Metal-Organic Frameworks as Candidates for Tumor Sonodynamic Therapy: Designable Structures for Targeted Multifunctional Transformation

Sonodynamic therapy (SDT), utilizing ultrasound (US) as the trigger, has gained popularity recently as a therapeutic approach with significant potential for treating various diseases. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), characterized by structural flexibility, are prominently emerging in the SDT realm as an innovative type of sonosensitizer, offering functional tunability and biocompatibility. However, due to the inherent limitations of MOFs, such as low reactivity to reactive oxygen species and challenges posed by the complex tumor microenvironment, MOF-based sonosensitizers with singular functions are unable to demonstrate the desired therapeutic efficacy and may pose risks of toxicity, limiting their biological applications to superficial tissues. MOFs generally possess distinctive crystalline structures and properties, and their controlled coordination environments provide a flexible platform for exploring structure-effect relationships and guiding the design and development of MOF-based nanomaterials to unlock their broader potential in biological fields. The primary focus of this paper is to summarize cases involving the modification of different MOF materials and the innovative strategies developed for various complex conditions. The paper outlines the diverse application areas of functionalized MOF-based sonosensitizers in tumor synergistic therapies, highlighting the extensive prospects of SDT. Additionally, challenges confronting SDT are briefly summarized to stimulate increased scientific interest in the practical application of MOFs and the successful clinical translation of SDT. Through these discussions, we strive to foster advancements that lead to early-stage clinical benefits for patients.Contents STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: 1. An overview for the progresses in SDT explored from a novel and fundamental perspective. 2. Different modification strategies to improve the MOFs-mediated SDT efficacy are provided. 3. Guidelines for the design of multifunctional MOFs-based sonosensitizers are offered. 4. Powerful tumor ablation potential is reflected in SDT-led synergistic therapies. 5. Future challenges in the field of MOFs-based SDT in clinical translation are suggested.

Predicting effect of anti-PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma by detecting plasma metabolite based on UHPLC-MS

Introduction

Anti-PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors therapy has become a promising treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), while the therapeutic efficacy varies significantly among effects for individual patients are significant difference. Unfortunately, specific predictive biomarkers indicating the degree of benefit for patients and thus guiding the selection of suitable candidates for immune therapy remain elusive.no specific predictive biomarkers are available indicating the degree of benefit for patients and thus screening the preferred population suitable for the immune therapy.

Methods

Ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS) considered is an important method for analyzing biological samples, since it has the advantages of high rapid, high sensitivity, and high specificity. Ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS) has emerged as a pivotal method for analyzing biological samples due to its inherent advantages of rapidity, sensitivity, and specificity. In this study, potential metabolite biomarkers that can predict the therapeutic effect of HCC patients receiving immune therapy were identified by UHPLC-MS.

Results

A partial least-squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) model was established using 14 glycerophospholipid metabolites mentioned above, and good prediction parameters (R2 = 0.823, Q2 = 0.615, prediction accuracy = 0.880 and p < 0.001) were obtained. The relative abundance of glycerophospholipid metabolite ions is closely related to the survival benefit of HCC patients who received immune therapy.

Discussion

This study reveals that glycerophospholipid metabolites play a crucial role in predicting the efficacy of immune therapy for HCC.

Defect-Induced All-Solid-State Frustrated Lewis Pair on Metal-Organic Monolayer Accelerating Photocatalytic CO2 Reduction with H2O Vapor

Understanding the structure-performance relationships of a frustrated Lewis pair (FLP) at the atomic level is key to yielding high efficiency in activating chemically "inert" molecules into value-added products. A sound strategy was developed herein through incorporating oxygen defects into a Zr-based metal-organic layer (Zr-MOL-D) and employing Lewis basic proximal surface hydroxyls for the in situ formation of solid heterogeneous FLP (Zr4-δ-VO-Zr-OH). Zr-MOL-D exhibits a superior CO2 to CO conversion rate of 49.4 μmol g-1 h-1 in water vapor without any sacrificing agent or photosensitizer, which is about 12 times higher than that of pure MOL (Zr-MOL-P), with extreme stability even after being placed for half a year. Theoretical and experimental results reveal that the introduction of FLP converts the process of the crucial intermediate COOH* from an endothermic reaction to an exothermic spontaneous reaction. This work is expected to provide new prospects for developing efficient MOL-based photocatalysts in FLP chemistry through a sound defect-engineering strategy.

Single-atom platinum with asymmetric coordination environment on fully conjugated covalent organic framework for efficient electrocatalysis

Two-dimensional (2D) covalent organic frameworks (COFs) and their derivatives have been widely applied as electrocatalysts owing to their unique nanoscale pore configurations, stable periodic structures, abundant coordination sites and high surface area. This work aims to construct a non-thermodynamically stable Pt-N2 coordination active site by electrochemically modifying platinum (Pt) single atoms into a fully conjugated 2D COF as conductive agent-free and pyrolysis-free electrocatalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). In addition to maximizing atomic utilization, single-atom catalysts with definite structures can be used to investigate catalytic mechanisms and structure-activity relationships. In this work, in-situ characterizations and theoretical calculations reveal that a nitrogen-rich graphene analogue COF not only exhibits a favorable metal-support effect for Pt, adjusting the binding energy between Pt sites to H* intermediates by forming unique Pt-N2 instead of the typical Pt-N4 coordination environment, but also enhances electron transport ability and structural stability, showing both conductivity and stability in acidic environments.

Spatially and Temporally Resolved Dynamic Response of Co-Based Composite Interface during the Oxygen Evolution Reaction

Interfacial interaction dictates the overall catalytic performance and catalytic behavior rules of the composite catalyst. However, understanding of interfacial active sites at the microscopic scale is still limited. Importantly, identifying the dynamic action mechanism of the "real" active site at the interface necessitates nanoscale, high spatial-time-resolved complementary-operando techniques. In this work, a Co3O4 homojunction with a well-defined interface effect is developed as a model system to explore the spatial-correlation dynamic response of the interface toward oxygen evolution reaction. Quasi in situ scanning transmission electron microscopy-electron energy-loss spectroscopy with high spatial resolution visually confirms the size characteristics of the interface effect in the spatial dimension, showing that the activation of active sites originates from strong interfacial electron interactions at a scale of 3 nm. Multiple time-resolved operando spectroscopy techniques explicitly capture dynamic changes in the adsorption behavior for key reaction intermediates. Combined with density functional theory calculations, we reveal that the dynamic adjustment of multiple adsorption configurations of intermediates by highly activated active sites at the interface facilitates the O-O coupling and *OOH deprotonation processes. The dual dynamic regulation mechanism accelerates the kinetics of oxygen evolution and serves as a pivotal factor in promoting the oxygen evolution activity of the composite structure. The resulting composite catalyst (Co-B@Co3O4/Co3O4 NSs) exhibits an approximately 70-fold turnover frequency and 20-fold mass activity than the monomer structure (Co3O4 NSs) and leads to significant activity (η10 ∼257 mV). The visual complementary analysis of multimodal operando/in situ techniques provides us with a powerful platform to advance our fundamental understanding of interfacial structure-activity relationships in composite structured catalysts.

Efficient catalyst-free N2 fixation by water radical cations under ambient conditions

The growth and sustainable development of humanity is heavily dependent upon molecular nitrogen (N2) fixation. Herein we discover ambient catalyst-free disproportionation of N2 by water plasma which occurs via the distinctive HONH-HNOH+• intermediate to yield economically valuable nitroxyl (HNO) and hydroxylamine (NH2OH) products. Calculations suggest that the reaction is prompted by the coordination of electronically excited N2 with water dimer radical cation, (H2O)2+•, in its two-center-three-electron configuration. The reaction products are collected in a 76-needle array discharge reactor with product yields of 1.14 μg cm-2 h-1 for NH2OH and 0.37 μg cm-2 h-1 for HNO. Potential applications of these compounds are demonstrated to make ammonia (for NH2OH), as well as to chemically react and convert cysteine, and serve as a neuroprotective agent (for HNO). The conversion of N2 into HNO and NH2OH by water plasma could offer great profitability and reduction of polluting emissions, thus giving an entirely look and perspectives to the problem of green N2 fixation.

[Epidemiological characteristics of a local cluster epidemic caused by the BA.2 evolutionary branch of Omicron variant]

Descriptive epidemiological methods were used to analyze the epidemiological characteristics of the local cluster of COVID-19 in the logistic park of Yuhang District in Hangzhou in March 2022. The cluster epidemic was detected by a case who actively visited the fever clinic. The epidemic lasted for 8 days, and a total of 58 cases (53 workers, 2 students, 1 farmer, 1 teacher and 1 unemployed) were found, including 40 males and 18 females. The age was (33.29±12.22) years. There cases were mainly in Yuhang District (48 cases, 82.77%) and Shangcheng District (7 cases, 12.07%) of Hangzhou. The real-time regeneration number peaked at 2.31 on March 10th and decreased to 0.37 on March 15th. The sequencing result of the indicated case was 100% homologous with the sequence uploaded from South Korea on March 4th, 2022.

In Situ, Rapid Synthesis of Carbon-Loaded High Density and Ultrasmall High Entropy Oxide Nanoparticles as Efficient Electrocatalysts

High entropy materials offer almost unlimited catalytic possibilities due to their variable composition, unique structure, and excellent electrocatalytic performance. However, due to the strong tendency of nanoparticles to coarsen and agglomerate, it is still a challenge to synthesize nanoparticles using simple methods to precisely control the morphology and size of the nanoparticles in large quantities, and their large-scale application is limited by high costs and low yields. Herein, a series of high-entropy oxides (HEOs) nanoparticles with high-density and ultrasmall size (<5 nm) loaded on carbon nanosheets with large quantities are prepared by Joule-heating treatment of gel precursors in a short period of time (≈60 s). Among them, the prepared (FeCoNiRuMn)3 O4-x catalyst shows the best electrocatalytic activity for oxygen evolution reaction, with low overpotentials (230 mV @10 mA cm-2 , 270 mV @100 mA cm-2 ), small Tafel slope (39.4 mV dec-1 ), and excellent stability without significant decay at 100 mA cm-2 after 100 h. The excellent performance of (FeCoNiRuMn)3 O4-x can be attributed to the synergistic effect of multiple elements and the inherent structural stability of high entropy systems. This study provides a more comprehensive design idea for the preparation of efficient and stable high entropy catalysts.

Strongly-Interacted NiSe2 /NiFe2 O4 Architectures Built Through Selective Atomic Migration as Catalysts for the Oxygen Evolution Reaction

The interactions between the catalyst and support are widely used in many important catalytic reactions but the construction of strong interaction with definite microenvironments to understand the structure-activity relationship is still challenging. Here, strongly-interacted composites are prepared via selective exsolution of active NiSe2 from the host matrix of NiFe2 O4 (S-NiSe2 /NiFe2 O4 ) taking advantage of the differences of migration energy, in which the NiSe2 possessed both high dispersion and small size. The characteristics of spatially resolved scanning transmission X-ray microscopy (STXM) coupled with analytical Mössbauer spectra for the surface and bulk electronic structures unveiled that this strongly interacted composite triggered more charge transfers from the NiSe2 to the host of NiFe2 O4 while stabilizing the inherent atomic coordination of NiFe2 O4 . The obtained S-NiSe2 /NiFe2 O4 exhibits overpotentials of 290 mV at 10 mA cm-2 for oxygen evolution reaction (OER). This strategy is general and can be extended to other supported catalysts, providing a powerful tool for modulating the catalytic performance of strongly-interacted composites.

Microwave Phosphine-Plasma-Assisted Ultrafast Synthesis of Halogen-Doped Ru/RuP2 with Surface Intermediate Adsorption Modulation for Efficient Alkaline Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

Anionic modification engineering is a crucial approach to develop highly efficient electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction. Herein, halogen elements (X = Cl, Br, and I)-modified Ru-based nanosheets (X-Ru/RuP2 ) are designed by rapid and eco-friendly microwave-phosphide plasma approach within 60 s. Experimental and density functional theory calculations verify that the introduced halogen element, especially Br, can optimize the surface intermediates adsorption. Specially, the designed Br-Ru/RuP2 favors the water dissociation and following hydrogen adsorption/desorption process. Then, the as-synthesized Br-Ru/RuP2 exhibits low overpotential of 34 mV to reach 10 mA cm-2 coupled with small Tafel slope of 27 mV dec-1 in alkaline electrolyte with excellent long-term stability. Moreover, the electrocatalytic performances in acid and neutral media are also boosted via Br element modification. This work paves a novel way to regulate the electronic structure of Ru-based compounds, and then can boost the electrocatalytic kinetics.

[Clinical characteristics of epileptic seizure in neurofibromatosis type 1 in 15 cases]

Objective: To summarize the clinical characteristics of epileptic seizure associated with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1). Methods: From January 2017 to July 2023 at Children's Hospital Capital Institute of Pediatrics, medical records of patients with both NF1 and epileptic seizure were reviewed in this case series study. The clinical characteristics, treatment and prognosis were analyzed retrospectively. Results: A total of 15 patients(12 boys and 3 girls) were collected. Café-au-lait macules were observed in all 15 patients. There were 6 patients with neurodevelopmental disorders and the main manifestations were intellectual disability or developmental delay. The age at the first epileptic seizure was 2.5 (1.2, 5.5) years. There were various seizure types, including generalized tonic-clonic seizures in 8 patients, focal motor seizures in 6 patients, epileptic spasm in 4 patients, tonic seizures in 1 patient, absence in 1 patient, generalized myoclonic seizure in 1 patient and focal to bilateral tonic-clonic seizure in 1 patient. Among 14 patients whose brain magnetic resonance imaging results were available, there were abnormal signals in corpus callosum, basal ganglia, thalamus or cerebellum in 6 patients, dilated ventricles of different degrees in 3 patients, blurred gray and white matter boundary in 2 patients, agenesis of corpus callosum in 1 patient and no obvious abnormalities in the other patients. Among 13 epilepsy patients, 8 were seizure-free with 1 or 2 antiseizure medications(ASM), 1 with drug resistant epilepsy was seizure-free after left temporal lobectomy, and the other 4 patients who have received 2 to 9 ASM had persistent seizures. One patient with complex febrile convulsion achieved seizure freedom after oral administration of diazepam on demand. One patient had only 1 unprovoked epileptic seizure and did not have another seizure without taking any ASM. Conclusions: The first epileptic seizure in NF1 patients usually occurs in infancy and early childhood, with the main seizure type of generalized tonic-clonic seizure and focal motor seizure. Some patients have intellectual disability or developmental delay. Most epilepsy patients achieve seizure freedom with ASM.

π Bridge Engineering-Boosted Dual Enhancement of Type-I Photodynamic and Photothermal Performance for Mitochondria-Targeting Multimodal Phototheranostics of Tumor

Designing mitochondria-targeting phototheranostic agents (PTAs), which can simultaneously possess exceptional and balanced type-I photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photothermal therapy (PTT) performance, still remains challenging. Herein, benzene, furan, and thiophene were utilized as π bridges to develop multifunctional PTAs. STB with thiophene as a π bridge, in particular, benefiting from stronger donor-accepter (D-A) interactions, reduced the singlet-triplet energy gap (ΔES1-T1), allowed more free intramolecular rotation, and exhibited outstanding near-infrared (NIR) emission, effective type-I reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, and relatively high photothermal conversion efficiency (PCE) of 51.9%. In vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrated that positive-charged STB not only can actively target the mitochondria of tumor cells but also displayed strong antitumor effects and excellent in vivo imaging ability. This work subtly established a win-win strategy by π bridge engineering, breaking the barrier of making a balance between ROS generation and photothermal conversion, boosting a dual enhancement of PDT and PTT performance, and stimulating the development of multimodal imaging-guided precise cancer phototherapy.

Constructing Fe-N4 Sites through Anion Exchange-mediated Transformation of Fe Coordination Environments in Hierarchical Carbon Support for Efficient Oxygen Reduction

Metal single atoms (SAs) anchored in carbon support via coordinating with N atoms are efficient active sites to oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). However, rational design of single atom catalysts with highly exposed active sites is challenging and urgently desirable. Herein, an anion exchange strategy is presented to fabricate Fe-N4 moieties anchored in hierarchical carbon nanoplates composed of hollow carbon spheres (Fe-SA/N-HCS). With the coordinating O atoms are substituted by N atoms, Fe SAs with Fe-O4 configuration are transformed into the ones with Fe-N4 configuration during the thermal activation process. Insights into the evolution of central atoms demonstrate that the SAs with specific coordination environment can be obtained by modulating in situ anion exchange process. The strategy produces a large quantity of electrochemical accessible site and high utilization rate of Fe-N4 . Fe-SA/N-HCS shows excellent ORR electrocatalytic performance with half-wave potential of 0.91 V (vs. RHE) in 0.1 M KOH, and outstanding performance when used in rechargeable aqueous and flexible Zn-air batteries. The evolution pathway for SAs demonstrated in this work offers a novel strategy to design SACs with various coordination environment and enhanced electrocatalytic activity.

Covalent Organic Framework with Multiple Redox Active Sites for High-Performance Aqueous Calcium Ion Batteries

Organic materials are promising for cation storage in calcium ion batteries (CIBs). However, the high solubility of organic materials in an electrolyte and low electronic conductivity remain the key challenges for high-performance CIBs. Herein, a nitrogen-rich covalent organic framework with multiple carbonyls (TB-COF) is designed as an aqueous anode to address those obstacles. TB-COF demonstrates a high reversible capacity of 253 mAh g-1 at 1.0 A g-1 and long cycle life (0.01% capacity decay per cycle at 5 A g-1 after 3000 cycles). The redox mechanism of Ca2+/H+ co-intercalated in COF and chelating with C═O and C═N active sites is validated. In addition, a novel C═C active site was identified for Ca2+ ion storage. Both computational and empirical results reveal that per TB-COF repetitive unit, up to nine Ca2+ ions are stored after three staggered intercalation steps, involving three distinct Ca2+ ion storage sites. Finally, the evolution process of radical intermediates further elucidates the C═C reaction mechanism.

Single Component Organic Photosensitizer with NIR-I Emission Realizing Type-I Photodynamic and GSH-Depletion Caused Ferroptosis Synergistic Theranostics

Phototheranostic agents have thrived as prominent tools for tumor luminescence imaging and therapies. Herein, a series of organic photosensitizers (PSs) with donor-acceptors (D-A) are elaborately designed and synthesized. In particular, PPR-2CN exhibits stable near infrared-I (NIR-I) emission, excellent free radicals generation and phototoxicity. Experimental analysis and calculations imply that a small singlet-triplet energy gap (ΔES1-T1 ) and large spin-orbit coupling (SOC) constant boost the intersystem crossing (ISC), leading to type-I photodynamic therapy (PDT). Additionally, the specific glutamate (Glu) and glutathione (GSH) consumption abilities of PPR-2CN inhibit the intracellular biosynthesis of GSH, resulting in redox dyshomeostasis and GSH-depletion causing ferroptosis. This work first realizes that single component organic PS could be simultaneously used as a type-I photodynamic agent and metal-free ferroptosis inducer for NIR-I imaging-guided multimodal synergistic therapy.

Topological Insulator Bi2 Se3 -Assisted Heterostructure for Ultrafast Charging Sodium-Ion Batteries

The development of fast charging materials offers a viable solution for large-scale and sustainable energy storage needs. However, it remains a critical challenge to improve the electrical and ionic conductivity for better performance. Topological insulator (TI), a topological quantum material that has attracted worldwide attention, hosts unusual metallic surface states and consequent high carrier mobility. Nevertheless, its potential in promising high-rate charging capability has not been fully realized and explored. Herein, a novel Bi2 Se3 -ZnSe heterostructure as excellent fast charging material for Na+ storage is reported. Ultrathin Bi2 Se3 nanoplates with rich TI metallic surfaces are introduced as an electronic platform inside the material, which greatly reduces the charge transfer resistance and improves the overall electrical conductivity. Meanwhile, the abundant crystalline interfaces between these two selenides promote Na+ migration and provide additional active sites as well. As expected, the composite delivers the excellent high-rate performance of 360.5 mAh g-1 at 20 A g-1 and maintains its electrochemical stability of 318.4 mAh g-1 after 3000 long cycles, which is the record high for all reported selenide-based anodes. This work is anticipated to provide alternative strategies for further exploration of topological insulators and advanced heterostructures.

[A case of combined oxidative phosphorylation deficiency 32 caused by MRPS34 gene variation and literature review]

Objective: To investigate the clinical features and genetic features of combined oxidative phosphorylation deficiency 32 (COXPD32) caused by MRPS34 gene variation. Methods: The clinical data and genetic test of a child with COXPD32 hospitalized in the Department of Neurology, Children's Hospital, Capital Institute of Pediatrics in March 2021 were extracted and analyzed. A literature search was implemented using Wanfang, China biology medicine disc, China national knowledge infrastructure, ClinVar, human gene mutation database (HGMD) and Pubmed databases with the key words "MRPS34" "MRPS34 gene" and "combined oxidative phosphorylation deficiency 32" (up to February 2023). Clinical and genetic features of COXPD32 were summarized. Results: A boy aged 1 year and 9 months was admitted due to developmental delay. He showed mental and motor retardation, and was below the 3^rd percentile for height, weight, and head circumference of children of the same age and gender. He had poor eye contact, esotropia, flat nasal bridge, limbs hypotonia, holding instability and tremors. In addition, Grade Ⅲ/6 systolic murmur were heard at left sternal border. Arterial blood gases suggested that severe metabolic acidosis with lactic acidosis. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed multiple symmetrical abnormal signals in the bilateral thalamus, midbrain, pons and medulla oblongata. Echocardiography showed atrial septal defect. Genetic testing identified the patient as a compound heterozygous variation of MRPS34 gene, c.580C>T (p.Gln194Ter) and c.94C>T (p.Gln32Ter), with c.580C>T being the first report and a diagnosis of COXPD32. His parents carried a heterozygous variant, respectively. The child improved after treatment with energy support, acidosis correction, and "cocktail" therapy (vitaminB₁, vitaminB₂, vitaminB₆, vitaminC and coenzyme Q10). A total of 8 cases with COXPD32 were collected through 2 English literature reviews and this study. Among the 8 patients, 7 cases had onset during infancy and 1 was unknown, all had developmental delay or regression, 7 cases had feeding difficulty or dysphagia, followed by dystonia, lactic acidosis, ocular symptoms, microcephaly, constipation and dysmorphic facies(mild coarsening of facial features, small forehead, anterior hairline extending onto forehead,high and narrow palate, thick gums, short columella, and synophrys), 2 cases died of respiratory and circulatory failure, and 6 were still alive at the time of reporting, with an age range of 2 to 34 years. Blood and (or) cerebrospinal fluid lactate were elevated in all 8 patients. MRI in 7 cases manifested symmetrical abnormal signals in the brainstem, thalamus, and (or) basal ganglia. Urine organic acid test were all normal but 1 patient had alanine elevation. Five patients underwent respiratory chain enzyme activity testing, and all had varying degrees of enzyme activity reduction. Six variants were identified, 6 patients were homozygous variants, with c.322-10G>A was present in 4 patients from 2 families and 2 compound heterozygous variants. Conclusions: The clinical phenotype of COXPD32 is highly heterogenous and the severity of the disease varies from development delay, feeding difficulty, dystonia, high lactic acid, ocular symptoms and reduced mitochondrial respiratory chain enzyme activity in mild cases, which may survive into adulthood, to rapid death due to respiratory and circulatory failure in severe cases. COXPD32 needs to be considered in cases of unexplained acidosis, hyperlactatemia, feeding difficulties, development delay or regression, ocular symptoms, respiratory and circulatory failure, and symmetrical abnormal signals in the brainstem, thalamus, and (or) basal ganglia, and genetic testing can clarify the diagnosis.

Activating Octahedral Center in Co-Doped NiFe2 O4 via Bridging Amorphous MoSx for Electrocatalytic Water Oxidation: A Case for eg Orbital Regulation in Spinel Oxide

Moderate e_g filling for octahedral metal cations (M_Oh ) is strongly correlated with the electrocatalytic water oxidation performance in the oxides system. Here, the e_g fillings of Ni_Oh and Fe_Oh in NiFe₂ O₄ -based spinel are controllably regulated by introducing an external radical of catalytically inactive MoS_x as an electron acceptor via a novel ultrasonic anchored pyrolysis strategy. The electron occupied in e_g orbit of M_Oh emigrates with the amount of MoS hanging on the apical of octahedral sites, and results in a salutary transition from high to medium e_g occupancy state, as confirmed by the X-ray absorption spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. In addition, benefiting from the abundant unsaturated S atoms in amorphous MoS_x , the M_Oh at the surface furthest activates and consequently shows a superior water oxidation performance. Density functional theory also reveals that the e_g fillings of Ni and Fe decrease to 1.4 and 1.2 after MoS_x modification, which can effectively reduce the free energy of the OOH* intermediates in the oxygen evolution reaction process. This work opens an avenue for further releasing the electrocatalytic activity of octahedral sites through bridging external phases with rational electron-capturing/donating capability.

Trinuclear Fe Clusters for Highly Efficient CO2 Photoreduction

Photocatalytic reduction of CO₂ into valuable chemicals or fuels is considered a promising solution to mitigate the energy crisis. In this work, efficient CO₂ to CO conversion was achieved, accompanied by a class of trinuclear Fe clusters as photocatalysts. Under optimal conditions, the highest catalytic rate could be up to 140.9 μmol/h in 6 h with the assistance of photosensitizers (PS). The trinuclear Fe Clusters can be used as secondary building units to construct Fe-based metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). However, the catalytic activity of Fe-based MOFs is weaker than that of clusters in both the cases of extra PS-assisted MOFs and integrated PS into MOFs. The simpler synthesis, lower cost, and higher catalytic activity make the Fe clusters a better catalyst. Additionally, steady-state fluorescence tests confirmed the transfer of photogenerated electrons from PS to the clusters during the photocatalytic reaction.

Controlling the terminal layer atom of InTe for enhanced electrochemical oxygen evolution reaction and hydrogen evolution reaction performance

Herein, we report the method of molecular-beam-epitaxial growth (MBE) for precisely regulating the terminal surface with different exposed atoms on indium telluride (InTe) and studied the electrocatalytic performances toward hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER). The improved performances result from the exposed In or Te atoms cluster, which affects the conductivity and active sites. This work provides insights into the comprehensive electrochemical attributes of layered indium chalcogenides and exhibits a new route for catalyst synthesis.

A new strategy for searching determinants in colorectal cancer progression through whole-part relationship combined with multi-omics

The high incidence and mortality of colorectal cancer (CRC) and the lack of adequate diagnostic molecules have led to poor treatment outcomes for colorectal cancer, making it particularly important to develop methods to obtain molecular with significant diagnostic effects. Here, we proposed a whole and part study strategy (early-stage colorectal cancer as "part" and colorectal cancer as "whole") to identify specific and co-pathways of change in early-stage and colorectal cancers and to discover the determinants of colorectal cancer development. Metabolite biomarkers discovered in plasma may not necessarily reflect the pathological status of tumor tissue. To explore the determinant biomarkers associated with plasma and tumor tissue in the CRC progression, multi-omics were performed on three phases of biomarker discovery studies (discovery, identification and validation) including 128 plasma metabolomes and 84 tissue transcriptomes. Importantly, we observe that the metabolic levels of oleic acid and FA (18:2) in patients with colorectal cancer were much higher than in healthy people. Finally, biofunctional verification confirmed that oleic acid and FA (18:2) can promote the growth of colorectal cancer tumor cells and be used as plasma biomarkers for early-stage colorectal cancer. We propose a novel research strategy to discover co-pathways and important biomarkers that may be targeted for a potential role in early colorectal cancer, and our work provides a promising tool for the clinical diagnosis of colorectal cancer.

Microwave Synthesis of Pt Clusters on Black TiO2 with Abundant Oxygen Vacancies for Efficient Acidic Electrocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution

Oxygen vacancies-enriched black TiO₂ is one promising support for enhancing hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Herein, oxygen vacancies enriched black TiO₂ supported sub-nanometer Pt clusters (Pt/TiO₂ -O_V ) with metal support interactions is designed through solvent-free microwave and following low-temperature electroless approach for the first time. High-temperature and strong reductants are not required and then can avoid the aggregation of decorated Pt species. Experimental and theoretical calculation verify that the created oxygen vacancies and Pt clusters exhibit synergistic effects for optimizing the reaction kinetics. Based on it, Pt/TiO₂ -O_V presents remarkable electrocatalytic performance with 18 mV to achieve 10 mA cm^-2 coupled with small Tafel slope of 12 mV dec^-1 . This work provides quick synthetic strategy for preparing black titanium dioxide based nanomaterials.

Prediction of knee pain improvement over two years for knee osteoarthritis using a dynamic nomogram based on MRI-derived radiomics: a proof-of-concept study

OBJECTIVES

To develop and validate a nomogram to detect improved knee pain in osteoarthritis (OA) by integrating magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) radiomics signature of subchondral bone and clinical characteristics.

METHODS

Participants were selected from the Vitamin D Effects on Osteoarthritis (VIDEO) study. The primary outcome was 20% improvement of knee pain score over 2 years in participants administrated either vitamin D or placebo. Radiomics features of subchondral bone and clinical characteristics from 216 participants were extracted and analyzed. The participants were randomly split into the training and validation cohorts at a ratio of 8:2. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression was used to select features and generate radiomics signatures. The optimal radiomics signature and clinical indicators were fitted into a nomogram using multivariable logistic regression model.

RESULTS

The nomogram showed favorable discrimination performance [AUC_training, 0.79 (95% CI: 0.72-0.79), AUC_validation, 0.83 (95% CI: 0.70-0.96)] as well as a good calibration. Additional contributing value of fusion radiomics signature to the nomogram was statistically significant (NRI, 0.23; IDI, 0.14, P < 0.001 in training cohort and NRI, 0.29; IDI, 0.18, P < 0.05 in validating cohort). Decision curve analysis confirmed the clinical usefulness of nomogram.

CONCLUSION

The radiomics-based nomogram comprising the MR radiomics signature and clinical variables achieves a favorable predictive efficacy and accuracy in differentiating improvement in knee pain among OA patients. This proof-of-concept study provides a promising way to predict clinically meaningful outcomes.

Formation and Stabilization of NiOOH by Introducing α-FeOOH in LDH: Composite Electrocatalyst for Oxygen Evolution and Urea Oxidation Reactions

NiOOH is considered as the most active intermediate during electrochemical oxidation reaction, however, it is hard to directly synthesize due to high oxidation energy. Herein, theoretical calculations predict that α-FeOOH enables a decline in formation energy and an improvement in stabilization of NiOOH in NiFe-based layered double hydroxide (LDH). Inspiringly, a composite composed of α-FeOOH and LDH is well-designed and successfully fabricated in hydrothermal treatment by adding extra Fe³⁺ resource, and stable NiOOH is obtained by the following electro-oxidation method. Benefiting from strong electron-capturing capability of α-FeOOH, it efficiently promotes charge redistribution around the Ni/Fe sites and activates Ni atoms of LDH, verified by X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS) and X-ray absorption spectra (XAS). The d-band center is optimized that balances the absorption and desorption energy, and thus Gibbs free energy barrier is lowered dramatically toward oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and urea oxidation reaction (UOR), and finally showing an outstanding overpotential of 195 mV and a potential of 1.35 V at 10 mA cm^-2 , respectively. This study provides a novel strategy to construct highly efficient catalysts via the introduction of a new phase for complex multiple-electron reactions.

Structural Analysis, Multi-Conformation Virtual Screening and Molecular Simulation to Identify Potential Inhibitors Targeting pS273R Proteases of African Swine Fever Virus

The African Swine Fever virus (ASFV) causes an infectious viral disease in pigs of all ages. The development of antiviral drugs primarily aimed at inhibition of proteases required for the proteolysis of viral polyproteins. In this study, the conformation of the pS273R protease in physiological states were investigated, virtually screened the multi-protein conformation of pS273R target proteins, combined various molecular docking scoring functions, and identified five potential drugs from the Food and Drug Administration drug library that may inhibit pS273R. Subsequent validation of the dynamic interactions of pS273R with the five putative inhibitors was achieved using molecular dynamics simulations and binding free energy calculations using the molecular mechanics/Poison-Boltzmann (Generalized Born) (MM/PB(GB)SA) surface area. These findings demonstrate that the arm domain and Thr159-Lys167 loop region of pS273R are significantly more flexible compared to the core structural domain, and the Thr159-Lys167 loop region can serve as a "gatekeeper" in the substrate channel. Leucovorin, Carboprost, Protirelin, Flavin Mononucleotide, and Lovastatin Acid all have Gibbs binding free energies with pS273R that were less than -20 Kcal/mol according to the MM/PBSA analyses. In contrast to pS273R in the free energy landscape, the inhibitor and drug complexes of pS273R showed distinct structural group distributions. These five drugs may be used as potential inhibitors of pS273R and may serve as future drug candidates for treating ASFV.

Cobalt-plasma treatment enables structural reconstruction of a CoOx/BiVO4 composite for efficient photoelectrochemical water splitting

Cobalt-plasma sparked by a pulsed laser was utilized for the first time to modify a BiVO₄ photoanode, inducing surface structural reconstruction and CoO_x/BiVO₄ composite construction. Combining charge redistribution and cobalt, the center of hole accumulation and catalytic activity, the photoanode with optimized charge transfer capacity exhibits a 3 times improvement in photoelectrochemical water oxidation performance.

Synergistic regulation of coordination sites of Co3O4 by selective doping for efficient water oxidation

Herein, we designed selectively doped Co₃O₄ to explore the effect of coordination sites, in which the octahedral and tetrahedral sites were modulated by simple doping with ions of different radiuses (Al and In). Compared to octahedral regulation, the synergistic regulation of both tetrahedral sites and octahedral sites can induce a higher intrinsic activity, which is because they possess improved electrical conductivity and facilitate the formation of highly active Co³⁺/Co⁴⁺ species during the oxygen evolution reaction (OER).

Metabolic-Dysregulation-Based iEESI-MS Reveals Potential Biomarkers Associated with Early-Stage and Progressive Colorectal Cancer

The application of rapid and accurate diagnostic methods can improve colorectal cancer (CRC) survival rates dramatically. Here, we used a non-targeted metabolic analysis strategy based on internal extractive electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (iEESI-MS) to detect metabolite ions associated with the progression of CRC from 172 tissues (45 stage I/II CRC, 41 stage III/IV CRC, and 86 well-matched normal tissues). A support vector machine (SVM) model based on 10 differential metabolite ions for differentiating early-stage CRC from normal tissues was built with a good prediction accuracy of 92.6%. The biomarker panel consisting of lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) (18:0) has good diagnostic potential in differentiating early-stage CRC from advanced-stage CRC. We showed that the down-regulation of LPC (18:0) in tumor tissues is associated with CRC progression and related to the regulation of the epidermal growth factor receptor. Pathway analysis showed that metabolic pathways in CRC are related to glycerophospholipid metabolism and purine metabolism. In conclusion, we built an SVM model with good performance to distinguish between early-stage CRC and normal groups based on iEESI-MS and found that LPC (18:0) is associated with the progression of CRC.

Thermochemical Mechanism of Optimized Lanthanum Chromite Heaters for High-Pressure and High-Temperature Experiments

High-pressure heaters in large volume presses must reconcile potentially contradictory properties, and the whole high-pressure and high-temperature (HPHT) community has been engaged for years to seek a better heater. LaCrO₃ (LCO)-based ceramic heaters have been widely applied in multianvil apparatus; however, their performance is far from satisfactory, motivating further research on the chemical optimization strategy and corresponding thermochemical mechanism. Here, we adopted a chemical-screening strategy and manufactured tubular heaters using the electrically, chemically, and mechanically optimized Sr-Cu codoped La_0.9Sr_0.1Cr_0.8Cu_0.2O_3-δ (LSCCuO-9182). HPHT examinations of cylindrical LSCCuO-9182 heaters on Walker-type multianvil apparatuses demonstrated a small temperature gradient, robust thermochemical stability, and excellent compatibility with high-pressure assemblies below 2273 K and 10 GPa. Thermochemical mechanism analysis revealed that the temperature limitation of the LSCCuO-9182 heater was related to the autoredox process of the Cu dopant and Cr and the exchanging ionic migration of Cu and Mg between the LSCCuO-9182 heater and the MgO sleeve. Our combinatorial strategy coupled with thermochemical mechanism analysis makes the prioritization of contradictory objectives more rational, yields reliable LCO heaters, and sheds light on further improvement of the temperature limitation and thermochemical stability.

Group B Streptococcus (GBS) colonisation is dynamic over time, whilst GBS capsular polysaccharides-specific antibody remains stable

Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is a leading cause of adverse pregnancy outcomes due to invasive infection. This study investigated longitudinal variation in GBS rectovaginal colonization, serum and vaginal GBS capsular polysaccharide (CPS)-specific antibody levels. Non-pregnant women were recruited in the UK and were sampled every 2 weeks over a 12-week period. GBS isolates were taken from recto-vaginal swabs and serotyped by polymerase chain reaction. Serum and vaginal immunoglobulin G (IgG) and nasal immunoglobulin A (IgA) specific to CPS were measured by Luminex, and total IgG/A by ELISA. Seventy women were enrolled, of median age 26. Out of the 66 participants who completed at least three visits: 14/47 (29.8%) women that were GBS negative at screening became positive in follow-up visits and 16/19 (84.2%) women who were GBS positive at screening became negative. There was 50% probability of becoming negative 36 days after the first positive swab. The rate of detectable GBS carriage fluctuated over time, although serum, vaginal, and nasal CPS-specific antibody levels remained constant. Levels of CPS-specific antibodies were higher in the serum of individuals colonized with GBS than in non-colonized, but similar in the vaginal and nasal mucosa. We found correlations between antibody levels in serum and the vaginal and nasal mucosa. Our study demonstrates the feasibility of elution methods to retrieve vaginal and nasal antibodies, and the optimization of immunoassays to measure GBS-CPS-specific antibodies. The difference between the dynamics of colonization and antibody response is interesting and further investigation is required for vaccine development.

Visible-Light-Responsive UiO-66(Zr) with Defects Efficiently Promoting Photocatalytic CO2 Reduction

It is of great importance to understand the relationship between the structure and properties at the atomic level, which provides a solid platform for the design of efficient heterogeneous catalysts. However, it remains a challenge to elucidate the roles of the structure of reaction sites in the catalytic activity of active sites due to the lack of understanding of the structure of specific active site species. Herein, taking the metal-organic framework (MOF) UiO-66(Zr) as a prototype, MOF catalysts with all-solid-state frustrated Lewis pairs (FLPs) Zr³⁺-OH were synthesized in situ by adding acetic acid (HAc) as a modulator. By introducing missing linkers, UiO-66(Zr) first becomes a visible-light-responsive photocatalyst for CO₂ reduction. The in situ Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrum reveals that b-CO₃^2- is the key intermediate for the activation of CO₂ molecules through FLPs Zr³⁺-OH. Moreover, defective UiO-66(Zr) could "self-breath" by surface hydroxyls. This finding not only provides a new avenue for utilizing UV-responsive MOFs by defect engineering but also sheds light on its catalytic activity at the atomic level.

Quantitative Evaluation of Carrier Dynamics in Full-Spectrum Responsive Metallic ZnIn2S4 with Indium Vacancies for Boosting Photocatalytic CO2 Reduction

The influence of defects on quantitative carrier dynamics is still unclear. Therefore, full-spectrum responsive metallic ZnIn₂S₄ (V_In-rich-ZIS) rich in indium vacancies and exhibiting high CO₂ photoreduction efficiency was synthesized for the first time. The influence of the defects on the carrier dynamic parameters was studied quantitatively; the results showed that the minority carrier diffusion length (L_D) is closely related to the catalytic performance. In situ infrared spectroscopy and theoretical calculations revealed that the presence of indium vacancies lowers the energy barrier for CO₂ to CO conversion via the COOH* intermediate. Hence, the high rate of CO evolution reaches 298.0 μmol g^-1 h^-1, a nearly 28-fold enhancement over that with ZnIn₂S₄ (V_In-poor-ZIS), which is not rich in indium vacancies. This work fills the gaps between the catalytic performance of defective photocatalysts and their carrier dynamics and may offer valuable insight for understanding the mechanism of photocatalysis and designing more efficient defective photocatalysts.

Saturated hydraulic conductivity of compacted steel slag-bentonite mixtures--A potential hydraulic barrier material of landfill cover

The feasibility of using steel slag and bentonite mixtures to construct the hydraulic barrier of a landfill cover was explored in the present study. Fine-grained steel slag (SS; particle diameter < 1 mm) and sodium-activated calcium bentonite (SACB) were used to prepare compacted specimens, and the saturated hydraulic conductivity (k_s) was measured using a flexible-wall permeameter. Influential factors including SACB content (BC), SS gradation, water-washing treatment of SS and compaction water content (ω_comp) were investigated. The hydraulic conductivity results were interpreted in microscopic scale through mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). It was found that when BC was below 10%, the k_s value of the specimens prepared with well graded SS was about one order of magnitude lower than that of the specimens prepared with poorly graded SS. This was due to less macropores caused by better SS gradation. Yet, the effects of SS gradation on k_s diminished as BC further increased to 15%, suggesting the dominant role of BC on k_s at high BC. Water-washing treatment of SS helped reduce k_s significantly to 1.2 × 10^-10 m/s at BC of 10%, owing to less multivalent cations and hence lower osmotic swelling reduction caused by cations. Controlling ω_comp 1-2% wetter than the optimum water content (ω_opt) also helped reduce k_s significantly, owing to the reduction of macropores. Accordingly, it is suggested to use well-graded SS mixed with 10% SACB and then compact at ω_comp slightly wetter than ω_opt to the degree of compaction greater than 90% in engineering practice.

Glycyrrhetinic acid nanoparticles combined with ferrotherapy for improved cancer immunotherapy

Programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1)/Programmed Cell Death Ligand 1 (PD-L1) blockade immunotherapy has emerged as a promising strategy to treat both solid and hematological malignancies. Despite the considerable therapeutic effects obtained in pre-clinical and clinical studies, PD-1/PD-L1 blockade therapy is still limited by the low benefit rates and a large number of patients still do not respond to this treatment. In this study, we developed a highly efficient and cancer-specific immunogenic cell death nanoinducer for effective tumor immunotherapy. A leukocyte membrane coated poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) encapsulating glycyrrhetinic acid (GCMNPs) was developed to enhance targeting, tumor-homing capacity, and reduce toxicity in vivo. GCMNPs could induce ferroptosis in acute myeloid leukemia and colorectal cancer cells by downregulating glutathione-dependent peroxidases 4, leading to increased lipid peroxidation levels. Moreover, GCMNPs and ferumoxytol could synergistically enhance Fe-dependent cytotoxicity through the Fenton reaction. Finally, in vivo studies showed that GCMNPs synergized with ferumoxytol and anti-PD-L1 synergistically improve T-cell immune response against leukemia and colorectal tumor. This study anticipated that the combination of glycyrrhetinic acid-based nanomaterials and ferrotherapy would provide further insights into anti-cancer immune response to PD-1/PD-L1 blockade for both solid and hematological malignancies. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Despite the considerable therapeutic effects obtained in pre-clinical and clinical studies, PD-1/PD-L1 blockade therapy is still limited by the low benefit rates and a large number of patients still do not respond to this treatment. We designed a glycyrrhetinic acid-based nanoplatform as a new ICD inducer (GCMNPs), with high cancer cell specificity and reduced toxicity to AML and CRC. GCMNPs cooperates with ferumoxytol to promote a Fenton reaction and induce ferroptosis. Moreover, the combination of GCMNPs and ferumoxytol enhanced the blockage of PD-1/PD-L1 to activate T cells, subsequently generating a systemic immune response in CRC and AML mouse models. This pre-clinical findings provide the proof-of-concept of combination of glycyrrhetinic acid-based nanomaterials and ferrotherapy as an "ICD nano-inducer" and immunotherapeutic agent for treating cancer.

Poly(Anthraquinonyl Sulfide)/CNT Composites as High-Rate-Performance Cathodes for Nonaqueous Rechargeable Calcium-Ion Batteries

Calcium-ion batteries (CIBs) are considered as promising alternatives in large-scale energy storage due to their divalent electron redox properties, low cost, and high volumetric/gravimetric capacity. However, the high charge density of Ca²⁺ contributes to strong electrostatic interaction between divalent Ca²⁺ and hosting lattice, leading to sluggish kinetics and poor rate performance. Here, in situ formed poly(anthraquinonyl sulfide) (PAQS)@CNT composite is reported as nonaqueous calcium-ion battery cathode. The enolization redox chemistry of organics has fast redox kinetics, and the introduction of carbon nanotube (CNT) accelerates electron transportation, which contributes to fast ionic diffusion. As the conductivity of the PAQS is enhanced by the increasing content of CNT, the voltage gap is significantly reduced. The PAQS@CNT electrode exhibits specific capacity (116 mAh g^-1 at 0.05 A g^-1 ), high rate capacity (60 mAh g^-1 at 4 A g^-1 ), and an initial capacity of 82 mAh g^-1 at 1 A g^-1 (83% capacity retention after 500 cycles). The electrochemical mechanism is proved to be that the PAQS undergoes reduction reaction of their carbonyl bond during discharge and becomes coordinated by Ca²⁺ and Ca(TFSI)⁺ species. Computational simulation also suggests that the construction of Ca²⁺ and Ca(TFSI)⁺ co-intercalation in the PAQS is the most reasonable pathway.

Glutathione-Bioimprinted Nanoparticles Targeting of N6-methyladenosine FTO Demethylase as a Strategy against Leukemic Stem Cells

The N6-methyladenosine (m⁶ A) demethylase FTO plays an oncogenic role in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Despite the promising recent progress for developing some small-molecule FTO inhibitors, the clinical potential remains limited due to mild biological function, toxic side effects and low sensitivity and/or specificity to leukemic stem cells (LSCs). Herein, FTO inhibitor-loaded GSH-bioimprinted nanocomposites (GNPIPP12MA) are developed that achieves targeting of the FTO/m⁶ A pathway synergized GSH depletion for enhancing anti-leukemogenesis. GNPIPP12MA can selectively target leukemia blasts, especially LSCs, and induce ferroptosis by disrupting intracellular redox status. In addition, GNPIPP12MA increases global m⁶ A RNA modification and decreases the transcript levels in LSCs. GNPIPP12MA augments the efficacy of the PD-L1 blockade by increasing the infiltration of cytotoxic T cells for enhanced anti-leukemia immunity. This study offers insights for a GSH-bioimprinted nanoplatform targeting m⁶ A RNA methylation as a synergistic treatment strategy against cancer stem cells that may translate to clinical applications.

Phase-Reconfiguration-Induced NiS/NiFe2 O4 Composite for Performance-Enhanced Zinc-Air Batteries

Constructing composite structures is an essential approach for obtaining multiple functionalities in a single entity. Available synthesis methods of the composites need to be urgently exploited; especially in situ construction. Here, a NiS/NiFe₂ O₄ composite through a local metal-S coordination at the interface is reported, which is derived from phase reconstruction in the highly defective matrix. X-ray absorption fine structure confirms that long-range order is broken via the local metal-S coordination and, by using electron energy loss spectroscopy, the introduction of NiS/NiFe₂ O₄ interfaces during the irradiation of plasma energy is identified. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that in situ phase reconfiguration is crucial for synergistically reducing energetic barriers and accelerating reaction kinetics toward catalyzing the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). As a result; it leads to an overpotential of 230 mV @10 mA cm^-2 for the OER and a half-wave potential of 0.81 V for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR); as well as an excellent zinc-air battery (ZAB) performance with a power density of 148.5 mW cm^-2 . This work provides a new compositing strategy in terms of fast phase reconstruction of bifunctional catalysts.