Highly Efficient Acidic Electrosynthesis of Hydrogen Peroxide at Industrial-Level Current Densities Promoted by Alkali Metal Cations.

Acidic H2O2 synthesis through electrocatalytic 2e- oxygen reduction presents a sustainable alternative to the energy-intensive anthraquinone oxidation technology. Nevertheless, acidic H2O2 electrosynthesis suffers from low H2O2 Faradaic efficiencies primarily due to the competing reactions of 4e- oxygen reduction to H2O and hydrogen evolution in environments with high H+ concentrations. Here, we demonstrate the significant effect of alkali metal cations, acting as competing ions with H+, in promoting acidic H2O2 electrosynthesis at industrial-level currents, resulting in an effective current densities of 50‒421 mA cm‒2 with 84‒100% Faradaic efficiency and a production rate of 856‒7842 µmol cm-2 h-1 that far exceeds the performance observed in pure acidic electrolytes or low-current electrolysis. Finite-element simulations indicate that high interfacial pH near the electrode surface formed at high currents is crucial for activating the promotional effect of K+. In situ attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and ab initio molecular dynamics simulations reveal the central role of alkali metal cations in stabilizing the key *OOH intermediate to suppress 4e- oxygen reduction through interacting with coordinated H2O.

Electrostatic-induced ion-confined partitioning in graphene nanolaminate membrane for breaking anion-cation co-transport to enhance desalination.

Constructing nanolaminate membranes made of two-dimensional graphene oxide nanosheets has gained enormous interest in recent decades. However, a key challenge facing current graphene-based membranes is their poor rejection for monovalent salts due to the swelling-induced weak nanoconfinement and the transmembrane co-transport of anions and cations. Herein, we propose a strategy of electrostatic-induced ion-confined partitioning in a reduced graphene oxide membrane for breaking the correlation of anions and cations to suppress anion-cation co-transport, substantially improving the desalination performance. The membrane demonstrates a rejection of 95.5% for NaCl with a water permeance of 48.6 L m-2 h-1 bar-1 in pressure-driven process, and it also exhibits a salt rejection of 99.7% and a water flux of 47.0 L m-2 h-1 under osmosis-driven condition, outperforming the performance of reported graphene-based membranes. The simulation and calculation results unveil that the strong electrostatic attraction of membrane forces the hydrated Na+ to undergo dehydration and be exclusively confined in the nanochannels, strengthening the intra-nanochannel anion/cation partitioning, which refrains from the dynamical anion-cation correlations and thereby prevents anions and cations from co-transporting through the membrane. This study provides guidance for designing advanced desalination membranes and inspires the future development of membrane-based separation technologies.

Morphological Integrated Preparation Method and Implementation of Inorganic/Organic Dual-Phase Composite Gradient Bionic Bone Scaffold.

Large bone defects caused by congenital deformities and acquired accidents are increasing day by day. A large number of patients mainly rely on artificial bone for repair. However, artificial bone cannot fully imitate the structure and composition of human bone, resulting in a large gap with autologous bone function. Therefore, this article proposes a continuous preparation method for inorganic/organic biphasic composite gradient biomimetic bulk bone scaffolds. First, a controllable gradient hybrid forming platform for inorganic/organic dual-phase biomaterials was constructed, and the feeding control strategy was studied to achieve precise control of the feeding of sodium alginate/gelatin composite organic materials and hydroxyapatite inorganic materials. The speed is, respectively, sent from the corresponding feeding nozzle to the mixing chamber to realize the uniform mixing of the biphasic material and the extrusion of the composite material, and the inorganic/organic biphasic composite gradient biomimetic bone scaffold with gradual structure and composition is prepared. Second, to prove the superiority of the preparation method, the physicochemical and biological properties of the prepared scaffolds were evaluated. The test results showed that the morphological characteristics of the biphasic composite gradient bone scaffold showed good microscopic porosity and the structure and composition showed gradients. The mechanical properties are close to that of human bone tissue and in vitro cell experiments show that the scaffold has good biocompatibility and bioactivity. In conclusion, this article provides a new type of bone scaffold preparation technology and equipment for the field of tissue engineering, which has research value and application prospects.

Coaxial electrospun Ag-NPs-loaded endograft membrane with long-term antibacterial function treating mycotic aortic aneurysm.

The use of endovascular stent-graft has become an important option in the treatment of aortic pathologies. However, the currently used endograft membranes have limited ability to prevent bacterial colonization. This makes them unsuitable for the treatment of mycotic aneurysms, as the infection is prone to progress after endograft implantation. Moreover, even in non-mycotic aortic pathologies, endograft infections can occur in the short or long term, especially for patients with diabetes mellitus or in immune insufficiency conditions. So, this study aimed to develop a kind of Ag-NPs-loaded endograft membrane by coaxial electrospinning technique, and a series of physical and chemical properties and biological properties of the Ag-NPs-loaded membrane were characterized. Animal experiments conducted in pigs confirmed that the Ag-NPs-loaded membrane was basically non-toxic, exhibited good biocompatibility, and effectively prevented bacterial growth in a mycotic aortic aneurysm model. In conclusion, the Ag-NPs-loaded membrane exhibited good biocompatibility, good anti-infection function and slow-release of Ag-NPs for long-term bacteriostasis. Thus, the Ag-NPs-loaded membrane might hold potential for preventing infection progression and treating mycotic aortic aneurysms in an endovascular way.

Electrospinning/3D printing drug-loaded antibacterial polycaprolactone nanofiber/sodium alginate-gelatin hydrogel bilayer scaffold for skin wound repair.

Skin injuries and defects, as a common clinical issue, still cannot be perfectly repaired at present, particularly large-scale and infected skin defects. Therefore, in this work, a drug-loaded bilayer skin scaffold was developed for repairing full-thickness skin defects. Briefly, amoxicillin (AMX) was loaded on polycaprolactone (PCL) nanofiber via electrospinning to form the antibacterial nanofiber membrane (PCL-AMX) as the outer layer of scaffold to mimic epidermis. To maintain wound wettability and promote wound healing, external human epidermal growth factor (rhEGF) was loaded in sodium alginate-gelatin to form the hydrogel structure (SG-rhEGF) via 3D printing as inner layer of scaffold to mimic dermis. AMX and rhEGF were successfully loaded into the scaffold. The scaffold exhibited excellent physicochemical properties, with elongation at break and tensile modulus were 102.09 ±â€¯6.74 % and 206.83 ±â€¯32.10 kPa, respectively; the outer layer was hydrophobic (WCA was 112.09 ±â€¯4.67°), while the inner layer was hydrophilic (WCA was 48.87 ±â€¯5.52°). Meanwhile, the scaffold showed excellent drug release and antibacterial characteristics. In vitro and in vivo studies indicated that the fabricated scaffold could enhance cell adhesion and proliferation, and promote skin wound healing, with favorable biocompatibility and great potential for skin regeneration and clinical application.

A 5 + 1-Axis 3D Printing Platform for Producing Customized Intestinal Fistula Stents.

Tailored intestinal fistula stents with a hollow bent pipe structure prepared by using a three-axis bio-printing platform are often unsuitable due to low printing efficiency and quality caused by the unavoidable need for a supporting structure. Herein, a 5 + 1-axis 3D printing platform was built and developed for producing support-free intestinal fistula stents. A 3D model of the target stent shape and dimensions was treated by a dynamic slicing algorithm, which was then used to prepare a motion control code. Our printing method showed improved printing efficiency, superior stent surface properties and structure and ideal elasticity and mechanical strength to meet the mechanical requirements of the human body. Static simulations showed the importance of axial printing techniques, whereas the stent itself was shown to have excellent biocompatibility with wettability and cell proliferation tests. We present a customizable, efficient, and high-quality method with the potential for preparing bespoke stents for treating intestinal fistulas.

Exploring the displacement characteristics of Garden III femoral neck fractures and the reliability, validity, and value of the anteroposterior Garden Index in assessing displacement severity.

BACKGROUND: Femoral neck fractures represent a significant public health concern, particularly in the elderly population. A thorough understanding and assessment of these fractures are deemed essential for optimal treatment and management. Displacement characteristics of Garden III femoral neck fractures were explored in this study, and the reliability, validity, and clinical utility of the anteroposterior Garden Index in evaluating displacement severity were investigated. METHODS: Patients diagnosed with Garden III femoral neck fractures were included in this study. The anteroposterior Garden Index was computed from X-ray images by three experienced orthopedic doctors. Additionally, the contact area of the fracture endpoint and displacement of the femoral neck were evaluated using 128-slice 3D CT scans. Inter-observer and retest reliability of the Garden Index measurements were assessed, along with its correlation with CT measurements. RESULTS: In this study, a total of 110 patients with Garden III femoral neck fractures were analyzed, showcasing an almost equal gender distribution and an age range spanning from 20 to 88 years. An average Garden Index of 135° (± 16°) was observed. The intra-observer repeatability of the Garden Index was found to exceed 90%. A significant positive correlation was identified between the Garden Index and the contact surface area of the fracture endpoint (r = 0.82, P < 0.001), while a significant negative correlation was noted with the upward displacement of the femoral neck (r = - 0.79, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The anteroposterior Garden Index has been demonstrated to have promising potential as a reliable and valid tool for assessing the displacement severity of Garden III femoral neck fractures. Nonetheless, further research is needed to elucidate its relationship with other fracture characteristics and to enhance its criterion and construct validity.

Preparation and Characterization of Nano-Silver-Loaded Antibacterial Membrane via Coaxial Electrospinning.

The coaxial electrospinning process has been widely used in the biomedical field, and its process parameters affect product quality seriously. In this paper, the influence of key process parameters of coaxial electrostatic spinning (solution concentration, electrospinning voltage, acceptance distance and liquid supply velocity) on the preparation of a membrane with Chitosan, Polyethylene oxide and nano-silver as the core layer and Polycaprolactone as the shell layer was studied. The optimal combination of key process parameters was obtained by using an orthogonal test, scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope and macro-characterization diagram. The results showed that the coaxial electrospun membrane had good mechanical properties (tensile strength is about 2.945 Mpa), hydrophilicity (the water contact angle is about 72.28°) and non-cytotoxicity, which was conducive to cell adhesion and proliferation. The coaxial electrospun membrane with nano-silver has an obvious inhibitory effect on Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. In summary, the coaxial electrospun membrane that we produced is expected to be used in clinical medicine, such as vascular stent membranes and bionic blood vessels.

The association between three-dimensional measurement of posterior tilt angle in impacted femoral neck fractures and osteonecrosis of the femoral head.

BACKGROUND: Hollow screw internal fixation is commonly used in clinical treatment of impacted femoral neck fractures. Previous studies have demonstrated a correlation between the preoperative posterior tilt angle of the femoral head and failure of internal fixation, but there are fewer studies related to the occurrence of postoperative femoral head necrosis and the posterior tilt angle. METHODS: To examine the relationship between three-dimensional posterior tilt angle measurements in affected femoral neck fractures and postoperative osteonecrosis of the femoral head and related risk variables. We retrospectively examined 130 Yantaishan Hospital patients with affected femoral neck fractures from 2019 to 2022. Three-dimensional reconstruction technology assessed the posterior tilt angle of the femoral head and separated patients into necrosis and non-necrosis groups based on postoperative femoral head necrosis. Univariate analysis compared clinical data between groups, and multivariate logistic regression analyzed risk variables for femoral head necrosis. Postoperative femoral head necrosis was predicted by posterior tilt angle using Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. RESULTS: Out of 130 patients who were followed up for 16-68 months postoperatively, 20 developed femoral head necrosis. Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that the posterior tilt angle and reduction quality level C were risk factors for the occurrence of femoral head necrosis. The ROC curve analysis showed that the three-dimensional measurement of the posterior tilt angle had predictive value for postoperative femoral head necrosis, with a cut-off value of 20.6°. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that, for patients with impacted femoral neck fractures, the posterior tilt angle and reduction quality level C are risk factors for femoral head necrosis following closed reduction and internal fixation surgery. Fracture patients with a posterior tilt angle ≥ 20.6°are more likely to experience postoperative femoral head necrosis.

Preparation of a scaffold for a vascular network channel with spatially varying diameter based on sucrose.

In the past few decades, although tissue engineering has made significant progress and achieved many accomplishments, there are still some key problems that remain unsolved. One of the urgent research challenges in this field is how to prepare large-scale tissue engineering scaffolds with spatially complex structures. In this work, a sacrificial template process using sucrose as the sacrificial material and a gelatin/microbial transglutaminase mixed solution as the bio-scaffold material is proposed to fabricate a bio-scaffold with multi-level branching and spatially complex vascular network channels that mimic the structure and function of the human vascular network. To validate the feasibility of the fabrication process and the rationality of the process parameters, the morphological characteristics, connectivity of vascular network channels, shaping accuracy, and mechanical properties of the bio-scaffold were tested and analyzed. The results showed that the bio-scaffold fabricated using this process had a complete morphology and excellent connectivity. The diameter of the sucrose sacrificial template showed a linear relationship with the feeding speed, and the average diameter error rate between the sucrose sacrificial template and the vascular network channels inside the bio-scaffold was less than 8%. The mechanical properties of the bio-scaffold met the requirements for large-scale tissue defect repair. To evaluate the effect of the bio-scaffold on cell activity, human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were seeded into the vascular network channels of the bio-scaffold, and their attachment, growth, and proliferation on the surface of the vascular network channels were observed. To further assess the biocompatibility of the bio-scaffold, the bio-scaffold was implanted subcutaneously in the dorsal tissue of rats, and the tissue regeneration status was compared and analyzed through immunohistochemical analysis. The results showed that the vascular network channels within the bio-scaffold allowed uniform cell attachment, growth, with fewer dead cells and high cell viability. Moreover, clear cell attachment and growth were observed within the vascular network channels of the bio-scaffold after implantation in rats. These results indicate that the fabricated bio-scaffold meets the basic performance requirements for the repair and regeneration of large-scale tissue defects, providing a new approach for oxygen and nutrient transport in large-scale tissues and opening up new avenues for clinical applications.

Population structure and genetic diversity of Tamarix chinensis as revealed with microsatellite markers in two estuarine flats.

Background: Tamarix chinensis Lour. is a 3-6-meter-tall small tree with high salt- and alkali- tolerance and aggressive invasiveness, mainly distributed in the eastern part of China in warm-temperate and subtropical climate zones, yet there is little information available regarding genetic diversity and population structure. Methods: A total of 204 individuals of nine T. chinensis populations were investigated for genetic diversity and population structure using a set of 12 highly polymorphic microsatellite markers. Results: The total number of alleles detected was 162, the average number of effective allele was 4.607, the average polymorphism information content (PIC) value of the 12 loci was 0.685, and the mean observed heterozygosity (Ho) and the mean expected heterozygosity (He) was 0.653 and 0.711, respectively. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) showed a 5.32% genetic variation among T. chinensis populations. Despite a low population differentiation, Bayesian clustering analysis, discriminant analysis of principal components (DAPC) and the unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) clearly identified three genetic clusters correlated to the populations' geographic origin: the northern populations including those from Yellow River Delta, the Fangshan (FS) population from Beijing, the Changyi (CY) population from Bohai Bay, the Huanjiabu (HHJ) population from Hangzhou Bay, and the remaining two populations from Hangzhou Bay. There was a significant relationship between the genetic distance and geographical distance of the paired populations. Gene flow (Nm) was 4.254 estimated from FST. Conclusion: T. chinensis possessed high genetic diversity comparable to tree species, and although the population differentiation is shallow, our results classified the sampled populations according to sampling localities, suggesting the different origins of the study populations.

3D Bioprinting tissue analogs: Current development and translational implications.

Three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting is a promising and rapidly evolving technology in the field of additive manufacturing. It enables the fabrication of living cellular constructs with complex architectures that are suitable for various biomedical applications, such as tissue engineering, disease modeling, drug screening, and precision regenerative medicine. The ultimate goal of bioprinting is to produce stable, anatomically-shaped, human-scale functional organs or tissue substitutes that can be implanted. Although various bioprinting techniques have emerged to develop customized tissue-engineering substitutes over the past decade, several challenges remain in fabricating volumetric tissue constructs with complex shapes and sizes and translating the printed products into clinical practice. Thus, it is crucial to develop a successful strategy for translating research outputs into clinical practice to address the current organ and tissue crises and improve patients' quality of life. This review article discusses the challenges of the existing bioprinting processes in preparing clinically relevant tissue substitutes. It further reviews various strategies and technical feasibility to overcome the challenges that limit the fabrication of volumetric biological constructs and their translational implications. Additionally, the article highlights exciting technological advances in the 3D bioprinting of anatomically shaped tissue substitutes and suggests future research and development directions. This review aims to provide readers with insight into the state-of-the-art 3D bioprinting techniques as powerful tools in engineering functional tissues and organs.

Conductive MXene ultrafiltration membrane for improved antifouling ability and water quality under electrochemical assistance.

Membrane fouling is a major challenge for the membrane separation technique in water treatment. Herein, an MXene ultrafiltration membrane with good electroconductivity and hydrophilicity was prepared and showed excellent fouling resistance under electrochemical assistance. The fluxes under negative potential were 3.4, 2.6 and 2.4 times higher than those without external voltage during treatment of raw water containing bacteria, natural organic matter (NOM), and coexisting bacteria and NOM, respectively. During the treatment of actual surface water with 2.0 V external voltage, the membrane flux was 1.6 times higher than that without external voltage and the TOC removal was improved from 60.7% to 71.2%. The improvement is mainly attributed to the enhanced electrostatic repulsion. The MXene membrane presents good regeneration ability after backwashing under electrochemical assistance with the TOC removal remaining stable at around 70.7%. This work demonstrates that the MXene ultrafiltration membrane under electrochemical assistance possesses excellent antifouling ability and has great potential in advanced water treatment.

Electroregulation of graphene-nanofluid interactions to coenhance water permeation and ion rejection in vertical graphene membranes.

Graphene oxide (GO) membranes with nanoconfined interlayer channels theoretically enable anomalous nanofluid transport for ultrahigh filtration performance. However, it is still a significant challenge for current GO laminar membranes to achieve ultrafast water permeation and high ion rejection simultaneously, because of the contradictory effect that exists between the water-membrane hydrogen-bond interaction and the ion-membrane electrostatic interaction. Here, we report a vertically aligned reduced GO (VARGO) membrane and propose an electropolarization strategy for regulating the interfacial hydrogen-bond and electrostatic interactions to concurrently enhance water permeation and ion rejection. The membrane with an electro-assistance of 2.5 V exhibited an ultrahigh water permeance of 684.9 L m-2 h-1 bar-1, which is 1-2 orders of magnitude higher than those of reported GO-based laminar membranes. Meanwhile, the rejection rate of the membrane for NaCl was as high as 88.7%, outperforming most reported graphene-based membranes (typically 10 to 50%). Molecular dynamics simulations and density-function theory calculations revealed that the electropolarized VARGO nanochannels induced the well-ordered arrangement of nanoconfined water molecules, increasing the water transport efficiency, and thereby resulting in improved water permeation. Moreover, the electropolarization effect enhanced the surface electron density of the VARGO nanochannels and reinforced the interfacial attractive interactions between the cations in water and the oxygen groups and π-electrons on the VARGO surface, strengthening the ion-partitioning and Donnan effect for the electrostatic exclusion of ions. This finding offers an electroregulation strategy for membranes to achieve both high water permeability and high ion rejection performance.

Mitochondrial introgression and mito-nuclear discordance obscured the closely related species boundaries in Cletus Stål from China (Heteroptera: Coreidae).

Accurate taxonomy and delimitation are of great importance for pest control strategies and management programs. Here, we focus on Cletus (Insecta: Hemiptera: Coreidae), which includes many crop pests. The species boundaries still conflict and only cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) barcoding has been previously used for molecular studies. We generated new mitochondrial genome and nuclear genome-wide SNPs to explore the species boundaries of 46 Cletus samples from China using multiple species delimitation approaches. All results recovered a monophyly with high support, except for two closely related species in clade I - C. punctiger and C. graminis. Mitochondrial data demonstrated admixture in clade I, while genome-wide SNPs unambiguously identified two separate species, which were confirmed by morphological classification. Inconsistent nuclear and mitochondrial data indicated mito-nuclear discordance. Mitochondrial introgression is the most likely explanation, and more extensive sampling and more comprehensive data are needed to ascertain a pattern. Accurate species delimitation will shed light on species status; thus, an accurate taxonomy is of particular concern, as there is a pressing need to implement precise control of agricultural pests and to perform further research on diversification.

The Role of Oxidative Stress in the Development and Therapeutic Intervention of Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Oxidative stress (OS) is a condition in which the body has an unbalanced oxidative and antioxidant effect. Oxidative stress has emerged as a critical component in the onset and progression of numerous diseases, including liver cancer and chronic liver disease caused by the hepatitis C virus and hepatitis B virus. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are the most prevalent reactive chemical species involved in the oxidative stress response during the progression of the disease. Oxidative stress has a unique role in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and excessive ROS production is a common occurrence in liver illnesses of various etiologies. In response to various deleterious stimuli, the liver shows manifestations of lipid accumulation, oxidative damage, inflammatory infiltration, and immune response, which interact with each other in a mutually reinforcing manner, collectively exacerbating liver damage and malignant transformation. The intracellular buildup of ROS is a two-edged sword for tumor advancement. ROS are tumorigenic, and low amounts of ROS can trigger different signaling pathways that promote proliferation, survival, and migration, among other aspects. However, excessive oxidative stress can induce tumor cell death. Understanding the mechanisms of oxidative stress in hepatocellular carcinogenesis is beneficial for the prevention and surveillance of hepatocellular carcinoma in humans. An improved knowledge of the impacts and potential implications of oxidative stress regulation in therapeutic strategies will likely allow us to find new therapeutic targets for cancer. Oxidative stress also plays a significant role in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma and the mechanisms of drug resistance involved. This paper reviews recent studies on oxidative stress in HCC that are more reliable and important, and provides a more comprehensive view of the development of the treatment of HCC based on the relevant summaries of the effect of oxidative stress on the treatment.

Chromosome-level genome of the bean bug Megacopta cribraria in native range, provides insights into adaptation and pest management.

Megacopta cribraria, a bean pest causing tremendous economic losses in Asia, was discovered in North America in 2009. Although M. cribraria has become the focus of research on biological invasion and pest management, the lack of genomic resources limits in-depth studies. Here, we report the first chromosome-level genome of M. cribraria using Illumina, PacBio, and Hi-C data. The assembled genome size was 699.65 Mb, with a contig N50 of 1.43 Mb and a scaffold N50 of 109.27 Mb. >97.51 % of bases were successfully anchored to six chromosomes. Through genome annotation, a total of 13,308 coding genes were predicted, 96.3 % of which were successfully accessed function. Expanded gene families were involved in proteolysis, protein metabolism and nitrogen metabolism reflected the underlying genome basis for host adaptation during evolution. Transcriptome analysis revealed different gene expression patterns in antenna, mouthpart, head, leg, wing, and carcass body of the adult M. cribraria, respectively. Moreover, the expression profiles of the odorant receptor genes indicated the potential target genes for pest control. The high-quality chromosome-level genome will benefit further research on the adaptation, evolution, and population genetics of the M. cribraria that will assist in the pest management and tracking the biological invasion routes.

Electrochemical Opening of Impermeable Nanochannels in Laminar Graphene Membranes for Ultrafast Nanofiltration.

Reduced graphene oxide (rGO) could be theoretically used to construct highly permeable laminar membranes with nearly frictionless nanochannels for water treatment. However, their pristine (sp2 C-C) regions usually restack into impermeable channels as a result of van der Waals interactions, resulting in a much low permeance. In this study, we demonstrate that the restacked regions could be electrochemically expanded to form ultrafast water transport nanochannels by providing a low positive potential (e.g., +1.00 V vs SCE) to the rGO membrane. Experimental investigations indicate that the structural expansion is attributed to the intercalation of water molecules into the restacked regions, driven by hydrogen bond interactions between water molecules and hydroxyl groups that are electrochemically produced on edges of rGO nanosheets. The structural expansion could be promoted by weakening the graphene-OH- interactions through intermittent application of the potential. As a result of more ultrafast water transport nanochannels available, the electrochemically treated rGO membranes could have a permeance 2 orders of magnitude higher than that of the pristine one and ∼3 times higher than that of graphene oxide membranes. Because of their smaller average pore size, the rGO membranes also have a higher ionic/molecular rejection performance than graphene oxide membranes.

Reconstruction of Abdominal Wall Defect with Composite Scaffold of 3D Printed ADM/PLA in a Rat Model.

Abdominal wall defects are a frequently occurring condition in surgical practice. The most important are material structure and biocompatibility. In this study, polylactic acid (PLA) mesh composited with a 3D printing of acellular dermal matrix (ADM) material is used to repair abdominal wall defects. The results show that the adhesion score of ADM/PLA composite scaffolds is smaller than PLA meshes. Immunohistochemical assessment reveals that the ADM/PLA composite scaffold can effectively reduce the inflammatory response at the contact surface between the meshes and the abdominal organs. And the ADM/PLA composite scaffold can effectively reduce the expression levels of the inflammation-related factors IL-6 and IL-10. In addition, the ADM/PLA composite scaffold repair is rich in the expression levels of tissue regeneration-related factors vascular endothelial growth factor and transforming growth factor ß. Thus, ADM/PLA composite scaffolds can effectively reduce surrounding inflammation to effectively promote the repair of abdominal wall defects.

Improving the Performance of the Lamellar Reduced Graphene Oxide/Molybdenum Sulfide Nanofiltration Membrane through Accelerated Water-Transport Channels and Capacitively Enhanced Charge Density.

Graphene is promising in the construction of next-generation nanofiltration membranes for wastewater treatment and water purification. However, the application of graphene-based membranes has still been prohibited by their deficiencies in permeability and ion rejection. Herein, regulating the 2D channel and enhancing the charge density are co-adopted for simultaneous enhancement of the water flux and salt rejection of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) membranes through the intercalation of molybdenum sulfide (MoS2) nanosheets and external electrical assistance. The fabricated rGO/MoS2 membranes possess expanded nanochannels with less friction and a higher water molecule transport velocity gradient (from 8.57 to 14.07 s-1) than those of rGO membranes. Consequently, their water permeance increases from 0.92 to 34.9 L m-2 h-1 bar-1. Meanwhile, benefiting from the high capacitance and negative potential of -1.1 V versus the saturated calomel electrode given to the membranes, their rejection rates toward NaCl reach 87.2% and those toward Na2SO4 reach 93.7%. The Donnan steric pore model analysis indicates that the capacitively and electrically increased surface charge density make great contributions to the higher ion rejection rate. This work gives new insights into membrane design for high water flux and salt rejection efficiency.