Influencing inter-cellular junctions with nanomaterials.

Cell-cell junctions are essential for maintaining tissue integrity and regulating a wide range of physiological processes. While the disruption of intercellular junctions may lead to pathological conditions, it also presents an opportunity for therapeutic interventions. Nanomaterials have emerged as promising tools for modulating cell-cell junctions, offering new avenues for innovative treatments.

Constructing dendrite-suppressing separators based on cellulose acetate and polyoxometalates toward uniform lithium electrodeposition.

Functionalized separators are expected to serve as protective barriers to conquer the lithium dendrite penetration in lithium metal batteries. Herein, a novel self-supporting separator material has been successfully synthesized based on the cellulose acetate and Keggin-type polyoxometalate HPMoO·HO (denoted as CA/PMo). The incorporation of PMo facilitates the transformation of the original finger-like structure of the CA separator into a uniform three-dimensional porous grid architecture, which is more effective in inhibiting the growth of lithium dendrites.

Effects of soil bulk density and corresponding soil infiltration rate on the migration and transformation of gibberellic acid.

High intensity agricultural activities can lead to a decrease in soil fertility and an increase in soil bulk density, which may significantly impact the migration and transformation of pesticides in soil. As a new widely-used micro-toxic pesticide, gibberellic acid (GA) is more soluble and hydrophilic than most pesticides, which could readily migrate throughout the soil during water infiltration and impact groundwater quality. In this study, the leaching of GA in saturated soils with different bulk densities (1.

Transcranial direct current stimulation alleviates the pain severity in people suffering from knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Considerable research has shown the benefits of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) for the alleviation of pain associated with knee osteoarthritis (KOA). Still, a large variance in study protocols and observations across publications exists. We here thus completed a systematic review and meta-analysis to comprehensively and quantitatively characterize the effects of tDCS on KOA-related pain.

Design and synthesis of N-(3-cyanothiophen-2-yl)-2-phenoxyacetamide-based α-glucosidase inhibitors.

This study investigates the design and synthesis of a series of novel selective α-glucosidase inhibitors based on N-(3-cyanothiophen-2-yl)-2-phenoxyacetamide framework, employing a bioisosterism strategy. Among the nineteen newly synthesized analogs, compound 4d9 demonstrated the highest α-glucosidase inhibitory potency (IC = 2.11 μM) when compared to the established inhibitors Acarbose (IC = 327.

Ring opening of epoxides: a facile approach towards the synthesis of polyketides and related stereoenriched natural products: a review.

Epoxides are significant heterocycles in the structural makeup of a variety of natural products. Their ring-opening reactions have emerged as a versatile and efficient strategies for synthesizing a variety of functionalized molecules. Such reactions have been extensively applied towards the preparation of complex naturally occurring products.

Ultrasensitive Electrochemiluminescence Aptamer Sensor Based on Ru@ZIF-Pd Cathode for Acetamiprid Detection.

Ru(bpy) is commonly used in electrochemiluminescence (ECL) as a conventional luminophore. However, Ru(bpy) can leak off the electrode surface, resulting in a reduced ECL signal. In this work, a nanocube composite material Ru@ZIF was prepared by incorporating doping luminescent Ru(bpy) into the skeleton of Zn(II) ions and 2-methylimidazole (2-MI), and the ECL probe Ru@ZIF-Pd was prepared by in situ growth of Pd nanoparticles (Pd NPs).

Near-field coupling resonance enhancement with AuNiO Heterostructure nanosheets for high-performance photodynamic/photothermal Hybrid antibacterial & imaging tracking.

Bacterial infection has always been a serious public health problem worldwide. Real-time microbial monitoring in the trauma resuscitation unit is crucial for infection control and plays an essential role in all aspects of wound treatment clinical practice, such as identification and evaluation of wound infection, diagnosis of wound infection, and topical antimicrobial treatment. Herein, gold-loaded nickel oxide nanosheets (Au-NiO NSs) prepared by hydrothermal and laser-assisted synthesis methods are used as fluorescent nanoprobes to rapidly detect and target bacteria at an early stage, and then achieve combined PTT and PDT to inactivate bacteria under sunlight.

Dual-site and carbon-ring moiety modulation of polymeric carbon nitride for improved cooperative photocatalysis.

The conjugated structure of graphitic polymeric carbon nitrides (GPCNs) has low efficiency in the photocatalytic hydrogen peroxide (HO) production, due to the electronic properties, band structure, and surface-active-sites. Herein, boron and carbon-ring modified GPCNs were synthesized with via a thermal condensation method, using melamine and phenylboronic acid as raw materials. The introduced boron atom, conjugated to the carbon atom in the heptazine moiety, and the adjacent nitrogen vacancy (V) formed a dual-site, which not only modified the electronic properties but also promoted the adsorption and activation of molecular dioxygen; The carbon-ring introduced altered the band structure and electron distribution, which was proved by density functional theory (DFT) calculations.

Activation of biochar by CO produced from the same pyrolysis process and captured by CaO.

Herein, recycled use of CO was proposed by using CaO to collect CO in the form of CaCO in the pyrolysis of willow branch (WB) at 600 °C. Subsequently, the formed CaCO and biochar together were heated to 900 °C to activate the biochar with both CO and CaO released.

Free vibration of nanobeams with surface and dynamic flexoelectric effects.

In this paper, the free vibration of piezoelectric nanobeams considering static flexoelectric, dynamic flexoelectric, and surface effects is studied. Based on the theories of the Timoshenko beam and Euler-Bernoulli beam, a theoretical model of flexoelectric nanobeams is established and the governing equations and boundary conditions of this model are derived using the variational principle. Then, the analytical solution of the frequency equation is obtained by using the Navier method.

H fault-tolerant fuzzy intermittent control for nonlinear hyperbolic PDE systems with multiple delays and actuator failures.

This study presents an H fault-tolerant fuzzy intermittent control approach for the nonlinear hyperbolic partial differential equation (PDE) systems with multiple delays and actuator failures (MDAFs). Firstly, the nonlinear hyperbolic PDE systems with MDAFs are characterized by the Takagi-Sugeno (T-S) fuzzy delayed hyperbolic PDE model. Next, by employing the Lyapunov direct method, this paper demonstrates the robust exponential stability using spatial linear matrix inequalities (SLMIs) based on a new switching Lyapunov functional (LF).

Anti-Swelling Polyelectrolyte Hydrogel with Submillimeter Lateral Confinement for Osmotic Energy Conversion.

Harvesting the immense and renewable osmotic energy with reverse electrodialysis (RED) technology shows great promise in dealing with the ever-growing energy crisis. One key challenge is to improve the output power density with improved trade-off between membrane permeability and selectivity. Herein, polyelectrolyte hydrogels (channel width, 2.

Photoreversible Color-Switching Cu-Doped TiO Nanoparticles for High-Contrast Rewritable Printing.

Light-printable rewritable paper that can be used multiple times has attracted extensive attention because of its potential benefits in reducing environmental pollution and energy consumption. Developing rewritable paper with high black-to-colorless contrast, lasting legibility, and a fast response is fascinating but challenging. Here, we integrate the redox chemistry of Cu ions into photoreductive TiO nanoparticles to produce Cu-doped TiO nanoparticles capable of highly photoreversible switching between colorless and black with excellent contrast and color stability.

Theoretical study of covalent organic frameworks and heterojunctions for the oxygen reduction reaction.

In this study, the catalytic potential of two representative covalent organic frameworks (COFs), COF-366 and Pc-PBBA COF, was investigated in the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Transition metal atoms (Fe or Co) were incorporated into the center of porphyrin or phthalocyanine rings to form Fe(Co)-N-C single-atom catalysts, which can catalyze the ORR with overpotentials between 0.49 V and 0.

Development and evaluation of a sulfate precipitation method for separating key flocculated-species from titanium-based flocculant.

Key flocculated-species is the pivotal factor influencing the effectiveness of flocculants, which in turn directly determines the performance of mainstream wastewater treatment processes. Recovery of titanium-coagulated sludge and high-efficiency of titanium-coagulation have made titanium-coagulants an attractive hot point. However, the separation of key titanium-based flocculated-species remains a critical bottleneck limiting the advancement of titanium-based flocculant chemistry in water treatment.

Novel chitosan/lignin hydrogel prepared by the Mannich reaction for Pb(II) and Cu(II) removal from aqueous solution.

Green and high-performance biomass-based adsorbents have a good application prospect for the removal of heavy metals. At present, the preparation of chitosan/lignin biomass adsorbents mainly adopts dissolution-drying method, and the obtained adsorbents show relatively poor adsorption performance for heavy metals. To overcome this problem, a novel chitosan/lignin hydrogel (CSL) is prepared by a simple one-pot method through the Mannich reaction.

One-dimensional multilevel stalactite-like NiS-Fe(MoS) bifunctional electrocatalyst with excellent oxygen evolution reaction and overall water splitting performance.

Sluggish multi-electron transfer process of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) hinders the further advancement of electrolysis for hydrogen production. Here, a one-dimensional multilevel stalactite-like NiS-Fe(MoS) with excellent oxygen evolution performance was successfully synthesized using a universal two-step hydrothermal method. The nanorod arrays increase the active area and promote electron transfer.

Extraction performance of SiO@COF before and after carbonization and online SPE-HPLC-DAD methods for tetrabromobisphenol A derivatives and phthalates.

The property of organic materials can be regulated by a facile carbonization way. In-situ growth of covalent organic framework on silica (SiO@COF) was achieved by room temperature synthesis, then SiO@COF was carbonized to get another material, called SiO@C-COF. The materials were characterized by SEM, BET, XPS, contact angle test and element analysis.

Atomic Zn-N Site-Regulated Donor-Acceptor Catalyst for Boosting Photocatalytic Bactericidal Activity.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated photocatalytic antibacterial materials are emerging as promising alternatives for the antibiotic-free therapy of drug-resistant bacterial infections. However, the overall efficiency of photocatalytic sterilization is restricted by the rapid recombination of the charge carriers. Herein, we design an in-plane π-conjugated donor-acceptor (D-A) system (g-CN-Zn-NC), comprising graphitic carbon nitride (g-CN) as the donor and Zn single-atom anchored nitrogen-doped carbon (Zn-NC) as the acceptor.

Electrochemical Upgrading of Waste Polylactic Acid Plastic for the Coproduction of C Chemicals and Green Hydrogen.

Tandem alkali-catalyzed hydrolysis and alkaline electrolysis have gradually become appealing avenues for the reformation of polyester plastics into high-value-added chemicals and green hydrogen with remarkable environmental and economic benefits. In this study, an electrochemical upcycling strategy was developed for the electrocatalytic oxidation of polylactic acid (PLA) hydrolysate into valued C chemicals (i.e.

Advances in Powder-Filled Mold Processes: A Comprehensive Review and Outlook.

Powder molding technology is a versatile process widely used in the pharmaceutical, ceramic, chemical, food, and powder metallurgy industries. The powder-filling mold process is a key link in powder compression molding, and the uniformity and consistency of powder filling directly affect the final quality of powder products. Powder filling of molds is a more complex flow process.

Dual Foot-Mounted Localisation Scheme Employing a Minimum-Distance-Constraint Kalman Filter Under Coloured Measurement Noise.

This study proposes a dual foot-mounted localisation scheme with a minimum-distance-constraint (MDC) Kalman filter (KF) for human localisation under coloured measurement noise (CMN). The dual foot-mounted localisation employs inertial measurement unit (IMUs), one on each foot, and is intended for human navigation. The KF under CMN (cKF) is then derived from the data-fusion model of the proposed navigation scheme.

General and Fast Gas-Solid Synthesis of Functional MXenes and Derivatives on the Scale of Tens of Grams.

The rising of MXenes not only enriches the two-dimensional material family but also brings more opportunities for diverse functional applications. However, the controllable synthesis of MXenes is still unsatisfied via the common liquid-solid etching route, considering the unsolved problems like safety risk, time cost and easy oxidation. Herein, a facile yet efficient gas-solid (G-S) reaction methodology is devised by using hydrogen fluoride gas derived from fluorinated organics as the MAX etchant toward high-efficiency fabrication of multiple MXenes and their derivatives.