Lacking osseointegration and peri-implantitis induced by bacterial infiltration are the pivotal issues for long-term clinical success of implants. In order to improve bioactivity antibacterial properties implant materials, volcano-shaped microporous TiO2 coatings doped with Zinc (Zn) were fabricated via a micro-arc oxidation (MAO) method on pure titanium (Ti). The microstructure, morphology, ch...

The segregation of native defects and Bi impurities to a high-angle grain boundary in ZnO is studied by first-principles calculations. It is found that the presence of Bi(Zn) increases the concentration of native defects of acceptor type in the grain boundary. This leads to the formation of a Bi(Zn)+V(Zn)+O(i) interfacial complex under O-rich conditions and exhibits a localized acceptor state. ...

Zinc is the second most abundant trace element essential for all living organisms. In human body, 30-40% of the total zinc ion (Zn(2+)) is localized in the nucleus. Intranuclear free Zn(2+) sparks caused by reactive oxygen species have been observed in eukaryotic cells, but question if these free Zn(2+) outrages could have affected annealing of complementary single-stranded (ss) DNA, a crucial ...

The roles of metal ions in promoting amyloid β-protein (Aβ) oligomerization associated with Alzheimer disease are increasingly recognized. However, the detailed structures dictating toxicity remain elusive for Aβ oligomers stabilized by metal ions. Here, we show that small Zn(2+)-bound Aβ1-40 (Zn(2+)-Aβ40) oligomers formed in cell culture medium exhibit quasi-spherical structures similar to nat...

Homeostatic mechanisms preventing the toxicity of free Zn ions in cells involve, among others, cytosolic Zn-binding ligands, particularly the cysteine-rich metallothioneins (MTs). Here we examined the Zn-binding peptides of Russula atropurpurea, an ectomycorrhizal fungus known for its ability to accumulate high amounts of Zn in its sporocarps. The Zn complexes and their peptide ligands were cha...

BACKGROUND Titanium is an inert metal that does not induce osteogenesis and has no antibacterial properties; it is proposed that hydroxyapatite coating can enhance its bioactivity, while zinc can contribute to antibacterial properties and improve osseointegration. AIMS A nano-sized hydroxyapatite-zinc coating was deposited on commercially pure titanium using an electro-chemical process, in or...

A highly flexible free-standing Zn anode for ZIBs is fabricated from commercial paste, carbon nanotubes, and poly(vinylidene fluoride)-co-hexafluoropropylene via spin coating. with showed improved rate performances.