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Maritime transport, as the backbone of international trade, contributes to 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions. One major challenge to the sustainability of marine shipping is the fuel consumption associated with flow resistance to ship hulls. While passive approaches like superhydrophobic or lubricant-infused surfaces hold promise for drag reduction, their scalability, stability, and durability are limited, particularly in oceanic scenarios. Here, an oil-entangled matrix spray (OEMs) coating is developed to overcome the limitations of conventional surface modification. To create a drag-reduction surface, liquid lubricant is rationally integrated with a polymer matrix, enabling the firm retention of the lubricant while maintaining high adhesion to various substrates. The resulting slippery interface achieves up to 48% drag reduction compared to an unmodified surface in a water tunnel test. Additionally, the hydrophobic, chemically inert, smooth, and slippery interface of OEMs enables multifunction of the coated substrates, including corrosion resistance to seawater and acid, reduced frosting accretion (by up to 68%), and low shear adhesion to ice (<11 kPa). Furthermore, the OEMs provides a universal platform to integrate customized functions such as photothermal effects, further enhancing interface performances by synergizing solar thermal energy and surface slipperiness. This study presents a promising surface modification strategy for improving the sustainability of marine vehicles where scalable, durable, and multifunctional surfaces are desired to achieve sustainable drag reduction under oceanic cruising and extreme weather conditions.

The controlled release of antigens from injectable depots has been actively pursued to achieve long-lasting immune responses in vaccine development. Nonetheless, subcutaneous depots are often susceptible to foreign body responses (FBRs) dominated by macrophage clearance and fibrotic encapsulation, resulting in limited antigen delivery to target dendritic cells (DCs) that bridge innate and adaptive immunity. Here, we aim to develop a long-term antigen depot that can bypass FBR and engage DCs to mature and migrate to lymph nodes to activate antigen-specific T-cells. Leveraging the immunomodulatory properties of exogenous polysaccharides and the anti-fouling characteristics of zwitterionic phosphorylcholine (PC) polymers, we developed a PC functionalized dextran (PCDX) hydrogel for long-term antigen delivery. We observed that PCDX in both injectable scaffold and microparticle (MP) forms could effectively evade FBR as the anionic carboxymethyl DX (CMDX) in vitro and in vivo. Meanwhile, PCDX provided slower and longer release of antigens than CMDX, resulting in local enrichment of CD11c+ DCs at the MP injection sites. DC cultured on PCDX exhibited stronger immunogenic activation with higher CD86, CD40, and MHC-I/peptide complex than CMDX. PCDX also generated DC with greater propensity in migration to lymph nodes, as well as antigen presentations to trigger both CD4+ and CD8+ arms of T-cell responses, as compared to other charge derivatives of DX. Besides cellular responses, PCDX could also induce more durable and potent humoral responses, with higher levels of antigen specific IgG1 and IgG2a by day 28, as compared to other treatment groups. In conclusion, PCDX can incorporate the benefits of both immunogenic DX and anti-fouling properties of zwitterionic PC and thus, shows great promise in providing long-term delivery of antigens for vaccine development.

Yap-Hang Chan,1,2 Michael Cheong Ngai,3 Yan Chen,1,2 Mei-Zhen Wu,2 Yu-Juan Yu,2 Zhe Zhen,2 Kevin Lai,2 Ho-Yin Chung,4 Chak-Sing Lau,4 Hung-Fat Tse,1,2 Kai-Hang Yiu1,21Cardiology Division, Department of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, People’s Republic of China; 2Cardiology Division, Department of Medicine, Queen Mary Hospital, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Special Administrative Regions, People’s Republic of China; 3Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, Queen Mary Hospital, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Special Administrative Regions, People’s Republic of China; 4Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Queen Mary Hospital, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Special Administrative Regions, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Kai-Hang Yiu, Cardiology Division, Department of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, 1 Haiyuan 1st Road, Futian District, Shenzhen, 518053, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China, Tel +852 22553633, Fax +852 28186304, Email khkyiu@hku.hkBackground and Aim: Rheumatoid arthritis is associated with both abnormal bone metabolism and accelerated vascular aging but a mechanistic link was lacking. This study aims to investigate the role of osteocalcin (OCN)-expressing circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) in vascular aging, as determined by arterial calcifications in rheumatoid arthritis.Methods: We performed flow cytometry studies in 145 consecutive patients with rheumatoid arthritis to determine osteogenic circulating levels of OCN-positive (OCN+) CD34+KDR+ and OCN+CD34+ versus conventional early EPC CD34+CD133+KDR+. Total calcium load of the thoracic aorta (ascending plus descending) and the carotid arteries were assessed by non-contrast computed tomography (CT) and contrast CT angiography.Results: Osteogenic EPCs OCN+CD34+KDR+ (P = 0.002) and OCN+CD34+ (P = 0.001), together with clinical p