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For both developed and developing countries, manufacturing plays a crucial role in international competition. There is a growing consensus that 3D printing (3DP) technologies will revolutionise the development of global manufacturing. Although considerable research has previously been conducted to define the technological and economic benefits of 3DP on global manufacturing, minimal research has linked 3DP with Chinese manufacturing (CM). Therefore, to address this research gap and to investigate 3DP’s potential impact on alleviating CM’s development issues, this paper explores the definition, characteristics and mainstream technologies of 3DP, presents the current situation and the main problems of CM, and analyses the potential impact of 3DP on the development of CM. Then, this study introduces the current 3DP promotion and industrialisation situation in China as well as the issues with promoting 3DP in CM. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Environmental problems in China have attracted global attention. Grafting returnee executives' green resources to Chinese manufacturing enterprises is an effective way to solve China's sustainable development problems. This paper focuses on the impact of returnee executives and the heterogeneity of returnee and local executives on green innovation performance and the moderating effects of environmental regulation and managerial ties. The paper builds on data from 276 Chinese manufacturing enterprises. The results show that returnee executives tend to achieve sustainable development through green innovation. However, not all kinds of heterogeneity between returnee and local executives can promote green innovation performance. In addition, environmental regulation and managerial ties, as two important external moderation variables, have different impacts and different extents of impact on the relationship between returnee executives and four aspects (R&D, manufacturing, marketing, and management) of green innovation performance, that is, environmental regulation positively moderates the relationship between returnee executives and green manufacturing and management innovation performance but negatively moderates the relationship between returnee executives and green R&D and marketing innovation performance. These findings have clear management implications for Chinese manufacturing enterprises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, an amphiphilic conjugate based on mPEG and cholesterol-modified chitosan with hydrazone bonds in the molecules (mPEG-CS-Hz-CH) was successfully synthesized. Using the polymer as the carrier, the paclitaxel (PTX)-loaded mPEG-CS-Hz-CH micelles were prepared by an ultrasonic probe method. The mean particle size and zeta potential of the optimized PTX-loaded micelles were 146 ± 4 nm and +21.7 ± 0.7 mV, respectively. An in vitro drug release study indicated that the PTX-loaded mPEG-CS-Hz-CH micelles were stable under normal physiological conditions (pH 7.4), whereas rapid drug release was observed in the simulated tumor intracellular microenvironment (pH 5.0). An in vitro cytotoxicity study demonstrated the non-toxicity of the polymer itself, and the PTX-loaded micelles exhibited superior cytotoxicity and significant selectivity on tumor cells. An in vivo antitumor efficacy study further confirmed that the PTX-loaded micelles could improve the therapeutic efficacy of PTX and reduce the side effects. All these results suggested that the mPEG-CS-Hz-CH micelles might be promising pH-sensitive nanocarriers for PTX delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to investigate the impacts of dependence on supplier and supplier trust on green supplier integration, and the moderating role of contract management difficulty. In this study, we develop a dependence-trust-integration model based on resource dependence theory, social capital theory and transaction cost theory. We examine the hypothesized relationships using hierarchical regression analyses based on data collected from 187 Chinese firms. Our findings suggest that dependence on supplier has positive impacts on green supplier integration and supplier trust. Supplier trust partially mediates the relationship between dependence on supplier and green supplier integration. In addition, contract management difficulty negatively moderates the relationship between supplier trust and green supplier integration. This research contributes to the literature by offering empirical evidence concerning the indirect relationship between dependence on supplier and green supplier integration via supplier trust, and the trust-integration link depends on the level of contract management difficulty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aimed to investigate independent risk factors of postoperative hypoxemia in patients with acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD)., Methods: A single-center retrospective study was conducted with enrolled 75 ATAAD patients following surgery, which were stratified into three groups on the basis of the postoperative PaO2/FiO2 ratio: severe hypoxemia group (PaO2/FiO2 ratio ≤100 mmHg); moderate hypoxemia group (100 mmHg < PaO2/FiO2 ratio ≤200 mmHg); and non-hypoxemia group (PaO2/FiO2 ratio >200 mmHg). The patient's demography, perioperative laboratory results, operative details, clinical outcomes were collected and analyzed. Univariable and multivariable analyses were performed and logistic regression model was established., Results: The incidence of postoperative severe hypoxemia and hypoxemia was 32% and 52%, respectively. Among the three groups, severe hypoxemia group exhibited a high significance of body mass index (BMI) and preoperative white blood cell (WBC) and main distribution of hypertension; meanwhile, Marfan syndrome was mainly distributed in non-hypoxemia group. On intensive care unit (ICU) admission, severe hypoxemia group exhibited a high significance of Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE II) score of postoperative patients, and more patients would present shock. Moreover, severe hypoxemia group patients had a higher incidence of postoperative acute kidney injury (AKI) and usage of renal replacement therapy, longer length of stay (LOS) of ICU, and shorter 28 days ventilator-free days (VFDs)., Conclusions: The incidence of postoperative hypoxemia was high in ATAAD patients owing to comprehensive high-risk factors. Besides, postoperative complications negatively impacted their clinical outcomes.

Heparin is a soluble glycosaminoglycan largely used as an anti-coagulant drug and with well known anti‑inflammatory effects. However, heparin is currently not used as an anti‑inflammatory agent in the clinic due to a risk of bleeding as well as its complex mechanism of action. The underlying mechanism of the anti‑inflammatory action of heparin and its effector targets have remained to be fully elucidated. The present study confirmed the anti‑inflammatory effects of heparin in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‑induced murine peritoneal macrophages through decreasing the levels of the inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF‑α), interleukin 6 (IL‑6), IL‑8 and IL‑1β. Caveolin‑1 participated in the anti‑inflammatory process and it was able to be induced by heparin. Transfection of small interfering RNA of caveolin‑1 into murine peritoneal macrophages attenuated the anti‑inflammatory effects of heparin. Furthermore, following caveolin‑1 silencing, the p38/mitogen‑activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway was still able to be activated by heparin, while the extracellular signal‑regulated kinase and c‑Jun N‑terminal kinase pathways were inhibited. In conclusion, these results suggested that heparin inhibits LPS‑induced inflammation via inducing caveolin‑1 and activating the p38/MAPK pathway in murine peritoneal macrophages. Revealing the anti‑inflammatory mechanisms of heparin will aid in its development for clinical treatment in the future.

Heparin is a potent blood anticoagulant that has been demonstrated to attenuate inflammatory responses in sepsis. Sepsis is considered to be a microcirculation-mitochondrial distress syndrome. Azurocidin (AZU), a protein with strong heparin-binding potential that induces inflammatory responses and apoptosis, has been shown to increase the permeability of endothelial cells and induce the prognosis of sepsis. However, the function of AZU in mitochondrial oxygen metabolism has yet to be reported. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether heparin exhibits an antagonistic effect on AZU-induced mitochondrial dysfunction in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and to further investigate the possible underlying mechanisms. HUVECs were randomly assigned into blank control, AZU, heparin plus AZU and heparin groups. The blank control group were incubated with phosphate-buffered saline for 12 h, while the AZU group were incubated with 1 μg/ml AZU for 12 h. The heparin plus AZU group were incubated with 100 μg/ml heparin for 2 h, followed by the addition of 1 μg/ml AZU and incubation for 12 h. The heparin group were incubated with 100 μg/ml heparin for 12 h. Flow cytometry was used to determine the mitochondrial membrane potential, while electron microscopy was used to determine the mitochondrial morphology. Western blotting and quantitative polymerase chain reaction were used to determine the protein and mRNA expression levels of Cox II in the mitochondria, respectively. Western blotting was also used to evaluate the concentration of AZU in cytoplasm, along with immunofluorescence analysis. AZU was revealed to decrease the mitochondrial membrane potential, reduce cytochrome c oxidase subunit II expression and destroy the morphology of the mitochondria. Heparin exhibited an antagonistic function on these processes and inhibited the endocytosis of AZU by HUVECs. In conclusion, the results indicated that AZU inhibited the oxygen metabolic function in mitochondria, and this function was effectively antagonized by heparin via the inhibition of AZU endocytosis by HUVECs. Therefore, heparin may be a potential therapeutic agent for treating mitochondrial dysfunction in the future.