Deciphering the toxic effects of polystyrene nanoparticles on erythropoiesis at single-cell resolution.

Polystyrene nanoparticles pose significant toxicological risks to aquatic ecosystems, yet their impact on zebrafish ( ) embryonic development, particularly erythropoiesis, remains underexplored. This study used single-cell RNA sequencing to comprehensively evaluate the effects of polystyrene nanoparticle exposure on erythropoiesis in zebrafish embryos. validation experiments corroborated the transcriptomic findings, revealing that polystyrene nanoparticle exposure disrupted erythrocyte differentiation, as evidenced by the decrease in mature erythrocytes and concomitant increase in immature erythrocytes.

Centimeter-Sized CsPbBr Single-Crystal Films for Energy-Resolved Radiation Detection.

Metal halide perovskites (MHPs) are promising materials for radiation detection. Compared with polycrystalline films, single crystals (SCs) have lower defect density, higher carrier mobility, and lifetime. However, the direct synthesis of MHP SCs for large-area flat panel imaging detectors remains challenging.

Improved Conductivity of 2D Perovskite Capping Layer for Realizing High-Performance 3D/2D Heterostructured Hole Transport Layer-Free Perovskite Photovoltaics.

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have emerged as low-cost photovoltaic representatives. Constructing three-dimensional (3D)/two-dimensional (2D) perovskite heterostructures has been shown to effectively enhance the efficiency and stability of PSCs. However, further enhancement of device performance is still largely limited by inferior conductivity of the 2D perovskite capping layer and its mismatched energy level with the 3D perovskite layer.

Bioorthogonal reaction-mediated photosensitizer-peptide conjugate anchoring on cell membranes for enhanced photodynamic therapy.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT), utilizing a photosensitizer (PS) to induce tumor cell death, is an effective modality for cancer treatment. PS-peptide conjugates have recently demonstrated remarkable antitumor potential in preclinical trials. However, the limited cell membrane binding affinity and rapid systemic clearance have hindered their transition to clinical applications.

Synthesis of shape-tunable PbZrTiO nanocrystals with lattice variations for piezoelectric energy harvesting and human motion detection.

PbZrTiO cubes with tunable sizes and cuboids have been hydrothermally synthesized. PbZrTiO cubes with three different Zr : Ti atomic percentages were also prepared. Analysis of synchrotron X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns reveals the presence of two lattice components for these samples.

Activity and stability origin of core-shell catalysts: unignorable atomic diffusion behavior.

The exceptional oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) performances of core-shell catalysts are well documented, yet their activity and durability origins have been interpreted only based on the static structures. Herein we employ a NiFe alloy coated with a nitrogen-doped graphene-based carbon shell (NiFe@NC) as a model system to elucidate the active structure and stability mechanism for the ORR and OER by combining constant potential computations, molecular dynamic simulations, and experiments. The results reveal that the synergistic effects between the alloy core and carbon shell facilitate the formation of Fe-N-C active sites and replenish metal sites when central metal atoms detach.

Different p-block elements induce C[111] octahedral distortion in titanium to generate an intense nonlinear effect.

Acentric crystalline materials are the cornerstone of numerous cutting-edge technologies and have been highly sought-after, but they are difficult to construct controllably. Herein, by introducing a new p-block element to break the symmetrical environment of the d transition metal in the centric matrix TiTeO, a novel acentric tellurite sulfate, namely Ti(TeO)(SO), was successfully constructed. In its structure, two types of p-block element-centered oxo-anionic groups, [TeO] and [SO], endow [TiO] with an out-of-center distortion along the local C[111] direction, which is rare in titanium oxides containing a lone-pair cation.

Photodynamic therapy with a novel photosensitizer inhibits DSS-induced ulcerative colitis in rats via the NF-κB signaling pathway.

Introduction: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an inflammatory bowel disease characterized by inflammation and ulceration of the digestive tract.

Methods: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) with a novel photosensitizer LD was used to treat UC rat models to explore the therapeutic effect and mechanism of LD-PDT on UC. 16S ribosomal RNA was used to detect the composition of Gut microbiota.

Identification of germplasm resources based on metabolomics and DNA barcoding.

Introduction: radix et rhizoma (Danshen) is a crucial medicinal material for treating cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. However, the presence of adulterants and intraspecific variability poses challenges to its clinical safety.

Methods: This study collected samples of from various regions and commonly encountered adulterants.

Design of pH-Responsive Nanomaterials Based on the Tumor Microenvironment.

The metabolic activity of tumor cells leads to the acidification of the surrounding microenvironment, which provides new strategies for the application of nanotechnology in cancer therapy. Researchers have developed various types of pH-responsive nanomaterials based on the tumor acidic microenvironment. This review provides an in-depth discussion on the design mechanisms, drug-loading strategies, and application pathways of tumor acidic microenvironment-responsive nanodrug delivery systems.

Integrating machine learning with advanced processing and characterization for polycrystalline materials: a methodology review and application to iron-based superconductors.

In this review, we present a new set of machine learning-based materials research methodologies for polycrystalline materials developed through the Core Research for Evolutionary Science and Technology project of the Japan Science and Technology Agency. We focus on the constituents of polycrystalline materials (i.e.

A Networked Intelligent Elderly Care Model Based on Nursing Robots to Achieve Healthy Aging.

As global populations become increasingly aged, existing elderly care models are proving insufficient. The development and application of nursing robots have shown potential in addressing the challenges of elder care in aging societies. This perspective outlines current state and potential applications of nursing robots in promoting healthy aging.

Complex mitral valve anatomy and open issues in transcatheter mitral valve replacement.

Higher and prohibitive mitral valve disease surgical scenarios are preferred cases for transcatheter mitral valve replacement as they offer unrelenting mitral valve regurgitation reduction. This review entails medical technologies that are evolving bioprosthetic devices for mitral valve repair and replacement purposes. Transcatheter mitral valve replacement is compared with transcatheter aortic valve implantation based on the etiology and driving factors.

Viscoelastic hydrogel combined with dynamic compression promotes osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells and bone repair in rats.

A biomechanical environment constructed exploiting the mechanical property of the extracellular matrix and external loading is essential for cell behaviour. Building suitable mechanical stimuli using feasible scaffold material and moderate mechanical loading is critical in bone tissue engineering for bone repair. However, the detailed mechanism of the mechanical regulation remains ambiguous.

A biocompatible β-cyclodextrin inclusion complex containing natural extracts: a promising antibiofilm agent.

Biofilms formed by several bacterial strains still pose a significant challenge to healthcare due to their resistance to conventional treatment approaches, including antibiotics. This study explores the potential of loading natural extracts with antimicrobial activities into β-cyclodextrin (βCD) nanoparticles, which are FDA-approved and have superior biocompatibility owing to their cyclic sugar structures, for biofilm eradication. An inclusion complex of βCD carrying essential oils (BOS) was prepared and characterized with regard to its physicochemical properties, antimicrobial efficacy, and antibiofilm activities.

Effects of biological agents on rhizosphere microecological environment and nutrient availability for rice.

As the world's population grows, pursuing sustainable agricultural production techniques to increase crop yields is critical to ensuring global food security. The development and application of biological agents is of great significance in promoting the sustainable development of agriculture. This study aimed to investigate the role of JZ (compound microbial agent) and MZ (biological agent made from plant materials) in improving the rhizosphere microecological environment and nutrient availability for rice.

On-chip non-contact mechanical cell stimulation - quantification of SKOV-3 alignment to suspended microstructures.

Although the accumulation of random genetic mutations has been traditionally viewed as the main cause of cancer progression, altered mechanobiological profiles of the cells and microenvironment also play a major role as a mutation-independent element. To probe the latter, we have previously reported a microfluidic cell-culture platform with an integrated flexible actuator and its application for sequential cyclic compression of cancer cells. The platform is composed of a control microchannel in a top layer for introducing external pressure, and a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) membrane from which a monolithically-integrated actuator protrudes downwards into a cell-culture microchannel.

Bioactive Glasses: Advancing Skin Tissue Repair through Multifunctional Mechanisms and Innovations.

As a complex and dynamically regulated process, wound healing is collaboratively carried out by multiple types of cells. However, the precise mechanisms by which these cells contribute to immune regulation are not yet fully understood. Although research on bone regeneration has been quite extensive, the application of bioactive glass (BG) in skin tissue repair remains still relatively underexplored.

Cation Effect on the Electrochemical Platinum Dissolution.

Ensuring the stability of electrocatalysts is paramount to the success of electrochemical energy conversion devices. Degradation is a fundamental process involving the release of positively charged metal ions into the electric double layer (EDL) and their subsequent diffusion into the bulk electrolyte. However, despite its vital importance in achieving prolonged electrocatalysis, the underlying causality of catalyst dissolution with the EDL structure remains largely unknown.

Dual-Asymmetric Solid Additive Enables Eco-friendly All-Polymer Solar Cells with Over 19% Efficiency and Excellent Stability.

The optimization of morphology in all-polymer solar cells (all-PSCs) often relies on the use of solvent additives. However, their tendency to remain trapped in the device due to high boiling points leads to performance degradation over time. In this study, we introduce a novel approach involving the design and synthesis of one dual-asymmetric solid additive featuring mono-brominated-asymmetric dithienothiophene (SL-1).

Unveiling the role of NiFeM hydroxide (M = Pt, Ru, Ir, Rh) cocatalysts for robust H production in photocatalytic water splitting.

In this study, the NiFe-LDH doped with different Pt group metals (Pt, Ru, Ir, Rh) was prepared as a cocatalyst for photocatalytic H production over g-CN. It is found that the doped NiFe-LDH loaded g-CN generally displays higher photocatalytic activity than the raw NiFe-LDH modified one, where the NiFeRu-LDH loaded g-CN shows the optimal H evolution rate of 77.4 μmol h, about 5.

Crystalline, Porous Figure-Eight-Noded Covalent Organic Frameworks.

Figure-eight macrocycles represent a fascinating class of π-conjugated units characterized by unique aesthetics and non-contact molecular crossing at the center. Despite progress in synthesis over the past century, research into inorganic, organic, and polymeric figure-eight materials remains in its infancy. Here we report the first examples of figure-eight covalent organic frameworks by condensing figure-eight knots to create extended porous figure-eight π architectures.

A lanmodulin-based fluorescent assay for the rapid and sensitive detection of rare earth elements.

Sensitive and rapid detection methods for rare earth elements (REEs), including lanthanides (Lns), will facilitate the mining and recovery of these elements. Here, we innovated a rapid, highly selective and sensitive fluorescence detection method for Lns, based on Hans-Lanmodulin, a newly discovered protein with high selectivity and binding affinity for rare earth elements. By labelling the fluorescein moiety FITC onto Hans-Lanmodulin, named as FITC-Hans-LanM.

Several variants on chromosome 10 are associated with coarse hair diameter in Dazu black goats (Capra hircus).

Goats typically have double coats, with the outermost coarse hairs providing protection against mechanical and radiation damage. While much attention has been paid to cashmere due to its status as a high-end textile material, there is limited information available on coarse hair. This study aimed to identify genomic variants, such as single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and insertion/deletions (indels), associated with coarse hair diameter using a genome-wide association study (GWAS).

Advances in the Study of Halogenated Natural Products.

Halogenated natural products are an important class of secondary metabolites that are widely distributed in nature. The presence of halogen atoms usually enhances the pharmacological activity of the compounds. As a result, halogenated natural products have shown promising pharmacological activities in antibacterial, antitumour, anti-inflammatory and antiplasmodial properties, providing a rich resource for the development of new drugs.