Preparation and Rheological Evaluation of Thiol-Maleimide/Thiol-Thiol Double Self-Crosslinking Hyaluronic Acid-Based Hydrogels as Dermal Fillers for Aesthetic Medicine.

This study presents the development of thiol-maleimide/thiol-thiol double self-crosslinking hyaluronic acid-based (HA) hydrogels for use as dermal fillers. Hyaluronic acid with varying degrees of maleimide substitution (10%, 20%, and 30%) was synthesized and characterized, and HA hydrogels were fabricated using two molecular weights of four-arm polyethylene glycol (PEG10K/20K)-thiol as crosslinkers. The six resulting HA hydrogels demonstrated solid-like behavior with distinct physical and rheological properties.

Flexible Non-Enzymatic Glucose Sensors: One-Step Green Synthesis of NiO Nanoporous Films via an Electro-Exploding Wire Technique.

In this study, we successfully synthesized nickel oxide (NiO) nanoparticles (NPs), i.e., samples , , and , via an environmentally friendly one-step electro-exploding wire technique by employing three distinct voltage levels of 24, 36, and 48 V, respectively.

Massively Enhanced Charge Selectivity, Ion Transport, and Osmotic Energy Conversion by Antiswelling Nanoconfined Hydrogels.

Developing a nanofluidic membrane with simultaneously enhanced ion selectivity and permeability for high-performance osmotic energy conversion has largely been unexplored. Here, we tackle this issue by the confinement of highly space-charged hydrogels within an orderedly aligned nanochannel array membrane. The nanoconfinement effect endows the hydrogel-based membrane with excellent antiswelling property.

Magnetic Tunability via Control of Crystallinity and Size in Polycrystalline Iron Oxide Nanoparticles.

Iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) are widely used for biomedical applications due to their unique magnetic properties and biocompatibility. However, the controlled synthesis of IONPs with tunable particle sizes and crystallite/grain sizes to achieve desired magnetic functionalities across single-domain and multi-domain size ranges remains an important challenge. Here, a facile synthetic method is used to produce iron oxide nanospheres (IONSs) with controllable size and crystallinity for magnetic tunability.

A-LLTO Nanoparticles Embedded Composite Solid Polymer Electrolyte for Room Temperature Operational Li-metal Batteries.

Solid-state batteries (SSBs) have the potential to revolutionize the current energy storage sector. A significant portion of the current development of electric vehicles and the electrification of various appliances relies on Lithium (Li)-ion batteries. However, future energy demands will require the development of stronger and more reliable batteries.

Diagnosing and staging epithelial ovarian cancer by serum glycoproteomic profiling.

Background: There is a need for diagnostic tests for screening, triaging and staging of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). Glycoproteomics of blood samples has shown promise for biomarker discovery.

Methods: We applied glycoproteomics to serum of people with EOC or benign pelvic masses and healthy controls.

Mass Spectrometry Analysis of Glycopeptides Enriched by Anion Exchange-Mediated Methods Reveals PolyLacNAc-Extended -Glycans in Integrins and Tetraspanins in Melanoma Cells.

Glycosylation is a key modulator of the functional state of proteins. Recent developments in large-scale analysis of intact glycopeptides have enabled the identification of numerous glycan structures that are relevant in pathophysiological processes. However, one motif found in -glycans, poly--acetyllactosamine (polyLacNAc), still poses a substantial challenge to mass spectrometry-based glycoproteomic analysis due to its relatively low abundance and large size.

Surface Modification of Nanopores in an Anodic Aluminum Oxide Membrane through Dopamine-Assisted Codeposition with a Zwitterionic Polymer.

Surface modification through dopamine-assisted codeposition with functional zwitterionic polymers can provide a simple and one-step functionalization under ambient conditions with robust and stable dopamine-surface interactions to improve the hydrophilicity of nanoporous membranes, thereby expanding their applicability to nanofiltration, ion transport, and blood purification. However, a significant knowledge gap remains in our comprehension of the mechanisms underlying the formation and deposition of dopamine/polymer aggregated coatings within nanoscale confinement. This study explores a feasible method for membrane modification through the codeposition of dopamine hydrochloride (DA) and poly(sulfobetaine methacrylate) (PSBMA) on nanopores of anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membranes.

Variable PD-1 glycosylation modulates the activity of immune checkpoint inhibitors.

Monoclonal antibodies targeting the immune checkpoint PD-1 have provided significant clinical benefit across a number of solid tumors, with differences in efficacy and toxicity profiles possibly related to their intrinsic molecular properties. Here, we report that camrelizumab and cemiplimab engage PD-1 through interactions with its fucosylated glycan. Using a combination of protein and cell glycoengineering, we demonstrate that the two antibodies bind preferentially to PD-1 with core fucose at the asparagine N58 residue.

Room-Temperature Ferromagnetism in Epitaxial Bilayer FeSb/SrTiO(001) Terminated with a Kagome Lattice.

Two-dimensional (2D) magnets exhibit unique physical properties for potential applications in spintronics. To date, most 2D ferromagnets are obtained by mechanical exfoliation of bulk materials with van der Waals interlayer interactions, and the synthesis of single- or few-layer 2D ferromagnets with strong interlayer coupling remains experimentally challenging. Here, we report the epitaxial growth of 2D non-van der Waals ferromagnetic bilayer FeSb on SrTiO(001) substrates stabilized by strong coupling to the substrate, which exhibits in-plane magnetic anisotropy and a Curie temperature above 390 K.

Vacancy-mediated anomalous phononic and electronic transport in defective half-Heusler ZrNiBi.

Studies of vacancy-mediated anomalous transport properties have flourished in diverse fields since these properties endow solid materials with fascinating photoelectric, ferroelectric, and spin-electric behaviors. Although phononic and electronic transport underpin the physical origin of thermoelectrics, vacancy has only played a stereotyped role as a scattering center. Here we reveal the multifunctionality of vacancy in tailoring the transport properties of an emerging thermoelectric material, defective n-type ZrNiBi.

Comparison of Characteristics of Breast Cancer Detected through Different Imaging Modalities in a Large Cohort of Hong Kong Chinese Women: Implication of Imaging Choice on Upcoming Local Screening Program.

Background: We compared the clinico-radio-pathological characteristics of breast cancer detected through mammogram (MMG) and ultrasound (USG) and discuss the implication of the choice of imaging as the future direction of our recently launched local screening program.

Methods: Retrospective study of 14613 Hong Kong Chinese female patients with histologically confirmed breast cancer registered in the Hong Kong Breast Cancer Registry between January 2006 and February 2020. Patients were classified into four groups based on the mode of breast cancer detection (detectable by both mammogram and ultrasound (MMG+/USG+), mammogram only (MMG+/USG-), ultrasound only (MMG-/USG+), or not detectable by either (MMG-/USG-).

Optimizing Membranes for Osmotic Power Generation.

The design of ion-selective membranes is the key towards efficient reverse electrodialysis-based osmotic power conversion. The tradeoff between ion selectivity (output voltage) and ion permeability (output current) in existing porous membranes, however, limits the upgradation of power generation efficiency for practical applications. Thus, we provide the simple guidelines based on fundamentals of ion transport in nanofluidics for promoting osmotic power conversion.

Fabry-Perot Oscillation and Resonance Energy Transfer: Mechanism for Ultralow-Threshold Optically and Electrically Driven Random Laser in Quasi-2D Ruddlesden-Popper Perovskites.

The recently emerged metal-halide hybrid perovskite (MHP) possesses superb optoelectronic features, which have obtained great attention in solid-state lighting, photodetection, and photovoltaic applications. Because of its excellent external quantum efficiency, MHP has promising potential for the manifestation of ultralow threshold optically pumped laser. However, the demonstration of an electrically driven laser remains a challenge because of the vulnerable degradation of perovskite, limited exciton binding energy (E), intensity quenching, and efficiency drop by nonradiative recombinations.

A Multicenter, Randomized, Open-Label Study to Compare the Efficacy and Safety of Tacrolimus and Corticosteroids in Combination With or Without Mycophenolate Mofetil in Liver Transplantation Recipients Infected With Hepatitis B Virus.

Background: Mycophenolate mofetil exhibits pharmacologic mechanisms different from calcineurin inhibitors. Therefore, the dose of calcineurin inhibitors can be reduced along with side effects for effective immunosuppression. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of tacrolimus and corticosteroid in combination with or without mycophenolate mofetil in living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) recipients infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV).

LaGeMO (M = Ag, Cu): Rare-Earth Metal Suboxide Superconductors with [LaO] Cluster Units.

Herein we report two reduced rare-earth metal-based superconductors, LaGeMO (M = Ag, Cu), that feature an unprecedented [LaO] cluster composed of five oxygen-centered [LaO] octahedra condensed through shared faces and capped with [Ge] butterfly rings. The structure, determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, crystallizes in a tetragonal space group (4/), with = 15.508(2) Å and = 11.

Local spectroscopic evidence for a nodeless magnetic kagome superconductor CeRu.

We report muon spin rotation (SR) experiments on the microscopic properties of superconductivity and magnetism in the kagome superconductor CeRuwithTc≃5 K. From the measurements of the temperature-dependent magnetic penetration depth, the superconducting order parameter exhibits nodeless pairing, which fits best to an anisotropic-wave gap symmetry. We further show that theTc/ratio is comparable to that of unconventional superconductors.

MTAP deficiency contributes to immune landscape remodelling and tumour evasion.

Methylthioadenosine phosphorylase (MTAP) deficiency occurs in various malignancies and is associated with poor survival in cancer patients. However, the mechanisms underlying tumour progression due to MTAP loss are yet to be elucidated. Utilizing integrated analyses of the transcriptome, proteome and secretome, we demonstrated that MTAP deficiency alters tumour-intrinsic, immune-related pathways and reprograms cytokine profiles towards a tumour-favourable environment.

[The Hospice-Care Promotion Experiences of Multidisciplinary Care Providers in Residential Long-Term Care Facilities: A Qualitative Study].

Background: In aging societies, residents of residential long-term care facilities (RLTCF) are a population that can significantly influence the success of efforts to promote hospice care and to achieve societal goals of domestic aging in place and good death. Multidisciplinary healthcare providers in RLTCF play vital roles in assessing, coordinating, and implementing the "five whole concepts" of hospice care.

Purpose: To explore multidisciplinary healthcare providers' experiences with implementing hospice care in RLTCF.

Secretory autophagy promotes RAB37-mediated insulin secretion under glucose stimulation both and .

High blood glucose is one of the risk factors for metabolic disease and INS (insulin) is the key regulatory hormone for glucose homeostasis. Hypoinsulinemia accompanied with hyperglycemia was diagnosed in mice with pancreatic β-cells exhibiting autophagy deficiency; however, the underlying mechanism remains elusive. The role of secretory autophagy in the regulation of metabolic syndrome is gaining more attention.

Surficial grafting of organoimido moieties enhances the capacity performance of oxometallic clusters.

Molybdenum trioxide (MoO) with a theoretical specific capacity of 1117 mA h g is widely considered a promising anode material for lithium-ion batteries. However, the irreversible conversion reactions, low electrical conductivity, and detrimental volume expansion upon Li intercalation between the one-dimensional layered structures of MoO hinder its practical implementation. Herein, we report a facile synthetic protocol that allows surficial modification by replacing the terminal and bridging oxo groups of molybdenum oxide clusters.

Revisiting rigid overdenture design following traditional removable prosthetic concepts: a case report.

The inability to place a sufficient number of implants posteriorly may limit tooth and soft tissue replacement because of the cantilever effects that would result from the unsupported prosthesis. Fabrication of a fixed removable overdenture that is implant retained and supported by both implants and soft tissue allows adequate replacement of teeth and soft tissue for optimal mastication and esthetics. This case report describes a design for implant overdentures that conforms to fundamental removable prosthetic principles by using a rigid bar with bilateral locking passive attachments.

Sweetening Lithium Metal Interface by High Surface and Adhesive Energy Coating of Crystalline α-d-Glucose Film to Inhibit Dendrite Growth.

The notorious growth of lithium (Li) dendrites and the instability of the solid electrolyte interface (SEI) during cycling make Li metal anodes unsuitable for use in commercial Li-ion batteries. Herein, the use of simple sugar coating (α-d-glucose) is demonstrated on top of Li metal to halt the growth of Li dendrites and stabilize the SEI. The α-d-glucose layer possesses high surface and adhesive energies toward Li, which promote the homogenous stripping and plating of Li ions on top of the Li metal.

High-performance seawater oxidation by a homogeneous multimetallic layered double hydroxide electrocatalyst.

SignificanceSeawater is one of the most abundant resources on Earth. Direct electrolysis of seawater is a transformative technology for sustainable hydrogen production without causing freshwater scarcity. However, this technology is severely impeded by a lack of robust and active oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalysts.