A Two-Step Approach to Tune the Micro and Nanoscale Morphology of Porous Niobium Oxide to Promote Osteointegration

We present a two-step surface modification process to tailor the micro and nano morphology of niobium oxide layers. Niobium was firstly anodized in spark regime in a Ca- and P-containing solution and subsequently treated by acid etching. The effects of anodizing time and applied potential on the surface morphology is investigated with SEM and AFM, complemented by XPS compositional analysis. Anodizing with a limiting potential of 250 V results in the fast growth of oxide layers with a homogeneous distribution of micro-sized pores. Cracks are, however, observed on 250 V grown layers. Limiting the anodizing potential to 200 V slows down the oxide growth, increasing the anodizing time needed to achieve a uniform pore coverage but produces fracture-free oxide layers. The surface nano morphology is further tuned by a subsequent acid etching process that leads to the formation of nano-sized pits on the anodically grown oxide surface. In vitro tests show that the etching-induced nanostructure effectively promotes cell adhesion and spreading onto the niobium oxide surface.

The Interaction Between N6-Methyladenosine Modification and Non-Coding RNAs in Gastrointestinal Tract Cancers

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most common epigenetic modification of eukaryotic RNA, which can participate in the growth and development of the body and a variety of physiological and disease processes by affecting the splicing, processing, localization, transport, translation, and degradation of RNA. Increasing evidence shows that non-coding RNAs, particularly microRNA, long non-coding RNA, and circular RNA, can also regulate the RNA m6A modification process by affecting the expression of m6A-related enzymes. The interaction between m6A modification and non-coding RNAs provides a new perspective for the exploration of the potential mechanism of tumor genesis and development. In this review, we summarize the potential mechanisms and effects of m6A and non-coding RNAs in gastrointestinal tract cancers.

A Freestanding Chitin-Derived Hierarchical Nanocomposite for Developing Electrodes in Future Supercapacitor Industry

Crustacean cuticles are receiving extensive attention for its potential in developing environmentally friendly and high energy density electrodes for supercapacitor applications. In the current work, the demineralized tergite cuticle of mantis shrimp was employed as a precursor for the fabrication porous biochar. The structural benefits of the cuticle, including the hierarchical nanofiber networks, and the interpenetrating pore systems were maximumly retained, providing a high carbon content and specific surface area scaffold. Graphene oxide sheets were deposited across the biochar through the pore canal systems to further increase the conductivity of the biochar, forming a novel freestanding carbon composite. Throughout the modification process, the material products were examined by a range of methods, which showed desired structural, chemical and functional properties. Our work demonstrates that high performance carbon materials can be manufactured using a simple and green process to realize the great potential in energy storage applications.

Reducing the Specular Properties of Metalized Teflon Coverings on Canadian Mobile Servicing Station on the International Space Station

A surface modification process was developed for the metalized Teflon coverings used for thermal protection of electronic equipment on the International Space Station [1]. The developed modification process of Teflon surfaces reduced substantially the specularity of Ag-Inconel coated Teflon thermal control films by changing the morphological appearance of their surfaces by ion-beam texturing in a controlled manner from a metallic-like and shiny to complete milky, white appearance without significantly affecting the thermal optical properties. A number of space hardware units covered with the textured Silver-Teflon were exposed to the open space environment between June 2002 and June 2006 and delivered back to Earth at the end of 2006. Remarkable performance was demonstrated by the treated Ag/Teflon, with the solar absorptance and total emittance values and the α/ε ratio remaining very close to the original values as measured before the flights [2]. In an attempt to protect further the textured surfaces of Teflon from possible erosion by atomic oxygen and VUV in LEO environment, an additional novel surface modification process was developed that created an SixOyCzFn type of structure on the treated surface. The textured Teflon samples before and after surface treatments were tested in a space simulator facility under a combined atomic oxygen/vacuum ultraviolet exposure. A number of advanced characterization techniques were used to evaluate the properties of the modified films [3].

تقييد اللّفظ المفسَّر بـ (الأمر) و(الشّيء) في المعاجم اللّغويّة

يهدف البحث إلى وصف ظاهرة تقييد اللّفظ المفسَّر بـ (الأمر) و(الشّيء) في المعاجم اللّغويّة وتحليلها، من خلال التّطبيق على لسان العرب لـ (ابن منظور)، إذ تَعْمَدُ المعاجم إلى استخدام التّقييد بهذين القيدين لتوضيح معاني الألفاظ، وهو ما دعا إلى دراسة هذه الظاهرة والبحث في أسبابها وضوابطها. اعتمد البحث على المنهج الوصفيّ التّحليليّ لتحقيق الأهداف الآتية: بيان أهمّيّة التّقييد بـ (الأمر) و(الشّيء)، والكشف عن صور التّقييد بهما في الجانب الصّرفي والتّركيبيّ، وبيان أبرز الفروق بينهما، وأخيرًا تحديد الآفاق التي تضبط عمليّة التّقييد بهما. ومن أبرز نتائج البحث: أنّ استعمال المعاجم لهذين اللّفظين قد اعتمد على ما يتّصفانِ به من إغراق في الإبهام، وتمثيلهما لطرفي الموجودات الماديّة والمعنويّة، وأنّ عملية ضبط استعمالهما تعتمد على شبكة من العلاقات يُقيمها المؤلّف لتحقيق غرضه في عرض الألفاظ وتفسيرها. الكلمات المفتاحيّة: التّقييد اللّغويّ، المعاجم اللّغويّة، الدّلالة المادّية والمعنويّة، الفروق اللّغويّة، العلاقات السّياقيّة Abstract The research aims to describe and analyze the phenomenon of modification of the word interpreted by (Al-Amr –الأمر) and (Ash-shay’ – الشّيء) in the linguistic lexicons, with the use of (Lessan Al Arab) written by (Ibn Manzour) as a model. The lexicons apply these two modifications to clarify the meaning of the words, this is why this phenomenon was studied and its causes and criteria were researched. The research was based on the analytical descriptive approach to reach the following targets: stating the importance of the Modification with (Al-Amr – الأمر) and (Ash-shay’ – الشّيء), the detection of forms of their modification in morphological and structural aspects and stating the most prominent differences between them, and finally, identifying the prospects that control the modification process. The most prominent results of the research are the use of lexicons for these two modifiers depended on the so-called ambiguity of them, and their representation of both sides of tangible and intangible assets and the process of controlling their use depends on relationships with multi-components established by the author to achieve its purpose in displaying and interpreting words. Keywords: Linguistic Modification, Linguistic Lexicons, Tangible and Intangible Semantics, Linguistic Differences, Contextual Relations

Morphometric Study of Craters on Saturn’s Moon Rhea

Morphometric studies of impact craters on icy moons can be used to understand modification of crater topography. Several processes (e.g., viscous relaxation, ejecta deposition, repeated and overlapping impacts) act to shallow crater depth and relax the crater wall slope to similar or varying extents. Resolving these processes can help constrain the interior structure and surface properties of icy moons. Here, using morphometric measurements of craters on Rhea, we aim to constrain the processes that led to the observed crater population. We measured crater diameter, depth, and wall slope, as well as overall crater morphology (e.g., simple versus complex craters). Our results indicate that there exists a linear correlation between impact crater depth-to-diameter ratio and crater wall slope. This may suggest that the dominant modification process on Rhea is one that affects both properties simultaneously, which supports past heating events as the primary post-impact modification process. Additionally, the simple-to-complex crater transition for Rhea was found to be 12 ± 2 km, which is consistent with reported transition diameters for comparably sized icy bodies, indicating similar surface properties. A transition to shallower crater depths for large complex craters was not documented, indicating the absence of a rheological transition at depth in Rhea’s icy lithosphere, which may support the interpretation that Rhea is not fully differentiated.

Cross-Cultural Modification Strategies for Instruments Measuring Health Beliefs About Cancer Screening: Systematic Review

Background Modification is an important process by which to adapt an instrument to be used for another culture. However, it is not fully understood how best to modify an instrument to be used appropriately in another culture. Objective This study aims to synthesize the modification strategies used in the cross-cultural adaptation process for instruments measuring health beliefs about cancer screening. Methods A systematic review design was used for conducting this study. Keywords including constructs about instrument modification, health belief, and cancer screening were searched in the PubMed, Google Scholar, CINAHL, and PsycINFO databases. Bowling’s checklist was used to evaluate methodological rigor of the included articles. Results were reported using the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses) approach with a narrative method. Results A total of 1312 articles were initially identified in the databases. After removing duplications and assessing titles, abstracts, and texts of the articles, 18 studies met the inclusion criteria for the study. Based on Flaherty’s cultural equivalence model, strategies used in the modification process included rephrasing items and response options to achieve semantic equivalence; changing subjects of items, changing wording of items, adding items, and deleting items to achieve content equivalence; adding subscales and items and deleting subscales and items to achieve criterion equivalence. Solutions used to resolve disagreements in the modification process included consultation with experts or literature search, following the majority, and consultation with the author who developed the scales. Conclusions This study provides guidance for researchers who want to modify an instrument to be used in another culture. It can potentially give cross-cultural researchers insight into modification strategies and a better understanding of the modification process in cross-cultural instrument adaptation. More research could be done to help researchers better modify cross-cultural instruments to achieve cultural equivalence.

Vascular Polyurethane Prostheses Modified with a Bioactive Coating—Physicochemical, Mechanical and Biological Properties

This study describes a method for the modification of polyurethane small-diameter (5 mm) vascular prostheses obtained with the phase inversion method. The modification process involves two steps: the introduction of a linker (acrylic acid) and a peptide (REDV and YIGSR). FTIR and XPS analysis confirmed the process of chemical modification. The obtained prostheses had a porosity of approx. 60%, Young’s Modulus in the range of 9–11 MPa, and a water contact angle around 40°. Endothelial (EC) and smooth muscle (SMC) cell co-culture showed that the surfaces modified with peptides increase the adhesion of ECs. At the same time, SMCs adhesion was low both on unmodified and peptide-modified surfaces. Analysis of blood-materials interaction showed high hemocompatibility of obtained materials. The whole blood clotting time assay showed differences in the amount of free hemoglobin present in blood contacted with different materials. It can be concluded that the peptide coating increased the hemocompatibility of the surface by increasing ECs adhesion and, at the same time, decreasing platelet adhesion. When comparing both types of peptide coatings, more promising results were obtained for the surfaces coated with the YISGR than REDV-coated prostheses.

Mechanical properties changes in fir wood (abies sp.), linden wood (tilia sp.), and beech wood (fagus sp.) subjected to various thermal modification process conditions

Wood is one of the most important construction materials in Europe and its use in building applications has increased in the recent decades. To enable even more extensive and reliable use of wood, this article aimed to determine the effect of thermal modification on mechanical properties of fir wood (lat. Abies sp.), linden wood (lat. Tilia sp.), and beech wood (lat. Fagus sp.). The thermal modification was conducted in a laboratory oven at five different temperatures of 170, 180, 195, 210, 220 °C and processed with a different maximum duration of the process of 78, 120, 180, 240, 276 minutes. Mechanical properties of treated wood have shown statistically insignificant fluctuations at lower temperatures compared to control samples. On the other hand, raising the temperature to 210 °C significantly affected the strength of all the species. The results revealed that thermal modification at high temperatures and longer exposure causes a decrease in the maximum force of the three wood species.