Recent Advances of Metal Complexes in the Treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Chemotherapy has long been used in the clinical management of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), driving the development of anticancer chemotherapy drugs. Platinum complexes have attracted significant attention and have led to the creation of a series of platinum-based drugs used in diverse cancer treatments, including HCC. However, the clinical use of platinum drugs faces critical challenges due to drug resistance and side effects.

Symmetry Breaking in Rationally Designed Copper Oxide Electrocatalyst Boosts the Oxygen Reduction Reaction.

Oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) kinetics is critically dependent on the precise modulation of the interactions between the key oxygen intermediates and catalytic active sites. Herein, a novel electrocatalyst is reported, featuring nitrogen-doped carbon-supported ultra-small copper oxide nanoparticles with the broken-symmetry C coordination filed sites, achieved by a mild γ-ray radiation-induced method. The as-synthesized catalyst exhibits an excellent ORR activity with a half-wave potential of 0.

Synthetic and Pharmacological Activities of Alantolactone and its Derivatives.

Alantolactone, a sesquiterpene lactone, is isolated from the traditional Chinese medicinal herb Inula helenium L. (Asteraceae). Alantolactone is known as its wide spectrum of biological effects, including antimicrobial, antifungal, antiviral, anthelmintic activities, anti-inflammatory activities, and antiproliferative effects on several cancer cell lines.

DNMT3a Downregulation Ttriggered Upregulation of GABA Receptor in the mPFC Promotes Paclitaxel-Induced Pain and Anxiety in Male Mice.

Chemotherapeutic agents, such as paclitaxel (PTX), induce neuroplastic changes and alter gene expression in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), which may be associated with chemotherapy-induced pain and negative emotions. Notably, DNA methylation undergoes adaptive changes in neurological disorders, emerging as a promising target for neuromodulation. In this study, systemic administration of PTX leads to a decrease in the expression of the DNA methyltransferase DNMT3a, while concurrently upregulating the expression of Gabrb1 mRNA and its encoded GABARβ1 protein in the medial PFC (mPFC) of male mice.

Inhibition of AhR disrupts intestinal epithelial barrier and induces intestinal injury by activating NF-κB in COPD.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is frequently associated with intestinal comorbidities. Damage to the intestinal barrier plays a crucial role in these disorders, leading to increased intestinal and systemic inflammation, and thereby promoting the progression of COPD. This study aims to investigate the mechanism of intestinal epithelial barrier damage, focusing on the roles of the Aryl hydrocarbon Receptor (AhR) and NF-κB in COPD-related intestinal damage.

Wearable Temperature Sensor Enhanced Volatilomics Technique for Swift and Convenient Detection of Latrogenic Botulism.

Accurately assessing potential side effects following botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) injection remains a formidable challenge. To address this issue, an innovative approach is developed that combines a wearable temperature sensor with a sophisticated volatilomics technique, aimed at facilitating the rapid and convenient prediction of potential physical discomfort related to latrogenic botulism. The investigation identifies five volatile organic compounds (VOCs)-acetone, styrene, ethanol, 2-pentanone, and n-butano-as promising markers indicative of BoNT poisoning.

3D Ordered Macroporous Mn, Zr-Doped CaCO Nanomaterials for Stable Thermochemical Energy Storage.

Developing high-performance Ca-based materials that can work for long-term heat transfer and storage in concentrated solar power plants is crucial to achieve the large-scale conversion of solar photon fluxes to dispatchable electricity. This work demonstrates that a series of Mn, Zr co-doped CaCO nanomaterials with the 3D ordered macroporous (3DOM) skeletons are successfully prepared by a novel strategy of templated metal salt co-precipitation. The characterization results indicate that a majority of Zr and Mn are atomically dispersed into the highly-crystallized CaCO framework, whereas a minor amount of Mn is present in the form of CaMnO nanoparticles (NPs).

Cellulose Acetate Membranes: Antibacterial Strategy and Application-A Review.

Developing antibacterial and biodegradable cellulose acetate (CA) membrane materials is one of the main challenges in multiple application fields. CA membrane materials are widely used in gas purification, water purification, and biomedical fields due to their environmental friendliness, high chemical and mechanical stability, excellent processability, and low cost. However, antibacterial modification of CA membrane materials to enhance their utilization value in the application process has always been the direction of researchers' efforts.

Motor Cortex Stimulation for Refractory Facial Neuralgia and Paresthesia in Ramsay Hunt Syndrome.

This study explores motor cortex stimulation (MCS) as a treatment for Ramsay Hunt syndrome (RHS)-related neuralgia, which often persists despite traditional therapies. A 68-year-old patient with RHS experienced significant pain and sensory relief after MCS, after ineffective conventional treatments. MCS enhances neural plasticity, offering a promising alternative for managing intractable neuralgia and sensory disturbances in RHS patients.

Acid-triggered size reduction of nanomedicines for enhancing tumor therapy efficacy.

Nanomedicines whose size can be varied on demand may synchronously achieve excellent tumor accumulation and penetration. In this study, by taking advantage of the pH sensitivity of a boronate ester, we synthesized acid-triggered size-reducing polymer nanoparticles (named PCD) by cross-linking β-cyclodextrin-cored multiarm polymers through the boronate ester. In PCD, the antitumor agent doxorubicin was loaded the pH-sensitive hydrazone linkage.

The hexose transporters CsHT3 and CsHT16 regulate postphloem transport and fruit development in cucumber.

Hexoses are essential for plant growth and fruit development. However, the precise roles of hexose/H+ symporters in postphloem sugar transport and cellular sugar homeostasis in rapidly growing fruits remain elusive. To elucidate the functions of hexose/H+ symporters in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.

Polyhydroxyalkanes from Sieb. et Zucc.

Four polyhydroxyalkanes were isolated from the CHCl part of , including two new ones, (2,3)-3-isopropylpent-3-ene-1,2,5-triol () and (4,2)-4,5-dihydroxy-2,3-dimethylpent-2-enoic acid (); as well as one new natural product, 3-methylbut-3-ene-1,2-diol () and one known compound, 4-methyl-3-methylenepentane-1,2-diol (). The structures were determined by physicochemical properties and spectroscopic methods including 1D, 2D NMR, IR, HR-ESI-MS, and ECD data. The cytotoxic activity of compounds against the human cancer lines A549, H460, and HepG2 cell lines of the isolated compounds was evaluated by the CCK8 method.

A New Insight into the Mechanism of Atrazine-Induced Neurotoxicity: Triggering Neural Stem Cell Senescence by Activating the Integrated Stress Response Pathway.

Atrazine (AT), a widely utilized chemical herbicide, causes widespread contamination of agricultural water bodies. Recently, exposure to AT has been linked to the development of age-related neurodegenerative diseases (NDs), suggesting its neurotoxicity potential. As an endocrine disruptor, AT targets the hypothalamus, a crucial part of the neuroendocrine system.

Sub-picosecond biphasic ultrafast all-optical switching in ultraviolet band.

Ultrafast all-optical control has been a subject of wide-spread attention as a method of manipulating optical fields using light excitation on extremely short time scales. As a fundamental form of ultrafast all-optical control, all-optical switching has achieved sub-picosecond switch speeds in the visible, infrared, and terahertz spectral regions. However, due to the lack of suitable materials, ultrafast all-optical control in the ultraviolet range remains in its early stages.

Twelve Shugan Lidan Granules from traditional Chinese medicine can improve liver function in patients with postoperative hepatolithiasis by inhibiting the Hippo signaling pathway.

Introduction: Hepatolithiasis (HL) is a complex liver and biliary disorder characterized by high rates of recurrence. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of Twelve Shugan Lidan Granules (TSLG), a compound herbal traditional Chinese formulation, in the treatment of HL, as well as to investigate its underlying mechanism.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted involving 157 patients diagnosed with HL, who were divided into two groups: the control group and the research group.

Nanomedicine embraces the treatment and prevention of acute kidney injury to chronic kidney disease transition: evidence, challenges, and opportunities.

Acute kidney injury (AKI), a common kidney disease in which renal function decreases rapidly due to various etiologic factors, is an important risk factor for chronic kidney disease (CKD). The pathogenesis of AKI leading to CKD is complex, and effective treatments are still lacking, which seriously affects the prognosis and quality of life of patients with kidney disease. Nanomedicine, a discipline at the intersection of medicine and nanotechnology, has emerged as a promising avenue for treating kidney diseases ranging from AKI to CKD.

Mimic metalloenzymes with atomically dispersed Fe sites in covalent organic framework membranes for enhanced CO photoreduction.

The massive CO emissions from continuous increases in fossil fuel consumption have caused disastrous environmental and ecological crises. Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) hold the potential to convert CO and water into value-added chemicals and O to mitigate this crisis. However, their activity and selectivity are very low under conditions close to natural photosynthesis.

Preparation of an FeO Nanoparticle/Carbonized Hemp Fiber Composite with Superior Microwave Absorption Performance.

The increasing concern over the negative impact of electromagnetic radiation and interference on humans has led to a growing interest in microwave-absorbing materials that are cost-effective, have a wide frequency range, and have high efficiency. In this paper, an FeO nanoparticle/carbonized hemp fiber composite was successfully prepared using hemp fibers as the primary material and template. By carefully regulating the concentration of the iron nitrate impregnation solution, accurate loading of FeO nanoparticles onto the carbonized hemp fiber was achieved.

Strained Mechanical and Fracture Analyses of Armchair-Chiral-Zigzag-Based Carbon Nanotubes Using Molecular Dynamics Simulations.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have emerged as one of the most capable and interesting materials in recent decades and have extraordinary mechanical properties (MPs) and resourceful applications in bioengineering and medicine. Equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations have been performed to investigate the structural and MPs of armchair, chiral, and semiconducting and metallic zigzag single-walled CNTs (SWCNTs) under varying temperature (K) and compressive and tensile strains ±γ (%) with reactive bond-order potential. New results elaborate on the buckling and deformation mechanisms of the SWCNTs through deep analyses of density profiles, radial distribution functions, structural visualizations, and stress-strain interactions.

Dual-linker Ir-Zr-MOF shows improved porosity to enhance aqueous sulfide photooxidation.

The hetero photooxidation of sulfide under aqueous conditions is of great importance in the green synthesis of sulfoxide. This process requires a type of solid photocatalyst with the properties of high porosity and water stability, as well as photosensitivity. Herein, a stable Ir-Zr-MOF material (compound 1) with high porosity is assembled from two linear linkers of a 2-phenylquinoline-4-carboxylic acid-Ir(III) complex (Irphen) and 4,4'-stilbenedicarboxylic acid (HSDC), and a Zr cluster.

The OsNL1-OsTOPLESS2-OsMOC1/3 pathway regulates high-order tiller outgrowth in rice.

Tiller is an important factor in determining rice yield. Currently, researches mainly focus on the outgrowth of low-order tiller (LOT), while the regulation mechanism of high-order tiller (HOT) outgrowth has remained unknown. In this study, we detected one OsNL1 mutant, nl1, exhibiting HOT numbers increase, and found that OsNL1 interacts with OsTOPLESS2, which was mediated by the core motif of nine amino acids VDCTLSLGT within the HAN domain of OsNL1.

High-Responsivity Self-Powered Photoelectrochemical UV Photodetector Based on Integrated Self-Supporting SiC/ZnS Heterojunction Nanowire Arrays.

In the realm of photodetector (PD) technology, photoelectrochemical (PEC) PDs have garnered attention owing to their inherent advantages. Advances in this field depend on functional nanostructured materials, which are pivotal in improving the separation and transport of photogenerated electron-hole pairs to improve device efficiency. Herein, a highly photosensitive PEC UV PD is built using integrated self-supporting SiC/ZnS heterojunction nanowire array photoelectrodes through anodization and chemical deposition.

The mycobiome as integral part of the gut microbiome: crucial role of symbiotic fungi in health and disease.

The gut mycobiome significantly affects host health and immunity. However, most studies have focused on symbiotic bacteria in the gut microbiome, whereas less attention has been given to symbiotic fungi. Although fungi constitute only 0.

ROS Regulation in CNS Disorder Therapy: Unveiling the Dual Roles of Nanomedicine.

The treatment of brain diseases has always been the focus of attention. Due to the presence of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), most small molecule drugs are difficult to reach the brain, leading to undesirable therapeutic outcomes. Recently, nanomedicines that can cross the BBB and precisely target lesion sites have emerged as thrilling tools to enhance the early diagnosis and treat various intractable brain disorders.

Cuproptosis and Serine Metabolism Blockade Triggered by Copper-Based Prussian Blue Nanomedicine for Enhanced Tumor Therapy.

Cuproptosis, a newly defined cell death process, represents a novel modality with significant therapeutic potential in cancer treatment. Nevertheless, the modest concentration and transient half-life of copper ions in the bloodstream constrain their efficient delivery into tumor cells. In this study, a copper-based prussian blue nanostructure loaded with serine metabolic inhibitor (NCT-503@Cu-HMPB) is constructed for selectively inducing cuproptosis combined with disrupting serine metabolism.