Search

Background: The liver is anatomically divided into eight segments based on the distribution of Glisson's triad. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying each segment and its association with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) heterogeneity are not well understood. In this study, our objective is to conduct a comprehensive multiomics profiling of the segmentation atlas in order to investigate potential subtypes and therapeutic approaches for HCC. Methods: A high throughput liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometer strategy was employed to comprehensively analyse proteome, lipidome and metabolome data, with a focus on segment‐resolved multiomics profiling. To classify HCC subtypes, the obtained data with normal reference profiling were integrated. Additionally, potential therapeutic targets for HCC were identified using immunohistochemistry assays. The effectiveness of these targets were further validated through patient‐derived organoid (PDO) assays. Results: A multiomics profiling of 8536 high‐confidence proteins, 1029 polar metabolites and 3381 nonredundant lipids was performed to analyse the segmentation atlas of HCC. The analysis of the data revealed that in normal adjacent tissues, the left lobe was primarily involved in energy metabolism, while the right lobe was associated with small molecule metabolism. Based on the normal reference atlas, HCC patients with segment‐resolved classification were divided into three subtypes. The C1 subtype showed enrichment in ribosome biogenesis, the C2 subtype exhibited an intermediate phenotype, while the C3 subtype was closely associated with neutrophil degranulation. Furthermore, using the PDO assay, exportin 1 (XPO1) and 5‐lipoxygenase (ALOX5) were identified as potential targets for the C1 and C3 subtypes, respectively. Conclusion: Our extensive analysis of the segmentation atlas in multiomics profiling defines molecular subtypes of HCC and uncovers potential therapeutic strategies that have the potential to enhance the prognosis of HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnesium phosphate bone cement (MPBC) is a bone repair material that has been extensively studied. For better availability of clinical medicine, its degradation rate needs to be effectively controlled. Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) has often been used as a drug carrier for controlled drug release. This property was utilized to influence the release kinetics of MPBC. This work investigated the degradation mechanism of MPBC controlled by HPMC. It was found that MPBC samples with 3 wt. % HPMC had the optimal properties. In this case, the setting time was 11 min and the maximum strength was 63.9 ± 2.5 MPa. The study found HPMC primarily controlled the degradation of MPBC hydration products via the combined actions of gradual diffusion, and release of MPBC hydration products, which subsequently caused the swelling, corrosion, and dissolution of the HPMC skeleton. Besides, the results showed that HPMC‐modified MPBC has good bioactivity, which is beneficial to bone repair. This bioactive HPMC‐modified MPBC showed a controllable degradation rate and proper mechanic properties, which may be applied to bone repair. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reducing the overapplication of nitrogen fertilizers to potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.) can reduce production costs and their impact on the environment. One approach to produce these impacts is to reduce overapplications of fertilizers by using the nitrogen nutrition index (NNI = plant nitrogen concentration/critical nitrogen concentration) as a basis for in‐season nitrogen recommendations. The objective of this study was to create a remote sensing–based algorithm to estimate NNI. This study collected hyperspectral data (350–1830 nm) during the potato tuber formation period in 2022 and 2023. The climate regime for the study area was a mid‐temperate semiarid continental monsoon; in our study, three different spectral parameter calculation methods were employed. First, the empirical vegetation index, determined through a fixed two‐band calculation. Second, the optimal vegetation index, computed on a band‐by‐band basis. Lastly, the trilateral spectral approach, wherein the indicators are typically associated with the red edge, blue edge, and green edge. The optimum vegetation index had the highest correlation with NNI. The support vector machine, random forest (RF), and back propagation neural network models were used to create NNI prediction models. All machine learning models effectively estimated NNI, and during validation, the R2 (coefficient of determination) was >0.700. In general, the RF model outperformed the other models and during validation had an R2 of 0.869, a root mean square error of 0.052, and a relative error of 5.504%. This study demonstrates the scalability, simplicity, and cost‐effectiveness of combining hyperspectral technology and machine learning for rapid potato NNI estimation. Core Ideas: Hyperspectral assessment efficiently gauges nitrogen levels in growing potatoes.Spectral parameters and machine learning enhance potato nitrogen balance accuracy.The calculated indices at 718 and 760 nm ensure precise nitrogen balance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of a novel and reliable surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate for the surface corrosion analysis of bronze relics is an attractive research topic in cultural relic protection. A high‐performance SERS substrate was developed in the current investigation using Ag/ZIF‐8/Polyacrylonitrile (Ag/ZIF‐8/PAN) nanofibers. Silver nanoparticles were grown in situ by zeolite imidazolate framework‐8 (ZIF‐8) nanoparticles, and the substrate was examined in the surface corrosion analysis of bronze relics. In situ, growth of silver nanoparticles was ensured by the porous structure and active centers on ZIF‐8, coated on PAN nanofibers. Simultaneously, the adsorption of harmful rust‐alkaline copper chloride was enhanced on the surface of bronze relics. The extensive metal network was perturbed by the deposits, which substantially increased the intensity of the Raman characteristic peaks of the test objects. The signal strength of alkaline copper chloride at 118 cm−1 on the bronze surface increased from 1094 to 20,790. The exceptional SERS performance of silver nanoparticles with sharp edges demonstrates that the synergistic effect of ZIF‐8 nanoparticles and PAN nanofibers offers a considerable number of Raman‐enhanced hot spots. These results indicate that MOF‐based nanostructures offer a novel approach to enhancing the morphology of silver nanoparticles and expanding their potential applications in the field of cultural relic protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial H2O2 photosynthesis by covalent organic frameworks (COFs) photocatalysts is promising for wastewater treatment. The effect of linkage chemistry of COFs as functional basis to photoelectrochemical properties and photocatalysis remains a significant challenge. In this study, three kinds of azoles‐linked COFs including thiazole‐linked TZ‐COF, oxazole‐linked OZ‐COF and imidazole‐linked IZ‐COF were successfully synthesized. More accessible channels of charge transfer were constructed in TZ‐COF via the donor‐π‐acceptor structure between thiazole linkage and pyrene linker, leading to efficient suppression of photoexcited charge recombination. Density functional theory calculations support the experimental studies, demonstrating that the thiazole linkage is more favorable for the formation of *O2 intermediate in H2O2 production than that of the oxazole and imidazole linkages. The real active sites in COFs located at the benzene ring fragment between pyrene unit and azole linkage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bioprinted scaffolds have broad applications in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. 3D bioprinting can prepare complex structures and shapes, and the fabrication of high‐performance bioinks is the key to technological progress. This study selected gelatin, chitosan quaternary ammonium salt, and sodium cromoglycate as substrates to design and characterize two groups of hydrogel materials for bioprinting. Two hydrogels were prepared by extrusion bioprinting: Gel/HACC/DSCG hydrogel and GelMA/HACC‐DSCG hydrogel. The physicochemical and liquid crystal properties of hydrogels were characterized. The effect of liquid crystal on cell proliferation and orientation was evaluated by culturing human umbilical vein endothelial cells. The Gel/HACC/DSCG hydrogels showed inducibility to orientated cell growth. The GelMA/HACC‐DSCG hydrogels had lesser damaged cells and stronger mechanical strength and stability in printing, however, the liquid crystal properties were weakened, and the effect on cell growth orientation was not significant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Gliomas are highly refractory intracranial cancers characterized by genetic and transcriptional heterogeneity. However, therapeutic options are limited. In the last years, copper‐induced cell death is becoming a prospective treatment strategy for gliomas and other solid tumors, but copper metabolism‐related genes associated with cancer development remain unclear. Methods: We first collected gene expression data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) to identify significantly differentially expressed copper metabolism‐related genes in gliomas. Using these genes, we performed COX regression and Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) regression to construct the prognostic model. The prognostic value of the model was further validated by CGGA testing set. Subsequently, functional analyses were carried out, including gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA), immune infiltration analysis, and mutation analysis. Finally, the expression levels of these genes were verified by immunohistochemical analysis. Results: The prognostic model consisted of 7 genes: CDK1, LOXL2, LOXL3, NFE2L2, SLC31A1, SUMF1 and FDX1. According to this prognosis model, glioma patients could be split into the high‐risk group or low‐risk group, and the low‐risk group showed significantly better prognostic survival (p < 0.001). Moreover, the high‐risk group had higher levels of immune cell infiltration, immune checkpoint genes expression, and higher tumor mutational burden (TMB), which indicates that they might benefit more from immunotherapy. Finally, we confirmed the expression level of FDX1, SUMF1, and SLC31A1 protein as significantly different in glioblastoma, lower‐grade glioma, and non‐tumor brain tissues by immunohistochemical analysis, and the high expression of FDX1 and SLC31A1 protein was related to poor survival in glioma patients. Conclusions: Our study could contribute to the prognosis prediction and decision‐making in patients with gliomas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using solar energy through green and simple artificial photosynthesis systems are considered as a promising way to solve the energy and environmental crisis. However, one of the important primary steps of photosynthesis, i.e., energy transfer, is long being ignored especially in inorganic semiconducting systems due to the small exciton binding energies. Herein, the simultaneous interrogation of the charge transfer and energy transfer steps in a photoexcitation process is proposed by utilizing few‐layered nanosheet‐assembled hierarchical BiOBr nanotubes with rich oxygen vacancies (OVs) as efficient multifunctional photocatalysts. Benefiting from the integrated 1D/2D structure and abundant OV defects, the excitonic effect strikes a delicate balance in the optimized BiOBr photocatalyst, showing not only improved charge carrier separation and transfer but also enhanced exciton generation. As a result, the hierarchical BiOBr nanotubes exhibit high efficiency toward photocatalytic CO2 reduction with an impressive CO evolution rate of 135.6 µmol g−1 h−1 without cocatalyst or photosensitizer. The dominant reactive oxygen species of singlet oxygen (1O2) are discriminated for the first time, which originated from an energy transfer process, with electrophilic character, whereas the minor effect of superoxide anion radical (•O2−) with a nucleophilic rate‐determining step in the photocatalytic aerobic oxidation of sulfides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mass and heat transfer models of Quercus leaf particles during hydrothermal extraction were developed in COMSOL Multiphysics. The main physical properties used in the model were measured. The results showed that the average particle size was 116.7 μm, and after soaking in water for 24 h, the average particle size increased to 127.3 μm. However, the average particle size increased from 116.7 to 132.8 μm after soaking in a 60% (v/v) ethanol solution for 40 min, and decreased to 127.3 μm after 60 min. The Quercus leaf particles have a higher ability to absorb ethanol solution than water. The simulations showed that it took 3.2 s for the ethanol concentration and 0.5 s for the temperature in the particles to tend stably after soaking in a 60% (v/v) ethanol solution at 40°C. From the edge of the particle to the centre, the increasing rates of ethanol concentration and temperature gradually slowed down, while the changing rates of the centre accelerated with the increase in solution concentration and temperature, respectively. When the particles soaked at the lowest concentration, the central concentration first reached stability, and at the lowest temperature, the centre temperature first stabilized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2019, a serious dengue virus (DENV) infection broke out in the Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, China. Therefore, we conducted a molecular epidemiological analysis in people that contracted DENV serotype 1 (DENV‐1) during this year. We analyzed the molecular epidemiology of six DENV‐1 epidemic strains in 2019 by full‐length genome sequencing, amino acid mutation site analysis, evolutionary tree analysis, and recombination site comparison analysis. Through the analysis of amino acid mutation sites, it was found that DENV‐1 strain (MW386867) was different from the other five epidemic DENV‐1 strains in Xishuangbanna in 2019. MW386867 had unique mutation sites at six loci. The six epidemic DENV‐1 strains in Xishuangbanna in 2019 were divided into two clusters. MW386867 was highly similar to the MG679800 (Myanmar 2017), MG679801 (Myanmar 2017), and KC172834 (Laos 2008), and the other five strains were highly similar to JQ045660 (Vietnam 2011), FJ176780 (GuangDong 2006). Genetic recombination analysis revealed that there was no recombination signal in the six epidemic DENV‐1 strains in Xishuangbanna in 2019. We speculate that the DENV‐1 epidemic in 2019 has a co‐epidemic of local strains and cross‐border strains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Alginate oligosaccharides (AOS), with various physiological effects, have been widely used in the food, agricultural, and pharmaceutical industries. The biological enzymatic method of preparing AOS, using alginate lyase, has more advantages compared with physical and chemical methods. Cloning and heterologously expressing alginate lyase are therefore very important. RESULTS: A novel alginate lyase, BY17PV7, from Microbulbifer sp. BY17, isolated from Gracilaria, was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3). BY17PV7 was about 27 KDa. BY17PV7 showed the greatest activity (150.42 ± 3.32 U/mg) at 43 °C and pH 8.9. It could be activated by Ca2+, Mn2+, Co2+, Fe3+, Na+, and inhibited by Mg2+, Zn2+, Ba2+, Cu2+, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA). BY17PV7 had a wide range of substrate specificity and good degradation effects for poly β‐D‐mannuronate (polyM) and poly α‐L‐guluronate (polyG), demonstrating that it is a bifunctional alginate lyase. The kinetic parameters showed that BY17PV7 had a greater affinity for polyG. BY17PV7 released AOS with a degree of polymerization (DP) of 3–4 in an endolytic manner from sodium alginate. Alginate oligosaccharides showed strong antioxidant ability of reducing Fe3+ and scavenging radicals such as hydroxyl, 2,2‐azion‐bia (3‐ethylbenzo‐thiazoline‐6‐sulfonic acid diammonium salt) (ABTS) and 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). CONCLUSION: A novel bifunctional alginate lyase, BY17PV7, was expressed and characterized in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3). The results were helpful for the analysis of the molecular mechanisms of degrading patterns in the polysaccharide lyase (PL) family. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A hydrothermal process using subcritical water and ethanol as an extraction solvent has been studied to extract high‐value flavonoid compounds from Quercus leaves. The univariate analysis showed that the maximum quercetin yield was 34.6 mg/g obtained at the liquid–solid ratio of 30:1 ml/g, concentration of ethanol 60% (V/V), extraction temperature of 180°C, and extraction duration of 5 h. Based on the Box–Behnken experiment design, the response surface methodology (RSM) was used to optimize the liquid‐to‐solid ratio, extraction time, extraction temperature, ethanol concentration, and other operating conditions of hydrothermal extraction of quercetin. The regression equation showed that the maximum yield of quercetin was 36.1 mg/g under the conditions of solvent ethanol concentration of 65% (V/V), liquid–solid ratio of 40:1 ml/g, extraction temperature of 189°C, and extraction duration of 5.5 h. The quercetin yield of 36.1 mg/g obtained by the hydrothermal method was 5.6 times the 6.4 mg/g obtained by the traditional ethanol reflux extraction at the same concentration of ethanol 65% (V/V), liquid–solid ratio of 40:1 ml/g, and extraction duration of 5.5 h, but at the boiling point of the solvent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HYDRUS‐1D has been extensively applied to the simulation of wettable soil infiltration, but very few studies have explored its applicability to the infiltration of water‐repellent soil (WRS) at different depths. To this end, HYDRUS‐1D was used to simulate water movement of layered soil with a surface repellent thickness of 10 cm. The parameters of the van Genuchten model were calibrated and validated using cumulative infiltration (CI), distance of the wetting front (Zf) and volumetric water content (θv) through five respective treatments. Another 10 tilled scenarios were selected to simulate water movement of tilled WRS. RRMSE (relative root mean square error) and CRM (coefficient of residual mass) were adopted to evaluate simulation accuracy. For the calibration and validation, the RRMSE values ranged from 0.04 to 0.251 and 0.042 to 0.101, respectively, indicating that HYDRUS‐1D could effectively simulate water movement of WRS. Furthermore, for layered treatments, the simulation accuracy of θv, CI and Zf decreased with the increase of the degree of repellency and thickness. The treatments with the repellent thickness of 10 cm had higher simulation accuracy than that with repellent thickness of 5 cm when the top layer had the same WRS. The results revealed HYDRUS‐1D was effective in the simulation of water movement in repellent clay loam with different degrees of repellency and depths. Highlights: The applicability of HYDRUS‐1D to the infiltration of water‐repellent soil (WRS) at different depths was explored.The simulation of different degrees of repellency and depths was first conducted.Simulation accuracy decreased with the increase of degree of repellency and thickness.HYDRUS‐1D was effective in simulating water movement of repellent soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil salinization is a serious restrictive factor affecting sustainable agricultural development. In order to explore the effect of Fractional Vegetation Cover (FVC), we monitored soil salinization in sites different vegetation coverage in Jiefangzha Irrigation District in Inner Mongolia using satellite remote sensing. From May to August 2018, we carried out field sampling at different depths in each month, and calculated FVC and spectral covariates using GF‐1 satellite images in the corresponding sampling period. Based on the FVC division criteria for Inner Mongolia, we took the following steps: (a) setting up a control treatment A (the full data with undivided FVC, TA) and experimental treatments B (bare land, TB), C (mid‐low FVC, TC), D (mid FVC, TD) and E (high FVC, TE); (b) conducting the Best Subset Selection (BSS) for all spectral covariates at different depths of each treatment; and (c) constructing the Soil Salt Content (SSC) inversion models using partial least square regression (PLSR), Cubist, and Extreme Learning Machine (ELM). The results indicated that (a) classifying FVC could improve the stability and predictive ability of the models; (b) the performance of the three modeling methods were different (Cubist was the best, ELM next and PLSR the poorest); (c) the optimal inversion models for TB, TC and TE were constructed by Cubist at 0–20, 0–40 and 0–20 cm, and for TD was constructed by ELM at 0–60 cm, respectively. The results can provide references for soil salinization prevention and agricultural production in Jiefangzha Irrigation District and other areas with the similar vegetation cover. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The live attenuated hepatitis A virus vaccine (HA‐L) is in routine use in the Chinese national immunization program (NIP). The major disadvantages of HA‐L include that theoretically, it may be possible for mutation shifts and secondary infections of the live vaccine viral strain. The aim of this study was to explore variation in the viral strain after vaccination with the HA‐L. A total of 1297 fecal samples (including 470 for the 18 to 36‐month‐old age group, 527 for the 3 to 16‐year‐old group, and 300 for the 16 years and older group) were collected in the study, and the rate of hepatitis A virus (HAV) positivity in fecal samples was 11.36% (31/273), 11.44% (31/271), 9.70% (26/268), 8.47% (21/248), and 9.70% (23/237) on days 0, 7, 14, 21 and 28, respectively. A total of 77 HAV positive samples were randomly selected for VP1/2A (360 bp, 2218‐2577) gene analysis. Phylogenetic trees were then constructed by the neighbor‐joining method. Phylogenetic analyses showed that all the isolated HAV strains belonged to sub‐genotype IB, which was the same as the vaccine strain. Compared with the vaccine strain, HM‐175/7MK‐5 (M16632.1), there were only two base mutations discovered, at 2291 and 2568. However, the amino acid mutation analysis showed that those base mutations were synonymous mutations. The isolated HAV strains were genetically stable. This study provides a reference for the safety concern regarding the routine and wide‐range use in people older than 18 months. Highlights: The rate of HAV positivity in fecal samples was 11.36%, 11.44%, 9.70%, 8.47% and 9.70% on days 0, 7, 14, 21 and 28, respectively. The HAV strains isolated from HAV positive fecal samples, belonged to sub‐genotype IB (vaccine strain). We analyzed VP1/2A (360 bp) regeion and found that there were only two synonymous mutations in isolated HAV strains compared with vaccine strain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Distant metastases occur when non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is at late stages. Bone metastasis is one of the most frequent metastases of NSCLC and leads to poor prognosis. It has been reported that high expression of BMP2 in NSCLC correlates with poor survival, but whether BMP2 contributes to NSCLC bone metastasis remains largely unknown. The activation of BMP signalling is found in metastatic bone tumours of mice Lewis lung carcinoma and predicts poor survival in human NSCLC. BMP2 signalling activation can enhance bone metastasis of Lewis lung carcinoma. Moreover, BMP2 secreted by stroma fibroblasts can promote the migration and invasion of NSCLC cells. Besides, in combination with pre‐osteoblast and LLCs, BMP2 could enhance the differentiation of macrophages into osteoclasts to play roles in the osteolytic mechanism of NSCLC bone metastasis. Interestingly, NSCLC cells can also enrich BMP2 to pre‐osteoblasts to function in the osteoblastic mechanism. Our results firstly demonstrate the detailed mechanisms about what roles BMP2 signalling play in enhancing NSCLC bone metastases. These findings provide a new potential therapy choice for preventing bone metastases of NSCLC via the inhibition of BMP2 signalling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A bio‐based monomer, methacrylated vanillyl alcohol (MVA), had been synthesized from vanillyl alcohol with methacrylate anhydride (MAA) via a solvent‐free, efficient method. The synthesis of MVA was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR). It was used to copolymerize with acrylated epoxidized soybean oil (AESO) to prepare a bio‐based resin (MVA–AESO). Excess MAA of MVA synthesis was further used to modify AESO with hydroxyl groups, generating (MVA–MAESO) with higher unsaturation degree. Their chemical structure and modification were characterized using 13C NMR and Fourier transform infrared analyses. Pure AESO and MVA resins were used to compare with MVA–AESO and MVA–MAESO in terms of their viscosity, curing performance, mechanical, and thermal properties. The synthesized MVA–AESO and MVA–MAESO resins showed much lower viscosities than pure AESO due to the dilution of MVA. In addition, the incorporation of MVA reduced curing temperatures, activation energies which caused MVA–AESO and MVA–MAESO had higher curing degree than pure AESO. With the combination of MVA and modification of MAA, flexible AESO networks exhibited superior flexural properties, storage modulus, glass‐transition temperature, and thermal stability. Furthermore, the biodegradation of the formulated bio‐based resins were also investigated. Results showed that the addition of monomer and the increase in the content of CC bonds did not significantly affect the biodegradability of AESO, which may be due to the fact that the degradable groups of AESO were not affected. This environmentally friendly, low (volatile organic) resin, prepared by a high efficiency and environmental protection synthetic route, can potentially replace typical petroleum‐based thermosets for the production environmentally friendly thermosetting resins. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020, 137, 48827. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non‐noble metal‐based bifunctional electrocatalysts are highly desired for water electrolysis. However, constructing a water electrolyzer using a sole catalyst without compromising either its oxygen evolution reaction (OER) or hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) performance is still challenging. In this study, a simple strategy is developed to integrate 2 D and 0 D CoP in the same metal–organic framework precursor‐derived hollow N‐doped carbon nanotube‐assembled polyhedron (HNCNP). The unique hierarchical structure endows the resulting nanocomposite with both the advantages of more exposed active sites for 2 D and large surface‐to‐volume ratio for 0 D materials, whereas the hollow interior could benefit the charge and mass transfer properties. Thus, CoP/HNCNP@2 D CoP exhibits outstanding OER and HER activity and a low cell voltage when employed as both the anode and cathode in a two‐electrode water electrolyzer. The approach of integrating the same metal phosphide phase with diverse dimensions may inspire new ways to design hierarchical nanostructures for advanced energy conversion applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effective deposition of metal–organic frameworks on kinds of biomaterials is still challenging and highly desirable. Using polydopamine as the effective nucleation center, HKUST‐1 is successfully prepared on three kinds of inert biomaterials, i.e., titanium oxide film (Ti–O), 316L stainless steel (316L SS), and poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC). Characterization of the surfaces by powder X‐ray diffraction confirm the oriented crystal growth of HKUST‐1 on the polydopamine coated substrates. There are no significant difference in catalytical NO generation and surface copper content of the three samples with HKUST‐1 deposition. All keep a NO release speed of ≈2.5 × 10−10 mol cm−2 min−1, thus platelet activation on the HKUST‐1 modified surfaces are inhibited compared to that of the unmodified ones. Ex vivo test shows thrombi formation is dramatically reduced. The HKUST‐1 coated surfaces elicit 95% reduction in the bacterial attachment of both Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. The endothelial cells and macrophages culture results support good biocompatibility of the modified surfaces. It provides a promising, facile, and effective approach for surface modification of blood contact biomaterials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid re‐endothelialization of the vascular stent surface is desirable for preventing thrombosis or reducing restenosis. Many biological factors that promote the biological behavior of endothelial cells have been used for the surface modification of stents. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which plays an important role in angiogenesis, induces strong vascular growth. In this study, we investigated different VEGF concentrations (50 to 500 ng/ml) to determine the optimum concentration for biocompatibility. First, VEGF‐loaded heparin/poly‐l‐lysine (Hep‐PLL) nanoparticles were created by electrostatic interactions. Then, the VEGF‐loaded nanoparticles were immobilized on dopamine‐coated 316 L stainless steel (SS) surfaces. The physical and chemical properties of the modified surface were characterized and the biocompatibility was evaluated in vitro. The results indicated that the VEGF‐loaded nanoparticles were immobilized successfully on the 316LSS surface, as evidenced by the results of Alcian Blue staining and water contact angle (WCA) measurements. The low platelet adhesion and activation indicated that the modified surfaces had good blood compatibility. The modified surfaces showed a good inhibitory effect on smooth muscle cells, indicating that they inhibited tissue hyperplasia. In addition, the modified surfaces significantly promoted endothelial cell adhesion, proliferation, migration, and biological activity, especially VEGF concentration was 350 ng/ml (NPV350). The optical VEGF concentration of the surface modified Hep‐PLL nanoparticles was 350 ng/ml. The proposed method shows promise for potential applications for cardiovascular devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

2D moiré superlattices offer a versatile platform for manipulating quantum materials, exploiting their spatially varying atomic registry to modify electronic structures, resulting in the emergence of flat electronic minibands, enhanced electronic interactions, and the onset of novel quantum phenomena. Despite extensive investigations into moiré excitons within twisted bilayer moiré superlattices, the interplay between moiré superlattices and optical microcavities remains elusive. Here, a WSe2 homobilayer with a small twist angle positioned on optical microcavities atop a SiO2 (285 nm)/Si substrate is investigated. Utilizing low‐temperature photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, it is observed that the twisted homobilayer at the edge of the optical cavity (Edge‐THB) exhibits enhanced localization of moiré excitons and a deeper moiré potential. This behavior is attributed to the combined influence of strain induced by the optical microcavity structure on the moiré superlattice and the amplification of the electromagnetic field. Furthermore, the existence of moiré excitons through a comprehensive analysis, encompassing temperature‐dependent PL spectra, circularly polarized PL spectra, and Landé g‐factor measurements for Edge‐THB is validated. These findings provide valuable insights into the intricate interaction between moiré superlattices and optical microcavities, paving the way for future applications in quantum technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the shortage of sustainable resources and the increasingly serious environmental issues in recent decades, the demand for clean technologies and sustainable feedstocks is of great interest to researchers worldwide. With regard to the fields of energy saving and environmental remediation, the key point is the development of efficient catalysts, not only in terms of facile synthesis methods, but also the benign utilization of such catalysts. This work reviews the use of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and MOF-based materials in these fields. The definition of MOFs and MOF-based materials will be primarily introduced followed by a brief description of the characterization and stability of MOF-related materials under the applied conditions. The greening of MOF synthesis processes will then be discussed and catalogued by benign solvents and conditions and green precursors of MOFs. Furthermore, their suitable application in sustainable catalysis will be summarized, focusing on several typical atom-economic reactions, such as the direct introduction of H2 or O2 and C−C bond formation. Approaches towards reducing CO2 emission by MOF-based catalysts will be described with special emphasis on CO2 fixation and CO2 reduction. In addition, driven by the explosive growth of energy consumption in the last century, much research has gone into biomass, which represents a renewable alternative to fossil fuels and a sustainable carbon feedstock for chemical production. The advanced progress of biomass-related transformations is also illustrated herein. Fundamental insights into the nature of MOF-based materials as constitutionally easily recoverable heterogeneous catalysts and as supports for various active sites is thoroughly discussed. Finally, challenges facing the development of this field and the outlook for future research are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), which are known as a class of porous coordination polymers, have proven to be of great significance to manifold applications, owing to their fascinating topology, ultrahigh porosity, enormous internal surface area, and the combination of being as rigid as inorganic materials and as flexible as organic materials . In this review, we give a concise history of the development of MOFs as functional materials prior to our entry into this area in 2006, then a summary of our road to participate in and extend the outline of the research in MOFs chemistry, as well as the challenge in further designing applicable functional materials. We describe not only the road of evolution from the past, present, and future of this chemistry, but also the road to finalize a functional material from the desire to the design, synthesis, and postmodification of a MOF. Throughout the review, we particularly emphasize the improvements in the application of MOFs as heterogeneous catalysts, such as employing MOFs as one component for the construction of composites, and their extended scope in tough catalytic reactions. Examples of applications in gas storage and separation, small molecular sensing, and our perspectives for future applications triggered by MOFs, are also introduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coronary artery disease is a great threat to human health and is the leading killer worldwide. Percutaneous coronary intervention is the most effective therapy; however, thrombus, and restenosis caused by endothelium injury continue to be problematic after treatment. It is widely accepted that surface biofunctional modification to improve blood compatibility and accelerate endothelialization may be an effective approach to prevent the occurrence of adverse cardiac events. In this study, novel VEGF-loaded heparin/poly- l-lysine (Hep/PLL) particles were developed and immobilized on a dopamine coated titanium surface. The size, distribution, zeta potential, and morphology of the prepared particles were subsequently characterized. The influence of changes in the surface physicochemical properties after particle immobilization was assessed for blood compatibility and cytocompatibility. Surface-modified VEGF-loaded particles significantly inhibited platelet adhesion and activation and were effective in promoting the proliferation and survival of endothelial progenitor cells and endothelial cells. Moreover, Hep/PLL particles were also beneficial for controlling the long-term release of VEGF, which may facilitate endothelium regeneration. In conclusion, VEGF-loaded Hep/PLL particles were successfully immobilized on the Ti surface, and the biocompatibility was significantly improved. This study demonstrates a potential application for the multifunctional modification of stent surfaces for clinical use. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 103A: 2024-2034, 2015. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alcohol is a well-established cause of esophageal carcinoma, but its effect on survival is little known and contradictory. To clarify whether drinking is an independent predictor of survival in esophageal carcinoma, 2151 Chinese patients, receiving surgical resection from January 1997 to December 2008, were followed until March 2014. Cox proportional hazards analysis was applied to evaluate the prognostic effect of alcohol consumption. The median follow-up was 64 months. The median overall survival ( OS; 42 months) and disease-free survival ( DFS; 33 months) for never-drinkers were significantly higher than ever-drinkers (27 and 22 months, respectively). In the multivariate Cox model that was adjusted for age, weight loss, stage according to criteria set by the American Joint Committee on Cancer, radicality of surgery, adjuvant treatment, smoking status, and gender, the hazard ratios of ever-drinking were 1.22 (1.06-1.41, P = 0.005) on OS, and 1.16 (1.01-1.34, P = 0.037) on DFS. The hazardous effect on OS and DFS of drinking grew statistically significantly in a dose-dependent manner with increasing amount of alcohol consumption per day (both P-value for trend < 0.05). The predictive effect of drinking on OS ( P = 0.596) or DFS ( P = 0.207) was not significant in the subgroup with esophageal adenocarcinoma ( n = 195). The current study revealed that the survival is shortened, of those patients who consume alcohol before diagnosis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, which are not attributable to differences in stage, smoking status, and gender. Alcohol control should be emphasized to reduce mortality of esophageal carcinoma, and further outcome studies should include alcohol as a potential prognosticator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Restenosis and thrombosis formation after cardiovascular devices implantation continue to be problematic. Although various platforms and parameters of cardiovascular devices have been designed and optimized over the years, postoperative complications are hard to avoid. The native vascular endothelium always provide a nonthrombogenic surface as well as prevent intimal overproliferation, thereby, the presence of a confluent endothelial cell layer on material surfaces have been widely accepted as an ideal approach to improve the biocompatibility of implanted cardiovascular materials. Endothelialization on biomaterial surfaces is initially developed by in vitro cell seeding. However, numerous no-perfect parts of this method are existed for clinical use. The emergency of endothelial progenitor cells may provide a promising way for setting these limitations. Over the last decades, countless researches about EPCs-based in vivo induced self-endothelialization have been reported and mainly focused on cellular therapy, pharmacological therapy, materials designing, or surface biofunctional modification. This review details the development of endothelialization on cardiovascular material surfaces from in vitro to in vivo. Endothelialization progress on the basis of molecular biological level and bioinformatics theory is expected to be the key point in the coming decades. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 102A: 3754-3772, 2014. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The endothelialization of the metal surface of vascular stents came into focus as a new method for improving the biocompatibility of intravascular stents. This article has its focus on building a biofunctional layer on the activated titanium surface with anti-CD34 antibody, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and heparin by a layer-by-layer (LBL) self-assembly technique, to promote the endothelialization of the surface. When compared with titanium surface, the number of adhered endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) on LBLs increased 47.1% after 5 days culture, meanwhile the proliferation rate of EPCs on LBLs during 5 days culture also exhibit significantly improvement. The results of blood compatibility evaluation clearly show that the LBLs reduce the number of adhered and activated blood platelets (adhered: Ti 83% vs. LBL <20% and activated: Ti 57% vs. LBL 19%), and the activated partial thromboplastin time of the LBL surface prolonged about 20 s in compared with platelet-poor plasma. The assembled LBL thus improves the thromboresistance of the titanium surface. The presented biofunctional multilayer of anti-CD34, VEGF, and heparin on titanium can significantly improve the blood compatibility and the endothelialization of a medical device. The biofunctional layer supports generation of a new endothelium onto titanium surface by capturing EPCs and oriented differentiation. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A, 2013. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) and related derivatives have attracted significant research attention due to their potential applications in a variety of fields. However, it remains challenging to fabricate MOF‐based composites into multidimensional structures, especially to endow them with ordered structures. Here, a facile strategy is developed for the preparation of Pt@ zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIF)‐8/SiO2 composite with 3D‐ordered macroporous (3DOM) structure (denoted as 3DOM‐Pt@ZIF‐8/SiO2) by the in situ self‐templated transformation of Pt/ZnO/SiO2 composite with 3DOM structure (denoted as 3DOM‐Pt/ZnO/SiO2), which is prepared by a nanocasting method with face‐centered cubic (fcc) polystyrene spheres as the template. The sampling analysis at various crystallization times confirms the detailed dissolution–precipitation process from 3DOM‐Pt/ZnO/SiO2 to 3DOM‐Pt@ZIF‐8/SiO2, in which Pt nanoparticles (NPs) are fully encapsulated into the 3DOM framework of ZIF‐8/SiO2 by a continuous ZIF‐8 shell in the surface. Besides, it is found that choosing suitable volume ratio of N,N‐dimethylformamide (DMF):H2O and SiO2 content is crucial to induce the in situ nucleation and growth of continuous ZIF‐8 shell on the 3DOM structure and also to prevent the 3DOM structure from collapsing. Crucially, the obtained 3DOM‐Pt@ZIF‐8/SiO2 shows high size‐selective catalytic properties for the hydrogenation of n‐hexene and cis‐cyclooctene due to the molecular sieve effect of ZIF‐8 shell on the framework. A facile self‐templated strategy is developed for the encapsulation of Pt nanoparticles within zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIF)‐8/SiO2 with 3D‐ordered macroporous (3DOM) structure by in situ transformation of Pt/ZnO/SiO2 with 3DOM structure based on a dissolution–precipitation mechanism. The obtained 3DOM‐Pt@ZIF‐8/SiO2 exhibits steady size‐selective catalytic properties for the hydrogenation of n‐hexene and cis‐cyclooctene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Review: [59 refs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]