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Self‐hygroscopic hydrogels, characterized by high evaporation enthalpy, cooling efficiency, and self‐regulating properties, have garnered significant attention. However, most current research focuses on enhancing the hygroscopic and desorption performance, often overlooking the importance of monitoring the self‐regulation process, which limits its further application. Advanced visualization technologies, such as in situ electrical impedance tomography, low‐field nuclear magnetic resonance, and hyperspectral imaging, offer potential insights into this behavior, yet they often require additional devices, incur high costs, and involve complex sample preparation processes. Therefore, drawing inspiration from nature, humidity‐color‐sensitive hydrogels (HCSHs) strategy is proposed for visualized cooling. Benefiting from the strong polar responsiveness of the aggregation‐induced emission (AIE) molecules, the hydrogel's fluorescence significantly changes with varying interior water content, thereby its self‐regulation process is monitored easily. Further, the obtained hydrogel could be applied in the electronic device cooling owing to the polymer skeletons’ high swelling ratio, strong adhesion, and excellent self‐hygroscopic properties. This strategy overcomes current limitations in the visual technology of self‐hygroscopic materials and provides new insights into intelligent thermal management for electronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self‐assembly is an effective approach to construct complicated structures. Polyrotaxanes (PRs) as one of the typical polymer types with complex structure, own interlocked structures and dynamic components, in which it results in unique characteristics and functions. Currently, the synthesis of which involves covalent reactions to hinder the development of polyrotaxanes. Herein, we employed supramolecular interactions as well as dynamic covalent bonds to synthesize PRs by sequential self‐assembly. First, we prepared M1 possessing two diamine structures and M2 of a bisammonium salt with two dibenzylammonium (DBA) units modified by two stoppers at its ends, then M1 and M2 self‐assembled into supramolecular polymers stemming from hydrogen bonding of [N+−H ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ O] under high concentrations. After adding 2,6‐pyridinedicarboxaldehyde (M3), the imine bond formation enabled the generation of macrocycles, transforming supramolecular polymers into PRs. Besides, the solution of polyrotaxanes was applied as the adhesive for diverse hard and soft materials. This strategy provides an important approach for synthesizing PRs, accelerating the advances of mechanically interlocked polymers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inadequate vascularization is a major challenge in tissue engineering and can lead to the failure of tissue defect repair. Currently, the use of nanomaterials has emerged as a critical strategy for tissue engineering. Nanoparticles can be utilized as additives in composite materials to enhance the development of bone tissue engineering. Niobium (Nb), a transition metal element with notable biocompatibility, has potential in angiogenesis. However, the effect of Nb nanoparticles (a form of niobium in the nanoparticle state) on endothelial cell behavior remains unclear. This study focused on the effect of Nb nanoparticles on the differentiation of tip cells and its in-depth regulatory mechanism. Our results revealed that Nb nanoparticles promoted angiogenesis at an early stage and increased bone regeneration in calvarial bone defects. In addition, Nb nanoparticles activated tip cell differentiation and thereby promoted cell migration and tube formation. Furthermore, we verified that Nb nanoparticles promoted endothelial tip cell formation by activating YAP. Nb nanoparticles regulates YAP through the newly identified upstream regulatory molecules FOXA1 and PAK4. When FOXA1 or PAK4 was inhibited, YAP expression and tip cell activation were inhibited. Thus, Nb nanoparticles promoted angiogenesis by activating endothelial tip cells, and the FOXA1-PAK4-YAP signaling cascade regulated this process. The insights garnered from this study suggest a strategy for tissue engineering and lay a theoretical foundation for the expanded application of Nb nanoparticles in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose : Soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics strongly affect the terrestrial carbon balance, and stable isotopic measurements provide detailed information about SOC cycling. However, the response of δ13C and SOC to climatic factors is still not well known in high alpine regions. Methods: In this study, soil δ13C and SOC in vertical soil profiles were analysed at alpine grassland sites along four precipitation gradients (350–400, 450–500, 550–600, and 650–700 mm) on the eastern Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau. The β value is defined by the slope of the linear regression relating soil δ13C to the logarithm of SOC, and the higher β values represent slower SOC turnover. Results: The SOC concentration tended to decline with increasing soil depth from 0 to 40 cm, while δ13C was enriched in alpine grassland on the eastern Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau. The δ13C values in the 650–700-mm class were relatively depleted compared with other precipitation classes. Redundancy analysis (RDA) showed that altitude was the most important factor—explaining 20.9% of the variation in 13C in surface soil (0–10 cm), followed by mean annual air temperature (MAT) (17.1%) and mean annual precipitation (MAP) (16.9%). MAT and altitude were the main factors controlling δ13C and β values. MAP did not significantly affect SOC distribution, but lower δ13C and β values occurred with higher precipitation. Correlations between SOC content and MAT increased significantly after removing relationships with MAP. Conclusions: The results indicate that faster SOC decomposition may not necessarily lead to SOC losses on the eastern Tibetan Plateau given current conditions. Future research should consider the effects of interactions between warmer and wetter conditions (predicted under climate change) on SOC content and turnover. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrochemiluminescence (ECL) is a powerful tool for clinical diagnosis due to its exceptional sensitivity. However, the standard tripropylamine (TPrA) coreactant for Ru(bpy) 3 Cl 2 , the most widely studied and used ECL system, is highly toxic. Despite extensive research on alternative coreactants, they often fall short in poor efficiency. From a reaction kinetics perspective, accelerating electrooxidation rate of Ru(bpy) 3 Cl 2 is an essential way to compensate the efficiency limitation of coreactants, but is rarely reported. Here, a hybrid electrocatalyst@coreactant dots for the ECL of Ru(bpy) 3 Cl 2 is reported. The as-prepared WSe 2 @bovine serum albumin (WSe 2 @BSA) dots is biocompatible, and demonstrate dual functions, i.e., the BSA shell works as a coreactant, meanwhile, the WSe 2 core effectively catalyzes Ru(bpy) 3 Cl 2 oxidation. As a result, WSe 2 @BSA dots exhibit an exceptionally high efficiency comparable to TPrA for the ECL of Ru(bpy) 3 Cl 2 . In addition, the procedure for synthesizing WSe 2 @BSA dots is facile (room temperature, atmospheric conditions), rapid (5 min), and scalable (for millions of bioassays). A biosensor utilizing WSe 2 @BSA dots shows promise for highly sensitive detecting glypican-3 in clinical liver cancer serum samples, especially for alpha-fetoprotein-negative patients. This work opens a new avenue for developing a highly efficient ECL system for biosensing and clinical diagnosis., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Background: Lung metastasis is the primary cause of breast cancer-related mortality. Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are involved in the progression of breast cancer. However, the mechanism of NET formation is not fully understood. This study posits that tumor cell-released autophagosomes (TRAPs) play a crucial role in this process., Methods: TRAPs were isolated from breast cancer cell lines to analyze their impact on NET formation in both human and mouse neutrophils. The study used both in vitro and in vivo models, including Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4 - / - ) mice and engineered breast cancer cell lines. Immunofluorescence, ELISA, Western blotting, RNA sequencing, and flow cytometry were employed to dissect the signaling pathways leading to NET production and to explore their immunosuppressive effects, particularly focusing on the impact of NETs on T-cell function. The therapeutic potential of targeting TRAP-induced NETs and their immunosuppressive functions was evaluated using DNase I and αPD-L1 antibodies. Clinical relevance was assessed by correlating circulating levels of TRAPs and NETs with lung metastasis in patients with breast cancer., Results: This study showed that TRAPs induced the formation of NETs in both human and mouse neutrophils by using the high mobility group box 1 and activating the TLR4-Myd88-ERK/p38 signaling axis. More importantly, PD-L1 carried by TRAP-induced NETs inhibited T-cell function in vitro and in vivo, thereby contributing to the formation of lung premetastatic niche (PMN) immunosuppression. In contrast, Becn1 KD-4T1 breast tumors with decreased circulating TRAPs in vivo reduced the formation of NETs, which in turn attenuated the immunosuppressive effects in PMN and resulted in a reduction of breast cancer pulmonary metastasis in murine models. Moreover, treatment with αPD-L1 in combination with DNase I that degraded NETs restored T-cell function and significantly reduced tumor metastasis. TRAP levels in the peripheral blood positively correlated with NET levels and lung metastasis in patients with breast cancer., Conclusions: Our results demonstrate a novel role of TRAPs in the formation of PD-L1-decorated NETs, which may provide a new strategy for early detection and treatment of pulmonary metastasis in patients with breast cancer., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)