Two-Component Hydrogels Built from Chinese Herbal Medicine-Derived Glycyrrhizic Acid and Puerarin: Assembly Mechanism, Self-Healing Properties, and Selective Antibacterial Activity.

Chinese herbal medicine has offered a great treasure for discovering intrinsically bioactive low molecular weight gelators (LMWGs). Herein, the two-component hydrogels comprising glycyrrhizic acid (GA) and puerarin (PUE), the primary bioactive components, respectively, from herbs and are successfully prepared. Combined spectroscopic characterizations reveal that hydrogen bonds are formed between GA and PUE molecules, which further drives the growth of nanofiber assemblies into gel networks.

Diamine Crosslinked Addition-Type Diblock Poly(Norbornene)s-Based Anion Exchange Membranes with High Conductivity and Stability for Fuel Cell Applications.

Anion exchange membranes (AEMs) as a kind of important functional material are widely used in fuel cells. However, synthetic AEMs generally suffer from low conductivity, poor alkaline stability, and poor dimensional stability. Constructing efficient ion transport channels is widely regarded as one of the most effective strategies for developing AEMs with high conductivity and low swelling ratio.

Research progress on the synthesis, performance regulation, and applications of Prussian blue nanozymes.

Nanocatalytic medicine offers a novel solution to address the issues of low efficacy, potential side effects, and the development of drug resistance associated with traditional therapies. Therefore, developing highly efficient and durable nanozymes is of great significance for treating diseases related to oxidative stress. In recent years, prussian blue nanoparticles (PBNPs) have been demonstrated to possess multiple enzyme-like catalytic activities and are thus referred to as prussian blue nanozymes (PBNZs).

Unravelling the Mechanical and Superconducting Properties in Borophene with Multicentered Bonds.

The multicentered bonds present in planar borophene lead to a more complex structure and richer chemical properties. Herein, we use first-principles calculations to investigate the electronic, mechanical, and superconducting properties of various borophene polymorphs, focusing on the newly synthesized β and β phases. Notably, in order to balance and optimize the electron filling of the valence bond orbitals, the planar borophene structure is composed of a mixture of triangular lattices and hexagonal holes with multicentered bonding, which further enhances the stability of the structure and possesses a rare polymorphic property.

A self-assembling nanoplatform for pyroptosis and ferroptosis enhanced cancer photoimmunotherapy.

The microenvironment of immunosuppression and low immunogenicity of tumor cells has led to unsatisfactory therapeutic effects of the currently developed nanoplatforms. Immunogenic cell death, such as pyroptosis and ferroptosis, can efficiently boost antitumor immunity. However, the exploration of nanoplatform for dual function inducers and combined immune activators that simultaneously trigger pyroptosis and ferroptosis remains limited.

Dynamic Double-Networked Hydrogels by Hybridizing PVA and Herbal Polysaccharides: Improved Mechanical Properties and Selective Antibacterial Activity.

Chinese herbal medicine has offered an enormous source for developing novel bio-soft materials. In this research, the natural polysaccharide isolated from the Chinese herbal medicine was employed as the secondary building block to fabricate a "hybrid" hydrogel with synthetic poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) polymers. Thanks to the presence of mannose units that contain cis-diol motifs on the chain of the polysaccharides, efficient crosslinking with the borax is allowed and reversible covalent borate ester bonds are formed.

Self-Assembled Metal Complexes in Biomedical Research.

Cisplatin is widely used in clinical cancer treatment; however, its application is often hindered by severe side effects, particularly inherent or acquired resistance of target cells. To address these challenges, an effective strategy is to modify the metal core of the complex and introduce alternative coordination modes or valence states, leading to the development of a series of metal complexes, such as platinum (IV) prodrugs and cyclometalated complexes. Recent advances in nanotechnology have facilitated the development of multifunctional nanomaterials that can selectively deliver drugs to tumor cells, thereby overcoming the pharmacological limitations of metal-based drugs.

Precooling storage of bone cement in percutaneous vertebroplasty for osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the effect of precooling storage of bone cement in percutaneous vertebroplasty(PVP) for the patients with osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture (OVCF).

Methods: A total of 207 OVCF patients who underwent PVP were included in this study. Two different storage methods for the bone cement were randomly utilized: an operating room (NT group, 23 °C) and a refrigerator (PC group, 4 °C).

The combination of hydrogen evolution, nitric oxide oxidation and Zn-nitrate battery for energy conversion and storage by an efficient nitrogen-dopped CoO electrocatalyst with Turing structure.

We tuned the morphology from the needle-like Co(CO)(OH)·0.11HO to the unique Turing-structured CoCO through controlling the amount of glycerol in the solvothermal system, and then synthesized the Turing structure consisting of N-50 %-CoO hollow nanoparticles though the Kirkendall effect during nitriding process, which was applied as a novel bifunctional self-supporting electrode for efficient electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and electrocatalytic NO oxidation reaction (eNOOR). The eNOOR can be not only used as a substitution anode reaction of oxygen evolution reaction (OER) to couple with HER for efficient water splitting, but the production of nitrate from eNOOR also provides a strategy for the development of Zn-nitrate battery.

Investigation of pre-crash avoidance kinematics in pedestrians of different ages through volunteer experiment and scaling methodology.

Objective: Understanding pedestrians' pre-crash avoidance kinematics is crucial for improving the identification of potential collision areas in interactions with highly automated vehicles (HAVs). Age significantly influences pedestrian avoidance velocity and the subsequent crash risks. However, current active safety systems in HAVs often overlook the influence of pedestrians' avoidance velocity and age on imminent accidents.

Integrated network pharmacology and brain metabolomics to analyze the mechanism of Dihuang Yinzi intervention in Alzheimer's disease.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an incurable neurodegenerative disease that has become one of the most important diseases threatening global public health security. Dihuang Yinzi (DHYZ) is a traditional Chinese medicine that has been widely used for the treatment of AD and has significant therapeutic effects, but its specific mechanism of action is still unclear.The aim of the study is to investigate the specific mechanism of DHYZ in treating AD based on brain metabolomics and network pharmacology.

Antioxidant activity of herbal medicine evaluated by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy.

The hydroxyl radical (˙OH) is one of the most reactive and harmful reactive oxygen species in living organisms. In this study, we used electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy to evaluate the antioxidant activity of herbal medicine (PL) by measuring its scavenging activity against ˙OH radicals. Using the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical as a scavenging model, the PL extract (0.

Developmental Trajectory of Autistic-Like Behaviors in a Prenatal Valproic Acid Rat Model of Autism.

Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are characterized by deficits in social functioning, stereotyped patterns of behaviors, narrowed interests, and elevated anxiety. Certain ASD symptoms can persist, whereas others may improve throughout the lifespan, but the specific patterns of changes have not been clearly delineated. Using a valproic acid (VPA) rat model of ASD, the present study took a developmental approach and examined how autistic-like behaviors, including anxiety-like behavior, object obsession, and social functioning deficits, manifested differently in three critical periods representing preadolescent (postnatal day [PND] 25), adolescent (PND 45), and adulthood life stage (PND 75) in a sex-dependent manner.

Activation strategies and effectiveness of Intelligent safety systems for reducing pedestrian injuries in autonomous vehicles.

Intelligent safety systems (ISS) for autonomous vehicles, integrating advanced perception capabilities and passive protection devices, are expected to reshape traditional pedestrian safety systems and play a key role in reducing the risk of pedestrian injuries in traffic accidents. However, traditional active control and passive protection modules remain disconnected due to insufficient evidence supporting the effectiveness of collaborative strategies in integrated systems, particularly concerning activation criteria and timing. This study aims to address this gap by developing a comprehensive ISS that incorporates advanced perception systems, a vehicle dynamic control module, and controllable passive safety devices.

Liang-Ge-San Decoction Ameliorates Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome via Suppressing p38MAPK-NF-κ B Signaling Pathway.

Objective: To explore the potential effects and mechanisms of Liang-Ge-San (LGS) for the treatment of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) through network pharmacology analysis and to verify LGS activity through biological experiments.

Methods: The key ingredients of LGS and related targets were obtained from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform. ARDS-related targets were selected from GeneCards and DisGeNET databases.

Snapshot computational spectroscopy enabled by deep learning.

Spectroscopy is a technique that analyzes the interaction between matter and light as a function of wavelength. It is the most convenient method for obtaining qualitative and quantitative information about an unknown sample with reasonable accuracy. However, traditional spectroscopy is reliant on bulky and expensive spectrometers, while emerging applications of portable, low-cost and lightweight sensing and imaging necessitate the development of miniaturized spectrometers.

The mechanisms of Pin1 as targets for cancer therapy.

Targeted therapy has considerable promise for the effective eradication of cancer at the primary tumor site prior to subsequent metastasis. Using this therapeutic approach, gaining an understanding of mechanistic cancer models is essential for facilitating the inhibition or suppression of tumor growth. Among different oncogenes and proteins, the protein interacting with never-in-mitosis kinase-1 (Pin1) is particularly important.

Pseudomonas chlororaphis ZH2: Evaluation of the Biocontrol Potential of Continuous Cropping Obstacles on the Basis of Genome Analysis, Autotoxic Substance Degradation and In Vitro Antifungal Activity.

The accumulation of autotoxic substances and fungal pathogens in soil are the two leading causes of continuous cropping obstacles. In this context, the use of beneficial strains for the biological control of continuous cropping obstacles is a promising research direction. In this work, the functions of Pseudomonas chlororaphis ZH2 in antagonizing pathogenic fungi and degrading autotoxic substances during continuous cropping were studied via genome-wide sequence analysis, antifungal activity in vitro, and autotoxic substances degrading tests.

Modulation format identification in elastic optical networks using integrated photonic reservoir computing and untrained K-nearest neighbors algorithm.

In the next generation of Elastic Optical Networks, various modulation formats exhibit varying degrees of sensitivity to channel impairments during transmission. To adopt appropriate channel equalization schemes at the receiver, it is essential to perform modulation format identification prior to the receiver, followed by the adjustment of receiver parameters and types based on the recognition results. A system based on a 52-node integrated photonic reservoir chip and untrained K-nearest neighbors (KNN) algorithm is proposed for the recognition of OOK, PAM4, QPSK, and BPSK modulation formats in optical channel transmission.

Theoretical insights on potential-dependent oxidation behaviors and antioxidant strategies of MXenes.

Significant efforts have been devoted to investigating the oxidation of MXenes in various environments. However, the underlying mechanism of MXene oxidation and its dependence on the electrode potential remain poorly understood. Here we show the oxidation behavior of MXenes under the working conditions of electrochemical processes in terms of kinetics and thermodynamics by using constant-potential ab initio simulations.

Umbilical Cord-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Improve Ornidazole-Induced Asthenozoospermia in Rats via Activation of the AKT/mTOR Pathway.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been highly confirmed for their critical role in the treatment of different diseases. This study focuses on the mechanism of umbilical cord-derived MSCs (UC-MSCs) in the treatment of ornidazole (ORN)-induced asthenozoospermia (AS) in rats via the AKT/mTOR pathway. An animal model of AS was established in ORN-induced rats, followed by treatment of UC-MSCs and rapamycin (autophagy activator) or MK-2206 (AKT inhibitor).