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Artemisinin and its derivatives, commonly known as antimalarial drugs, have gradually come to be regarded as potential antitumor agents, although their cytotoxic efficacy and mechanisms of action r...

In this work, phenolic resin served as binder to recycle ultrafine needle coke scrap, and then carbon/carbon composite was prepared through high-temperature graphitization. The influences of phenolic resin content on the microstructure characteristics of carbon/carbon composite were investigated by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, laser particle size, and nitrogen adsorption–desorption. When the mass ratio of ultrafine needle coke scrap to phenolic resin is 1:2, the carbon/carbon composite shows an average particle size of 19.17 μm, which is higher than that of ultrafine needle coke scrap (3 μm) and is close to that of commercial needle coke (19.12 μm). Moreover, the carbon/carbon composite as anode material for LIBs exhibits the 1st and 50th discharge capacity of 360.8 mAh/g and 352.6 mAh/g. Additionally, its coulombic efficiency after 50th cycles is over 99%. In principle, the synthesized carbon/carbon composite exhibits a comparable electrochemical performance to commercial needle coke.

Purpose To study the effects of the density of folic acid (FA) on the hypoglycemic ability of FA-targeted polymersomes as oral insulin carriers. Also to study the change of the hypoglycemic effect of FA-targeted mixed polymersomes added with various mass ratio of d -α-tocopherol polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate (TPGS). Methods The FA-targeted polymersomes with different FA molar contents were prepared. The in vitro insulin release experiments in different media for FA-targeted polymersomes with various FA contents were studied. Their quantitative cellular uptake in Caco-2 cells was examined. The in vivo hypoglycemic activity of FA-targeted polymersomes was also studied with diabetic rats. The polymersomes with the optimal FA molar content was chosen to prepare mixed polymersomes with various TPGS contents. Results Among insulin-loaded FA-targeted polymersomes with four different FA molar contents, insulin-loaded polymersomes with 10% FA molar content (insulin-loaded 10%FA-Ps) showed the hightest cellular uptake and the best hypoglycemic response. In addition, the insulin-loaded FA-Ps/TPGS5:1 mixed polymersomes exhibited higher cellular uptake and better hypoglycemic response than the other two insulin-loaded mixed polymersomes adding TPGS did. Conclusions FA-Ps/TPGS5:1 could be a promising formulation for the oral administration of insulin.

Background The health benefits associated with consuming fish products are mainly attributed to their desirable nutrition profiles, including vitamins, minerals, essential amino acids, and polyunsaturated fatty acids. However, large quantities of fish proteins are presently underutilized or discarded as waste. Effective strategies to utilize fish proteins are therefore needed. Recently, researchers have focused on generating and characterizing bioactive fish protein hydrolysates and peptides and then studying their potential health benefits. Scope and Approach The major methods of producing, separating, and purifying protein hydrolysates are initially given. Then, the biological activities and potential mechanisms of action of protein hydrolysates and peptides are discussed. Finally, current limitations and future possibilities of fish peptide identification, production, and bioactivity are identified and discussed. Key findings and conclusions Fermentation, chemical synthesis, and enzymatic hydrolysis are effective methods of obtaining hydrolysates from underutilized fish protein by-products. These hydrolysates can then be purified by membrane separation and chromatographic methods to obtain bioactive peptides. The molecular characteristics of the peptides can then be identified using mass spectrometry. Fish hydrolysates/peptides have multiple biological activities, including antioxidative, lipid homeostasis modulation, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, neuroprotective, and antihypertensive activities, which make them promising nutraceutical ingredients for application in foods. Moreover, they often have emulsifying, foaming, and gelling properties, which means they may be suitable as multipurpose functional ingredients. Thus, waste-derived fish by-products may be turned into value-added functional ingredients designed to address chronic diseases. However, further research is required to develop large-scale commercially viable extraction and purification methods, develop robust structure-function relationships for peptides, and perform in vivo human studies of peptide bioactivity.

There is a strong coupling relationship between the process parameters of electrospun polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and its fiber diameter. By examining the mechanism of influence, the quality of electrospun products can be significantly improved and controlled. In this study, a novel idea for predicting and optimizing electrospun PAN process parameters was proposed. First, the control equation of the electrospun PAN was established based on the incompressible Navier–Stokes equation, and the volume force (generated via electric field force, gravity, and surface tension) and jet velocity during electrospinning were solved and analyzed via simulation software. Then, grey correlation analysis was used to calculate the correlation among the three process parameters (applied voltage, feed rate, and distance between the needle and collector) of the electrospun PAN, volume force, jet velocity, and average fiber diameter. Subsequently, the effect of simultaneous changes in multiple process parameters on the average fiber diameter was examined based on the response surface method, and a prediction model was established. Finally, the experimental results indicated that the model can predict the average fiber diameter when multiple process parameters are simultaneously changed. The model predicted the average fiber diameter with an error of only 0.28%, and the optimized minimum fiber average diameter was 235.3 nm (the applied voltage was 12 kV, the distance between the needle and collector was 15.6 cm, the feed rate was 0.37 mL/h). This study provides a theoretical basis for the on-line monitoring of the electrospun PAN.

The urea-assisted water electrolysis reactions are of great significance for solving the increasingly serious energy crisis and environmental pollution. Recently, the photo-driven effect strategy has been demonstrated to be an efficient external driving force for improving electrocatalytic activities. Herein, we synthesized Ni-NiO heterostructured nanosheet arrays grown on Ni foam (denoted as Ni-NiO/NF) as a bifunctional electrocatalyst enhancing the urea oxidation reaction (UOR) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activities simultaneously under light irradiation. Moreover, when the catalyst is used in a two-electrode system for the urea-assisted water electrolysis reaction, the cell potential could be reduced to 1.48 V to achieve the current density of 10 mA cm−2 after exposure to light irradiation, as well as remarkable stability. Our studies demonstrate that the enhancement of the HER & UOR activities is attributed to a synergetic effect between photogenerated carriers and photothermy.

Helical carbon nanofibers (HCNFs) modified with Fe2O3 (Fe2O3/HCNFs) with a particle size of about 10–20 nm were first introduced for potential use as a novel anode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Fe2O3/HCNFs were successfully prepared via a chemical liquid deposition (CLPD) method in this study. HCNFs with a special three-dimensional helical structure improve the conductivity and also provide a strong supporting network space for stress and strain during the volume expansion of Fe2O3 nanoparticles. The Fe2O3/HCNF anode still retains its capacity of 816.3 mA h g−1 after 100 cycles at the current density of 200 mA g−1, which is significantly better than those of contrast samples (only 144.2 mA h g−1 for the bare Fe2O3, 241.2 mA h g−1 for HCNFs and 486.4 mA h g−1 for Fe2O3–HCNFs). These superior properties and facile preparation represent the potential of Fe2O3/HCNF anode materials for LIB application.

Objective: This study aimed to elucidate the pharmacological effects of sesamin (Ses) and its mechanism of action towards PM2.5-induced cardiovascular injuries. Method: Forty Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into five groups: a saline control group; a PM2.5 exposure group; and low-, middle-, and high-dose Ses pretreatment groups. The SD rats were pretreated with different concentrations of Ses for 21 days. Afterward, the rats were exposed to ambient PM2.5 by intratracheal instillation every other day for a total of three times. The levels of inflammatory markers, including tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-1beta (IL-1β), and interleukin-6 (IL-6), and indicators related to oxidative responses, such as total superoxide dismutase (SOD), reduced glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and malondialdehyde (MDA), were measured in the blood and heart. The expression of ferroptosis-related proteins in heart tissues was determined via western blot and immunohistochemistry. Results: Ses pretreatment substantially ameliorated cardiovascular injuries in rats as evidenced by the decrease in the pathological score and collagen area. The decreased levels of SOD, GSH, and GSH-Px in the heart and serum were inhibited by Ses. In addition, Ses not only notably increased the activity of antioxidant enzymes but also reduced the levels of MDA, CK, LDH, CK-MB, IL-6, TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6. Furthermore, Ses pretreatment upregulated the expression levels of GPX4, SLC7A11, TFRC, and FPN1 and inhibited the expression levels of FTH1 and FTL. Conclusion: Ses pretreatment could ameliorate PM2.5-induced cardiovascular injuries perhaps by inhibiting ferroptosis. Therefore, Ses pretreatment may be a novel strategy for the prevention and treatment of PM2.5-induced cardiovascular injury.

Designing high efficiency non-noble metal catalysts for electrochemical hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions (HER and OER) is a challenging and promising task. In the present work, a large-scale...

Purpose Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide. Drug resistance is the major barrier for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The aim of this research is to develop an aptamer-decorated hybrid nanoparticle for the co-delivery of docetaxel prodrug (DTXp) and cisplatin (DDP) and to treat lung cancer. Materials and Methods Aptamer-conjugated lipid-polymer ligands and redox-sensitive docetaxel prodrug were synthesized. DTXp and DDP were loaded into the lipid-polymer hybrid nanoparticles (LPHNs). The targeted efficiency of aptamer-decorated, DTXp and DDP co-encapsulated LPHNs (APT-DTXp/DDP-LPHNs) was determined by performing a cell uptake assay by flow cytometry-based analysis. In vivo biodistribution and anticancer efficiency of APT-DTXp/DDP-LPHNs were evaluated on NSCLC-bearing mice xenograft. Results APT-DTXp/DDP-LPHNs had a particle size of 213.5 ± 5.3 nm, with a zeta potential of 15.9 ± 1.9 mV. APT-DTXp/DDP-LPHNs exhibited a significantly enhanced cytotoxicity (drug concentration causing 50% inhibition was 0.71 ± 0.09 μg/mL), synergy antitumor effect (combination index was 0.62), and profound tumor inhibition ability (tumor inhibition ratio of 81.4%) compared with the non-aptamer-decorated LPHNs and single drug-loaded LPHNs. Conclusion Since the synergistic effect of the drugs was found in this system, it would have great potential to inhibit lung tumor cells and in vivo tumor growth.

Starch is the major storage carbohydrate in plants and functions in buffering carbon and energy availability for plant fitness with challenging environmental conditions. The timing and extent of starch degradation appear to be determined by diverse hormonal and environmental signals; however, our understanding of the regulation of starch metabolism is fragmentary. Here, we demonstrate that the phytohormone brassinosteroid (BR) and redox signal hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) induce the breakdown of starch in guard cells, which promotes stomatal opening. The BR-insensitive mutant bri1-116 accumulated high levels of starch in guard cells, impairing stomatal opening in response to light. The gain-of-function mutant bzr1-1D suppressed the starch excess phenotype of bri1-116, thereby promoting stomatal opening. BRASSINAZOLE-RESISTANT1 (BZR1) interacts with the basic leucine zipper transcription factor G-BOX BINDING FACTOR2 (GBF2) to promote the expression of β-AMYLASE1 (BAM1), which is responsible for starch degradation in guard cells. H(2)O(2) induces BZR1 oxidation, enhancing the interaction between BZR1 and GBF2 to increase BAM1 transcription. Mutations in BAM1 lead to starch accumulation and reduce the effects of BR and H(2)O(2) on stomatal opening. Overall, this study uncovers the critical roles of BR and H(2)O(2) in regulating guard cell starch metabolism and stomatal opening.

By using the π-electron rich 4,4′-stilbenedicarboxylic acid (H2sda), a Zn(II)-bearing metal-organic framework with the chemical formula of [Zn3(sda)3(H2O)2](H2O)4 (1) has been prepared through the ...

Multidrug resistance (MDR) is the resistance of cells toward various drugs commonly used in tumor treatment. The mechanism of drug resistance in oral cancer is not completely understood. Melatonin is an endogenously produced molecule involved in active biological mechanisms including antiproliferation, oncogene expression modulation, antitumor invasion and migration, and anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antiangiogenic effects. Despite these functions, the effects of melatonin on vincristine (VCR)-resistant human oral cancer cells remain largely unknown. This study analyzed the role of melatonin in VCR-resistant human oral cancer cells along with the underlying mechanism. We determined that melatonin induced the apoptosis and autophagy of VCR-resistant oral cancer cells; these actions were mediated by AKT, p38, and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK). Melatonin inhibited ATP-binding cassette B1 (ABCB1) and ABCB4 expression in vitro and in vivo. Melatonin reduced the drug resistance and promoted the apoptosis of VCR-resistant oral cancer cells through the upregulation of microRNA-892a (miR-892a) and miR-34b-5p expressions. The expression of miR-892a and miR-34b-5p was related to melatonin-induced apoptosis, but not autophagy. Therefore, melatonin is a potential novel chemotherapeutic agent for VCR-resistant human oral cancer cell lines.

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is a versatile and environmentally friendly oxidant with a wide range of industrial and household applications. In recent years, the decentralization of H2O2 production through the two-electron oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) has emerged as an attractive alternative to the well-established anthraquinone process. And of the many electrocatalysts developed for the two-electron ORR to produce H2O2, metal-free carbon catalysts (MFCCs) have received extensive attention due to their cost-effectiveness and natural abundance. Based on this, this review will provide an in-depth overview into MFCC design and fabrication with an emphasis on porosity control, heteroatom doping, oxygen functionalization, defect engineering and organic–inorganic interface engineering. This review will also discuss and analyze the interplays between these factors in terms of MFCC catalytic activity and selectivity towards H2O2 production. Furthermore, major technical challenges are presented, and future research directions are proposed to guide further development towards practical application.

Organophosphate pesticides (OPs) are often used as insecticides and acaricides in agriculture, thus improving yields. OP residues may pose a serious threat, due to inhibition of the enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE). Therefore, a competitive bio-barcode immunoassay was designed for simultaneous quantification of organophosphate pesticide residues using AuNP signal amplification technology and Au@Pt catalysis. The AuNP probes were labelled with antibodies and corresponding bio-barcodes (ssDNAs), MNP probes coated with ovalbumin pesticide haptens and Au@Pt probes functionalized with the complementary ssDNAs were then prepared. Subsequently, pesticides competed with MNP probes to bind the AuNP probes. The recoveries of the developed assay were ranged from 71.26 to 117.47% with RSDs from 2.52 to 14.52%. The LODs were 9.88, 3.91, and 1.47 ng·kg−1, for parathion, triazophos, and chlorpyrifos, respectively. The assay was closely correlated with the data obtained from LC-MS/MS. Therefore, the developed method has the potential to be used as an alternative approach for detection of multiple pesticides.

Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) is a lethal malignant neoplasm with limited therapeutic options. Previous studies have found that Notch1 overexpression alone suffices to induce iCCA in the mouse, albeit after long latency. The current study found that activation of the Yes-associated protein (Yap) proto-oncogene occurs during Notch1-driven iCCA progression. After co-expressing activated Notch1 intracellular domain (Nicd) and Yap (YapS127A) in the mouse liver, rapid iCCA formation and progression occurred in Nicd/Yap mice. Mechanistically, an increased expression of amino acid transporters and activation of the mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) signaling pathway was detected in Nicd/Yap mouse liver tumors. Significantly, the genetic deletion of Raptor, the major mTORC1 component, completely suppressed iCCA development in Nicd/Yap mice. Elevated expression of Notch1, YAP, amino acid transporters, and members of the mTORC1 pathway was also detected ubiquitously in a collection of human iCCA specimens. Their levels were associated with a poor patient outcome. This study demonstrates that Notch and YAP concomitant activation is frequent in human cholangiocarcinogenesis. Notch and YAP synergize to promote iCCA formation by activating the mTORC1 pathway.

Background Organophosphorus pesticides (OPs), as insecticides or acaricides, are widely used in agricultural products to ensure agricultural production. However, widespread use of OPs leads to environmental contamination and significant negative consequences on biodiversity, food security, and water resources. Therefore, developing a sensitive and rapid method to determine OPs residues in different matrices is necessary. Originally, the enzyme inhibition methods are often used as preliminary screens of OPs in crops. Many studies on the characteristic of Au nanomaterials have constantly been emerging in the past decade. Combined with anisotropic Au nanomaterials, enzyme inhibition methods have the advantages of high sensitivity, durability, and high stability. Aim of Review This review aims to summarize the principles and strategies of gold (Au) nanomaterials in enzyme inhibition methods, including colorimetric (dispersion, particle size of Au nanomaterials) and fluorometric (fluorescence energy transfer, internal filtration effect) detection, and electrochemical sensing system (shape of Au nanomaterials, Au nanomaterials combined with other nanomaterials). The application of enzyme inhibition in agricultural products and research progress was also outlined. Next, this review illustrates the advantages of Au nanomaterial-based enzyme inhibition methods compared with conventional enzyme inhibition methods. The detection limits and linear range of colorimetric and fluorometric detection and electrochemical biosensors have also been provided. At last, key perspectives, trends, gaps, and future research directions are proposed. Key Scientific Concepts of Review Herein, we introduced the technology of enzyme inhibition method based on Au nanomaterials for onsite and infield rapid detection of organophosphorus pesticide.

Collagens are major constituents of the extracellular matrix (ECM) that play an essential role in the structure of the inner ear and provide elasticity and rigidity when the signals of sound are received and transformed into electrical signals. LOXL3 is a member of the lysyl oxidase (LOX) family that are copper-dependent amine oxidases, generating covalent cross-links to stabilize polymeric elastin and collagen fibers in the ECM. Biallelic missense variant of LOXL3 was found in Stickler syndrome with mild conductive hearing loss. However, available information regarding the specific roles of LOXL3 in auditory function is limited. In this study, we showed that the Col2a1-Cre-mediated ablation of Loxl3 in the inner ear can cause progressive hearing loss, degeneration of hair cells and secondary degeneration of spiral ganglion neurons. The abnormal distribution of type II collagen in the spiral ligament and increased inflammatory responses were also found in Col2a1–Loxl3–/– mice. Amino oxidase activity exerts an effect on collagen; thus, Loxl3 deficiency was expected to result in the instability of collagen in the spiral ligament and the basilar membrane, which may interfere with the mechanical properties of the organ of Corti and induce the inflammatory responses that are responsible for the hearing loss. Overall, our findings suggest that Loxl3 may play an essential role in maintaining hearing function.

Wearable pressure sensors with excellent flexibility and sensitivity have emerged as a promising field for electronic skin, healthcare monitoring, and so forth. Herein, we report a flexible, tunabl...

BRASSINAZOLE-RESISTANT 1 family proteins (BZRs) are central transcription factors that govern brassinosteroid (BR)-regulated gene expression and plant growth. However, it is unclear whether there exists a BZR-independent pathway that mediates BR signaling. In this study, we found that disruption of all BZRs in Arabidopsis generated a hextuple mutant (bzr-h) displaying vegetative growth phenotypes that were almost identical to those of the null mutant of three BR receptors, bri1brl1brl3 (bri-t). By RNA sequencing, we found that global gene expression in bzr-h was unaffected by 2 h of BR treatment. The anthers of bzr-h plants were loculeless, but a similar phenotype was not observed in bri-t, suggesting that BZRs have a BR signaling-independent regulatory role in anther development. By real-time PCR and in situ hybridization, we found that the expression of SPOROCYTELESS (SPL), which encodes a transcription factor essential for anther locule development, was barely detectable in bzr-h, suggesting that BZRs regulate locule development by affecting SPL expression. Our findings reveal that BZRs are indispensable transcription factors required for both BR signaling and anther locule development, providing new insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying the microsporogenesis in Arabidopsis.

The biomimetic enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (BELISA) is widely used for detection of small-molecule compounds as a result of low cost and reagent stability of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs). However, enzyme labels used in BELISA still suffer some drawbacks, such as high production cost and limited stability. To overcome the drawbacks, a biomimetic nanozyme-linked immunosorbent assay (BNLISA) based on MIPs and nanozyme labels was first proposed. For nanozyme labels, platinum nanoparticles (PtNPs) acted as peroxidase by catalyzing the oxidation of colorless 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) into an ideal surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) marker. Blue TMB2+ and bovine serum albumin (BSA)-hapten showed superior selectivity when competing with targets for binding sites on MIPs, named the Pt@BSA-hapten probe. The BNLISA method was employed to detect triazophos with a limit of detection of 1 ng mL-1 via colorimetric and SERS methods. Replacing traditional enzymes with nanozymes for combination with MIPs may bring about a new prospect for other compound analyses.

Aim To evaluate the protective effects of lipoic acid-niacin (N2L) dimers against blue light (BL)-induced oxidative damage to human retinal pigment epithelium (hRPE) cells in vitro. Methods hRPE cells were divided into a control group (CG), a BL group, an N2L plus BL irradiation group, an α-lipoic acid (ALA) plus BL group, an ALA-only group, and an N2L-only group. hRPE cellular viability was detected by performing 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium (MTT) bromide assays, and apoptosis was evaluated by annexin-V-PE/7-AAD staining followed by flow cytometry. Ultrastructural changes in subcellular organelles were observed by transmission electron microscopy. Reactive oxygen species formation was assayed by flow cytometry. The expression levels of the apoptosis-related proteins BCL-2 associated X protein (BAX), B-cell leukmia/lymphoma 2 (BCL-2), and caspase-3 were quantified by Western blot analysis. Results BL exposure with a light density of 4±0.5 mW/cm2 exceeding 6h caused hRPE toxicity, whereas treatment with a high dose of N2L (100 mol/L) or ALA (150 mol/L) maintained cell viability at control levels. BL exposure caused vacuole-like degeneration, mitochondrial swelling, and reduced microvillus formation; however, a high dose of N2L or ALA maintained the ultrastructure of hRPE cells and their organelles. High doses of N2L and ALA also protected hRPE cells from BL-induced apoptosis, which was confirmed by Western blot analysis: BCL-2 expression significantly increased, while BAX and caspase-3 expression slightly decreased compared to the CG. Conclusion High-dose N2L treatment (>100 mol/L) can reduce oxidative damage in degenerating hRPE cells exposed to BL with an efficacy similar to ALA.

Organic polymers have the potential to be electrode materials for lithium–ion batteries due to their lower solubility, lower self-discharge rates, high mechanical strength, greater flexibility, superior thermal stability, and versatility. In this paper, the density functional theory (DFT) was applied to investigate industrial polymers as electrode materials for lithium–ion batteries. The charge/discharge potentials of reported polymer electrode materials for lithium–ion batteries were collected, and the experimental values were fitted linearly with the values of ΔEpoly (as shown in Eq. (2b)) calculated with a single-molecule model to obtain a semi-empirical formula, which was subsequently applied to predict the charge/discharge potentials of industrial polymers. The results showed that 16th (polypyromellitic diphenyl sulfide), 17th (polypyromellitic diphenyl ether imine), and 23rd (polypyromellitic diphenylmethaneimine) materials have better electrochemical performance than the other materials in this paper, and we also find that the material, such as polypyromellitic diphenylmethaneimine, containing low electronegative heteroatom and electron-donating groups, has a low potential value.

This paper presents a novel approach for automatic, rapid and efficient micro-droplet mixing on ‘open-surface’ droplet-based microfluidics system via magnetic actuation. A two-step micro-fabrication process was employed to decorate the magnetically functionalized polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) membrane with micro-pillar arrays (MPA) to reduce the adhesion on resident droplets. Droplet manipulation relies on the localized deformation of the elastic membrane under external magnetic fields, thus relieving the additives of magnetic components to the droplets that is commonly required in conventional magnetism-based actuation. Via integration with peripheral computer-based regulator, swift droplet mixing is realized via controlling the coalescent droplets back and forth to generate internal fluid circulations for enhanced mass transfer within the droplet. The comparison of mixing performance between the coalesce-and-stop and back-and-forth mode was systematically performed, which verifies that the back-and-forth actuation of the droplets can obviously improve the mixing efficiency, and typically a higher driving frequency on the droplet renders a shorter mixing duration. With driving frequency of 2.5 cycles/s, the mixing homogeneity can reach 80% within 0.6 s and reach 90% within 1.5 s. Also, it has been experimentally demonstrated that the proposed system can accelerate the dilution under various volume ratios, including 1:2, 1:5, and 1:10. Finally, we demonstrated that the platform can be used to dynamically manipulate the droplets, allowing the de-pinning effect for molecular concentrating and obvious detection sensitivity enhancement in terms of Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS). Owing to the superiorities including programmable efficient mixing and parallel scalability, the study herein offers insights for exploiting cost-effective and versatile microfluidics platform for future application in biological analysis, chemical micro-reactions, and trace molecule detections.

Aqueous solution absorptions are widely used as an effective way for the treatment of noxious gases discharged from various industrial processes. However, this technology may encounter problems in removing gaseous pollutants with low Henry constants, such as styrene from contaminated air. In this study, a novel electrochemical absorption reactor was devised to remove these air pollutants. The reactor consists of five pairs of stacked mesh electrodes. Each pair of mesh electrodes consists of a Ti/RuO

Transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) nanoparticles have attracted much attention recently for lithium and sodium ion batteries (LIBs and SIBs) due to their layered structures, which act as host lattices when reacting with ions to yield intercalation compounds. In the present article, WS2 nanoparticles are modified through hydrogen plasma treatment, and the hydrogenated WS2 (H-WS2) nanoparticles demonstrate clearly enhanced electrochemical performance as an anode material for LIBs and SIBs. H-WS2 nanoparticles are fabricated via hydrogen plasma treatment at 300 °C for 2 hours. A transmission electron microscopy (TEM) investigation shows that the nanoparticles have a disordered surface layer with a thickness of around 2.5 nm after the treatment, and this is confirmed by the results of Raman spectroscopy. A shift in the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) peaks indicates that the structural surface disorders are incorporated in the crystalline structure. The H-WS2 based LIBs and SIBs possess significantly higher specific capacities at different current densities. In addition, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) reveals a drastic decrease in the charge-transfer resistance for both the LIBs and SIBs, which implies that the plasma hydrogenated electrode is more favorable for electron transportation during the electrochemical process. The improved rate performance of H-WS2 when applied to both LIBs and SIBs can be attributed to the reduced charge-transfer resistivity at the disordered surface layer and the improved electronic conductivity due to the disordered surface in the crystalline structure.

Solar thermal water evaporation is a clean, sustainable, and energy-saving approach to fresh water generation compared with traditional methods. Electroplated coating, such as nickel black, have been commercialized in solar water heaters. Inspired by this, we developed a nanostructured Ni–NiOx/Ni foam (NF) composed of Ni metal nanoparticles and NiOx with defects. The Ni–NiOx/NF exhibited high solar absorbance due to the plasmonic effect of metal Ni nanoparticles and defects. Ni–NiOx/NF also showed a low thermal conductivity, which prevented the loss of thermal energy and thermal transfer, which will be beneficial to the generation of localized high temperatures. The as-prepared Ni–NiOx/NF can self-float on the water surface without any other materials owing to a high contact angle. The average water evaporation rate of the as-prepared Ni–NiOx/NF reached 1.41 kg m−2 h−1 and the average solar conversion efficiency was about 94%. The best sample exhibited a water evaporation rate of 1.45 kg m−2 h−1 and 96% solar conversion efficiency. This report highlights potential semiconductor materials as highly efficient solar water evaporation materials.

A rapid, ultra-sensitive and simple fluorescence immunoassay (FLISA) on CdSe/ZnS Quantum dots (QDs) for recognition pesticide triazophos have been established. In this assay, the immunoassay uses (CdSe/ZnS) Quantum dots (QDs) as a probe that carries monoclonal antibody (mAb). The free triazophos and OVA-haptens were competed for binding the mAb on the surface of the QDs. Therefore, the concentration of TRIAZ can get by calculation of the detection of fluorescence value. The assay has a linear response in the 10 ng L−1–25 μg L−1 TRIAZ concentration range, and limit of detection (IC10) was 0.508 ng L−1. The recovery rate in the case of spiked samples ranges from 82.6% to 96.6%, and the RSD is

The present study was designed to ascertain whether lapatinib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), affects ovarian reserve and fertility potential in a mouse model. Female C57BL/6 mice were treated with either vehicle or lapatinib (100 or 200 mg/kg/day orally) for 4 weeks, after which body weight, vaginal smears, follicle numbers, serum anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels and mating outcomes were analyzed to assess the ovarian reserve and reproductive function. Slices from the ovaries of 4-week-old mice were cultured with lapatinib (0, 5 or 10 µM) for 24 and 48 h, and protein expression levels were assessed to validate the changes in signaling pathways. The results indicated that mice treated with 200 mg/kg lapatinib showed a slight decrease in body weight compared to those treated with vehicle or 100 mg/kg lapatinib. There was no statistical difference in estrous cyclicity among the three groups. No significant difference was observed in follicle numbers, AMH levels, histological morphologies of the ovaries or mating outcomes in the three groups of mice. Western blotting and immunohistochemical staining of the EGF receptor and its main downstream signaling pathways showed decreased phosphorylation of EGFR and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)3/1 and increased phosphorylation of signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT)3 in the lapatinib-treated groups compared to the control group. Our study suggests that lapatinib has little effect on ovarian reserve and reproductive function in a mouse model. This lack of effect of lapatinib on ovarian function may be due to the activation of the STAT3 signaling pathway that counteracts the inhibitory effects of lapatinib on EGF receptors.

The rapid economic growth and nutritional changes in China have brought an increased burden of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). This study aimed to assess the effects of hypertriglyceridemic-waist (HTW) and its dynamic transitions on incident T2DM among middle-aged and older Chinese. Data were extracted from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). Participants were classified into three HTW phenotypes, namely NTNW (normal triglyceride (TG) and waist circumference (WC)), NTEW/ETNW (normal TG and enlarged WC, or elevated TG and normal WC) and ETEW (elevated TG and enlarged WC). Multivariable Cox frailty models were used to assess the associations of HTW phenotypes and their transitions over time with the risk of T2DM. A total of 7397 subjects without T2DM were included, of which 849 developed T2DM during 2011–2018. Compared with individuals with NTNW, people in the NTEW/ETNW group and ETEW group were at a significantly higher risk of T2DM (HRNTEW/ETNW = 1.28, 95% CI: 1.06–1.54 and HRETEW = 1.61, 95% CI: 1.26–2.06). For subjects with NTNW at baseline, the risk of developing T2DM increased by 38% and 83% if their metabolic status changed to NTEW/ETNW and ETEW, respectively. For subjects with NTEW/ETNW, the risk of T2DM decreased by 33% when their metabolic status changed to normal (NTNW), but the risk increased by 49% if the status became more serious (ETEW). NTEW/ETNW, ETEW and their transitions to adverse states were risk factors for T2DM.

Modulating effector immune cells via monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and facilitating the co-engagement of T cells and tumor cells via chimeric antigen receptor- T cells or bispecific T cell-engaging antibodies are two typical cancer immunotherapy approaches. We speculated that immobilizing two types of mAbs against effector cells and tumor cells on a single nanoparticle could integrate the functions of these two approaches, as the engineered formulation (immunomodulating nano-adaptor, imNA) could potentially associate with both cells and bridge them together like an ‘adaptor’ while maintaining the immunomodulatory properties of the parental mAbs. However, existing mAbs-immobilization strategies mainly rely on a chemical reaction, a process that is rough and difficult to control. Here, we build up a versatile antibody immobilization platform by conjugating anti-IgG (Fc specific) antibody (αFc) onto the nanoparticle surface (αFc-NP), and confirm that αFc-NP could conveniently and efficiently immobilize two types of mAbs through Fc-specific noncovalent interactions to form imNAs. Finally, we validate the superiority of imNAs over the mixture of parental mAbs in T cell-, natural killer cell- and macrophage-mediated antitumor immune responses in multiple murine tumor models., Current strategies to boost anti-tumor immune response include the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors and bispecific T cell-engaging antibodies. Here the authors describe a versatile antibody immobilization nanoplatform that can be used to deliver different combinations of immunotherapeutics, showing therapeutic superiority in pre-clinical models.

In this study, a facile one-pot solvothermal method was employed to synthesize a helical carbon nanofiber@titanium dioxide (TiO2@HCNF) composite, in which an anatase TiO2 coating layer with an average thickness of 20 nm was grafted in situ onto the surface of HCNFs. As a novel anode material for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs), TiO2@HCNF retains a specific capacity of 193 mA h g-1 over 100 cycles at a current density of 0.1 A g-1, showing a significant enhancement; namely, a 187%, 148%, and 134% higher specific capacity than that obtained for pure HCNFs (103 mA h g -1 ), pure TiO2 (130 mA h g-1) and a TiO2-HCNF mixture (143.5 mA h g−1), respectively. In addition, a capacity of 120 mA h g-1 can be maintained for TiO2@HCNF even at a high current density of 2 A g-1 . This excellent performance can be ascribed to the dual-phase combination of HCNFs/TiO2 and the sophisticated carbon coil structure, which improves the conductivity of TiO2 and shortens the distance for sodium-ion diffusion. Therefore, this work will bring about new possibilities for developing new anode materials for SIBs.

Organophosphorus pesticides are widely used in agriculture and animal husbandry, which pollute the environment while endangering food safety. The aim of this study is to develop a smart adsorbent for the accurate enrichment and determination of trace organophosphorus pesticides, which is an important goal in the field of food safety. Herein, a covalent organic framework (COF)-based smart adsorbent, Fe3O4@C3N4 @COFs, was successfully fabricated via a versatile layer-by-layer assembly strategy and applied to simultaneous selective recognition, detection, and removal of profenofos. After seven regeneration cycles, the composite exhibited excellent selectivity and affinity for profenofos. Under optimized conditions, the proposed magnetic solid-phase extraction method coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry showed good linearity ( R2 ≥ 0.9973) with a low limit of detection (0.5–200.0 μg/L) for profenofos. The developed method was successfully used to detect profenofos in spiked fruit samples with satisfactory recoveries (74.33%–116.59%) and relative standard deviations (0.27%–7.41%). This study highlights the potential of COF-based smart adsorbents in sample pretreatment for targeted analysis and is a novel pathway for efficient sample preparation in food safety analysis.

Drug residues, organic dyes, heavy metals, and other chemical pollutants not only cause environmental pollution, but also have a serious impact on food safety. Timely and systematic summary of the latest scientific advances is of great importance for the development of new detection technologies. In particular, molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) can mimic antibodies, enzymes and other biological molecules to recognize, enrich, and separate contaminants, with specific recognition, selective adsorption, high affinity, and strong resistance characteristics. Therefore, MIPs have been widely used in chemical analysis, sensing, and material adsorption. In this review, we first describe the basic principles and production processes of molecularly imprinted polymers. Secondly, an overview of recent applications of molecularly imprinted polymers in sample pre-treatment, sensors, chromatographic separation, and mimetic enzymes is highlighted. Finally, a brief assessment of current technical issues and future trends in molecularly imprinted polymers is also presented.

A novel covalent organic framework material (3DGA@COFs), for use as a solid-phase dispersion sorbent, has been synthesized for extracting organophosphorus pesticides (OPs) from vegetables. The prepared 3DGA@COFs material exhibited many advantageous features, including a large specific surface area (127.95 m2/g) and high pore volume (0.0344 cm3/g), which made it an ideal sorbent for sample pretreatment. The experimental conditions affecting extraction performance (adsorbent type, adsorbent amount, reaction time, pH, ionic concentration, and eluent) were optimized systematically. The extracted analytes were detected by HPLC–MS/MS. Under optimized conditions, the proposed method exhibited a wide linear range (0.5–100 μg/L) and low limits of detection (0.01–0.14 μg/L). The recoveries (75.40%–102.13%) satisfied the requirements for a precise detection method. The proposed method was successfully used for determining malathion, triazophos, quinalphos in lettuce, tomato and cucumber samples, thus indicating the potential of using 3DGA@COFs materials for pretreating vegetable samples.

Although customized three-dimensional tantalum implants have been used to treat a large variety of diseases, few reports have described the application of such implants to reconstruct large pelvic bone defects after the removal of massive tumors. We herein describe a 30-year-old woman with a 9-year history of a massive low-grade chondrosarcoma in the pelvic bone. After removal of a solid 12- × 8- × 6-cm tumor with clear margins, we used a customized three-dimensional printed tantalum implant to fill the large pelvic bone defect and performed hip arthroplasty in a one-step surgery. The patient’s postoperative recovery was uneventful. She started walking 1 month after surgery, and she developed no tumor recurrence, instrumentation failure, or implant loosening during the 12-month follow-up period. This report describes the successful application of a customized three-dimensional printed implant to reconstruct a massive pelvic bone defect. Satisfactory functional recovery was achieved with no apparent complications. The methodology of the current case may benefit orthopedic and oncologic surgeons in designing treatment strategies for similar cases.

Platinum-based combination therapy is more effective and less toxic, but lack of targeting, and is not capable to enrich in the tumor zone. To obstacle these drawbacks, prodrug and nanotechnology strategies have been investigated in this study. GSH-responsive and pH-responsive cisplatin prodrug was synthesized. Cisplatin prodrug and paclitaxel co-loaded nanoparticles: DDP-P/PTX NPs were constructed. The drug release behavior and cytotoxicity of nanoparticles was assessed in vitro. In vivo anticancer efficiency and toxicity were evaluated on lung cancer bearing mice animal model. DDP-P/PTX NPs had a nanoscale size of 112.9 ± 3.5 nm. A reduction and pH triggered drug release with a synergistic tumor cell inhibition ability was observed by DDP-P/PTX NPs. DDP-P/PTX NPs also exhibited high tumor distribution, low systemic toxicity and remarkable antitumor effects in vivo. DDP-P/PTX NPs could be applied as promising anticancer system for the treatment of NSCLC.

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is a powerful and high-speed detection technology. It provides information on molecular fingerprint recognition with ultrahigh sensitive detection. However, it shows poor anti-interference capacity against complex matrices. Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) can achieve specific recognition of targets from complex matrices. Through introducing the MIP separation system, the MIP-SERS chemical sensor can effectively overcome the limitation of complex matrix interference, and further improve the stability of sensors for detection. Herein, the materials and structures of integrated MIP-SERS sensors are systematically reviewed, and its application as a sensor for chemical detection of hazardous substances in environmental and food samples has been addressed as well. To broaden the prospects of application, we have discussed the current challenges and future perspectives that would accelerate the development of versatile MIP-SERS chemical sensors.

Epigenetic inheritance in mammals relies in part on propagation of DNA methylation patterns throughout development. UHRF1 (ubiquitin-like containing PHD and RING finger domains 1) is required for maintenance the methylation pattern. It was reported that UHRF1 is overexpressed in a number of cancer types, and its depletion has been established to inhibit growth and invasion of cancer cells. It has been considered as a new therapeutic target for cancer. In the present work, we described a method for screening inhibitors for blocking the formation of UHRF1-methylated DNA (mDNA) complex by using nonequilibrium capillary electrophoresis of the equilibrium mixture (NECEEM). A recombinant UHRF1 with the SRA domain (residues 408-643), a fluorescently labeled double strand mDNA (12 mer) and a known inhibitor mitoxantrone were employed for proof of concept. The method allows to measure the dissociation constant (Kd) of the UHRF1-mDNA complex as well as the rate kinetic constant for complex formation (kon) and dissociation (koff). A small chemical library composed of 60 natural compounds were used to validate the method. Sample pooling strategy was employed to improve the screening throughput. The merit of the method was confirmed by the discovery of two natural products proanthocyanidins and baicalein as the new inhibitors for blocking the formation of UHRF1-mDNA complex. Our work demonstrated that CE represents a straightforward and robust technique for studying UHRF1-mDNA interaction and screening of the inhibitors.

Twenty-one two-proton knockout (p; 3p) cross sections from neutron-rich nuclei at ~ 250 MeV/nucleon were measured. For the first time, the angular distribution of the three emitted protons were measured in coincidence with the tracker and hydrogen target MINOS, demonstrating that the (p; 3p) kinematics is consistent with two sequential proton-proton collisions within the projectile nucleus. Ratios of (p; 3p) over (p; 2p) inclusive cross sections follow the trend of other many-proton (neutron) removal reactions, further reinforcing the sequential nature of (p; 3p) in neutron-rich nuclei.

Here we present new information on the shape evolution of the very neutron-rich ^{92,94}Se nuclei from an isomer-decay spectroscopy experiment at the Radioactive Isotope Beam Factory at RIKEN. High-resolution germanium detectors were used to identify delayed γ rays emitted following the decay of their isomers. New transitions are reported extending the previously known level schemes. The isomeric levels are interpreted as originating from high-K quasineutron states with an oblate deformation of β∼0.25, with the high-K state in ^{94}Se being metastable and K hindered. Following this, ^{94}Se is the lowest-mass neutron-rich nucleus known to date with such a substantial K hindrance. Furthermore, it is the first observation of an oblate K isomer in a deformed nucleus. This opens up the possibility for a new region of K isomers at low Z and at oblate deformation, involving the same neutron orbitals as the prolate orbitals within the classic Z∼72 deformed hafnium region. From an interpretation of the level scheme guided by theoretical calculations, an oblate deformation is also suggested for the ^{94}Se_{60} ground-state band.

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer associated deaths worldwide. Compared with traditional chemotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), specific targeted therapies are better choices for advanced patients to improve their survival. In this study, we attempted to fabricate Nitroimidazoles (NI) and Hyaluronic acid (HA) co-decorated, cisplatin (DDP) loaded polymeric nanoparticles (PNPs) (NI/HA-DDP-PNPs) and lipid-polymer hybrid nanoparticles (LPNs) (NI/HA-DDP-LPNs) for the facilitated drug delivery at lung tumor regions (hypoxic regions). In vitro cytotoxicity and cellular uptake; In vivo anti-tumor activity and in vivo tissue biodistribution of PNPs and LPNs were evaluated and compared in lung carcinoma cells and xenograft. Hydrodynamic size of NI/HA-DDP-LPNs was 185.6 ± 4.7 nm, which is larger than that of NI/HA-DDP-PNPs (136.7 ± 3.5 nm). The zeta potential of NI/HA-DDP-PNPs (-31.2 ± 2.7 mV) was more negative than NI/HA-DDP-LPNs (-22.3 ± 2.1 mV). The peak plasma concentration (Cmax) achieved from NI/HA-DDP-PNPs and NI/HA-DDP-LPNs was 35.2 ± 1.6 and 37.3 ± 1.7 μg/mL. The half-life (T1/2) of NI/HA-DDP-PNPs and NI/HA-DDP-LPNs was 12.03 ± 0.75 and 11.78 ± 0.89 h. Area Under Curve (AUC) of NI/HA-DDP-PNPs and NI/HA-DDP-LPNs showed no significant difference while greater than other groups. NI/HA-DDP-LPNs exhibited excellent antitumor effect against drug-resistant human lung cancer A549/DDP cells in vitro and in vivo, better than that of NI/HA-DDP-PNPs. Considering that the low toxicity of NI/HA-DDP-LPNs and NI/HA-DDP-PNPs, NI/HA-DDP-LPNs could be a more promising system for lung cancer targeted therapy.

Although the toxicity of triazophos is high and it has been pulled from the market in many countries; it is still widely used and frequently detected in agricultural products. While conventional analyses have been routinely used for the quantification and monitoring of triazophos residues, those for detecting low residual levels are deemed necessary. Therefore, we developed a novel and sensitive fluorometric signal amplification immunoassay employing bio-barcodes for the quantitative analysis of triazophos residues in foodstuffs and surface water. Herein, monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) attached to gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were coated with DNA oligonucleotides (used as a signal generator), and a complementary fluorogenic RNA was used for signal amplification. The system generated detection signals through DNA-RNA hybridization and subsequent dissociation of fluorophores by Ribonuclease H (RNase H). It has to be noted that RNase H can only disintegrate the RNA in DNA-RNA duplex, but not cleave single or double-stranded DNA. Hence, with iterative cycles of DNA-RNA hybridization, sufficient strong signal was obtained for reliable detection of residues. Furthermore, this method enables quantitative detection of triazophos residues through fluorescence intensity measurements. The competitive immunoassay shows a wide linear range of 0.01–100 ng/mL with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.0032 ng/mL. The assay substantially meets the demand for the low residue detection of triazophos residues in agricultural products and water samples. Accuracy (expressed as spiked recovery %) and coefficient of variation (CV) were ranged from 73.4% to 116% and 7.04% to 17.4%, respectively. The proposed bio-barcodes immunoassay has the advantages of being stable, reproducible, and reliable for residue detection. In sum, the present study provides a novel approach for detection of small molecules in various sample matrices.

Double ionization of helium by a single intense (above ${10}^{18}\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{W}/{\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$) linearly polarized extreme ultraviolet laser pulse is studied by numerically solving the full-dimensional time-dependent Schr\"odinger equation. For the laser intensities well beyond the perturbative limit, novel gridlike interference fringes are found in the correlated energy spectrum of the two photoelectrons. The interference can be traced to the multitude of two-electron wave packets emitted at different ionization times. A semianalytical model for the dressed two-photon double ionization is shown to qualitatively account for the interference patterns in the joint energy spectrum. Similar signatures of interferences between transient induced time-delayed ionization bursts are expected for other atomic and molecular multielectron systems.