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Due to their rapid spread, high variability, and drug-resistant strains, new viral infections are continuously emerging. A lack of effective antiviral drugs and vaccines, resulting in disease and death, has significant socioeconomic consequences. Hemoperfusion can effectively adsorb and remove toxins from the blood, thus purifying the blood and serving as an acute treatment. Therefore, the aim of this study was to construct adsorbents to selectively remove viruses from the blood to quickly treat pathogen infection. We reported on new metal–organic framework (MOF)-polymer beads based on MIL-53(Al) and cellulose acetate (CNC), which were prepared by a one-step phase inversion method and applied as a viral hemo-adsorbent for the first time. The characterization results demonstrated that MIL-53(Al) was well dispersed in the CNC matrix. The adsorption results demonstrated that the capture efficiency of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) could exceed 99.93%, and the corresponding infectious titer decreased by approximately 103times in clinical application. Moreover, CNC/MIL-53 exhibited low hemolysis ratios and good anticoagulant properties. Furthermore, molecular dynamics simulations revealed that the interplay of hydrogen bonding was the governing physisorption mechanism. Overall, CNC/MIL-53 could serve as a new type of hemoperfusion adsorbent for virus removal from blood and provide a new treatment pathway to mitigate epidemics.

Industry 5.0 is more focused on sustainability, people-centredness, and resilience. The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) enable real-time monitoring of equipment status through sensors deployed in dangerous environments to reduce the probability of hazards. However, the devices are vulnerable to malicious attackers or can be tampered with during the transmission of information. Security has therefore become a major concern in the IIoT. In this article, we propose a privacy-preserving multinode collaborative decision-making scheme in IIoT to ensure the validity and integrity of data under the IIoT. This collaborative decision-making solution primarily uses voting to enable accurate monitoring of sensing devices. The scheme is designed based on an efficient aggregate signature and gives a formal proof of security based on the computational Diffie–Hellman problem (CDHP). The final performance analysis phase gives a detailed presentation of the computational overhead of each phase of the protocol.

As a biomarker of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) biopsy, circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are often used in the diagnosis of cancer and treatment guidance. For CTCs detection, immuno-magnetic nanoparticles (IMNs) are one of the most commonly used platforms. However, the nonspecific adsorption of proteins and non-tumor cells weakens the performance of IMNs to capture CTCs. In this work, we developed an IMNs platform which was constructed by a biomimetic protein corona precoating and a polyethylene glycol (PEG) spacer to form the PEG and corona-coated IMNs (IP-CMNs). Due to the dual stealth effect of protein corona precoating and PEG spacer, the nonspecific protein adsorption and cell binding of P-CMNs could reduce by ∼5.5- and ∼5.4-fold, respectively, compared with those of unmodified particles. Furthermore, the PEG spacer could not only reduce the interaction between IP-CMNs and leukocytes but also enhance the capture performance toward tumor cells. By using artificial blood samples, the capture efficiency of IP-CMNs toward rare CTCs was found to be 88.3%, while it was 70.5% by using commercial IMNs. Finally, CTCs were successfully isolated in all HCC patient blood samples (7/7) using IP-CMNs. These results provide insight into the use of the multifunctional nanoplatform as a useful tool for CTCs detection.

Dendritic and axonal morphology reflects the input and output of neurons and is a defining feature of neuronal types1,2, yet our knowledge of its diversity remains limited. Here, to systematically examine complete single-neuron morphologies on a brain-wide scale, we established a pipeline encompassing sparse labelling, whole-brain imaging, reconstruction, registration and analysis. We fully reconstructed 1,741 neurons from cortex, claustrum, thalamus, striatum and other brain regions in mice. We identified 11 major projection neuron types with distinct morphological features and corresponding transcriptomic identities. Extensive projectional diversity was found within each of these major types, on the basis of which some types were clustered into more refined subtypes. This diversity follows a set of generalizable principles that govern long-range axonal projections at different levels, including molecular correspondence, divergent or convergent projection, axon termination pattern, regional specificity, topography, and individual cell variability. Although clear concordance with transcriptomic profiles is evident at the level of major projection type, fine-grained morphological diversity often does not readily correlate with transcriptomic subtypes derived from unsupervised clustering, highlighting the need for single-cell cross-modality studies. Overall, our study demonstrates the crucial need for quantitative description of complete single-cell anatomy in cell-type classification, as single-cell morphological diversity reveals a plethora of ways in which different cell types and their individual members may contribute to the configuration and function of their respective circuits.

Aiming at developing a moderate and efficient sono-photodynamic therapy for breast cancer, tissue engineering scaffolds may provide an easy and efficient strategy to eliminate serious side effects in conventional surgery or chemotherapy, and thus, they are highly desired. However, the development of ideal sono-photodynamic therapeutic scaffolds is always hindered by the poor stability and incompatibility between the different biomaterial components. Herein, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved sono/photosensitizer Chlorin e6 (Ce6) was successfully and tightly incorporated into electrospun polycaprolactone/gelatin (PG) scaffolds via positively charged protonated g-C3N4nanosheets (pCN). The PG fibers were precoated with graphene oxide (GO) to enable the assembly of pCN on the surface through electrostatic interactions. The Ce6@pCN-GO-PG composite scaffolds exhibited good cytocompatibility and excellent sono-photodynamic activity, leading to distinctly boosted reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and a 95.8% inactivation rate of breast cancer cells through a synergistic sono-photodynamic process triggered by an 808 nm laser and 1 MHz ultrasound (US) excitation, within the clinical therapeutic dose. The as-developed scaffolds with unique ultrasound cavitation therapeutic effects can be used not only for complete eradication of tumor cells after surgery but also as a cell behavior observation platform of sono-photodynamic cancer therapy.

High reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation efficiency and induction of targeted cell apoptosis are recognized as key objectives to achieve a highly efficient strategy for cancer therapy with minimum side effects of inflammatory reactions. However, it is still a challenge to realize higher therapeutic efficiency with a cell apoptosis model. Herein, we present strong upconversion luminescent biosafe cores derived from Linde Type A (LTA) zeolites and modification with targeted/therapeutic drugs for multimodal therapy, in which sonodynamic therapy (SDT) combined with photodynamic therapy (PDT) increases therapeutic efficiency especially in deep sites of tumor via producing cytoplasmic ROS and mitochondrial superoxide and photothermal therapy (PTT) enhances PDT effects via higher fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) efficacy attributed to an increased temperature. Furthermore, the transcriptomic analysis reveals that cellular internalization of the nanosystem can lead to tumor ablation via cell apoptosis. We expect that the multimodal therapy based on LTA zeolite drug nanocarriers could be applied in the cancer therapeutics in the near future.

Fluorescently labeled dibenzodiazepinone-type muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (MR) antagonists, including dimeric ligands, were prepared using red-emitting cyanine dyes. Probes containing a fluorophore with negative charge showed high M2R affinities (pKi(radioligand competition binding): 9.10–9.59). Binding studies at M1and M3–M5receptors indicated a M2R preference. Flow cytometric and high-content imaging saturation and competition binding (M1R, M2R, and M4R) confirmed occupation of the orthosteric site. Confocal microscopy revealed that fluorescence was located mainly at the cell membrane (CHO-hM2R cells). Results from dissociation and saturation binding experiments (M2R) in the presence of allosteric M2R modulators (dissociation: W84, LY2119620, and alcuronium; saturation binding: W84) were consistent with a competitive mode of action between the fluorescent probes and the allosteric ligands. Taken together, these lines of evidence indicate that these ligands are useful fluorescent molecular tools to label the M2R in imaging and binding studies and suggest that they have a dualsteric mode of action.

Surface amino group regulation and structural engineering of graphitic carbon nitride (g-CN) for better catalytic activity have increasingly become a focus of academia and industry. In this work, the ammonia plasma produced by a microwave surface wave plasma generator was developed as a facile source to achieve fast, controllable surface modification, and structural engineering of g-CN by ultrafast plasma treatment in minutes, thus enhancing photocatalytic performance of g-CN. The morphology, surface hydrophilicity, optical absorption properties, and states of C–N bonds were investigated to determine the effect of plasma immersion modification on the g-CN catalyst. The structure and photoelectric features of the plasma-modified samples were characterized by X-ray diffractometry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The results indicate that the ammonia plasma-treated g-CN–NH3exhibits an ultrathin nanosheet structure, enriched amino groups, and an ideal molecular structure, a narrower band gap (2.35 eV), extended light-harvesting edges (560 nm), and enhanced electron transport ability. The remarkably enhanced photocatalytic activity demonstrated in the photoreduction and detoxification of hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) can be ascribed to the optimization of the structural and photoelectric properties induced by the unique ammonia plasma treatment. The effective and ultrafast approach developed in this work is promising in the surface amino group regulation and structural engineering of various functional materials.

The clearance of urea poses a formidable challenge, and its excessive accumulation can cause various renal diseases. Urease demonstrates remarkable efficacy in eliminating urea, but cannot be reused. This study aimed to develop a composite vector system comprising microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) immobilized with urease and metal–organic framework (MOF) UiO-66-NH2, denoted as MCC@UiO/U, through the dynamic defect generation strategy. By utilizing competitive coordination, effective immobilization of urease into MCC@UiO was achieved for efficient urea removal. Within 2 h, the urea removal efficiency could reach up to 1500 mg/g, surpassing an 80% clearance rate. Furthermore, an 80% clearance rate can also be attained in peritoneal dialyzate from patients. MCC@UiO/U also exhibits an exceptional bioactivity even after undergoing 5 cycles of perfusion, demonstrating remarkable stability and biocompatibility. This innovative approach and methodology provide a novel avenue and a wide range of immobilized enzyme vectors for clinical urea removal and treatment of kidney diseases, presenting immense potential for future clinical applications.

The use of hemoperfusion adsorbents for the removal of bilirubin in patients with liver failure has become a critical treatment. However, the insufficient clearance of bilirubin and the possibility of bacterial infection during hemoperfusion limit the application. In this work, we designed a novel antibacterial bilirubin adsorbent (PSVT) through the suspension polymerization reaction between double-bond functionalized TiO2nanoparticles and styrene. PSVT showed an excellent bilirubin adsorption ability and antibacterial performance, ensuring efficient clearance of bilirubin in liver failure patients during hemoperfusion and preventing bacterial infection. The experimental results indicated that TiO2was uniformly dispersed in the microspheres, which improved the mesoporous structure and increased the specific surface area. Composite adsorbent PSVT showed an exceptional bilirubin adsorption capacity, with the maximum adsorption capacity reaching 24.3 mg/g. In addition, the introduction of TiO2endowed PSVT with excellent antibacterial ability; the ultimate antibacterial rates against Escherichia coliand Staphylococcus aureusreached 97.31 and 96.47%, respectively. In summary, PSVT served as a novel antibacterial bilirubin adsorbent with excellent bilirubin clearance capacity and antibacterial performance, providing excellent application prospects for treating liver failure patients.

In the present work, Ce17Fe76.5Co1Zr0.5B6ribbons were prepared by a direct melt spinning method. The effects of chamber pressure and magnetic field annealing temperature on the magnetic properties and microstructures of the alloys were investigated. The grain size and content of Ce2Fe14B phase can be changed by adjusting the chamber pressure, and the optimal magnetic performance is obtained at 0.04 MPa. The magnetic properties can be influenced under magnetic field heat treatment. When the annealing temperature is lower than the Curie temperature, the refinement and a uniform distribution of the grains is obtained. The irreversible magnetic susceptibility curve reveals that magnetic field heat treatment enhances the exchange coupling interaction between grains of the Ce2Fe14B phase. When the magnetic field annealing temperature is 438 K, the alloy displays the optimal magnetic properties. Compared with the as-spun sample, the values of intrinsic coercivity (Hci), remanence (Br) and maximum energy product ((BH)max) increase by 3.4%, 9.8% and 18.7%, respectively. This work provides an effective approach by which to enhance the magnetic properties of Ce–Fe–B alloys.

Chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) of SiC wafer is challenging due to its extreme hardness and inertness. Catalyst assisted CMP is a cost-effective approach to increase material removal rate (MRR) without sacrificing surface quality. Herein, oxygen-deficient α-MnO2was prepared by mechanochemical synthesis and the effect of catalyst physiochemical structure on the CMP performance of Si-face SiC wafer was systematically studied. The addition of 1% α-MnO2catalyst increased MRR by 38.8% to 1.11 μm h−1, much higher than commercial γ-MnO2. The synergy of phase structure, oxygen vacancy and surface area & porosity contributed to the high catalytic activity. α-MnO2is an outstanding oxidation catalyst due to its stable framework, large tunnel size, rich surface area and porosity, which can facilitate the adsorption, activation and transfer of guest species and intermediates and therefore affects the reaction pathway and reaction kinetics. Mechanochemical synthesis generates nano MnO2particles with rich oxygen vacancies. The presence of more surface oxygen vacancies can improve oxidizing activity of MnO2catalyst, facilitating the oxidation of C species on wafer surface. The use of defect-engineered α-MnO2catalyst is promising for overcoming the present bottlenecks of long processing time and high cost of current CMP of SiC wafer.

PurposeAnkylosing spondylitis (AS), inflammatory bowel disease and Crohn’s disease (CD) often coexist in the same patient and these diseases have remarkably strong overlaps in genetic association. The association between Unc51like kinase 1 (ULK1) gene polymorphisms and CD has been reported, and the aim of the current study was to investigate whether ULK1polymorphisms are also associated with susceptibility to AS in the Chinese Han population.MethodsFive tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms in the ULK1gene (rs9652059, rs11616018, rs12303764, rs4964879 and rs7300908) were genotyped by the improved multiplex ligase detection reaction method in a cohort of patients with AS (n=649) and controls (n=628). Various genetic models were performed and haplotypes were constructed after linkage disequilibrium analysis.ResultsA statistically significant difference was found in the dominant model of the rs9652059 polymorphism (OR (95% CI) = 0.796 (0.638 to 0.994), χ2= 4.064, p= 0.044). Haplotypes were conducted between rs9652059 and rs11616018, rs11616018 and rs4964879, rs9652059 and rs4964879 based on D' ≥0.9 and r2≥ 0.6. Ht5 (rs9652059C-rs4964879G) haplotype was associated with AS (OR (95% CI) = 0.834 (0.706 to 0.985), χ2=4.555, p= 0.0328) and other two haplotypes were marginally correlated with AS (ht2 (rs9652059C-rs11616018T): OR (95% CI) = 0.846 (0.717 to 1.000), χ2= 3.864, p= 0.0493); ht3 (rs9652059T-rs11616018T): OR (95% CI) = 1.440 (0.999 to 2.076), χ2= 3.849, p = 0.0498).ConclusionsOur findings suggest that rs9652059 variation (C→T) could increase AS susceptibility and haplotypes of rs9652059C-rs4964879G, rs9652059C-rs11616018Tand rs9652059T-rs11616018Tmay be associatd with AS.