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In our work, a highly efficient Li2SiO3-LiAlO2composite was designed via a simple solid-state reaction using bentonite as raw material and successfully applied to the transesterification of castor oil with methanol for biodiesel production. The preparation processes for the bentonite-based Li2SiO3-LiAlO2composite (Li/Bent) were optimized, and the prepared Li/Bent catalyst was characterized using a variety of experimental techniques. The maximum oil conversion to biodiesel of 97.16 % was obtained under reaction temperature of 65 °C, reaction time of 90 min, catalyst amount of 4 wt%, and methanol/oil molar ratio of 15:1. The possible mechanisms of the reaction process were revealed. The preliminary analysis of technical feasibility for the production showed that the production of castor oil biodiesel catalyzed by Li/Bent had competitive advantages in terms of market demand, industrial policy, process technology, environmental impact and economic benefits. The high efficiency and good stability of the catalyst reflect the technical advantages of the process. According to the study of environmental factor and process mass index, the synthesis process of biodiesel generated low waste, which was a green and environment-friendly process. Finally, the economic evaluation showed that the biodiesel production from castor oil catalyzed by Li/Bent catalyst was a cost-effective and low risk process.

ABSTRACTBackgroundJX11502MA is a potent partial agonist of dopamine D2 and D3 receptors, with a preferential binding profile for D3 receptors in vitro, potentially for treating schizophrenia.MethodsA first-in-human, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, single ascending dose clinical trial was designed. The subjects were randomly assigned to receive JX11502MA and placebo capsules with seven ascending dose groups: 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg, 1 mg, 2 mg, 3 mg, 6 mg, and 8 mg. The PK profiles of JX11502MA and its metabolites were evaluated, along with a safety and tolerability assessment.ResultsConsidering the safety of participants, the dose escalation was halted at 3 mg. Following single-dose administration, JX11502MA exhibited rapid absorption with a median Tmaxranging from 1 to 1.75 h. The terminal half-life of JX11502MA ranged from 73.62 to 276.85 h. The most common treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) for subjects receiving JX11502MA were somnolence (56.3%), dizziness (18.8%), nausea (21.9%), vomiting (18.8%), and hiccups (18.8%).ConclusionsJX11502MA was generally well tolerated at a single dose of 0.25 to 3 mg. The PK profiles and safety characteristics in this study indicated that JX11502MA has the potential to be a favorable treatment option for patients with schizophrenia.Trial registrationhttps://clinicaltrials.gov(identifier: NCT05233657).

A nanocomposite microneedle (ZCQ/MN) patch containing copper/zinc dual-doped mesoporous silica nanoparticles loaded with quercetin (ZCQ) was developed as a combination therapy for androgenic alopecia (AGA). The degradable microneedle gradually dissolves after penetration into the skin and releases the ZCQ nanoparticles. ZCQ nanoparticles release quercetin (Qu), copper (Cu2+) and zinc ions (Zn2+) subcutaneously to synergistically promote hair follicle regeneration. The mechanism of promoting hair follicle regeneration mainly includes the regulation of the main pathophysiological phenomena of AGA such as inhibition of dihydrotestosterone, inhibition of inflammation, promotion of angiogenesis and activation of hair follicle stem cells by the combination of Cu2+and Zn2+ions and Qu. This study demonstrates that the systematic intervention targeting different pathophysiological links of AGA by the combination of organic drug and bioactive metal ions is an effective treatment strategy for hair loss, which provides a theoretical basis for development of biomaterial based anti-hair loss therapy.

Regeneration of severe bone defects remains an enormous challenge in clinic. Developing regenerative scaffolds to directionally guide bone growth is a potential strategy to overcome this hurdle. Conch, an interesting creature widely spreading in ocean, has tough spiral shell that can continuously grow along the spiral direction. Herein, inspired by the physiological features of conches, a conch-like (CL) scaffold based on β-TCP bioceramic material was successfully prepared for guiding directional bone growth viadigital light processing (DLP)-based 3D printing. Benefiting from the spiral structure, the CL scaffolds significantly improved cell adhesion, proliferation and osteogenic differentiation in vitrocompared to the conventional 3D scaffolds. Particularly, the spiral structure in the scaffolds could efficiently induce cells to migrate from the bottom to the top of the scaffolds, which was like “cells climbing stairs”. Furthermore, the capability of guiding directional bone growth for the CL scaffolds was demonstrated by a special half-embedded femoral defects model in rabbits. The new bone tissue could consecutively grow into the protruded part of the scaffolds along the spiral cavities. This work provides a promising strategy to construct biomimetic biomaterials for guiding directional bone tissue growth, which offers a new treatment concept for severe bone defects, and even limb regeneration.

In this work, with sugarcane bagasse (SB) and red mud (RM) as raw materials, magnetic nitrogen (N)-doped biochar (MNSB) was synthesized by a facile one-pot pyrolysis method and then applied as an efficient adsorbent to remove tetracycline hydrochloride (TC-HCl) from wastewater. The results of SEM, EDS, VSM, BET, FT-IR, and XPS demonstrated that the synthesized MNSB adsorbent had a large specific surface area, excellent superparamagnetic properties, and rich mesopore pore structures. The batch adsorption experiments revealed that the TC-HCl could be removed 96.3% with the optimal adsorption conditions: MNSB dosage of 0.25 g/L, initial pH of 6.58, TC-HCl initial concentration of 20 mg/L, and adsorption temperature of 30 °C. The analysis of adsorption kinetics and isotherms showed that the adsorption process was mainly controlled by chemisorption, and the theoretical maximum adsorption capacity of TC-HCl on MNSB was 143.9 mg/g. Mechanistic analysis revealed that the excellent adsorption process of MNSB for TC-HCl was mainly contributed by pore filling, π–π interaction, hydrogen bonding, and electrostatic attraction. The recycling and settlement experiments demonstrated that MNSB had good stability and settleability. This study successfully opened new prospects that utilizing RM and SB to prepare a low-cost adsorbent to remove TC-HCl from water.

Liver cancer, a result of multifactorial interplay between heredity and the environment, is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death worldwide. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common histologic type of primary liver cancer. Here, we reported that deficiency in PCDHB14, a member of the cadherin superfamily, participates in the progression of HCC. We found that PCDHB14 is inactivated by aberrant methylation of its promoter in HCC patients and that PCDHB14 functions as a tumor suppressor to promote cell cycle arrest, inhibit cell proliferation, and induce ferroptosis. Furthermore, PCDHB14 ablation dramatically enhanced diethylenenitrite-induced HCC development. Mechanistically, PCDHB14 is induced by p53, and increased PCDHB14 downregulates the expression of SLC7A11, which is critical for ferroptosis. This effect is mediated by accelerated p65 protein degradation resulting from PCDHB14 promoting E3 ubiquitin ligase RNF182-mediated ubiquitination of p65 to block p65 binding to the promoter of SLC7A11. This study reports the new discovery that PCDHB14 serves as a potential prognostic marker for HCC.

Graphical Abstract

Graphical Abstract

Zero-dimensional (0D) organic–inorganic hybrid metal halides (OIMHs) have been a category of non-negligible candidates with potential application in light-emitting diodes (LEDs), optical information storage, and anticounterfeiting. Herein, we first obtained two 0D isomorphic indium-based OIHMs, namely, IBPAInCl6·H2O and IBPAInBr6·H2O (IBPA3+= bis(3-aminopropyl)amine cation), and further prepared a family of crystal samples of mixed-halogen IBPAIn(Cl1–xBrx)6·H2O (x= 0.25, 0.5, and 0.75) with the strategy of halogen substitution, which integrated the bluish-white photoluminescence (PL) emission of IBPAInCl6·H2O and the orange PL emission of IBPAInBr6·H2O as a perfect pair of complementary colors affording white-light emission. Interestingly, the cold-warm-tunable white-light emission in single-metal-templated In-based OIMHs was realized for the first time via continuous halogen content control. Mechanistic studies disclose that the ratios of the emission intensities at higher energies and lower energies present a gradual variation tendency, resulting in cold-warm-tunable white-light emissions. Moreover, the ultralong afterglow of IBPAInCl6·H2O (1.1 s) that can be identified by the naked eyes was found to be facilely tuned by regulating the content of Br–anions. Hence, the crystal samples of halogen substitution in In-based halides were applied as anticounterfeiting/information storage materials to fabricate a time-resolved encryption system with high performance.

Neural stem cell (NSC) transplantation has been suggested as a promising therapeutic strategy to replace lost neurons after spinal cord injury (SCI). However, the low survival rate and neuronal differentiation efficiency of implanted NSCs within the lesion cavity limit the application. Furthermore, it is difficult for transplanted cells to form connections with host cells. Thus, effective and feasible methods to enhance the efficacy of cell transplantation are needed. In this study, the effect of Laponite nanoplatelets, a type of silicate nanoplatelets, on stem cell therapy is explored. Laponite nanoplatelets can induce the neuronal differentiation of NSCs in vitro within five days, and RNA sequencing and protein expression analysis demonstrated that the NF‐κB pathway is involved in this process. Moreover, histological results revealed that Laponite nanoplatelets can increase the survival rate of transplanted NSCs and promote NSCs to differentiate into mature neurons. Finally, the formation of connections between transplanted cells and host cells is confirmed by axon tracing. Hence, Laponite nanoplatelets, which drove neuronal differentiation and the maturation of NSCs both in vitro and in vivo, can be considered a convenient and practical biomaterial to promote repair of the injured spinal cord by enhancing the efficacy of NSC transplantation. Laponite nanoplatelets exert a strong effect on neural stem cell (NSC) differentiation and maturation and can serve as a convenient, effective, and safe bioactive nanomaterial to promote the connection of transplanted NSCs and host cells and improve the efficacy of stem cell therapy.

Abstract: This mini-review covers recent progress in the field of cobalt(II)/manganese(II)-based molecular metamagnets, which can undergo magnetic phase transitions to a state with a net magnetic moment under the stimulation of external field. We simply discuss mean field theory describing these compounds and the important role of the magnetic anisotropy. The experimental properties of the known Co(II)/Mn(II) metamagnets are discussed, with emphasis on the variety of means by which the metamagnetic transitions have been observed and studied.

Abstract: AltBOC(15,10) is the baseline of COMPASS B2 signal modulation. It is a BOC-like signal having different PN codes in the lower and the upper main split lobes, which allow one signal service per lobe. The two lobes can be received and processed separately like two BPSK(10) signals, or coherently processed to achieve better performance. Interoperability among COMPASS B2, Galileo E5 and GPS L5 is also achievable using AltBOC modulation. However, Galileo’s 4-code AltBOC has drawbacks such as low efficiency and great receiver complexity. This paper presents a new modulation type named TD-AltBOC (Time Division AltBOC). The signal generation scheme and receiving method are presented, and are compared with AltBOC in the areas of power spectrum, ranging accuracy, anti-multipath performance, anti-interference performance, processing flexibility and complexity. Analysis results show TD-AltBOC has similar spectrum characteristics, interoperability, flexibility and anti-interference performance with AltBOC. When the frontend bandwidth is more than 50 MHz, TD-AltBOC can achieve better ranging accuracy and anti-multipath performance. It also has such advantages as high efficiency and low receiver complexity. TD-AltBOC could be a good solution to COMPASS B2 navigation signal.

Dual adhesiveness to tissue and implant biomaterials and bioactivity to stimulate tissue regeneration are interesting properties for developing new generations of tissue-repairing hydrogels with potential new clinical applications. In this study, we developed a unique bioglass (BG)/oxidized sodium alginate (OSA) composite hydrogel with adipic acid dihydrazide (ADH)-modified γ-polyglutamic acid (γ-PGA) as the cross-linking agent, in which the BG plays a multifunctional role to endow the hydrogel‍ with both dual-adhesive and bioactive properties. On one hand, the BG could improve the tissue-bonding strength by providing an alkaline microenvironment to stimulate the bond formation between OSA and the amino groups on the surrounding tissues. On the other hand, BG endows the hydrogel‍ with adhesiveness to implantable materials by releasing Ca ions, which might chelate with the carboxyl groups of the hydrogel‍ matrix. In addition, the composite hydrogel‍ showed excellent bioactivity to promote vascularization and accelerate tissue regeneration. This study demonstrates that a multifunctional hydrogel‍ can be designed by utilizing the multifunctional ions released from silicate BG, and the BG/OSA hydrogel shows good potential as an adhesive and bioactive material for wound-healing applications.

In this study, a novel Bioglass/albumin composite hydrogel with controllable injectability, good adhesiveness, and bioactivity, is developed by utilizing dual‐functional bioactive ions released from Bioglass, which on one side controls the gelling time by creating an alkaline environment to regulate the cross‐linking reaction between human serum albumin and succinimidyl succinate modified poly(ethylene glycol), and on the other side stimulates wound healing. The composite hydrogel exhibits adhesive property that is superior to clinically used fibrin and cyanoacrylate glues. The gelation time of the composite hydrogel could be regulated via changing the amounts of Bioglass which endows the hydrogel with good injectability. The in vivo experiment confirms that this composite hydrogel has good bioactivity to stimulate angiogenesis and enhance chronic wound healing. Moreover, for the first time, the concentrations of the bioactive ions released from the composite hydrogel in situ are quantified during wound healing using a microdialysis technique, and a correlation of the in vitro and in vivo concentration of ions released from the hydrogel is determined, which is extremely important for understanding the bioactivity mechanisms of Bioglass/bioceramic‐based biomaterials and designing biomaterials for tissue regeneration. A novel Bioglass/albumin composite hydrogelis developed based on the bi‐function of bioactive ions released from Bioglass, which can regulate the gelation time of the hydrogel, and endow the hydrogel with bioactivity to enhance angiogenesis during wound healing. Moreover, the in vivo concentrations of bioactive ions are determined using a microdialysis technique, which is important for designing bioactive materials.

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