Construction of Medusa-Like Adhesive Carbon Nanotube Array Induced by Deformation of Alumina Sheets.

To change the binary structure of nanotube and nanotube array in vertically aligned carbon nanotube arrays, this work deposits regularly arranged amorphous alumina sheets on the classical array growth catalyst (10 nm-thick alumina and 2 nm-thick iron) and obtains an array similar to the Medusa head. Subsequent experiments revealed that these alumina sheets show both unstable and stable qualities during growth: unstable in that they thermally deform and change their newly discovered characteristics of blocking carbon source diffusion, which regulates the nanotube growth order in specific areas; stable in that they withstand the deformation caused by heat and sequential growth of nanotubes, serving as a substrate and buffer layer for Medusa's hair, i.e.

Transient Mild Photothermia Improves Therapeutic Performance of Oral Nanomedicines with Enhanced Accumulation in the Colitis Mucosa.

The treatment outcomes of oral medications against ulcerative colitis (UC) have long been restricted by low drug accumulation in the colitis mucosa and subsequent unsatisfactory therapeutic efficacy. Here, high-performance pluronic F127 (P127)-modified gold shell (AuS)-polymeric core nanotherapeutics loading with curcumin (CUR) is constructed. Under near-infrared irradiation, the resultant P127-AuS@CURs generate transient mild photothermia (TMP; ≈42 °C, 10 min), which facilitates their penetration through colonic mucus and favors multiple cellular processes, including cell internalization, lysosomal escape, and controlled CUR release.

Bacteria-derived nanovesicles enhance tumour vaccination by trained immunity.

Trained immunity enhances the responsiveness of immune cells to subsequent infections or vaccinations. Here we demonstrate that pre-vaccination with bacteria-derived outer-membrane vesicles, which contain large amounts of pathogen-associated molecular patterns, can be used to potentiate, and enhance, tumour vaccination by trained immunity. Intraperitoneal administration of these outer-membrane vesicles to mice activates inflammasome signalling pathways and induces interleukin-1β secretion.

Kidney tissue regeneration using bioactive scaffolds incorporated with differentiating extracellular vesicles and intermediate mesoderm cells.

Background: To overcome the limitations of current alternative therapies for chronic kidney disease (CKD), tissue engineering-mediated regeneration strategies have demonstrated the possibilities for complete kidney tissue regeneration. Given the challenges associated with the reproducibility of renal basal cells, the incorporation of intermediate mesoderm (IM) cells and bioactive materials to control bioactivities of cells with supported scaffolds should be considered as a viable approach to enable the regeneration of the complex kidney structure via renal differentiation.

Methods: We developed PMEZ scaffolds by combining crucial bioactive components, such as ricinoleic acid-grafted Mg(OH) (M), extracellular matrix (E), and alpha lipoic acid-conjugated ZnO (Z) integrated into biodegradable porous PLGA (P) platform.

Traditional Chinese Medicine Formulae QY305 Reducing Cutaneous Adverse Reaction and Diarrhea by its Nanostructure.

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is widely used in clinical practice, including skin and gastrointestinal diseases. Here, a potential TCM QY305 (T-QY305) is reported that can modulate the recruitment of neutrophil in skin and colon tissue thus reducing cutaneous adverse reaction and diarrhea induced by epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors (EGFRIs). On another hand, the T-QY305 formula, through regulating neutrophil recruitment features would highlight the presence of N-QY305, a subunit nanostructure contained in T-QY305, and confirm its role as potentially being the biomaterial conferring to T-QY305 its pharmacodynamic features.

Portable visual and electrochemical detection of hydrogen peroxide release from living cells based on dual-functional Pt-Ni hydrogels.

It is important to monitor the intra-/extracellular concentration of hydrogen peroxide (HO) in biological processes. However, miniaturized devices that enable portable and accurate HO measurement are still in their infancy because of the difficulty of developing facile sensing strategies and highly integrated sensing devices. In this work, portable HO sensors based on Pt-Ni hydrogels with excellent peroxidase-like and electrocatalytic activities are demonstrated.

Synthesis, Characterization, and Magnetic Properties of Lanthanide-Containing Paramagnetic Ionic Liquids: An Evan's NMR Study.

The present study focuses on the synthesis and characterization of lanthanide-containing paramagnetic ionic liquids (ILs), [CCIm][MClX] ( = 4, 6, and 8; M = Gd, Dy, and Ho; X = Br and Cl), derived from 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium anions. These paramagnetic ILs exhibit low vapor pressure, high thermal stability, physiochemical stability, and tunability, along with significant magnetic susceptibility, making them of interest in advanced material applications that may take advantage of neat liquids with magnetic susceptibility. Structural and physical properties were determined using FTIR, H NMR, DSC, and TGA.

Functional evaluation of dendritic cells and extracellular vesicles as immunotherapy for breast cancer.

Dendritic cells (DCs) play critical roles in recognizing and presenting antigens to T cells. They secrete dendritic cell-derived extracellular vesicles (DC-sEVs), which could mimic the function of DCs. Therefore, we explore the possibility of using DC-sEVs as a potential personalized vaccine in this study.

A review of different frying oils and oleogels as alternative frying media for fat-uptake reduction in deep-fat fried foods.

Purpose: This review aims to examine the potential of oleogels as a frying medium to decrease oil absorption during deep-frying and enhance the nutritional and energy content of foods. By investigating the factors influencing oil incorporation during deep-frying and examining the application of oleogels in this process, we seek to provide insights into using oleogels as an alternative to traditional cooking oils.

Scope: Deep-frying, a widely used cooking method, leads to the retention of large amounts of oil in fried food, which has been associated with health concerns.

Progress in oncolytic viruses modified with nanomaterials for intravenous application.

In oncolytic virus (OV) therapy, a critical component of tumor immunotherapy, viruses selectively infect, replicate within, and eventually destroy tumor cells. Simultaneously, this therapy activates immune responses and mobilizes immune cells, thereby eliminating residual or distant cancer cells. However, because of OVs' high immunogenicity and immune clearance during circulation, their clinical applications are currently limited to intratumoral injections, and their use is severely restricted.

Celebrating 25 years of the Key Laboratory for Special Functional Materials at Henan University.

An introduction to the themed collection organised in celebration of the 25 anniversary of the Key Laboratory for Special Functional Materials at Henan University in China, featuring research in all aspects of nanoscience and nanotechnology.

Transcriptional Response of to Nanostructured Surfaces Provides Insight into Cellular Rupture and Antifungal Drug Sensitization.

The rise in resistance levels against antifungal drugs has necessitated the development of strategies to combat fungal infections. Nanoscale antimicrobial surfaces, found on the cuticles of insects, have recently emerged as intriguing alternative antifungal strategies that function passively via contact and induced cell rupture. Nanostructured surfaces (NSS) offer a potentially transformative antimicrobial approach to reducing microbial biofilm formation.

Cr and CeO promoted Ni/SBA-15 framework for hydrogen production by steam reforming of glycerol.

Ni/SBA-15 meso-structured catalysts modified with chromium and CeO (Ni-Cr-CeO/SBA-15) were utilized to produce hydrogen from glycerol steam reforming (GSR). The catalysts were synthesized by a one-pot hydrothermal process and extensively characterized by analytical techniques such as N adsorption-desorption (BET), H-temperature programmed reduction (H-TPR), powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The low-angle XRD reflections affirmed that the catalysts were crystalline and possessed a 2D-ordered porosity.

Multi-omics for COVID-19: driving development of therapeutics and vaccines.

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 has raised global concern for public health and economy. The development of therapeutics and vaccines to combat this virus is continuously progressing. Multi-omics approaches, including genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, epigenomics and metallomics, have helped understand the structural and molecular features of the virus, thereby assisting in the design of potential therapeutics and accelerating vaccine development for COVID-19.

Vanadium Carbide Nanosheets with Broad-Spectrum Antioxidant Activity for Pulmonary Fibrosis Therapy.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is a chronic and highly lethal lung disease that largely results from oxidative stress; however, effective antioxidant therapy by targeting oxidative stress pathogenesis is still lacking. The big challenge is to develop an ideal antioxidant material with superior antifibrotic effects. Herein, we report that VC nanosheets (NSs) can serve as a potential antioxidant for treatment of pulmonary fibrosis by scavenging reactive oxygen and nitrogen species.

Dissecting the intricacies of human antibody responses to SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2 infection.

The 2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-1) causes more severe disease than SARS-CoV-2, which is responsible for COVID-19. However, our understanding of antibody response to SARS-CoV-1 infection remains incomplete. Herein, we studied the antibody responses in 25 SARS-CoV-1 convalescent patients.

Receptor-Targeted Carbon Nanodot Delivery through Polymer Caging and Click Chemistry-Supported LRP1 Ligand Attachment.

Carbon nanodots present resistance to photobleaching, bright photoluminescence, and superior biocompatibility, making them highly promising for bioimaging applications. Herein, nanoprobes were caged with four-armed oligomers and subsequently modified with a novel DBCO-PEG-modified retro-enantio peptide ligand reL57, enhancing cellular uptake into U87MG glioma cells highly expressing low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 (LRP1). A key point in the development of the oligomers was the incorporation of ε-amino-linked lysines instead of standard α-amino-linked lysines, which considerably extended the contour length per monomer.

Surface-Modified Electrospun Glass Nanofibers from Silane Treatment and Their Use for High-Performance Epoxy-Based Nanocomposite Materials.

As a new and promising reinforcing filler, electrospun glass nanofibers (EGNFs) have attracted attention in the field of polymer composite materials. However, the reinforcing effectiveness of surface-modified EGNFs using different silane coupling agents in epoxy resin is still not quite clear. In this research, a series of silane coupling agents with increasing chain lengths in the order of methyl trimethoxysilane (MTMS), (3-aminopropyl) triethoxysilane (APTES), (3-glycidyloxypropyl) trimethoxysilane (GPTMS), and dual silane coupling agent APTES-GPTMS were employed to carry out surface treatment on the EGNFs.

Release efficiencies of potassium permanganate controlled-release biodegradable polymer (CRBP) pellets embedded in polyvinyl acetate (CRBP-PVAc) and polyethylene oxide (CRBP- PEO) for groundwater treatment.

In-situ chemical oxidation (ISCO) is a commonly used method for the remediation of environmental contaminants in groundwater systems. However, traditional ISCO methods are associated with several limitations, including safety and handling concerns, rebound of groundwater contaminants, and difficulty in reaching all areas of contamination. To overcome these limitations, novel Controlled-Release Biodegradable Polymer (CRBP) pellets containing the oxidant KMnO₄ were designed and tested.

Algae-Enhanced Electrospun Polyacrylonitrile Nanofibrous Membrane for High-Performance Short-Chain PFAS Remediation from Water.

As a short-chain PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance), GenX was produced in recent years to replace traditional long-chain PFASs, such as perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). However, GenX turns out to be more toxic than people originally thought, posing health risks as a persistent environmental pollutant. In this research, for the first time, we incorporated chlorella, a single-celled green freshwater microalga that grows worldwide, with polyacrylonitrile (PAN) in equal amounts in electrospun nanofibers and studied the capability of the electrospun PAN/Algae bicomponent nanofibrous membrane (ES(PAN/Algae)) to bind and remove GenX from water.

Digital data storage on DNA tape using CRISPR base editors.

While the archival digital memory industry approaches its physical limits, the demand is significantly increasing, therefore alternatives emerge. Recent efforts have demonstrated DNA's enormous potential as a digital storage medium with superior information durability, capacity, and energy consumption. However, the majority of the proposed systems require on-demand de-novo DNA synthesis techniques that produce a large amount of toxic waste and therefore are not industrially scalable and environmentally friendly.

Chiral probes for biosensing.

Chiral inorganic nanomaterials have emerged as a highly promising area of research in nanoscience due to their exceptional light-matter interaction and vast potential applications in chiral sensing, asymmetric catalysis, enantiomer separation, and negative-index materials. We present an overview of the latest advances in chiral inorganic nanomaterials including chiral individual nanoparticles, chiral assemblies, and chiral film-based sensors over the past ten years. Additionally, we discuss the challenges and future perspectives for developing chiral nanomaterials in biosensing applications.

Identification and characterization of a small molecule that activates thiosulfate sulfurtransferase and stimulates mitochondrial respiration.

The enzyme Thiosulfate sulfurtransferase (TST, EC 2.8.1.

Synergistic combination of doxorubicin with hydralazine, and disulfiram against MCF-7 breast cancer cell line.

Disulfiram and hydralazine have recently been reported to have anti-cancer action, and repositioned to be used as adjuvant in cancer therapy. Chemotherapy combined with other medications, such as those that affect the immune system or epigenetic cell profile, can overcome resistance with fewer adverse effects compared to chemotherapy alone. In the present study, a combination of doxorubicin (DOX) with hydrazine (Hyd) and disulfiram (Dis), as a triple treatment, was evaluated against wild-type and DOX-resistant MCF-7 breast cancer cell line.