Microbial Community Structure, Diversity, and Succession During Decomposition of Kiwifruit Litters with Different Qualities.

There are differences in the litter quality and decomposition rate of kiwifruit varieties, but it is not clear whether these differences are related to microbial communities. The leaf litters of two kiwifruit varieties ( cv 'Hongyang' and cv 'Jinyan') were taken as objects, and the structure, diversity, and succession of the soil microbial communities were analyzed using an in situ decomposition experiment. Moreover, the contents of C, N, P, and K in the litters during decomposition were analyzed.

Construction of Magnesium Phosphate Chemical Conversion Coatings with Different Microstructures on Titanium to Enhance Osteogenesis and Angiogenesis.

Titanium (Ti) and its alloys are widely used as hard tissue substitutes in dentistry and orthopedics, but their low bioactivity leads to undesirable osseointegration defects in the early osteogenic phase. Surface modification is an important approach to overcome these problems. In the present study, novel magnesium phosphate (MgP) coatings with controllable structures were fabricated on the surface of Ti using the phosphate chemical conversion (PCC) method.

The Formation Process and Mechanism of the 3D Porous Network on the Sulfonated PEEK Surface.

A three-dimensional (3D) porous network can be prepared on the PEEK surface by sulfonation with enhanced osseointegration and antibacterial properties. However, few studies have been conducted on the formation mechanism of a 3D porous network. In this work, the surface and cross-sectional morphologies, chemical compositions, functional groups, surface wettability, and crystalline states of sulfonated PEEK were investigated at different sulfonation times and coagulant concentrations.

A Comparative Study on Microstructure, Segregation, and Mechanical Properties of Al-Si-Mg Alloy Parts Processed by GISS-HPDC and SEED-HPDC.

There are multiple routes to prepare semi-solid slurries with a globular microstructure for semi-solid forming. The variations in the microstructure of semi-solid slurries prepared using different routes may lead to significant differences in the flow behavior and mechanical properties of rheo-diecasting parts. Therefore, it is crucial to have a comprehensive understanding of the microstructure evolution associated with different slurry preparation routes and their resulting effects.

Effects of Heating Rates on Microstructural Evolution of Hot Extruded 7075 Aluminum Alloy in the Semi-Solid State and Thixotropic Deformation Behavior.

The non-dendritic microstructure plays a crucial role in determining the rheological properties of semi-solid alloys, which are of the utmost importance for the successful industrial application of the thixoforging process. To further understand the impact of the reheating process on the evolution of microstructure and thixotropic deformation behavior in the semi-solid state, a hot extruded and T6 treated 7075 aluminum alloy was reheated to the selected temperature ranges using varying heating rates. Subsequently, thixo-compression tests were performed.

Effect of Reaction Temperature on the Microstructure and Properties of Magnesium Phosphate Chemical Conversion Coatings on Titanium.

Magnesium phosphate (MgP) has garnered growing interest in hard tissue replacement processes due to having similar biological characteristics to calcium phosphate (CaP). In this study, an MgP coating with the newberyite (MgHPO·3HO) was prepared on the surface of pure titanium (Ti) using the phosphate chemical conversion (PCC) method. The influence of reaction temperature on the phase composition, microstructure, and properties of coatings was systematically researched with the use of an X-ray diffractometer (XRD), a scanning electron microscope (SEM), a laser scanning confocal microscope (LSCM), a contact angle goniometer, and a tensile testing machine.

Targeted multi-platform metabolome analysis and enzyme activity analysis of kiwifruit during postharvest ripening.

Kiwifruit is a climacteric fruit, in which the accumulation of flavor substances mainly occurs at the postharvest ripening stage. However, the dynamic changes in metabolite composition remain poorly understood. Here, targeted multi-platform metabolome analysis based on GC-MS and UPLC-MS/MS and enzyme activity analysis were performed at different postharvest ripening stages of kiwifruit.

Effect of Substrates Performance on the Microstructure and Properties of Phosphate Chemical Conversion Coatings on Metal Surfaces.

Phosphate chemical conversion (PCC) technology has attracted extensive attention for its ability to regulate the surface properties of biomedical metals. However, titanium (Ti)-based alloys exhibit inertia because of the native passive layer, whereas zinc (Zn)-based alloys show high activity in acidic PCC solutions. The substrate performance affects the chemical reaction in the phosphating solution, which further leads to diversity in coating properties.

Study on Mandrel Forging and Necking Process of a Hollow Shaft with an Inner Stepped Hole.

An advanced process of mandrel forging and necking (MFN) was proposed for a hollow shaft with an inner stepped hole. The conventional mandrel forging process with an equal-diameter mandrel was used to form the outer stepped preform, and then the preform was formed into the hollow shaft with an inner stepped hole using the MFN process. A numerical simulation model was established to study the effect of the pressing reduction and the rotation angle on the MFN process.

Zinc-Doping Induces Evolution of Biocompatible Strontium-Calcium-Phosphate Conversion Coating on Titanium to Improve Antibacterial Property.

Implant-associated infections (IAI) remains a common and devastating complication in orthopedic surgery. To reduce the incidence of IAI, implants with intrinsic antibacterial activity have been proposed. The surface functionalization and structure optimization of metallic implants can be achieved by surface modification using the phosphate chemical conversion (PCC) technique.

The Impact of Human Pressure and Climate Change on the Habitat Availability and Protection of (Orchidaceae) in Northeast China.

Human pressure on the environment and climate change are two important factors contributing to species decline and overall loss of biodiversity. Orchids may be particularly vulnerable to human-induced losses of habitat and the pervasive impact of global climate change. In this study, we simulated the extent of the suitable habitat of three species of the terrestrial orchid genus in northeast China and assessed the impact of human pressure and climate change on the future distribution of these species.

Interleukin-4 assisted calcium-strontium-zinc-phosphate coating induces controllable macrophage polarization and promotes osseointegration on titanium implant.

Titanium (Ti) and its alloys are believed to be promising scaffold materials for dental and orthopedic implantation due to their ideal mechanical properties and biocompatibility. However, the host immune response always causes implant failures in the clinic. Surface modification of the Ti scaffold is an important factor in this process and has been widely studied to regulate the host immune response and to further promote bone regeneration.

Revealing nanoscale mineralization pathways of hydroxyapatite using in situ liquid cell transmission electron microscopy.

To treat impairments in hard tissues or overcome pathological calcification in soft tissues, a detailed understanding of mineralization pathways of calcium phosphate materials is needed. Here, we report a detailed mechanistic study of hydroxyapatite (HA) mineralization pathways in an artificial saliva solution via in situ liquid cell transmission electron microscopy (TEM). It is found that the mineralization of HA starts by forming ion-rich and ion-poor solutions in the saliva solution, followed by coexistence of the classical and nonclassical nucleation processes.

Efficacy of concentrated growth factors combined with mineralized collagen on quality of life and bone reconstruction of guided bone regeneration.

To evaluate the clinical efficacy of concentrated growth factors (CGFs) combined with mineralized collagen (MC) in guided bone regeneration (GBR). A retrospective study involving 29 patients treated with GBR technique, which was performed either CGF and MC complexes or MC alone. Implants were inserted simultaneously and cone-beam computed tomography was taken immediately, at 3 and 6 months postoperation.

Novel PMMA bone cement nanocomposites containing magnesium phosphate nanosheets and hydroxyapatite nanofibers.

Lack of bioactivity and monomer toxicity are limiting factors of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) bone cement in orthopedic applications. Herein, we address these shortcomings by proposing two-dimensional magnesium phosphate (MgP) nanosheets and hydroxyapatite (HA) nanofibers as novel fillers in PMMA bone cement nanocomposites. Two-dimensional MgP nanosheets and one-dimensional HA nanofibers were synthesized by tuning the crystallization of the sodium-magnesium-phosphate ternary system and hydrothermal homogeneous precipitation, respectively.

Investigation of nature of starting materials on the construction of hydroxyapatite 1D/3D morphologies.

With the increasing requirement of bone repair materials, hydroxyapatite (HA) has been paid widely attention to investigation because of its good bioactivity and osteoconductivity. The structure of HA is a vital factor to expand its application in the field of hard tissue therapy. Thus, many strategies have been utilized in fabricating one-dimensional (1D) and three-dimensional (3D) nanostructured HA.

Interfacial tissue engineering of heart regenerative medicine based on soft cell-porous scaffolds.

Myocardial infarction (MI), occurs when the coronary artery is occluded resulting in the hypoxia of areas in heart tissue, is increasing in recent years because of the population ageing and lifestyle changes. Currently, there is no ideal therapeutic scheme because of the limitation of MI therapeutic strategies due to the lack of regenerative ability of the heart cells in adult humans. Recent advances in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine brings hope to the MI therapy and current studies are focusing on restoring the function and structure of damaged tissue by delivering exogenous cells or stimulating endogenous heart cells.

Preparation of well-distributed titania nanopillar arrays on Ti6Al4V surface by induction heating for enhancing osteogenic differentiation of stem cells.

Great effort has recently been devoted to the preparation of nanoscale surfaces on titanium-based implants to achieve clinically fast osteoinduction and osseointegration, which relies on the unique characteristics of the nanostructure. In this work, we used induction heating treatment (IHT) as a rapid oxidation method to fabricate a porous nanoscale oxide layer on the Ti6Al4V surface for better medical application. Well-distributed vertical nanopillars were yielded by IHT for 20-35 s on the alloy surface.

A bioactive coating with submicron-sized titania crystallites fabricated by induction heating of titanium after tensile deformations.

Thermal oxidation technology was widely investigated as one of effective surface modification method for improving the bioactivity and biocompatibility of titanium and its alloys. In this work, the induction heat oxidization method, a fast, efficient, economical and environmental protective technology, was applied to prepare the submicron-morphological oxide coating with variable rutile TiO equiaxed crystallites on the surface of pure Ti substrates after cold-drawing with 10-20% deformations. The results showed the plastic-deformed Ti cylinders recrystallized during induction heating treatment (IHT) for 10-20s which resulted in evolution of microstructures as well as slight improvement of microhardness.

In-situ preparation of scholzite conversion coatings on titanium and Ti-6Al-4V for biomedical applications.

A scholzite (CaZn(PO)·2HO) coating was prepared in situ on commercially pure titanium (cpTi) and Ti-6Al-4V (Ti64) substrates using the chemical conversion technology, and its phase composition and microstructure, as well as mechanical, chemical and biological properties were investigated to explore potential applications as a bioactive coating on bone implants. It is indicated that the coating consists mainly of monoclinic scholzite crystals with nano-thick laminar morphology. The crystals on cpTi aggregate to flower-like particles with the diameter of 5-10μm, while form a network structure homogeneously on Ti64.

Modification and cytocompatibility of biocomposited porous PLLA/HA-microspheres scaffolds.

Poly(L-lactic acid) and hydroxyapatie (PLLA/HA) composite scaffolds have good properties and suit to use as bone tissue engineering. In this work, hollow HA microspheres (HAM) with poor crystallinity were fabricated by a flame-drying method. The HAM has the potential to be used to release drugs or proteins in addition to improve osteoconductivity.

Engineering titania nanostructure to tune and improve its photocatalytic activity.

Photocatalytic pathways could prove crucial to the sustainable production of fuels and chemicals required for a carbon-neutral society. Electron-hole recombination is a critical problem that has, so far, limited the efficiency of the most promising photocatalytic materials. Here, we show the efficacy of anisotropy in improving charge separation and thereby boosting the activity of a titania (TiO2) photocatalytic system.

Phosphate chemical conversion coatings on metallic substrates for biomedical application: a review.

Phosphate chemical conversion (PCC) technology has been investigated for improving the surface performance of metallic implants in the biomedical field over the last decade. The metallic materials, such as magnesium and its alloys, titanium, pure iron and stainless steel are widely used as orthopedic devices for immobilization of bone fractures in clinic. They were previously studied as metal substrates for PCC coating aiming to modify their biocompatibility and osteoconductivity.

Preparation and properties of plasma electrolytic oxidation coating on sandblasted pure titanium by a combination treatment.

Plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) is one of the most applicable methods to produce bioceramic coating on a dental implant and sandblasting is a primary technique to modify metal surface properties. This study aims to deposit bioceramic Ca- and P-containing coatings on sandblasted commercially pure titanium by PEO technique to improve its bioactive performance. The time-dependent modified surfaces are characterized in terms of their microstructure, phase, chemical composition, mechanical properties and bioactivities.