Framework-Induced Electrochemiluminescence Enhancement of an AIEgen-Based MOF Coupled with Heterostructured TiO2@Ag NPs as an Efficient Coreaction Accelerator for Sensitive Biosensing.

In conventional metal-organic framework (MOF) luminophore-involved electrochemiluminescence (ECL) systems, the aggregation-caused quenching commonly exists for the organic luminescent ligands, limiting the ECL efficiency and detection sensitivity. Herein, by employing the aggregation-induced emission luminogen (AIEgen) 1,1,2,2-tetra(4-carboxylbiphenyl)ethylene (H4TCBPE) as a ligand, one high-efficiency ECL emitter (Zr-MOF) was synthesized through a simple hydrothermal reaction. Compared with H4TCBPE monomers and their aggregates, the resultant Zr-MOF possesses the strongest ECL emission, which is mainly attributed to the framework-induced ECL enhancement. Specifically, the heterostructure was prepared by the deposition of silver nanoparticles on TiO2 microflowers and utilized as an efficient coreaction accelerator. Remarkably, the formative heterojunction can increase the interfacial charge transfer efficiency and promote the carrier separation, facilitating the oxidation of coreactant tripropylamine. In this way, a novel aptamer-mediated ECL sensing platform is constructed, achieving the sensitive analysis of adenosine triphosphate with a low detection limit of 0.17 nM. As a proof-of-concept study, this work may enlighten the rational design of new-type MOF-based ECL materials and expand the application scope of the ECL technology.

Aggregation-Induced Electrochemiluminescence of Ir(ppy)3-Functionalized ZIF-8 for Microcystin-LR Detection via the trans-Cleavage Activity of CRISPR-Cas12a.

An efficient electrochemiluminescence (ECL) emitter, Ir(ppy)3-based molecules has recently been reported to exhibit aggregation-induced electrochemiluminescence (AIECL) phenomenon. However, it remains a significant challenge to control the aggregation states of these molecules and achieve uniform aggregates with intense ECL emission. In this work, a biosensor was developed to detect microcystin-LR (MC-LR) based on Ir(ppy)3-functionalized zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (Ir-ZIF-8) as the ECL emitter and the trans-cleavage activity of CRISPR-Cas12a as the methodological strategy. The Ir-ZIF-8, a functional metal-organic framework (MOF), exhibited the AIECL phenomenon via the spatial domain-limiting effect of encapsulating Ir(ppy)3 into the mesopores of ZIF-8, while the porosity and highly ordered topological structure of ZIF-8 effectively limited the molecular motion of Ir(ppy)3. CRISPR-Cas12a was employed to indiscriminately cleave double-stranded DNA decorated with carboxy tetramethylrhodamine (TAMRA), which quenched the ECL signal of Ir-ZIF-8 by resonance energy transfer and then separated the quencher from Ir-ZIF-8 to reactivate the signal. The concentration of MC-LR was designed to correlate with both the quencher amount and the activity of Cas12a. Then, two linear regression equations for MC-LR detection were constructed to improve the accuracy of the biosensor, and the constructed biosensor showed remarkable reproducibility, stability, and selectivity. The accurate detection of MC-LR with limits of detection of 1.2 and 5.9 pg/mL was made possible by the high quenching efficiency of TAMRA and the effective cutting ability of the editable CRISPR-Cas12a system.

Unravelling biosynthesis and biodegradation potentials of microbial dark matters in hypersaline lakes.

Biosynthesis and biodegradation of microorganisms critically underpin the development of biotechnology, new drugs and therapies, and environmental remediation. However, most uncultured microbial species along with their metabolic capacities in extreme environments, remain obscured. Here we unravel the metabolic potential of microbial dark matters (MDMs) in four deep-inland hypersaline lakes in Xinjiang, China. Utilizing metagenomic binning, we uncovered a rich diversity of 3030 metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) across 82 phyla, revealing a substantial portion, 2363 MAGs, as previously unclassified at the genus level. These unknown MAGs displayed unique distribution patterns across different lakes, indicating a strong correlation with varied physicochemical conditions. Our analysis revealed an extensive array of 9635 biosynthesis gene clusters (BGCs), with a remarkable 9403 being novel, suggesting untapped biotechnological potential. Notably, some MAGs from potentially new phyla exhibited a high density of these BGCs. Beyond biosynthesis, our study also identified novel biodegradation pathways, including dehalogenation, anaerobic ammonium oxidation (Anammox), and degradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and plastics, in previously unknown microbial clades. These findings significantly enrich our understanding of biosynthesis and biodegradation processes and open new avenues for biotechnological innovation, emphasizing the untapped potential of microbial diversity in hypersaline environments.

Boosting Electrochemical Nitrate Reduction to Ammonia by Fe Doped CuO/Co3O4 Nanosheet/Nanowire Heterostructures.

The electrochemical nitrate reduction reaction (NO3-RR) is a novel green method for ammonia synthesis. The development of outstanding NO3-RR performance is based on reasonable catalyst. Metal oxides have garnered significant attention due to their exceptional electrical conductivity and catalytic properties. Doping serves as an effective strategy for enhancing catalyst performance due to its ability to change the electron cloud distribution and energy levels. In this study, we develop a heterojunction catalyst Fe doped copper oxide nanosheet and cobalt tetroxide nanowire growing on carbon cloth simultaneously (Fe-CuO@Co3O4/CC) via hydrothermal method. The well-designed Fe-CuO@Co3O4/CC has excellent NH3 yield (470.9 µmol h-1 cm-2) and Faraday efficiency (FE: 84.4%) at -1.2 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode (vs. RHE). The heterostructure increases the specific surface area of the catalyst, and the possibility of contact between the catalyst and NO3- ions, enhances the catalytic efficiency. In addition, the catalyst has excellent stability and can stably carry out the electrocatalytic nitrate reduction reaction (NO3-RR), which provides a way for further research on the high-efficiency reduction of nitrate.

High-performance electrochemical immunosensor based on bimetallic gold/silver functionalized carbon spheres for CYFRA 21-1 detection and information protection.

Bimetallic nanomaterial-based systems have been widely utilized across various fields due to their remarkable expandability and flexibility, including nanomedicine, diagnostics, and molecular information technology. Here, we constructed an electrochemical immunosensor using bimetallic gold/silver functionalized carbon spheres (AuAg@CSs) and mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) for the sensitive determination of cytokeratin 19 fragment antigen 21-1 (CYFRA 21-1) and ensuring information protection for textual data. The AuAg@CSs demonstrated exceptional catalytic activity towards hydrogen peroxide, generating a significant current signal. The introduction of CYFRA 21-1 facilitated the binding of MSNs, thereby forming a sandwich-type electrochemical immunosensor that resulted in a notable decrease in current. Notably, the detection limit for CYFRA 21-1 was determined to be 31 fg mL-1, accompanied by high selectivity. Furthermore, extensive textual information can be encrypted and concealed within the current responses of the electrochemical nanosensing system. By establishing a threshold, these current signals can be represented as a series of binary strings, which can subsequently be segmented into shorter strings. Through information coding methods, these shorter binary strings can be assembled and decrypted, ultimately merging into meaningful textual content. This study promotes the synthesis and multifunctional application of bimetallic nanomaterials, providing innovative solutions to enhance the sensing sensitivity of electrochemical immunosensors and paving the way for advancements in molecular digitization.

Effective Enrichment of Free Radicals through Nanoconfinement Boosts Electrochemiluminescence of Carbon Dots Derived from Luminol.

Local enrichment of free radicals at the electrode interface may open new opportunities for the development of electrochemiluminescence (ECL) applications. The sensing platform was constructed by assembling ECL-emitting luminol derived carbon dots (Lu CDs) onto the heterojunction Tungsten disulfide/Covalent organic frameworks (WS2@COF) for the first time, establishing a nanoconfinement-reactor with significantly heightened ECL intensity and stability compared to the Lu CDs-H2O2 system. This enhanced performance is credited to the COF domain's restricted pore environment, where WS2@COF exhibits a more negative adsorption energy for H2O2, effectively enriching H2O2 in the catalytic edge sites of WS2. Furthermore, the internal electric field at the WS2 and COF interface accelerates electron flow, boosting WS2's catalytic activity and achieving domain-limited catalytic enhancement of ECL. Self-designed DNA nanomachines combined with cascading molecular keypad locking mechanisms are integrated into the biosensors, effectively guaranteeing the accuracy of the sensing process while providing crucial safeguards for molecular diagnostics and information security applications. In essence, this innovative approach represents the first system to enhance local free radical concentrations by enriching co-reactants on the electrode surface through nanoconfinement catalysis, yielding heightened ECL luminescence intensity. The potential impact of this novel strategy and sensing mechanism on real-bioanalysis applications is promising.

Protein-driven interaction enhanced electrochemiluminescence biosensor of hydrogen-bonded biohybrid organic frameworks for sensitive immunoassay of disease markers.

The oriented design of reticular materials as emitters can significantly enhance the sensitivity of electrochemiluminescence (ECL) sensing analysis for disease markers. However, due to the structural fragility of hydrogen bonds, relational research on hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks (HOFs) has not been thoroughly conducted. Additionally, the modulation of luminescence behavior through HOFs has been rarely reported. In view of this, hydrogen-bonded biohybrid organic frameworks (HBOFs) were synthesized and recruited for ECL immunoassay applications. HBOFs was easily prepared using 6,6',6″,6‴-(pyrene-1,3,6,8-tetrayl)tetrakis(2-naphthoic acid) as linkers via bovine serum albumin (BSA) activated hydrogen-bonded cross-linking. The material exhibited good fluorescence emission characteristics. And the highly ordered topological structure and molecular motion limitation mediated by BSA overcome aggregation-caused quenching and generate strong aggregation induced emission, expressing hydrogen-bond interaction enhanced ECL (HIE-ECL) activity with the participation of tri-n-propylamine. Furthermore, a sandwich immunosensor was constructed employing cobalt-based metal-phenolic network (CMPN) coated ferrocene nanoparticles (FNPs) as quenchers (CMPN@FNPs). Signal closure can be achieved by annihilating the excited state through electron transfer from both CMPN and FNPs. Using a universal disease marker, carcinoembryonic antigen, as the analysis model, the signal-off sensor obtained a detection limit of 0.47 pg/mL within the detection range of 1 pg/mL - 50 ng/mL. The synthesis and application of highly stable HBOFs triggered by proteins provide a reference for the development of new reticular ECL signal labels, and electron transfer model provides flexible solutions for more sensitive sensing analysis.

Identification of HDAC10 as a candidate oncogene in clear cell renal carcinoma that facilitates tumor proliferation and metastasis.

BACKGROUND: Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) remains one of the most lethal urological malignancies even though a great number of improvements in diagnosis and management have achieved over the past few decades. Accumulated evidence revealed that histone deacetylases (HDACs) play vital role in cell proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis. Nevertheless, the biological functions of histone deacetylation modification related genes in ccRCC remains poorly understood. METHOD: Bulk transcriptomic data and clinical information of ccRCC patients were obtained from the TCGA database and collected from the Chinese PLA General Hospital. A total of 36 histone deacetylation genes were selected and studied in our research. Univariate cox regression analysis, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression, random forest (RF) analysis, and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis were applied to identify key genes affecting the prognosis of ccRCC. The 'oncoPredict' algorithm was utilized for drug-sensitive analysis. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis was used to explore the potential biological function. The ssGSEA algorithm was used for tumor immune microenvironment analysis. The expression levels of HDAC10 were validated by RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry (IHC). 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU assay), CCK-8 assay, cell transwell migration and invasion assay and colony formation assay were performed to detect the proliferation and invasion ability of ccRCC cells. A nomogram incorporating HDAC10 and clinicopathological characteristics was established to predict the prognosis of ccRCC patients. RESULT: Two machine learning algorithms and PPI analysis identified four histone deacetylation genes that have a significant association with the prognosis of ccRCC, with HDAC10 being the key gene among them. HDAC10 is highly expressed in ccRCC and its high expression is associated with poor prognosis for ccRCC patients. Pathway enrichment and the experiments of EdU staining, CCK-8 assay, cell transwell migration and invasion assay and colony formation assay demonstrated that HDAC10 mediated the proliferation and metastasis of ccRCC cells and involved in reshaping the tumor microenvironment (TME) of ccRCC. A clinically reliable prognostic predictive model was established by incorporating HDAC10 and other clinicopathological characteristics ( https://nomogramhdac10.shinyapps.io/HDAC10_Nomogram/ ). CONCLUSION: Our study found the increased expression of HDAC10 was closely associated with poor prognosis of ccRCC patients. HDAC10 showed a pro-tumorigenic effect on ccRCC and promote the proliferation and metastasis of ccRCC, which may provide new light on targeted therapy for ccRCC.

Analysis of okadaic acid using electrochemiluminescence imaging on microfluidic biosensing chip.

The sensitivity and specificity of electrochemiluminescence (ECL)-based biosensor directly rely on the property of luminophor, the type of sensing carriers and the effectiveness of signal amplification used in the sensor design, which poses a major challenge to manage these elements simultaneously. In this work, an aggregation-induced electrochemiluminescence (AIECL) microfluidic sensing chip using 4',4″,4‴,4‴'-(ethene-1,1,2,2-tetrayl)tetrabiphenyl-4-carboxylic acid (TPE)-derived hafnium-based metal-organic framework (Hf-MOF) as emitter was developed. An easily overlooked marine pollutant, okadaic acid (OA) with different concentrations ranging from 5.00 ng/mL to 1.50 × 104 ng/mL at the electrode is visualized imaging benefit from high luminescence efficiency of Hf-MOF coupled the rolling circle amplification strategy assisted by trans-cleavage activity of CRISPR/Cas12a. These highlights will solve the long-lasting task in the accurate analysis of small molecule pollutants, which can be able to provide more worthy reference solution about construction of novel ECL luminophor and signal extraction of low-abundance disease-related biomarkers.

Precisely Manipulating Steric Hindrance Effect on DNA Walker for Tunable Detection of MicroRNA Using Enzymatic Strand Displacement Amplification.

The spatial constraints imposed by the DNA structure have significant implications for the walking efficiency of three-dimensional DNA walkers. However, accurately quantifying and manipulating steric hindrance remains a challenging task. This study presents a steric hindrance-controlled DNA walker utilizing an enzymatic strand displacement amplification (ESDA) strategy for detecting microRNA-21 (miR-21) with tunable dynamic range and sensitivity. The steric hindrance of the DNA walker was precisely manipulated by varying the length of empty bases from 6.5 Što 27.4 Šat the end of the track strand and adjusting the volumetric dimensions of the hairpin structure from 9.13 nm3 to 26.2 nm3 at the terminus of the single-foot DNA walking strand. This method demonstrated a tunable limit of detection for miR-21 ranging from 3.6 aM to 35.6 nM, along with a dynamic range from ∼100-fold to ∼166 000-fold. Impressively, it exhibited successful identification of cancer cells and clinical serum samples with high miR-21 expression. The proposed novel strategy not only enables tunable detection of miRNA through the regulation of steric hindrance but also achieves accurate and quantitative analysis of the steric hindrance effect, promising broader applications in personalized medicine, early disease detection, and drug development.

Gender Differences in 381 Patients Undergoing Isolated Mitral Regurgitation Repair.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to compare the gender differences in isolated mitral regurgitation (MR) repair. METHODS: Of 381 adults aged 54.8 ± 12.3 years undergoing mitral valve repair (MVP) for isolated MR from January 2019 to December 2022, the baseline and operative data, and outcomes were compared between 161 women (42.3%) and 220 men (57.7%). RESULTS: Women tended to be nonsmokers (98.1 vs. 45%, p < 0.001), and have more cerebrovascular accidents (38.5% vs. 24.1%, p = 0.004) and isolated annular dilatation (19.3 vs. 9.1%, p = 0.010), lower creatinine (70.0 ± 19.5 vs. 86.3 ± 19.9 µmol/dL, p < 0.001), and smaller left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD; 54.4 ± 6.7 vs. 57.8 ± 6.6 mm, p < 0.001). One female died of stroke at 2 days (0.3%). Another female (0.3%) underwent mitral valve replacement for failed repair. Stroke occurred in 4 (1.0%). Two underwent reexploration for bleeding (0.5%). Women were more likely to have less 24-hour drainage (290 ± 143 vs. 385 ± 196 mL, p < 0.001). Over a mean follow-up of 2.1 ± 1.1 years (100% complete), 1 woman died and 1 man underwent a reoperation; 28 had moderate MR, and 9 had severe MR. Neither did early and late mortality and reoperation, nor freedom from late moderate or severe MR (71.6 vs. 71.4% at 5 years; p = 0.992) differ significantly between the two genders. Predictors for late moderate or severe MR were anterior leaflet prolapse (hazard ratio [HR] 4.45; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.18-16.72; p = 0.027) and isolated annular dilation (HR 5.47, 95% CI 1.29-23.25; p = 0.021). CONCLUSION: In this series of patients undergoing isolated MR repair, despite significant differences in smoking, cerebrovascular accidents, creatinine, LVEDD, and isolated annular dilatation at baseline, and 24-hour drainage postoperatively, women and men did not show significant differences in early and late survival, reoperation, and freedom from late moderate or severe MR.

A sandwich-type photoelectrochemical sensor constructed with a signal amplification strategy based on the upconversion luminescence characteristics of Ag@N-CQDs for sensitive detection of neuron specific enolase.

In this paper, Bi2S3/AgBiS2 composite nanomaterials and PDA@Ag@N-CQDs were synthesized, and used as substrates and second antibody label respectively to construct a sandwich photoelectrochemical (PEC) sensor. The upconversion luminescence effect of N-CQDs can convert long wavelength light into short wavelength light that can be utilized by the substrate material, which can provide additional excitation light energy for the substrate material and further enhance the photoelectric response. Besides, Ag has SPR effect and can also promote electron transfer. The proposed sandwich immunosensor achieves detection of NSE in the concentration range of 0.001 ng mL-1 to 100 ng mL-1, with a detection limit of 0.28 pg mL-1 (S/N = 3). What's more, the proposed sensor also exhibits good stability, selectivity, as well as reproducibility, indicating its promising application prospects.

Virtual reality technology reduces the pain and anxiety of children undergoing vein puncture: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Pain management is an important part of nursing care for children. The objective of this study was to systematically assess the impact of virtual reality (VR) technology on alleviating the pain and anxiety experienced by children during venipuncture procedures. METHODS: This study searched Pubmed, Web of Sciences, Scopus, The Cochrane Library, Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Embase, Medline, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang, Weipu and China biomedical databases on the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of virtual reality technology for relieving pain and anxiety associated with venous puncture for children up to July 6, 2024. Risk of bias tool recommended by Cochrane library was used to evaluate the RCT quality. RevMan 5.3 software was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: A total of 10 RCTs involving 874 children were included. 429 children received VR intervention during vein puncture. VR was beneficial to reduce the children's self-reported pain scores [SMD=-0.48, 95% CI (- 0.61, - 0.35)], children's caregivers reported needle-related pain level [SMD=-0.93, 95% CI (-1.45, - 0.42)], children's self-reported anxiety scores [SMD=-0.45, 95% CI (- 0.65, - 0.25)], children's caregivers reported needle-related anxiety level [SMD=-0.47, 95% CI (- 0.73, - 0.21)]. Egger regression tests indicated that there were no publication biases in the synthesized outcomes (all P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: VR technology has been shown to effectively mitigate the pain and anxiety experienced by children during venipuncture. Despite the positive findings, more research is needed to better understand the role of VR in children undergoing venipuncture.

[Auricular pressure beans combined with Compound Tung-Leaf Burn Oil relieve perioperative anxiety and pain in patients undergoing circumcision].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of auricular pressure beans (APN) combined with Compound Tung-Leaf Burn Oil (CTBO) on perioperative anxiety and pain in patients undergoing circumcision. METHODS: This study included 100 patients undergoing circumcision with the disposable circumcision anastomosis stapler in our hospital from August 2023 to November 2023, of whom 50 received routine circumcision nursing care (the control group) and other 50 APN combined with compound CTBO in addition (the observation group). We compared between the two groups the anxiety scores before any intervention, 30 minutes before and 24 hours and 10 days after operation, the pain scores 24 hours postoperatively and at the first change of wound dressing, the frequency of 3-day postoperative sleep awakenings, the incidence of complications, and the satisfaction of the patients. RESULTS: Totally, 94 patients completed the study, 46 in the observation and 48 in the control group. The anxiety scores exhibited no statistically significant difference between the two groups of patients before any intervention (P > 0.05), but were markedly lower in the observation than in the control group at 30 minutes before and 24 hours and 10 days after surgery (P<0.05), and so were the pain scores 24 hours after surgery and at the first change of wound dressing (P<0.05), and the frequency of 3-day postoperative sleep awakenings (P<0.05). The satisfaction rate of the patients was remarkably higher (P<0.05) while the incidence of complications significantly lower in the observation group than in the control (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Auricular pressure beans combined with Compound Tung-Leaf Burn Oil can effectively alleviate perioperative anxiety, reduce postoperative pain and improve satisfaction of the patients undergoing circumcision.

Self-Assembled Perylene Diimide (PDI) Nanowire Sensitized In2O3@MgIn2S4 S-Scheme Heterojunction as Photoelectrochemical Biosensing Platform for the Detection of CA15-3.

Inorganic/organic heterojunctions show promising applications as high-performance sensing platforms for photoelectrochemical (PEC) immunosensors. This work reports constructing a PEC biosensor for CA15-3 based on a self-assembled perylene diimide (PDI) nanowire sensitized In2O3@MgIn2S4 S-scheme heterojunction platform. P-type semiconductor Cu2O nanoparticles were designed as a signal burst source and were used as immunoassay labels. The carboxyl group on self-assembled PDI nanowires eliminates the step of additional surface functionalization for covalent immobilization of the capture elements. The π-π stacking of PDI enhances electron generation efficiency, while the carboxylic acid groups on PDI promote electron transfer. The performance of the constructed sensor was validated using CA15-3 as a model. The experimental results showed that the sensor based on In2O3@MgIn2S4/PDI has excellent selectivity, stability, and reproducibility, and can sensitively detect CA15-3 in the range of 0.001-100 U·mL-1 with the detection limit of 0.00056 U·mL-1. The sensor has a broad application prospect. It is hoped that this research work based on the unique advantages of the organic compound PDI will inspire other researchers to design light-responsive materials and promote the development of the field of photoelectrochemical sensing.

Antenatal steroids elicited neurodegenerative-associated transcriptional changes in the hippocampus of preterm fetal sheep independent of lung maturation.

BACKGROUND: Antenatal steroid therapy for fetal lung maturation is routinely administered to women at risk of preterm delivery. There is strong evidence to demonstrate benefit from antenatal steroids in terms of survival and respiratory disease, notably in infants delivered at or below 32 weeks' gestation. However, dosing remains unoptimized and lung benefits are highly variable. Current treatment regimens generate high-concentration, pulsatile fetal steroid exposures now associated with increased risk of childhood neurodevelopmental diseases. We hypothesized that damage-associated changes in the fetal hippocampal transcriptome would be independent of preterm lung function. METHODS: Date-mated ewes carrying a single fetus at 122 ± 2dGA (term = 150dGA) were randomized into 4 groups: (i) Saline Control Group, 4×2ml maternal saline intramuscular(IM) injections at 12hr intervals (n = 11); or (ii) Dex High Group, 2×12mg maternal IM dexamethasone phosphate injections at 12hr intervals followed by 2×2ml IM saline injections at 12hr intervals (n = 12; representing a clinical regimen used in Singapore); or (iii) Dex Low Group, 4×1.5mg maternal IM dexamethasone phosphate injections 12hr intervals (n = 12); or (iv) Beta-Acetate Group, 1×0.125mg/kg maternal IM betamethasone acetate injection followed by 3×2ml IM sterile normal saline injections 12hr intervals (n = 8). Lambs were surgically delivered 48hr after first maternal injection at 122-125dGA, ventilated for 30min to establish lung function, and euthanised for necropsy and tissue collection. RESULTS: Preterm lambs from the Dex Low and Beta-Acetate Groups had statistically and biologically significant lung function improvements (measured by gas exchange, lung compliance). Compared to the Saline Control Group, hippocampal transcriptomic data identified 879 differentially significant expressed genes (at least 1.5-fold change and FDR < 5%) in the steroid-treated groups. Pulsatile dexamethasone-only exposed groups (Dex High and Dex Low) had three common positively enriched differentially expressed pathways related in part to neurodegeneration ("Prion Disease", "Alzheimer's Disease", "Arachidonic Acid metabolism"). Adverse changes were independent of respiratory function during ventilation. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggests that exposure to antenatal steroid therapy is an independent cause of damage- associated transcriptomic changes in the brain of preterm, fetal sheep. These data highlight an urgent need for careful reconsideration and balancing of how antenatal steroids are used, both for patient selection and dosing regimens.

Dye-sensitized NiO photocathode sensor based on signal-sensitive change strategy for MC-LR detection.

A novel photoelectrochemical (PEC) sensor for the detection of microcystic toxins (MC-LR) was developed on the basis of signal-sensitive change strategy. NiO nanoarray as a basic photoactive material was grown directly on the ITO glass electrode via calcination after hydrothermal reaction, while dye N719 was used to sensitize the electrode for enhancing visible light absorption, and the first signal-on stage was obtained. In the meantime, p-type Cu2O was applied as the signal probe attached to probe DNA (DNA2) to improve the sensitivity, and the second "signal-on" stage appeared because of its synergistic effect with NiO nanoarrays. The PEC signal decreases after the target analyte MC-LR is modified on the electrode due to the stronger affinity between MC-LR and its complementary aptamer DNA; part of the Cu2O-DNA2 will dissociate from the electrode. This sensitive signal change strategy allows the detection limit of the MC-LR sensor to be as low as 1.7 pM, which offers an optional method for the sensitive and selective detection of other target molecules, with potential applications in environmental monitoring and toxin determination.

Single-atom nanozymes: Emerging talent for sensitive detection of heavy metals.

In recent years, the increasingly severe pollution of heavy metals has posed a significant threat to the environment and human safety. Heavy metal ions are highly non-biodegradable, with a tendency to accumulate through biomagnification. Consequently, accurate detection of heavy metal ions is of paramount importance. As a new type of synthetic nanomaterials, single-atom nanozymes (SANs) boast exceptional enzyme-like properties, setting them apart from natural enzymes. This unique feature affords SANs with a multitude of advantages such as dispersed active sites, low cost and variety of synthetic methods over natural enzymes, making them an enticing prospect for various applications in industrial, medical and biological fields. In this paper, we systematically summarize the synthetic methods and catalytic mechanisms of SANs. We also briefly review the analytical methods for heavy metal ions and present an overall overview of the research progress in recent years on the application of SANs in the detection of environmental heavy metal ions. Eventually, we propose the existing challenges and provide a vision for the future.

1,1,2,2-Tetra(4-carboxylphenyl)ethylene-Based Metal-Organic Gel as Aggregation-Induced Electrochemiluminescence Emitter for the Detection of Aflatoxin B1 Based on Nanosurface Energy Transfer.

In this Letter, a sensitive DNA sensing platform was developed using an indium-ion-coordinated 1,1,2,2-tetra(4-carboxylphenyl)ethylene (TPE) metal-organic gel (In-MOG) as an aggregation-induced electrochemiluminescence (AIECL) emitter and nanosurface energy transfer (NSET) as an efficient quenching strategy for detecting aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), the most dangerous food toxin. The coordination occurred in indium ions, and carboxyl groups restricted the internal rotation and vibration of TPE molecules, forcing them to release photons via radiative transitions. The quenchers of microfluidic-produced gold nanoparticles were embedded in a long-tailed triangular DNA structure, where the quenching phenomenon aligned with the theory of ECL-NSET under the overlap of spectra and appropriate donor-acceptor spacing. The proposed analytical method showed a sensitive ECL response to AFB1 in the wide concentration range of 0.50-200.00 ng/mL with a limit of detection of 0.17 ng/mL. Experimental results confirmed that constraining luminescent molecules using coordination and bonding to trigger the AIECL phenomenon was a promising method to prepare signal labels for the trace detection of food toxins.

Concurrent manipulation of competitive mechanisms to construct glutathione-stabilized gold nanocluster-based dual-channel molecular classifier for metal ions detection and information steganography.

Understanding charge transport in metal ion-mediated glutathione-stabilized gold nanoclusters (GSH-Au NCs) has proved difficult due to the presence of various competitive mechanisms, such as electron transfer (ET) and aggregation induction effect (AIE). In this paper, we present a dual-channel fluorescence (FL) and second-order Rayleigh scattering (SRS) sensing method for high-throughput classification of metal ions, relying on the competition between ET and AIE using GSH-Au NCs. The SRS signals show significant enhancement when Pb2+, Ag+, Al3+, Cu2+, Fe3+, and Hg2+ are present, as a result of the aggregation of GSH-Au NCs. Notably, the fluorescence signal exhibits the opposite trend. The FL intensities of GSH-Au NCs are enhanced by Pb2+, Ag+, and Al3+ through the AIE mechanism, while they are quenched by Cu2+, Fe3+, and Hg2+, which is dominated by the ET mechanism. By employing principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis, these signals are transformed into unique fingerprints and Euclidean distances, respectively, enabling successful distinction of six metal ions and their mixtures with a low detection limit of 30 nM. This new strategy has successfully addressed interference from impurities in the testing of real water samples, demonstrating its strong ability to detect multiple metal ions. Impressively, we have achieved molecular cryptosteganography, which involves encoding, storing, and concealing information by transforming the selective response of GSH-Au NCs to binary strings. This research is anticipated to advance utilization of nanomaterials in logic sensing and information safety, bridging the gap between molecular sensors and information systems.