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Robust and highly sensitive nano-optical immunoprobes have emerged as powerful tools to improve the accuracy and sensitivity of early disease diagnosis. This work develops a pentagonal gold/silver nanotube @ carbon dot (Au/AgNTs@CDs) SERS/FL dual-mode immunoprobe for detecting prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in serum by subtly integrating small gaps and branch tip structures. Benefiting from the synergistic optical enhancement of tips and small gaps, this novel rough porous Au/Ag nanotube exhibits larger specific surface area and more active sites as well as remarkable stability. The optical enhancement brought by the innovative structural design increases the detection sensitivity of the immunoprobe to the state of the art. To the best of our knowledge, the limit of detection is an order of magnitude lower than reported in the literature in SERS and fluorescence modes, respectively. Furthermore, both modes exhibit excellent robustness and specificity. Therefore, the design of this immunoprobe provides a new perspective and broad application prospects for improving the sensitivity and accuracy of clinical diagnosis. ● Synergistic optical enhancement through tips and gaps improves the sensitivity. ● This Au/AgNTs design can offers larger surface area and more active sites. ● Detection limit is significantly lower than current literature in SERS/FL modes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nine undescribed compounds, along with eight known compounds, were isolated from the stipes of Lentinus edodes. Their structures were established by extensive spectroscopic and circular dichroism analyses. The protective effects against A β 25-35 -induced N9 microglia cells injury of these compounds were tested by MTT method, and the levels of apoptosis and ROS were detected by flow cytometry. In addition, the binding sites and interactions of compound with amyloid precursor protein were revealed using molecular docking simulations. These findings further establish the structural diversity and bioactivity of stipes of L. edodes , and provide an experimental basis for targeting Alzheimer's disease as a potential strategy. [Display omitted] • All isolated compounds were isolated from Lentinus edodes for the first time. • The undescribed compounds 1 − 4 and 5 are unusual structures with benzoalkyl rings. • Among all compounds, nine compounds alleviated A β 25-35 -induced N9 microglia cells injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we employed electrospinning technology and in situ polymerization to prepare wearable and highly sensitive PVP/PEDOT:PSS/TiO2 micro/nanofiber gas sensors. PEDOT, PEDOT:PSS, and TiO2 were prepared via in situ polymerization and tested for characteristic peaks using energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), then characterized using a scanning electron microscope (SEM), a four-point probe resistance measurement, and a gas sensor test system. The gas sensitivity was 3.46–12.06% when ethanol with a concentration between 12.5 ppm and 6250 ppm was measured; 625 ppm of ethanol was used in the gas sensitivity measurements for the PEDOT/composite conductive woven fabrics, PVP/PEDOT:PSS nanofiber membranes, and PVP/PEDOT:PSS/TiO2 micro/nanofiber gas sensors. The latter exhibited the highest gas sensitivity, which was 5.52% and 2.35% greater than that of the PEDOT/composite conductive woven fabrics and PVP/PEDOT:PSS nanofiber membranes, respectively. In addition, the influence of relative humidity on the performance of the PVP/PEDOT:PSS/TiO2 micro/nanofiber gas sensors was examined. The electrical sensitivity decreased with a decrease in ethanol concentration. The gas sensitivity exhibited a linear relationship with relative humidity lower than 75%; however, when the relative humidity was higher than 75%, the gas sensitivity showed a highly non-linear correlation. The test results indicated that the PVP/PEDOT:PSS/TiO2 micro/nanofiber gas sensors were flexible and highly sensitive to gas, qualifying them for use as a wearable gas sensor platform at room temperature. The proposed gas sensors demonstrated vital functions and an innovative design for the development of a smart wearable device. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new amide, named rehmagluamide (1), and a new hydroxycinnamic acid derivative, named nepetoidin F (2), together with six known compounds, 2′-O-methyluridine (3), puroglutamic acid (4), biliverdic acid (5), peterolactam (6), nicotinic acid (7), nicotinamide (8), were isolated from the fresh roots of Rehmannia glutinosa. All the structures of compounds were identified by the interpretation of their spectroscopic data and comparison with those reported in the literatures. The protective effects of compounds 1–7 on normal rat kidney tubule epithelioid (NRK-52e) cells injury induced by LPS were investigated. The results indicated that compounds 1, 2, and 7 exhibited protective effects against LPS-induced NRK 52e cells injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the optical properties and local electric field distribution of transverse plasmon mode of a single pentagonal gold nanotube are studied for the first time by the discrete dipole approximation (DDA). We find that the transverse plasmon peaks can nonlinearly red shift from visible to infrared region via controlling the inner diameter. In addition, the transverse plasmon peak firstly blue shifts and then red shifts in the visible region with the increase of outer diameter. Further analysis shows that the spectra red shift with the increase of outer diameters when scattering is dominant. Local electric field analysis reveals that transverse plasmon resonance peaks of gold nanotube mainly come from dipole resonance. When the tube wall is thin enough, multi-polar plasmon resonance mode will be generated, and the number of peaks will be increased. The surface charges of inner and outer tube walls are changed by tuning the inner diameter and outer diameter parameters of pentagonal gold nanotube. The selective controlling transverse plasmon spectra of gold nanotube are realized, which is of great significance to the study of optical properties of gold nanotube and the application of molecular detection and biological imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrochemical sensing based on conventional rigid electrodes has great restrictions for characterizing biomolecules in deformed cells or soft tissues. The recent emergence of stretchable sensors allows electrodes to conformally contact to curved surfaces and perfectly comply with the deformation of living cells and tissues. This provides a powerful strategy to monitor biomolecules from mechanically deformed cells, tissues, and organisms in real time, and opens up new opportunities to explore the mechanotransduction process. In this minireview, we first summarize the fabrication of stretchable electrodes with emphasis on the nanomaterial‐enabled strategies. We then describe representative applications of stretchable sensors in the real‐time monitoring of mechanically sensitive cells and tissues. Finally, we present the future possibilities and challenges of stretchable electrochemical sensing in cell, tissue, and in vivo detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrochemical sensing based on conventional rigid electrodes has great restrictions for characterizing biomolecules in deformed cells or soft tissues. The recent emergence of stretchable sensors allows electrodes to conformally contact to curved surfaces and perfectly comply with the deformation of living cells and tissues. This provides a powerful strategy to monitor biomolecules from mechanically deformed cells, tissues, and organisms in real time, and opens up new opportunities to explore the mechanotransduction process. In this minireview, we first summarize the fabrication of stretchable electrodes with emphasis on the nanomaterial‐enabled strategies. We then describe representative applications of stretchable sensors in the real‐time monitoring of mechanically sensitive cells and tissues. Finally, we present the future possibilities and challenges of stretchable electrochemical sensing in cell, tissue, and in vivo detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three pairs of undescribed diarylpentanoid enantiomers (1 – 3) and five undescribed phenylpropanoids (4 – 8), along with seven known compounds, were isolated from the roots of Anthriscus sylvestris. The structures of compounds (1 – 8) were determined by analysis of their 1D and 2D NMR spectra, HRESIMS, and electronic circular dichroism. In addition, the inhibitory activities against hypoxia-stimulated pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells abnormal proliferation were evaluated by MTT assay. The mRNA expression levels of Bcl-2, BAX, Caspase3, and IL-6 were detected by quantitative real-time PCR. The results showed that compounds (−)- 1 , (+)- 1 , (−)- 2 , (+)- 3 , 4 , 8 – 10 , 14 , and 15 inhibited the abnormal proliferation of PASMCs by regulating the levels of apoptosis and inflammatory factors. [Display omitted] • Eleven undescribed compounds were isolated from the roots of Anthriscus sylvestris. • Diarylpentanoids reported in the paper were isolated from this plant for the first time. • Among all these isolated compounds, ten compounds inhibited the abnormal proliferation of PASMCs induced by hypoxia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review (with 106 references) summarizes the latest progress in the synthesis, properties and biomedical applications of gold nanotubes (AuNTs). Following an introduction into the field, a first large section covers two popular AuNTs synthesis methods. The hard template method introduces anodic alumina oxide template (AAO) and track-etched membranes (TeMs), while the sacrificial template method based on galvanic replacement introduces bimetallic, trimetallic AuNTs and AuNT-semiconductor hybrid materials. Then, the factors affecting the morphology of AuNTs are discussed. The next section covers their unique surface plasmon resonance (SPR), surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and their catalytic properties. This is followed by overviews on the applications of AuNTs in biosensors, protein transportation, photothermal therapy and imaging. Several tables are presented that give an overview on the wealth of synthetic methods, morphology factors and biological application. A concluding section summarizes the current status, addresses current challenges and gives an outlook on potential applications of AuNTs in biochemical detection and drug delivery. Graphical abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of endogenous serotonin (5‐HT) in gastrointestinal motility is still highly controversial. Although electrochemical techniques allow for direct and real‐time recording of biomolecules, the dynamic monitoring of 5‐HT release from elastic and tubular intestine during motor reflexes remains a great challenge because of the specific peristalsis patterns and inevitable passivation of the sensing interface. A stretchable sensor with antifouling and decontamination properties was assembled from gold nanotubes, titanium dioxide nanoparticles, and carbon nanotubes. The sandwich‐like structure endowed the sensor with satisfying mechanical stability and electrochemical performance, high resistance against physical adsorption, and superior efficiency in the photodegradation of biofouling molecules. Insertion of the sensor into the lumen of rat ileum (the last section of the small intestine) successfully mimics intestinal peristalsis, and simultaneous real‐time monitoring of distension‐evoked 5‐HT release was possible for the first time. Our results unambiguously reveal that mechanical distension of the intestine induces endogenous 5‐HT overflow, and 5‐HT level is closely associated with the physiological or pathological states of the intestine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of endogenous serotonin (5‐HT) in gastrointestinal motility is still highly controversial. Although electrochemical techniques allow for direct and real‐time recording of biomolecules, the dynamic monitoring of 5‐HT release from elastic and tubular intestine during motor reflexes remains a great challenge because of the specific peristalsis patterns and inevitable passivation of the sensing interface. A stretchable sensor with antifouling and decontamination properties was assembled from gold nanotubes, titanium dioxide nanoparticles, and carbon nanotubes. The sandwich‐like structure endowed the sensor with satisfying mechanical stability and electrochemical performance, high resistance against physical adsorption, and superior efficiency in the photodegradation of biofouling molecules. Insertion of the sensor into the lumen of rat ileum (the last section of the small intestine) successfully mimics intestinal peristalsis, and simultaneous real‐time monitoring of distension‐evoked 5‐HT release was possible for the first time. Our results unambiguously reveal that mechanical distension of the intestine induces endogenous 5‐HT overflow, and 5‐HT level is closely associated with the physiological or pathological states of the intestine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanofiltration (NF) is considered as a promising technology for the removal of trace organic compounds (TrOCs) for wastewater reclamation, while a simultaneous low rejection of salts is desirable for the ease of using the reclaimed water. This study was conducted to exploit the potential of polypiperazine-amide NF membranes in achieving selective separation of TrOCs and NaCl by varying the concentration of the diamine monomer, piperazine (PIP), for interfacial polymerization and by modifying the nascent membrane surface with hydrophilic monomers, diethanolamine (DEA) and monoethanolamine (MEA). Results showed that increasing PIP concentration could decrease the membrane pore size and reduce the surface negative charge density, which led to an increased rejection of xylose and a reduced rejection of NaCl. The grafting of DEA or MEA molecules could further decrease the NaCl rejection, substantially improve the water permeability and maintain an effective removal for eight pharmaceuticals (PhACs). The optimal membrane prepared with a PIP concentration of 2.0 wt% and subsequently modified by MEA exhibited a rejection of NaCl at 33.1% and an average rejection of PhACs at 90.8% in a 10 mmol/L NaCl solution under an applied pressure of 6 bar. The membrane could have an even higher selectivity when the NaCl concentration was increased to higher levels. These results demonstrated the feasibility and versatility of the membrane in separating TrOCs from NaCl for wastewater reclamation. Image 1 • Increasing PIP concentration decreased membrane pore size and surface charge density. • Membrane properties were further tailored by surface grafting of hydrophilic monomers. • The modified membrane exhibited low rejection of NaCl and high rejection of TrOCs. • The membrane had a higher selectivity for TrOCs and NaCl at higher NaCl concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The solute-membrane interactions play an important role in adsorption and consequently rejection of trace organic compounds (TrOCs) by nanofiltration (NF) membranes, while the various specific interactions are yet to be identified and quantified. In this study, molecular docking was for the first time explored as a simulation and computation approach to elucidating the solute-membrane interactions. The binding modes between several pharmaceuticals (PhACs) and the polyamide (PA) material in different protonation/deprotonation states were simulated, and the specific interactions including hydrogen bonding, π-π stacking, π-cation interaction and ionic bridge binding were identified. Binding energies consisting of van der Waals and electrostatic components were calculated by the Grid scoring of docking, which quantitatively confirmed the contributions of various interactions to the adsorption of PhACs onto the membrane. Regression analysis showed that the adsorbed amounts could be well described jointly by the binding energies and two molecular descriptors of PhACs (i.e., solubility (logS) and polarity (MR)), which depict the effects of solute-membrane and solute-water interactions, respectively. This study provided valuable information to better understanding the adsorption mechanisms which greatly affect the rejection of TrOCs by NF membranes. Graphical abstract fx1 Highlights • Molecular docking was for the first time explored to elucidate solute-membrane interactions; • Specific interactions between PhACs and PA layer were identified from the binding modes; • Binding energies were calculated to confirm effects of various interactions on adsorption; • Adsorbed amounts were well correlated with E binding and logS and MR values of PhACs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract A simultaneous high rejection of trace organic compounds (TrOCs) and low rejection of divalent cations (Ca2+/Mg2+) would be desirable for nanofiltration (NF) applied for drinking water treatment. The target was however not attainable by using the currently available commercial NF membranes. In this study, 3,5-diaminobenzoic acid (BA) was used as an additional diamine monomer besides piperazine (PIP) to prepare novel thin film composite NF membranes via interfacial polymerization with trimesoyl chloride (TMC). A series of NF membranes were prepared by varying BA to PIP concentration ratios in order to obtain a proper membrane pore size and a sufficiently high negative surface charge density. Membrane characterizations and performance tests showed that the incorporation of BA could increase the pore size, enhance the negative surface charge and change the structural properties of the membrane, which in turn affected the membrane water permeability and separation performance. The optimal membrane prepared with a BA/PIP ratio of 50%:50% exhibited a low rejection of CaCl 2 (25.8%) and MgCl 2 (32.0%) in single salt solutions at 10 mmol/L and a moderate rejection of Ca2+/Mg2+ ions (<60%) in a real tap water, while maintaining a reasonably high water permeability and an effective removal (>80%) for six out of eight selected pharmaceuticals (PhACs). The ATR-FTIR spectra and XPS analysis showed that BA could interfere the polymerization between PIP and TMC in forming the membrane active layer while the cross-linking degree between BA and TMC was relatively low. This implied that the proposed treatment target could also be achieved by using some other acidic diamines with similar functionalities of BA. Graphical abstract fx1 Highlights • 3,5-diaminobenzoic acid (BA) in addition to PIP was used to prepare novel NF membranes. • Addition of BA increased membrane pore size and negative surface charge density. • The optimal membrane exhibited low rejection of Ca2+/Mg2+ and high rejection of TrOCs. • The role of BA in affecting PA layer structure and properties was elucidated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Receptor tyrosine kinases c-Met and ALK have been demonstrated to be important therapeutic targets for cancer therapy. However, selectivity and drug resistance could hinder the development of their corresponding inhibitors. In this study, three compounds with similar scaffold were examined to study activity and selectivity mechanism towards c-Met or ALK by utilising a combined approach of computational techniques, including flexible dock, molecular electrostatic potential (MESP) calculations, molecular dynamic (MD) simulation, and binding free-energy calculation. Molecular simulation provides us new chemical insights into steric and electronic complementarities of these inhibitors to target binding sites. The computed binding free energies were consistent with the changing trend of experimental affinities on c-Met and ALK. H-bond with Asp169 and hydrophobic interaction with Phe36 of c-Met, respectively, could be crucial for the binding affinity of an inhibitor binding to c-Met. Meanwhile, for inhibitor-ALK complex, both H-bond interactions with Arg28 and Met101 and hydrophobic interactions with Leu30, Val38, and Leu158 could enhance the bioactivity and selectivity. The present work may provide a structural understanding of molecular mechanism expected to be valuable for the guidelines of the development of new potent c-Met or ALK selective inhibitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Size exclusion is the predominant mechanism of nanofiltration (NF) for the removal of organic pollutants in water. Saccharides and polyethylene glycols (PEGs) are most widely used as probe solutes for the determination of average pore radius and molecular weight cut-off (MWCO) of NF membranes, respectively. The rejection behaviors of saccharides and PEGs are however different due to the difference in molecular geometry, making the average pore size and MWCO be hardly interchangeable. This study was devoted to associate the rejection of PEGs with that of saccharides by introducing the concept of effective solute radius which is different from the Stokes radius primarily in the aspect of preferential orientation. The rejection data of three saccharides and three PEGs by four commercial NF membranes were utilized. The lower rejection of PEGs than saccharides was more apparent for the tight membranes than for the loose membranes. The effective radii of a same PEG were different for the four membranes. An explicit equation was successfully established based on a geometric model which relates the effective radius of a solute with its width, length to width ratio and the effective orientation angle through a membrane. The PEGs always took a more horizontal orientation relative to the membrane pores during permeation. A smaller pore size and a longer molecule chain resulted in a higher orientation angle. The solute effective orientation was further related to the ratio of solute Stokes radius to membrane pore radius by an empirical formula with a same fitting coefficient for the three PEGs. This study provides valuable implications on the interpretation and prediction of the rejection of linear solutes by NF membranes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic crystalline materials are attracting increasing interest due to their promising applications in the fields of nonlinear optics (NLO), organic lasers, optical waveguides, and light-emitting transistors. In this paper, a photoelectric molecule QB was constructed through combining an electron-withdrawing unit, a triarylborane, and a metal-ligand unit of bis(2-picolyl)amine. The crystallization behavior and crystalline photoelectric properties of QB and its complexes were thoroughly studied. This compound exhibited polymorphism, and a green emitting block-like crystal and blue-emission lamellar crystal were obtained, respectively. Their different photoluminescence mechanisms were clarified through X-ray crystallographic analysis and theoretical calculations. Furthermore, the single-crystal structures of the complexes of QB coordinating with KCN and Zn(ClO 4) 2 were also determined. Crystal QB-KCN emitted strong blue fluorescence at 445 nm, owing to the formation of rigid 2-to-2 adduct, which could effectively suppress non-radiative transitions. Crystal QB-Zn(ClO 4) 2 showed very weak cyan emission due to its loose molecular packing. The electrochemical results illuminated that the metal coordination can effectively affect the electron-withdrawing ability of conjugated triarylborane, and further affect the monomolecular luminescent properties due to the intramolecular charge transfer. We believe that polymorphism and metal coordination are available means to obtain excellent crystalline photoelectric materials. [Display omitted] • A novel dye was synthesized by modifying triarylborane with a metal ligand. • Its crystallization behavior and photoelectric properties were studied. • It has two crystal polymorphs with different crystalline luminescence. • The crystal structures of its two complexes were determined. • Their crystalline luminescent mechanisms were clarified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adsorption of trace organic compounds (TrOCs) onto the membrane materials has a great impact on their rejection by nanofiltration (NF) and reverse osmosis (RO) membranes. This study aimed to investigate the difference in adsorption of various pharmaceuticals (PhACs) onto different NF/RO membranes and to demonstrate the necessity of isolating the polyamide (PA) active layer from the polysulfone (PS) support layer for adsorption characterization and quantification. Both the isolated PA layers and the PA+PS layers of NF90 and ESPA1 membranes were used to conduct static adsorption tests. Results showed that apparent differences existed between the PA layer and the PA+PS layer in the adsorption capacity of PhACs as well as the time necessary to reach the adsorption equilibrium. PhACs with different physicochemical properties could be adsorbed to different extents by the isolated PA layer, which was mainly attributed to electrostatic attraction/repulsion and hydrophobic interactions. The PA layer of ESPA1 exhibited apparently higher adsorption capacities for the positively charged PhACs and similar adsorption capacities for the neutral PhACs although it had significantly less total interfacial area (per unit membrane surface area) for adsorption compared to the PA layer of NF90. The higher affinity of the PA layer of ESPA1 for the PhACs could be due to its higher capacity of forming hydrogen bonds with PhACs resulted from the modified chemistry with more –OH groups. This study provides a novel approach to determining the TrOC adsorption onto the active layer of membranes for the ease of investigating adsorption mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The solute-membrane interactions between trace organic compounds (TrOCs) and nanofiltration (NF) or reverse osmosis (RO) membranes result in the adsorption of TrOCs onto membranes and in turn affect the rejection of TrOCs. This study investigated the adsorption and rejection of four positively charged, two neutral and one negatively charged pharmaceuticals (PhACs) by four commercial NF/RO membranes to correlate the adsorbed amount and the steady-state rejection, and to quantitatively evaluate the role of various solute-membrane interactions in adsorption and rejection. The adsorbed amounts of PhACs were determined in static adsorption tests using the isolated polyamide (PA) layers when the RO and tight NF membranes were used, and were calculated from the decline of rejection during filtration when the two loose NF membranes were used. The impacts of electrostatic and non-electrostatic interactions (including hydrophobic interaction and hydrogen bonding) were quantified for positively charged PhACs by comparing the respective adsorption and rejection at neutral pH with that at the isoelectric point (IEP) of each membrane. Results showed that at neutral pH, the adverse effect of adsorption on the steady-state rejection was < 6% for the tight ESPA1 and NF90 membranes and 7–36% for the loose NF270 and HL. A higher adsorbed amount generally corresponded to a larger relative decrease of rejection for all the four membranes. The adsorbed amounts of the positively charged PhACs onto the isolated PA layers of ESPA1 and NF90 at neutral pH were primarily attributed to electrostatic attraction (generally > 65%). Electrostatic attraction was also found to cause the rejection of the tight membranes for the positively charged PhACs to decrease by 0.8–4.3%, that of the loose membranes to decrease by 13.4–28.3%, while the impact of non-electrostatic interactions on the rejection was 1.1–2.3% for the tight membranes and 4.0–9.8% for the loose membranes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing methods offer little direct and real-time information about stretch-triggered biochemical responses during cell mechanotransduction. A novel stretchable electrochemical sensor is reported that takes advantage of a hierarchical percolation network of carbon nanotubes and gold nanotubes (CNT-AuNT). This hybrid nanostructure provides the sensor with excellent time-reproducible mechanical and electrochemical performances while granting very good cellular compatibility, making it perfectly apt to induce and monitor simultaneously transient biochemical signals. This is validated by monitoring stretch-induced transient release of small signaling molecules by both endothelial and epithelial cells cultured on this sensor and submitted to stretching strains of different intensities. This work demonstrates that the hybrid CNT-AuNT platform offers a versatile and highly sensitive way to characterize and quantify short-time mechanotransduction responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing methods offer little direct and real-time information about stretch-triggered biochemical responses during cell mechanotransduction. A novel stretchable electrochemical sensor is reported that takes advantage of a hierarchical percolation network of carbon nanotubes and gold nanotubes (CNT-AuNT). This hybrid nanostructure provides the sensor with excellent time-reproducible mechanical and electrochemical performances while granting very good cellular compatibility, making it perfectly apt to induce and monitor simultaneously transient biochemical signals. This is validated by monitoring stretch-induced transient release of small signaling molecules by both endothelial and epithelial cells cultured on this sensor and submitted to stretching strains of different intensities. This work demonstrates that the hybrid CNT-AuNT platform offers a versatile and highly sensitive way to characterize and quantify short-time mechanotransduction responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The highly glycosylated mucin 1 (MUC1) serves as a promising target for cancer vaccines. However, the weak immunogenicity of MUC1 greatly impedes its application. Here, we covalently linked a MUC1 glycopeptide to carrier protein bovine serum albumin (BSA), and the resulting BSA-MUC1 conjugate was integrated with a ternary adjuvant system comprising TLR3 agonist poly(I:C), STING agonist c-GAMP, and Alum adjuvant. Compared to adjuvant-free and Alum-adjuvanted groups, the ternary adjuvant group induced 18.3- and 10.9-fold increases in MUC1-specific IgG titers, and effectively suppressed tumor growth. These findings may propose a straightforward yet highly effective strategy for designing vaccines, offering promising prospects in cancer treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon nanotube (CNT)-based flexible sensors have been intensively developed for physical sensing. However, great challenges remain in fabricating stretchable CNT films with high electrochemical performance for real-time chemical sensing, due to large sheet resistance of CNT film and further resistance increase caused by separation between each CNT during stretching. Herein, we develop a facile and versatile strategy to construct single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs)-based stretchable and transparent electrochemical sensors, by coating and binding each SWNT with conductive polymer. As a polymer with high conductivity, good electrochemical activity, and biocompatibility, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) acting as a superior conductive coating and binder reduces contact resistance and greatly improves the electrochemical performance of SWNTs film. Furthermore, PEDOT protects the SWNTs junctions from separation during stretching, which endows the sensor with highly mechanical compliance and excellent electrochemical performance during big deformation. These unique features allow real-time monitoring of biochemical signals from mechanically stretched cells. This work represents an important step toward construction of a high performance CNTs-based stretchable electrochemical sensor, therefore broadening the way for stretchable sensors in a diversity of biomedical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermophilic proteins can thrive stalely at the high temperatures. Identification of thermophilic protein could be helpful to learn the function of protein. Automated prediction of thermophilic protein is an important tool for genome annotation. In this work, a powerful predictor is proposed by combining amino acid composition, evolutionary information, and acid dissociation constant. The overall prediction accuracy of 93.53% was obtained for using the algorithm of support vector machine. In order to check the performance of our method, two low-similarity independent testing datasets are used to test the proposed method. Comparisons with other methods show that the prediction results were better than other existing methods in literature. This indicates that our approach was effective to predict thermophilic proteins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, we reported a robust and sensitive SERS sensing platform based on hollow porous pentagonal Au/Ag alloy nanotubes (Au/AgANTs) for simultaneous determination of three food contaminants. With the increase amount of etching agent, the morphology of the nanoparticles changed from solid to hollow porous structures, and then the disappearance of pores, accompanied by a trend of first increasing and then decreasing SERS activity. The Au/AgANTs with pentagonal cross section, hollow and pore structure provide stronger local electric field. Under optimized experimental conditions, they were utilized to achieve the simultaneous determination of rhodamine B (RhB), methylene blue (MB) and malachite green (MG) in shrimp paste with low detection limit (5.3 ×10−11 M for RhB, 1.27 ×10−10 M for MB and 4.07 ×10−12 M for MG), wide linear detection range (1.0 ×10−8∼1.0 ×10−4 M for RhB, 1.0 ×10−9∼1.0 ×10−5 M for MB, and 1.0 ×10−9∼1.0 ×10−5 M for MG) and satisfactory recoveries (97.24–102.66%), suggesting that the developed method is a promising tool for accurate quantification of the three food contaminants at trace level. • The morphological evolution mechanism of pentagonal Au/Ag alloy nanotubes was investigated. • The larger diameter Au/Ag alloy nanotubes can adsorb more signal molecules and have stronger SERS activity. • The Au/Ag alloy nanotube SERS substrate showed good reproducibility and stability. • The Au/Ag alloy nanotube SERS substrate was applied for simultaneous detection of three food contaminants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stretchable electrochemical sensors are conceivably a powerful technique that provides important chemical information to unravel elastic and curvilinear living body. However, no breakthrough was made in stretchable electrochemical device for biological detection. Herein, we synthesized Au nanotubes (NTs) with large aspect ratio to construct an effective stretchable electrochemical sensor. Interlacing network of Au NTs endows the sensor with desirable stability against mechanical deformation, and Au nanostructure provides excellent electrochemical performance and biocompatibility. This allows for the first time, real-time electrochemical monitoring of mechanically sensitive cells on the sensor both in their stretching-free and stretching states as well as sensing of the inner lining of blood vessels. The results demonstrate the great potential of this sensor in electrochemical detection of living body, opening a new window for stretchable electrochemical sensor in biological exploration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stretchable electrochemical sensors are conceivably a powerful technique that provides important chemical information to unravel elastic and curvilinear living body. However, no breakthrough was made in stretchable electrochemical device for biological detection. Herein, we synthesized Au nanotubes (NTs) with large aspect ratio to construct an effective stretchable electrochemical sensor. Interlacing network of Au NTs endows the sensor with desirable stability against mechanical deformation, and Au nanostructure provides excellent electrochemical performance and biocompatibility. This allows for the first time, real-time electrochemical monitoring of mechanically sensitive cells on the sensor both in their stretching-free and stretching states as well as sensing of the inner lining of blood vessels. The results demonstrate the great potential of this sensor in electrochemical detection of living body, opening a new window for stretchable electrochemical sensor in biological exploration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrode fouling and passivation is a substantial and inevitable limitation in electrochemical biosensing, and it is a great challenge to efficiently remove the contaminant without changing the surface structure and electrochemical performance. Herein, we propose a versatile and efficient strategy based on photocatalytic cleaning to construct renewable electrochemical sensors for cell analysis. This kind of sensor was fabricated by controllable assembly of reduced graphene oxide (RGO) and TiO2 to form a sandwiching RGO@TiO2 structure, followed by deposition of Au nanoparticles (NPs) onto the RGO shell. The Au NPs-RGO composite shell provides high electrochemical performance. Meanwhile, the encapsulated TiO2 ensures an excellent photocatalytic cleaning property. Application of this renewable microsensor for detection of nitric oxide (NO) release from cells demonstrates the great potential of this strategy in electrode regeneration and biosensing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • It is found that pentagonal gold nanotube has stronger electric field distribution compared with circular gold nanotubes when the incident wavelength is located at the plasmon resonance peak. • It is revealed that the longitudinal plasmon resonance peak can blue shift nonlinearly with increasing wall thickness, but red shifts linearly with the increase of the length of the pentagonal gold nanotube. • The localized electric field analysis reveals that the effect of wall thickness on the longitudinal plasmon resonance and electric field enhancement can be attributed to the change of the plasmon coupling position and intensity. • The thinner the tube wall, the longer the tube length, the larger the red shift range of longitudinal plasmon peak, and the greater the electric field intensity. In this paper, the longitudinal plasmon mode optical properties and localized electric field distribution of a single pentagonal gold nanotube are investigated for the first time by the discrete dipole approximation. It is found that pentagonal gold nanotube has stronger electric field distribution compared with circular gold nanotubes when the incident wavelength is located at the plasmon resonance peak. Additionally, we observed that the longitudinal plasmon resonance peak can blue shift nonlinearly with increasing wall thickness, but red shifts linearly with the increase of the length of the pentagonal gold nanotube. The localized electric field analysis reveals that the longitudinal plasmon peak of the pentagonal gold nanotube originates from the dipole resonance mode. The local electric field intensity is controlled by the wall thickness and length. Notably, the effect of wall thickness on the longitudinal plasmon resonance and electric field enhancement can be attributed to the change of the plasmon coupling position and intensity. This work has enriched the theoretical research of pentagonal gold nanotubes and provided ideas for the preparation of high sensitivity nanoprobes biosensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, we report a self-supported nanoporous gold microelectrode decorated with well-dispersed and tiny platinum nanoparticles as an electrochemical nonenzymatic hydrogen peroxide biosensor. Nanoporous gold was fabricated by electrochemical alloying/dealloying and then small-sized platinum nanoparticles were electrodeposited uniformly on them. This novel hybrid nanostructure endows the sensor with high sensitivity and selectivity towards the reduction of hydrogen peroxide with a low detection limit of 0.3 nM. The sensor has been successfully applied for the measurement of H2O2 release from a single isolated human breast cancer cell, demonstrating its great potential for further physiological and pathological applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comprehensive Summary: Electrochemical sensing faces huge challenges in characterizing the transient release of biochemical molecules from deformed cells, due to the severely mechanical mismatch between rigid electrodes and soft cells. In recent years, the emergence of stretchable electrochemical sensors has made a breakthrough by complying with the deformation of living cells and simultaneous monitoring of mechanically evoked biochemical signals. This review first summarizes two fundamental strategies for the fabrication of stretchable electrodes from the points of structure and material. Next, recent progresses in construction of functionalized interface to improve the performance of stretchable electrochemical sensors are presented. Then, the application of stretchable electrochemical sensors in real‐time monitoring of biomolecules released by mechanically sensitive cells is introduced. Finally, some perspectives and challenges of stretchable electrochemical sensors regarding cell detection are discussed. What is the favorite and original chemistry developed in your research group? The design and construction of electrochemical sensing platform for real‐time monitoring of life activities. What is the most important personality for scientific research? Innovative spirit, strong curiosity and persistence. How do you supervise your students? Encourage students to think much and eager to innovate. What are your hobbies? I like music and playing badminton. Who influences you mostly in your life? My family and collaborators. Could you please give us some advices on improving Chinese Journal of Chemistry? Focusing on the originality of the manuscript. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first organocatalytic enantioselective Michael addition of aldehydes to vinyl sulfones in water was achieved using our rationally designed organocatalyst. The rigid nature of the tricycle with an inherent chiral pocket provides a well-organized chiral environment, which together with the hydrophobic pocket, enabled this elusive reaction to proceed smoothly in water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exocytosis involving the fusion of intracellular vesicles with cell membrane, is thought to be modulated by the mechanical cues in the microenvironment. Single‐cell electrochemistry can offer unique information about the quantification and kinetics of exocytotic events; however, the effects of mechanical force on vesicular release have been poorly explored. Herein, we developed a stretchable microelectrode with excellent electrochemical stability under mechanical deformation by microfabrication of functionalized poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) conductive ink, which achieved real‐time quantitation of strain‐induced vesicular exocytosis from a single cell for the first time. We found that mechanical strain could cause calcium influx via the activation of Piezo1 channels in chromaffin cell, initiating the vesicular exocytosis process. Interestingly, mechanical strain increases the amount of catecholamines released by accelerating the opening and prolonging the closing of fusion pore during exocytosis. This work is expected to provide revealing insights into the regulatory effects of mechanical stimuli on vesicular exocytosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A morpholine-modified naphthalic anhydride derivative was synthesized. • The luminescence was studied in both solutions and aggregations. • The compound has two crystal polymorphs. • These two polymorphs exhibit stimuli-response fluorescent switching. • The luminescence and switching mechanism was explored by crystal structures. Stimuli-response organic solid-state luminescence switching materials are attracting increasing interest due to their smart photophysical properties. In this study, a morpholine-modified naphthalic anhydride derivative, 4-(4-morpholinyl)naphthalic anhydride (MBC), was synthesized and studied. Its two crystal polymorphs, MBC-G and MBC-O , were obtained under different crystallization conditions. These two distinct crystals show significantly different solid-state luminescence behaviors: a green emission at 535 nm for MBC-G , and an orange emission at 572 nm for MBC-O. Upon fiercely grinding the MBC-G crystal or melting and then quickly cooling it, a phase transition occurs from MBC-G to MBC-O , accompanied by a fluorescence change from green to orange. The reverse transformation from MBC-O to MBC-G can be achieved by recrystallization. The X-ray single crystal structures show that the green emission should be attributed to molecular J-aggregation in the crystal packing, and the orange emission may originate from molecular H-aggregation. This switchable color nature gives MBC the promising candidate for potential smart anti-counterfeiting and light-emitting materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Compelling evidence has shown that in hippocampus tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) at pathological concentration inhibits long-term potentiation (LTP), a synaptic model of learning and memory. In the present work we investigated the role of TNF-α in LTP of C-fiber evoked field potentials in spinal dorsal horn, which is relevant to pathological pain. We showed that spinal application of TNF-α affected neither basal synaptic transmission mediated by C-fibers nor spinal LTP of C-fiber evoked field potentials induced by tetanic stimulation in intact rats. However, in rats with neuropathic pain, produced by either lumbar 5 ventral root transection (L5 VRT) or spared nerve injury (SNI), spinal application of TNF-α induced LTP of C-fiber evoked field potentials. Spinal application of JNK inhibitor (SP600125) or p38 MAPK inhibitor (SB203580) did not affect the spinal LTP induced by tetanic stimulation in intact rats, but completely blocked LTP induced by TNF-α in L5 VRT rats. NF-kappa B (NF-κB) inhibitor (PDTC) also blocked LTP induced by TNF-α. These results suggest that TNF-α and its downstream molecules may have no acute effect on spinal synaptic transmission in intact animals and induce LTP in rats with neuropathic pain produced by nerve injury. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Comprehensive Summary: In vivo monitoring of bioelectrical and biochemical signals with implanted electrodes has received great interest over the past decades. However, this faces huge challenges because of the severe mechanical mismatch between conventional rigid electrodes and soft biological tissues. In recent years, the emergence of flexible and stretchable electrodes offers seamless and conformable biological‐electronic interfaces and has demonstrated significant advantages for in vivo electrochemical and electrophysiological monitoring. This review first summarizes the strategies for electrode fabrication from the point of substrate and conductive materials. Next, recent progress in electrode functionalization for improved performance is presented. Then, the advances of flexible and stretchable electrodes in exploring bioelectrical and biochemical signals are introduced. Finally, we present some challenges and perspectives ranging from electrode fabrication to application. Key Scientists: In 2001, a seminal work by Kipke et al. first showed flexible polyimide‐based intracortical electrode arrays.[1] This electrode was further expanded to 252‐channel using microelectromechanical systems technology by Stieglitz et al. in 2009 and achieved large‐scale cortical recordings.[2] Later, Lieber et al. created mesh electronics that allow for seamless and minimally invasive three‐dimensional interpenetration with nerve tissues, opening up unique applications for flexible electronics.[3] Subsequently, Rogers et al. described bioresorbable electronics for transient electrical activity recordings in 2016.[4] And Frank et al. proposed polymer electrode arrays capable of resolving single neurons in 2019.[5] It wasn't until 2020 that a significant breakthrough in biochemical signals monitoring by Peng et al. demonstrated functionalized carbon nanotube fibre bundles for multiple disease biomarkers monitoring.[6] Later on, Mooney et al. established the first fully viscoelastic electrode arrays for neural recordings from the brain and heart in 2021.[7] Recently, Bao et al. presented tissue‐mimicking, stretchable neurotransmitter interfaces for monitoring the brain and gut.[8] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study provides detailed description of a newly-discovered Callicarpa yongshunensis Wen B. Xu, Xiao D. Li & Yan Ling Liu (Lamiaceae) species from Hunan, China. The species shares similarities in the inflorescence, glandular colour and leaf shape features with C. luteopunctata H. T. Chang and C. giraldii Hesse ex Rehd., while its white fruits are similar to those of C. longifolia Lamk. However, its procumbent, evergreen shrub and white fruits are distinctly different from those of C. luteopunctata and C. giraldii, while its procumbent, scarless nodes and stellate pubescence free fruits distinguishes it from C. longifolia. Images, distribution, morphological features, molecular phylogenetic classification and conservation assessment of this new Callicarpa species are explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pathogenic bacteria have become a huge threat to social health and economy for their frighteningly infectious and lethal capacity. It is quite important to make a diagnosis in advance to prevent infection or allow a rapid treatment after infection. Noble metal nanoparticles, due to their unique physicochemical properties, especially optical properties, have drawn a great attention during the past decades and have been widely applied into all kinds of fields related to human health. By utilizing these noble metal nanoparticles, optical diagnosis platforms towards pathogenic bacteria have emerged continually, providing highly sensitive, selective, and particularly facile detection tools for clinic or point-of-care diagnosis. This review summarizes the recent development in this field. It begins with a brief introduction of pathogenic bacteria and noble metal nanoparticles. And then, optical detection methods are systematically discussed in three distinct aspects. In addition to these proof-of-concept methods, corresponding algorithms and point-of-care detection devices are also described. Finally, the review ends up with subjective views on present limitations and some appropriate advice for future research directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study constructed a moderated mediation model to explore the impact of parent–child communication on English academic engagement. We conducted a questionnaire survey among 21,270 middle school students using various measurements: English Academic Engagement Scale, Adolescent Parent–Child Communication Scale, learning adaptability questionnaire, and English Learning Self-Efficacy Scale. The results showed that learning adaptability played a mediating role between parent–child communication and English academic engagement. Moreover, the relationships between parent–child communication and English academic engagement as well as between parent–child communication and learning adaptability were all moderated by English learning self-efficacy. These findings revealed the importance of parent–child communication in middle school students' foreign language learning and suggested that more attention should be paid to improving middle school students' English learning self-efficacy and learning adaptability and, therefore, English academic engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1) has become a potential target for the treatment of cancer. Designing FGFR1-selective inhibitors remains fundamental to the development of anti-cancer drugs because of highly sequential homology among FGFR subtypes. In present work, four inhibitors were examined with intermolecular interaction patterns with FGFR1 and FGFR4, respectively, for the exploration of binding mechanisms by applying a combined approach of computational techniques, including flexible docking, binding site analyses, electronic structure computations, molecular dynamic simulations, and binding free energy predictions. Molecular simulation-predicted binding conformations and pharmacophoric features of these molecules in the active pocket of either FGFR1 or FGFR4. MMPB(GB)SA-calculated binding free energies were accordant with the ordering of their tested potency values. Furthermore, in silico mutations of two residues (FGFR1: Tyr563 and Ser565) were also performed to check their impact on ligand binding by applying MD simulations and binding free energy calculations. The present studies may provide a structural understanding of the FGFR1-selective mechanism. The viewpoints from computational simulations would be valuable guidelines for the development of novel FGFR1-selective inhibitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ink classification is the ability to distinguish unknown inks into different groups, and ink source prediction is the ability to predict the manufacturer or model of an unknown ink. These are regular tasks in forensic analysis. The latter is more challenging than the former, as ink source prediction has expanded beyond ink classification. In this work, we reported on an approach to predict the source of black inks based on direct analysis in real time mass spectrometry and assess the strength of black ink source prediction conclusion via the likelihood ratio, using a dataset that included 39 inks from three manufacturers with a high market share. Most of these inks contain similar or identical chemical components. Dimensionality reduction based on the principal component analysis and unified manifold approximation and projection algorithms was implemented, and subsequently, the distribution plots illustrated the variations between and within the inks. Unified manifold approximation and projection showed significant priority in avoiding overcrowding of cluster representation versus principal component analysis, with results as high as 99.83% for the prediction of the ink source using 41,432 spectra data (70% data for training and 30% data for testing) after dimensionality reduction. A likelihood ratio was used to evaluate the strength of ink evidence, and the pool‐adjacent‐violators algorithm and logistic algorithms were used to calibrate the likelihood ratio. The results showed that the pool‐adjacent‐violators algorithm and logistic algorithms both had an excellent equal error rate of 0.004 but slightly different results in the rates of misleading evidence in favor of the prosecutor's hypothesis, rates of misleading evidence in favor of the defense's hypothesis, log likelihood ratio costs after calibration (Cllrcal), and minimum log likelihood ratio costs (Cllrmin). A blind test validated the robustness of the methods. Ink source prediction of 39 black inks based on DART‐MS method with results as high as 99.83% assessed the strength of prediction via likelihood ratio with EER = 0.004. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultraviolet (UV) light-induced photocatalysts have been utilized to construct renewable electrode to solve the problem of electrode fouling and passivation. However, considering the damages of UV irradiation to environments and biosystems, it is of great significance to develop and apply visible light-induced photocatalysts for biosensing. But for intrinsic visible light photocatalysts, the high electron-hole recombination rate results in the poor photocatalytic performance. Herein, we design the poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT)-modified TiO 2 /CdS nanocomposites electrode, which can be efficiently renewed under visible light irradiation for living cell detection. The formation of TiO 2 /CdS heterojunction structure greatly enhances photocatalysis in visible light region by promoting separation of photogenerated electron–hole pairs. Additionally, the absorption in visible light of PEDOT further accelerates the electrode renewal. PEDOT coating provides a sensitive biosensing interface for electrochemical detection, and meanwhile prevents the cytotoxicity of CdS to cells. This allows electrochemical monitoring of nitric oxide release from living cells and subsequent visible light-induced electrode regeneration, demonstrating great potential of this renewable electrodes in biosensing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Five undescribed eremophilane-type sesquiterpenes, remophilanetriols E -I (1 – 5), along with seven known compounds (6 – 12) were isolated from the fresh roots of Rehmannia glutinosa. Their structures were characterized by extensive spectroscopic data analysis and their absolute configurations were determined by comparing their calculated electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra and experimental ECD spectra. The anti-pulmonary fibrosis activities of all compounds were evaluated in vitro by MTT methods, and compounds 2 , 8 , 10 , and 12 exhibited excellent anti-pulmonary fibrosis activities. In addition, compound 2 can reduce the levels of ROS and apoptosis in TGF-β1-induced BEAS-2B cells. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A correction to the article "Theoretical Study of Optical and Electronic Properties of the Bis-Dipolar Diphenylamino-Endcapped Oligoarylfluorenes as Promising Light Emitting Materials," which was published in the June 28, 2007 online issue, is presented.

The wild rice Zizania latifolia Turcz. is one of the dominant emergent species occurring in the wetlands of East Asia. Using sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) markers, genetic variation and population structure were assessed in nine Z. latifolia populations from the Sanjiang Plain, the second largest marsh in China. Five primer combinations produced a total of 344 unambiguous bands, of which 311 (90.4%) were polymorphic. A relatively low level of genetic diversity ( P p = 58.8%, H E = 0.156, I = 0.244) was detected in the Z. latifolia populations. The main factor responsible for that was its high degree of inbreeding in the reproductive system ( F IS = 0.793), which probably resulted from mating events among close relatives or intra-clones. The F statistics revealed constant high genetic differentiation among populations, contributing about 30% of the total gene diversity. The present population structure of Z. latifolia could be due to restricted gene flow among populations, self-fertilizing reproduction and genetic drift within populations. A conservation strategy for trying to preserve all the isolated populations is recommended in order to maximize genomic representation of the species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identification of the proteins secreted by the malaria parasite is important for developing effective drugs and vaccines against infection. Therefore, we developed an improved predictor called 'DSPMP' (Discriminating Secretory Proteins of Malaria Parasite) to identify the secretory proteins of the malaria parasite by integrating several vector features using support vector machine-based methods. DSPMP achieved an overall predictive accuracy of 98.61%, which is superior to that of the existing predictors in this field. We show that our method is capable of identifying the secretory proteins of the malaria parasite and found that the amino acid composition for buried and exposed sequences, denoted by AAC( b/ e), was the most important feature for constructing the predictor. This article not only introduces a novel method for detecting the important features of sample proteins related to the malaria parasite but also provides a useful tool for tackling general protein-related problems. The DSPMP webserver is freely available at . © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many cells in vivo have their inherent motions, which involve numerous biochemical and biophysical signals synergistically regulating cell behavior and function. However, existing methods offer little information about the concurrently chemical and physical responses of dynamically pulsing cells. Here, we report a soft electrode with an electrospun poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT)‐based nanomesh to fully comply with spontaneous motions of cells. Moreover, this electrode demonstrated excellent electrical conductivity, electrochemical performance and cellular biocompatibility. Cardiomyocytes cultured thereon exhibited autonomous and rhythmic contractility, and synchronously induced mechanical deformation of the underlying electrode, which allowed real‐time monitoring of nitric oxide release and electrophysiological activity of cardiomyocytes. This work provides a promising way toward recording chemical and electrical signals of biological systems with their natural motions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many cells in vivo have their inherent motions, which involve numerous biochemical and biophysical signals synergistically regulating cell behavior and function. However, existing methods offer little information about the concurrently chemical and physical responses of dynamically pulsing cells. Here, we report a soft electrode with an electrospun poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT)‐based nanomesh to fully comply with spontaneous motions of cells. Moreover, this electrode demonstrated excellent electrical conductivity, electrochemical performance and cellular biocompatibility. Cardiomyocytes cultured thereon exhibited autonomous and rhythmic contractility, and synchronously induced mechanical deformation of the underlying electrode, which allowed real‐time monitoring of nitric oxide release and electrophysiological activity of cardiomyocytes. This work provides a promising way toward recording chemical and electrical signals of biological systems with their natural motions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current strategies for nanoelectrode functionalization usually involve sophisticated modification procedures, uncontrollable and unstable modifier assembly, as well as a limited variety of modifiers. To address this issue, we propose a versatile strategy for large‐scale synthesis of biomimetic molecular catalysts (BMCs) modified nanowires (NWs) to construct functionalized electrochemical nanosensors. This design protocol employs an easy, controllable and stable assembly of diverse BMCs‐poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) composites on conductive NWs. The intrinsic catalytic activity of BMCs combined with outstanding electron transfer ability of conductive polymer enables the nanosensors to sensitively and selectively detect various biomolecules. Further application of sulfonated cobalt phthalocyanine functionalized nanosensors achieves real‐time electrochemical monitoring of intracellular glutathione levels and its redox homeostasis in single living cells for the first time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]