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• Amorphous alloys were prepared by ball milling method, and the effect of amorphous alloy on mortar performance was studied. • The sterilization mechanism of amorphous alloys was investigated by particle leaching concentration and reactive oxygen species test. • The feasibility of amorphous alloy mortar application in sewage environment was explored. Due to the superior catalytic properties, amorphous alloy (AA) can be used in concrete of sewage system to achieve wastewater treatment and bacteria inactivation, thus mitigating microbial-induced concrete corrosion and promoting the durability of concrete. In this study, three types of Cu/Ti amorphous alloys (AA) prepared by ball milling method according to different copper/titanium atomic ratios (35:65, 50:50, 65:35) were employed as anti-bacteria agent for cement mortars. Detailed investigations were conducted into the physical, mechanical, and anti-bacteria properties of amorphous alloys mortars (AAM) in the range of addition 0.3%-0.9% AA. It was demonstrated that the produced AA had a higher degree of amorphism, smaller particles size, and higher zeta potential with the increase of titanium content, leading to the reduce of total porosity of AAM up to 18.33%, and the enhancement of compressive and flexural strength at 28d up to 13.30% and 25.55%, respectively. In addition, the synthesized AA showed excellent antibacterial performances, in which the bacteriostasis rates on Escherichia coli for three types of AA all reached up to 100% after 24 h immersion. After adding in the cement mortars, the anti-bacterial activity and catalytic degradation capacity of AAM increased as the AA contents increased. AAM with 0.9 % Cu 50 Ti 50 could achieve the best performance of bacteria inactivation and wastewater, in which 95.17% of bacteria was killed after 72 h and the degradation efficiency of Rhodamine B dyes reached up to 100% after 6 h. The findings are expected to facilitate the development of new functional applications of AAM in wastewater treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concrete corrosion in wastewater pipelines is caused by biogenic sulfuric acid produced locally by sulfur-oxidizing microorganisms. Concrete mixtures are commonly modified to prevent this form of corrosion by adding biocides to inhibit their biological activities. However, using biocides is not always desirable because of their limited lifespan and potential for leaching into the environment. Therefore, there is a need to develop more durable alternatives to prevent microbial-induced corrosion of concrete. In this study, three types of Cu-Ti amorphous alloys (Cu 35 Ti 65 , Cu 50 Ti 50, and Cu 65 Ti 35) were prepared by ball milling, and compared with commercially available TiO 2 nanoparticles to assess their effects on the resistance of the microbial-induced corrosion performance of mortar. Detailed investigations were conducted on the appearance, mechanical properties, and corrosion depth of mortars at various exposure durations in an accelerated biocorrosion environment. The results revealed that the mortars mixed with Cu 35 Ti 65 , Cu 50 Ti 50 , Cu 65 Ti 35 , and TiO 2 nanoparticles exhibited significantly better resistance to microbial-induced corrosion than the reference mortars. The resistance to microbial-induced corrosion of the mortar mixed with Cu 50 Ti 50 was the best. The superior antimicrobial corrosion performance of the mortar containing Cu-Ti amorphous alloy is influenced by both smaller particle sizes and higher sterilization performance. These findings can contribute to the development of novel applications of amorphous alloys in functional concrete. • Mortars mixed with Cu-Ti amorphous alloys or TiO 2 nanoparticles exhibit good resistance to microbial-induced corrosion. • The resistance to microbial-induced corrosion of the mortar mixed with Cu 50 Ti 50 was the best. • Smaller particle sizes and higher sterilization performance contribute to the superior antimicrobial corrosion performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Head and neck cancer is one of the most common cancer types worldwide. MicroRNAs play a vital regulatory role in the occurrence and development of cancer. The objective of this study is to explore the mechanism of miR-125a-5p in the proliferation, migration and apoptosis of head and neck cancer cells and define its target genes.Methods: The effects of miR-125a-5p on head and neck cancer cells proliferation, cell cycle distribution, apoptosis and migration were evaluated by colony formation, BrdU assay, flow cytometry and transwell assays. The potential target gene of miR-125a-5p was determined by luciferase activity assay and western blot analysis.Results: In this study, overexpression of miR-125a-5p significantly inhibited the proliferation of head and neck cancer cells, whereas inhibition of miR-125a-5p enhanced their proliferation. BrdU assay and flow cytometry revealed that miR-125a-5p might inhibit the proliferation of cancer cells by causing cell cycle arrest. Cell apoptosis assay and Transwell assay indicated that miR-125a-5p induced cell apoptosis and inhibited cell migration of cancer cells. Other experiments confirmed that miR-125a-5p could significantly downregulate its expression by binding to ERBB3 to inhibit proliferation and ERBB3 could at least partially mediate the inhibition of miR-125a-5p on the proliferation of head and neck cancer cells.Conclusion: The findings of this study suggested that the miR-125a-5p/ERBB3 axis might play a role in the proliferation, regulation of cell cycle, migration and apoptosis of head and neck cancer cells, potentially offering a new target for treatments of head and neck cancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]