterials, which paves the way of solving clinical bone defect problems in a new way. In this study, the fused deposition modeling (FDM) technology was used to prepare the composite scaffolds of polylactic acid (PLA) and nano-hydroxyapatite (n-HA). The composite scaffold was optimized by material characterization, mechanical property test, and in vitro bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells biocompatibility test. Finally, a rabbit model was established to evaluate the osteogenic ability of PLA/n-HA scaffolds in vivo. The results showed that the PLA/n-HA composites proposed in this study were highly printable, and the printed scaffold showed tunable mechanical strength accompanied by the proportion of n-HA components. The biocompatibility and osteogenic induction properties were proved better than that of the pure PLA scaffold. This composite scaffold of PLA and n-HA provides a promising strategy for the repair of large bone defects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polylactic acid/Hydroxyapatite (PLA/HA) composite was widely studied and applied in the field of biomaterials for its good processability, bioactivity, and mechanical properties. In addition to traditional preparation methods, additive manufacturing has also been adopted to prepare PLA/HA composites with customized geometries. This work combined the comprehensive optimized PLLA (L-polylactic acid)/nano-HA (nHA) composite with the low-cost and stable Fused deposition modeling (FDM) technology to successfully prepare PLLA/nHA porous bone repair scaffolds. The results showed that PLLA/nHA composite ink satisfied the smoothness of printing, and the accuracy also met the requirements of personalized bone repair application. The high loaded nHA scaffold had suitable compressive strength was significantly higher than those of pure HA ceramic scaffold and cancellous bone. Besides, in vitro bone-like apatite formation on the surface in the degradation process and in vivo evaluations further verified its good osteogenic property. Compared with other complex and cutting-edge 3D printing technologies, this study provides a low-cost, stable, simple and fast way to realize personalized printing of bone repair scaffolds, which is undoubtedly conductive to the improvement and rapid deployment of personalized biomaterials in clinical applications. Unlabelled Image • Comprehensive optimized PLLA/nano-hydroxyapatite composite was made successfully for bone repair scaffold printing. • Bone-like apatite can form on the scaffold surface in vitro degradation experiments just in PBS, indicating the high bioactivity of scaffold. • The high loaded nano- hydroxyapatite scaffold has suitable compressive strength and good osteogenic property. • This study provides a low-cost, stable, simple and fast way to realize personalized printing of bone repair scaffolds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Titanium has been widely used in medical implants for hard tissue replacements. Nevertheless, the bioinert innate oxide layer on the titanium implant surface usually makes the implant fail to osseointegrate with the surrounding tissue after surgery. To improve the bioactivity of titanium implants, the deposition of calcium phosphate (CaP) coatings attracts much research interest owing to the excellent bioactivity and biocompatibility of CaP. This work successfully developed a promising synthetic method to prepare uniform fluoridated CaP coatings with ultrathin thicknesses (∼170 nm) and desired phases on acid etched pure titanium (AETi) substrates. A dense ultrathin coating with a dominant phase of fluoridated amorphous CaP (FACP) was obtained by an electrochemical deposition method in galvanostatic mode. After a heat treatment at 600 °C for 3 h in a humid atmosphere, the as-prepared coating was transformed to a coating with a dominant phase of fluoridated hydroxyapatite (FHA). Additionally, the dominant phase of the coating could be transformed from FACP to α-tricalcium phosphate (α-TCP) by a heat treatment at 800 °C for 3 h. Unlike previously reported fluoridated CaP coatings with thicknesses of around several micrometers, the ultrathin thickness could potentially enhance the adhesive strength and ductility of coating. Notably, the fluorine incorporation in the coating could bring in additional benefits such as lower solubility, higher antibacterial activity, and higher adhesive strength. Electrochemical deposition associated with post heat treatment could obtain fluoridated CaP coatings with different desired phases in a controllable manner, which is very important since CaPs with different phases possess different properties and may be suitable for different biomedical applications. This study proposed a promising, simple, and low-cost method which can endow complex-shaped titanium implants with better bioactivity for dental and orthopedic applications. • Unlike previously reported fluoridated CaP coatings with thicknesses of around several micrometers, the ultrathin thickness (∼170 nm) could potentially enhance the adhesive strength and ductility of coating. • The fluorine incorporation in the coating could bring additional benefits such as lower solubility, higher antibacterial activity, and higher adhesive strength. • Electrochemical deposition associated with post heat treatment could obtain fluoridated CaP coatings with different desired phases in a controllable manner, which is very important since CaPs with different phases possess different properties and may be suitable for different biomedical applications. • Proposed a promising, simple, and lower-cost route to endow complex-shaped titanium implants with better bioactivity, which could be widely applied in dental and orthopedic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, the cicada-inspired nanostructured surfaces have attracted much interest because they possess remarkable bactericidal ability. However, Gram-positive bacteria are less damageable by the nanopillar structure of a cicada wing surface compared to Gram-negative species. To overcome this shortcoming, fluoridated hydroxyapatite (FHA) is employed owing to its effective antibacterial ability against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. Here, we design a novel potential antibacterial surface by combining the cicada wing-like nanopillar structure and the FHA together to potentially exert the advantages of physical and chemical antibacterial strategies simultaneously for battling the antibiotic-resistant pathogenic bacteria more effectively. Cicada-inspired FHA nanostructured surfaces have been successfully fabricated on acid-etched titanium (AETi) plates using an electrochemical additive manufacturing (ECAM) method for the first time. The as-prepared FHA nanopillar array consists of close-packed individual nanopillars with diameters, heights, and aspect ratios of ~65–95 nm, ~380–510 nm, and ~4.5–7.5, respectively. The chemical composition of the FHA nanopillar array is similar to that of the Ca 10 (PO 4) 6 (OH)F. Individual FHA nanopillars possess high crystallinity, long-range regularity, and flaw-free lattices with the [0001] orientation. Our new, cost-effective, and time-saving method for fabricating cicada-inspired FHA nanostructured surfaces could potentially endow orthopedic and dental implants with enhanced antibacterial performance for biomedical applications. Unlabelled Image • We firstly proposed an electrochemical additive manufacturing method for preparing cicada-inspired nanostructured surfaces. • This promising synthesis method is novel, cost-effective, and time-saving. • This study focused on fabricating nanostructures with bioactive and biocompatible fluoridated hydroxyapatite pioneeringly. • We designed the biomimetic nanostructures by combining the advantages of physical and chemical antibacterial strategies. • The nanostructures could potentially endow medical implants with more effective non-antibiotic antibacterial activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: A universal strategy was proposed to producing conductive, redox-active, and hydrophilic sulfonated lignin-conductive polymer nanoparticles (CP/LS NPs). By incorporating the CP/LS NPs into hydrogel network, a good conductive, adhesive, and tough hydrogel was obtained. The redox-active NPs maintained enough catechol groups inner the hydrogel for adhesiveness. Conductive polymers (CPs) are generally insoluble, and developing hydrophilic CPs is significant to broaden the applications of CPs. In this work, a mussel-inspired strategy was proposed to construct hydrophilic CP nanoparticles (CP NPs), while endowing the CP NPs with redox activity and biocompatibility. This is a universal strategy applicable for a series of CPs, including polyaniline, polypyrrole, and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene). The catechol/quinone contained sulfonated lignin (LS) was doped into various CPs to form CP/LS NPs with hydrophilicity, conductivity, and redox activity. These CP/LS NPs were used as versatile nanofillers to prepare the conductive hydrogels with long-term adhesiveness. The CP/LS NPs-incorporated hydrogels have a good conductivity because of the uniform distribution of the hydrophilic NPs in the hydrogel network, forming a well-connected electric path. The hydrogel exhibits long-term adhesiveness, which is attributed to the mussel-inspired dynamic redox balance of catechol/quinone groups on the CP/LS NPs. This conductive and adhesive hydrogel shows good electroactivity and biocompatibility and therefore has broad applications in electrostimulation of tissue regeneration and implantable bioelectronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Circular RNAs (circRNAs), a novel class of noncoding RNAs, have recently drawn much attention in the pathogenesis of human cancers. However, the role of circRNAs in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to identify novel circRNAs that regulate ESCC progression and explored their regulatory mechanisms and clinical significance in ESCC. Methods: Differentially expressed circRNAs between ESCC and paired adjacent normal tissues were identified using microarrays. The effects of a specific differentially expressed circRNA (circGSK3β) on tumor progression were explored in vitro and in vivo. Plasma samples from patients with ESCC, benign lesions and healthy controls were subjected to droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) analyses for circGSK3β, and the detection rates of plasma circGSK3β for ESCC were investigated. Results: We demonstrated that upregulated expression of circGSK3β was positively associated with advanced clinical stage and poor outcome in patients with ESCC. We further revealed that circGSK3β promoted ESCC cell migration and invasion via direct interaction with GSK3β and inhibiting GSK3β activity, providing a novel mechanism of circRNA in cancer progression. Importantly, we identified that circGSK3β expression in plasma was a biomarker for detection of ESCC and early stage of ESCC with the area under curve (AUC) of 0.782 and 0.793, respectively. Conclusions: CircGSK3β exerts critical roles in promoting ESCC metastasis and may serve as a novel therapeutic target for ESCC patients. The plasma level of circGSK3β have potential to serve as a novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for ESCC detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Combination of experimental study and DFT calculation found that F− ions stabilized the Sr-doped HA crystals. • Sr/F-codoped HA showed excellent antibacterial activities against Streptococcus mutans. • An appropriate level of Sr doping caused the optimal osteogenic properties for the Sr/F-codoped HA. Multiple ions codoping may effectively modulate physicochemical and biological properties of hydroxyapatite (HA) for diverse biomedical applications. This study synthesized strontium (Sr)-, fluorine (F)- doped, and Sr/F-codoped HA nanoparticles by a hydrothermal method, and investigated the effect of ion doping on characteristics of HA, including crystallinity, crystal size, lattice parameters, and substitution sites by experiments and simulation with density functional theory (DFT) methods. It was found that, Sr doping increased the lattice parameters of HA whereas F doping decreased these parameters. Additionally, F doping enhanced the structural stability of the Sr-doped HA. F doping created excellent antibacterial properties to effectively inhibit growth of Streptococcus mutans. An appropriate Sr doping level endowed HA with optimum osteogenic ability to promote osteoblastic differentiation of bone marrow stem cells. These suggest that, Sr/F codoping is an effective approach to synthesizing HA-based materials with both antibacterial and osteogenic properties. More broadly, HA nanomaterials with specific characteristics may be designed for meeting diverse requirements from biomedical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to low charge separation efficiency and poor stability, it is usually difficult for single-component photocatalysts such as graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) and silver chromate (Ag2CrO4) to fulfill photocatalytic hydrogen production efficiently. Z-scheme charge transport mechanism that mimics the photosynthesis in nature is an effective way to solve the above problems. Inspired by photosynthesis, we report Ag2CrO4 nanoparticles-decorated g-C3N4 nanosheet as an efficient photocatalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) with methanol as sacrificial agent. The formation of Z-scheme g-C3N4/Ag2CrO4 nanosheets photocatalysts could inhibit the recombination of photogenerated electron-hole pairs, promote the generation of hydrogen by photosplitting of water. The experiment results indicate that g-C3N4/Ag2CrO4 nanocomposites present enhanced photocatalytic activity and stability in the H2 evolution of water splitting. And the nanocomposites g-C3N4/Ag2CrO4(23.1%) show the 14 times HER efficiency compared to that of bare g-C3N4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]