Polymeric biomaterials such as polylactic acid(PLA)play a prominent role in the advancement of biomedical additive manufacturing(AM).PLA offers indeed a very advantageous combination of thermomechanical properties and...Polymeric biomaterials such as polylactic acid(PLA)play a prominent role in the advancement of biomedical additive manufacturing(AM).PLA offers indeed a very advantageous combination of thermomechanical properties and functional attributes,as it is biobased,biodegradable,biocompatible and easy to print.However,PLA can be damaged by common sterilization methods and is sensitive to most chemical disinfectants,and this may impair its widespread usage.One of the most promising ways to overcome this shortcoming is to provide PLA with embedded antibacterial activity by the addition of appropriate fillers such as zinc oxide(Zn O)nanoparticles.After a detailed introduction to the basic properties of PLA and ZnO nanoparticles,the present review analyzes the main variables that govern the antibacterial activity of PLA-ZnO nanocomposites.Current applications and related manufacturing processes are also presented to showcase the importance of having embedded antibacterial functions in demanding applications such as food packaging and wound dressing.Emphasis is then placed on the emerging literature of the AM of PLA-ZnO nanocomposites,with a focus on fused filament fabrication(also known as fused deposition modeling).Existing gaps and hurdles related to the development and 3D printing of such composites is critically discussed.It is envisioned that a deeper understanding of the processability,thermo-mechanical behavior,biocompatibility and antibacterial efficacy of additively manufactured PLAZnO nanocomposites will foster their adoption in the biomedical field and,ultimately,in all circumstances where it is crucial to limit infection transmission.展开更多
Purpose:Regular exercise can reduce incidence and progression of breast cancer,but the mechanisms for such effects are not fully understood.The purpose of this study was to examine the mechanisms behind the protective...Purpose:Regular exercise can reduce incidence and progression of breast cancer,but the mechanisms for such effects are not fully understood.The purpose of this study was to examine the mechanisms behind the protective effects of exercise.Methods:We used a variety of rodent and human experimental model systems to determine whether exercise training can reduce tumor burden in breast cancer and to identify mechanism associated with any exercise training effects on tumor burden.Results:We show that voluntary wheel running slows tumor development in the mammary specific polyomavirus middle T antigen overexpression(MMTV-PyMT)mouse model of breast cancer but only when mice are not housed alone.We identify the proteoglycan decorin as a contraction-induced secretory factor that systemically increases in patients with breast cancer immediately following exercise.Moreover,high expression of decorin in tumors is associated with improved prognosis in patients,while treatment of breast cancer cells in vitro with decorin reduces cell proliferation.Notwithstanding,when we overexpressed decorin in murine muscle or injected recombinant decorin systemically into mouse models of breast cancer,elevated plasma decorin concentrations did not result in higher tumor decorin levels and tumor burden was not improved.Conclusion:Exercise training is anti-tumorigenic in a mouse model of luminal breast cancer,but the effect is abrogated by social isolation.The proteoglycan decorin is an exercise-induced secretory protein,and tumor decorin levels are positively associated with improved prognosis in patients.The hypothesis that elevated plasma decorin is a mechanism by which exercise training improves breast cancer progression in humans is not,however,supported by our pre-clinical data since elevated circulating decorin did not increase tumor decorin levels in these models.展开更多
对一种简单结构的喹哪啶衍生物作为离子荧光探针的性能进行了研究。探针由8-羟基喹哪啶的2-位引入水杨醛构成,通过双键连接喹啉环与苯环以及推-拉电子基团构成大共轭结构,使其发光量子产率提高;探针分子中的氮、氧原子提供了良好的配位...对一种简单结构的喹哪啶衍生物作为离子荧光探针的性能进行了研究。探针由8-羟基喹哪啶的2-位引入水杨醛构成,通过双键连接喹啉环与苯环以及推-拉电子基团构成大共轭结构,使其发光量子产率提高;探针分子中的氮、氧原子提供了良好的配位作用点,能选择性与离子配合而使荧光性质发生变化。在乙腈/水溶液中,Fe^(3+)与探针形成1∶1的配合物而使其荧光猝灭,配合为自发的熵驱动放热过程。红外光谱和1 H NMR滴定推测探针分子中的两个羰基氧和氮的孤对电子参与Fe^(3+)络合,光诱导引发电子转移过程导致荧光猝灭。在乙腈溶液中,F^-使探针在415nm处的荧光峰降低,在560nm处出现新荧光峰,形成比率荧光,荧光由蓝色变为黄色至橙红色。同时,F^-使探针在280和340nm处的紫外吸收峰降低,在455nm处出现新的吸收峰,形成比率吸收,颜色由无色变为黄色至橙色。1 H NMR滴定推测探针分子与F^-是通过氢键作用。为一种同时检测阴、阳离子的双功能探针,荧光法对Fe^(3+)和F^-的检出限分别低至13.6nmol·L^(-1)和1.6μmol·L^(-1),紫外法对F^-的检出限低至16.5μmol·L^(-1)。利用探针对F^-识别时明显的颜色变化,建立了可视性,快速度,易操作的目视检测微量F^-的方法。展开更多
Perovskite solar cells(PSCs)have attracted tremendous attention as a promising alternative candidate for clean energy generation.Many attempts have been made with various deposition techniques to scale-up manufacturin...Perovskite solar cells(PSCs)have attracted tremendous attention as a promising alternative candidate for clean energy generation.Many attempts have been made with various deposition techniques to scale-up manufacturing.Slot-die coating is a robust and facile deposition technique that can be applied in large-area roll-to-roll(R2R)fabrication of thin film solar cells with the advantages of high material utilization,low cost and high throughput.Herein,we demonstrate the encouraging result of PSCs prepared by slot-die coating under ambient environment using a twostep sequential process whereby PbI_(2):CsI is slot-die coated first followed by a subsequent slot-die coating of organic cations containing solution.A porous PbI_(2):CsI film can promote the rapid and complete transformation into perovskite film.The crystallinity and morphology of perovskite films are significantly improved by optimizing nitrogen blowing and controlling substrate temperature.A power conversion efficiency(PCE)of 18.13%is achieved,which is promising for PSCs fabricated by two-step fully slot-die-coated devices.Furthermore,PSCs with a 1 cm2 area yield a champion PCE of 15.10%.Moreover,a PCE of 13.00%is obtained on a flexible substrate by the roll-to-roll(R2R)coating,which is one of the highest reported cells with all layers except for metal electrode fabricated by R2R process under ambient condition.展开更多
This paper suggests development of a flexible,lightweight,and ultra-sensitive piezoresistive flow sensor based on vertical graphene nanosheets(VGNs) with a mazelike structure.The sensor was thoroughly characterized fo...This paper suggests development of a flexible,lightweight,and ultra-sensitive piezoresistive flow sensor based on vertical graphene nanosheets(VGNs) with a mazelike structure.The sensor was thoroughly characterized for steady-state and oscillatory water flow monitoring applications.The results demonstrated a high sensitivity(103.91 mV(mm/s)-1) and a very low-velocity detection threshold(1.127 mm s-1) in steady-state flow monitoring.As one of many potential applications,we demonstrated that the proposed VGNs/PDMS flow sensor can closely mimic the vestibular hair cell sensors housed inside the semicircular canals(SCCs).As a proof of concept,magnetic resonance imaging of the human inner ear was conducted to measure the dimensions of the SCCs and to develop a 3D printed lateral semicircular canal(LSCC).The sensor was embedded into the artificial LSCC and tested for various physiological movements.The obtained results indicate that the flow sensor is able to distinguish minute changes in the rotational axis physical geometry,frequency,and amplitude.The success of this study paves the way for extending this technology not only to vestibular organ prosthesis but also to other applications such as blood/urine flow monitoring,intravenous therapy(Ⅳ),water leakage monitoring,and unmanned underwater robots through incorporation of the appropriate packaging of devices.展开更多
Nanostructured graphene films were used as platforms for the differentiation of Saos-2 cells into bonelike cells. The films were grown using the plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition method, which allowed the prod...Nanostructured graphene films were used as platforms for the differentiation of Saos-2 cells into bonelike cells. The films were grown using the plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition method, which allowed the production of both vertically and horizontally aligned carbon nanowalls(CNWs). Modifications of the techniqueallowed control of the density of the CNWs and their orientation after the transfer process. The influence of two different topographies on cell attachment, proliferation,and differentiation was investigated. First, the transferred graphene surfaces were shown to be noncytotoxic and were able to support cell adhesion and growth for over 7 days.Second, early cell differentiation(identified by cellular alkaline phosphatase release) was found to be enhanced on the horizontally aligned CNW surfaces, whereas mineralization(identified by cellular calcium production), a later stage of bone cell differentiation, was stimulated by the presence of the vertical CNWs on the surfaces. These results show that the graphene coatings, grown using the presented method, are biocompatible. And their topographies have an impact on cell behavior, which can be useful in tissue engineering applications.展开更多
Sustainable ammonia synthesis at ambient conditions that relies on renewable sources of energy and feedstocks is globally sought to replace the Haber-Bosch process.Here,using nitrogen and water as raw materials,a nont...Sustainable ammonia synthesis at ambient conditions that relies on renewable sources of energy and feedstocks is globally sought to replace the Haber-Bosch process.Here,using nitrogen and water as raw materials,a nonthermal plasma catalysis approach is demonstrated as an effective powerto-chemicals conversion strategy for ammonia production.By sustaining a highly reactive environment,successful plasma-catalytic production of NH_(3) was achieved from the dissociation of N_(2) and H_(2)O under mild conditions.Plasma-induced vibrational excitation is found to decrease the N_(2) and H_(2)O dissociation barriers,with the presence of matched catalysts in the nonthermal plasma discharge reactor contributing significantly to molecular dissociation on the catalyst surface.Density functional theory calculations for the activation energy barrier for the dissociation suggest that ruthenium catalysts supported on magnesium oxide exhibit superior performance over other catalysts in NH_(3) production by lowering the activation energy for the dissociative adsorption of N_(2) down to 1.07 eV.The highest production rate,2.67 mmol gcat.^(-1) h^(-1),was obtained using ruthenium catalyst supported on magnesium oxide.This work highlights the potential of nonthermal plasma catalysis for the activation of renewable sources to serve as a new platform for sustainable ammonia production.展开更多
Fluxing agents of zinc borate, antimony oxide, galss frit A and glass frit B, with different melting or softening point temperatures, were added into MgO-Al_2O_3-SiO_2/boron phenol formaldehyde resin（MAS/BPF） compos...Fluxing agents of zinc borate, antimony oxide, galss frit A and glass frit B, with different melting or softening point temperatures, were added into MgO-Al_2O_3-SiO_2/boron phenol formaldehyde resin（MAS/BPF） composites to lower the formation temperature of eutectic liquid phase and promote the ceramification of ceramifiable composites. The effects of fluxing agents on the thermogravimetric properties, phase evolution, and microstructure evolution of MAS/BPF composites were characterized by TG-DSC, XRD and SEM analyses. The results reveal that the addition of a fluxing agent highly reduces the decomposition rate of MAS/BPF composites. Fluxing agents lower the formation temperatures of liquid phases of ceramifiable MAS/BPF composites obviously, and then promote the ceramification and densification process. The final residues of composites are ceramic surrounded by large amount of glass phases.展开更多
In-situ transmission X-ray diffraction based compression deformation experiments are performed to study the twinning behaviour in asextruded(non-aged)and peak-aged Mg-7Sn-3Zn-0.04Na alloy.The axial lattice strains wer...In-situ transmission X-ray diffraction based compression deformation experiments are performed to study the twinning behaviour in asextruded(non-aged)and peak-aged Mg-7Sn-3Zn-0.04Na alloy.The axial lattice strains were measured in the parent grains,twins and the precipitates as a function of applied stress.The critical shear stress for achieving 5%twinning was found to be increased by∼26MPa by the presence of 7%of Sn and by∼50MPa by the presence of the particles formed after 10 h of aging.The evolution of twin volume fraction with plastic strain is similar in both non-aged and aged conditions,indicating no change in the relative activities of slip and twin in the ideally oriented(10.10)parent grains.Predictions made in previous studies of twin thickening stresses and twin bypass stresses agree reasonably well with the measured values,given the experimental error.Considerable relaxation was seen in the precipitate lattice reflections.This is attributed to relaxation effects continuing during X-ray data collection.Macroscopic flow curves confirm that precipitate hardening in the present system is particularly sensitive to relaxation effects.This is likely to be an important consideration for fatigue loading of precipitate hardened samples.展开更多
基金supported by the Australian Research Council(ARC)through the discovery grant DP210101862supported by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation(CSIRO)Research Office through the“Science Leader in Active Materials”grant。
文摘Polymeric biomaterials such as polylactic acid(PLA)play a prominent role in the advancement of biomedical additive manufacturing(AM).PLA offers indeed a very advantageous combination of thermomechanical properties and functional attributes,as it is biobased,biodegradable,biocompatible and easy to print.However,PLA can be damaged by common sterilization methods and is sensitive to most chemical disinfectants,and this may impair its widespread usage.One of the most promising ways to overcome this shortcoming is to provide PLA with embedded antibacterial activity by the addition of appropriate fillers such as zinc oxide(Zn O)nanoparticles.After a detailed introduction to the basic properties of PLA and ZnO nanoparticles,the present review analyzes the main variables that govern the antibacterial activity of PLA-ZnO nanocomposites.Current applications and related manufacturing processes are also presented to showcase the importance of having embedded antibacterial functions in demanding applications such as food packaging and wound dressing.Emphasis is then placed on the emerging literature of the AM of PLA-ZnO nanocomposites,with a focus on fused filament fabrication(also known as fused deposition modeling).Existing gaps and hurdles related to the development and 3D printing of such composites is critically discussed.It is envisioned that a deeper understanding of the processability,thermo-mechanical behavior,biocompatibility and antibacterial efficacy of additively manufactured PLAZnO nanocomposites will foster their adoption in the biomedical field and,ultimately,in all circumstances where it is crucial to limit infection transmission.
基金supported by an NHMRC Investigator Grant (APP1194141)supported by project grants from the NHMRC (APP1042465, APP1041760, and APP1156511)。
文摘Purpose:Regular exercise can reduce incidence and progression of breast cancer,but the mechanisms for such effects are not fully understood.The purpose of this study was to examine the mechanisms behind the protective effects of exercise.Methods:We used a variety of rodent and human experimental model systems to determine whether exercise training can reduce tumor burden in breast cancer and to identify mechanism associated with any exercise training effects on tumor burden.Results:We show that voluntary wheel running slows tumor development in the mammary specific polyomavirus middle T antigen overexpression(MMTV-PyMT)mouse model of breast cancer but only when mice are not housed alone.We identify the proteoglycan decorin as a contraction-induced secretory factor that systemically increases in patients with breast cancer immediately following exercise.Moreover,high expression of decorin in tumors is associated with improved prognosis in patients,while treatment of breast cancer cells in vitro with decorin reduces cell proliferation.Notwithstanding,when we overexpressed decorin in murine muscle or injected recombinant decorin systemically into mouse models of breast cancer,elevated plasma decorin concentrations did not result in higher tumor decorin levels and tumor burden was not improved.Conclusion:Exercise training is anti-tumorigenic in a mouse model of luminal breast cancer,but the effect is abrogated by social isolation.The proteoglycan decorin is an exercise-induced secretory protein,and tumor decorin levels are positively associated with improved prognosis in patients.The hypothesis that elevated plasma decorin is a mechanism by which exercise training improves breast cancer progression in humans is not,however,supported by our pre-clinical data since elevated circulating decorin did not increase tumor decorin levels in these models.
文摘对一种简单结构的喹哪啶衍生物作为离子荧光探针的性能进行了研究。探针由8-羟基喹哪啶的2-位引入水杨醛构成,通过双键连接喹啉环与苯环以及推-拉电子基团构成大共轭结构,使其发光量子产率提高;探针分子中的氮、氧原子提供了良好的配位作用点,能选择性与离子配合而使荧光性质发生变化。在乙腈/水溶液中,Fe^(3+)与探针形成1∶1的配合物而使其荧光猝灭,配合为自发的熵驱动放热过程。红外光谱和1 H NMR滴定推测探针分子中的两个羰基氧和氮的孤对电子参与Fe^(3+)络合,光诱导引发电子转移过程导致荧光猝灭。在乙腈溶液中,F^-使探针在415nm处的荧光峰降低,在560nm处出现新荧光峰,形成比率荧光,荧光由蓝色变为黄色至橙红色。同时,F^-使探针在280和340nm处的紫外吸收峰降低,在455nm处出现新的吸收峰,形成比率吸收,颜色由无色变为黄色至橙色。1 H NMR滴定推测探针分子与F^-是通过氢键作用。为一种同时检测阴、阳离子的双功能探针,荧光法对Fe^(3+)和F^-的检出限分别低至13.6nmol·L^(-1)和1.6μmol·L^(-1),紫外法对F^-的检出限低至16.5μmol·L^(-1)。利用探针对F^-识别时明显的颜色变化,建立了可视性,快速度,易操作的目视检测微量F^-的方法。
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.52173192)the National Key Research and Development Program of China(Grant No.2017YFA0206600)+1 种基金HL also acknowledges the support from the Key Innovation Project of Graduate of Central South University(Grant No.2018ZZTS106)and China Scholarship Council programOpen access funding provided by Shanghai Jiao Tong University
文摘Perovskite solar cells(PSCs)have attracted tremendous attention as a promising alternative candidate for clean energy generation.Many attempts have been made with various deposition techniques to scale-up manufacturing.Slot-die coating is a robust and facile deposition technique that can be applied in large-area roll-to-roll(R2R)fabrication of thin film solar cells with the advantages of high material utilization,low cost and high throughput.Herein,we demonstrate the encouraging result of PSCs prepared by slot-die coating under ambient environment using a twostep sequential process whereby PbI_(2):CsI is slot-die coated first followed by a subsequent slot-die coating of organic cations containing solution.A porous PbI_(2):CsI film can promote the rapid and complete transformation into perovskite film.The crystallinity and morphology of perovskite films are significantly improved by optimizing nitrogen blowing and controlling substrate temperature.A power conversion efficiency(PCE)of 18.13%is achieved,which is promising for PSCs fabricated by two-step fully slot-die-coated devices.Furthermore,PSCs with a 1 cm2 area yield a champion PCE of 15.10%.Moreover,a PCE of 13.00%is obtained on a flexible substrate by the roll-to-roll(R2R)coating,which is one of the highest reported cells with all layers except for metal electrode fabricated by R2R process under ambient condition.
基金financial support from Australian Research Council(ARC)via Discovery Early Career Researcher Awards(DE180100688 and DE170100284).
文摘This paper suggests development of a flexible,lightweight,and ultra-sensitive piezoresistive flow sensor based on vertical graphene nanosheets(VGNs) with a mazelike structure.The sensor was thoroughly characterized for steady-state and oscillatory water flow monitoring applications.The results demonstrated a high sensitivity(103.91 mV(mm/s)-1) and a very low-velocity detection threshold(1.127 mm s-1) in steady-state flow monitoring.As one of many potential applications,we demonstrated that the proposed VGNs/PDMS flow sensor can closely mimic the vestibular hair cell sensors housed inside the semicircular canals(SCCs).As a proof of concept,magnetic resonance imaging of the human inner ear was conducted to measure the dimensions of the SCCs and to develop a 3D printed lateral semicircular canal(LSCC).The sensor was embedded into the artificial LSCC and tested for various physiological movements.The obtained results indicate that the flow sensor is able to distinguish minute changes in the rotational axis physical geometry,frequency,and amplitude.The success of this study paves the way for extending this technology not only to vestibular organ prosthesis but also to other applications such as blood/urine flow monitoring,intravenous therapy(Ⅳ),water leakage monitoring,and unmanned underwater robots through incorporation of the appropriate packaging of devices.
基金partially supported by the Australian Research Council (DP160103116)CSIRO’s OCE Science Leadership Schemethe scholarship support from the National Council for Science and Technology Development (CNPq-Brasil)
文摘Nanostructured graphene films were used as platforms for the differentiation of Saos-2 cells into bonelike cells. The films were grown using the plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition method, which allowed the production of both vertically and horizontally aligned carbon nanowalls(CNWs). Modifications of the techniqueallowed control of the density of the CNWs and their orientation after the transfer process. The influence of two different topographies on cell attachment, proliferation,and differentiation was investigated. First, the transferred graphene surfaces were shown to be noncytotoxic and were able to support cell adhesion and growth for over 7 days.Second, early cell differentiation(identified by cellular alkaline phosphatase release) was found to be enhanced on the horizontally aligned CNW surfaces, whereas mineralization(identified by cellular calcium production), a later stage of bone cell differentiation, was stimulated by the presence of the vertical CNWs on the surfaces. These results show that the graphene coatings, grown using the presented method, are biocompatible. And their topographies have an impact on cell behavior, which can be useful in tissue engineering applications.
基金partially supported by the Australian Research Council(ARC)the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars(grant number 51925703)。
文摘Sustainable ammonia synthesis at ambient conditions that relies on renewable sources of energy and feedstocks is globally sought to replace the Haber-Bosch process.Here,using nitrogen and water as raw materials,a nonthermal plasma catalysis approach is demonstrated as an effective powerto-chemicals conversion strategy for ammonia production.By sustaining a highly reactive environment,successful plasma-catalytic production of NH_(3) was achieved from the dissociation of N_(2) and H_(2)O under mild conditions.Plasma-induced vibrational excitation is found to decrease the N_(2) and H_(2)O dissociation barriers,with the presence of matched catalysts in the nonthermal plasma discharge reactor contributing significantly to molecular dissociation on the catalyst surface.Density functional theory calculations for the activation energy barrier for the dissociation suggest that ruthenium catalysts supported on magnesium oxide exhibit superior performance over other catalysts in NH_(3) production by lowering the activation energy for the dissociative adsorption of N_(2) down to 1.07 eV.The highest production rate,2.67 mmol gcat.^(-1) h^(-1),was obtained using ruthenium catalyst supported on magnesium oxide.This work highlights the potential of nonthermal plasma catalysis for the activation of renewable sources to serve as a new platform for sustainable ammonia production.
文摘Fluxing agents of zinc borate, antimony oxide, galss frit A and glass frit B, with different melting or softening point temperatures, were added into MgO-Al_2O_3-SiO_2/boron phenol formaldehyde resin（MAS/BPF） composites to lower the formation temperature of eutectic liquid phase and promote the ceramification of ceramifiable composites. The effects of fluxing agents on the thermogravimetric properties, phase evolution, and microstructure evolution of MAS/BPF composites were characterized by TG-DSC, XRD and SEM analyses. The results reveal that the addition of a fluxing agent highly reduces the decomposition rate of MAS/BPF composites. Fluxing agents lower the formation temperatures of liquid phases of ceramifiable MAS/BPF composites obviously, and then promote the ceramification and densification process. The final residues of composites are ceramic surrounded by large amount of glass phases.
基金This research was supported by the Australian Research Council’s Discovery research grant(DP150101577).
文摘In-situ transmission X-ray diffraction based compression deformation experiments are performed to study the twinning behaviour in asextruded(non-aged)and peak-aged Mg-7Sn-3Zn-0.04Na alloy.The axial lattice strains were measured in the parent grains,twins and the precipitates as a function of applied stress.The critical shear stress for achieving 5%twinning was found to be increased by∼26MPa by the presence of 7%of Sn and by∼50MPa by the presence of the particles formed after 10 h of aging.The evolution of twin volume fraction with plastic strain is similar in both non-aged and aged conditions,indicating no change in the relative activities of slip and twin in the ideally oriented(10.10)parent grains.Predictions made in previous studies of twin thickening stresses and twin bypass stresses agree reasonably well with the measured values,given the experimental error.Considerable relaxation was seen in the precipitate lattice reflections.This is attributed to relaxation effects continuing during X-ray data collection.Macroscopic flow curves confirm that precipitate hardening in the present system is particularly sensitive to relaxation effects.This is likely to be an important consideration for fatigue loading of precipitate hardened samples.
