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Cranial tuberculosis is a relatively infrequent inflammatory reaction caused by tuberculous bacilli invading the skull. Most cases of cranial tuberculosis are secondary to tuberculosis foci in other parts of the body; primary cranial tuberculosis is extremely rare. Herein, we report a case of primary cranial tuberculosis. A 50-year-old man presented to our hospital with a mass in the right frontotemporal region. Chest computed tomography and abdominal ultrasonography findings were normal. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain revealed a mass in the right frontotemporal skull and scalp with cystic changes, adjacent bone destruction, and meningeal invasion. The patient underwent surgery and was diagnosed with primary cranial tuberculosis; he was treated with antitubercular therapy postoperatively. No recurrent masses or abscesses were observed during the follow-up.

Background The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between tumor biology and values of cerebral blood volume (CBV), cerebral blood flow (CBF), mean transit time (MTT), time to peak (TTP), permeability surface (PS) of tumor in patients with glioma. Methods Forty-six patients with glioma were involved in the study. Histopathologic and molecular pathology diagnoses were obtained by tumor resection, and all patients accepted perfusion computed tomography (PCT) before operation. Regions of interests were placed manually at tumor and contralateral normal-appearing thalamus. The parameters of tumor were divided by those of contralateral normal-appearing thalamus to normalize at tumor (relative [r] CBV, rCBF, rMTT, rTTP, rPS). The relationships of the parameters, world health organization (WHO) grade, molecular pathological findings were analysed. Results The rCBV, rMTT and rPS of patients are positively related to the pathological classification (P P P P P Conclusions Our study introduces and supports the changes of glioma flow perfusion may be closely related to its biological characteristics.

BACKGROUND Glioblastoma has a high degree of malignancy and poor prognosis. It is common to have in situ recurrence and intracranial metastasis, while extracranial metastasis is rare, and extracranial multiorgan metastasis is extremely rare. We report a case of glioblastoma with extracranial multiorgan metastasis, which will strengthen clinicians’ attention to the extracranial metastasis of glioblastoma and its treatment. CASE SUMMARY A male patient visited our hospital for treatment of dizziness and headache. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain revealed a space-occupying lesion in the right temporoparietal occipital region. Chest computed tomography and abdominal ultrasound were normal, and no space-occupying lesions were observed in other organs of the body. The patient underwent surgery and diagnosed with glioblastoma. Postoperative concurrent radiotherapy and chemotherapy were completed. During the follow-up, the tumor was found to have metastasized to the scalp and neck, and a second tumor resection was performed. Postoperative follow-up revealed extracranial metastases to multiple extracranial organs including skull, scalp, ribs, spine, liver and lung. His family members refused further treatment, and requested only symptomatic treatment such as pain relief, and the patient died of systemic multiple organ failure. Survival time from diagnosis to death was 13 mo and from extracranial metastasis to death was 6 mo. CONCLUSION Glioblastoma extracranial metastasis is extremely rare, clinicians should always pay attention to its existence. The mechanism of glioblastoma extracranial metastasis is still unclear, and genetic and molecular studies are required.

The gut microbiota plays a crucial role in many physiological processes in the human body. Dysbiosis can disrupt the intestinal barrier and alter metabolism and immune responses, leading to the development of diseases. Over the past few decades, evidence has accumulated linking changes in the composition of the gut microbiota to dozens of seemingly unrelated conditions, including cancer. Overall, the gut microbiota mainly affects the occurrence and development of cancer by damaging host DNA, forming and maintaining a pro-inflammatory environment, and affecting host immune responses. In addition, the gut microbiota can also affect the efficacy and toxicity of chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy. Scientists attempt to improve the efficacy and decrease the toxicity of these treatment modalities by fine-tuning the gut microbiota. The aim of this review is to assist researchers and clinicians in developing new strategies for the detection and treatment of tumors by providing the latest information on the intestinal microbiome and cancer, as well as exploring potential application prospects and mechanisms of action.

An effective path to synthesize Znx Cd1-x S quantum dots (ZCS QDs) in aqueous phase at room temperature has remained relatively unexplored. Here, we developed a room-temperature, aqueous-phase approach to ZCS QDs, using 3-mercaptopropionic acid (MPA) to adjust the pH of the reaction precursor solution to regulate the competition between sulfur source and hydroxyl group, and realize the large-scale preparation of water-soluble ZCS QDs photocatalyst at room temperature. Without recombination with other materials, and only by regulating the ratio of pH, excess sulfur sources and Zn/Cd, the photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) can reach 98% within 1 min, showing high photocatalytic activity. ZCS QDs show high stability and recoverability, and are expected to be able to deal with organic pollutants on a large scale. This study provides a new idea for the preparation of other QDs at room temperature.

Drug resistance and toxicity are major challenges observed during cancer treatment. In recent years, gut microbiota has been found to be strongly associated with the efficacy, toxicity, and side effects of chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy. Both preclinical studies and clinical trials have demonstrated the potential of microbiota modulation for cancer treatment. The human gut microbiota has exciting prospects for developing biomarkers to predict the outcome of cancer treatment. Moreover, multiple approaches can alter the gut microbiota composition, including faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT), probiotics, antibiotics (ATB), and diet. We describe the mechanisms by which the gut microbiota influences the efficacy and toxicity of cancer therapy, disease-related biomarkers, and methods to target the gut microbiota to improve outcomes. The purpose of this review is to provide new ideas for optimising cancer therapy by providing up-to-date information on the relationship between gut microbiota and cancer therapy, and hopes to find new targets for cancer treatment from human microbiota.

The riverbed sedimentation zone is an important zone of hydrochemistry, and the biogeochemical action in this zone has a significant impact on groundwater quality. As the main area where hydrochemistry occurs, studying the law of hydrochemical evolution within 1 m below the riverbed is of great significance for understanding the migration and removal of river pollutants. In this study, a combination of onsite monitoring and indoor experiments was used to analyze the variation characteristics of the hydrochemical composition of pore water during riverbank infiltration, as well as the main hydrochemical effects and influencing factors. The results show that in the process of river water infiltration, a series of redox reactions occur in the riverbed sedimentation zone, and there are differences in different infiltration depths. From 0 to 20 cm below the riverbed, strong respiration and denitrification mainly occurred. Reductive dissolution of manganese minerals mainly occurred from 20 to 60 cm, and reductive dissolution of iron minerals mainly occurred from 60 to 90 cm. River water level, dissolved organic carbon content and microbial activity had varying degrees of influence on these redox effects. The recharge of river water infiltration ensures the exploitation amount of the pumping wells, but it also leads to the increase of some components in groundwater, and the extracted water cannot be directly drunk. HIGHLIGHTS The main control effect of hydrochemical evolution in the riverbed sedimentation zone is redox, and there are differences in different infiltration depths.; The redox effects were affected by river water level, dissolved organic carbon content and microbial activity.; The recharge of river water infiltration ensures the exploitation amount of the pumping wells, but it also leads to the increase of some components in groundwater.

Direct Z-scheme photocatalytic systems driven by visible light to eliminate organic pollutants in wastewater have become important scientific tools in the field of photocatalysis. In this study, a direct Z-scheme CdIn2S4/TiO2 heterojunction with high efficiency was prepared through a simple hydrothermal method. Benefiting from the increased visible light response and prolonged lifetime of photoexcited carriers, the as-prepared CdIn2S4/TiO2 composites exhibit significantly promoted photocatalytic performance for the degradation of methyl orange (MO) under visible-light illumination (λ ≥ 420 nm). The CdIn2S4-25 wt% TiO2 (25CT) photocatalyst exhibited the highest degradation efficiency (96.2% within 30 min) with a rate constant of 0.1193 min−1 and remarkable stability and repeatability. In the meantime, the study of the photocatalytic mechanism shows that the charge transfer path conforms to the Z-scheme model, in which h+ and ˙O2− are the main active species. This study provides strong practical support for the preparation of efficient Z-scheme photocatalytic materials by hydrothermal methods.

A novel interfacial reaction nucleation mechanism for the preparation of water-soluble Ag-In-S quantum dots (AIS QDs) was proposed in which interfacial acid regulates the concentration of hydroxide ions outside the complex and sulfur sources attack cations at the interface of the complex, covalent bonds between cations and sulfur sources are formed at the interface of the complex, and the nucleation and growth of crystals is finished at room temperature. By bypassing the heating process normally necessary for crystal nucleation and growth, AIS QDs can be produced on a large scale under simple, mild conditions. At the same time, the characteristics of this mechanism enable AIS QDs to be directly synthesized in an organic pollutant solution. This study represents a significant advance in the mechanism of crystal synthesis and contributes to the photocatalytic decomposition of organic pollutants from theory to practice.

Dysregulation of RecQ protein-like 1 (RECQL1), a member of the RecQ DNA helicase, has been determined to participate in malignant process of numerous tumors such as immunosuppression and proliferation and may serve as a biomarker for certain malignancies. Nevertheless, whether there is a similar association between RECQL1 and low-grade glioma (LGG) is uncertain. We therefore turned our attention to exploring the association of RECQL1 with tumor immune infiltration and prognostic significance in LGG.The differential expression analysis of the RecQ DNA helicases was conducted through the GLIOVIS database and GSE4290 dataset, and verified by the Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis 2 database. Kaplan-Meier plots, Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis were employed to assess the prognostic value of RECQL1 expression level and other six variables in LGG patients, and subsequently an efficient nomogram model was generated for clinical prediction. Tumor Immune Estimation Resource database and the single sample Gene Set Enrichment Analysis were used to assess the correlation between RECQL1 and immune infiltration of LGG. The biological processes that may be related to RECQL1 in LGG were learned through functional enrichment analysis by Gene Set Enrichment Analysis software.Among the five RecQ DNA helicases detected, only RECQL1 was over-expression in LGG with the most convincing evidence (log2FoldChange1.5, q value0.01). High RECQL1 expression demonstrated worse overall survival and progression-free survival of LGG patients (P0.05). Dysregulation of RECQL1 was an independent prognostic indicator for outcomes of LGG (HR1.4, P0.05). RECQL1 may participates in the carcinogenic pathways of LGG such as adherens junction and JAK-STAT signaling pathways. The transcription expression level of RECQL1, was obviously associated with tumor immune infiltrating cells and their marker genes.High RECQL1 expression detected in LGG not only implies adverse clinical outcome of patients, but also correlates with tumor immune infiltration and certain oncogenic pathways. Our study proposes potential novel biomarker and therapeutic target for the treatment of LGG patients.

Objectives: To investigate the benefits of Sufu medical chitosan hydrogel dressing(Sufu) in the prevention and control of radiation skin damage during radiotherapy for cervical cancer as a combined modality. Methods: Ninety-seven cervical cancer patients who underwent radiotherapy at the Cancer Hospital of China Medical University between May 2017 and November 2018 were recruited according to given inclusion and exclusion criteria. The patients were assigned to a control group (n=48, washing the perineal area with normal saline) and an observation group (n=49, application of Sufu onto the site of radiotherapy in addition to washing the perineal area with normal saline). The treatment regimens for the two groups continued until the end of radiotherapy. A comparison of the RTOG (Radiation Therapy Oncology Group) grading of acute radiation-induced skin reactions (ARISRs), pain intensity (measured by the verbal rating scale (VRS)) and post-treatment wound healing was drawn between the two groups. Results: In the observation group, 81.6% (40/49) of the patients had radiation dermatitis, which was significantly lower than the incidence rate (95.8%, 46/48) in the control group (P

An effective path to synthesize Zn

Objective The main responsibility of caring for patients with glioma is assumed by family caregivers who experience a considerable burden during the care process. This study aimed to investigate the level of caregiver burden and explore its associated factors among family caregivers of patients with glioma. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study among 131 family caregivers of glioma patients from October 2017 to November 2019. We used the following measurement tools: a demographic questionnaire, the Zarit Burden interview (ZBI), the Hamilton anxiety and depression scale, and the family APGAR index. We used multiple linear regression analysis to determine the factors related to caregiver burden. Results The ZBI score for the family caregivers of glioma patients was 31.29 (SD = 13.54), and most caregivers (71.7%) reported moderate and severe caregiver burdens. Caregivers’ daily sleep time and anxiety symptoms and patients’ depressive symptoms independently predicted caregiver burden. Conclusions Family caregivers of glioma patients experienced a moderate burden. Personalised psychological intervention and sleep health guidance for patients and caregivers should be considered to reduce family caregiver burden and enhance the quality of life and mental health of both patients and their caregivers.

Hydrogels have promising application in tissue regeneration due to their excellent physicochemical and biocompatible properties, whereas anisotropic micropatterns are been proven to directionally induce cell alignment and accelerate cell migration. However, an effect of biofunctionalized anisotropic hydrogel micropatterns on nerve regeneration has rarely been reported. In this study, the anisotropic polyacrylamide (PAM) hydrogel micropatterns with aligned ridge/groove structures were first prepared via in situ free radical polymerization and micromolding, and then biofunctionalized using YIGSR peptide for better promoting cell growth. The morphology, swelling ratio, wettability, mechanical properties, and stability of the prepared hydrogel were characterized. The successful immobilization of YIGSR peptide on the PAM hydrogel was monitored using FTIR, immunofluorescence staining, and ELISA. The effects on adhesion, directional growth, and biological function of Schwann cells were evaluated. The results displayed that the anisotropic PAM hydrogel micropatterns with inner porous structure possessed good stability, swelling, and mechanical properties. The YIGSR peptide could be well immobilized on hydrogel micropatterns with a percentage of 62.6%. The biofunctionalized anisotropic hydrogel micropatterns could effectively regulate the orientation growth of Schwann cells, and obviously up-regulate BDNF (40%) and β-actin (50%) expression compared with single hydrogel micropatterns, without negatively affecting the normal secretion of neurotropic factors by Schwann cells. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time to study the construction and effect of biofunctionalized anisotropic hydrogel micropatterns on nerve regeneration, which may provide an experimental and theoretical basis for the design and development of artificial implants for nerve regeneration application.

Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) display high tumor tropism and cause indirect effects through the cytokines they secrete. However, the effects of BM-MSCs on the biological behaviors of glioblastoma multiforme remain unclear. In this study, the conditioned medium from BM-MSCs significantly inhibited the proliferation of C6 cells ( P < 0.05 ) but promoted their migration and invasion ( P < 0.05 ). Two-dimensional fluorescence difference gel electrophoresis (2D-DIGE) proteomic analysis revealed 17 proteins differentially expressed in C6 cells exposed to the BM-MSC-conditioned medium including five upregulated proteins and 12 downregulated proteins. Among these, six differentially expressed proteins (Calr, Set, Oat, Npm1, Ddah1, and Tardbp) were closely related to cell proliferation and differentiation, and nine proteins (Pdia6, Sphk1, Anxa4, Vim, Tuba1c, Actr1b, Actn4, Rap2c, and Tpm2) were associated with motility and the cytoskeleton, which may modulate the invasion and migration of tumor cells. Above all, by identifying the differentially expressed proteins using proteomics and bioinformatics analysis, BM-MSCs could be genetically modified to specifically express tumor-suppressive factors when BM-MSCs are to be used as tumor-selective targeting carriers in the future.

Scope The high-fat, high-sucrose and low-fiber Western diet (WD) is popular in many countries and affects the onset and progression of many diseases. This study aimed to explore the influence of the WD on chronic liver disease (CLD) and the its possible mechanism. Methods and results C57BL/6 mice were given a control diet (CD) or WD and CLD was induced by intraperitoneally injection of carbon tetrachloride (CCL4 ) twice a week for eight weeks. The WD aggravated CCL4 -induced chronic liver injury, as evidenced by increased serum transaminase levels, worsened hepatic inflammatory response and fibrosis. Gut microbiota was disturbed in mice treated with CCL4 +WD (WC group), manifested as the accumulation of Fusobacteria, Streptococcaceae, Streptococcus, Fusobacterium and Prevotella and the depletion of Firmicutes, Lachnospiraceae and Roseburia. Additionally, increased hepatic taurocholic acid in the WC group activated S1pr2, which was positively correlated with hepatic fibrosis and inflammation parameters. Mice in the WC group had higher fecal primary bile acid (BA) levels and lower fecal secondary/primary BA ratios. Serum FGF15 levels were also elevated in the WC group, which was positively correlated with hepatic inflammation. Conclusion WD accelerates the progression of CLD which was associated with changes in the gut microbiota and BA metabolism. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

To explore the relationship between preoperative psychological personality traits of glioma patients and preoperative psychological distress of their primary caregivers.A retrospective analysis was conducted on 85 glioma patients (tumor group) who were admitted to our hospital from February 2016 to December 2018 and 85 primary caregivers. Forty-one healthy volunteers were used as controls.The scores of 9 scales of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) increased significantly in the tumor group compared to the healthy controls (P 0.05), including L (lie): [(56.0 ± 11.5 vs. 50.0 ± 10.0)], F (fake): [(53.0 ± 10.6 vs. 41.7 ± 8.8)], Hs (hypochondriasis): [(55.6 ± 11.2 vs. 44.2 ± 8.3)], D (depressive personality): [(49.2 ± 9.6 vs. 42.2 ± 10.3)], Mf (masculinity-femininity): [(49.9 ± 9.4 vs. 42.8 ± 14.0)], Pt (psychasthenia): [(51.5 ± 10.0 vs. 40.9 ± 11.5)], Sc (schizophrenia): [(51.2 ± 10.6 vs. 40.2 ± 10.6)], Ma (hypomania): [(51.8 ± 9.1 vs. 47.7 ± 9.4)] and Si (social introversion): [(46.6 ± 8.7 vs. 36.7 ± 13.0)]. However, the K (defensive responses) scale score in the tumor group decreased significantly (52.1 ± 13.9 vs. 58.8 ± 12.1, P = 0.009). The F (fake): [(rThe preoperative psychological personality traits of glioma patients were positively correlated with preoperative symptoms of depression and anxiety in primary caregivers.

Objective To investigate the preoperative psychological distress in the primary caregivers of glioma patients and its influencing factors and to determine the relationship between preoperative psychological states of glioma patients and their caregivers. Methods Using a mixed methods design, the caregivers of patients with malignant glioma were interviewed and completed questionnaires about anxiety/depression and family function during preoperative period. Results Caregivers of glioma patients had different types of psychological distress before surgery. A total of 46 caregivers (36.5 %) had preoperative psychological depression or anxiety symptom; 30 caregivers (23.8 %) had depression symptoms, 39 caregivers (31.0 %) had anxiety symptoms, and 23 (18.3 %) had both preoperative anxiety and depression symptoms. Female gender was an influential factor for both preoperative depression and anxiety symptoms in caregivers, surgical information was a risk factor for caregivers' preoperative depression symptoms and residence was a risk factor for caregivers' preoperative anxiety symptoms. The preoperative psychological states of patients was positively correlated with the preoperative anxiety and depression symptoms of caregivers. Conclusion The rural female caregivers are more likely to experience psychological distress before surgery, and the preoperative psychological states of patients was positively correlated with the psychological distress in caregivers.

Purpose Behavioral symptoms, including depression, anxiety, and cognitive impairment, are common clinical symptoms of patients with glioma. However, the mechanisms underlying the behavioral symptoms of glioma patients remain unclear. In this study, we explore the correlation between markers of systemic inflammation and preoperational behavioral symptoms in glioma patients. Patients and Methods Patients (n = 71) who had recently undertaken imaging (i.e., CT, MRI) for suspected glioma had a face‐to‐face interview, completed self‐report scales, and provided blood samples. Furthermore, we tested blood samples by a protein chip to select differential inflammatory cytokines and further confirm such differences using liquid‐phase chip technology. Results The prevalence of depression, anxiety, and cognitive impairment in glioma patients prior to surgery in this study was 53.5%, 70.4%, and 32.4%, respectively. The increased levels of IFN‐γ were positively correlated with clinical symptoms of depression in the glioma patients. Moreover, increased IL‐2 levels were negatively associated with anxiety symptoms (p = .00) and positively correlated with cognitive impairment in glioma patients. Conclusion This study suggests that systemic inflammation is associated with behavioral symptoms in glioma patients. This provides further evidence of the contribution of inflammatory markers to psychological symptoms in the context of physical conditions and lays the foundation for the development of further treatments of the behavioral symptoms in glioma patients., The incidence of behavioral symptoms was not described before surgery in glioma patients. The correlation between behavioral symptoms and inflammation has not been studied in glioma patients before surgery.

We present a facile route for the synthesis of water-soluble Cu–Cd–Zn–S/ZnS core/shell quantum dots (QDs) by simple pH regulation. The PL spectra of Cu–Cd–Zn–S/ZnS core/shell quantum dots can cover the whole visible light region in the case of only two ratios of Cu/Cd/Zn. The emission wavelength of Cu–Cd–Zn–S/ZnS QDs can be conveniently tuned from 474 to 515 and 548 to 629 nm by adjusting the pH value when the ratios of Cu/Cd/Zn are fixed at 1 : 5 : 80 and 1 : 5 : 10, respectively. It is worth noting that under the condition of a constant Cu/Cd/Zn ratio, the UV-vis absorption spectra do not change with the fluorescence spectra, indicating that the band gap of QDs remains unchanged during the change of pH value. The photoluminescence (PL) quantum yield of the as-prepared QDs with yellow emission is up to 76%. The QDs also show excellent chemical stability after the deposition of the ZnS shell. Luminescent and flexible films are fabricated by combining Cu–Cd–Zn–S QDs with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). The QD/PVA flexible hybrid films are successfully applied on top of a conventional blue InGaN chip for remote-type warm-white LEDs. As-fabricated warm-white LEDs exhibit a higher color rendering index (CRI) of about 89.2 and a correlated color temperature (CCT) of 4308 K.

With the rapid development of commodity circulation, more attention has been paid to the anticounterfeiting technology of commodities, including stability, universality and ease of distinguishing. The authors report the use of gelatin–chitosan–glycerin/QD nanocomposite-functionalized glue for luminescent anti-counterfeiting labels. As the blend and plasticizer, the addition of chitosan and glycerin effectively improved the flexibility and formability of the gelatin–chitosan–glycerin/QD composite films, which show excellent mechanical properties, including high transparency, luminescence and flexibility, and they are easy to prepare on a large scale, providing certain reference values for new anticounterfeiting technology applying a variety of morphologies.

In this study, CdIn2S4/MoS2 composite structure was prepared by a simple two-step hydrothermal synthesis method, and the CdIn2S4/MoS2 composite structure samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV–vis). Due to the effective loading of MoS2 on the surface of CdIn2S4 particles, the photocatalytic performance of CdIn2S4/MoS2 composite material is significantly improved under visible light irradiation (λ = 420 nm), which indicating the effective inhibit the recombination of photogenerated electron holes. Meanwhile, the visible light response of CdIn2S4 is increased and the life of photoexcitation carrier is prolonged. The CdIn2S4/MoS2 (sample 2CM) composite sample with mole content of 9% has the highest catalytic hydrogen production activity, and its hydrogen production rate is 293 μmol h−1 g−1, which is more than 3 times that of sample C. After 4 cycles of photocatalytic experiments, the photocatalytic activity is still stable, and the XRD diffraction peak does not appear obvious shift, which provides a new way for the design and preparation of efficient and stable photocatalytic materials.

Two kinds of Ag2S-Zn0.5Cd0.5S heterostructural photocatalysts were synthesized via a simple two-step hydrothermal method. The photochemical (PEC) properties of Zn0.5Cd0.5S nanoparticles modified by Ag2S are closely related to the reaction time of Zn0.5Cd0.5S nanoparticles. Compared with the Ag2S-Zn0.5Cd0.5S heterostructure prepared at low temperature, the Ag2S-Ag-Zn-Cd-S composite prepared at high temperature has higher charge transfer/separation efficiency and longer carrier life. The photocatalytic performance of Ag2S-Ag-Zn-Cd-S composites for the degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) under visible light irradiation (λ = 420 nm) was significantly improved. The AZCS-180-4 h photocatalyst exhibited the highest degradation efficiency (83.1% within 40 min) with a rate constant of 0.0401 min−1 which exhibited prominent stability and repeatability, and can still maintain high photocatalytic activity after at least four cycles. Meanwhile, the study of photocatalytic mechanism shows that the photo-induced h+ radical is the predominant active species in this photocatalytic system, followed by·OH and·O2- play a secondary role.

In the present study, a new approach for fabricating micropatterned polycaprolactone (PCL) scaffolds with ridge/groove structure on the surface was developed by combining use of electrospinning and micromolding method. A series of physicochemical properties, including morphology, wettability, component, crystal pattern and mechanical properties, of prepared PCL scaffolds were characterization, respectively. Stability of the micropatterned PCL scaffolds was measured using phosphate buffer solution immersion for a certain period. Then, the regulating effects of the micropatterned PCL scaffolds on attachment, orientation and normal biological function of Schwann cells were evaluated. And the protein adsorption behavior in various PCL scaffolds was also detected. The results showed that the micropatterned PCL scaffolds demonstrated a porous micro/nano complex structure with enhanced hydrophobicity and mechanical properties as a function of electrospun flow-rate of PCL solution. The micropatterned PCL scaffolds possessed good stability and could effectively regulate the attachment and orientation of Schwann cells at the early stage after cell culture. Importantly, the electrospun flow-rate of PCL solution was found to play an important role in scaffold properties, cell behavior and protein adsorption. The micropatterned scaffolds with a flow-rate of PCL solution at 0.12 mL h-1 demonstrated the better regulation on Schwann cells attachment and alignment without negatively affect the normal biological function of the cells. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of combining use of electrospinning and micromolding method for preparing artificial nerve implants. The study is anticipated to have potential application in peripheral nerve and other tissue engineering. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 106A: 3123-3134, 2018.

High-quality water-soluble Ag-In-S/ZnS core/shell quantum dots have been successfully synthesized via a facile and green method, with mercaptosuccinic acid and sodium citrate as dual ligands in one pot. The fabricated quantum dots exhibit excellent optical characteristics, including photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of up to 50%, and the obvious first excition absorption peak. The emission peak of Ag-In-S/ZnS core/shell quantum dots can be tuned from 507 to 580 nm which covers the most of the visible light. Finally, the as-prepared Ag-In-S core quantum dots can be used directly in ion probe, achieved the direct visual inspection of Pb2+.

We present a facile route for the fabrication of P-type Cu x S transparent and conducting thin films (TCTFs) using copper (I) oxide and butyl-dithiocarbamic acid as precursors by pulling method on glass. The as-deposited highly conductive crystalline Cu x S films showed high carrier concentration (∼3.11 × 10 22 cm −3 ), low electrical resistivity (∼1.02 × 10 −4 Ω cm) and conclusive p-type conduction. X-ray diffraction studies showed high crystallinity, and the optical transmission spectra in UV–vis–NIR region of such films were recorded, indicating that the transparency was over 75% with a band gap of 1.52 eV. The room-temperature sheet resistance increased from 9.9 to 302.4 Ω sq −1 with increasing baking temperature. The Cu x S/quantum dot bifacial thin films have been fabricated, and the experimental results indicated that luminescent, transparent, and conductive Cu x S/Cu-doped Zn y Cd 1-y S thin films have a very high potential application in thin film solar cells.

Aqueous solution deposition of metal chalcogenide semiconductor thin films is considered a green and low-cost approach. So it is hard to find a general aqueous solution approach to deposit various kinds of high-quality metal sulfide quantum dots thin films. Here, we describe a green and robust aqueous solution approach, and five types of metal sulfide precursor solutions (Cu(CH 3 COO) 2 , AgNO 3 , Zn(CH 3 COO) 2 , Cd(CH 3 COO) 2 ·2H 2 O, Ni(CH 3 COO) 2 ·4H 2 O) can be prepared at room temperature under air atmosphere. By this green route, luminescent Ag-doped Zn x Cd 1− x S semiconductor films have been successfully synthesized via a facile and green method in the open air at 260 °C using precursors. NH 3 ·H 2 O (28–30%) were used as solvent, and 3-mercaptopropionic acid was used as the capping agents. As-prepared quantum dot thin films exhibit a tunable emission covering the whole visible light region. The absolute photoluminescence quantum yields can reach as high as 24.6%, which have a high potential application in luminescent, transparent, and conductive thin films.