Numerous technological advancements in the 21st century depend on the creation of novel materials possessing enhanced properties; there is a growing reliance on materials that can be optimized to serve multiple functions. To efficiently save time and meet the requirements of diverse applications, high-throughput and combinatorial approaches are increasingly employed to explore and design superior materials. Among them, gradient thin-film deposition is one of the most mature and widely used technologies for high-throughput preparation of material libraries. This review summarizes recent progress in gradient thin-film deposition fabricated by magnetron sputtering, multi-arc ion plating, e-beam evaporation, additive manufacturing, and chemical bath deposition, providing readers with a fundamental understanding of this research field. First, high-throughput synthesis methods for gradient thin films are emphasized. Subsequently, we present the characteristics of combinatorial films, including microstructure, oxidation, corrosion tests, and mechanical properties. Next, the screening methods employed for evaluating these properties are discussed. Furthermore, we delve into the limitations of high-throughput preparation and characterization techniques for combinatorial films. Finally, we provide a summary and offer our perspectives.

BACKGROUND: Microbial diseases, specifically originating from viruses are the major cause of human mortality all over the world. The current COVID-19 pandemic is a case in point, where the dynamics of the viral-human interactions are still not completely understood, making its treatment a case of trial and error. Scientists are struggling to devise a strategy to contain the pandemic for over a year and this brings to light the lack of understanding of how the virus grows and multiplies in the human body.
METHODS: This paper presents the perspective of the authors on the applicability of computational tools for deep learning and understanding of host-microbe interaction, disease progression and management, drug resistance and immune modulation through in silico methodologies which can aid in effective and selective drug development. The paper has summarized advances in the last five years. The studies published and indexed in leading databases have been included in the review.
RESULTS: Computational systems biology works on an interface of biology and mathematics and intends to unravel the complex mechanisms between the biological systems and the inter and intra species dynamics using computational tools, and high-throughput technologies developed on algorithms, networks and complex connections to simulate cellular biological processes.
CONCLUSIONS: Computational strategies and modelling integrate and prioritize microbial-host interactions and may predict the conditions in which the fine-tuning attenuates. These microbial-host interactions and working mechanisms are important from the aspect of effective drug designing and fine- tuning the therapeutic interventions.

UNASSIGNED: The purpose of this study is to analyze the clinical data of a child with acute empyema caused by Haemophilus influenzae, and to investigate the diagnosis and treatment of this disease through literature review to improve the clinical understanding of this kind of disease.
UNASSIGNED: A 6-year-old female with acute H. influenzae empyema was treated at the Department of Pediatrics of The Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China. The pleural puncture fluid turned out to be yellow turbid pus, and the pleural effusion was diagnosed as empyema according to the classification of pleural effusions. High-throughput sequencing revealed the presence of H. influenzae. After comprehensive treatment, including antibiotics, closed pleural drainage, and intrapleural injection of urokinase, the pleural effusion was absorbed and discharged. A systematic literature search in Pubmed, Embase, Scopus, CNKI, Wanfang, and VIP Chinese databases revealed no cases of acute empyema in children caused by H. influenza and treated with urokinase.
UNASSIGNED: There was no bronchopleural fistula and tension pneumothorax during the treatment. One month after discharge, chest computed tomography (CT) revealed no pleural thickening and normal pulmonary function.
UNASSIGNED: Pneumonia in the child worsened after an initial improvement of symptoms, which is an issue that requires further medical attention. High-throughput sequencing of pathogens in pleural effusion can improve the detection rate. This study indicated that closed pleural drainage combined with intrapleural injection of urokinase is an effective treatment for H. influenzae empyema in children.

OBJECTIVE: To systematically review the literature regarding the microbiota composition in various peri-implant conditions as analyzed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing methods.
METHODS: Electronic searches were conducted at MEDLINE/PubMed, Scopus, Embase, ScienceDirect and Web of Science databases looking for articles published up to April 2020. Observational prospective investigations were considered with systemically healthy patients and that had presented the description of the microbiota composition of peri-implantitis (PI), peri-implant mucositis (PM) and/or health implants (HI) by using 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis were considered eligible.
RESULTS: From 1,380 titles found, 8 studies were considered for qualitative analysis. One article was excluded due to high risk of bias, remaining 7 studies for descriptive analysis. In 6 out of 7 studies the PI microbiota was reported as being in relative abundance and variety though with a different composition from those with HI. There was no consensus regarding which condition had more diversity. The main observed phyla among PI were Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, Fusobacteria and Spirochaetes, while the genera were mainly Actinomyces, Eubacterium, Fusobacterium, Mogibacterium, Moraxella, Treponema and Porphyromonas. Comparisons between PI and PM microbiota showed conflicting results: one study suggested that PI has greater bacterial diversity; another study reported the opposite result, while another investigation found similar variety for both conditions.
CONCLUSIONS: The microbiota of peri-implant conditions have been reported as distinct, although the available literature presents discrepancies. Nonetheless, considering the findings in most studies, it can be suggested that the relative abundance of microbiota and bacterial diversity increased with the progress of peri-implant disease.

Background: The current prognostication of patient survival after surgery for colorectal liver metastases is based on clinical characteristics, but low accuracy makes it difficult to guide treatment for the individual patient. Rapidly evolving technologies have led to the expectation that biomarkers will be able to outperform the current clinical scoring systems and provide more effective personalised treatment. Two main topics prevail in cancer treatment, namely the role of the immune system and the prediction and prognostication by application of high-throughput methodology. The aim of this review is to examine the evidence for prognostic immunological and molecular markers studied in tumour tissue obtained at surgical resection for colorectal liver metastases. Methods: First we analysed immunophenotypical protein markers, that are mainly studied by immunohistochemistry. Second, we review molecular markers by analysing high-throughput studies on tumour mRNA and microRNA expression. Results: CD3, CD4, and CD8 are the most frequently studied protein markers. High intra-tumoural CD3+ T cell infiltration and low CXCR4 expression have the best association with favourable patient survival. Studies that analysed microRNA or mRNA expression data showed very little overlap in prognostic genes. Conclusions: Patient prognostication after surgery for colorectal liver metastases by analysing the immune system remains difficult. Current data are based on diverse and heterogeneous patient populations which prohibits drawing firm conclusions.

Lower alkyl acrylate monomers include methyl-, ethyl-, n-butyl-, and 2-ethylhexyl acrylate. These acrylates are used in the manufacture of acrylic polymers and copolymers for plastics, food packaging, adhesives, and cosmetic formulations. Although there is limited potential for human environmental exposure, occupational exposure can occur via inhalation and dermal contact. Recently, new genotoxicity data have been generated, along with in silico and in vitro read-cross analyses, for these acrylates. The availability of high-throughput screening (HTS) data through the ToxCast™/Tox21 databases allows for consideration of computational toxicology and organization of these data according to the ten key characteristics of carcinogens. Therefore, we conducted a comprehensive review to evaluate the mechanistic, toxicokinetic, animal, and human data, including HTS data, for characterizing the potential carcinogenicity, mutagenicity, and genotoxicity of these acrylates. Toxicokinetic data demonstrate that these acrylates are metabolized rapidly by carboxylesterase hydrolysis and conjugation with glutathione. HTS data demonstrated an overall lack of bioactivity in cancer-related pathways. Overall, the genotoxicity and mutagenicity data support a cytotoxic, non-genotoxic mechanism for these acrylates. Cancer bioassay studies conducted by the oral, dermal, and inhalation routes in animal models with these acrylates did not show any increase in tumor incidence, with two exceptions. At high doses, and secondary to chronic site-of-contact irritation and corrosion, rodent forestomach tumors were induced by oral gavage dosing with ethyl acrylate, and skin tumors were observed following chronic dermal dosing with 2-ethylhexyl acrylate in C3H/HeJ inbred mice (a strain with deficiencies in wound healing), but not in the outbred NMRI strain. For both dermal and forestomach cancers, tumorigenesis is secondary to high doses and long-term tissue damage, shown to be reversible. With evidence that these chemicals are not genotoxic, and that they cause forestomach and dermal tumors through chronic irritation and regenerative proliferation mechanisms, these acrylates are unlikely to pose a human cancer hazard.

The use of genetically encoded fluorescent reporters allows speeding up the initial optimization steps of microbial bioprocesses. These reporters can be used for determining the expression level of a particular promoter, not only the synthesis of a specific protein but also the content of intracellular metabolites. The level of protein/metabolite is thus proportional to a fluorescence signal. By this way, mean expression profiles of protein/metabolites can be determined non-invasively at a high-throughput rate, allowing the rapid identification of the best producers. Actually, different kinds of reporter systems are available, as well as specific cultivation devices allowing the on-line recording of the fluorescent signal. Cell-to-cell variability is another important phenomenon that can be integrated into the screening procedures for the selection of more efficient microbial cell factories.