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A novel approach for removal of zinc from zinc-bearing dusts has been developed via utilizing vacuum microwave-assisted carbothermal reduction. The reduction and removal mechanism of zinc-bearing minerals in the dust were thoroughly investigated through thermodynamic analysis and reduction experiments. The results demonstrate that an impressive zinc removal rate of 94.64 % and iron metallization degree of 99.68 % are achieved when the dust pellets are reduced at 1150℃ for 20 min with a C/O ratio of 1.2 and system pressure of 100 Pa and 1100 W microwave power output. In comparison to atmospheric microwave-assisted carbothermal reduction (AMR) and conventional heating carbothermal reduction (CHR) processes, vacuum microwave-assisted carbothermal reduction (VMR) process achieves higher zinc removal rate at lower temperature, shorter reaction time and less carbon usage and emission. This study presents an environmentally friendly and viable approach for the recycling of hazardous zinc-bearing dusts in the iron and steel industry.

Lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) is valued for its simplicity and rapidity for on-site screening, however, it experienced false negatives in real sample analysis due to low sensitivity. Although many signal amplification techniques can improve the sensitivity, they usually require additional complicated steps. To address these issues, taking Treponema pallidum(T. pallidum) antibodies as a model detecting target, herein, we report an all-in-one LFIA (AIO-LFIA) with triple-step signal amplification to significantly improve sensitivity while maintaining simplicity. This LFIA utilizes a biotin–streptavidin system for initial signal amplification, followed by introducing a release controller with a specific imprinted structure for timed multicomponent release, which avoids the extra steps when adding components in traditional LFIA. Particularly, a 3D-printed programmed metal in situ growth (MISG) device is integrated to localize signal enhancement at specific sites, overcoming limitations of traditional MISG and substantially reducing reagent usage and assay time, and the nitrocellulose membrane surface was much cleaner than the conventional approach, which facilitates signal readout. After optimization, the proposed AIO-LFIA is capable of visual detection down to 1 pg/mLT. pallidumantibodies in 15 min, 1000-fold lower than the gold nanoparticle-based LFIA. In clinical testing of 152 samples, the AIO-LFIA can distinguish all positive samples, outperforming commercial LFIA which missed those positive samples with relatively low antibody levels. Thus, this study presents a universal ultrasensitive and reliable AIO-LFIA strategy for infectious diseases self-testing, providing an effective promising prospect to address the challenge over emerging infectious diseases in the future.

A novel method has been proposed to avoid the cracks in the Mar-M247 alloy manufactured via selective laser melting (SLM) related to high cooling rate interacted with carbides and eutectics, i.e., progressive remelting used to design the temperature field reducing the thermal stresses in SLM process. The microstructure evolves from a partly fused state to a completely solid block during progressive remelting, and those cracks inhibit effectively. The temperature gradient is gradually reduced in the process of progressive remelting, and eventually 29% lower than that in original SLM process. Quantitative temperature-field analysis signifies a substantial decrease in the cooling rate during manufacturing via progressive remelting, which explains crack inhibition. Compared to the original SLM-built Mar-M247, progressive remelting leads to a 35.1% increase in ultimate tensile strength (UTS) at RT. The UTS and elongation of progressive remelted Mar-M247 exhibit 747.2 MPa and 6.1% at 900 °C, respectively, superior to that of materials fabricated by casting and heat-treatment. This work helps further comprehend the relationship of volumetric energy density - thermal gradient - cooling rate - microstructure - mechanical properties, especially utilizing accumulative input energy to control temperature field, and offers a new opportunity to non-weldable superalloys fabricated in commercially available SLM systems.

Conversion of microalgae to renewable fuels and chemical co-products by pretreating and fractionation holds promise as an algal biorefinery concept, but a better understanding of the pretreatment performance as a function of algae strain and composition is necessary to de-risk algae conversion operations. Similarly, there are few examples of algae pretreatment at scales larger than the bench scale. This work aims to de-risk algal biorefinery operations by evaluating the pretreatment performance across nine different microalgae samples and five different pretreatment methods at small (5 mL) scale and further de-risk the operation by scaling pretreatment for one species to the 80 L scale. The pretreatment performance was evaluated by solubilization of feedstock carbon and nitrogen [as total organic carbon (TOC) and total nitrogen (TN)] into the aqueous hydrolysate and extractability of lipids [as fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs)] from the pretreated solids. A range of responses was noted among the algae samples across pretreatments, with the current dilute Brønsted acid pretreatment using H2SO4being the most consistent and robust. This pretreatment produced TOC yields to the hydrolysate ranging from 27.7 to 51.1%, TN yields ranging from 12.3 to 76.2%, and FAME yields ranging from 57.9 to 89.9%. In contrast, the other explored pretreatments (other dilute acid pretreatments, dilute alkali pretreatment with NaOH, enzymatic pretreatment, and flash hydrolysis) produced lower or more variable yields across the three metrics. In light of the greater consistency across samples for dilute acid pretreatment, this method was scaled to 80 L to demonstrate scalability with microalgae feedstocks.

Hydrodynamic dimension (HD) is the primary indicator of the size of bioconjugated particles and biomolecules. It is an important parameter in the study of solid–liquid two-phase dynamics. HD dynamic monitoring is crucial for precise and customized medical research as it enables the investigation of the continuous changes in the physicochemical characteristics of biomolecules in response to external stimuli. However, current HD measurements based on Brownian motion, such as dynamic light scattering (DLS), are inadequate for meeting the polydisperse sample demands of dynamic monitoring. In this paper, we propose MMQCM method samples of various types and HD dynamic monitoring. An alternating magnetic field of frequency ωmexcites biomolecule-magnetic bead particles (bioMBs) to generate magnetization motion, and the quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) senses this motion to provide HD dynamic monitoring. Specifically, the magnetization motion is modulated onto the thickness-shear oscillation of the QCM at the frequency ωq. By analysis of the frequency spectrum of the QCM output signal, the ratio of the magnitudes of the real and imaginary parts of the components at frequency ωq±2ωmis extracted to characterize the particle size. Using the MMQCM approach, we successfully evaluated the size of bioMBs with different biomolecule concentrations. The 30 min HD dynamic monitoring was implemented. An increase of ∼10 nm in size was observed upon biomolecular structural stretching. Subsequently, the size of bioMBs gradually reduced due to the continuous dissociation of biomolecules, with a total reduction of 20∼40 nm. This HD dynamic monitoring demonstrates that the release of biomolecules can be regulated by controlling the duration of magnetic stimulation, providing valuable insights and guidance for controlled drug release in personalized precision medicine.

Cancer remains one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide, leading to increased interest in utilizing immunotherapy strategies for better cancer treatments. In the past decade, CD103+T cells have been associated with better clinical prognosis in patients with cancer. However, the specific immune mechanisms contributing toward CD103-mediated protective immunity remain unclear. Here, we show an unexpected and transient CD61 expression, which is paired with CD103 at the synaptic microclusters of T cells. CD61 colocalization with the T cell antigen receptor further modulates downstream T cell antigen receptor signaling, improving antitumor cytotoxicity and promoting physiological control of tumor growth. Clinically, the presence of CD61+tumor-infiltrating T lymphocytes is associated with improved clinical outcomes, mediated through enhanced effector functions and phenotype with limited evidence of cellular exhaustion. In conclusion, this study identified an unconventional and transient CD61 expression and pairing with CD103 on human immune cells, which potentiates a new target for immune-based cellular therapies.

Laser wire additive manufacturing GH3039 samples with different process parameters are prepared. Then, hot corrosion test (Na2SO4+NaCl at 900 °C) is carried out. High power (5000 w), parallel to the deposition layer interface processing sample has good hot corrosion resistance due to the excellent internal organization. Element diffusion is the main factor affecting the hot corrosion performance. The element diffusion equation based on the multi-reaction interface is established and the degree of hot corrosion reaction can be directly judged. At the same time, the concept of determining the degree of hot corrosion reaction and predicting the trend of reaction by means of sulfides is proposed.

The increasing demand for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) creates a need for innovative biomass and lipid sources with compositions that are compatible with refineries. Algae-derived oils present an opportunity to supply a process-compatible lipid feedstock at yields higher than those of conventional oilseed crops. With few documented reports on chemical composition, the process readiness remains elusive. We present data on extraction efficiency, yield, and purity of lipids from algae with and without the application of a low-concentration sulfuric acid pretreatment of the biomass. The pretreatment process increased the oil yield and positively impacted the quality of the extracted oils. Results from fatty acid and lipidomics analysis revealed that the low-lipid biomass sources extracted 70–80% of the available lipids, and the non-fatty acid co-extractants exceeded 40% of the extracted oils. For a high-lipid algae sample, derived from a genetically engineered strain, we show >90% extraction yield with >85% FAME purity. This work provides insights into the composition of algae-derived oils and quality metrics that are essential to determining the viability of lipid hydroprocessing to SAF.

The effects of melt superheat and pulsed magnetic field on the microstructure, mechanical and wear properties of the Mn5Si3reinforced Cu−35Zn−3Al alloy were investigated. The results indicate that after the combined treatments, the hollow formation on the prism-shaped Mn5Si3particles is inhibited, due to the enhanced solute migration in melt and promoted adsorption kinetics for crystal growth. The tensile strength and elongation of the forged alloy increase by 9.0% and 66.5%, respectively. The failure type of Mn5Si3particles during tension transfers from brittle cleavage fracture to pulling out of the matrix due to the higher fracture strength with diminished stress concentration, which leads to enhanced reinforcement of matrix/particle load transfer. The wear resistance of alloy is significantly improved because of reduced delamination wear, since the severe shear fracture on the Mn5Si3particles with hollows under friction induced plastic deformation is restrained, alleviating the subsurface originated crack propagation and spalling.

Biofouling deteriorates the performance of sensors operated in biofluids. Protein adsorption is believed to be the first step of biofouling, which also reduces biocompatibility by further inducing cell adhesion, platelet activation, and even inflammation. Current studies of antifouling coatings are focused on polymers and hydrogels, which have succeeded in remaining resistant to protein adsorption, but their application on sensor electrodes is limited due to low conductivity and biocompatibility. Here, we report a spontaneous antibiofouling strategy for sensor electrodes by controlling oxygen vacancies in WO3nanosheets. Irreversible adsorption of proteins was reduced by 76% in unprocessed human plasma when electrodes were coated with WO3rich in surface oxygen vacancy. These electrodes maintained 91% of the initial current density after 1 month of incubation in human plasma.

The development of a nucleophilic fluorination protocol using hydrofluoric acid as the fluoride source represents a long-sought goal in the field of organofluorine chemistry. We report herein the realization of such a reaction that employed alkyl-substituted sulfonium ylides as the substrates. The key to the success of the protocol was attributed to two factors: First, as a Brønsted base, the ylide was able to be protonated by HFaq, thus serving as a phase-transfer shuttle generated in situto bring F−from aqueous phase to the organic phase promoting desolvation of fluoride ion. Second, after protonation, a sulfonium salt, a good leaving group, was generated and subsequent attacked by the fluoride to afford the alkyl fluoride. Mechanistic investigation indicates that the reaction occurs via an SN1 pathway. Because of the nature of the cationic intermediate in the reaction, two attractive rearrangement-fluorination approaches including 1,2-aryl migration fluorination and ring-expansion fluorination were disclosed.

In this article, we introduce a low-cost and modular microstrip phased-array antenna, which is integrated with a 2-bit phase shifter. This module consists of a 16-element, 2-bit phase resolution, and a cooperative dc control board. The antenna subarray adopts a hexagonal aperture, and these left-handed circular polarization (LHCP) antenna elements are arranged in sparse array. Utilizing the combination of multiple subarrays can lead to a significant increase in gain, while effectively accomplishing the beam scanning process by controlling the “ON” and “OFF” states of p-i-n diodes. The simplicity of our methods stems from the ability to steer beams via a storable dc control sequence. To validate the scanning concept, a prototype consisting of seven subarrays was fabricated and measured. The measured results exhibit good agreement with the simulation one, and these steerable LHCP beams can cover a wide-angle range (about 60°) in the upper hemisphere.

A novel dynamic distributed time-modulated array (DD-TMA) that uses 2-bit phase control for continuous beam scanning directional modulation (DM) is presented. The element positions of the DD-TMA change randomly and can be easily implemented by using single-pole double-throw (SPDT) switches and redundant elements. The position of each array element follows a Bernoulli distribution, resulting in a radiation far-field of the TMA being described by a Gaussian distribution. Theoretical analysis of the statistical model shows that the TMA signal is made up of two components: the first accurately carries baseband information related to the mean pattern, while the second introduces artificial noise whose power corresponds to the variance of the radiation far field. This noise could prevent eavesdroppers, situated in any direction besides the desired receiver, from effectively intercepting the transmitted data. An approach to prevent DM performance degradation due to phase quantization errors is introduced to support continuous beam scanning with 2-bit phase control. Numerical examples are used to validate the theory. The proposed DD-TMA has significant potential for physical layer secure communication.

Rapid and sensitive antigen detection using a lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) is crucial for diagnosing infectious diseases due to its simplicity, speed, and user-friendly features. However, it remains a critical issue to explore specific biorecognition elements and powerful signal amplification. In this study, taking SARS-CoV-2 as a proof of concept, a specific peptide, WFLNDSELIML, binding to the SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) antigen was identified by a nonamplified biopanning method, which exhibited high affinity to the target, with a dissociation constant of 9.29 ± 1.55 nM. Molecular docking analysis reveals that this peptide binds to the N-terminal domain of the SARS-CoV-2 S antigen. Then, using this peptide as a capture probe and angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 as a detection probe, a peptide-based lateral flow immunoassay (pLFIA) for the sensitive detection of the SARS-CoV-2 S antigen without any antibody was developed, for which a polydopamine nanosphere (PDA)@MnO2nanocomposite with excellent oxidase-like activity was used as a colorimetric label, exhibiting dual-mode remarkable signal amplification of natural melanin and on-demand nanozyme catalytic enhancement. The PDA@MnO2-based pLFIA is capable of detecting the SARS-CoV-2 S antigen with a limit of detection of 8.01 pg/mL, which is 18.7 times lower than that of a conventional pLFIA tagged with gold nanoparticles. Additionally, the as-proposed PDA@MnO2-based pLFIA can detect up to 150 transduction units/mL SARS-CoV-2 pseudoviruses spiked in saliva samples. Given the outstanding analytical performance, the proposed PDA@MnO2-based pLFIA may offer a reliable option for the rapid diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2.

The self-cleavage properties of proteases result in low activity and instability, which limit their industrial application. In this study, the serine protease ThAPT3 from Torrubiella hemipterigenawas successfully expressed in Komagataella phaffii. We investigated the self-degradation mechanism of ThAPT3 and presented a rational strategy to alleviate self-cleavage. A major self-degradation site (Leu238-Met239) and a primary autolysis region were identified. The autolysis regions (loop18, α8-helix, and loop19) were redesigned and optimized using loop transplantation, energy calculations, surface cavity optimization, and loop anchoring. A triple-superposition mutant, ThAPT3-M9 (M239GKDGAVAAGLC250→ M239TLNRTTAANAC250/A251E/A254Q/R259L/A267E/S280N), was obtained. Compared to the wild type, the autolysis of M9 was significantly alleviated, and its half-life at 60 °C was increased approximately 39-fold (from 1.6 to 62.4 min). The optimal temperature and specific activity of M9 increased by 5 °C (from 60 to 65 °C) and 62% (4985 vs3078 U/mg), respectively. M9 showed significant advantages in shrimp shell deproteinization.

Engineering the interfacial structure between noble metals and oxides, particularly on the surface of non-reducible oxides, is a challenging yet promising approach to enhancing the performance of heterogeneous catalysts. The interface site can alter the electronic and d-band structure of the metal sites, facilitating the transition of energy levels between the reacting molecules and promoting the reaction to proceed in a favorable direction. Herein, we created an active Pd–Si interface with tunable electronic metal–support interaction (EMSI) by growing a thin permeable silica layer on a non-reducible oxide ZSM-5 surface (termed Pd@SiO2/ZSM-5). Our experimental results, combined with density functional theory calculations, revealed that the Pd–Si active interface enhanced the charge transfer from deposited Si to Pd, generating an electron-enriched Pd surface, which significantly lowered the activation barriers for O2and H2O. The resulting reactive oxygen species, including O2–, O22–, and −OH, synergistically facilitated formaldehyde oxidation. Additionally, moderate electronic metal–support interaction can promote the catalytic cycle of Pd0⇆ Pd2+, which is favorable for the adsorption and activation of reactants. This study provides a promising strategy for the design of high-performance noble metal catalysts for practical applications.

After vaccination, spike-specific CD8+T cells play an important part in the immediate immune response to breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infection, whereas the B cell and neutralizing antibody responses come into effect 2 weeks after infection.

The incorporation of sulfonyl fluoride groups into molecules has been proved effective to enhance their biological activities or introduce new functions. Herein, we report a transition-metal-free and visible-light-mediated radical 1-fluorosulfonyl-2-heteroarylation of alkenes, which could allow access to a series of SO2F-containing quinoxalin-2(1H)-ones, which are a critical structural motif widely present in a number of biologically active molecules. Further application of the method to the modification of other heterocycles and drug molecules as well as ligation chemistry via SuFEx click reactions is also demonstrated.

Food packaging is one of the leading sectors for the end use of plastics. Bioplastic is produced from natural renewable resources such as crops, wood pulp, and herbaceous fibers. This article summarizes the rational design of bioplastics from natural resources for food packaging. The bioplastic properties considered include thermal properties, mechanical performance, oxygen/moisture resistance, and biodegradability. Bioplastic degradability and technologies for handling bioplastic waste are discussed. Various aspects of the sustainability of bioplastics (e.g., environmental profile, techno-economic analysis, and societal impact) are investigated. The main challenges of bioplastic application, such as low fracture strain and inferior barrier properties, are discussed. Mitigation approaches to overcome the mechanical properties of bioplastics, such as adding plasticizers, are also discussed. Bioplastic can have properties comparable with fossil-based plastics. Bioplastic can be an alternative to conventional plastic in most applications of food packaging, which can reduce the carbon footprint and environmental impact because of its biodegradability.

In this letter, a low-cost, series–parallel-fed 2-bit phased array antenna for $Ku$-band 1-D beam scanning application is presented. The compact 2-bit element consists of a microstrip patch with 0$^\circ /180^\circ$ phase states, dc bias circuits, ground, and a cascaded 90$^\circ$ phase shifter. Using the proposed element, a series–parallel-fed 9 × 8 array is fabricated and measured. Experimental results demonstrate the beam scanning capability in H-plane within the scan range of $\pm 50^\circ$, and also show high agreement compared with the simulated ones.

Relying on space-air-ground (SAG)-integrated artificial intelligence of everything (AIoE) networks, massive computation-intensive and latency-sensitive tasks can be efficiently either executed locally by ground AIoE users, or offloaded to SAG servers, such as remote base stations, aerial high altitude platform (HAP) and low earth orbit satellites. However, joint optimization of communication and computation resources becomes a great challenge considering dynamic network environment, large-scale coverage and battery energy backup constraint. Hence, in this paper, we propose a SAG-integrated heterogenous computation offloading architecture for the deep integration of communication and computation resources in order to maximize the sum-rate of all AIoE users. Moreover, we propose a multi-agent proximal policy optimization algorithm with the aid of Lyapunov-based profile to solve the task scheduling and HAP selection. And a convex optimization based communication and computation resource allocation scheme processes the CPU-cycle frequency and transmission power. The battery energy backup is tackled via the linear programming policy. Experimental results demonstrate that our proposed method outperforms existing state-of-the-art baselines in terms of convergence speed, average sum-rate and battery backup level of AIoE users.

A low-cost, dual-circularly-polarized (CP) 2 bit antenna working at 10 GHz is reported in this work. The antenna element utilizes a square-ring patch as a radiator. By selecting the feeding direction of the T-shaped coupling microstrip line and the position of the perturbation corner, the 2 bit phase of 0°, 90°, 180°, 270° and the CP reconfigurability can be realized. An eight-element linear array is used to verify the beam scanning performance. By controlling the “ON” or “OFF” of the p-i-n diodes, the prototype array can steer the main beam from 0° to 40°. Within these steering beams, simulated and measured results have a good agreement, which verifies the functions of the antenna.

This article addresses the tracking control problem of multiagent systems (MASs) with unknown dynamics. First, by designing a compensator, an augmented neighborhood error system is proposed. Then, a multithreading iterative $Q$ -learning algorithm is developed, which can transform the tracking control problem into the optimal regulation of the augmented error system. In this algorithm, the agent controller is multithread, which consists of thread unit, global unit, and replay buffer. The thread unit is used to create the thread to collect the transitions with different control policies, which can reduce data relativity and improve data collection speed and exploration capability. The replay buffer is used to store the generated transitions. The global unit is used to generate the control policy. Moreover, the convergence analysis of the proposed algorithm is given, which shows that the neighborhood error converges to zero and the tracking control problem can be solved. Finally, the numerical example not only verifies the effectiveness of the obtained results but also shows the proposed algorithm performs better than the $Q$ -iterative algorithm.

Cross-kingdom herbal miRNA was first reported in 2012. Using a modified herbal extraction protocol, we obtained 73,677,287 sequences by RNA-seq from 245 traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), of which 20,758,257 were unique sequences. We constructed a Bencao (herbal) small RNA (sRNA) Atlas (http://bencao.bmicc.cn), annotated the sequences by sequence-based clustering, and created a nomenclature system for Bencao sRNAs. The profiles of 21,757 miRNAs in the Atlas were highly consistent with those of plant miRNAs in miRBase. Using software tools, our results demonstrated that all human genes might be regulated by sRNAs from the Bencao sRNA Atlas, part of the predicted human target genes were experimentally validated, suggesting that Bencao sRNAs might be one of the main bioactive components of herbal medicines. We established roadmaps for oligonucleotide drugs development and optimization of TCM prescriptions. Moreover, the decoctosome, a lipo-nano particle consisting of 0.5%–2.5% of the decoction, demonstrated potent medical effects. We propose a Bencao (herbal) Index, including small-molecule compounds (SM), protein peptides (P), nucleic acid (N), non-nucleic and non-proteinogenic large-molecule compounds (LM) and elements from Mendeleev’s periodic table (E), to quantitatively measure the medical effects of botanic medicine. The Bencao sRNA Atlas is a resource for developing gene-targeting oligonucleotide drugs and optimizing botanical medicine, and may provide potential remedies for the theory and practice of one medicine.

Background and Aims: Chromoendoscopy with Lugol’s staining is used to screen for early esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Its efficacy is greatly limited by unstandardized defoaming preparation. This study aimed to confirm whether pre-procedure oral administration of pronase could improve the diagnostic performance of Lugol chromoendoscopy in high-risk patients being screened for early ESCC. Methods: A total of 955 patients at-risk were prospectively recruited for screening for ESCC. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to groups with or without (control group) pronase administration. Endoscopic diagnosis of early ESCC was based on the presence of pink-color sign in Lugol’s unstained area, and a biopsy was routinely conducted if the Lugol’s unstained lesion was larger than 0.5 cm. The early cancer detection rate was used as the primary endpoint. Results: Pre-procedure oral administration of pronase improved mucosal visibility during Lugol chromoendoscopy (P= 0.008). There were no differences in the number of Lugol’s unstained lesions between the 2 groups (23.27% [111/477] vs. 25.11% [120/478], P= 0.508). Meaningfully, the detection rate of ESCC (confirmed by histopathology) was significantly higher in the pronase group than in the control group (27.03% [30/111] vs. 17.50% [21/120], P= 0.041), as well as the detection rate of lesions with pink-color sign during chromoendoscopy (35.14% [39/111] vs. 13.33% [16/120], P< 0.001). The diagnostic performance of Lugol chromoendoscopy had improved with the use of pronase (area under the curve = 0.85 vs. 0.69, P= 0.019), accompanied by an increased sensitivity (86.67% vs. 47.62%, P= 0.004). There was no difference in the adverse events between the 2 groups (P= 0.793). Conclusions: Pre-procedure oral administration of pronase significantly increased the detection rate of early ESCC and optimized the diagnostic performance of Lugol chromoendoscopy, which should be recommended during routine endoscopic screening for early ESCC in high-risk patients. Trial registration: Pronase improves efficacy of Lugol chromoendoscopy screening on esophageal cancerous lesions (NCT02030769).

To regulate nanostructure synthesis is of crucial importance for developing various applications, including catalysis, bioanalysis, and optical devices. Herein, the morphology and peroxidase (POD)-mimicking activity of peptide-templated copper nanoassemblies (Cu NAs) are regulable with peptide types. The Cu NAs templated with peptide containing single cysteine are uniform nanoclusters with strong POD-like activity. However, the Cu NAs templated with peptide containing two cysteines are fusiform-like with very weak POD-like activity. Unexpectedly, the POD-like activity of Cu NAs templated with peptide containing two cysteines with lysine between the cysteines is significantly enhanced when trypsin is incubated, which is unchanged for the Cu NAs templated with peptide containing two cysteines without lysine between the cysteines. The remarkably enhanced POD-mimicking activity originates from trypsin specifically shearing the peptide bond on the lysine, thereby allowing the aggregated Cu NAs to unravel into individual nanoclusters. Therefore, a robust colorimetric sensing platform was constructed for sensitive and selective detection of trypsin, which showed a linear concentration range of 3–1000 nM and a detection limit of 0.82 nM (S/N = 3). More interestingly, featured by trypsin inhibitor restraining trypsin activity, it enabled us to screen trypsin inhibitors as well. Subsequently, the developed assay was applied to detect trypsin in serum samples with good accuracy and reproducibility. Thus, this strategy shows great potential application in the clinic for diagnosis of trypsin-indicating diseases as well as the screening of trypsin inhibitor-based anti-cancer drugs.

Adenovirus (Ad)-based vectors have shown considerable promise for gene therapy. However, Ad requires the coxsackievirus and adenovirus receptor (CAR) to enter cells efficiently and low CAR expression is found in many human cancers, which hinder adenoviral gene therapies. Here, cationic 1,2-dioleoyl-3-trimethylammonium-propane (DOTAP)-folate liposomes (Df) encapsulating replication-deficient Ad were synthesized, which showed improved transfection efficiency in various CAR-deficient cell lines, including epithelial and hematopoietic cell types. When encapsulating replication-competent oncolytic Ad (TAV255) in DOTAP-folate liposome (TAV255-Df), the adenoviral structural protein, hexon, was readily produced in CAR-deficient cells, and the tumor cell killing ability was 5× higher than that of the non-encapsulated Ad. In CAR-deficient CT26 colon carcinoma murine models, replication-competent TAV255-Df treatment of subcutaneous tumors by intratumoral injection resulted in 67% full tumor remission, prolonged survival, and anti-cancer immunity when mice were rechallenged with cancer cells with no further treatment. The preclinical data shows that DOTAP-folate liposomes could significantly enhance the transfection efficiency of Ad in CAR-deficient cells and, therefore, could be a feasible strategy for applications in cancer treatment.

This article investigates the joint effects of connection weight and time delay on pattern formation for a delayed reaction-diffusion BAM neural network (RDBAMNN) with Neumann boundary conditions by using the $({k_{1}},{k_{2}})$ mode Hopf-zero bifurcation. First, the conditions for ${k_{1}}$ mode zero bifurcation are obtained by choosing connection weight as the bifurcation parameter. It is found that the connection weight has a great impact on the properties of steady state. With connection weight increasing, the homogeneous steady state becomes inhomogeneous, which means that the connection weight can affect the spatial stability of steady state. Then, the specified conditions for the ${k_{2}}$ mode Hopf bifurcation and the $({k_{1}},{k_{2}})$ mode Hopf-zero bifurcation are established. By using the center manifold, the third-order normal form of the Hopf-zero bifurcation is obtained. Through the analysis of the normal form, the bifurcation diagrams on two parameters’ planes (connection weight and time delay) are obtained, which contains six areas. Some interesting spatial patterns are found in these areas: a homogeneous periodic solution, a homogeneous steady state, two inhomogeneous steady state, and two inhomogeneous periodic solutions.

Direct evaluation of vascular inflammation in patients with COVID-19 would facilitate more efficient trials of new treatments and identify patients at risk of long-term complications who might respond to treatment. We aimed to develop a novel artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted image analysis platform that quantifies cytokine-driven vascular inflammation from routine CT angiograms, and sought to validate its prognostic value in COVID-19.