There has been a dramatic increase in the emergence of antibiotic‐resistant bacterial strains, which has made antibiotic choices for infection control increasingly limited and more expensive. In the U.S. alone, antibiotic‐resistant bacteria cause at least 2 million infections and 23,000 deaths a year resulting in a $55–70 billion per year economic impact. Antibiotics are critical to the success of surgical procedures including orthopedic prosthetic surgeries, and antibiotic resistance is occurring in nearly all bacteria that infect people, including the most common bacteria that cause orthopedic infections, such as Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). Most clinical cases of orthopedic surgeries have shown that patients infected with antibiotic‐resistant bacteria, such as methicillin‐resistant S. aureus (MRSA), are associated with increased morbidity and mortality. This paper reviews the severity of antibiotic resistance at the global scale, the consequences of antibiotic resistance, and the pathways bacteria used to develop antibiotic resistance. It highlights the opportunities and challenges in limiting antibiotic resistance through approaches like the development of novel, non‐drug approaches to reduce bacteria functions related to orthopedic implant‐associated infections. © 2017 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 36:22–32, 2018.

Biomimetic nanofibrous scaffolds mimicking important features of the native extracellular matrix provide a promising strategy to restore functions or achieve favorable responses for tissue regeneration. This review provides a brief overview of current state-of-the-art research designing and using biomimetic electrospun nanofibers as scaffolds for tissue engineering. It begins with a brief introduction of electrospinning and nanofibers, with a focus on issues related to the biomimetic design aspects. The review next focuses on several typical biomimetic nanofibrous structures (e.g. aligned, aligned to random, spiral, tubular, and sheath membrane) that have great potential for tissue engineering scaffolds, and describes their fabrication, advantages, and applications in tissue engineering. The review concludes with perspectives on challenges and future directions for design, fabrication, and utilization of scaffolds based on electrospun nanofibers.

Interleukin 12 (termed IL-12p70 and commonly designated IL-12) is an important immunoregulatory cytokine that is produced mainly by antigen-presenting cells. The expression of IL-12 during infection regulates innate responses and determines the type of adaptive immune responses. IL-12 induces interferon-γ (IFN-γ) production and triggers CD4+ T cells to differentiate into type 1 T helper (Th1) cells. Studies have suggested that IL-12 could play a vital role in treating many diseases, such as viral and bacterial infections and cancers. The unique heterodimeric structure, which IL-12 shares with its family members including IL-23, IL-27, and IL-35, has recently brought more attention to understanding the mechanisms that regulate the functions of IL-12. This article describes the structure and biological activities of IL-12 in both the innate and adaptive arms of the immune system, and discusses the applications of IL-12 in treating and preventing infections.

Rechargeable lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries are receiving ever‐increasing attention due to their high theoretical energy density and inexpensive raw sulfur materials. However, their rapid capacity fade has been one of the key barriers for their further improvement. It is well accepted that the major degradation mechanisms of S‐cathodes include low electrical conductivity of S and sulfides, precipitation of nonconductive Li₂S₂ and Li₂S, and poly‐shuttle effects. To determine these degradation factors, a comprehensive study of sulfur cathodes with different amounts of electrolytes is presented here. A survey of the fundamentals of Li–S chemistry with respect to capacity fade is first conducted; then, the parameters obtained through electrochemical performance and characterization are used to determine the key causes of capacity fade in Li–S batteries. It is confirmed that the formation and accumulation of nonconductive Li₂S₂/Li₂S films on sulfur cathode surfaces are the major parameters contributing to the rapid capacity fade of Li–S batteries.