Decoding the "Fingerprint" of Implant Materials: Insights into the Foreign Body Reaction.

Foreign body reaction (FBR) is a prevalent yet often overlooked pathological phenomenon, particularly within the field of biomedical implantation. The presence of FBR poses a heavy burden on both the medical and socioeconomic systems. This review seeks to elucidate the protein "fingerprint" of implant materials, which is generated by the physiochemical properties of the implant materials themselves. In this review, the activity of macrophages, the formation of foreign body giant cells (FBGCs), and the development of fibrosis capsules in the context of FBR are introduced. Additionally, the relationship between various implant materials and FBR is elucidated in detail, as is an overview of the existing approaches and technologies employed to alleviate FBR. Finally, the significance of implant components (metallic materials and non-metallic materials), surface CHEMISTRY (charge and wettability), and physical characteristics (topography, roughness, and stiffness) in establishing the protein "fingerprint" of implant materials is also well documented. In conclusion, this review aims to emphasize the importance of FBR on implant materials and provides the current perspectives and approaches in developing implant materials with anti-FBR properties.

Biomimetic Structural Proteins: Modular Assembly and High Mechanical Performance.

Protein-based biomaterials attract growing interests due to their encoded and programmable robust mechanical properties, superelasticity, plasticity, shape adaptability, excellent interfacial behavior, etc., derived from sequence-guided backbone structures, particularly compared to chemically synthetic counterparts in materials science and biomedical engineering. For example, protein materials have been successfully fabricated as (1) artificial implants (man-made tendons, cartilages, or dental tissues), due to programmable chemistry and biocompatibility; (2) smart biodevices with temperature/light-response and self-healing effects; and (3) impact resistance materials having great mechanical performance due to biomimetics. However, the existing method of regenerating protein materials from natural sources has two critical issues, low yield and structural damage, making it unable to meet demands. Therefore, it is crucial to develop an alternative strategy for fabricating protein materials. Heterologous expression of natural proteins with a modular assembly approach is an effective strategy for material preparation. Standardized, easy-to-assemble protein modules with specific structures and functions are developed through experimental and computational tools based on natural functional protein sequences. Through recombination and heterologous expression, these artificial protein modules become keys to material fabrication. Undergoing an assembly process similar to supramolecular self-assembly of proteins in cells, biomimetic modules can be fabricated for formation of macroscopic materials such as fibers and adhesives. This strategy inspired by synthetic biology and supramolecular chemistry is important for improving target protein yields and assembly integrity. It also preserves and optimizes the mechanical functions of structural proteins, accelerating the design and fabrication of artificial protein materials.In this Account, we overview recent studies on fabricating biomimetic protein materials to elucidate the concept of modular assembly. We discuss the design of biomimetic structural proteins at the molecular level, providing a wealth of details determining the bulk properties of materials. Additinally, we describe the modular self-assembly and assembly driven by inducing molecules, and mechanical properties and applications of resulting fibers. We used these strategies to develop fiber materials with high tensile strength, high toughness, and properties such as anti-icing and high-temperature resistance. We also extended this approach to design protein-based adhesives with ultra-strong adhesion, biocompatibility, and biodegradability for surgical applications such as wound sealing and healing. Other protein materials, including films and hydrogels, have been developed through chemical assembly routes. Finally, we describe exploiting synthetic biology and chemistry to overcome bottlenecks in structural protein modular design, biosynthesis, and material assembly and our perspectives for future development in structural biomaterials.

High Ion-Conducting PVA Nanocomposite Hydrogel-Based Wearable Piezoelectric and Triboelectric Sensors for Harsh Environments.

Traditional hydrogel-based wearable sensors with flexibility, biocompatibility, and mechanical compliance exhibit potential applications in flexible wearable electronics. However, the low sensitivity and poor environmental resistance of traditional hydrogels severely limit their practical application. Herein, high-ion-conducting poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) nanocomposite hydrogels were fabricated and applied for harsh environments. MXene ion-conducting microchannels and poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) ion sources contributed to the directional transport of abundant free ions in the hydrogel, which significantly improved the sensitivity and mechanical-electric conversion of the nanocomposite hydrogel-based piezoelectric and triboelectric sensors. More importantly, the glycerol as an antifreezing agent enabled the hydrogel-based sensors to function in harsh environments. Therefore, the nanocomposite hydrogel exhibited high gauge factor (GF) at -20 °C (GF = 3.37) and 60 °C (GF = 3.62), enabling the hydrogel-based sensor to distinguish different writing letters and sounding words. Meanwhile, the hydrogel-based piezoelectric and triboelectric generators showed excellent mechanical-electric conversion performance regardless of low- (-20 °C) or high- (60 °C) temperature environments, which can be applied as a visual feedback system for information transmission without external power sources. This work provides self-powered nanocomposite hydrogel-based sensors that exhibit potential applications in flexible wearable electronics under harsh environmental conditions.

Prediction of delayed graft function by early salivary microbiota following kidney transplantation.

Delayed graft function (DGF) is a frequently observed complication following kidney transplantation (KT). Our prior research revealed dynamic shifts in salivary microbiota post-KT with immediate graft function (IGF), yet its behavior during DGF remains unexplored. Five recipients with DGF and 35 recipients with IGF were enrolled. Saliva samples were collected during the perioperative period, and 16S rRNA gene sequencing was performed. The salivary microbiota of IGFs changed significantly and gradually stabilized with the recovery of renal function. The salivary microbiota composition of DGFs was significantly different from that of IGFs, although the trend of variation appeared to be similar to that of IGFs. Salivary microbiota that differed significantly between patients with DGF and IGF at 1 day after transplantation were able to accurately distinguish the two groups in the randomForest algorithm (accuracy = 0.8333, sensitivity = 0.7778, specificity = 1, and area under curve = 0.85), with Selenomonas playing an important role. Bacteroidales (Spearman's r = - 0.4872 and p = 0.0293) and Veillonella (Spearmen's r = - 0.5474 and p = 0.0125) were significantly associated with the serum creatinine in DGF patients. Moreover, the significant differences in overall salivary microbiota structure between DGF and IGF patients disappeared upon long-term follow-up. This is the first study to investigate the dynamic changes in salivary microbiota in DGFs. Our findings suggested that salivary microbiota was able to predict DGF in the early stages after kidney transplantation, which might help the perioperative clinical management and early-stage intervention of kidney transplant recipients. KEY POINTS: • Salivary microbiota on the first day after KT could predict DGF. • Alterations in salivary taxa after KT are related to recovery of renal function.

Recognition of antitussive components in Farfarae Flos based on grey relational analysis and partial least squares regression. / åŸºäºŽç°è‰²å ³è”åº¦åˆ†æžå’Œåæœ€å°äºŒä¹˜å›žå½’è¾¨è¯†æ¬¾å†¬èŠ±æ­¢å’³æ´»æ€§æˆåˆ†.

OBJECTIVES: Farfarae Flos has the effect of cough suppression and phlegm elimination, with cough suppression as the main function. Studies have revealed that certain components of Farfarae Flos may be related to its cough suppressant effect, and some components have been confirmed to have cough suppressant activity. However, the antitussive material basis of Farfarae Flos has not been systematically elucidated. This study aims to elucidate the group of active ingredients in Farfarae Flos with cough suppressant activity by correlating the high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) fingerprint of Farfarae Flos extract with its cough suppressant activity. METHODS: HPLC was used to establish the fingerprint profiles of 10 batches of Farfarae Flos extract and obtain their chemical composition data. Guinea pigs were selected as experimental animals and the citric acid-induced cough model was used to evaluate the antitussive efficacy data of 10 batches of Farfarae Flos extract. SPF-grade healthy male Hartley guinea pigs were randomly divided into the S1 to S10 groups, a positive control group, and a blank control group (12 groups in total), with 10 guinea pigs in each group. The S1 to S10 groups were respectively administered Farfarae Flos extract S1 to S10 (4 g/kg), the positive control group was administered pentoverine citrate (10 mg/kg), and the blank control group was administered purified water. Each group received continuous oral administration for 5 days. The guinea pigs were placed in 5 L closed wide-mouth bottles, and 17.5% citric acid was sprayed into the bottle with an ultrasonic atomizer at the maximum spray intensity for 0.5 minutes. The cough latency period and cough frequency in 5 minutes were recorded for each guinea pig. Grey relational analysis (GRA) and partial least squares regression (PLSR) were used to conduct spectral-effect correlation analysis of the chemical composition data of Farfarae Flos extract and the antitussive efficacy data, and predict the group of active ingredients in Farfarae Flos with antitussive activity. The bioequivalence verification was conducted to verify the predicted group of active ingredients in Farfarae Flos with antitussive activity: SPF-grade healthy male Hartley guinea pigs were randomly divided into a S9 group, an active ingredient group, a positive control group, and a blank control group (4 groups in total), with 10 guinea pigs in each group. The S9 group was administered Farfarae Flos extract S9 (4 g/kg), the active ingredient group was administered the predicted combination of antitussive active ingredients (dose equivalent to 4 g/kg of Farfarae Flos extract S9), the positive control group was administered pentoverine citrate (10 mg/kg), and the blank control group was administered purified water. Each group received continuous oral administration for 5 days, and animal modeling and observation of efficacy indicators were the same as above. RESULTS: The HPLC fingerprint of 10 batches of Farfarae Flos extract was established, and the peak area data of 14 main common peaks were obtained. The antitussive effect data of 10 batches of Farfarae Flos extract were obtained. Compared with the blank control group, the cough latence in the positive control group and S1, S2, S3, S4, S6, S7, S8, S9, S10 groups was prolonged (all P<0.01), while the cough frequency in 5 minutes in the positive control group and S1, S2, S4, S6, S8, S9, S10 groups was decreased (all P<0.05). The analysis of spectrum-effect relationship revealed that isochlorogenic acid C, isochlorogenic acid A, chlorogenic acid, isochlorogenic acid B, isoquercitrin, and rutin had high contribution to the antitussive effect of Farfarae Flos, and the 6 components were predicted to be the antitussive component group of Farfarae Flos. The verification of bioequivalence showed that there were no statistically significant differences in the antitussive effect between the S9 group and the antitussive component composition group(all P>0.05), which confirmed that isochlorogenic acid C, isochlorogenic acid A, chlorogenic acid, isochlorogenic acid B, isoquercetin, and rutin were the antitussive component group of Farfarae Flos. CONCLUSIONS: The analysis of spectrum-effect relationship combined with the verification of bioequivalence could be used to study the antitussive material basis of Farfarae Flos. The antitussive effect of Farfarae Flos is the result of the joint action of many components.

Microbiota profiles in the saliva, cancerous tissues and its companion paracancerous tissues among Chinese patients with lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: Despite the growing interest in the impact of the gut microbiome on cancer, the relationship between the lung microbiome and lung cancer has received limited investigation. Additionally, the composition of the oral microbiome was found to differ from that of individuals with lung cancer, indicating that these microorganisms may serve as potential biomarkers for the detection of lung cancer. METHODS: Forty-three Chinese lung cancer patients were enrolled in the current retrospective study and 16 S rRNA sequencing was performed on saliva, cancerous tissue (CT) and paracancerous tissue (PT) samples. RESULTS: Diversity and species richness were significantly different between the oral and lung microbiota. Lung microbiota were largely composed of the phyla Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria. The relative abundance of Promicromonosporacea and Chloroflexi increased in CT, while Enterococcaceae and Enterococcus were enriched in PT (p<0.05). A cancer-related microbiota model was constructed and produced an area under the curve of 0.74 in the training set, indicating discrimination between subjects with and without cancer. CONCLUSIONS: Characterization of microbiota in saliva, CT and PT from Chinese lung cancer patients revealed little difference between CT and PT, indicating that the tumor and its microenvironment might influence the local microbiome. A model to distinguish between CT and PT was constructed, which has the potential to enhance our comprehension of the involvement of microbiota in the pathogenesis of lung cancer and identify novel therapeutic targets.

Temporal Trends of Legacy and Emerging PFASs from 2011 to 2021 in Agricultural Soils of Eastern China: Impacts of the Stockholm Convention.

The spatial variation and temporal trends of legacy and emerging per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) from 2011 to 2021 in agricultural soils of Eastern China, which is one of the largest PFAS production and consumption regions in the world, were evaluated. We found that PFOS concentration decreased by 28.2% during this period. Given that agricultural soils are sinks for persistent organic pollutants (POPs), our results suggest that the implementation of the Stockholm Convention and its indirect effects, combined with a voluntary phaseout, are effective for controlling PFOS pollution in agricultural soils in China. In addition, our results show that 19 out of 28 PFASs were detected in >40% of the samples, with concentrations being 17.6-1950 pg/g with a median of 373 pg/g. Further, legacy PFASs were major components, accounting for 63.8% of total PFASs. Based on the source appointment of PFASs via the Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) model, the contribution ratio of consumer product industries has steadily increased from 6.10 to 26.2%, while both legacy and novel fluoropolymer industries have declined from 24.2 to 1.50 and 19.1 to 5.40%, further confirming the effectiveness of the Convention.

A novel artificial intelligence model for fetal facial profile marker measurement during the first trimester.

BACKGROUND: To study the validity of an artificial intelligence (AI) model for measuring fetal facial profile markers, and to evaluate the clinical value of the AI model for identifying fetal abnormalities during the first trimester. METHODS: This retrospective study used two-dimensional mid-sagittal fetal profile images taken during singleton pregnancies at 11-13+ 6 weeks of gestation. We measured the facial profile markers, including inferior facial angle (IFA), maxilla-nasion-mandible (MNM) angle, facial-maxillary angle (FMA), frontal space (FS) distance, and profile line (PL) distance using AI and manual measurements. Semantic segmentation and landmark localization were used to develop an AI model to measure the selected markers and evaluate the diagnostic value for fetal abnormalities. The consistency between AI and manual measurements was compared using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). The diagnostic value of facial markers measured using the AI model during fetal abnormality screening was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. RESULTS: A total of 2372 normal fetuses and 37 with abnormalities were observed, including 18 with trisomy 21, 7 with trisomy 18, and 12 with CLP. Among them, 1872 normal fetuses were used for AI model training and validation, and the remaining 500 normal fetuses and all fetuses with abnormalities were used for clinical testing. The ICCs (95%CI) of the IFA, MNM angle, FMA, FS distance, and PL distance between the AI and manual measurement for the 500 normal fetuses were 0.812 (0.780-0.840), 0.760 (0.720-0.795), 0.766 (0.727-0.800), 0.807 (0.775-0.836), and 0.798 (0.764-0.828), respectively. IFA clinically significantly identified trisomy 21 and trisomy 18, with areas under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.686 (95%CI, 0.585-0.788) and 0.729 (95%CI, 0.621-0.837), respectively. FMA effectively predicted trisomy 18, with an AUC of 0.904 (95%CI, 0.842-0.966). MNM angle and FS distance exhibited good predictive value in CLP, with AUCs of 0.738 (95%CI, 0.573-0.902) and 0.677 (95%CI, 0.494-0.859), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The consistency of fetal facial profile marker measurements between the AI and manual measurement was good during the first trimester. The AI model is a convenient and effective tool for the early screen for fetal trisomy 21, trisomy 18, and CLP, which can be generalized to first-trimester scanning (FTS).

Microfluidic Generation of Near-Infrared Photothermal Vitexin/ICG Liposome with Amplified Photodynamic Therapy.

Glioma, in which a malignant tumor cell occurs in neural mesenchymal cells, has a rapid progression and poor prognosis, which is still far from desirable in clinical treatments. We developed a lab-on-a-chip (LOC) device for the rapid and efficient preparation of vitexin/indocyanine green (ICG) liposomes. Vitexin could be released from liposome to kill cancer cell, which can potentially improve the glioma therapeutic effect and reduce the treatment time through synergistic photodynamic/photothermal therapies (PDT/PTT). The vitexin/ICG liposome was fabricated via LOC and its physicochemical property and release in vitro were evaluated. 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) method and live/dead staining were used to examine the enhanced antitumor effect of vitexin/ICG liposome in cooperation with PDT/PTT, while the related mechanism was explored by flow cytometry and western blot. The results were as follows: (1) The prepared vitexin/ICG liposome was smaller in size, homogenous in particle size distribution with significant low polydispersity index (PDI), and enhanced cumulative release in vitro. (2) We found that the formulated liposome presented strong cancer cell inhibition and suppression of its migration in a dose-dependent manner. (3) Further mechanistic studies showed that liposome combined with near-infrared irradiation could significantly upregulate levels of B cell lymphoma 2-associated X (Bax) protein and decrease B cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) at protein levels. The vitexin/ICG liposomes prepared based on a simple LOC platform can effectively enhance the solubility of insoluble drugs, and the combined effect of PTT/PDT can effectively increase their antitumor effect, which provides a simple and valid method for the clinical translation of liposomes.

Enhancing Anticancer Efficacy of Formononetin Microspheres via Microfluidic Fabrication.

Formononetin is a flavonoid compound with anti-tumor and anti-inflammatory properties. However, its low solubility limits its clinical use. We employed microfluidic technology to prepare formononetin-loaded PLGA-PEGDA microspheres (Degradable polymer PLGA, Crosslinking agent PEGDA), which can encapsulate and release drugs in a controlled manner. We optimized and characterized the microspheres, and evaluated their antitumor effects. The microspheres had uniform size, high drug loading efficiency, high encapsulation efficiency, and stable release for 35 days. They also inhibited the proliferation, migration, and apoptosis. The antitumor mechanism involved the induction of reactive oxygen species and modulation of Bcl-2 family proteins. These findings suggested that formononetin-loaded PLGA-PEGDA microspheres, created using microfluidic technology, could be a novel drug delivery system that can overcome the limitations of formononetin and enhance its antitumor activity.

Mechanistic Studies of an Automated Lipid Nanoparticle Reveal Critical Pharmaceutical Properties Associated with Enhanced mRNA Functional Delivery In Vitro and In Vivo.

Recently, lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) have attracted attention due to their emergent use for COVID-19 mRNA vaccines. The success of LNPs can be attributed to ionizable lipids, which enable functional intracellular delivery. Previously, the authors established an automated high-throughput platform to screen ionizable lipids and identified that the LNPs generated using this automated technique show comparable or increased mRNA functional delivery in vitro as compared to LNPs prepared using traditional microfluidics techniques. In this study, the authors choose one benchmark lipid, DLin-MC3-DMA (MC3), and investigate whether the automated formulation technique can enhance mRNA functional delivery in vivo. Interestingly, a 4.5-fold improvement in mRNA functional delivery in vivo by automated LNPs as compared to LNPs formulated by conventional microfluidics techniques, is observed. Mechanistic studies reveal that particles with large size accommodate more mRNA per LNP, possess more hydrophobic surface, are more hemolytic, bind a larger protein corona, and tend to accumulate more in macropinocytosomes, which may quantitatively benefit mRNA cytosolic delivery. These data suggest that mRNA loading per particle is a critical factor that accounts for the enhanced mRNA functional delivery of automated LNPs. These mechanistic findings provide valuable insight underlying the enhanced mRNA functional delivery to accelerate future mRNA LNP product development.

Stimuli-Responsive Natural Proteins and Their Applications.

Natural proteins are essential biomacromolecules that fulfill versatile functions in the living organism, such as their usage as cytoskeleton, nutriment transporter, homeostasis controller, catalyzer, or immune guarder. Due to the excellent mechanical properties and good biocompatibility/biodegradability, natural protein-based biomaterials are well equipped for prospective applications in various fields. Among these natural proteins, stimuli-responsive proteins can be reversibly and precisely manipulated on demand, rendering the protein-based biomaterials promising candidates for numerous applications, including disease detection, drug delivery, bio-sensing, and regenerative medicine. Therefore, we present some typical natural proteins with diverse physical stimuli-responsive properties, including temperature, light, force, electrical, and magnetic sensing in this review. The structure-function mechanism of these proteins is discussed in detail. Finally, we give a summary and perspective for the development of stimuli-responsive proteins.

Efficient Shaping of Cellulose Nanocrystals Based on Allomorphic Modification: Understanding the Correlation between Morphology and Allomorphs.

Cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) are green, safe, and renewable nanomaterials with a variety of excellent performances but their morphologies are notoriously difficult to control as this is unfavorable to the diversification of the end products. Allomorphic conversion plays an important role in diversifying the morphology of CNC. However, this further complicates the prediction, design, and control of the geometric dimensions of CNC. Herein, allomorphically modified cellulose (mercerized cellulose, ethylenediamine (EDA)-treated cellulose, and ball-milled cellulose) is designed and used as the starting material for CNC isolation. Subsequently, the morphological evolution of cellulose particles during acid hydrolysis is traced by scanning electron microscopy observations. A mechanism that facilitates further understanding of CNC shaping during sulfuric acid hydrolysis is proposed. According to the CNC shaping mechanism, precise prediction, design, and efficient control of the morphology of CNC (needle-like, ribbon-like, ellipsoid, and spherical) can be realized. CNC with various morphologies are favorable for their applications, such as templating synthesis of porous materials and Pickering emulsion dispersion.

Perception of the Nose and Lower Face Before and After Orthognathic Surgery in Subjects with Dento-maxillofacial Deformities: An Eye-Tracking Study.

BACKGROUND: Dento-maxillofacial deformities are often associated with nasal deviation, and patients often complain of nasal deviation after orthognathic surgery. This study aimed to quantitatively evaluate the facial visual attention given to dento-maxillofacial deformities accompanying nasal deviation from the perspective of patients and determine whether orthognathic surgery could alter this outcome. METHODS: The scanning paths of 137 patients were recorded using an eye-tracking device; recordings were made while the patients viewed images of dento-maxillofacial deformities associated with various degrees of nasal deviation before or after orthognathic surgery. Visual attention focused on the lower face and nose was analyzed. RESULTS: When viewing postoperative faces, the participants focused more visual attention on noses and less on the lower face than they did on preoperative faces. Interestingly, for preoperative faces, nasal deviation could significantly increase participants' visual attention to the lower face, and visual attention to noses was significantly increased when noses were deviated 12°, while for postoperative faces, a nasal deviation of 4° or more was associated with a significant increase in participants' visual attention to the nose. CONCLUSIONS: Patients tended to focus their visual attention on the lower region of preoperative faces and ignored nose irregularities. Orthognathic surgery can alter visual attention, shifting it from the lower face to the nose, and a deviation of 4° or more could be a potential concern for patients. Clinicians must inform patients preoperatively about preexisting nasal deviations, which can guide surgical planning and help manage patient expectations. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE IV: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

Biosynthetic Structural Proteins with Super Plasticity, Extraordinary Mechanical Performance, Biodegradability, Biocompatibility and Information Storage Ability.

Degradable bioplastics have attracted growing interest worldwide. However, it is challenging to develop bioplastics with a simple processing procedure, strong mechanical performance, good biocompatibility, and adjustable physicochemical properties. Herein, we introduced structural proteins as building blocks and developed a simple environmentally friendly approach to fabricate diverse protein-based plastics. A cost-effective and high-level production approach was developed through batch fermentation of Escherichia coli to produce the biomaterials. These bioplastics possess super plasticity, biocompatibility, biodegradability, and high resistance to organic solvents. Their structural and mechanical properties can be precisely controlled. Besides, high density information storage and hemostatic applications were realized in the bioplastic system. The customizable bioplastics have great potential for applications in numerous fields and are capable to scale up to the industrial level.

The role of JrLACs in the lignification of walnut endocarp.

BACKGROUND: The walnut shell, which is composed of a large number of sclereids originating from the lignified parenchyma of the endocarp, plays an important role in fruit development and during harvesting and storage. The physical and chemical properties of walnut shells are closely related to the lignin content. Laccase is the key enzyme responsible for lignin biosynthesis by the polymerization of monolignols and plays crucial roles in secondary cell wall formation in plants. In this study, we screened and identified laccase family genes from the walnut genome and investigated the expression of laccase during endocarp lignification in walnut. RESULTS: A total of 37 laccase genes were screened from the walnut genome and distributed on nine chromosomes and classified into 6 subfamilies, among which subfamily IV showed distinct expansion. We observed that endocarp lignification started 44 days after flowering (DAF), and at later periods, the lignin content increased rapidly, with growth peaks at 44-50 DAF and 100-115 DAF. The lignification of the endocarp proceeded from the outside to the inside, as demonstrated by section staining in combination with endocarp staining. Furthermore, the changes in the expression of laccase family genes in the endocarp at different developmental stages were studied, and JrLACs showed different expression trends. The expression of nine genes showed significant increase after 44 DAF, and among these, JrLAC12-1, JrLAC12-2 and JrLAC16 showed a significant change in expression at the lignification stage. A study of the expression of JrLACs in different tissues and at various endocarp developmental stages revealed, that most JrLACs were expressed at low levels in mature tissues and at high levels in young tissues, in particular, JrLAC12-1 showed high expression in the young stems. A significant positive correlation was found between the expression of JrLAC12-1 and the variation in the lignin content in the endocarp. CONCLUSION: Laccase genes play an important role in the lignification of the walnut endocarp, and JrLACs play different roles during fruit development. This study shows that JrLAC12-1 may play a key role in the lignification of endocarp.

Application of Virtual Planning for Three-Dimensional Guided Maxillofacial Reconstruction of Pruzansky-Kaban III Hemifacial Microsomia Using Custom Made Fixation Plate.

PURPOSE: Pruzansky-Kaban III hemifacial microsomia (HFM) is a rare congenital facial deformity, and it is challenging to reconstruct the facial appearance. The aim of the present study was to describe a technique of application of virtual planning for three-dimensional (3D) guided maxillofacial reconstruction of Pruzansky-Kaban III HFM using custom made fixation plate. METHODS: With the help of 3D models, a preoperative virtual planning and surgical simulation were performed. Computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacture (CAD/CAM) patient customized guides and custom fixation plates were designed to reconstruct the maxillofacial skull intraoperatively. Assessment was achieved through evaluation of the postoperative effects, such as imaging, facial appearance recovery and operation time. RESULTS: Five patients with Pruzansky-Kaban III HFM were enrolled into this study. The results showed an exceptional accuracy between the preoperative virtual planning and the outcomes actually achieved postoperatively. Intraoperative measurements were no longer needed and the different surgical steps became more simple and easier. The total time was distributed as: 160 minutes for the surgical time, 40 minutes for preoperative virtual plan, and 80 minutes for designing the patient specific cutting guides and custom fixation plates. The operating time and tissue damage were reduced. All cases underwent uneventful healing without any complications. CONCLUSION: The technique of patient specific guides and custom fixation plates is a reliable method of conveying the virtual plan to the operative field with higher efficiency in patients with Pruzansky-Kaban III HFM.

Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Treatment of Porous Silicon Increases Biocompatibility with Cardiomyocytes.

Porous silicon is of current interest for cardiac tissue engineering applications. While porous silicon is considered to be a biocompatible material, it is important to assess whether post-etching surface treatments can further improve biocompatibility and perhaps modify cellular behavior in desirable ways. In this work, porous silicon was formed by electrochemically etching with hydrofluoric acid, and was then treated with oxygen plasma or supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2). These processes yielded porous silicon with a thickness of around 4 µm. The different post-etch treatments gave surfaces that differed greatly in hydrophilicity: oxygen plasma-treated porous silicon had a highly hydrophilic surface, while scCO2 gave a more hydrophobic surface. The viabilities of H9c2 cardiomyocytes grown on etched surfaces with and without these two post-etch treatments was examined; viability was found to be highest on porous silicon treated with scCO2. Most significantly, the expression of some key genes in the angiogenesis pathway was strongly elevated in cells grown on the scCO2-treated porous silicon, compared to cells grown on the untreated or plasma-treated porous silicon. In addition, the expression of several apoptosis genes were suppressed, relative to the untreated or plasma-treated surfaces.

Genetically Engineered Polypeptide Adhesive Coacervates for Surgical Applications.

Adhesive hydrogels have been developed for wound healing applications. However, their adhesive performance is impaired dramatically due to their high swelling on wet tissues. To tackle this challenge, we fabricated a new type of non-swelling protein adhesive for underwater and in vivo applications. In this soft material, the electrostatic complexation between supercharged polypeptides with oppositely charged surfactants containing 3,4-dihydroxylphenylalanine or azobenzene moieties plays an important role for the formation of ultra-strong adhesive coacervates. Remarkably, the adhesion capability is superior to commercial cyanoacrylate when tested in ambient conditions. Moreover, the adhesion is stronger than other reported protein-based adhesives in underwater environment. The ex vivo and in vivo experiments demonstrate the persistent adhesive performance and outstanding behaviors for wound sealing and healing.

Nanoparticle-Stabilized Oxygen Microcapsules Prepared by Interfacial Polymerization for Enhanced Oxygen Delivery.

Most tumors have more severe hypoxia levels than normal tissue; tumor hypoxia is thus a useful target for cancer treatment. Here, we develop an effective oxygen delivery vehicle of polydopamine-nanoparticle-stabilized oxygen microcapsules by interfacial polymerization. The oxygen microcapsules have excellent biocompatibility. Oxygen could easily diffuse out from the microcapsules, thus increasing and maintaining the microenvironment at an oxygen-rich state. In vitro cell cultures confirm that oxygen microcapsules could effectively improve the hypoxia microenvironment, showing the lowest fluorescent intensity of hypoxia-green-labeled cells. When injected subcutaneously in vivo, oxygen microcapsules could also improve the tumor's hypoxia microenvironment, thus suppressing the growth of tumor. Synergetic therapy using oxygen microcapsules and gemcitabine drugs is an effective way for tumor treatment, showing the best performance in suppressing the tumor's growth.