Protecting monoclonal antibodies via competitive interfacial adsorption of nonionic surfactants.

Hypothesis: Bioengineered monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) have gained significant recognition as medical therapies. However, during processing, storage and use, mAbs are susceptible to interfacial adsorption and desorption, leading to structural deformation and aggregation, and undermining their bioactivity. To suppress antibody surface adsorption, nonionic surfactants are commonly used in formulation.

A Paper-Based Sensor for the Detection of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease Utilizing a Cleavable Fluorescent Polymer.

Nowadays, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) has emerged as one of the major hazards to the health of the upper gastrointestinal tract, and there is an urgent need for a low-cost, user-friendly, and non-invasive detection method. Herein, a paper-based sensor (CP sensor) for the non-invasive screening of GERD is proposed. The sensor is structured as a specially shaped cellulose paper strip embedded with fluorescent colloids, which are self-assembled from a cleavable synthetic fluorescent polymer (P4).

Observation of momentum-gap topology of light at temporal interfaces in a time-synthetic lattice.

Topological phases have prevailed across diverse disciplines, spanning electronics, photonics, and acoustics. Hitherto, the understanding of these phases has centred on energy (frequency) bandstructures, showcasing topological boundary states at spatial interfaces. Recent strides have uncovered a unique category of bandstructures characterised by gaps in momentum, referred to as momentum bandgaps or k gaps, notably driven by breakthroughs in photonic time crystals.

Quantitative Site-Specific Glycoproteomics Reveals Glyco-Signatures for Breast Cancer Diagnosis.

Intact glycopeptide characterization by mass spectrometry has proven to be a versatile tool for site-specific glycoproteomics analysis and biomarker screening. Here, we present a method using a new model of a Q-TOF instrument equipped with a Zeno trap for intact glycopeptide identification and demonstrate its ability to analyze large-cohort glycoproteomes. From 124 clinical serum samples of breast cancer, noncancerous diseases, and nondisease controls, a total of 6901 unique site-specific glycans on 807 glycosites of proteins were detected.

Toward Large-Scale Photonic Chips Using Low-Anisotropy Thin-Film Lithium-Tantalate.

Photonic manipulation of large-capacity data with the advantages of high speed and low power consumption is a promising solution for explosive growth demands in the era of post-Moore. A well-developed lithium-niobate-on-insulator (LNOI) platform has been widely explored for high-performance electro-optic (EO) modulators to bridge electrical and optical signals. However, the photonic waveguides on the x-cut LNOI platform suffer serious polarization-mode conversion/coupling issues because of strong birefringence, making it hard to realize large-scale integration.

Targeting hyaluronan synthesis enhances the therapeutic effectiveness of biologics in inflammatory bowel disease.

Although biologics have been revolutionizing the treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) over the past decade, a significant number of patients still fail to benefit from these drugs. Overcoming the nonresponse to biologics is one of the top challenges in IBD treatment. In this study, we revealed that hyaluronan (HA), an extracellular matrix (ECM) component in the gut, is associated with nonresponsiveness to infliximab and vedolizumab therapy in patients with IBD.

A Signal-On Microelectrode Electrochemical Aptamer Sensor Based on AuNPs-MXene for Alpha-Fetoprotein Determination.

As a crucial biomarker for the early warning and prognosis of liver cancer diseases, elevated levels of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) are associated with hepatocellular carcinoma and germ cell tumors. Herein, we present a novel signal-on electrochemical aptamer sensor, utilizing AuNPs-MXene composite materials, for sensitive AFP quantitation. The AuNPs-MXene composite was synthesized through a simple one-step method and modified on portable microelectrodes.

Passive Isothermal Flexible Sensor Enabled by Smart Thermal-Regulating Aerogels.

Environmentally induced sensor temperature fluctuations can distort the outputs of a sensor, reducing their stability during long-term health monitoring. Here, a passive isothermal flexible sensor is proposed by using hierarchical cellulose aerogel (HCA) as the top tribonegative layer, which allows the sensor to adapt dynamic thermal environments through both radiative cooling and heat insulation. The radiative cooling effect can cool down the temperatures of a sensor in summer, while the hollow microfibers in HCA provide ultralow thermal conductivity to reduce internal heat loss in winter.

Oriented wide-bandgap perovskites for monolithic silicon-based tandems with over 1000 hours operational stability.

The instability of hybrid wide-bandgap (WBG) perovskite materials (with bandgap larger than 1.68 eV) still stands out as a major constraint for the commercialization of perovskite/silicon tandem photovoltaics, yet its correlation with the facet properties of WBG perovskites has not been revealed. Herein, we combine experiments and theoretical calculations to comprehensively understand the facet-dependent instability of WBG perovskites.

Self-assembled peptide microtubes (SPMTs)/SnO sensors for enhanced room-temperature gas detection under visible light illumination.

Nitrogen dioxide (NO) is an important contaminant that poses a severe threat to environmental sustainability. Traditional inorganic NO gas detectors are generally used under harsh operating conditions and employ environmentally unfriendly resources, thus preventing widespread practical applications. Herein, self-assembled peptide microtubes (SPMTs) are combined with SnO nanoparticles (NPs) to develop a bioinspired NO gas sensor.

Reductive dechlorination of trichloroethene at concentrations approaching saturation by a Desulfitobacterium-containing community.

In dense nonaqueous phase liquid (DNAPL) contaminant source zones, aqueous concentrations of trichloroethene (TCE) in groundwater may approach saturation levels (8.4 mM). It is generally believed that such saturation concentrations are toxic to organohalide-respiring bacteria (OHRB), thus limiting the effectiveness of bioremediation.

PEDOT: PSS-Modified Organic Flexible and Implantable Microelectrode for Internal Bi-Directional Electrophysiology of Three-Dimensional Cardiomyocyte Spheroid.

Three-dimensional (3D) cardiomyocyte spheroids are essential models to replicate cardiac structural and functional features in vitro. However, conventional planar and rigid microelectrode arrays (MEAs) suffer from low-quality electrophysiological recording of 3D cultures, due to limited contact areas and weak coupling between cells and MEA chips. Herein, we developed a PEDOT: PSS-modified organic flexible and implantable MEA (OFI-MEA) coupled with a self-developed integrated biosensing platform to achieve high-throughput, long-term, and stable bidirectional internal electrophysiology in 3D cardiomyocyte spheroids.

Polyurethane Elastomers Strengthened by Pseudo[1]rotaxanes Based on Pillararenes.

As a unique property of the interlocked structures, rotaxane allows for intramolecular motions between its wheel and axle components. Introduction of rotaxanes into polymers can endow them with distinctive macroscopic features and outstanding mechanical properties. Here, we prepare a copillar[5]arene with a hydroxyl and an amino-group on each end, which can spontaneously form a pseudo[1]rotaxane through intramolecular hydrogen bonds.

Machine learning-assisted implantable plant electrophysiology microneedle sensor for plant stress monitoring.

Plant electrical signals serve as a medium for long-distance signal transmission and are intricately linked to plant stress responses. High-fidelity acquisition and analysis of plant electrophysiological signals contribute to early stress identification, thereby enhancing agricultural production efficiency. While traditional plant electrophysiology monitoring methods like gel electrodes can capture electrical signals on plant surfaces, which face limitations due to the plant cuticle barrier, impacting signal accuracy.

CRISPR/Cas: a toolkit for plant disease diagnostics.

Genetic factors and infectious pathogens that cause plant diseases have a major impact on agricultural production. In recent years, the potential of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated (Cas) system in nucleic acid analysis and plant disease diagnostics has been demonstrated. We highlight progress of CRISPR/Cas technology that is significant for monitoring plant growth and preventing diseases.

Species- and organ-specific contribution of peroxisomal cinnamate:CoA ligases to benzoic and salicylic acid biosynthesis.

Salicylic acid (SA) is a prominent defense hormone whose basal level, organ-specific accumulation, and physiological role vary widely among plant species. Of the 2 known pathways of plant SA biosynthesis, the phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) pathway is more ancient and universal but its biosynthetic and physiological roles in diverse plant species remain unclear. Studies in which the PAL pathway is specifically or completely inhibited, as well as a direct comparison of diverse species and different organs within the same species, are needed.

Theoretical Study on the High Polymer Molecular Weight of Heteroatom-Substituted Constrained Geometry Catalyst.

This theoretical study investigates the high molecular weight (Mw) production in copolymerization of ethylene and 1-octene using heteroatom-substituted constrained geometry catalysts (CGCs). The research explores the correlation between chain termination reactions and polymer molecular weight, revealing that the Gibbs free energy barrier of the chain termination reactions is positively linked to the molecular weight. Quantitative structure-property relationship models were constructed, indicating that molecular descriptors such as atom charge, orbital energy, and buried volume significantly influence the polymer molecular weight.

FlexSARCloak: A Flexible SAR Cloak Driven by Task-Oriented Learning.

Invisibility─the remarkable ability to render objects imperceptible─has long been a persistent dream of humankind. However, traditional cloaking materials are typically rigid and inflexible, limiting their adaptability to various shapes and requirements. Even when flexibility is achieved, uncontrollable scattering in complex electromagnetic environments continues to pose significant challenges in the design of flexible cloaks.

Deciphering the hepatitis E virus ORF1: Functional domains, protein processing, and patient-derived mutations.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a major cause of acute and chronic hepatitis in humans. The HEV open reading frames (ORF1) encodes a large non-structural protein essential for viral replication, which contains several functional domains, including helicase and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. A confusing aspect is that, while RNA viruses typically encode large polyproteins that rely on their enzymatic activity for processing into functional units, the processing of the ORF1 protein and the mechanisms involved remain unclear.

Enhancing subsurface imaging in ultrasonic atomic force microscopy with optimized contact force.

Ultrasonic atomic force microscopy (UAFM) is a powerful nondestructive subsurface imaging tool that is widely used to inspect material defects and analyze biological cells. The contrast in UAFM images, which is crucial for subsurface imaging quality, is directly influenced by the contact force between the probe and material. This contact force affects the subsurface contrast by influencing the propagation of the stress field from the vibrating probe into the material.

Engineered Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Extracellular Vesicles Scavenge Self-Antigens for Psoriasis Therapy via Modulating Metabolic and Immunological Disorders.

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory dermatosis driven by excessive activation of the immune system. Recent studies have demonstrated the therapeutic potential of mesenchymal stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles (MSC-EVs) to psoriasis because of their immunomodulation functions. Yet, the outcome of MSC-EVs alone is still unsatisfactory and the underlying mechanisms are also unclear.