HIAF (High Intensity heavy ion Accelerator Facility), a new facility planned in China for heavy ion related researches, consists of two ion sources, a high intensity Heavy Ion Superconducting Linac ...(HISCL), a 45 Tm Accumulation and Booster Ring (ABR-45) and a multifunction storage ring system. The key features of HIAF are unprecedented high pulse beam intensity and versatile operation mode. The HIAF project aims to expand nuclear and related researches into presently unreachable region and give scientists possibilities to conduct cutting-edge researches in these fields. The general description of the facility is given in this article with a focus on the accelerator design.
Domain walls may play an important role in future electronic devices, given their small size as well as the fact that their location can be controlled. Here, we report the observation of ...room-temperature electronic conductivity at ferroelectric domain walls in the insulating multiferroic BiFeO(3). The origin and nature of the observed conductivity are probed using a combination of conductive atomic force microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and first-principles density functional computations. Our analyses indicate that the conductivity correlates with structurally driven changes in both the electrostatic potential and the local electronic structure, which shows a decrease in the bandgap at the domain wall. Additionally, we demonstrate the potential for device applications of such conducting nanoscale features.
Biodegradable antimicrobial polymers are a promising solution for combating drug resistant microbes. When designing these materials, the balance between charge and hydrophobicity significantly ...affects the antimicrobial activity and selectivity toward microbes over mammalian cells. Furthermore, where the charge and hydrophobicity is located on the molecules has also proven to be significant. A series of antimicrobial homopolymer polycarbonates were synthesized, where the hydrophobic/hydrophilic balance was controlled by varying the spacer between the charged quaternary ammonium moiety and the polymer backbone (a “same-centered” structure where the hydrophobic moiety is directly attached to the charged moiety). These homopolymers were active against all microbes tested but depending on the spacer length some hemolytic activity was observed. To reduce the polymer hemolytic activity we systematically varied the polymer composition by copolymerizing the different monomers used in the “same center” homopolymers. By maintaining charge on each repeat unit but copolymerizing monomers having varied hydrophobic side chain lengths, polymers with high activity and selectivity were achieved. In addition, these macromolecules act via a membrane disruption mechanism, making them less likely to induce resistance.
Highly faceted wurtzite‐type ZnS nanotubes with hexagonal cross‐sections have been self‐assembled via a thermochemistry process. The self‐assembled growth along the c‐axis is associated with the ...non‐central and polar surfaces of the ZnS structure (see Figure and inside cover). Photoluminescence at room temperature shows a weak blue and a strong green emission band.
Background and Objective
Chronic periodontitis causes damage to tooth‐supporting tissues, resulting in tooth loss in adults. Recently, cell‐sheet‐based approaches have been studied to overcome the ...limitations of conventional cytotherapeutic procedures for periodontal regeneration. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the regenerative potential of periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs) and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) in three‐dimensional (3D) cell sheet constructs for periodontal regeneration in vivo.
Material and Methods
PDLSCs, HUVECs or co‐cultures of both cells were seeded onto temperature‐responsive culture dishes, and intact cell sheets were fabricated. Cell sheets were wrapped around the prepared human roots in three different combinations and implanted subcutaneously into immunodeficient mice.
Results
Histological evaluation revealed that after 2, 4 and 8 wk of implantation, periodontal ligament‐like tissue arrangements were observed around the implanted roots in experimental groups compared with controls. Vascular lumens were also observed in periodontal compartments of HUVEC‐containing groups. Periodontal ligament regeneration, cementogenesis and osteogenesis were evident in the experimental groups at both weeks 4 and 8, as shown by immunostaining for periostin and bone sialoprotein. Human cells in the transplanted cell sheets were stained by immunohistochemistry for the presence of human mitochondria.
Conclusions
The 3D cell sheet‐based approach may be potentially beneficial and is thus encouraged for future regenerative periodontal therapy.
Conventional vaccinations and immunotherapies have encountered major roadblocks in preventing infectious diseases like HIV, influenza, and malaria. These challenges are due to the high genomic ...variation and immunomodulatory mechanisms inherent to these diseases. Passive transfer of broadly neutralizing antibodies may offer partial protection, but these treatments require repeated dosing. Some recombinant viral vectors, such as those based on lentiviruses and adeno-associated viruses (AAVs), can confer long-term transgene expression in the host after a single dose. Particularly, recombinant (r)AAVs have emerged as favorable vectors, given their high
transduction efficiency, proven clinical efficacy, and low immunogenicity profiles. Hence, rAAVs are being explored to deliver recombinant antibodies to confer immunity against infections or to diminish the severity of disease. When used as a vaccination vector for the delivery of antigens, rAAVs enable
synthesis of foreign proteins with the conformation and topology that resemble those of natural pathogens. However, technical hurdles like pre-existing immunity to the rAAV capsid and production of anti-drug antibodies can reduce the efficacy of rAAV-vectored immunotherapies. This review summarizes rAAV-based prophylactic and therapeutic strategies developed against infectious diseases that are currently being tested in pre-clinical and clinical studies. Technical challenges and potential solutions will also be discussed.
This study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of laparoscopic common bile duct exploration (LCBDE) and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) combined with laparoscopic ...cholecystectomy (LC) to determine which one provides a better outcome for patients with gallbladder and common bile duct stones.
An electronic literature search was undertaken using Embase, Medline, PubMed, and Cochrane Library databases up to April 2022. For quality assessment of included studies, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were assessed by utilizing the Jadad scale. The primary outcome includes surgical success rate, retained stone rate, stone clearance rate, major morbidity, and mortality. The second outcome includes conversion to open surgery rate, postoperative pancreatitis, bile leakage, cholangitis, hemorrhage, pneumonia, and surgical-site infection.
14 randomized controlled trials with 2,181 patients were included. No significant difference was seen between the two groups in terms of surgical success, stone clearance, retained stones, operation time, and total morbidity. LC-LCBDE had higher rate of bile leakage relative risk (RR): 4.52; 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.19-9.31 and lower rate of postoperative pancreatitis (RR: 0.25; 95% CI: 0.13-0.46), cholangitis (RR: 0.17; 95% CI: 0.05-0.67), and hemorrhage (RR: 0.18; 95% CI: 0.07-0.42).
Both LC+LCBDE and LC+ERCP are safe, effective, and minimal-invasive treatments for concomitant gallbladder and CBD stones. LC-LCBDE was associated with comparable effects compared with LC+ERCP in terms of surgical success rate, stone clearance rate, retained stones rate, operation time, and total morbidity. At the same time, LC-LCBDE had a higher rate of bile leakage and a lower rate of postoperative pancreatitis, cholangitis, and hemorrhage.
Synopsis A brief introduction to the undergoing HIAF projects in China is given, and the scientific goals as well as the atomic physics programs are discussed. A new science center in the Gulf area ...near Hongkong will pro-vide unprecedented opportunities for novel scientific researches based on large scale facilities.
A 1D periodic structure of ferroelectric domains in epitaxial BiFeO3 films is created. By careful control of the growth mechanism for the SrRuO3 bottom electrode, its in‐plane lattice parameters are ...confined by the underlying DyScO3 (110)O single‐ crystal substrate, enabling the formation of an expitaxial film of (110)O SrRuO3 with a single structural domain (see figure).
The low-energy astrophysical S factors of the Li6(p,γ)Be7 reaction have been investigated on a 320 kV platform at the Institute of Modern Physics in Lanzhou. The experimental S factor of this ...reaction shows an interesting sizable drop contrary to any existing theoretical expectations at energies below 200 keV. Such drop has not been fully understood yet and may reflect a novel reaction mechanism. The appearance of an interesting new positive-parity 1/2+ or 3/2+ resonance at Ec.m.≈195 keV is discussed. This study shows the danger of extrapolating experimental data over too large an energy range and demonstrates the need for careful direct experimental studies of reaction cross sections at or near stellar energies. In addition, our new results are discussed in the framework of a SUSY assisted Big-Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN) model.
PDF
