MOF-derived three-dimensional porous dodecahedral structured bimetallic Mn/Co-C-N composite for high-performance durable oxygen reduction reaction electrocatalysts.

Investigating high-efficiency oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts is one of the most effective methods for addressing the sluggish kinetics at the fuel cell cathode. Bimetallic three-dimensional porous materials have garnered significant attention due to their diverse structures, large specific surface area and synergistic catalytic effects. Herein, we synthesized a bimetallic three-dimensional porous dodecahedral structure, Mn/Co-C-N, derived from MOF using a straightforward approach.

Bacteria-Triggered Mineralization of Silica Shells with Nanochannels for Biocatalysis in Harsh Conditions.

Biocatalytic processes using microorganisms are considered efficient and economically and environmentally friendly reactions. However, the viability and function of these microorganisms are prone to being hindered by various practical environments. Here, we reported a bacteria-induced nanochannel structure that endowed the microorganism with biocatalytic ability in harsh conditions.

Plant essential oils combined with organic acids restored lipopolysaccharide-induced leaky intestine via gut microbial modulation in weaned piglets.

Intestine derived lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is closely related to systemic inflammation and disorders, yet little is known about its roles in the weanling stress of piglets and its potential as a nutritional intervention target. This study aimed to investigate the potential of essential oils (EO) and organic acids (OA) in mitigating weaning stress in piglets by modulating the circulation of intestine derived LPS. Seventy-two weaned piglets at 21 d old with body weight of 8.

Constructing Multi-Electron Reactions by Doping Mn to Increase Capacity and Stability in KVMn(PO)/C of Phosphate Cathodes for Potassium-Ion Batteries.

Vanadium-based phosphate cathode materials (e.g., KV(PO)) have attracted widespread concentration in cathode materials in potassium-ion batteries owing to their stable structure but suffer from low capacity and poor conductivity.

Morphological Reconstruction for Variable Wing Leading Edge Based on the Node Curvature Vectors.

Precise morphology acquisition for the variable wing leading edge is essential for its bio-inspired adaptive control. Therefore, this study proposes a morphological reconstruction method for the variable wing leading edge, utilizing the node curvature vectors-based curvature propagation method (NCV-CPM). By establishing a strain-arc curvature function, the method fundamentally mitigates the impact of surface curvature angle on curvature computation accuracy at sensing points.

Role of Carbon Nanotube Wetting Transparency in Rapid Water Transport for a Nanopore Membrane.

A carbon nanotube (CNT) may facilitate near-frictionless water transport within it. In this work, we elucidate the slip flow characteristics for a CNT embedded in a silicon nitride matrix using the molecular dynamics (MD) method. We reveal that the wetting transparency of a CNT, the transmission of the membrane matrix wetting property over a CNT, cannot be ignored.

Enhanced Antioxidative Capacity Transfer between Sow and Fetus via the Gut-Placenta Axis with Dietary Selenium Yeast and Glycerol Monolaurate Supplementation during Pregnancy.

This study aims to investigate the impact of dietary supplementation with selenium yeast (SeY) and glycerol monolaurate (GML) on the transfer of antioxidative capacity between the mother and fetus during pregnancy and its underlying mechanisms. A total of 160 sows with similar body weight and parity of 3-6 parity sows were randomly and uniformly allocated to four groups ( = 40) as follows: CON group, SeY group, GML group, and SG (SeY + GML) group. Animal feeding started from the 85th day of gestation and continued to the day of delivery.

Organo-Pt Complexes for Potent Photodynamic Inactivation of Multi-Drug Resistant Bacteria and the Influence of Configuration.

Pt based organometallic photosensitizers (PSs) have emerged as novel potent photodynamic inactivation (PDI) reagents through their enhanced intersystem crossing (ISC) processes. Currently, few Pt PSs have been investigated as antibacterial materials, with relatively poor performances reported and with structure-activity relationships not well described. Herein, a pair of configurational isomers are reported of Bis-BODIPY (4,4-difluoro-boradizaindacene) embedded Pt PSs.

Structural Characteristics and Cementitious Behavior of Magnesium Slag in Comparison with Granulated Blast Furnace Slag.

Magnesium slag is a type of industrial solid waste produced during the production of magnesium metal. In order to gain a deeper understanding of the structure of magnesium slag, the composition and microstructure of magnesium slag were investigated by using characterization methods such as X-ray fluorescence, particle size analysis, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. In addition, the state of Si occurrence in magnesium slag was analyzed using a solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance technique in comparison with granulated blast furnace slag.

Microalgae-material hybrid for enhanced photosynthetic energy conversion: a promising path towards carbon neutrality.

Photosynthetic energy conversion for high-energy chemicals generation is one of the most viable solutions in the quest for sustainable energy towards carbon neutrality. Microalgae are fascinating photosynthetic organisms, which can directly convert solar energy into chemical energy and electrical energy. However, microalgal photosynthetic energy has not yet been applied on a large scale due to the limitation of their own characteristics.

γδ T cells: Major advances in basic and clinical research in tumor immunotherapy.

γδ T cells are a kind of innate immune T cell. They have not attracted sufficient attention because they account for only a small proportion of all immune cells, and many basic factors related to these cells remain unclear. However, in recent years, with the rapid development of tumor immunotherapy, γδ T cells have attracted increasing attention because of their ability to exert cytotoxic effects on most tumor cells without major histocompatibility complex (MHC) restriction.

Identification of factors associated with fear of hypoglycemia using the capability, opportunity, motivation and behavior model in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a cross-sectional study.

Aims: To examined the relationship between fear of hypoglycemia and certain variables in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) based on the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation, and Behavior model, combined with the context unique to people with diabetes to provide a basis for developing targeted nursing interventions.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 212 people with T2DM were recruited from February 2021 to July 2021. Data were collected using the Hypoglycaemia Fear Survey, Gold score, Patient Assessment of Chronic Illness Care (PACIC) scale and Diabetic Self-Management Attitudes Scale.

Au/Mn nanodot platform for CT/MRI/FI multimodal bioimaging and photothermal therapy against tongue cancer.

Surgical resection is the main method for oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC) treatment. However, the oral physiological function and aesthetics may be seriously damaged during the operation with a high risk of recurrence. Therefore, it is important to develop an alternative strategy with precise guidance for OTSCC treatment.

Biomimetic Mineralization of Bone-Like Hydroxyapatite in Hydrogel for the Acceleration of Bone Regeneration.

A critical-sized bone defect, which cannot be repaired through self-healing, is a major challenge in clinical therapeutics. The combination of biomimetic hydrogels and nano-hydroxyapatite (nano-HAP) is a promising way to solve this problem by constructing an osteogenic microenvironment. However, it is challenging to generate nano-HAP with a similar morphology and structure to that of natural bone, which limits the improvement of bone regeneration hydrogels.

Machine Learning for Optical Scanning Probe Nanoscopy.

The ability to perform nanometer-scale optical imaging and spectroscopy is key to deciphering the low-energy effects in quantum materials, as well as vibrational fingerprints in planetary and extraterrestrial particles, catalytic substances, and aqueous biological samples. These tasks can be accomplished by the scattering-type scanning near-field optical microscopy (s-SNOM) technique that has recently spread to many research fields and enabled notable discoveries. Herein, it is shown that the s-SNOM, together with scanning probe research in general, can benefit in many ways from artificial-intelligence (AI) and machine-learning (ML) algorithms.

Lotus Seedpod-Inspired Crosslinking-Assembled Hydrogels Based on Gold Nanoclusters for Synergistic Osteosarcoma Multimode Imaging and Therapy.

Osteosarcoma is difficult to be resected through surgical operations without damage to the bone matrix, while chemotherapy and radiotherapy induce inevitable systemic injury. It is still a major challenge to develop a novel treatment suitable for the complex anatomical structure of the bone. Herein, inspired by lotus seedpods, injectable hydrogels with long-term retention for synergistic osteosarcoma treatment were developed.

Injectable Dual-Dynamic-Bond Cross-Linked Hydrogel for Highly Efficient Infected Diabetic Wound Healing.

Diabetic wound is a significant challenge for clinical treatment with high morbidity and mortality. Plenty of hydrogels with good biocompatibility have been widely used in diabetic wound healing. However, most of them cannot be directly absorbed and utilized by the wounds, which prolongs the regeneration time.

Construction of Intelligent Responsive Drug Delivery System and Multi-Mode Imaging Based on Gold Nanodots.

Cancer remains a formidable global problem with a high mortality rate. There are many effective anti-cancer drugs in clinical use, among which paclitaxel (PTX) has good effects on non-small cell lung cancer, ovarian cancer, and breast cancer. However, when applied to the clinic, PTX still has many limitations, such as poor water solubility, drug resistance, and side effects on healthy tissues.

Gold nanodots with stable red fluorescence for rapid dual-mode imaging of spinal cord and injury monitoring.

Spinal cord injury is one of the most devastating complications of spinal surgery, often resulting in numbness, pain or paralysis. Minor injuries in the spinal cord are hard to be identified and existing imaging modalities are unable to provide intraoperative monitoring. Monitoring pathological change at the site of injury is a key factor in staging and treatment decision making as well as prognosis of spinal cord injury.

A Flexible and Degradable Hybrid Mineral as a Plastic Substitute.

The development of environmentally friendly plastics is critical to ensure sustainable development. In contrast to polymer plastics derived from petrochemicals, inorganic minerals, which are the most abundant matter in Earth's crust, are environmentally friendly. However, the brittleness of these minerals limits their applications as plastics.

The Cell-Isolation Capsules with Rod-Like Channels Ensure the Survival and Response of Cancer Cells to Their Microenvironment.

Current macrocapsules with semipermeable but immunoprotective polymeric membranes are attractive devices to achieve the purpose of immunoisolation, however, their ability to allow diffusion of essential nutrients and oxygen is limited, which leads to a low survival rate of encapsulated cells. Here, a novel method is reported by taking advantage of thermotropic liquid crystals, sodium laurylsulfonate (SDS) liquid crystals (LCs), and rod-like crystal fragments (LCFs) to develop engineered alginate hydrogels with rod-like channels. This cell-isolation capsule with an engineered alginate hydrogel-wall allows small molecules, large molecules, and bacteria to diffuse out from the capsules freely but immobilizes the encapsulated cells inside and prevents cells in the microenvironment from moving in.

Muscle-like Ultratough Hybrid Hydrogel Constructed by Heterogeneous Inorganic Polymerization on an Organic Network.

Inspired by inorganic oligomers and their polymerization, we herein develop a heterogeneous inorganic polymerization tactic that can be used to prepare a muscle-like hybrid hydrogel by inducing the polymerization of calcium phosphate oligomers (CPO) onto a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) molecular chain network. In this heterogeneous process, the CPO units bond with PVA molecules assistance from sodium alginate (SA), and then gradually polymerize along the organic chains to form ultrafine hydroxyapatite nanolines with a diameter of ∼1 nm. Because of the well integration of organic and inorganic phases from the heterogeneous polymerization, the hierarchical structured hydrogel can exhibit ultratough mechanical properties of ∼17.

One- and Two-Proton Transfer Mechanisms Coexist in One Active Site.

Acibenzolar--methyl (ASM) is one of the most successfully commercialized plant activators of the systemic acquired resistance (SAR). However, its activation (hydrolysis) mechanism catalyzed by the salicylic acid binding protein 2 (SABP2) remains elusive. The fundamental catalytic mechanism of the SABP2-catalyzed hydrolysis of the ASM had been investigated by extensive computational and experimental studies, including QM/MM simulations, charge transfer analysis, small-molecule synthesis, and biochemical assays.