"All-in-one" nano-system for smart delivery and imaging-guided combination therapy of triple-negative breast cancer.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) with highly malignant and aggressive, still faces challenges in treatment due to the single treatment and side effects. It is urgent to develop an advanced theranostic platform against TNBC. Herein, an "all-in-one" nano-system Au/Cu nanodots/doxorubicin@nanospheres (Au/CuNDs/DOX@NS) with dual-responsive properties was designed for dual-mode imaging-guided combination treatment of TNBC.

Water-soluble polysaccharides from Torreya grandis nuts: Structural characterization and anti-inflammatory activity.

Torreya grandis (T. grandis) nuts are widely consumed as a functional food in China. In this study, we investigated the structural characteristics of T.

An intimal-lumen model in a microfluidic device: potential platform for atherosclerosis-related studies.

Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory vascular disorder driven by factors such as endothelial dysfunction, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and arterial calcification, and is considered a leading global cause of death. Existing atherosclerosis models have limitations due to the absence of an appropriate hemodynamic microenvironment and interspecies differences . Here, we develop a simple but robust microfluidic intimal-lumen model of early atherosclerosis using interconnected dual channels for studying monocyte transmigration and foam cell formation at an arterial shear rate.

Exploration of In Situ Extraction for Enhanced Triterpenoid Production by Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Plant-derived triterpenoids are in high demand due to their valuable applications in cosmetic, nutraceutical, and pharmaceutical industries. To meet this demand, microbial production of triterpenoids is being developed for large-scale production. However, a prominent limitation of microbial synthesis is the intracellular accumulation, requiring cell disruption during downstream processing.

Challenges and Opportunities of Uranium Extraction From Seawater: a Systematic Roadmap From Laboratory to Industry.

Uranium extraction from seawater (UES) is crucial for ensuring the sustainable development of nuclear power and has seen significant advancements in recent years. However, natural seawater is a highly complex biogeochemical system, characterized by an extremely low uranium (U) concentration (≈3.3 µg L), abundant competitive ions, and significant marine biological pollution, making UES a formidable challenge.

Recent progress of functional nano-chitosan in pharmaceutical and biomedical applications: An updated review.

Chitosan is a deacylated derivative of chitin, which is a naturally occurring polysaccharide found in the shells of crustaceans. Chitosan's biocompatibility, physicochemical and mechanical properties qualify it as an excellent candidate for biomedical and pharmaceutical applications. Furthermore, the nanoengineering of chitosan enhances its functional and desirable properties for various applications.

Pyroptotic cell corpses are crowned with F-actin-rich filopodia that engage CLEC9A signaling in incoming dendritic cells.

While apoptosis dismantles the cell to enforce immunological silence, pyroptotic cell death provokes inflammation. Little is known of the structural architecture of cells undergoing pyroptosis, and whether pyroptotic corpses are immunogenic. Here we report that inflammasomes trigger the Gasdermin-D- and calcium-dependent eruption of filopodia from the plasma membrane minutes before pyroptotic cell rupture, to crown the resultant corpse with filopodia.

Photo-Induced Synthesis of Ytterbium and Manganese-Doped CsPbCl Nanocrystals for Visible to Near-Infrared Photoluminescence with Negative Thermal Quenching.

Rare-earth-doped all-inorganic perovskite applications for near-infrared (NIR) emission are crucial for the construction of the next generation of intelligent lighting sources. However, the preparation of rare-earth-doped all-inorganic perovskite is complex, and difficult to control, and the issue of thermal quenching poses significant challenges to its practical application. Here, in order to address these issues, a convenient photo-induced synthesis method for CsPbCl:Mn/Yb nanocrystals (NCs) is proposed by decomposing carbon tetrachloride with 365 nm light to provide chloride ions and regulate the formation of perovskite at room temperature.

Stimuli-responsive mesoporous silica nanoplatforms for smart antibacterial therapies: From single to combination strategies.

The demand for new antibacterial therapies is urgent and crucial in the clinical setting because of the growing degree of antibiotic resistance and the limits of conventional antibacterial therapies. Stimuli- responsive nanoplatforms, are sensitive to endogenous or exogenous stimulus (pH, temperature, light, and magnetic fields, etc.) which activate cargo release locally and on-demand, hold great potential in developing next generation personalized precision medicine.

Isolation of an exopolysaccharide-producing Weissella confusa strain from lettuce and exploring its application as a texture modifying adjunct culture in a soy milk alternative.

Consumers often seek healthier options but still desire the familiar eating experience of traditional dairy. Incorporating exopolysaccharide (EPS)-producing cultures into fermented plant-based milk alternatives (PBMAs) offers a promising approach to improving the textural quality of these products. For this, it is essential that the EPS-producing cultures are able to produce EPS in the plant-based substrate.

Young rat microbiota extracts strongly inhibit fibrillation of α-synuclein and protect neuroblastoma cells and zebrafish against α-synuclein toxicity.

The clinical manifestations of Parkinson's disease (PD) are driven by aggregation of α-Synuclein (α-Syn) in the brain. However, there is increasing evidence that PD may be initiated in the gut and thence spread to the brain, eg, via the vagus nerve. Many studies link PD to changes in the gut microbiome, and bacterial amyloid has been shown to stimulate α-Syn aggregation.

Assessment of the General Nutrition Knowledge of Students from the University of Novi Sad (Vojvodina, Serbia).

Healthy nutrition is necessary for a good quality of life and reduction in the risk of developing diseases. Research indicates that students do not usually have healthy eating habits. Knowledge about nutrition, dietary guidelines, food groups and the nutrients they contain, the selection and adequate preparation of food, and the health consequences of unhealthy nutrition can influence the eating habits of students.

Lipid-Based Nanoformulations for Drug Delivery: An Ongoing Perspective.

Oils and lipids help make water-insoluble drugs soluble by dispersing them in an aqueous medium with the help of a surfactant and enabling their absorption across the gut barrier. The emergence of microemulsions (thermodynamically stable), nanoemulsions (kinetically stable), and self-emulsifying drug delivery systems added unique characteristics that make them suitable for prolonged storage and controlled release. In the 1990s, solid-phase lipids were introduced to reduce drug leakage from nanoparticles and prolong drug release.

End-to-End Pierced Carbon Nanosheets with Meso-Holes.

The remarkable properties of 2D nanomaterials are well known. However, their high interfacial adhesion energy often leads to restacking issues, limiting their potential in various applications. A strategic synthetic approach is presented to overcome this challenge.

Simultaneous generation of residue-free reactive oxygen species and bacteria capture for efficient electrochemical water disinfection.

Residue-free and highly efficient techniques for drinking water disinfection are urgently needed. Herein, we report an electrochemical water disinfection system equipped with atomically precise Ag nanoclusters (NCs) as electrode materials. The deployment of these Ag NCs not only provides sufficient electrosorption sites for intelligent microbe enrichment but also ensures high-efficiency dual-mode microbial killing through the in situ electrocatalytic production of residue-free reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the inherent antimicrobial activity of Ag NCs.

Regulation of macrophage uptake through the bio-nano interaction using surface functionalized mesoporous silica nanoparticles with large radial pores.

Porous nanoparticles, such as mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs), have garnered significant interest for biomedical applications. Recently, MSNs with large radial pores have attracted increased attention because their unique pore structure and large pore size are suitable for delivering large molecules such as proteins and genes. Upon entry into biological systems like the bloodstream, nanoparticles quickly form a 'protein corona,' leading to alterations in their interactions with immune cells.

Local Temperature Measurement in Molecular Dynamics Simulations with Rigid Constraints.

Constraining molecules in simulations (such as with constant bond lengths and/or angles) reduces their degrees of freedom (DoF), which in turn affects temperature calculations in those simulations. When local temperatures are measured, e.g.

An inducible iFUCCI reporter cell line for tracking cell cycle dynamics in human pluripotent stem cells and their differentiated progeny.

An ability to monitor cell cycle progression in real time has numerous applications in pluripotent stem cell-based models and therapeutics development. Fluorescence Ubiquitination-based Cell Cycle Indicator (FUCCI) systems enable live monitoring of the cell cycle in stem cells and their differentiated progenies in a non-invasive manner. We describe the generation and characterisation of a cell line with a doxycycline-inducible reporter system, iFUCCI, in the human embryonic stem cell (hESC) line MEL-1.

Rational Design of Advanced Gene Delivery Carriers: Macrophage Phenotype Matters.

Nucleic acid delivery in hard-to-transfect macrophages have attracted increasing attention in diverse applications such as defence against bacterial infection. Regulated by microenvironments in specific applications, macrophages have a heterogenous nature and exist in different phenotypes with diverse functions, e.g.

Dual Near-Infrared-Response S-Scheme Heterojunction with Asymmetric Adsorption Sites for Enhanced Nitrogen Photoreduction.

Photocatalytic nitrogen reduction reaction (PNRR) holds immense promise for sustainable ammonia (NH) synthesis. However, few photocatalysts can utilize NIR light that carries over 50% of the solar energy for NH production with high performance. Herein, a dual NIR-responsive S-scheme ZnCoS/FeS heterojunction photocatalyst is designed with asymmetric adsorption sites and excellent PNRR performance.

The role of ATP-binding Cassette subfamily B member 6 in the inner ear.

ABCB6 has been implicated in dyschromatosis universalis hereditaria, a condition characterized by hyperpigmented and hypopigmented skin macules. Dyschromatosis universalis hereditaria can also present with hearing loss. Dyschromatosis universalis hereditaria-associated mutations in ABCB6 have been reported, but the role of this protein in the inner ear has not been studied.

Bioorthogonally activated probes for precise fluorescence imaging.

Over the past two decades, bioorthogonal chemistry has undergone a remarkable development, challenging traditional assumptions in biology and medicine. Recent advancements in the design of probes tailored for bioorthogonal applications have met the increasing demand for precise imaging, facilitating the exploration of complex biological systems. These state-of-the-art probes enable highly sensitive, low background, imaging of biological species and events within live organisms, achieving resolutions comparable to the size of the biomolecule under investigation.