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Highlights Recent advances in the combined delivery platform that integrate nano-/microscale carriers and with 3D hydrogel network for bone regeneration are summarized. The strategies for bioactive molecules delivery involving nanoparticles, nanosheets, and microspheres, along with extra stimuli such as near-infrared light, temperature changes, ultrasonication, and inflammatory conditions, are introduced. The prospects and challenges for the clinical translation and the development of nano-/microscale incorporated hydrogel-based delivery platform are discussed.

Abstract In treating infectious diseases, achieving selective bacterial inhibition is crucial for preserving the microecological equilibrium. The current approaches predominantly rely on synthetic materials tailored to specific bacteria, considering their cell walls or oxygen requirements. Herein, inspired by intricate bacterial communication, a natural implant is proposed coating utilizing bacterial outer membrane vesicles (OMVs), essential components in bacterial signaling, integrated onto diverse implant surfaces through a universal poly (tannic acid) bridging layer. This coating is homogenous and stable, unexpectedly promoting the proliferation of parental bacteria while inhibiting heterologous bacteria both in vitro and in vivo. Through high‐throughput sequencing and bioinformatics analysis, the selective bacteriostatic ability arises from OMVs, upregulating anti‐oxidative stress genes in heterologous bacteria and activating biofilm‐related genes in parental bacteria. This study positions OMVs as an appealing biomaterial for selective bacterial inhibition through a biological approach, showcasing their potential in regulating the microecological balance through a natural interface modification strategy.

Highlights A unique approach is proposed: constructing a polymer fiber rigid network with high glass transition temperature. Frozen bulk heterojunction morphology impeded deterioration of exciton quenching, charge transport, and charge extraction properties during thermal aging. The strategy is universal and can be further optimized for enhanced thermal stability and improved mechanical resilience.

Abstract Commencing with the breakdown of the diabetic osteoimmune microenvironment, multiple pathogenic factors, including hyperglycemia, inflammation, hypoxia, and deleterious cytokines, are conjointly involved in the progression of diabetic periodontal bone regeneration. Based on the challenge of periodontal bone regeneration treatment and the absence of real‐time feedback of blood oxygen fluctuation in diabetes mellitus, a novel self‐adaptive hyperthermia supramolecular cascade nano‐reactor ACFDG is constructed via one‐step supramolecular self‐assembly strategy to address multiple factors in diabetic periodontal bone regeneration. Hyperthermia supramolecular ACFDG possesses high photothermal conversion efficiency (32.1%), and it can effectively inhibit the vicious cycle of ROS‐inflammatory cascade through catalytic cascade reactions, up‐regulate the expression of heat shock proteins (HSPs) under near‐infrared (NIR) irradiation, which promotes periodontal bone regeneration. Remarkably, ACFDG can provide real‐time non‐invasive diagnosis of blood oxygen changes during periodontal bone regeneration through photoacoustic (PA) imaging, thus can timely monitor periodontal hypoxia status. In conclusion, this multifunctional supramolecular nano‐reactor combined with PA imaging for real‐time efficacy monitoring provides important insights into the biological mechanisms of diabetic periodontal bone regeneration and potential clinical theranostics.

This study aims to investigate the influence of psychological ownership of nutritional products on the purchase intention of high-pressure working groups, as well as the underlying mechanisms and boundary conditions of this influence. This study aims to investigate the impact of psychological ownership of nutritional products on the purchase intention of high-pressure working groups, as well as the underlying mechanisms and boundary conditions of this influence. The research contributes through the use of variance analysis, mediation models, and moderation models on data from adult participants over the age of 18, across three experiments. Experiment 1, conducted on the Credamo platform, randomly recruited 285 participants, with 148 males (51.9%) and 137 females (48.1%), and the results indicated a direct impact of psychological ownership on purchase intention. Building upon this, Experiment 2, which also utilized the Credamo platform and recruited 280 participants consisting of 136 males (48.6%) and 144 females (51.4%), further revealed the mediating role of perceived value. Experiment 3, with 265 participants randomly recruited on the Credamo platform, including 131 males (49.4%) and 134 females (50.6%), identified the moderating effect of nutritional awareness. The theoretical contribution of this study lies primarily in its in-depth exploration of the impact of psychological ownership of nutritional products. By integrating the factors of perceived value and nutritional awareness, it provides a systematic explanation for better understanding the purchase intentions of high-pressure working groups. Additionally, this study offers valuable strategies for merchants to enhance the purchase intentions of high-pressure living groups.

Objective: Skin wound exposed to complex external environment for a long time is highly susceptible to bacterial infection. Impact Statement: This work designs a Janus adhesive dual-layer hydrogel containing in situ silver nanoparticles (named PSAP/DXP@AgNPs) with integrated attack and defense to simultaneously kill the existing bacteria and prevent foreign bacterial contamination. Introduction: The current gauze dressing fixed by tape fails to well fit at skin wound and lacks intrinsic antibacterial property, making it highly prone to causing secondary infection. Moreover, foreign bacteria may contaminate the wound dressing during use, further increasing the risk of secondary infection. Methods: In this work, a Janus adhesive dual-layer PSAP/DXP@AgNPs hydrogel is prepared by sequentially building the PSAP gel layer containing zwitterionic poly(sulfobetaine methacrylamide) (PSBMA) on the DXP@AgNPs gel layer containing in situ catechol-reduced AgNPs. Results: The flexible PSAP/DXP@AgNPs can adapt shape change of skin and adhere to skin tissue with interfacial toughness of 153.38 J m−2 relying on its DXP@AgNPs layer, which is beneficial to build favorable fit. The in situ reduced AgNPs released from the DXP@AgNPs layer of PSAP/DXP@AgNPs exhibit obvious antibacterial effects against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, with antibacterial rates of 99% and 88%, respectively. Meanwhile, the hydrated PSAP layer of PSAP/DXP@AgNPs containing PSBMA is able to prevent the bacterial contamination, decreasing the risk of secondary infection. Besides, cell experiments demonstrate that PSAP/DXP@AgNPs is biocompatible. Conclusion: The PSAP/DXP@AgNPs hydrogel with integrated attack and defense simultaneously possessing bacteria-killing and bacteria-antifouling properties is a potential alternative in treating infected skin wound.

ObjectiveThis study investigates the relationship between cardiovascular health (CVH), as quantified by the American Heart Association's Life's Essential 8 (LE8) metric, and female infertility, utilizing data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) spanning 2013-2018.MethodsWe encompassed females aged 20-49 years and above from the NHANES in this cross-sectional analysis. We assessed CVH using the LE8 score, encompassing eight domains: dietary pattern, physical activity, nicotine exposure, sleep duration, body mass index (BMI), lipid profile, fasting blood glucose, and blood pressure levels. Logistic regression models were applied to explore the association between CVH scores and reported infertility, adjusting for potential confounders including age, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic status.ResultsFindings revealed a notable inverse association between CVH scores (per 10 scores) and female infertility [OR = 0.93, 95%CI: 0.90-0.96], Participants with higher CVH levels were 41% less likely to had female infertility compared to those with lower levels [OR = 0.59, 95%CI: 0.41-0.84]. Higher overall CVH scores, particularly in physical activity, BMI, and blood glucose, were associated with lower odds of infertility. This trend remained consistent across various demographic subgroups.ConclusionOur findings underscore the significance of maintaining optimal cardiovascular health, as evidenced by higher LE8 scores, in mitigating the risk of female infertility. These insights advocate for the integration of CVH improvement strategies within the broader framework of reproductive health care, emphasizing the dual benefits of cardiovascular and reproductive health optimization.

Chemodynamic therapy (CDT), a noninvasive strategy, has emerged as a promising alternative to conventional chemotherapy for treating tumors. However, its therapeutic effect is limited by the amount of H2O2, pH value, the hypoxic environment of tumors, and it has suboptimal tumor-targeting ability. In this study, tumor cell membrane-camouflaged mesoporous Fe3O4 nanoparticles loaded with perfluoropentane (PFP) and glucose oxidase (GOx) are used as a tumor microenvironment-adaptive nanoplatform (M-mFeP@O2-G), which synergistically enhances the antitumor effect of CDT. Mesoporous Fe3O4 nanoparticles are selected as inducers for photothermal and Fenton reactions and as nanocarriers. GOx depletes glucose within tumor cells for starving the cells, while producing H2O2 for subsequent ·OH generation. Moreover, PFP, which can carry O2, relieves hypoxia in tumor cells and provides O2 for the cascade reaction. Finally, the nanoparticles are camouflaged with osteosarcoma cell membranes, endowing the nanoparticles with homologous targeting and immune escape abilities. Both in vivo and in vitro evaluations reveal high synergistic therapeutic efficacy of M-mFeP@O2-G, with a desirable tumor-inhibition rate (90.50%), which indicates the great potential of this platform for clinical treating cancer.

Biomimetic materials are of interest but can often suffer from limitations caused by the non-native linkages used. Here, the authors report on the creation of amino acid constructed polyureas which can self-assemble into vesicles and nanotubes with aggregation induced fluorescence and the potential for drug delivery applications.

Abstract Biomineralization is the process by which organisms form mineralized tissues with hierarchical structures and excellent properties, including the bones and teeth in vertebrates. The underlying mechanisms and pathways of biomineralization provide inspiration for designing and constructing materials to repair hard tissues. In particular, the formation processes of minerals can be partly replicated by utilizing bioinspired artificial materials to mimic the functions of biomolecules or stabilize intermediate mineral phases involved in biomineralization. Here, we review recent advances in biomineralization-inspired materials developed for hard tissue repair. Biomineralization-inspired materials are categorized into different types based on their specific applications, which include bone repair, dentin remineralization, and enamel remineralization. Finally, the advantages and limitations of these materials are summarized, and several perspectives on future directions are discussed.

Skin tissue suffering from severe damages fail in self-regeneration. Proper wound dressings are highly demanded to protect the wound region and accelerate the healing process. Although large efforts have been devoted, there still exist disturbing dilemmas for traditional dressings. The exquisite design of bio-interface upon superwettable materials opens new avenues and addresses the problems perfectly. However, the advancements in this area have rarely been combed. In light of this, this minireview attempts to summarize recent strategies of superwettable bio-interfaces for wound care. Concentrating on the management of biofluids (blood and exudate), we described superwettable hemostatic bio-interfaces first, and then introduced the management of exudates. Finally, the perspective of this area was given. This minireview gives a comprehensive outline for readers and is believed to provide references for the design of superwettable materials in biomedical area.

Abstract Bone implant‐associated infections induced by bacteria frequently result in repair failure and threaten the health of patients. Although black phosphorus (BP) material with superior photothermal conversion ability is booming in the treatment of bone disease, the development of BP‐based bone scaffolds with excellent photothermal stability and antibacterial properties simultaneously remains a challenge. In nature, chloroplasts cannot only convert light into chemical energy, but also hold a protective and defensive envelope membrane. Inspired by this, a self‐defensive bone scaffold with stable photothermal property is developed for infected bone defect therapy. Similar to thylakoid and stroma lamella in chloroplasts, BP is integrated with chitosan and polycaprolactone fiber networks. The mussel‐inspired polydopamine multifunctional “envelope membrane” wrapped above not only strengthens the photothermal stability of BP‐based scaffolds, but also realizes the in situ anchoring of silver nanoparticles. Bacteria‐triggered infection of femur defects in vivo can be commendably inhibited at the early stage via these chloroplast‐inspired implants, which then effectively promotes endogenous repair of the defect area under mild hyperthermia induced by near‐infrared irradiation. This chloroplast‐inspired strategy shows outstanding performance for infected bone defect therapy and provides a reference for the functionality of other biomedical materials.

Localized inhibition of angiogenesis is an attractive therapeutic strategy for exogenous mediators-induced inflammation. Here, inspired by the unique biointerface of the natural cell membrane, we develop an endogenous cell membrane-derived biomimetic nanosystem (fibroblast membrane-camouflaged nanoparticles, FB@NPs) for blocking angiogenesis in the lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-induced inflammatory process. The fibroblast membrane coating provides as-fabricated nanoparticles with potent and specific binding ability to LPS, diverting these pathological toxins away and protecting resident fibroblasts. By efficient LPS neutralization and elimination, FB@NPs inhibit the production of a number of cross-regulated pro-angiogenic factors, and thereby greatly block inflammatory neovascularization. Besides, due to the self-recognition capability and inherent remarkable biocompatibility of these endogenous biomimetic nanoparticles, FB@NPs show highly desirable biosafety during the antiangiogenesis process in inflammation treatment. In summary, the novel exploration provides a promising route for developing next-generation biomimetic antiangiogenic nanoplatform.

The 2-dimensional irregular packing problems are important in the fabric industry. Under several restrictions, fabric packing problems require placing a given set of parts within a fixed-width rectangular sheet, aiming at a minimum length use. In textile industry production, the fabric packing problems are usually large-scale with time limits, where the total number of parts is large, and a high-utilization solution should be computed in several minutes. However, there are few existing works on large-scale packing problems. In this paper, we propose a greedy adaptive search algorithm by constructing a new evaluation function and introducing a new restricted local search strategy. In our algorithm, with a given initial sequence of parts, we iteratively search the best-fit part in succeeding several parts and place it on sheet. Moreover, we employ a two-stage heuristic searching algorithm to search over all the possible sequences for a good initial sequence with high utilization. Numerical examples involve some large-scale industrial instances, together with some large-scale instances generated from benchmarks. Numerical tests show that our algorithm outperforms existing state-of-the-art solvers in large-scale packing problems. The results show the potential of our algorithm to large-scale packing problems in industrial production.

Humans can often handle daunting tasks with ease by developing a set of strategies to reduce decision-making into simpler problems. The ability to use heuristic strategies demands an advanced level of intelligence and has not been demonstrated in animals. Here, we trained macaque monkeys to play the classic video game Pac-Man. The monkeys’ decision-making may be described with a strategy-based hierarchical decision-making model with over 90% accuracy. The model reveals that the monkeys adopted the take-the-best heuristic by using one dominating strategy for their decision-making at a time and formed compound strategies by assembling the basis strategies to handle particular game situations. With the model, the computationally complex but fully quantifiable Pac-Man behavior paradigm provides a new approach to understanding animals’ advanced cognition.

This study evaluated the effects of thermophilic microbiological inoculation alone (TA) and integrated with biochar (TB) on the physicochemical characteristics and bacterial communities in pig manure (PM) composting with wheat straw. Both TA and TB accelerated the rate of temperature increase during the PM composting. TA significantly reduced total nitrogen loss by 18.03% as opposed to TB which significantly accelerated total organic carbon degradation by 12.21% compared with the control. Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, and Proteobacteria were the major phyla in composting. Variation of the relative abundance of genera depended on the composting period and treatment. The genera Lactobacillus (26.88–46.71%) and Clostridium_sensu_stricto (9.03–31.69%) occupied a superior position in the temperature rise stage, and Bacillus (30.90–36.19%) was outstanding in the cooling stage. Temperature, total nitrogen (TN), and ammonium nitrogen significantly influenced the bacterial phyla composition. TN, water content, and nitrite nitrogen were the main drivers of the bacterial community genera. Furthermore, our results demonstrated that microbiological consortia were resistant to high temperatures and could fix nitrogen for enriched Pseudomonas; however, when interacted with biochar, total organic carbon (TOC) degradation was accelerated for higher bacterial richness and diversity as well as overrepresented Corynebacterium.

As an emerging national strategic urban agglomeration in China, the changing trend of vegetation net primary productivity (NPP) and the impact of the urbanization level (UL) on carbon cycle functions in the Chengdu–Chongqing urban agglomeration (CUA) have received increasing attention. Previous studies have largely overlooked externalities and the heterogeneity of urbanization effects, and urbanization has also been analyzed in isolation (with focus being on land and population urbanization). In this study, the spatial evolution of NPP was evaluated from 2000 to 2020 at the township level (3859) using multivariate remote sensing data and a comprehensive index (UL) that included population urbanization, land urbanization, and economic urbanization. Bivariate spatial autocorrelation, spatial Durbin models, and geographically weighted regression models were used to analyze the spatial externalities of urbanization impacts and assess the global and local effects. The results show that the region’s mean NPP increased by 177.25 g*c/m2 (annual growth of 1.59%), exhibiting a distribution of “low in the middle and high in the periphery” and low-value clustering along major traffic arteries and rivers. Low-value-NPP areas were mainly located in urban centers, while the high-level areas were in the mountainous region (in the southwest and southeast) and significantly expanded over time. Negative correlation clusters were the main clustering types between the UL and NPP; the “High-Low” negative correlation clusters accelerated outward from the urban centers of Chengdu and Chongqing. Overall, urbanization had negative direct and spillover effects on NPP, exhibiting spatial non-stationarity of the negative driving effect within the urban agglomeration. The results indicate the need to strengthen regional ecological joint governance and adopt more place-based urbanization optimization strategies. This study offers new insights to help to reduce the constraining effects of urbanization on vegetation productivity and ecological functions from the perspectives of population agglomeration, land expansion, and industrial construction.

In this work, dopamine methacrylamide (DMA) and eugenyl methacrylate (EMA) were used to synthesize polymeric particles of Poly (DMA-co-EMA) by free radical precipitation copolymerization. These two monomers were modified from dopamine (consisting of the catechol moieties adhering to various materials) and eugenol (with antibacterial property), respectively. The proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy were applied to confirm the successful synthesis of the two monomers and copolymer. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) images showed the size and morphology of the polymer particles. The results indicated that regular particles with uniform size could be obtained with a monomer feeding ratio of 5꞉5. The results of antibacterial activity test indicated that the obtained polymer particles have an antibacterial rate over 90% to Eugenia coli.

UGT76G1 is an UDP-glucose dependent glycosyltransferase and a component of the biosynthesis pathway for the natural sugar substitute steviol glycoside. Here, the authors present substrate bound crystal structures of UGT76G1 and provide insights into substrate recognition and catalysis by the enzyme.

Facilitated endogenous tissue engineering, as a facile and effective strategy, is emerging for use in bone tissue regeneration. However, the development of bioactive scaffolds with excellent osteo-inductivity to recruit endogenous stem cells homing and differentiation towards lesion areas remains an urgent problem. Chitosan (CS), with versatile qualities including good biocompatibility, biodegradability, and tunable physicochemical and biological properties is undergoing vigorously development in the field of bone repair. Based on this, the review focus on recent advances in chitosan-based scaffolds for facilitated endogenous bone regeneration. Initially, we introduced and compared the facilitated endogenous tissue engineering with traditional tissue engineering. Subsequently, the various CS-based bone repair scaffolds and their fabrication methods were briefly explored. Furthermore, the functional design of CS-based scaffolds in bone endogenous regeneration including biomolecular loading, inorganic nanomaterials hybridization, and physical stimulation was highlighted and discussed. Finally, the major challenges and further research directions of CS-based scaffolds were also elaborated. We hope that this review will provide valuable reference for further bone repair research in the future.

Abstract Physical or chemical crosslinking of polymeric micelles has emerged as a straightforward approach to overcome the intrinsic instability of assemblies. However, the crosslinking process may compromise the responsivity of nanosystems and result in inefficient release of payloads. To address this dilemma, a crosslinking induced reassembly (CIRA) strategy is reported here to simultaneously increase the kinetic and thermodynamic stability and redox‐responsivity of polymeric micelles. It is found that the click crosslinking of a model multiblock polyurethane at the micellar interface induces microphase separation between the soft and hard segments. The aggregation of hard domains gathers liable disulfide linkages around the interlayer of micelles, which could facilitate the attack of reducing agents and act as an intelligent on‐off switch for high stability and triggered release. As a result, the CIRA approach enables an enhanced tumor targeting, improved biodistribution and excellent therapeutic efficacy in vivo. This work provides a facile and versatile platform for controlled delivery applications.

Overproduction of livestock manure can cause significant environmental challenges. Compost bedding (CB) is considered an effective approach for recycling the agricultural byproducts and improving the welfare of dairy cattle. During the CB preparing, the composition of microbial communities is usually altered; however, the patterns and drivers of CB microbial communities remains to be investigated. The current study aimed to explore the dynamics of bacterial and fungal communities during the various padded stages, using high throughput sequencing technology and qPCR. The relationships across physicochemical parameters, microbial community composition, and abundance were also evaluated. Sequencing results revealed that Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, and Firmicutes of bacteria, and Ascomycota of fungi as the major phyla found in CB. qPCR results showed a significant increase in the number of bacterial genome copies from 1.20 × 107 to 3.35 × 107 copies/gram of dry soil, while the number of fungal genome copies significantly increased from 8.43 × 104 to 7.02 × 106 copies/gram of dry soil. Linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSe) showed that Actinobacteria was the primary indicator in raw materials while the phylum Bacteroidetes was in the other padded stages. Dothideomycetes was significantly enriched in the initial stage of fungi, whereas Sordariomycetes, including a pathogen Scedosporium prolificans, was the major indicator in CB after 9 days of padding. Mantel test showed that pH significantly influenced bacterial community composition while temperature and total organic carbon (TOC) had a significant effect on fungal community structure. Redundancy analysis indicated that TOC, temperature, and water content had a significant effect on bacterial abundance while total nitrogen, water content, and pH significantly affected fungal abundance. Our finding contributed to the understanding of microbial community succession in CB across different padded stages, and suggests CB management by changing the bedding material every 7 days.

This paper completes the construction of $p$-adic $L$-functions for unitary groups. More precisely, in Harris, Li and Skinner [‘$p$-adic $L$-functions for unitary Shimura varieties. I. Construction of the Eisenstein measure’, Doc. Math.Extra Vol. (2006), 393–464 (electronic)], three of the authors proposed an approach to constructing such $p$-adic $L$-functions (Part I). Building on more recent results, including the first named author’s construction of Eisenstein measures and $p$-adic differential operators [Eischen, ‘A $p$-adic Eisenstein measure for unitary groups’, J. Reine Angew. Math.699 (2015), 111–142; ‘$p$-adic differential operators on automorphic forms on unitary groups’, Ann. Inst. Fourier (Grenoble)62(1) (2012), 177–243], Part II of the present paper provides the calculations of local $\unicode[STIX]{x1D701}$-integrals occurring in the Euler product (including at $p$). Part III of the present paper develops the formalism needed to pair Eisenstein measures with Hida families in the setting of the doubling method.

In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in applying inverse data envelopment analysis (DEA) to a wide range of disciplines, and most applications have adopted radial-based inverse DEA models. However, results given by existing radial based inverse DEA models can be unreliable as they neglect slacks while evaluating decision-making units’ (DMUs) overall efficiency level, whereas classic radial DEA models measure the efficiency level through not only radial efficiency index but also slacks. This paper points out these disadvantages with a counterexample, where current inverse DEA models give results that outputs shall increase when inputs decrease. We show that these unreasonable results are the consequence of existing inverse DEA models’ failure in preserving DMU’s efficiency level. To rectify this problem, we propose a revised model for the situation where the investigated DMU has no slacks. Compared to existing radial inverse DEA models, our revised model can preserve radial efficiency index as well as eliminating all slacks, thus fulfilling the requirement of efficiency level invariant. Numerical examples are provided to illustrate the validity and limitations of the revised model.