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Ovarian cancer has become an urgent threat to global female healthcare. Cisplatin, as the traditional chemotherapeutic agent against ovarian cancer, retains several limitations, such as drug resistance and dose-limiting toxicity. In order to solve the above problems and promote the therapeutic effect of chemotherapy, combining chemotherapy and phototherapy has aroused wide interest. In this study, we constructed a versatile cisplatin prodrug-conjugated therapeutic platform based on ultrasmall CuS-modified Fe(III)-metal-organic frameworks (MIL-88) (named M-Pt/PEG-CuS) for tumor-specific enhanced synergistic chemo-/phototherapy. After intravenous injection, M-Pt/PEG-CuS presented obvious accumulation in tumor and Fe(III)-MOFs possessed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to guide synergy therapy. Both in vitro and in vivo experimental results showed that M-Pt/PEG-CuS could not only successfully inhibit tumor growth by combining chemotherapy and NIR-II PTT but also avoid the generation of liver damage by the direct treatment of cisplatin(II). Our work presented the development of the nanoplatform as a novel NIR-II photothermal agent, as well as gave a unique combined chemo-photothermal therapy strategy, which might provide new ways of ovarian cancer therapy for clinical translation.

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is highly malignant and prone to recurrence and metastasis. Patients with TNBC usually have poor prognosis. Hence, it is urgent to develop new comprehensive treatments for TNBC. The combination of heat shock protein (HSP) inhibitor and the photothermal agent can reduce the temperature required to kill tumor cells, thus achieving mild-temperature photothermal therapy (PTT). Compared with traditional PTT, mild-temperature PTT not only decreases tumor thermoresistance introduced by the overexpression of HSP, but also reduces the damage to normal tissues. Meanwhile, Azo initiator 2,2-azobis[2-(2-imidazolin-2-yl) propane]-dihydroch-loride (AIPH) can be thermally decomposed to generate oxygen-independent free radicals. Herein, a new therapeutic multifunctional nanoplatform (M-17AAG-AIPH) by loading heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) inhibitor (17AAG) and AIPH incorporated into mesoporous polydopamine (MPDA) was successfully constructed for mild-temperature PTT combined with oxygen-independent cytotoxic free radicals against TNBC. Under 808 nm laser irradiation, the mild-temperature PTT arising from the combined effects of 17AAG and MPDA induced a rapid release and decomposition of AIPH, promoting the apoptosis of cancer cells in hypoxic microenvironments. Both in vitro and in vivo results showed that the designed nanoplatform can significantly inhibit tumor growth and provided an efficient new therapeutic strategy for TNBC. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: There is still an urgent need for new strategies for the treatment of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). In this work, we successfully constructed a new therapeutic multifunctional nanoplatform (M-17AAG-AIPH) by co-carrying heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) inhibitor (17AAG) and AIPH on mesoporous polydopamine (MPDA). MPDA owned good biocompatibility and outstanding photothermal-conversion ability. The loading of 17AAG can reduce the heat resistance of tumor cells via specifically inhibiting the activity of HSP90, so as to achieve mild-temperature PTT. Meanwhile, 17AAG and MPDA mediated mild-temperature PTT promoted the decomposition of AIPH into oxygen-independent cytotoxic free radicals. Both in vitro and in vivo results showed that M-17AAG-AIPH can significantly inhibit tumor growth and provided an efficient new therapeutic strategy for TNBC.

Since there are several limitations in cancer treatment for traditional chemotherapy, such as side effects, poor prognosis and drug resistance, developing new combined therapy is urgently needed. In this work, a biocompatible, simple and tumor microenvironment-responsive nanotheranostics (PCN-Oxpt/PEG) was built to favor the chemotherapy/ferroptosis/immunomodulation synergism in cancer. This nanotheranostics is constructed by modifying oxaliplatin prodrug and PEG on Fe(III) - porphyrin metal-organic frameworks (PCN(Fe) MOFs). After intravenous injection, the cloak of PEG leads to long circulation, and the Fe(III)-porphyrin MOFs enables dual-model guidance with fluorescence (FL) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Inside the tumor, the intracellular H

Endophytes can benefit the growth and stress resistance of host plants by secreting bioactive components. Thiamine is an essential vitamin involved in many metabolic pathways and can only be synthesized by microbes and plants. In this study, we found that thiamine could inhibit the development of the phytopathogen

In order to improve the accuracy and performance of traditional image threshold segmentation algorithm, this paper proposes a multithreshold segmentation method named improved Harris hawk optimization (IMHHO). Firstly, IMHHO adopts Tent map and elite opposition-based learning to initialize population and enhance the diversity. Secondly, IMHHO uses quadratic interpolation to generate new individuals and enhance the local search ability. Finally, IMHHO adopts improved Gaussian disturbance method to disturb optimal solution, which coordinates the local and global search ability. Then, the performance of IMHHO is tested based on 14 benchmark functions. In image segmentation, different algorithms are tested to compare the comprehensive performance based on Otsu and Renyi entropy. Experiments show that IMHHO performs better in the three kinds of benchmark functions; the segmentation effect is directly proportional to the number of thresholds; compared with other algorithms, IMHHO has better comprehensive performance.

Background The COVID-19 pandemic has become an unprecedented global medical emergency, resulting in millions of people being infected with the COVID-19 virus and more than 5 million deaths. Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) caused by COVID-19 is the most common serious complication leading to death. However, no treatment has been proved successful in treating ARDS apart from the low tidal volume mechanical ventilation. Herein, we have constructed a novel nanospray with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant capacity by loading Pentoxifylline (PTX) and Edaravone (Eda) on ZIF-8. This nanospray was endowed with synergetic therapy ability, which could kill two birds with one stone: the loaded PTX played a powerful anti-inflammatory role by inhibiting the activation of inflammatory cells and the synthesis of pro-inflammatory cytokines, meanwhile, Eda was responsible for free radical scavenger in ARDS. Results These data showed ZIF8-EP protected RAW264.7 cells from oxidative stress-induced apoptosis by removing excessive ROS in cells. In the mice model of LPS-induced ARDS, ZIF8-EP nanospray appreciably inhibited the inflammatory response and weakened the oxidative stress, and efficiently controlled the damage of ARDS to lung tissue. Subsequently, WB, IHC, RT-qPCR and Elisa experiments verified the main mechanism of ZIF8-EP nanospray inhibiting ARDS inflammation. Conclusion Taken together, compared with free PTX and Eda the nanospray was proved to have excellent therapeutic effect on ARDS in vitro and in vivo without hematotoxicity and systemic toxicity.

Intumescent fire-retardants (IFR) are widely applied in fire protection coatings of steel and wooden structures. The addition of inorganic fillers, such as layered ionic clays, can improve the fireproof performance of IFR coatings. However, a fundamental insight of how these filler materials synergistically interact with the IFR materials remains elusive. In this study, we address this fundamental knowledge gap by systematically investigating the synergy between the IFR fire protection coatings and the CaAlCO3-layer double hydroxide (LDH) or montmorillonite (MMT) fillers, which render substantially longer fire resistance (>20 min), reduced specific extinction area (by 54.7 and 44.1 m2 kg−2, respectively), and reduced heat release (by 0.9 and 0.7 MJ m−2, respectively). Combining experimental results and density functional theory calculations, we show for the first time that the superior fireproof performance of the MMT-IFR fire coating originates from the chemical modifications of the char layer by Si-doping. The chemical stabilisation of the silicon- and nitrogen-doped graphene (Si–N-G) structures improves the oxidation resistance of the char layer. Additionally, the formation of the Si–N-G structures with limited lattice deformation stabilised the porous morphology of the char layer, thereby promoting its heat-shielding performance. Submitted/Accepted version This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 51876224) and the Innovation-Driven Project of Central South University (Grant No. 2020CX008). X. Hu acknowledges the China Scholarship Council (CSC) for financial support.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an effective noninvasive therapeutic strategy that can convert oxygen to highly cytotoxic singlet oxygen (1O2) through the co-localization of excitation light and photosensitizers. However, compromised by the hypoxic tumor microenvironment, the therapeutic efficacy of PDT is reduced seriously. Herein, to overcome tumor-associated hypoxia, and further achieve tumor-targeted synergistic chemotherapy/PDT/photothermal therapy (PTT), we have constructed a biodegradable oxygen-producing nanoplatform (named Ini@PM-HP), which was composed of the porous metal-organic framework (PCN-224(Mn)), the poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor (Iniparib), and the polydopamine-modified hyaluronic acid (HA-PDA). Since HA can specifically bind to the overexpressed HA receptors (cluster determinant 44, CD44) on tumor cell, Ini@PM-HP prefers to accumulate at the tumor site once injected intravenously. Then iniparib can be released in tumor environment (TME), thereby dysfunctioning DNA damage repair and promoting cell apoptosis. At the same time, the chelating of Mn and tetrakis(4-carboxyphenyl) porphyrin (Mn-TCPP) can generate O2 in situ by reacting with endogenous H2O2, relieving the hypoxic TME and achieving enhanced PDT. Moreover, owing to the high photothermal conversion efficiency of PDA, PTT can be driven by the 808 nm laser irradiation. As systematically demonstrated in vitro and in vivo, this nanotherapeutic approach enables the combined therapy with great inhibition on tumor. Overall, the as-prepared nanoplatform provide a promising strategy to overcome tumor-associated hypoxia, and shows great potential for combination tumor therapy. Statement of significance A delicately designed biodegradable oxygen-producing nanoplatform Ini@PM-HP is constructed to achieve combination therapy of solid tumors. Taking advantage of the active-targeting, PTT, enhanced PDT and PARPi, this nanotherapeutic approach successfully enables the combined chemo/photothermal/photodynamic therapy with great inhibition of solid tumors.

Integrating chemodynamic therapy (CDT) and photodynamic therapy (PDT) into one nanoplatform can produce much more reactive oxygen species (ROS) for tumor therapy. Nevertheless, it is still a great challenge to selectively generate sufficient ROS in tumor regions. Meanwhile, CDT and PDT are restricted by insufficient H

Up to now, chemotherapy is still the main strategy for cancer treatment. However, the emergence of chemo-resistance and systemic side effects often seriously affects the treatment and prognosis. Herein, an intelligent nanoplatform based on dendritic mesoporous organosilica nanoparticles (DMON) is constructed. The encapsulated phase-change material, 1-tetradecanol (TD) can serve as a "doorkeeper" and enable the responsive release of drugs based on the temperature changes. Meanwhile, polyethylene glycol (PEG) is used to improve the dispersibility and biocompatibility. Cisplatin is chosen as the model of chemotherapy drug, which is co-loaded with indocyanine green (ICG) in DMON to produce DMON-PEG-cisplatin/ICG-TD (DPCIT). Exciting, the hyperthermia and reactive oxygen species induced by ICG under the NIR-laser irradiation will initiate a phase transition of TD to release cisplatin, thus leading a combined therapy (chemo/photothermal/photodynamic therapy). The results indicated that under laser irradiation, DPCIT can kill cancer cells and inhibit tumor growth efficiently. In addition, the designed nanoplatform reveals minimal systemic toxicity in vivo, in contrast, the distinct liver damage can be observed by the direct treatment of cisplatin. Overall, this research may provide a general approach for the targeted delivery and controlled release of chemotherapy drugs to realize a cooperatively enhanced multimodal tumor therapy.

PurposeThis paper propose an algorithm for the multiple silicon steel coils multiperiod two-dimensional lengthwise cutting stock problem (m2DLCSP), so as to minimize the total cost of materials and production.Design/methodology/approachThe authors propose a sequential leftovers utilization correction (SLUC) algorithm for the m2DLCSP. The algorithm primarily considers three optimization strategies. First, it considers usable leftovers to simplify the cutting process and improve material utilization. The total quantity and types of leftovers should be limited in order to avoid leftover overstock. Second, it uses a splice method of items to improve the generated cutting plan. Third, it takes into account operational restrictions in the cutting operations. Operational restrictions include imposing maximum and minimum lengths on the cutting patterns, and the limitation of cutting knives at the slitting machines.FindingsSeveral sets of benchmark with real-world and randomly generated instances are provided to evaluate the algorithm. Compared with literature algorithm and current procedure applied in enterprises, the computational results indicate that proposed algorithm can effectively reduce the total cost, and the computation time is reasonable for practical use.Social implicationsThis algorithm can effectively reduce the total cost.Originality/valueThe proposed method can effectively applied to solve the m2DLCSP and improve the economic efficiency of enterprises.

A novel macromolecular carbon-nitrogen-phosphorous (C-N-P) intumescent flame retardant (IFR) containing acid, carbon, and gas sources was prepared by calcining polyphosphate (APP), pentaerythritol (PER), and melamine (MEL) through the direct heating method. The carbonization and expansion behaviors of IFR were investigated by testing the products of IFR, using nuclear magnetic resonance, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, transmission electron microscope, and scanning electron microscopy, at 360 °C, 450 °C, and 600 °C. Conjugated double bonds polymerized the nitrogenous polyaromatic structures as polyphosphate decomposed into phosphoric acid and diphosphate. Noncombustible gases released by MEL increased the internal pressure of the viscoelastic materials to make it expand. At temperatures below 450 °C, MEL promotes the formation of nitrogenous polyaromatic structures in the material, thereby optimizing the IFR char layer structure. The heat release rate, effective heat combustion, total heat release, and total oxygen consume of the IFR coated fabric were less than those of an uncoated fabric by 18%, 5%, 16%, and 13%, respectively, reducing the risk of fire hazard. The foam char formed during the burning of an IFR coated fabric controls the fabric’s oxidation process and prevents its shrinking.

Atrophic chronic gastritis (ACG) is a preneoplastic condition of gastric carcinoma. Numerous studies have shown anxiety and depression can affect gastrointestinal function, which may promote gastrointestinal disorders development and progression. Thus, we hypothesized that anxiety and depression may enhance the development and progression of ACG. In this study, we aimed to analyse risk factors for anxiety and depression in ACG patients and integrate these risk factors to construct an effective clinical prediction model.In total, 118 ACG patients were included from July 2021 to May 2022. Anxiety and depression were assessed utilizing the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Data were collected on demographic characteristics, lifestyle, and dietary habits. Risk factors for anxiety and depression were explored with univariate analysis and multivariate stepwise logistic regression, and risk prediction models were built.Among 118 ACG patients, 36.4% had anxiety, 25.4% had depression, and 21.2% had both anxiety and depression. Poor sleep quality [odd ratio (OR) 4.32, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.60-11.65, P=0.004] was positively associated with risk of anxiety, while smoking (OR 0.15, 95% CI: 0.03-0.68, P=0.014) and weekly exercise time (OR 0.89, 95% CI: 0.79-0.99, P=0.037) were negatively associated with risk of anxiety. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was 80.3%, 95% CI: [0.722-0.885]. The sensitivity was 72.1%, and the specificity was 78.7%. Poor sleep quality (P0.001, OR 23.89, 95% CI: 4.05-141.05), high salt diet (P=0.004, OR 6.94, 95% CI: 1.86-25.96), family history of tumours (P=0.020, OR 6.10, 95% CI: 1.33-27.93), and abdominal pain (P=0.018, OR 4.44, 95% CI: 1.29-15.23) were positively associated with the risk of depression, with an area under the ROC curve of 77.3%, 95% CI: 0.687-0.860. The sensitivity was 83.3%, and the specificity was 62.5%.Potential anxiety and depression in ACG patients can be identified early by referring to risk factors and protective factors. The prediction model could be used to detect anxiety and depression in ACG patients at their earliest stage and provide meaningful suggestions for ACG patients.

Herein, a multi-functional nanoplatform (PDA-DTC/Cu–MnO2) was established, which has been employed for MR imaging-guided multi-therapy (CDT, PTT and chemotherapy) for cancer treatment. The in vitro and in vivo results confirmed that the biocompatible nanoplatform could significantly induce tumor cell death and inhibit tumor growth.

Inhibition of Tau protein aggregation is an attractive therapeutic target for Alzheimer's disease. However, most of the inhibitors have failed in clinical trials due to the superficial understanding of inhibition mechanism and drug-transfer pharmacokinetics. Innovation of design strategy has become a top priority. To afford a hairpinlike molecular inhibitor, we introduced tannic acid, a multibranched polyphenol molecule, and its moiety, gallic acid. We showed that tannic acid could effectively inhibit Tau aggregation through a multidentate chelation mode. We then encapsulated tannic acid in a non-neurotoxic liposome by lecithin/β-sitosterol, overcoating with Tween 80. Using transwell devices, we cytologically demonstrated that tannic acid liposome can successfully be transferred across the model of a blood-brain barrier made up of mouse brain microvascular endothelial cell bEnd.3 and effectively reduce Tau aggregation induced by fibrils of Tau peptide R3 in human neuroblastoma cell SK-N-SH. This result indicates the potential therapeutic effect of tannic acid liposome on Alzheimer's disease.

Objective Fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) is a common psychosocial sequela among cancer survivors, but data on patients with multiple myeloma are scarce. This study calculated the prevalence of FCR and identified family and social factors that predict FCR in the study population. Methods We recruited 127 myeloma patients and their partners to participate in a cross‐sectional survey from a regional tertiary cancer centre in China. The questionnaires included items on demographic characteristics and from the fear of disease progression simplified scale, family hardiness index and Social Support Scale. Univariate and multivariate regression was used to identify predictors of FCR. Results Of the participants, 56.4% patients reported high‐level FCR, which was similar to the partner‐reported proportion. The partners' FCR was positively associated with the patients' FCR, while family hardiness and social support were statistically significant, negative predictors. Conclusions Interventions to mitigate partners' FCR and improve family hardiness and social support may help with the psychological adjustment and well‐being of myeloma patients.

Rice blast, caused by the fungal pathogen Magnaporthe oryzae (M. oryzae), is one of the most destructive and widespread plant diseases in the world. Utilization of resistance genes in rice breeding is considered to be an effective and economical method to control this disease. To identify new sources of blast resistance, a set of 1160 introgression lines (ILs) containing chromosome segments of Chaling common wild rice (Oryza rufipogon Griff.) in the genetic background of an elite indica rice variety 93‐11 were developed and phenotyped in the blast nursery. Thirty‐three ILs displaying stable blast resistance in three consecutive years were obtained. Among them, one line, IL1043, was subsequently found to be resistant to all of the 28 M. oryzae isolates from different regions through artificial inoculation in greenhouse. By combining bulk segregant analysis coupled with next‐generation sequencing (BSA‐seq) and recessive class analysis (RCA), a major blast resistance gene in IL1043, designated Picl(t), was mapped on rice chromosome 6 flanked by the markers RM527 and Indel6 with an interval of approximately 925 kb, which covers the Pi2/9 locus. These results will facilitate fine mapping and cloning of Picl(t), and the linked markers will further provide a useful tool for rice blast resistance breeding.

Curcumin, a molecule of labile natural product, has multiplex pharmacological effects, including antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anticancer effects as well as anti-Alzheimer's disease (AD) properties. However, the drawbacks of curcumin such as poor stability and bioavailability seriously limited its application in drug development. Numerous literature studies suggested the conversion of curcumin to metal complexes and explored the clearance of β-amyloid fibrils by curcumin conjugates. However, the research about the inhibition effect of curcumin complex on τ protein aggregation is progressing slowly, and its interactive orientation with the related proteins from the steric effect has been ignored. Inspired by the perspective on interactive orientation, we conjugated curcumin molecule on the positive-charged scaffold of Ru(II) complexes (bipyridine for Ru1, phenanthroline for Ru2) to construct an octahedral structure. After being conjugated with a ruthenium octahedral framework, curcumin exhibited a stronger ability to not only inhibit aggregation of R3, the τ peptide corresponding to the third repeat unit of the microtubule binding domain (residues 306-336 in full τ) (Ru1 with an IC50 of 0.5 μM and Ru2 with an IC50 of less than 3 μM) but also disaggregate R3 fibers with dose-dependence through an exothermic and dynamic process. Autodock simulation was applied to get a hairpin-docking mode in the inhibition of R3 aggregation. Herein, our results provide a rational strategy emphasizing the interactive orientation from an octahedral steric structure to design the anti-AD drugs with natural compound.

Background Several studies show that autophagy plays an important part in the biological processes of lung adenocarcinoma. Therefore, this work aimed to establish one scoring system on the basis of the expression profiles of differentially expressed autophagy-related genes (DEARGs) in patients with lung adenocarcinoma. Methods The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) was applied to retrieve lung adenocarcinoma data. The overall survival (OS)-associated DEARGs were selected for the DEARG scoring scale. Moreover, the online database Kaplan-Meier Plotter (www.Kmplot.com) was employed to verify the accuracy of our results. Results The expression patterns of DEARG were detected in lung adenocarcinoma as well as normal lung tissues. A gene set related to autophagy was identified, along with 9 genes that showed marked significance in predicting the lung adenocarcinoma prognosis. According to the cox regression results, DEARGs (including ITGB4, BIRC5, ERO1A, and NLRC4) were applied to calculate the DEARGs risk score. Patients with lower DEARGs risk scores were associated with better OS. Moreover, based on analysis with the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, DEARGs accurately distinguished the healthy tissues from lung adenocarcinoma tissues [area under the curve (AUC) value of >0.6]. Conclusions A scoring system is constructed based on the primary DEARGs, which accurately predicts the outcomes of lung adenocarcinoma.

Despite drug delivery nanoplatforms receiving extensive attention, development of a simple, effective, and multifunctional theranostics nanoplatform still remains a challenge. Herein, a versatile nanoplatform based on a zirconium framework (UiO-66-N3 ) was synthesized, which demonstrated a combined photodynamic therapy (PDT), photothermal therapy (PTT), and chemotherapy (CT) for cancer treatment. A RuII polypyridyl alkyne complex (Ra) as a photosensitizer was modified into a nanoplatform by click reactions for the first time. When exposed to suitable light irradiation, the as-prepared multifunctional nanoplatform (UiO-Ra-DOX-CuS) not only demonstrated efficient 1 O2 generation, but also exhibited excellent photothermal conversion ability. In particular, the nanotherapeutic agent presented a dual-stimuli response; either acidic environment or NIR laser irradiation would trigger the drug release. The synergetic efficacy of UiO-Ra-DOX-CuS combined PDT, PTT, and CT, which was evaluated by cell experiments. Moreover, the design could promote the development of RuII polypyridyl alkyne complexes based multifunctional nanoparticles and multimodal cancer treatment.

To overcome the acquired resistance and the significant side-effects of the reported drugs, four new ruthenium(ii) complexes with alkynyl (Ru1, Ru2, Ru3, Ru4) were designed and synthesized. Ru1, Ru2, Ru3 and Ru4 were characterized by ESI-MS, 1H NMR, 1H-1H COSY NMR and elemental analysis. Compared with Ru2, Ru3, Ru4 and cisplatin, the anti-tumor experiments in vitro and vivo confirmed that Ru1 could most effectively inhibit tumor growth. In the experiments of safety evaluation in vivo, Ru1 could avoid any detectable side-effects compared with cisplatin. DNA binding experiments and cell cycle experiments showed that Ru1 exhibited the strongest DNA binding ability and interfered with the cell cycle by inserting DNA to inhibit tumor growth. The study demonstrated that Ru1 had the potential to be an exciting new drug candidate for glioblastoma treatment.

A combination of chemotherapy and phototherapy has been proposed as a promising treatment for esophageal cancer (EC). Irinotecan as a first-line treatment option is widely prescribed for metastatic EC, however, its clinical application is extremely restricted by the low conversion rate to SN38, severe myelosuppression and diarrhea. As a more potent active metabolite of irinotecan, SN38 is a better substitution for irinotecan, but the poor water solubility and the difficulty of encapsulation hindered its medical application. Herein, a multifunctional SN38-conjugated nanosystem (FA-PDA@PZM/SN38@BSA-MnO2, denoted as FA-PPSM) is designed for overcoming the above-mentioned drawbacks and achieving collaborative chemotherapy, photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photothermal therapy (PTT). The tumor acidic microenvironment induces decomposition of BSA-MnO2 nanoparticles into O2 and Mn2+, thus enhancing oxygen-dependent PDT efficacy; meanwhile, Mn2+ can be employed as a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent. Under 650 and 808 nm laser irradiation, the FA-PPSM nanocomposites exhibit superior antitumor efficacy in Eca-109-tumor bearing mice. Notably, there is low gastrointestinal toxicity and myelosuppression in the FA-PPSM treated mice compared with those treated with irinotecan (alone). Taken together, this work highlights the great potential of the FA-PPSM nanocomposites for MRI-guided chemotherapy in combination with endoscopic light therapy for esophageal cancer.

Microbial antagonists and their bioactive metabolites provide one of the best alternatives to chemical pesticides to control crop disease for sustainable agriculture and global food security. The rice endophyte Streptomyces hygroscopicus OsiSh-2, with remarkable antagonistic activity towards the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae, was reported in our previous study. The present study deciphered the possible direct interaction mode of OsiSh-2 against M. oryzae. An in vitro antibiotic assay for OsiSh-2 culture filtrate revealed strong suppression of mycelial growth, conidial germination and appressorial formation of M. oryzae. Meanwhile, severe morphological and internal abnormalities in M. oryzae hyphae were observed under a scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope. Foliar treatment of rice seedlings by OsiSh-2 culture filtrate in the greenhouse and in the field showed 23.5% and 28.3% disease reduction, respectively. Correspondingly, OsiSh-2 culture filtrate could induce disorganized chitin deposition in the cell wall and lowered ergosterol content in the cell membrane of M. oryzae. Additionally, cell wall integrity pathway activation, large cell electrolytes release, reactive oxygen species accumulation and tricarboxylic acid cycle-related enzyme activity changes were found in M. oryzae. All these results suggested that the direct antagonistic activity of OsiSh-2 against M. oryzae may be attributed to damaging the integrity of the cell wall and membrane and disrupting mitochondrial function in the pathogen.

MgAlCO3-layered double hydroxides (MgAlCO3-LDHs) were introduced in a waterborne intumescent fire retardant (IFR) with nano-coating containing ammonium polyphosphate (APP), pentaerythritol (PER), and melamine (MEL). The effects of MgAlCO3-LDHs were evaluated based on thermogravimetry (TG), differential thermal analysis (DTA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic analyses (FT-IR), X-ray power spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), fire performance test, and cone calorimetry. The 1.8 wt% of MgAlCO3-LDHs added to the IFR coating promoted the expansion of the char layer to improve its thermal insulation performance during the fire performance test. The results characterized by TG, DTA, XPS, and FT-IR revealed that MgAlCO3-LDHs enhanced the residual weight, the thermal stability and the oxidation resistance of the IFR coating. There was statistical evidence that the heat-shielding performance was reinforced by adding an appropriate amount of MgAlCO3-LDHs to the IFR coating to form uniform and compact foams in the char layer by using the digital image to process SEM images. The cone calorimetry revealed that a 46% reduction in total smoke production (or total smoke release) and a 25% decrease in the smoke production ratio were achieved in the coating with added MgAlCO3-LDHs compared with that without. It can be concluded that the addition of MgAlCO3-LDHs to IFR coating actively interacts with APP, PER, and MEL, thus improving the fire retardant properties of the coating.