Proper Morphology Research Articles

Near-infrared absorbing non-fullerene acceptors with unfused D-A-D core for efficient organic solar cells

Abstract Two non-fullerene acceptors based on D-A-D-type unfused central units, i.e., BCPDT-1 and BCPDT-2, were synthesized, employing 3-bis(4-(2-ethylhexyl)-thiophen-2-yl)-5,7-bis(2ethylhexyl)benzo-[1,2:4,5-c′]-dithiophene-4,8-dione (BDD) unit as the A moiety and 4,4-dialkyl-4H-cyclopenta[2,1-b:3,4-b′]dithiophene (CPDT) unit as the D moiety. The two molecules possess identical backbones, but carry different side chains (octyl for BCPDT-1 and 2-ethylhexyl for BCPDT-2) on CPDT units. Both BCPDT-1 and BCPDT-2 presented broad absorption extending to near-infrared region with optical band gaps of 1.36 and 1.39 eV, respectively. Organic solar cells (OSCs) were fabricated with PBDB-T as donor and BCPDT-1 or BCPDT-2 as acceptor. The devices based on BCPDT-2 exhibited efficient exciton dissociation and charge collection as well as weak charge recombination, attributed to the proper film morphology with nano-scale phase separation and favorable molecular orientation. Consequently, the BCPDT-2 based device displayed a higher power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 10.65%, while the BCPDT-1 based device showed an inferior PCE of 7.54%.

Polymer acceptor based on naphthalene diimide and diethynylbenzo[1,2-b:4,5-b'] dithiophene units for efficient all-polymer solar cells

Five polymer acceptors based on naphthalene diimide (NDI) and diethynylbenzo[1,2-b:4,5-b']dithiophene (DEBDT) alternating units were designed and synthesized. The resultant polymers have identical polymer backbones but different side chains on both NDI and DEBDT units. Their photoelectronic properties can be fine-tuned via systematic side chain engineering. In these polymers, the size of the alkyl side chains on NDI units have minimal impacts on light-harvesting properties and molecular energy levels, while introducing side chain groups into DEBDT units can significantly broad the absorption profile and tune the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital energy levels of polymers. All-polymer solar cells (all-PSCs) based on these polymer acceptors and PBDB-T as the electron-donating polymer were fabricated, where the power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) varied from 0.42% to 5.84%. All-PSCs based on PBDB-T:PNEOD-C8 exhibits the best device performance, which can be ascribed to the lowered energy loss, good light-harvesting capability, balanced charge carrier mobility and proper blend film morphology. These observations indicate that modifying the side chains on both donor and acceptor unit of polymer acceptors is an effective strategy for optimizing their optical and electrical properties, thus lead to high-performance all-PSCs.

BIOSYNTHESIZED SILVER NANOPARTICLES USING CATHARANTHUS ROSEUS AND THEIR ANTIBACTERIAL EFFICACY IN SYNERGY WITH ANTIBIOTICS; A FUTURE ADVANCEMENT IN NANOMEDICINE

Objective: This research work develops an approach to synthesize silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) by reduction of leaf extract of Catharanthus roseus plant. This study produces synthesized nanoparticles that have process-controlled attributes which make their antibiotic action highly efficient. These attributes include smaller size, proper morphology, uniform dispersion, metal ion content, and formation of functional groups. By optimizing the reduction process parameters, AgNPs gain the desired properties.
 Methods: The biosynthesis of AgNPs process was performed using reaction of 10% (w/v) C. roseus leaf extract with AgNO3. The optimum conditions and concentration used for synthesis of nanoparticles were: 1 mM AgNO3, pH 5, and temperature 80°C with an incubation time of 72 h. All the above parameters were analyzed by ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometer with the surface plasmon resonance peak obtained at 440 nm.
 Results: Various characterization techniques were performed, namely, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray, transmission electron microscopy, photoluminescence study, X-ray diffraction spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared, dynamic light scattering, and atomic force microscopy. The results obtained from characterization confirmed the spherical morphology of the nanoparticles with size between 50 and 87 nm. In the current investigation, the antimicrobial activity of biosynthesized AgNPs was also determined using minimum inhibitory concentration and zone of inhibition methods against six different bacteria at different doses of AgNPs (100, 150, and 200 μg/ml) alone and also in combination with antibiotic-streptomycin.
 Conclusion: The results revealed that high concentration of AgNPs inhibits the bacterial growth. Furthermore, AgNPs revealed much stronger antibacterial action in synergy with streptomycin against antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

N, P co-doped hierarchical porous carbon from rapeseed cake with enhanced supercapacitance

Biomass shows great potential in synthesizing carbon materials for energy applications because of its renewability and low price. Rationally designing porous carbons with proper morphology and composition are beneficial to promoting its application in energy storage devices. Here, an environmentally friendly approach is proposed to prepare three-dimensional (3D) N, P co-doped hierarchical porous carbon (NP-HPC) for supercapacitors. The 3D cross-linked porous network not only promotes the infiltration of electrolytes, but also boosts the transportation of ion/electron. The high microporosity combined with heterogeneous doping provides more defects and active sites, improving the surface charge storage. Hence, the NP-HPC electrode achieves a high capacitance of 358 F g−1 at 0.05 A g−1 as well as good rate performance of 238 F g−1 at 50 A g−1. Moreover, NP-HPC-based all-solid-state supercapacitor exhibits a long lifespan over 10,000 cycles. The impressive performance of NP-HPC indicates the potential of biomass-derived porous carbons for supercapacitors through simultaneous morphology and doping engineering.

Are cranial peri-mortem fractures identifiable in cremated remains? A study on 38 known cases.

Accurate identification and analysis of signs of trauma on human bone is one of the mainstays of forensic pathology. However, when a forensic pathologist has to deal with charred remains, the task become extremely difficult, because tissues are subjected to severe morphological alterations and their assessment can be critically distorted. We analyzed 38 individuals with peri-mortem skull fractures due to falls from height (17 cases), traffic accidents (16 cases), gunshots wounds (5 cases), of which we had the demographic and clinical data and the autopsy report with the description and photographic records of the fracture lines. After autopsy, the bodies were cremated in gas furnaces and the analysis of cremated cranial remains was conducted in order to verify if it was possible to reconstruct the original peri-mortem fractures and verify differences between known peri-mortem and post-mortem fractures. After 90min and exposure to temperatures up to 1280°C, in less than a third of cases (11-29%) the original peri-mortem fracture pattern could be found and reconstructed. The edges and the surface of the fractures can preserve their proper morphology, or they can be affected by post-mortem heat-induced fractures and deformations. Interestingly whenever peri-mortem fracture margins showed the evidence of yellow/brownish colouration, a matte appearance was observed, much different from post-mortem fractures, which may provide further food for thought for the identification of peri-mortem fractures after the cremation process.

Topical delivery of heparin from PLGA nanoparticles entrapped in nanofibers of sericin/gelatin scaffolds for wound healing

Skin regeneration is one of the most important issues in tissue engineering. Research on more effective biomaterials that will enhance regeneration while enabling requirements of a healing skin site is an important challenge in skin tissue engineering. In this study, heparin was encapsulated in Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles (NPs) which were then incorporated into Sericin/Gelatin (Ser/Gel) nanofibers during the electrospinning process in order to develop a combined system that has controlled release approach, besides the ability to help the regeneration of skin tissue by the involvement of biopolymers; gelatin, and sericin. The loading capacity and heparin encapsulation efficiency in the nanoparticles were determined as 30.04 mg/g of polymer and 60%, respectively. Cumulative release of heparin from NPs for 1 week was faster than from NPs loaded gelatin scaffolds and from dual protein (Ser/Gel) scaffolds with ratios: 1/7 and 1/2 (approximately 85%, 65%, 55%, and 40%, respectively). Sericin addition slowed down the degradation properties of the scaffold. The scaffold having a Ser/Gel ratio (1/2) was found as the most promising candidate because of its proper fiber morphology, high water retention, and low degradation degree.

Effective reversal of hyperhydricity leading to efficient micropropagation of Dianthus chinensis L.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-021-02645-7.

Preparation and Characterization of Polyamide Thin Film Composite Nanofiltration Membrane Based on Polyurethane Nanofibrous Support

Polyurethane nanofibers recognized to perform as a sub-layer were employed herein as a medial-layer of high porosity in the fabrication of a novel class of thin-film nanofiltration membranes. In line with the primary aim of high throughput production of PU electrospun nanofibrous membranes (ENMs) with different fiber sizes and proper morphologies, the needle-free electrospinning technique was employed. An interfacial polymerization procedure was also utilized to conveniently coat a polyamide (PA) thin film on the polyurethane ENMs. The effects of the nanofibrous interconnecting network, fiber size, pore size, and morphology on the NF performance were investigated. The nanofiltration performance including the separation of various salts, water flux, and the MWCO test were performed. The results implied that the fiber size decrement, nanofibers interconnection increment, as well as nanofibrous membrane pore size decrement, and the nanofibrous layer increment (with different fiber size) would lead the interfacial polymerization to perfection and obtaining a uniform PA thin layer. The salts rejection and water flux of Na2SO4, MgSO4, MgCl2 and NaCl were (~ 99 ± 0.5 %, 37 ± 2.7 L/m2h), (~ 98 ± 1 %, 40 ± 1.5 L/m2h), (~ 95 ± 2 %, 33 ± 2 L/m2h) and (~ 52 ± 1 %, 30 ± 3 L/m2h), respectively. In the final analysis, a comparison of filtration performance between PU nanofibrous NF membranes with other well-known nanofibrous NF membranes was conducted.

Comparison of ethylene carbonate and formamide as components of the hybridization mixture in FISH

The protocols for in situ hybridization (ISH) techniques can vary considerably; however, they usually include denaturation and hybridization steps. Denaturing compounds are used to reduce denaturation and hybridization temperature, which keeps the proper morphology of the preparation. Formamide is the most commonly used reagent in in situ hybridization to lower the melting temperature. The substitution of toxic formamide for a non-toxic ethylene carbonate at 20 % and 50 % concentration in the hybridization mixture helped obtain a high quality in situ hybridization result with two sequences characteristic for rye, JNK, and Bilby. The results after hybridization, with a duration of 90 min and 16 h, were identical when formamide or ethylene carbonate were used in the mixture. In addition, the toxic formamide was eliminated from the post-hybridization steps and specific hybridization signals for both probes were still obtained.

Effect of Dielectric Surface Morphology on Dielectric Barrier Discharge Mode in Air at Atmospheric Pressure

In order to study the effect of surface morphology of dielectric materials on features of dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) in air at atmospheric pressure (AP), electrical characteristics and optical emission spectrum are obtained in a 2-mm air gap with quartz glass and ceramic used as the dielectric layer (the capacitance of the used dielectrics is similar). The transition of discharge mode is observed for different dielectric material and surface morphology. Results show that with varying dielectric material and surface morphology, air atmospheric pressure dielectric barrier discharge (APDBD) presents three discharge modes, including a filamentary mode, a homogeneous mode, and a mixed mode of them. Further investigation reveals that the homogenous mode is in a Townsend discharge regime, which is realized in a proper surface morphology of 96% Al <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sub> O <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">3</sub> ceramic. Moreover, optical emission spectrum is obtained, which mainly consists of atomic lines of nitrogen and molecular bands originating from the second positive system of N <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sub> (C <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">3</sup> Π <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">u</sub> →B <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">3</sup> Π <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">g</sub> ). From N <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sub> (C <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">3</sup> Π <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">u</sub> →B <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">3</sup> Π <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">g</sub> ), molecular vibrational temperature is investigated as a function of surface roughness (R <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">a</sub> ) of the different dielectric materials. Result reveals that there is a minimal vibrational temperature when the discharge is in the homogeneous mode. With quartz glass used as the dielectric, the vibrational temperature decreases first and then increases with increasing R <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">a</sub> . The minimum value appears at R <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">a</sub> of 215 nm. Besides, the discharge current is the most concentrated in time, and the discharge looks the most homogeneous under this circumstance.

Morphological engineering of carbon-based materials: in the quest of efficient catalysts for overall water splitting

This work attempts to optimize the catalytic activity of the carbon-based materials by engineering their morphological structure. Several flake-like quantum dots with different shapes such as triangulene, elliptical, rhomboid, and square, as well as hydrocarbons having sunflower, kekulene, and snow-like structures, are considered and their electrocatalytic activities toward the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) are theoretically evaluated. The activity analysis indicates that the OER overpotentials for the examined carbon materials vary in the range between 0.56 and 1.22 V. Benefiting from the improved electronic properties due to the proper morphology, remarkable catalytic activity was achieved for the snow-like morphology affording overpotentials of 0.56 V for OER and −0.05 V for HER. In addition to snow-like, other morphologies such as triangulene and square can effectively promote acidic hydrogen evolution via Volmer-Heyrovsky mechanism. On contrary, the high values of free energies for H2O dissociation step reveal that, under the alkaline condition, the examined carbon materials cannot be considered as efficient HER catalysts.

Anti-neuroinflammatory effect of daidzein in human hypothalamic GnRH neurons in an in vitro membrane-based model.

Phytoestrogens can control high-fat diet-induced hypothalamic inflammation that is associated with severe consequences, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. However, the phytoestrogen anti-neuroinflammatory action is poorly understood. In this study, we explored the neuroprotection mediated by daidzein in hypothalamic neurons by using a membrane-based model of obesity-related neuroinflammation. To test the daidzein therapeutic potential a biohybrid membrane system, consisting of hfHypo GnRH-neurons in culture on PLGA membranes, was set up. It served as reliable in vitro tool capable to recapitulate the in vivo structure and function of GnRH hypothalamic tissue. Our findings highlighted the neuroprotective role of daidzein, being able to counteract the palmitate induced neuroinflammation. Daidzein protected hfHypo GnRH cells by downregulating cell death, proinflammatory processes, oxidative stress, and apoptosis. It also restored the proper cell morphology and functionality through a mechanism which probably involves the activation of ERβ and GPR30 receptors along with the expression of GnRH peptide and KISS1R.

Using intracellular plasmonics to characterize nanomorphology in human cells

Determining the characteristics and localization of nanoparticles inside cells is crucial for nanomedicine design for cancer therapy. Hyperspectral imaging is a fast, straightforward, reliable, and accurate method to study the interactions of nanoparticles and intracellular components. With a hyperspectral image, we could collect spectral information consisting of thousands of pixels in a short time. Using hyperspectral images, in this work, we developed a label-free technique to detect nanoparticles in different regions of the cell. This technique is based on plasmonic shifts taking place during the interaction of nanoparticles with the surrounding medium. The unique optical properties of gold nanoparticles, localized surface plasmon resonance bands, are influenced by their microenvironment. The LSPR properties of nanoparticles, hence, could provide information on regions in which nanoparticles are distributed. To examine the potential of this technique for intracellular detection, we used three different types of gold nanoparticles: nanospheres, nanostars and Swarna Bhasma (SB), an Indian Ayurvedic/Sidha medicine, in A549 (human non-small cell lung cancer) and HepG2 (human hepatocellular carcinoma) cells. All three types of particles exhibited broader and longer bands once they were inside cells; however, their plasmonic shifts could change depending on the size and morphology of particles. This technique, along with dark-field images, revealed the uniform distribution of nanospheres in cells and could provide more accurate information on their intracellular microenvironment compared to the other particles. The region-dependent optical responses of nanoparticles in cells highlight the potential application of this technique for subcellular diagnosis when particles with proper size and morphology are chosen to reflect the microenvironment effects properly.

Bionic Silk Fibroin Film Induces Morphological Changes and Differentiation of Tendon Stem/Progenitor Cells

Purpose Tendon injuries are common musculoskeletal system disorders, but the ability for tendon regeneration is limited. Silk fibroin (SF) film may be suitable for tendon regeneration due to its excellent biocompatibility and physical properties. This study is aimed at evaluating the application value of bionic SF film in tendon regeneration. Methods Tendon stem/progenitor cells (TSPCs) were isolated from rat Achilles tendon and characterized based on their surface marker expression and multilineage differentiation potential. SF films with smooth or bionic microstructure surfaces (5, 10, 15, 20 μm) were prepared. The morphology and mechanical properties of natural tendons and SF films were characterized. TSPCs were used as the seed cells, and the cell viability and cell adhesion morphology were analyzed. The tendongenesis-related gene expression of TSPCs was also evaluated using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Results Compared to the native tendon, only the 10, 15, and 20 μm SF film groups had comparable maximum loading and ultimate stress, with the exception of the breaking elongation rate. The 10 μm SF film group had the highest percentage of oriented cells and the most significant changes in cell morphology. The most significant upregulations in the expression of COL1A1, TNC, TNMD, and SCX were also observed in the 10 μm SF film group. Conclusion SF film with a bionic microstructure can serve as a tissue engineering scaffold and provide biophysical cues for the use of TSPCs to achieve proper cellular adherence arrangement and morphology as well as promote the tenogenic differentiation of TSPCs, making it a valuable customizable biomaterial for future applications in tendon repair.

GaN Single Crystalline Domain Growth on Graphene Substrate

Graphene is very well known 2D nano-material which have novel physical and chemical properties even in a few layer thick form. Recently, there have been extensive studies on hetero-structures based on these Van-der-Waals 2D crystals like graphene, transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD), boron nitride (BN) and so on. In the case of graphene, this 2D layer can be stable and can be transferred to other target substrate with ease. Therefore, graphene can be a good candidate materials for growing other active materials on it. In this study, we tried to grow GaN micro-domain on graphene substrate using hydride vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE) method. GaN epitaxial behavior can be affected by the condition of graphene substrate and we compared the growth behavior of GaN micro-domain on graphene changing the preparation condition. And, several experimental parameters could be controlled like flow rate of Ga and N source with carrier gas, temperature and time to get the proper morphology of GaN micro-crystals. Despite of lattice mis-match of hexagonal GaN on graphene, we could grow single crystalline GaN micro-domain having the lateral size of a few or lager microns. We characterized these micro-crystalline GaN domains using optical microscopy, secondary electron microscope (SEM), micro-Raman spectroscopy and x-ray diffraction (XRD) which confirmed the crystalline phase of each domain. As a typical Van-der-Waals crystal, pristine non-defective graphene may have lacking dangling bonds leading to very low nucleation density for GaN growth and can be used even as a mask layer. When grown on the transferred graphene, however, we expect to have enough nucleation sites originating from the physical defects like grain boundary, vacancy and ripples of poly-crystalline graphene layer. This experimental finding is very interesting to further studies of graphene applications for hetero-structures of graphene and other complementary active materials because graphene has disadvantage in the applications of switching devices, optical elements and can be a potential candidate to overcome these weak points by utilizing very efficiently active GaN together.[1] Y. Kim et al., Nature, 544, p.340 (2017)[2] V. Kumaresan et al,, Nano Letters, 16, p.4895 (2016)

Abstract 16184: Lamin A Deficiency Leads to Electrophysiological and Nuclear Abnormalities Reminiscent of Atrial Cardiomyopathy in Zebrafish

Introduction: Mutations in the lamin A/C ( LMNA ) gene have been causally linked to atrial arrhythmias and cardiac conduction disease (CCD) in young adults. However, the mechanism by which the laminopathy leads to perturbed cardiac electrophysiology has not been fully elucidated. Hypothesis: We hypothesize that protein-truncating variants in LMNA will impair the mechano-protection force in the nuclear envelope and will lead to early-onset cardiomyocyte degeneration and CCD. Methods: In a multi-regional registry of early-onset CCD and atrial fibrillation in Japan, we performed whole-exome DNA sequencing of 23 probands. Using CRISPR/Cas9, we generated indels of candidate gene homologues in zebrafish and characterized cardiac physiology using optical mapping technology and immunohistochemistry. Results: Among all probands, our study revealed four rare nonsense variants in the nuclear protein-coding genes. We focused on a LMNA protein-truncating variant, c.339dupT (p.K114X fsX1), and created a variant in the zebrafish lmna that produced a similar truncation. Lmna -/- zebrafish larvae showed shortened atrial action potential duration (APD) (msec.) compared to wild-type controls (162 ± 19 vs 227 ± 79, p&lt;0.05), while conduction velocities (CV) did not vary between the genotypes. In contrast, the atrioventricular canal of lmna -/- embryos exhibited prolonged APD (399 ± 51 vs 322 ± 47, p&lt;0.05) and slower CV (mm/sec.) (0.37 ± 0.12 vs 0.57 ± 0.12, p&lt;0.05) than controls. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated that atrial cardiomyocytes of embryonic lmna -/- zebrafish displayed significantly decreased cell numbers and smaller cell size compared to those of controls, which in turn developed into abnormal nuclear structures in adult. Conclusions: These findings suggest that lamin A is a prerequisite for proper atrial cardiomyocyte morphology in embryonic zebrafish, and is indispensable for correct cardiac electrophysiology and -conduction.

Photoelectrocatalytic H2 evolution enhancement over CuO-decorated TiO2 nanocatalysts and promoting E. coli degradation

The objective of this research is to improve cathode electrode fabrication for high-efficiency hydrogen (H2) evolution and to promote Escherichia coli (E. coli) degradation at the anode electrode. The heterojunction of the TiO2/CuO photocathode was synthesized via sputtering of the TiO2 nanocatalyst on the CuO electrode for enhancing the H2 evolution efficiency. The effect of calcination temperatures for Cu2O conversion to high-catalytic CuO and priority deposition of the TiO2 layer were optimized to improve the photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) activity and charge transfer process. The optical properties, morphology, crystalline structure, and chemical composition were characterized to clarify the PEC activity improvement. The developed TiO2/CuO photocathode combined with the BiVO4/WO3 photoanode was designed in the PEC cell for H2 production and simultaneous E. coli degradation. Cu2O was changed to a narrower bandgap energy of CuO at the calcination temperature over 400 °C and presented high crystallinity and proper morphology when the temperature was increased to 550 °C. The CuO-decorated TiO2 nanocatalyst can improve the morphology and charge transfer process at the heterojunction of the TiO2/CuO electrode. The small particle size of TiO2 at the outer side can improve the surface roughness and serve as electron separation to reduce the recombination effect of CuO, resulting in high-efficiency H2 evolution. The developed PEC cell can produce H2 up to 5800 μL for 150 min and E. coli degradation up to 100% for 22 min under the PEC process. We can confirm that the developed TiO2/CuO cathode electrode is highly effective in H2 production and is sufficient in promoting the E. coli degradation process at the BiVO4/WO3 anode electrode. The findings of this research are beneficial in high-efficiency heterojunction semiconductor electrodes development and PEC cell designs for energy and environmental applications.

Titanium Dioxide Thin Films Obtained by Atomic Layer Deposition Promotes Osteoblasts' Viability and Differentiation Potential While Inhibiting Osteoclast Activity-Potential Application for Osteoporotic Bone Regeneration.

Atomic layer deposition (ALD) technology has started to attract attention as an efficient method for obtaining bioactive, ultrathin oxide coatings. In this study, using ALD, we have created titanium dioxide (TiO2) layers. The coatings were characterised in terms of physicochemical and biological properties. The chemical composition of coatings, as well as thickness, roughness, wettability, was determined using XPS, XRD, XRR. Cytocompatibillity of ALD TiO2 coatings was accessed applying model of mouse pre-osteoblast cell line MC3T3-E1. The accumulation of transcripts essential for bone metabolism (both mRNA and miRNA) was determined using RT-qPCR. Obtained ALD TiO2 coatings were characterised as amorphous and homogeneous. Cytocompatibility of the layers was expressed by proper morphology and growth pattern of the osteoblasts, as well as their increased viability, proliferative and metabolic activity. Simultaneously, we observed decreased activity of osteoclasts. Obtained coatings promoted expression of Opn, Coll-1, miR-17 and miR-21 in MC3T3-E1 cells. The results are promising in terms of the potential application of TiO2 coatings obtained by ALD in the field of orthopaedics, especially in terms of metabolic- and age-related bone diseases, including osteoporosis.

Dual-mode fluorescent development of latent fingerprints using NaYbF4:Tm upconversion nanomaterials

Latent fingerprint development plays an important role in forensic sciences. In the last two decades, various fluorescent nanomaterials have been used to develop latent fingerprints, of which rare earth ion–doped upconversion nanomaterials (UCNMs) are outstanding examples. The use of UCNMs is advantageous for several reasons, including high contrast due to the strong fluorescence signal and negligible background interference, high sensitivity owing to the tunable nanoparticle size, and high selectivity arising from the proper particle morphology with suitable absorbability. In most cases, NaYF4:Yb,Er UCNM-based development involves a single near-infrared (NIR)-to-visible (VIS) process, enabling the observation of fingerprints by detecting VIS light under NIR light excitation. Inspiringly, other infrequently used UCNMs, such as NaYbF4:Tm, can irradiate both NIR and VIS emissions under NIR excitation, making it possible to develop latent fingerprints in dual modes, namely, through both NIR-to-NIR and NIR-to-VIS process. In this work, we synthesized high-quality NaYbF4:Tm UCNMs as fluorescent markers for dual-mode development of latent fingerprints. We found that our NaYbF4:Tm UCNM–based method exhibited high contrast, high sensitivity, high selectivity, and extensive applicability in fingerprint development under both NIR-to-VIS and NIR-to-NIR modes. We expect that this work will open up a new avenue in the application of UCNMs to develop latent fingerprints under dual modes in forensic sciences.

Soft Tissue Expanders for Ridge Augmentation: A Review

Aesthetics in dentistry is one of the great concern for dental professionals as well as patients for maintenanceof oral health. Missing tooth is the common esthetic problems in the patients which can be due to variousperiodontal or endodontic reasons. There are different treatment options available for replacing the missingtooth and the best alternative treatment is replacement using dental implants. Very often, placement of dentalimplants gets compromised when there is insufficient ridge or ridge defect. So when there is a ridge defectwe need to definitely augment the ridge for the successful placement of dental implants. This article gives ashort review about the tissue expanders used for ridge augmentation and their clinical efficiency of achievinga proper ridge morphology.