Preparation of Regenerated Silk Fibroin Hybrid Fibers with Hydrogen Peroxide Sensing Properties by Wet Spinning

Silk is widely used in the production of high-quality textiles.At the same time,the amount of silk textiles no longer in use and discarded is increasing,resulting in significant waste and pollution.This issue is of great concern in many countries where silk is used.Hydrogen peroxide as a naturally occurring compound is an important indicator of detection in both biology and the environment.This study aims to develop a composite fiber with hydrogen peroxide-sensing properties using discarded silk materials.To achieve this goal,firstly,polydopamine(PDA)was used to encapsulate the ZnFe_(2)O_(4) NPs to achieve the improvement of dispersion,and then regenerated silk fibroin(RSF)and PDA@ZnFe_(2)O_(4)/RSF hybrid fibers are prepared by wet spinning.Research has shown that PDA@ZnFe_(2)O_(4)/RSF demonstrates exceptional sensitivity,selectivity,and stability in detecting hydrogen peroxide,while maintaining high mechanical strength.Furthermore,the complete hybridization of PDA@ZnFe_(2)O_(4) with silk fibroin not only results in the combination of the durability of silk fibroin and PDA@ZnFe_(2)O_(4)’s rigidity,ensuring a reliable service life,but also makes PDA@ZnFe_(2)O_(4)/RSF exhibit excellent catalytic activity and biocompatibility.Therefore,the composite fiber exhibits exceptional mechanical properties and reliable hydrogen peroxide sensing capabilities,making it a promising material for biological and medical applications.

Mechanism by which Rab5 promotes regeneration and functional recovery of zebrafish Mauthner axons

Rab5 is a GTPase protein that is involved in intracellular membrane trafficking. It functions by binding to various effector proteins and regulating cellular responses, including the formation of transport vesicles and their fusion with the cellular membrane. Rab5 has been reported to play an important role in the development of the zebrafish embryo;however, its role in axonal regeneration in the central nervous system remains unclear. In this study, we established a zebrafish Mauthner cell model of axonal injury using single-cell electroporation and two-photon axotomy techniques. We found that overexpression of Rab5 in single Mauthner cells promoted marked axonal regeneration and increased the number of intra-axonal transport vesicles. In contrast, treatment of zebrafish larvae with the Rab kinase inhibitor CID-1067700markedly inhibited axonal regeneration in Mauthner cells. We also found that Rab5 activated phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase(PI3K) during axonal repair of Mauthner cells and promoted the recovery of zebrafish locomotor function. Additionally, rapamycin, an inhibitor of the mechanistic target of rapamycin downstream of PI3K, markedly hindered axonal regeneration. These findings suggest that Rab5 promotes the axonal regeneration of injured zebrafish Mauthner cells by activating the PI3K signaling pathway.

Human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived therapies for regeneration after central nervous system injury

In recent years,the progression of stem cell therapies has shown great promise in advancing the nascent field of regenerative medicine.Considering the non-regenerative nature of the mature central nervous system,the concept that“blank”cells could be reprogrammed and functionally integrated into host neural networks remained intriguing.Previous work has also demonstrated the ability of such cells to stimulate intrinsic growth programs in post-mitotic cells,such as neurons.While embryonic stem cells demonstrated great potential in treating central nervous system pathologies,ethical and technical concerns remained.These barriers,along with the clear necessity for this type of treatment,ultimately prompted the advent of induced pluripotent stem cells.The advantage of pluripotent cells in central nervous system regeneration is multifaceted,permitting differentiation into neural stem cells,neural progenitor cells,glia,and various neuronal subpopulations.The precise spatiotemporal application of extrinsic growth factors in vitro,in addition to microenvironmental signaling in vivo,influences the efficiency of this directed differentiation.While the pluri-or multipotency of these cells is appealing,it also poses the risk of unregulated differentiation and teratoma formation.Cells of the neuroectodermal lineage,such as neuronal subpopulations and glia,have been explored with varying degrees of success.Although the risk of cancer or teratoma formation is greatly reduced,each subpopulation varies in effectiveness and is influenced by a myriad of factors,such as the timing of the transplant,pathology type,and the ratio of accompanying progenitor cells.Furthermore,successful transplantation requires innovative approaches to develop delivery vectors that can mitigate cell death and support integration.Lastly,host immune responses to allogeneic grafts must be thoroughly characterized and further developed to reduce the need for immunosuppression.Translation to a clinical setting will involve careful consideration when assessing both physiologic and functional outcomes.This review will highlight both successes and challenges faced when using human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cell transplantation therapies to promote endogenous regeneration.

A functional tacrolimus-releasing nerve wrap for enhancing nerve regeneration following surgical nerve repair

Axonal regeneration following surgical nerve repair is slow and often incomplete,resulting in poor functional recovery which sometimes contributes to lifelong disability.Currently,there are no FDA-approved therapies available to promote nerve regeneration.Tacrolimus accelerates axonal regeneration,but systemic side effects presently outweigh its potential benefits for peripheral nerve surgery.The authors describe herein a biodegradable polyurethane-based drug delivery system for the sustained local release of tacrolimus at the nerve repair site,with suitable properties for scalable production and clinical application,aiming to promote nerve regeneration and functional recovery with minimal systemic drug exposure.Tacrolimus is encapsulated into co-axially electrospun polycarbonate-urethane nanofibers to generate an implantable nerve wrap that releases therapeutic doses of bioactive tacrolimus over 31 days.Size and drug loading are adjustable for applications in small and large caliber nerves,and the wrap degrades within 120 days into biocompatible byproducts.Tacrolimus released from the nerve wrap promotes axon elongation in vitro and accelerates nerve regeneration and functional recovery in preclinical nerve repair models while off-target systemic drug exposure is reduced by 80%compared with systemic delivery.Given its surgical suitability and preclinical efficacy and safety,this system may provide a readily translatable approach to support axonal regeneration and recovery in patients undergoing nerve surgery.

FK506 contributes to peripheral nerve regeneration by inhibiting neuroinflammatory responses and promoting neuron survival

FK506(Tacrolimus)is a systemic immunosuppressant approved by the U.S.Food and Drug Administration.FK506 has been shown to promote peripheral nerve regeneration,however,its precise mechanism of action and its pathways remain unclear.In this study,we established a rat model of sciatic nerve injury and found that FK506 improved the morphology of the injured sciatic nerve,increased the numbers of motor and sensory neurons,reduced inflammatory responses,markedly improved the conduction function of the injured nerve,and promoted motor function recovery.These findings suggest that FK506 promotes peripheral nerve structure recovery and functional regeneration by reducing the intensity of inflammation after neuronal injury and increasing the number of surviving neurons.

A novel flexible nerve guidance conduit promotes nerve regeneration while providing excellent mechanical properties

Autografting is the gold standard for surgical repair of nerve defects>5 mm in length;however,autografting is associated with potential complications at the nerve donor site.As an alternative,nerve guidance conduits may be used.The ideal conduit should be flexible,resistant to kinks and lumen collapse,and provide physical cues to guide nerve regeneration.We designed a novel flexible conduit using electrospinning technology to create fibers on the innermost surface of the nerve guidance conduit and employed melt spinning to align them.Subsequently,we prepared disordered electrospun fibers outside the aligned fibers and helical melt-spun fibers on the outer wall of the electrospun fiber lumen.The presence of aligned fibers on the inner surface can promote the extension of nerve cells along the fibers.The helical melt-spun fibers on the outer surface can enhance resistance to kinking and compression and provide stability.Our novel conduit promoted nerve regeneration and functional recovery in a rat sciatic nerve defect model,suggesting that it has potential for clinical use in human nerve injuries.

Silk-based nerve guidance conduits with macroscopic holes modulate the vascularization of regenerating rat sciatic nerve

Peripheral nerve injuries induce a severe motor and sensory deficit. Since the availability of autologous nerve transplants for nerve repair is very limited, alternative treatment strategies are sought, including the use of tubular nerve guidance conduits(tNGCs). However, the use of tNGCs results in poor functional recovery and central necrosis of the regenerating tissue, which limits their application to short nerve lesion defects(typically shorter than 3 cm). Given the importance of vascularization in nerve regeneration, we hypothesized that enabling the growth of blood vessels from the surrounding tissue into the regenerating nerve within the tNGC would help eliminate necrotic processes and lead to improved regeneration. In this study, we reported the application of macroscopic holes into the tubular walls of silk-based tNGCs and compared the various features of these improved silk^(+) tNGCs with the tubes without holes(silk^(–) tNGCs) and autologous nerve transplants in an 8-mm sciatic nerve defect in rats. Using a combination of micro-computed tomography and histological analyses, we were able to prove that the use of silk^(+) tNGCs induced the growth of blood vessels from the adjacent tissue to the intraluminal neovascular formation. A significantly higher number of blood vessels in the silk^(+) group was found compared with autologous nerve transplants and silk^(–), accompanied by improved axon regeneration at the distal coaptation point compared with the silk^(–) tNGCs at 7 weeks postoperatively. In the 15-mm(critical size) sciatic nerve defect model, we again observed a distinct ingrowth of blood vessels through the tubular walls of silk^(+) tNGCs, but without improved functional recovery at 12 weeks postoperatively. Our data proves that macroporous tNGCs increase the vascular supply of regenerating nerves and facilitate improved axonal regeneration in a short-defect model but not in a critical-size defect model. This study suggests that further optimization of the macroscopic holes silk^(+) tNGC approach containing macroscopic holes might result in improved grafting technology suitable for future clinical use.

High mobility group box 1 in the central nervous system:regeneration hidden beneath inflammation

High-mobility group box 1 was first discovered in the calf thymus as a DNA-binding nuclear protein and has been widely studied in diverse fields,including neurology and neuroscience.High-mobility group box 1 in the extracellular space functions as a pro-inflammatory damage-associated molecular pattern,which has been proven to play an important role in a wide variety of central nervous system disorders such as ischemic stroke,Alzheimer’s disease,frontotemporal dementia,Parkinson’s disease,multiple sclerosis,epilepsy,and traumatic brain injury.Several drugs that inhibit high-mobility group box 1 as a damage-associated molecular pattern,such as glycyrrhizin,ethyl pyruvate,and neutralizing anti-high-mobility group box 1 antibodies,are commonly used to target high-mobility group box 1 activity in central nervous system disorders.Although it is commonly known for its detrimental inflammatory effect,high-mobility group box 1 has also been shown to have beneficial pro-regenerative roles in central nervous system disorders.In this narrative review,we provide a brief summary of the history of high-mobility group box 1 research and its characterization as a damage-associated molecular pattern,its downstream receptors,and intracellular signaling pathways,how high-mobility group box 1 exerts the repair-favoring roles in general and in the central nervous system,and clues on how to differentiate the pro-regenerative from the pro-inflammatory role.Research targeting high-mobility group box 1 in the central nervous system may benefit from differentiating between the two functions rather than overall suppression of high-mobility group box 1.

One Rapid and Efficient Method for Isolation of Total RNA from Shoots Regenerated in vitro of Populus suaveolens

Total RNA was isolated from shoots regenerated in vitro of Populus suaveolens by the modified method of CTAB, and two clear bands of rRNA (28S and 18S) were observed in agarose electrophoresis. In addition, the values of OD260/OD280 and OD260/OD230 of extracted RNA were 2.12 and 2.23 respectively. The results show that RNA is little decomposed and the purity of RNA is high. Moreover, RNA isolated by the modified method of CTAB reagent had been successfully used for reverse transcription of P. suaveolens cDNAs and ideal special band was observed.

The scalability of the tunnel-regenerated multi-active-region light-emitting diode structure

The scalability of the tunnel-regenerated multi-active-region （TRMAR） structure has been investigated for the application in light-emitting diodes （LEDs）. The use of the TRMAR structure was proved theoretically to have unique advantages over conventional slngle-active-layer structures in virtually every aspect, such as high quantum efficiency, high power and low leakage. Our study showed that the TRMAR LED structure could obtain high output power under low current injection and high wall-plug efficiency compared with the conventional single-active-layer LED structure.

Preparation and characterization of regenerated MgO–CaO refractory bricks sintered under different atmospheres

Regenerated MgO-CaO brick samples containing 80wt%, 70wt%, and 60wt% MgO were prepared using spent MgO-CaO bricks and fused magnesia as raw materials and paraffin as a binder. The bricks were sintered at 1873 K for 2 h under an air atmosphere and under an isolating system. The microstructure, mechanical properties at room temperature, and hydration resistance of the regenerated samples were measured and compared. The results indicated that the isolating sintering generated a strongly reducing atmosphere as a result of the incomplete combustion of paraffin, and the partial oxygen pressure was approximately 6.68 × 10^-7 Pa. The properties of the regenerated bricks sintered under air conditions were all higher than those of the bricks sintered under a reducing atmosphere. The deterioration of the bricks was a result of MgO reduction and a decrease in the amount of liquid phase formed during sintering under a reducing atmosphere.

Fine Structure of Regenerated Silk Fibroin Solids

The fibroin solids (membrane and gel) were prepared from regenerated silk fibroin solution in different ways. The structure of the fibroin solids and its change during storage were studied. The results indicated that the structure of fibroin membrane air-dried at 30℃ or freeze dried at a freezing temperature of -20-4℃ was the coexistence of amorphous and silkⅠstructure. The amorphous region could partly be transformed into silkⅠstructure under room temperature and humidity. The structure of porous silk fibroin membrane was the coexistence of amorphous and small part of silkⅡ, if the aqueous fibroin was freeze dried within the temperature range of -80℃ to -20℃, and the amorphous partly transformed into silkⅠ during storage. The structure of fibroin gel naturally forming when kept at room temperature was coexistent of amorphous and silkⅡ. The content of Gly and Ala was high in the surface membrane of aqueous fibroin and its structure was mostly silkⅠ and silkⅡwith high crystallinity.

Leaching of the residue from the dry off-gas de-dusting and desulfurization process of an iron ore sinter plant

The residue from a second-stage dry sinter plant off-gas cleaning process contains both the fine dust from the sinter plant and the sorbent used. Recycling of the material that is usually handled by landfills to the sinter plant feed is not possible because of its chloride con- tent. Leaching of the chlorides allow the recycling of remaining solids. The saline leachate produced contains some heavy metals and must be treated before it is discharged into the sea. In laboratory experiments, leaching tests with the subsequent treatment of the leachate were con- ducted. After the process was optimized, all heavy-metal concentrations were below the permissible values. The optimum treatment condi- tions for heavy-metal precipitation were observed to be the filtration of the suspended solids followed by the dosing of liquid with lime milk （pH 10） and the subsequent precipitation using sodium sulfide.

A Review on the 3D Printing of Functional Structures for Medical Phantoms and Regenerated Tissue and Organ Applications

Medical models, or ＂phantoms,＂ have been widely used for medical training and for doctor-patient interactions. They are increasingly used for surgical planning, medical computational models, algorithm verification and validation, and medical devices development. Such new applications demand high-fidelity, patient-specific, tissue-mimicking medical phantoms that can not only closely emulate the geometric structures of human organs, but also possess the properties and functions of the organ structure. With the rapid advancement of three-dimensional （3D） printing and 3D bioprinting technologies, many researchers have explored the use of these additive manufacturing techniques to fabricate functional medical phantoms for various applications. This paper reviews the applications of these 3D printing and 3D bioprinting technologies for the fabrication of functional medical phantoms and bio-structures. This review specifically discusses the state of the art along with new developments and trends in 3D printed functional medical phantoms （i.e., tissue-mimicking medical phantoms, radiologically relevant medical phantoms, and physiological medical phantoms） and 3D bio-printed structures （i.e., hybrid scaffolding materials, convertible scaffolds, and integrated sensors） for regenerated tissues and organs.

Interfacial Interaction Between Polyurethane/Poly(Methacrylateco-Styrene) Coating and the Regenerated Cellulose Film

Water-resistant films were prepared by coating the surface of regenerated cellulose films with castor oil-based polyurethane (PU)/ poly-(methacrylate-co-styrene) [P (MA-St)]. The effects of the ratio of PU to P (MA-St) copolymer on tensile strength (dry and wet states), vapor permeability, size stability, and water resistivity of the coated films were studied. The interfacial interaction between cellulose and the PU/P (MA-St) coating was analyzed using infrared (IR), ultraviolet (UV), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), differential thermal analysis (DTA), and electron probe microanalysis (EPMA). The results indicated that the mechanical properties and water resistivity of the coated films significantly enhanced, and the biodegradability was displayed, when the ratio of PU to P (MA-St) was 8∶2 by weight. The chemical bonds and hydrogen bonds between the cellulose, PU, and the copolymer exist in the coated films. It is regarded that PU/P (MA-St) semi-interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs) were formed, and a shared network of PU with both the cellulose and the coating in the coated film occurred simultaneously resulting in a strong bonding between the coating layer and the film.

Modificatin of ITZ Structure and Properties of Regenerated Concrete

By means of reducing the ratio of water to cement （ w/c ）, incorporating a proper amount of fly ash and superplasticizer , and processing the surface of recycled aggregate （ RA ）, this paper aims at improving the interfacial transition zone （ITZ） submicro- structure of the regenerated concrete （ RC ）. The experimental resuits of mercury intrusion pressure （MIP） show that RA pretreated by PVA polymer solution and lyophobic active agent can jam its surface pore and hole, thus the porosity of RA is decreased. When reducing w/c ratio, incorporating 20% of fly ash （ FA ） and 2.5% of superplasticizer （ to cement ） in the RC , the width of ITZ is effectively narrowed, the structure of ITZ is combined much more compact and the compressive strength of RC is enhanced. Under the same conditions, using RA pretreated by 1% PVA polymer solution, the fluidity of fresh RC can be enhanced and the compressive strength of hardened RC can also be enhanced lightly. Whereas using RA pretreated by lyophobic active agent, the fluidity of fresh RC can be enhanced , but it impairs the adhesion of fresh cement paste and the surface of old concrete, and hinders the strength development of RC. In the ITZ structure of ordinary concrete （prepared with natural coarse and fine aggregate ）, there are much Ca （ OH）2, in plank-and sheet-like, distributing with priority tropism, whereas in the RC structure, Ca（ OH）2 with a coarse size is not found in ITZ ; the main reason is that the surface of coarse aggregate does not have a layer of water film.

High frequency wheat regeneration from leaf tissue explants of regenerated plantlets

The specificities of tissue culture of wheat greatly limit the use of chloroplast transformation technologies in this crop. One limitation in wheat tissue culture is that it is difficult to regenerate plantlets from leaf tissue explants of regenerated plantlets, resulting in difficulty in obtaining homoplastic plants via multiple rounds of antibiotic selection of chloroplast transformants. Thus, a repeated in vitro regeneration system from leaf tissues was studied in this research. Our results showed that 2 mm leaf basal segments of the 4 cm high leaves from regenerated plantlets can give the best callus induction at present study. The best callus induction medium was Murashige and Skoog (MS) basal medium supplemented with 2 mg/L 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and 1 mg/L naphthalenacetic acid, which gave a callus induction rate of up to 87.2%. The optimal differentiation medium was MS basal medium supplemented with 10 mg/L silver nitrate and 1 mg/L 2,3,5-triiodobenzoic acid, which gave a regeneration rate up to 33.7% for the wheat lines tested. This is the first report showing that leaf basal segments of in vitro regenerated plantlets can be used for regeneration of wheat. The establishment of a repetitive regeneration system should pave the way for the development of chloroplast transformation and the plant regeneration systems starting from leaf material of in vitro regenerated wheat and other cereal crops.

Plants regenerated from mesophyll protoplasts of white mulberry

Morus alba(white mulberry) mesophyll protoplasts were isolated from leaves of 30-45 day old sterile shoots,with protoplast yields of 2.5 x 107 g-1/F.W. after purification. The protoplasts were cultured in a modified K8P liquid medium containing 0.2 mg/L 2,4-D(2,4- Dichlorophe-noxy acetic acid), 1 mg/L NAA(Naphthyl acetic acid) and 0.5 mg/L BA(6-benzylaminopurine). A low plating density (5 x 104/ml) proved to be favourable to the division of protoplast-derived cells. The first divisioll occurred 4 days after culture, and the division frequency reached 24% at 10 days. A number of cell colonies and microcalli formed in 6 weeks. The microcalli were transferred onto MSB medium with 0.5 mg/L NAA and 0.5 mg/L BA for further proliferation. Shoot formation was initiated when the calli of 3-4 mm in size were transferred onto MSB differentiation medium with 0.1 mg/L NAA and 1 mg/L BA. The frequency of shoot formation was 35%. The shoots of 4-5 cm in height were excised from the callus and rooted on half strength MS medium with 0.5 mg/L IBA and 0.1 mg/L BA. After transplantation into pots, the regenerated plants grew vigorously in the phytotron.

Continuous determination of bath carbon content on 150tBOF by off-gas analyzer

The first imported off-gas analysis system on 150 t BOF at Benxi Plates Co.Ltd. is presented and the continuous determination of bath carbon content has been studied. Thecomparison between the whole-course carbon integral model and the end-point carbon prediction modelhas been made. The results show that the regular change of CO, CO_2 and N_2 content in the off-gasduring blowing plays an important role in judging the smelting end-point of converter; the cubiccurve fitting model has a higher hit rate over 95 percent for the heats whose end-point carboncontent is lower than 0.10 percent with a precision of +-0.02 percent and has a large error for theheats whose end-point carbon content is more than 0.15 percent.

White oak (Quercus fabri Hance) regenerated stump sprouts show few senescence symptoms during 40 years of growth in a natural forest

Background:The relationship between physiological age of parental trees and lifespan of clonal offspring is unclear.White oak(Quercus fabri Hance)has a high sprouting capability after harvest,with the regenerated sprouts being typical clonal individuals.To determine whether regenerated sprouts undergo rapid senescence compared with the parent,the senescence levels of 5-,10-,20-and 40-year-old regenerated stump sprouts in a natural forest were evaluated.The antioxidative abilities and transcriptomes in these leaves and shoots were compared.Results:Older regenerated sprouts still had robust antioxidative systems,with 40-year-old sprouts having lower peroxidation product levels but similar antioxidative enzyme activity levels compared with 5-year-old sprouts.Older leaves had greater transcriptional activities in pathways related to cell growth and division than younger leaves.However,older sprouts had some unhealthy characteristics,such as increased base excision repair levels and upregulated phagosome,proteasome and glycerophospholipid metabolism pathways in 40-year-old leaves,which indicates that DNA damage and tissue remodeling occurred more frequently than in younger leaves.Additionally,plant-pathogen interactions and MAPK signals pathways were upregulated in older shoots,which indicates that older shoots suffered from more pathogen-related biotic stress.Conclusions:The 40-year-old sprouts still had the same vitality level as the 5-year-old sprouts,although the former had some unhealthy characteristics.We conclude that during their first 40 years of growth,regenerated stump sprouts do not begin to senesce,and that physiological age of parental trees does not significantly affect the lifespan of its clonal offspring.