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Low tumor immunogenicity, immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, and bacterial infections have emerged as significant challenges in postsurgical immunotherapy and skin regeneration for preventing melanoma recurrence. Herein, an immunotherapeutic hydrogel booster (GelMA-CJCNPs) was developed to prevent postoperative tumor recurrence and promote wound healing by incorporating ternary carrier-free nanoparticles (CJCNPs) containing chlorine e6 (Ce6), a BRD4 inhibitor (JQ1), and a glutaminase inhibitor (C968) into methacrylic anhydride-modified gelatin (GelMA) dressings. GelMA-CJCNPs reduced glutathione production by inhibiting glutamine metabolism, thereby preventing the destruction of reactive oxygen species generated by photodynamic therapy, which could amplify oxidative stress to induce severe cell death and enhance immunogenic cell death. In addition, GelMA-CJCNPs reduced M2-type tumor-associated macrophage polarization by blocking glutamine metabolism to reverse the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, recruiting more tumor-infiltrating T lymphocytes. GelMA-CJCNPs also downregulated IFN-γ-induced expression of programmed cell death ligand 1 to mitigate acquired immune resistance. Benefiting from the amplified systemic antitumor immunity, GelMA-CJCNPs markedly inhibited the growth of both primary and distant tumors. Moreover, GelMA-CJCNPs demonstrated satisfactory photodynamic antibacterial effects against Staphylococcus aureus infections, thereby promoting postsurgical wound healing. Hence, this immunotherapeutic hydrogel booster, as a facile and effective postoperative adjuvant, possesses a promising potential for inhibiting tumor recurrence and accelerating skin regeneration., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T)-cell therapy targeting B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA) is currently one of the promising treatment methods for relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (MM). Herein, this study is a case report on a 41-year-old male patient with MM. Unfortunately, he still developed multidrug-resistant, refractory, and bone marrow suppression after receiving multiline high-intensity chemotherapy. After a detailed evaluation, the physician recommended autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (ASCT) support, followed by sequential immunotherapy with autologous anti- BCMA CAR-T cells. The CAR-T product is a novel anti-BCMA CAR-T based on Retrovirus vectors (RV). It was worth noting that the patient achieved VGPR (very good partial remission) one month after infusion of anti-BCMA CAR-T cells. Recent tests have found that the M protein was no longer detectable and the patient has achieved CR (complete response). Although grade 3 cytokine release syndrome (CRS) appeared, the symptom was well controlled and immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS) did not occur. This was the first case report of RV prepared anti-BCMA CAR-T cells combined with ASCT for the treatment of MM patient in clinical practice, indicating that the RV-based anti-BCMA-CAR-T cells with ASCT have excellent therapeutic efficacy and high safety in triple-refractory MM patients., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Addressing the sluggish kinetics in the alkaline hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) is a pivotal yet challenging step toward the commercialization of anion-exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs). Here, we have successfully immobilized indium (In) atoms in an orderly fashion into platinum (Pt) nanoparticles supported by reduced graphene oxide (denoted as O-Pt 3 In/rGO), significantly enhancing alkaline HOR kinetics. We have revealed that the ordered atomic matrix enables uniform and optimized hydrogen binding energy (HBE), hydroxyl binding energy (OHBE), and carbon monoxide binding energy (COBE) across the catalyst. With a mass activity of 2.3066 A mg -1 at an overpotential of 50 mV, over 10 times greater than that of Pt/C, the catalyst also demonstrates admirable CO resistance and stability. Importantly, the AEMFC implementing this catalyst as the anode catalyst has achieved an impressive power output compared to Pt/C. This work not only highlights the significance of constructing ordered oxophilic sites for alkaline HOR but also sheds light on the design of well-structured catalysts for energy conversion.

A strain engineering strategy is crucial for designing a high-performance catalyst. However, how to control the strain in metastable phase two-dimensional (2D) materials is technically challenging due to their nanoscale sizes. Here, we report that cerium dioxide (CeO 2 ) is an ideal loading material for tuning the in-plane strain in 2D metastable 1T-phase IrO 2 (1T-IrO 2 ) via an in situ growth method. Surprisingly, 5% CeO 2 loaded 1T-IrO 2 with 8% compressive strain achieves an overpotential of 194 mV at 10 mA cm -2 in a three-electrode system. It also retained a high current density of 900 mA cm -2 at a cell voltage of 1.8 V for a 400 h stability test in the proton-exchange membrane device. More importantly, the Fourier transform infrared measurements and density functional theory calculation reveal that the CeO 2 induced strained 1T-IrO 2 directly undergo the *O-*O radical coupling mechanism for O 2 generation, totally different from the traditional adsorbate evolution mechanism in pure 1T-IrO 2 . These findings illustrate the important role of strain engineering in paving up an optimal catalytic pathway in order to achieve robust electrochemical performance.

Three-dimensional bioprinting is a potent biofabrication technique in tissue engineering but is limited by inadequate bioink availability. Plant-derived proteins are increasingly recognized as highly promising yet underutilized materials for biomedical product development and hold potential for use in bioink formulations. Herein, we report the development of a biocompatible plant protein bioink from pea protein isolate. Through pH shifting, ethanol precipitation, and lyophilization, the pea protein isolate (PPI) transformed from an insoluble to a soluble form. Next, it was modified with glycidyl methacrylate to obtain methacrylate-modified PPI (PPIGMA), which is photocurable and was used as the precursor of bioink. The mechanical and microstructural studies of the hydrogel containing 16% PPIGMA revealed a suitable compress modulus and a porous network with a pore size over 100 μm, which can facilitate nutrient and waste transportation. The PPIGMA bioink exhibited good 3D bioprinting performance in creating complex patterns and good biocompatibility as plenty of viable cells were observed in the printed samples after 3 days of incubation in the cell culture medium. No immunogenicity of the PPIGMA bioink was identified as no inflammation was observed for 4 weeks after implantation in Sprague Dawley rats. Compared with methacrylate-modified gelatin, the PPIGMA bioink significantly enhanced cartilage regeneration in vitro and in vivo , suggesting that it can be used in tissue engineering applications. In summary, the PPIGMA bioink can be potentially used for tissue engineering applications.

Complex wound repair due to tumor recurrence and infection following tumor resection presents significant clinical challenges. In this study, a bifunctional nanocomposite immune hydrogel dressing, SerMA-LJC, is developed to address the issues associated with repairing infected damaged tissues and preventing tumor recurrence. Specifically, the immune dressing is composed of methacrylic anhydride-modified sericin (SerMA) and self-assembled nanoparticles (LJC) containing lonidamine (Lon), JQ1, and chlorine e6 (Ce6). In vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrate that the nanocomposite hydrogel dressing can trigger immunogenic cell death (ICD) and has a potent anti-tumor effect. Moreover, this dressing can mitigate the acidic microenvironment of tumor cells and suppress the overexpression of PD-L1 on the tumor cell surface, thereby altering the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment and augmenting the anti-tumor immune response. Further, the RNA sequencing analysis revealed that the hydrogel dressing significantly impacts pathways associated with positive regulation of immune response, apoptotic process, and other relevant pathways, thus triggering a potent anti-tumor immune response. More importantly, the dressing generates a substantial amount of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which can effectively kill Staphylococcus aureus and promote infectious wound healing. In conclusion, this dual-function nanocomposite immune hydrogel dressing exhibits promise in preventing tumor recurrence and promoting infectious wound healing., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

(1) Background: A rise in intraocular pressure (IOP) and decreased retinal ganglion cells are frequent indicators of effective modeling of chronic ocular hypertension in mice. In this study, the sensitivity of the mouse model to pharmaceutical therapy to reduce intraocular tension was assessed, the model's safety was confirmed using a cytotoxicity test, and the success rate of the mouse model of ocular hypertension was assessed by assessing alterations in IOP and neurons in the ganglion cell layer. (2) Methods: A mouse model of chronic ocular hypertension was produced in this study by employing photocrosslinkable sericin hydrogel injection and LED lamp irradiation. The eyes of 25 C57BL/6 male mice were subjected to 405 nm UV light from the front for 2 min after being injected with 5 μL of sericin hydrogel in the anterior chamber of the left eye. IOP in the mice was measured daily, and IOP rises greater than 5 mmHg were considered intraocular hypertension. When the IOP was lowered, the intervention was repeated once, but the interval between treatments was at least 2 weeks. The right eyes were not treated with anything as a normal control group. Mice eyeballs were stained with HE, Ni-type, and immunofluorescence to assess the model's efficacy. Two common drugs (tafluprost eye drops and timolol eye drops) were provided for one week after four weeks of stable IOP, and IOP changes were assessed to determine the drug sensitivity of the mouse model of chronic ocular hypertension. Furthermore, CellTiter 96 ® AQueous One Solution Cell Proliferation Assay (MTS) was utilized to investigate the safety of the ocular hypertension model by evaluating the deleterious effects of photocrosslinkable sericin hydrogel on cells. (3) Results: Before injection, the basal IOP was (9.42 ± 1.28) mmHg (1 kPa = 7.5 mmHg) in the experimental group and (9.08 ± 1.21) in the control group. After injection, cataract occurred in one eye, corneal edema in one eye, endophthalmitis in one eye, iris incarceration in one eye, and eyeball atrophy in one eye. Five mice with complications were excluded from the experiment, and twenty mice were left. Four weeks after injection, the IOP of the experimental group was maintained at (19.7 ± 4.52) mmHg, and that of the control group was maintained at (9.92 ± 1.55) mmHg, and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant ( p < 0.05). Before the intervention, the IOP in the experimental group was (21.7 ± 3.31) mmHg in the high IOP control group, (20.33 ± 2.00) mmHg in the tafluprost eye drops group, and (20.67 ± 3.12) mmHg in the timolol maleate eye drops group. The IOP after the intervention was (23.2 ± 1.03) mmHg, (12.7 ± 2.11) mmHg, and (10.4 ± 1.43) mmHg, respectively. Before and after the intervention, there were no significant differences in the high-IOP control group ( p > 0.05), there were statistically significant differences in the timolol eye drops group ( p < 0.05), and there were statistically significant differences in the tafluprost eye drops group ( p < 0.05). One week after drug withdrawal, there was no significant difference in IOP among the three groups ( p > 0.05). In the high-IOP group, the protein (sericin hydrogel) showed a short strips or fragmented structure in the anterior chamber, accompanied by a large number of macrophages and a small number of plasma cells. The shape of the chamber angle was normal in the blank control group. The number of retinal ganglion cells decreased significantly 8 weeks after injection of sericin hydrogel into the anterior chamber, and the difference was statistically significant compared with the blank control group ( p < 0.05). After the cells were treated with photocrosslinkable sericin hydrogel, there was no significant difference in the data of the CellTiter 96 ® assay kit of MTS compared with the blank control group ( p > 0.05). (4) Conclusions: A mouse model of chronic intraocular hypertension can be established successfully by injecting sericin in the anterior chamber and irradiating with ultraviolet light. The model can simulate the structural and functional changes of glaucoma and can effectively reduce IOP after the action of most antihypertensive drugs, and it is highly sensitive to drugs. Sericin has no obvious toxic effect on cells and has high safety.

Clarifying the structure-reactivity relationship of non-noble-metal electrocatalysts is one of the decisive factors for the practical application of water electrolysis. In this field, the anodic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) with a sluggish kinetic process has become a huge challenge for large-scale production of high-purity hydrogen. Here we synthesize a layered quasi-nevskite metastable-phase cobalt oxide (LQNMP-Co 2 O 3 ) nanosheet via a simple molten alkali synthesis strategy. The unit-cell parameters of LQNMP-Co 2 O 3 are determined to be a = b = 2.81 Å and c = 6.89 Å with a space group of P 3̅ m 1 (No. 164). The electrochemical results show that the LQNMP-Co 2 O 3 electrocatalyst enables delivering an ultralow overpotential of 266 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm geo -2 with excellent durability. The operando XANES and EXAFS analyses clearly reveal the origin of the OER activity and the electrochemical stability of the LQNMP-Co 2 O 3 electrocatalyst. Density functional theory (DFT) simulations show that the energy barrier of the rate-determining step (RDS) (from *O to *OOH) is significantly reduced on the LQNMP-Co 2 O 3 electrocatalyst by comparing with simulated monolayered CoO 2 (M-CoO 2 ).

Since chondrocytes are highly vulnerable to oxidative stress, an anti-oxidative bioink combined with 3D bioprinting may facilitate its applications in cartilage tissue engineering. We developed an anti-oxidative bioink with methacrylate-modified rutin (RTMA) as an additional bioactive component and glycidyl methacrylate silk fibroin as a biomaterial component. Bioink containing 0% RTMA was used as the control sample. Compared with hydrogel samples produced with the control bioink, solidified anti-oxidative bioinks displayed a similar porous microstructure, which is suitable for cell adhesion and migration, and the transportation of nutrients and wastes. Among photo-cured samples prepared with anti-oxidative bioinks and the control bioink, the sample containing 1 mg/mL of RTMA (RTMA-1) showed good degradation, promising mechanical properties, and the best cytocompatibility, and it was selected for further investigation. Based on the results of 3D bioprinting tests, the RTMA-1 bioink exhibited good printability and high shape fidelity. The results demonstrated that RTMA-1 reduced intracellular oxidative stress in encapsulated chondrocytes under H 2 O 2 stimulation, which results from upregulation of COLII and AGG and downregulation of MMP13 and MMP1 . By using in vitro and in vivo tests, our data suggest that the RTMA-1 bioink significantly enhanced the regeneration and maturation of cartilage tissue compared to the control bioink, indicating that this anti-oxidative bioink can be used for 3D bioprinting and cartilage tissue engineering applications in the future.

The effective harnessing of hydrogen energy relies on the development of bifunctional electrocatalysts that facilitate hydrogen evolution/oxidation reactions (HER/HOR) with high catalytic activity. The design of such electrocatalysts requires the consideration of not only the volcano relationship with hydrogen binding energy (HBE) or hydrogen adsorption Gibbs free energy (ΔG H ) but also the regulation of catalytic kinetics such as interfacial proton/electron transfer. In this work, unique one-dimensional iridium nanowires with compressive stress are successfully prepared and combined with carbon dots (Ir NWs/CDs). Acting as an electrocatalyst for HER in 0.5 M H 2 SO 4 , the optimal Ir NWs/CDs only requires an 18 mV overpotential to achieve a current density of -10 mA cm -2 . Furthermore, the optimal Ir NWs/CDs shows high HOR performance with a mass activity (@ 50 mV versus RHE) 1.5 times that of 20% Pt/C and excellent anti-CO toxicity ability which is twice the level of the PtRu/C catalyst. Ir NWs/CDs exhibit enhanced HER/HOR activity due to (1) the appropriate modulation of the binding energy to hydrogen intermediate facilitated by the compressive stress applied to the Ir structure and (2) the improved proton/electron transfer kinetics by optimizing the electronic properties and surface structures through tailored CDs. This study delivers a new strategy for designing and synthesizing efficient acidic HER/HOR bifunctional catalysts., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Trabeculectomy is the primary surgical approach used to treat glaucoma, but scarring of the filtering passage (filtering bleb) after surgery often leads to treatment failure. To address this issue, we have developed a drug release system called RSG/Pd@ZIF-8 PHBV film. This system enables the sustained release of an anti-fibrosis drug, aiming to prevent scarring. In vitro , the film has the function of continuous Rosiglitazone (RSG) release, with accelerated release after laser irradiation. The antibacterial experiments revealed that the film exhibited antibacterial rates of 87.0 % against E.coli and 97.1 % against S.aureus, respectively. Moreover, we confirmed its efficacy in a rabbit eye model undergoing trabeculectomy. After implantation of the film, we observed a prolonged postoperative period for reducing intraocular pressure (IOP), increased survival rate of filtering blebs, and improved long-term surgical outcomes in vivo . Additionally, the film exhibited excellent biosafety. In summary, the designed sustained-release film in this study possesses the aforementioned functionalities, allowing for the regulation of anti-scarring drug release without causing harm post-surgery. This personalized and precise anti-scarring strategy represents a significant advancement., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Transition metal borides (TMBs) or phosphides (TMPs) have attracted great attention to the design of bifunctional electrocatalysts for energy storage. The superaerophobicity and superhydrophilicity of the catalytic electrode surface are crucial factors to determine the reaction process of the gas electrode. Herein, we report a self-supported electrode of carbon nanotube (CNTs) array grown on carbon cloth (CC) modulated together by boron-doped cobalt phosphide (CoP-B/CNTs/CC). The electrode requires the overpotential of 73.8 mV and 189.5 mV at the current density of ±10 mA cm -2 for hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions in an alkaline electrolyte (1.0 M KOH), respectively, meanwhile maintaining outstanding long-term durability for more than 300 h. The excellent activity of CoP-B/CNTs/CC is attributed to boron doping regulating its electronic structure and further enriching active sites. The attractive stability of CoP-B/CNTs/CC is due to the unique geometric structure of the self-supported electrode. Furthermore, the superaerophobicity and superhydrophilicity of the electrode surface also accelerate the reaction process of the gas electrode. Expectedly, water splitting cells assembled using CoP-B/CNTs/CC electrodes as cathode and anode, respectively, require a cell voltage of 1.54 V at 10 mA cm -2 , which is lower than that of the Pt/C/CC||RuO 2 /CC couple (1.69 V at 10 mA cm -2 ). Importantly, CoP-B/CNTs/CC||CoP-B/CNTs/CC achieve stable cell voltage under the step current changes (10 mA cm -2 , 50 mA cm -2 , and 100 mA cm -2 ) over 300 h. This work highlights a new path to understanding the effects of the static and dynamic behavior of bubbles on the surface of self-supporting electrodes on catalytic performance., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals single crystals with long-range magnetic order are the precondition and urgent task for developing a 2D spintronics device. In contrast to graphene and transition metal dichalcogenides, the study of 2D single-crystal metal oxides with intrinsic ferromagnetic properties remains a huge challenge. Here, we report a large-size trigonal single-crystal rhodium oxide (SC-Tri-RhO 2 ), with crystal parameters of a = b = 3.074 Å, c = 6.116 Å, and a space group of P 3̅ m 1 (164), exhibiting strong ferromagnetism (FM) at a rather high temperature. Furthermore, theoretical calculations suggest that the ferromagnetism in SC-Tri-RhO 2 originates from spin splitting near the Fermi level, and the total magnetic moment is contributed mainly by the Rh atom.

The oxygen evolution reactions in acid play an important role in multiple energy storage devices. The practical promising Ru-Ir based catalysts need both the stable high oxidation state of the Ru centers and the high stability of these Ru species. Here, we report stable and oxidative charged Ru in two-dimensional ruthenium-iridium oxide enhances the activity. The Ru 0.5 Ir 0.5 O 2 catalyst shows high activity in acid with a low overpotential of 151 mV at 10 mA cm -2 , a high turnover frequency of 6.84 s -1 at 1.44 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode and good stability (618.3 h operation). Ru 0.5 Ir 0.5 O 2 catalysts can form more Ru active sites with high oxidation states at lower applied voltages after Ir incorporation, which is confirmed by the pulse voltage induced current method. Also, The X-ray absorption spectroscopy data shows that the Ru-O-Ir local structure in two-dimensional Ru 0.5 Ir 0.5 O 2 solid solution improved the stability of these Ru centers., (© 2023. Springer Nature Limited.)

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Pulmonary fibrosis (PF), a lethal lung disease, can lead to structural destruction of the alveoli until death. Sparganii Rhizoma (SR), primarily distributed in East Asia, has been used clinically for hundreds of years against organ fibrosis and inflammation., Aim of the Study: We intended to verify the effect of SR alleviate PF and further explore mechanisms., Methods: Murine model of PF was established by endotracheal infusion of bleomycin. We detected the anti-PF effect of SR through lung coefficient, hydroxyproline content, lung function and pathological staining. Then, we used Western Blot and RT-PCR to verify the mechanism. In vitro experiments, MRC-5 and BEAS-2B were induced to phenotypic transformation by TGF-β1 and then RT-PCR, WB and IF were conducted to verify the effect of SR., Results: SR significantly reduced BLM-induced PF in mice, improved lung function, slowed the degree of lung tissue lesions, and reduced collagen deposition. SR alleviated PF by inhibiting fibroblasts differentiation and epithelial-mesenchymal transition. In vivo studies explored the mechanism and found that it was related to TGF-β1/Smad2/3 pathway., Conclusions: Our research proved SR could effectively treat PF, providing a fresh idea and approach for the treatment of PF with traditional Chinese medicine., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting provides a promising strategy for tissue and organ engineering, and extracellular matrix (ECM)-derived bioinks greatly facilitate its applications in these areas. Decellularized sturgeon cartilage ECM (dSC-ECM)-derived bioinks for cartilage tissue engineering were fabricated with methacrylate-modified dSC-ECM (dSC-ECMMA) and sericin methacrylate (SerMA), which optimizedthe mechanical properties of their solidified hydrogels.dSC-ECM induces chondrocytes to form cell clusters and subsequently reduces their proliferation, but the proliferation of encapsulated chondrocytes was normal in solidified dSC-ECM-5 bioink samples, which contain 5 mg/mL dSC-ECMMA. Hence, this bioink was selected for further investigation. Lyophilized dSC-ECM-5 hydrogels showed connected pore microstructure, which is suitable for cell migration and nutrients transportation. ThisdSC-ECM-5 bioink exhibited high fidelity and good printability by testing via a 3D bioprinting system, and the chondrocytes loaded in printed hydrogel products were viable and able to grow, following incubation, in the cell culture medium. Solidified dSC-ECM-5 and SerMA bioinks loaded with chondrocytes were subcutaneously implanted into nude mice for 4 weeks to test the suitability of the bioink for cartilage tissue engineering. Compared to the SerMA bioink, the dSC-ECM-5 bioink significantly enhanced cartilage tissue regeneration and maturation in vivo , suggesting the potential of this bioink to be applied in cartilage tissue engineering in the future., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright:© 2023, Meng X, Zhou Z, Chen X, et al.)

Background: Safe and effective wound healing can be a major clinical challenge. Inflammation and vascular impairment are two main causes of inadequate wound healing. Methods: Here, we developed a versatile hydrogel wound dressing, comprising a straightforward physical mixture of royal jelly-derived extracellular vesicles (RJ-EVs) and methacrylic anhydride modified sericin (SerMA), to accelerate wound healing by inhibiting inflammation and promoting vascular reparation. Results: The RJ-EVs showed satisfactory anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, and significantly promoted L929 cell proliferation and migration in vitro . Meanwhile, the photocrosslinked SerMA hydrogel with its porous interior structure and high fluidity made it a good candidate for wound dressing. The RJ-EVs can be gradually released from the SerMA hydrogel at the wound site, ensuring the restorative effect of RJ-EVs. In a full-thickness skin defect model, the SerMA/RJ-EVs hydrogel dressing accelerated wound healing with a healing rate of 96.8% by improving cell proliferation and angiogenesis. The RNA sequencing results further revealed that the SerMA/RJ-EVs hydrogel dressing was involved in inflammatory damage repair-related pathways including recombinational repair, epidermis development, and Wnt signaling. Conclusion: This SerMA/RJ-EVs hydrogel dressing offers a simple, safe and robust strategy for modulating inflammation and vascular impairment for accelerated wound healing., Competing Interests: Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interest exists., (© The author(s).)

Electrochemical two-electron oxygen reduction reaction (2 e - ORR) to produce hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) is a promising alternative to the energetically intensive anthraquinone process. However, there remain challenges in designing 2 e - ORR catalysts that meet the application criteria. Here, we successfully adopt a microwave-assisted mechanochemical-thermal approach to synthesize hexagonal phase SnO 2 (h-SnO 2 ) nanoribbons with largely exposed edge structures. In 0.1 M Na 2 SO 4 electrolyte, the h-SnO 2 catalysts achieve the excellent H 2 O 2 selectivity of 99.99 %. Moreover, when employed as the catalyst in flow cell devices, they exhibit a high yield of 3885.26 mmol g -1  h -1 . The enhanced catalytic performance is attributed to the special crystal structure and morphology, resulting in abundantly exposed edge active sites to convert O 2 to H 2 O 2 , which is confirmed by density functional theory calculations., (© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Metastable metal oxides with ribbon morphologies have promising applications for energy conversion catalysis, however they are largely restricted by their limited synthesis methods. In this study, a monoclinic phase iridium oxide nanoribbon with a space group of C2/m is successfully obtained, which is distinct from rutile iridium oxide with a stable tetragonal phase (P42/mnm). A molten-alkali mechanochemical method provides a unique strategy for achieving this layered nanoribbon structure via a conversion from a monoclinic phase K 0.25 IrO 2 (I2/m (12)) precursor. The formation mechanism of IrO 2 nanoribbon is clearly revealed, with its further conversion to IrO 2 nanosheet with a trigonal phase. When applied as an electrocatalyst for the oxygen evolution reaction in acidic condition, the intrinsic catalytic activity of IrO 2 nanoribbon is higher than that of tetragonal phase IrO 2 due to the low d band centre of Ir in this special monoclinic phase structure, as confirmed by density functional theory calculations., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Deep learning (DL) based methods represented by convolutional neural networks (CNNs) are widely used in hyperspectral image classification (HSIC). Some of these methods have strong ability to extract local information, but the extraction of long-range features is slightly inefficient, while others are just the opposite. For example, limited by the receptive fields, CNN is difficult to capture the contextual spectral-spatial features from a long-range spectral-spatial relationship. Besides, the success of DL-based methods is greatly attributed to numerous labeled samples, whose acquisition are time-consuming and cost-consuming. To resolve these problems, a hyperspectral classification framework based on multi-attention Transformer (MAT) and adaptive superpixel segmentation-based active learning (MAT-ASSAL) is proposed, which successfully achieves excellent classification performance, especially under the condition of small-size samples. Firstly, a multi-attention Transformer network is built for HSIC. Specifically, the self-attention module of Transformer is applied to model long-range contextual dependency between spectral-spatial embedding. Moreover, in order to capture local features, an outlook-attention module which can efficiently encode fine-level features and contexts into tokens is utilized to improve the correlation between the center spectral-spatial embedding and its surroundings. Secondly, aiming to train a excellent MAT model through limited labeled samples, a novel active learning (AL) based on superpixel segmentation is proposed to select important samples for MAT. Finally, to better integrate local spatial similarity into active learning, an adaptive superpixel (SP) segmentation algorithm, which can save SPs in uninformative regions and preserve edge details in complex regions, is employed to generate better local spatial constraints for AL. Quantitative and qualitative results indicate that the MAT-ASSAL outperforms seven state-of-the-art methods on three HSI datasets.

Electrocatalytic water splitting is a desirable and sustainable strategy for hydrogen production yet still faces challenges due to the sluggish kinetics and rapid deactivation of catalysts in the oxygen evolution process. Herein, we utilized the metal-catalyzed growth technology and phosphating process to fabricate self-supported electrodes (Co x P y @CNT-CC) composed of carbon nanotube (CNT) arrays grown on carbon cloth (CC); thereinto, cobalt-based phosphide nanoparticles (Co x P y ) are uniformly encapsulated in the cavity of the CNTs. After further optimization, when the nanoparticles are in the composite phase (CoP 2 /Co 2 P), CoP 2 /Co 2 P@CNT-CC served as catalytic electrodes with the highest activity and stability for electrocatalytic water splitting in an alkaline medium (1.0 M KOH). The as-prepared CoP 2 /Co 2 P@CNT-CC integrates the advantages of the abundant active sites and confinement effect of CNTs, imparting promising electrocatalytic activities and stability in catalyzing both hydrogen evolution reaction and oxygen evolution reaction. Remarkably, electrocatalytic water splitting cells assembled using CoP 2 /Co 2 P@CNT-CC electrodes as the cathode and anode, respectively, require a cell voltage of 1.55 V at 10 mA cm -2 , which is lower than that of the commercially noble Pt/C/CC and RuO 2 /CC catalyst couple (1.68 V). Besides, a CoP 2 /Co 2 P@CNT-CC||CoP 2 /Co 2 P@CNT-CC system shows outstanding durability for a period of 100 h at 10 mA cm -2 . This work may provide new ideas for designing bifunctional electrocatalysts for applications in electrocatalytic water splitting.

The limited availability of bioinks has hindered the application of 3D bioprinting to tissue engineering, and bacterial infection is a serious threat to these applications. Aiming to solve this problem, a novel ε-poly-L-lysine (EPL)-derived antibacterial bioink has been developed for 3D bioprinting and tissue-engineering applications. Three glycidyl methacrylate (GMA)-modified EPL products, EPLGMA-1, EPLGMA-2, and EPLGMA-3, were prepared by reacting 3, 4, and 5 mL GMA with 5 g EPL, respectively. EPLGMA-1, EPLGMA-2, and EPLGMA-3 were photocurable and their corresponding photo-crosslinked hydrogels, EPLGMA-1H, EPLGMA-2H, and EPLGMA-3H, all exhibited very high antibacterial rates, good biocompatibility, good degradability, and promising mechanical properties. After EPLGMA-1H, EPLGMA-2H, and EPLGMA-3H with encapsulated chondrocytes were incubated for 4 weeks, EPLGMA-3H was the best one among them for tissue-engineering applications due to its most efficient tissue regeneration. Carrying chondrocytes, the EPLGMA-3 solution was printed into hydrogel products with high-fidelity shapes and high cell viability using a projection-based 3D bioprinter. Following the implantation of chondrocyte-loaded EPLGMA-3H samples into nude mice for 4 weeks, cartilage-like tissue was regenerated, suggesting that EPLGMA-3 is a promising antibacterial bioink for 3D bioprinting and tissue-engineering applications.

Designing well-ordered nanocrystal arrays with subnanometre distances can provide promising materials for future nanoscale applications. However, the fabrication of aligned arrays with controllable accuracy in the subnanometre range with conventional lithography, template or self-assembly strategies faces many challenges. Here, we report a two-dimensional layered metastable oxide, trigonal phase rhodium oxide (space group, P-3m1 (164)), which provides a platform from which to construct well-ordered face-centred cubic rhodium nanocrystal arrays in a hexagonal pattern with an intersurface distance of only 0.5 nm. The coupling of the well-ordered rhodium array and metastable substrate in this catalyst triggers and improves hydrogen spillover, enhancing the acidic hydrogen evolution for H 2 production, which is essential for various clean energy-related devices. The catalyst achieves a low overpotential of only 9.8 mV at a current density of -10 mA cm -2 , a low Tafel slope of 24.0 mV dec -1 , and high stability under a high potential (vs. RHE) of -0.4 V (current density of ~750 mA cm -2 ). This work highlights the important role of metastable materials in the design of advanced materials to achieve high-performance catalysis., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

3D bioprinting is a major area of interest in health sciences for customized manufacturing, but lacks specific bioinks to enhance the shape fidelity of 3D bioprinting and efficiency of tissue repair for particular clinical purposes. A naringin derived bioink, which contains 1.5 mM methylacryloyl naringin and 0.15 mM methylacryloyl gelatin, improves the fidelity of 3D bioprinting due to 405 nm light absorption of methylacryloyl naringin. The naringin derived bioink promotes the growth of chondrocytes due to preserving bioactivities of naringin and functions as a medical ingredient from which it has been described as a medical bioink in this study. It facilitates cartilage regeneration by upregulating the transcription of chondrogenesis-related genes like SOX9 and genes against oxidative stress like SOD1 and SOD2 and maintains chondrocytes active resulting from the significantly enhanced COL II / COL I ratio. According to a rabbit cartilage defect model, the proposed naringin derived medical bioink significantly improves the efficiency and quality of cartilage defect repair, suggesting that the bioink is suitable for cartilage defect repair applications and a feasible strategy is provided for the formulation of medical bioinks for specific clinical purposes.

Introduction: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a serious lung disease with a high mortality rate. Baoyuan decoction (BYD), a classic medicinal food homology recipe, has anti-apoptotic effects, enhances immune function, and alleviates fibrosis, suggesting that it may be a potential therapeutic drug for IPF., Objectives: We aimed to identify the main active ingredients of BYD, determine the basis of its efficacy, prove its anti-IPF effects, and explore the mechanisms underlying its anti-IPF effects., Materials and Methods: In this study, the active components of BYD were detected and analysed by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with hybrid quadrupole Orbitrap mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap-MS). A network pharmacology analysis was performed to determine the potential targets and relevant pathways of BYD in treating IPF. Western blotting and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) were conducted to verify the efficacy of BYD against IPF. Finally, molecular docking and qPCR were performed to identify the central targets of BYD., Results: A total of 39 components of BYD were identified. After performing the network pharmacology analysis, 35 active components and eight presumptive targets of BYD were found to play a central role in its anti-IPF effects. The molecular docking results indicated that most of the active components of BYD exhibited good binding activity with these eight central target proteins. In addition, the expression of collagen, α-SMA, and these eight targets in human pulmonary fibroblast (HPF) cells was suppressed from treatment with BYD., Conclusion: This study determined the efficacy of BYD against IPF and clarified its multiple-target and multiple-pathway mechanisms. Furthermore, the study also provides a new method for exploring the chemical and pharmacological bases of other traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)., (© 2022 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

There is a strong interest in developing environmentally friendly synthesis approaches for making polyurethane elastomers (PUE) with desirable mechanical performance and flame retardancy suitable for a variety of applications. Hence, in this study, a novel nano functionalized lignin nanoparticle (Nano-FL) containing nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) moieties was developed via mild grafting reactions combined with the ultrasound method. The Nano-FL incorporated in the PUE acted as both crosslinking agents and flame retardants. The novel Nano-FL showed good compatibility and dispersibility in the PUE matrix, thereby overcoming the weakening effect of adding traditional lignin flame retardants on the mechanical properties of the PUE materials. PUE/Nano-FL exhibited strong tensile properties. Compared with control neat PUE, with 10 wt% of Nano-FL addition, the PUE attained a limiting oxygen index as high as 29.8% and it also passed the UL-94 V-0 rating. Furthermore, Cone Calorimetry Test (CCT) showed that the addition of Nano-FL not only reduced the heat release rate and the total heat release but also decreased the total smoke production rate during combustion. The char residues of PUEs with Nano-FL showed a high oxidation resistance with dense and continuous structural morphologies. The combined barrier and quenching effects of the char layer provided excellent flame retardancy performance. The novel Nano-FL developed in this study showed excellent promises as green functional additives for enhancing mechanical, thermal and flame retardancy performance of a wide range of polymers., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ALI/ARDS) is an acute respiratory failure syndrome characterized by progressive arterial hypoxemia and dyspnea. Qingfei Litan (QFLT) decoction, as a classic prescription for the treatment of acute respiratory infections, is effective for the treatment of ALI/ARDS. In this study, the compounds, hub targets, and major pathways of QFLT in ALI/ARDS treatment were analyzed using Ultra high performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS) and systemic pharmacology strategies. UHPLC-MS identified 47 main components of QFLT. To explore its anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative mechanisms, gene ontology (Go) analysis, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment and network pharmacological analysis were conducted based on the main 47 components. KEGG enrichment analysis showed that TNF signaling pathway and Toll-like receptor signaling pathway may be the key pathways of ALI/ARDS. We explored the anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative pharmacological effects of QFLT in treatment of ALI/ARDS in vivo and in vitro . QFLT suppressed the levels of proinflammatory cytokines and alleviated oxidative stress in LPS-challenged mice. In vitro , QFLT decreased the levels of TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β secreted by LPS-activated macrophages, increased GSH level and decreased the LPS-activated reactive oxygen species (ROS) in lung epithelial A549 cells. This study suggested that QFLT may have anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative effects on ALI/ARDS, combining in vivo and in vitro experiments with systemic pharmacology, providing a potential therapeutic strategy option., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Diao, Ding, Xu, Li, Li, Zhu, Zhu, Wang and Shi.)

Background: Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is a devastating lung disease, resulting in gas exchange dysfunction until death. The two drugs approved by the FDA, pirfenidone and nintedanib, have obvious side effects. Wen-yu-jin (WYJ), one of the commonly used herbs in China, can treat respiratory diseases. The potential effects and the underlying mechanism of WYJ against PF are unclear., Purpose: Employing network pharmacology, molecular docking, and in vivo and in vitro experiments to explore the potential effects and underlying mechanisms of WYJ in the treatment of PF., Methods: Ultra-high pressure liquid chromatography combined with linear ion trap-orbital tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-LTQ-orbital trap) was used to identify compounds of WYJ. We got PF-related targets and WYJ compounds-related targets from public databases and further completed critical targets exploration, network construction, and pathway analysis by network pharmacology. Molecular docking predicted binding activity of WYJ compounds and critical targets. Based on the above results, in vivo and in vitro experiments validated the potential effects and mechanisms of WYJ against PF., Results: 23 major compositions of WYJ were identified based on UHPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap. According to the results of network pharmacology, STAT3, SRC, IL6, MAPK1, AKT1, EGFR, MAPK8, MAPK14, and IL1B are critical therapeutic targets. Molecular docking results showed that most of the compounds have good binding activities with critical targets. The results of in vivo and in vitro experiments showed that WYJ alleviated the process of fibrosis by targeting MAPK and STAT3 pathways., Conclusion: Network pharmacology, molecular docking, and in vivo and in vitro experiments showed the potential effects and mechanisms of WYJ against PF, which provides a theoretical basis for the treatment of WYJ with PF., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Lu Wang et al.)

Convolutional neural networks are widely used in the field of hyperspectral image classification because of their excellent nonlinear feature extraction ability. However, as the sampling position of the regular convolution kernel is unchangeable, the regular convolution cannot distinctively extract the spatial and spectral information around the central pixel, which makes the classification results at the boundaries of ground objects over-smoothed and the classification performance degraded. Thus, we propose a novel superpixel guided deformable convolution network (SGDCN) for hyperspectral image classification. Firstly, the superpixel region fusion filter (SRF-Filter) is designed to fuse the initial superpixel region segmented by the simple linear iterative clustering (SLIC), making the fused superpixel region have a high homogeneity and also contain spatial features of diverse scales. Then, the superpixel guided deformable convolution (SGD-Conv) is proposed to make the shape of deformable convolution consistent with the real shape of land covers, and the SGD-Conv can extract pure neighborhood spatial-spectral features. Finally, a superpixel joint bilateral filter (SPJBF) is designed to solve the pixel-level and region-level misclassification problem, which can effectively utilize the superpixel region's homogeneity and improve the classification accuracy. Experiments on three HSI datasets indicate that the SGDCN can obtain better classification performance when compared with other twelve state-of-the-art methods.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive and fatal fibrotic lung disease. However, there are insufficient drugs available for IPF treatment, and the currently used drugs are accompanied by many adverse reactions. Deficiency of vitamin D3 (VD3) in the development of IPF and the potential role of VD3 in the treatment of IPF have attracted increasing attention. In vivo experimental results showed that VD3 could increase the survival rate in bleomycin (BLM)-induced models, relieve lung inflammation, reduce hydroxyproline content, and inhibit collagen deposition and cell apoptosis. We further performed proteomics analysis and screened 251 target proteins that reflect VD3 intervention in BLM-induced animal models. These target proteins were involved in acute inflammation, oxidative stress, antioxidant activity and extracellular matrix binding. Combined with the comprehensive analysis of clinical samples, PSAT1 was screened out as a candidate target related to IPF disease and VD3 treatment. Through further computational analysis, the MAPK signaling pathway was considered to be the most probable candidate pathway for VD3 function targeting IPF. In in vivo experiments, VD3 inhibited BLM-induced expression of PSAT1 and phosphorylation of p38 and ERK1/2 in mouse lung tissue. The experiments of cell proliferation and western blot confirmed that VD3 inhibited the expression of PSAT1 and the activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway in human pulmonary fibroblasts (HPF). Furthermore, experiments with transfection plasmids overexpressing PSAT1 proved that VD3 could attenuate the proliferation and differentiation of HPF by suppressing the effect of PSAT1 on the MAPK signaling pathway. Finally, we confirmed that vitamin D receptor (VDR) could occupy the PSAT1 promoter to reveal the transcriptional regulation effect of VD3 on PSAT1. In conclusion, VD3 exerted a therapeutic effect on IPF by down-regulating the MAPK signaling pathway via targeting the expression of PSAT1., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Exploring new materials is essential in the field of material science. Especially, searching for optimal materials with utmost atomic utilization, ideal activities and desirable stability for catalytic applications requires smart design of materials' structures. Herein, we report iridium metallene oxide: 1 T phase-iridium dioxide (IrO 2 ) by a synthetic strategy combining mechanochemistry and thermal treatment in a strong alkaline medium. This material demonstrates high activity for oxygen evolution reaction with a low overpotential of 197 millivolt in acidic electrolyte at 10 milliamperes per geometric square centimeter (mA cm geo -2 ). Together, it achieves high turnover frequencies of 4.2 s UPD -1 (3.0 s BET -1 ) at 1.50 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode. Furthermore, 1T-IrO 2 also shows little degradation after 126 hours chronopotentiometry measurement under the high current density of 250 mA cm geo -2 in proton exchange membrane device. Theoretical calculations reveal that the active site of Ir in 1T-IrO 2 provides an optimal free energy uphill in *OH formation, leading to the enhanced performance. The discovery of this 1T-metallene oxide material will provide new opportunities for catalysis and other applications., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Sonodynamic therapy (SDT) triggered by ultrasound (US) can overcome pivotal limitations of photo-therapy owing to its high depth-penetration and low phototoxicity. However, there is still a need to develop more efficient sonosensitizes to enhance the therapy efficiency. Methods: In this study, Pt nanoparticles (Pt NPs) are reduced on silicon nanowires (SiNWs) by in situ reduction to prepare Si-Pt nanocomposites (Si-Pt NCs). Results: Si-Pt NCs can produce reactive oxygen radicals (ROS) under ultrasound (US) irradiation, which have sonodynamic therapy (SDT) effect. Meanwhile, Si-Pt NCs can convert excess hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) into ROS in the tumor microenvironment, which endow strong chemodynamic therapy (CDT) effect. Taking the advantages of the mesoporous structure of SiNWs, the SDT and CDT effects of Si-Pt NCs are stronger than those of the pure Pt NPs and SiNWs. Besides, the mild photothermal effect of Si-Pt NCs further improves the SDT&CDT activity and realizes the combined cancer therapy. Conclusion: The developed Si-Pt NCs with the ability of photothermal enhanced SDT/CDT combined therapy play a momentous role in the novel cancer treatment., Competing Interests: Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interest exists., (© The author(s).)

In order to reduce the residual stress of the GH4169 alloy, the effect and micro-mechanism of the tensile deformation were studied. The residual stress, dislocation density, and distribution of the GH4169 alloy were analyzed by X-ray residual stress tester, X-ray diffractometer (XRD), and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). The results show that: with the increase of tensile deformation, the residual stress relief first increases and then decreases. When the tensile deformation is 3%, the reduction rate of residual stress reaches the maximum, which is 90%. The mechanism of residual stress relief by the tensile treatment is that the dislocation group in the alloy is activated by tensile treatment, and the dislocation distribution in the alloy is more uniform by dislocation movement, multiplication, and annihilation so that the residual stress can be eliminated.

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a complex cascade that develops from acute lung injury (ALI). Ginseng can be used to treat ALI/ARDS. Studies have shown that some of ingredients in ginseng had anti-inflammation, antioxidative, and immune regulation effects and can protect alveolar epithelial cells in mice. However, the potential targets, biological processes, and pathways related to ginseng against ALI/ARDS have not been investigated systematically. We employed network pharmacology, molecular docking, and animal experiments to explore the therapeutic effects and underlying mechanism of action of ginseng against ALI/ARDS. We identified 25 compounds using ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography Q-Orbitrap mass spectrometry and their 410 putative targets through database analyses. Sixty-nine of them were considered to be key targets of ginseng against ALI/ARDS according to overlapping with ALI/ARDS-related targets and further screening in a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network. The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-protein kinase B (PI3K-AkT) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways were recognized to have critical roles for ginseng in ALI/ARDS treatment. Signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) 3, vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA), fibroblast growth factor (FGF) 2, phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase catalytic subunit alpha (PIK3CA), MAPK1, and interleukin (IL) 2 were the top six nodes identified by analyses of a compound-target-pathway network. Molecular docking showed that most of the ingredients in ginseng could combine well with the six nodes. Ginseng could reduce the pathologic damage, neutrophil aggregation, proinflammatory factors, and pulmonary edema in vivo and inhibit the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway and MAPK signaling pathway through downregulating expressions of STAT3, VEGFA, FGF2, PIK3CA, MAPK1, and IL2. Our study provides a theoretical basis for ginseng treatment of ALI/ARDS., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest, (Copyright © 2021 Ding, Zhu, Diao, Xu, Wang, Qu and Shi.)

Exploring the highly efficient and durable electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is vitally necessary for sustainable energy conversion and storage system. Herein, we fabricate an interfacial engineered Rh-carbon nitride as advanced electrocatalysts for HER in the acidic and alkaline electrolytes. The interface between Rh nanocrystals and carbon nitride may adjust the electronic structure of Rh, which results in high activity for HER. The optimal Rh-carbon nitride shows low overpotential at current density of -10 mA·cm -2 and small Tafel slope (13 mV and 25.0 mV dec -1 in 0.5 M H 2 SO 4 , 46 mV and 42.0 mV dec -1 in 1.0 M KOH, respectively), which is superior to that of commercial Pt/C (21 mV and 28.5 mV dec -1 in 0.5 M H 2 SO 4 , 55 mV and 44.0 mV dec -1 in 1.0 M KOH, respectively). Importantly, this composite also exhibits long-term stability in 0.5 M H 2 SO 4 and 1.0 M KOH. The excellent HER performances can be attribute to the interface between Rh and carbon nitride, which downshifts their d-band center positions, tuning the adsorption ability for hydrogen and accelerating the HER kinetics. This work may open up an efficient method to design metal/carbon hybrid for electrocatalysis., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of Sini powder for the treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in rats and the molecular mechanisms involved., Methods: A rat model of stress-induced NAFLD was established by a combination of long-term tethering and feeding of a high-fat, high-calorie diet. These rats were then intragastrically administered with either simvastatin, Sini powder, or vehicle for 1 week. The body mass and field test scores for each group were recorded weekly. Serum aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase activities, and triglyceride, total cholesterol, and free fatty acid concentrations were measured. Liver tissue histopathology was examined on hematoxylin and eosin-stained paraffin sections and oil red O-stained frozen sections. The hepatic mRNA expression of nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB), NOD-, LRR-, and pyrin domain-containing protein 3 (NLRP3), apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing CARD (ASC), and caspase-1 were measured by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The hepatic protein concentrations of NF-κB and NLRP3, ASC, caspase-1, interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and the serum concentrations of IL-1β and IL-6 were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay., Results: Compared with the Blank group, rats in the Compound model group showed significant pathologic manifestations of NAFLD, and the expression of NF-κB, NLRP3, ASC, caspase-1, IL-1β and IL-6 were significantly higher (all P < 0.01). Both simvastatin and Sini powder significantly ameliorated the NAFLD pathology and the abnormal expression of NF-κB, NLRP3, ASC, caspase-1, IL-1β, and IL-6 (all P < 0.01)., Conclusion: Sini powder inhibits the inflammatory response in rats with NAFLD, which is mediated by NF-κB/NLRP3, IL-1β, and IL-6, reduces the effects of psychological stress, and improves lipid metabolism. Therefore, Sini powder may be effective for the treatment of stress-related NAFLD through multiple mechanisms.

Design of catalysts with advanced structures has been extensively studied. Mesocrystal structure with the uniform crystal orientation shows special properties in electrocatalysis. Herein, PtRu mesocrystal was synthesized on F doped graphene by wet chemical method. In this reaction system, silicon nanowires and hydrofluoric acid were used to form Si - H bonds, which served as reducing agents to reduce Pt and Ru ions and grow PtRu particles on reduced graphene oxide (rGO). The electrochemical results showed that the PtRu/rGO catalyst had a favourable electrocatalytic performance on methanol oxidation reaction. The corresponding mass activity reached 739 mA mg -1 Pt , which was 2.23 times as large as 20% commercial platinum carbon (Pt/C, 332 mA mg -1 Pt ). Its stability and toxicity resistance were also much better than those of commercial Pt/C, showing a great prospect in practice applications. Furthermore, the forming mechanism of PtRu mesocrystal is discussed, which has general implications for the design of superstructure catalysts., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) have attracted great interest as a smart drug delivery platform in the battle against cancer for their intriguing properties, such as high drug loading efficiency and microenvironment responsive degradation. Hence, the development of multifunctional MOFs integrating several theranostic elements is of crucial importance. In this work, we constructed a theranostic nanoplatform (DOX/Pd@ZIF-8) based on metal-organic frameworks encapsulating 2D Pd nanosheets and DOX using an all-in-one strategy, taking the advantages of the smart drug delivery function of MOFs and the excellent optical properties of Pd nanosheets. Polydopamine (PDA) was then introduced (DOX/Pd@ZIF-8@PDA) to improve the biocompatibility. DOX/Pd@ZIF-8@PDA exhibited excellent photothermal conversion effects and optoacoustic effects due to the strong NIR light absorption of Pd nanosheets. DOX was released in a pH-dependent manner and the release rates were accelerated in acidic solutions. However burst drug release in a relatively short period could be achieved upon 808 nm laser irradiation. Moreover, the potential of DOX/Pd@ZIF-8@PDA implemented as photoacoustic imaging contrast agents in vitro and in vivo was fully exploited and dual factor activated synergetic photo-chemo cancer therapy was successfully carried out.

Near-infrared (NIR) light-mediated non-invasive photothermal therapy (PTT) has attracted considerable attention for cancer treatment. Strong optical absorption located in the NIR region and high performance in converting light to heat should be emphasized for the development of ideal photothermal agents. In this report, Au@Pt bimetallic nanoparticles (Au@Pt NPs) with dendritic structure were synthesized through an ultrasound assisted one-step method in aqueous solution. The absorption of Au@Pt NPs at 808 nm was obviously enhanced compared to that of Au NPs and could be easily manipulated via the amount of Pt NPs. Au@Pt NPs exhibited excellent photostability with a photothermal conversion efficiency of 44.2%, which is significantly higher than those in most reported studies. Au@Pt NPs with thiol PEG functionalization presented improved cellular killing capacity upon NIR laser irradiation. Moreover, the potential application of Au@Pt NPs was also investigated in xenograft tumor mouse model. Overall, the remarkable therapeutic characteristics of PEGylated Au@Pt NPs provide them with great potential for future cancer treatment., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

The present study aimed to examine the effect of RNA interference targeting cell division cycle‑associated protein 4 (CDCA4) on the proliferation and apoptosis of the MCF‑7/ADR' human breast cancer cell line. CDCA4 has been shown to have a unique role in regulating cell cycle. In the present study, the expression of CDCA4 was suppressed by CDCA4‑specific short hairpin (sh)RNA transfection of the human breast cancer cells, following which changes in the proliferation and apoptosis of the CDCA4‑knockdown cells were compared with those of control shRNA‑transfected cells. The results confirmed that CDCA4 RNA interference reduced the percentage of human breast cancer cells to <50%. In addition, RNA interference of CDCA4 resulted in a significant increase in the apoptotic rate of cells. Taken together, these results suggested that CDCA4 enhanced proliferation and reduced apoptosis in the MCF‑7/ADM human breast cancer cells in vitro.

Background: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) represents one of the most common forms of liver disease worldwide, and it is always regarded as a consequence of a sedentary, food-abundant lifestyle, sitting for an extended time, and a low physical activity level, which often coincide with chronic and long-lasting psychological stress. A Chinese medicine Sinisan (SNS) may be a potential formula for treating this kind of disease., Methods: In this study, a long-term chronic restraint stress protocol was used to investigate the mechanism underlying stress-induced NALFD. To investigate the effect of SNS treatment on stress-induced NAFLD, we measured the liver and serum values of total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), liver free fatty acids (FFA), low-density lipoprotein, superoxide dismutase, tumor necrosis factor-α, malondialdehyde, interleukin (IL)-6, and serum values of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and alkaline phosphatase. Results are shown as a mean ± standard deviation. Significant differences between the groups were evaluated using the Student t-test. For multiple comparisons, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used. If the results of ANOVA indicated significant differences, post hoc analysis was performed with the Tukey test or Dunnett test, and p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant., Results: Long-term chronic stress led to steatosis and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. Additionally, SNS treatment significantly increased body weight gain (p < 0.01) and sucrose preference (p < 0.001), and it reduced the liver values of TC, TG, and FFA (p < 0.05). SNS also reduced the serum values of AST and ALT (p < 0.001), and the liver value of IL-6 (p < 0.01)., Conclusions: This study's results demonstrate that psychological stress may be a significant risk factor of NAFLD. Furthermore, the traditional Chinese medicine formula SNS may have some beneficial effect in antagonizing psychological stress and stress-related NAFLD.

Antibacterial and antioxidant monomethyl fumaric acid (MFA) was selected to modify chitosan, using aqueous solution of an ionic liquid as a homogeneous and green reaction media. The chemical structures of resulting polymers were systematically characterized by (1)H NMR, diffusion ordered spectroscopy, solid (13)C NMR and wide-angle X-ray diffraction. The results show that two kinds of MFA modified chitosan materials with totally different chemical structures have been synthesized. One product was a MF-chitosan salt composed of chitosan cation and MFA anion, which was obtained with the mediation of 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide (EDC) and N-hydroxysuccinimide. The other one synthesized with the mediation of EDC was a MF-chitosan amide in which MFA and chitosan are covalently attached. Solubility of chitosan has been improved, and MF-chitosan salt can be readily dissolved in water. The antioxidant activity has been enhanced with the introduction of MFA, irrespective of the chemical structure., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Traditionally, hydrophobic aliphatic polyester has been employed to modify chitosan and organic soluble or swellable graft copolymers have been obtained. In this work, linear poly(butylene tartrate) (PBT) with hydrophilic pendant hydroxyl groups, which was synthesized by direct polycondensation of tartaric acid and butanediol under mild condition, was chosen to modify chitosan and synthesize PBT grafted chitosan (CS-g-PBT) with the mediation of 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide in aqueous solution of an ionic liquid. The chain length of the grafted PBT could be facilely controlled by varying the molecular weight of PBT. The chemical structures of CS-g-PBT were systematically characterized by 1H NMR, attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared and wide-angle X-ray diffraction. The thermal properties were investigated by thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry. The water solubility of chitosan has been effectively improved after grafting with PBT and a water-soluble chitosan derivative has been synthesized. Meanwhile, the water solubility of grafts varies regularly with chain length of grafted PBT., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

An ionic liquid, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate (EMIMAc), was synthesized and employed as a homogeneous and green reaction media to prepare chitosan-graft-polycaprolactone (CS-g-PCL) via ring-opening polymerization, using stannous octoate (Sn(Oct)2) as a catalyst. The structures and compositions of copolymers could be facilely controlled by the reaction conditions and feed ratios. The grafting content of polycaprolactone (PCL) could reach as high as 630%. The chemical structures of the copolymers were systematically characterized by (1)H NMR, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD), while thermal properties were studied by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The thermal stability and glass transition temperature (Tg) of the graft copolymers vary regularly with the change of PCL grafting content., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A new p-tert-butylthiacalix[4]arene derivative, C(72)H(68)N(4)O(4)S(4) x 2CH(2)Cl(2), has been synthesized and is comprised of one tetra-p-tert-butyltetrakis(2-cyanobenzyloxy)tetrathiacalix[4]arene and two dichloromethane molecules. The calix[4]arene molecule is centrosymmetric and adopts an unusual 1,2-alternate conformation via pi-pi interactions between adjacent cyanophenyl rings on the lower rim of the parent thiacalix[4]arene system.