Discovery of Benzothiazol-2-ylthiophenylpyrazole-4-carboxamides as Novel Succinate Dehydrogenase Inhibitors.

Succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) has been considered an ideal target for discovering fungicides. To develop novel SDH inhibitors, in this work, 31 novel benzothiazol-2-ylthiophenylpyrazole-4-carboxamides were designed and synthesized using active fragment exchange and a link approach as promising SDH inhibitors. The findings from the tests on antifungal activity indicated that most of the synthesized compounds displayed remarkable inhibition against the fungi tested. Compound Ig N-(2-(((5-chlorobenzo[d]thiazol-2-yl)thio)methyl)phenyl)-3-(difluoromethyl)-1-methyl-1H-yrazole-4-carboxamide, with EC50 values against four kinds of fungi tested below 10 µg/mL and against Cercospora arachidicola even below 2 µg/mL, showed superior antifungal activity than that of commercial fungicide thifluzamide, and specifically compounds Ig and Im were found to show preventative potency of 90.6% and 81.3% against Rhizoctonia solani Kühn, respectively, similar to the positive fungicide thifluzamide. The molecular simulation studies suggested that hydrophobic interactions were the main driving forces between ligands and SDH. Encouragingly, we found that compound Ig can effectively promote the wheat seedlings and the growth of Arabidopsis thaliana. Our further studies indicated that compound Ig could stimulate nitrate reductase activity in planta and increase the biomass of plants.

Efficacy and safety of combining short-course neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy with envafolimab in locally advanced rectal cancer patients with microsatellite stability: A phase II PRECAM experimental study.

BACKGROUND: Conventional neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) yields a pathologic complete response (pCR) rate of 15%-30% for locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). This study ventures to shift this paradigm by incorporating short-course nCRT with immunotherapy, specifically Envafolimab, to achieve improved treatment efficacy and possibly redefine the standard of care for LARC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The PRECAM study is a prospective, single-arm, phase 2 clinical trial for LARC in patients with microsatellite stable (MSS) tumors. Participants received short-course radiotherapy (25Gy/5f), followed by two cycles of CAPEOX chemotherapy and six weekly doses of Envafolimab, a PD-L1 antibody, before total mesorectal excision surgery. The primary endpoint was the pCR rate. RESULTS: From April to December 2022, 34 patients were enrolled, of whom 32 completed the study, each diagnosed with an MSS rectal adenocarcinoma. All patients underwent preoperative CRT combined with Envafolimab. Remarkably, a pCR rate of 62.5% (20/32) was attained, and a significant pathologic response rate of 75% (24/32) was achieved. Additionally, 21 of 32 participants achieved a neoadjuvant rectal (NAR) score below 8, suggesting an effective treatment response. Common adverse events included tenesmus (78.1%), diarrhea (62.5%), and leukocyte decrease (40.6%). Two Grade 3 adverse events were noted, one related to liver function abnormality and the other to a decrease in platelet count. Surgical procedures were performed in all cases, with minor complications, including ileus, infections, and anastomotic leakage. As of this report, there have been no reported cases of recurrence or death during the follow-up period, ranging from 12 to 20 months. CONCLUSION: In LARC patients exhibiting MSS tumors, combining short-course nCRT with Envafolimab demonstrated favorable efficacy, leading to a significant pCR rate. Minor adverse effects and surgical complications were observed. These preliminary but promising results underscore the potential of this approach and call for further exploration and validation through a randomized controlled trial.

Thyroxine regulates pig Sertoli cell line proliferation and maturation through the IKK/NFκB and p38 MAPK signaling pathways.

The aim of this study was to investigate the signaling pathways involved in the proliferation and differentiation of pig Sertoli cells (SCs) mediated by thyroid hormone (T3) to provide a theoretical and practical basis for enhancing pig semen production. The effects of different concentrations of T3 on the proliferation of pig SCs were evaluated using the CCK8 assay. The impact of T3 on the proliferation and differentiation of pig SCs was further examined using RNA-seq, qPCR, and Western Blotting techniques. Additionally, the involvement of the p38 MAPK and NFκB pathways in mediating the effects of T3 on SCs proliferation and differentiation was investigated. Our findings revealed a strong correlation between the dosage of T3 and the inhibition of pig SCs proliferation and promotion of maturation. T3 regulated the activation state of the NFκB signaling pathway by upregulating IKKα, downregulating IKKß, and promoting IκB phosphorylation. Furthermore, T3 facilitated SCs maturation by upregulating AR and FSHR expression while downregulating KRT-18. In conclusion, T3 inhibits pig SCs proliferation and promote pig SCs maturation through the IKK/NFκB and p38 MAPK pathways. These findings provide valuable insights into the mechanisms by which T3 influences the proliferation and maturation of pig SCs.

The emerging roles of hydrogen sulfide in ferroptosis.

SIGNIFICANCE: Ferroptosis, a form of regulated cell death characterized by a large amount of lipid peroxidation-mediated membrane damage, joins the evolution of multisystem diseases. For instance, neurodegenerative diseases, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and acute respiratory distress syndrome, osteoporosis and osteoarthritis, and so on. Since being identified as the third gasotransmitter in living organisms, the intricate role of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in ferroptosis has emerged at the forefront of research. RECENT ADVANCES: The discovery of novel targets in the relevant metabolic pathways, including transferrin receptor 1, cystine/glutamate antiporter, and others, coupled with the exploration of new signaling pathways, particularly the p53 signaling pathway and the nitric oxide / nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 signaling pathway, and so on. Many diseases such as emphysema and airway inflammation, myocardial diseases, endothelial dysfunction in aging arteries, and traumatic brain injury have recently been found to be alleviated directly by H2S inhibition of ferroptosis. Safe, effective, and tolerable novel H2S donors have been developed and have shown promising results in phase I clinical trials. CRITICAL ISSUES: Complicated crosstalk between ferroptosis signaling pathway and oncogenic factors results in the risk of cancer when inhibiting ferroptosis. Notably, targeted delivery of H2S is still a challenging task. FUTURE DIRECTIONS: Discovering more reliable and stable novel H2S donors and achieving their targeted delivery will enable further clinical trials for diseases associated with ferroptosis inhibition by H2S, determining their safety, efficacy, and tolerance.

A novel HLA-DRB4 allele, HLA-DRB4*01:179.

One nucleotide substitution in codon 30 of HLA-DRB4*01:03:01:01 results in a novel allele, HLA-DRB4*01:179.

Unlocking the critical roles of N, P Co-Doping in MXene for Lithium-Oxygen Batteries: Elevated d-Band center and expanded interlayer spacing.

The design and fabrication of bifunctional catalysts with high electrocatalytic activity and stability are critical for developing highly reversible Li-O2 batteries (LOBs). Herein, the N, P co-doped MXene (NP-MXene) is prepared by one-step annealing method and evaluated as bifunctional catalyst for LOBs. The results suggest that the P doping plays a crucial role in increasing interlayer distance of MXene, thereby effectively providing more active sites, fast mass transfer, and ample space for the deposition/decomposition of Li2O2. Moreover, the N doping can significantly elevate the d-band center of Ti, thereby remarkably improving the adsorption of reaction intermediates and accelerating the deposition/decomposition of Li2O2 films. Consequently, the MXene-based LOBs deliver an ultrahigh specific capacity of 13,995 mAh/g at 500 mA g-1, a discharge/charge voltage gap of 0.89 V, and a cycle life up to 523 cycles with a limited capacity of 1000 mAh/g at 500 mA g-1. Impressively, the as-fabricated flexible LOBs with NP-MXene cathode display excellent cycling stability and ability to continuously power LEDs even after bending. Our findings pave the road of heteroatom doped MXenes as next-generation electrodes for high-performance energy storage and conversion systems.

Perspective on Lewis Acid-Base Interactions in Emerging Batteries.

Lewis acid-base interactions are common in chemical processes presented in diverse applications, such as synthesis, catalysis, batteries, semiconductors, and solar cells. The Lewis acid-base interactions allow precise tuning of material properties from the molecular level to more aggregated and organized structures. This review will focus on the origin, development, and prospects of applying Lewis acid-base interactions for the materials design and mechanism understanding in the advancement of battery materials and chemistries. The covered topics relate to aqueous batteries, lithium-ion batteries, solid-state batteries, alkali metal-sulfur batteries, and alkali metal-oxygen batteries. In this review, the Lewis acid-base theories will be first introduced. Thereafter the application strategies for Lewis acid-base interactions in solid-state and liquid-based batteries will be introduced from the aspects of liquid electrolyte, solid polymer electrolyte, metal anodes, and high-capacity cathodes. The underlying mechanism is highlighted in regard to ion transport, electrochemical stability, mechanical property, reaction kinetics, dendrite growth, corrosion, and so on. Last but not least, perspectives on the future directions related to Lewis acid-base interactions for next-generation batteries are like to be shared.

Wavelength-tunable high-fidelity entangled photon sources enabled by dual Stark effects.

The construction of a large-scale quantum internet requires quantum repeaters containing multiple entangled photon sources with identical wavelengths. Semiconductor quantum dots can generate entangled photon pairs deterministically with high fidelity. However, realizing wavelength-matched quantum-dot entangled photon sources faces two difficulties: the non-uniformity of emission wavelength and exciton fine-structure splitting induced fidelity reduction. Typically, these two factors are not independently tunable, making it challenging to achieve simultaneous improvement. In this work, we demonstrate wavelength-tunable entangled photon sources based on droplet-etched GaAs quantum dots through the combined use of AC and quantum-confined Stark effects. The emission wavelength can be tuned by ~1 meV while preserving an entanglement fidelity f exceeding 0.955(1) in the entire tuning range. Based on this hybrid tuning scheme, we finally demonstrate multiple wavelength-matched entangled photon sources with f > 0.919(3), paving the way towards robust and scalable on-demand entangled photon sources for quantum internet and integrated quantum optical circuits.

Analysis of Phenotypes Associated with Deficiency of PAX6 Haplotypes in Chinese Aniridia Families.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the clinical phenotype and genetic deficiencies present in Chinese aniridia families with PAX6 haplotype deficiency. METHODS: A comprehensive questionnaire and ophthalmological assessments were administered to both affected patients and unaffected relatives. The clinical feature analysis included the evaluation of visual acuity, intraocular pressure, slit-lamp anterior segment examination, fundus photography, and spectral domain optical coherence tomography. To identify the mutation responsible for aniridia, targeted next-generation sequencing was used as a beneficial technique. RESULTS: A total of 4 mutations were identified, consisting of two novel frameshift mutations (c.314delA, p.K105Sfs*33 and c.838_845dup AACACACC, p.S283Tfs*85), along with two recurring nonsense mutations (c.307C>T, p.R103X and c.619A>T, p.K207*). Complete iris absence, macular foveal hypoplasia, and nystagmus were consistent in these PAX6 haplotype-deficient Chinese aniridia families, while corneal lesions, cataracts, and glaucoma exhibited heterogeneity both among the families and within the same family. CONCLUSION: In our study, two novel PAX6 mutations associated with aniridia were identified in Chinese families, which expanded the phenotypic and genotypic spectrum of PAX6 mutations. We also analyzed the clinical characteristics of PAX6 haplotype deficiency in Chinese aniridia families.

Quantitative 3D structural analysis of small colloidal assemblies under native conditions by liquid-cell fast electron tomography.

Electron tomography has become a commonly used tool to investigate the three-dimensional (3D) structure of nanomaterials, including colloidal nanoparticle assemblies. However, electron microscopy is typically done under high-vacuum conditions, requiring sample preparation for assemblies obtained by wet colloid chemistry methods. This involves solvent evaporation and deposition on a solid support, which consistently alters the nanoparticle organization. Here, we suggest using electron tomography to study nanoparticle assemblies in their original colloidal liquid environment. To address the challenges related to electron tomography in liquid, we devise a method that combines fast data acquisition in a commercial liquid-cell with a dedicated alignment and reconstruction workflow. We present the advantages of this methodology in accurately characterizing two different systems. 3D reconstructions of assemblies comprising polystyrene-capped Au nanoparticles encapsulated in polymeric shells reveal less compact and more distorted configurations for experiments performed in a liquid medium compared to their dried counterparts. A similar expansion can be observed in quantitative analysis of the surface-to-surface distances of self-assembled Au nanorods in water rather than in a vacuum, in agreement with bulk measurements. This study, therefore, emphasizes the importance of developing high-resolution characterization tools that preserve the native environment of colloidal nanostructures.

Nanoconfined Supercooled Water in Hydrated Two-Dimensional Polyaniline for Sub-Zero Solid-State Zinc-Ion Hybrid Capacitor.

Solid-state electrochemical energy systems have attracted numerous attentions for their excellent performance, high safety, and low cost. Recently, ice of aqueous electrolytes is reported as a new kind solid-state electrolyte for low-temperature solid-state devices. However, the lack of kinetically favorable electrodes hampers the performance of this new class of icy electrolyte-based solid-state devices at sub-zero temperatures. In this work, a hydrated layered polyaniline cathode active material (h-LPANi) with nanoconfined supercooled water by metatungstate clusters is utilized to improve the performance of sub-zero solid-state zinc ion hybrid capacitors (ZIHCs). The interlayer confined hydrated network of h-LPANi improves kinetics, surpassing pristine polyaniline and conventional porous carbon-based active materials. At -15 °C, the solid-state iced ZIHCs with h-LPANi cathode demonstrate an areal energy density of 580.0 µWh cm-2 at 1.1 mW cm-2 and 155.7 µWh cm-2 at 43.3 mW cm-2, surpassing other low-temperature solid-state ZIHCs with conventional cathodes.

Costunolide Inhibits Chronic Kidney Disease Development by Attenuating IKKß/NF-κB Pathway.

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a significant worldwide health concern that leads to high mortality rates. The bioactive substance costunolide (CTD) has demonstrated several pharmacological effects and holds promise as a CKD treatment. This study aims to investigate the impact of CTD on CKD and delve into its mechanisms of action. Methods: Unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) methods and renal fibrosis mice models were created. Various concentrations of CTD were injected into UUO mice models to investigate the therapeutic effects of CTD on renal fibrosis of mice. Then, renal morphology, pathological changes, and the expression of genes related to fibrosis, inflammation and ferroptosis were analysed. RNA sequencing was utilized to identify the main biological processes and pathways involved in renal injury. Finally, both overexpression and inhibition of IKKß were studied to examine their respective effects on fibrosis and inflammation in both in vitro and in vivo models. Results: CTD treatment was found to significantly alleviate fibrosis, inflammation and ferroptosis in UUO-induced renal fibrosis mice models. The results of RNA sequencing suggested that the IKKß acted as key regulatory factor in renal injury and the expression of IKKß was increased in vitro and in vivo renal fibrosis model. Functionally, down-regulated IKKß expression inhibits ferroptosis, inflammatory cytokine production and collagen deposition. Conversely, IKKß overexpression exacerbates progressive renal fibrosis. Mechanistically, CTD alleviated renal fibrosis and inflammation by inhibiting the expression of IKKß and attenuating IKKß/NF-κB pathway. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that CTD could mitigate renal fibrosis, ferroptosis and inflammation in CKD by modulating the IKKß/NF-κB pathway, which indicates targeting IKKß has an enormous potential for treating CKD.

Recognition of the HLA-DRB3*03:65 allele in a Chinese individual.

We report a novel HLA-DRB3*03 allele, now named DRB3*03:65, identified by next-generation sequencing.

Mapping-based design method for high-quality integral projection system.

A general method for designing an integral projection system is proposed, including optical design and digital preprocessing based on the mapping within the projection system. The per-pixel mapping between the sub-images and the integral projection image is generated by incorporating an integral projection imaging model as well as the ray data of all sub-channels. By tracing rays for sparsely sampled field points of the central sub-channel and constructing the mapping between the central sub-channel and other sub-channels, the efficient acquisition of ray data for all sub-channels is achieved. The sub-image preprocessing pipeline is presented to effectively address issues such as overlapping misalignment, optical aberrations, inhomogeneous illumination, and their collective contribution. An integral projection optical system with a field of view (FOV) of 80°, an F-number of 2, and uniform image performance is given as a design example. The ray tracing simulation results and quantitative analysis demonstrate that the proposed system yields distortion-free, uniformly illuminated, and high-quality integral projection images.

[A controlled clinical study of vertebroplasty for the treatment of osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures after self-made spinal positioner and manual reduction].

OBJECTIVE: To explore clinical effect of manipulation reduction combined with vertebral plasty on osteoporotic compression fractures (OVCFs). METHODS: Totally 61 patients with OVCFs treated from January 2022 to March 2024 were randomly divided into self-made spinal locator positioning with manipulation reduction group (treatment group) and traditional Kirchner positioning group (control group). There were 30 patients in treatment group, including 4 males and 26 females, aged from 61 to 87 years old with an average of (73.61±7.17) years old;body mass index (BMI) ranged from 15.24 to 28.89 kg·m-2 with an average of (23.90±3.20) kg·m-2;bone mineral density T value ranged from -4.90 to -2.50 SD with an avergae of (-3.43±0.75) SD;fracture to operation time was 6.50 (4.00, 10.25) d;10 patients were gradeⅠ, 13 patients were gradeⅡ, and 7 patients were grade Ⅲ according to Genant classification of fracture compression. There were 31 patients in control group, including 7 males and 24 females, aged from 61 to 89 years old with an average of (73.63±8.77) years old;BMI ranged from 18.43 to 27.06 kg·m-2 with an average of (23.67±2.35) kg·m-2;bone mineral density T value ranged from -4.60 to -2.50 SD with an avergae of (-3.30±0.68) SD;fracture to operation time was 6.00 (3.00, 8.00) d;11 patients were gradeⅠ, 9 patients were gradeⅡ, and 11 patients were grade Ⅲ according to Genant classification of fracture compression. The puncture times, X-ray fluoroscopy times and puncture time between two groups were observed and compared. Visual analogue scale (VAS), Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) and timed up and go test (TUGT) were observed and compared before operation, 3 d and 1 month after operation. RESULTS: All patients were followed up for 1 to 3 months with an average of (2.10±0.80) months. Puncture times, X-ray fluorosecopy times and puncture time in treatment group were 5.00(4.00, 6.00) times, (29.53±5.89) times and 14.83(12.42, 21.20) min, respectively, while those in control group were 7.00(6.00, 8.00) times, (34.58±5.33) times, 22.19(17.33, 27.01) min, treatment group was better than those of control group (P<0.05). There were no significant differences in preoperative VAS, JOA and TUGT between two groups(P>0.05). VAS, JOA and TUGT in both groups were significantly improved after opeation(P<0.05). On the third day after operation, JOA score of treatment group was 23.00 (20.75, 25.00), which was higher than that of control group 20.00(19.00, 23.00)(P<0.05). TUGT of treatment group was 6.26(5.86, 6.57) s, which was better than that of control group 6.90(6.80, 7.14) s (P<0.05). Bone cement leakage occurred with 1 patient in treatment group and 2 patients in control group. CONCLUSION: The optimal scheme of self-made spinal locators for locating descending verteboplasty combined with traditional Chinese medicine reduction manipulation for OVCF patients could reduce the number of intraoperative puncture times, shorten puncture times and reduce number of X-ray fluoroscopy times, and have advantages over the simple positioning of Kirschn's needle in restoring short-term lumbar function and standing and walking ability of postoperative patients.

Determination of cotinine and 3-hydroxynicotinine in human serum by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and its application.

In this study, we developed a method for determining cotinine and 3-hydroxycotinine in human serum and established a methodology for an in-depth study of tobacco exposure and health. After the proteins in the human serum samples were precipitated with acetonitrile, they were separated on a ZORBAX SB-Phenyl column with a mobile phase of methanol encompassing 0.3% formic acid-water encompassing 0.15% formic acid. The measurement was performed on an API5500 triple quadrupole mass spectrometer in the multiple reaction monitoring mode. Cotinine, 3-hydroxycotinine, and cotinine-d3 isotope internal standards were held for 2.56 minutes, 1.58 minutes, and 2.56 minutes, respectively. In serum, the linear range was 0.05 to 500 ng·mL-1 for cotinine and 0.50 to 1250 ng·mL-1 for 3-hydroxycotinine. The lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) was 0.05 ng·mL-1 and 0.5 ng·mL-1 for cotinine and 3-hydroxycotinine, respectively. The intra-day and inter-day relative standard deviations were <11%, and the relative errors were within ±â€…7%. Moreover, the mean extraction recoveries of cotinine and 3-hydroxycotinine were 98.54% and 100.24%, respectively. This method is suitable for the rapid determination of cotinine and 3-hydroxycotinine in human serum because of its rapidity, sensitivity, strong specificity, and high reproducibility. The detection of cotinine levels in human serum allows for the identification of the cutoff value, providing a basis for differentiation between smoking and nonsmoking populations.

A polysaccharide PRCP from Rosa cymosa Tratt fruit: Structural characteristics and immunomodulatory effects via MAPK pathway modulation in vitro.

The Rosa cymosa Tratt, an herbal plant from the Rosaceae family, has historically been valued in China for its medicinal and edible properties. In this study, a novel polysaccharide from R. cymosa fruit, termed PRCP (purified R. cymosa polysaccharide), was isolated using water extraction, decolorization, deproteinization, and ion-exchange chromatography. The structural characteristics of PRCP were investigated using monosaccharide composition analysis, methylation, GPC, FTIR, CD, and NMR spectroscopy. The immunomodulatory effect and potential mechanism of PRCP were evaluated in vitro using a macrophage cell model. Results indicated that PRCP (37.28 kDa) is a highly branched polysaccharide (72.61 %) primarily composed of arabinogalactan, rhamnogalacturonan, and galactoglucan domains with 13 types of glycosidic linkage fragments. Furthermore, PRCP appears to modulate immunomodulatory effects by influencing the phosphorylation of P38 and JNK proteins in the MAPK pathway. Collectively, these findings highlight the potential of PRCP as a promising natural functional food ingredient for immunostimulation.

R229I substitution from oseltamivir induction in HA1 region significantly increased the fitness of a H7N9 virus bearing NA 292K.

The proportion of human isolates with reduced neuraminidase inhibitors (NAIs) susceptibility in highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H7N9 virus was high. These drug-resistant strains showed good replication capacity without serious loss of fitness. In the presence of oseltamivir, R229I substitution were found in HA1 region of the HPAI H7N9 virus before NA R292K appeared. HPAI H7N9 or H7N9/PR8 recombinant viruses were developed to study whether HA R229I could increase the fitness of the H7N9 virus bearing NA 292K. Replication efficiency was assessed in MDCK or A549 cells. Neuraminidase enzyme activity and receptor-binding ability were analyzed. Pathogenicity in C57 mice was evaluated. Antigenicity analysis was conducted through a two-way HI test, in which the antiserum was obtained from immunized ferrets. Transcriptomic analysis of MDCK infected with HPAI H7N9 24hpi was done. It turned out that HA R229I substitution from oseltamivir induction in HA1 region increased (1) replication ability in MDCK(P < 0.05) and A549(P < 0.05), (2) neuraminidase enzyme activity, (3) binding ability to both α2,3 and α2,6 receptor, (4) pathogenicity to mice(more weight loss; shorter mean survival day; viral titer in respiratory tract, P < 0.05; Pathological changes in pneumonia), (5) transcriptome response of MDCK, of the H7N9 virus bearing NA 292K. Besides, HA R229I substitution changed the antigenicity of H7N9/PR8 virus (>4-fold difference of HI titre). It indicated that through the fine-tuning of HA-NA balance, R229I increased the fitness and changed the antigenicity of H7N9 virus bearing NA 292K. Public health attention to this mechanism needs to be drawn.

Direct visualization of ligands on gold nanoparticles in a liquid environment.

The interactions between gold nanoparticles, their surface ligands and the solvent critically influence the properties of these nanoparticles. Although spectroscopic and scattering techniques have been used to investigate their ensemble structure, a comprehensive understanding of these processes at the nanoscale remains challenging. Electron microscopy makes it possible to characterize the local structure and composition but is limited by insufficient contrast, electron beam sensitivity and the requirement for ultrahigh-vacuum conditions, which prevent the investigation of dynamic aspects. Here we show that, by exploiting high-quality graphene liquid cells, we can overcome these limitations and investigate the structure of the ligand shell around gold nanoparticles and at the ligand-gold interface in a liquid environment. Using this graphene liquid cell, we visualize the anisotropy, composition and dynamics of ligand distribution on gold nanorod surfaces. Our results indicate a micellar model for surfactant organization. This work provides a reliable and direct visualization of ligand distribution around colloidal nanoparticles.