Design of MOF-Based Solar Evaporators with Hierarchical Microporous/Nanobridged/Nanogranular Structures for Rapid Interfacial Solar Evaporation and Fresh Water Collection.

Interfacial solar evaporation (ISE) holds considerable promise to solve fresh water shortage, but it is challenging to achieve high evaporation rate (Reva) and fresh water yield in close system. Here, we report design and preparation of MOF-based solar evaporators with hierarchical microporous/nanobridged/nanogranular structures for rapid ISE and fresh water collection in close system. The evaporators are fabricated by growing silicone nanofilaments with variable length as nanobridges on a microporous silicone sponge followed by grafting with polydopamine nanoparticles and Cu-MOF nanocrystals. Integration of the unique structure and excellent photothermal composites endows the evaporators with high Reva of 3.5-20 wt% brines (3.60-2.90 kg m-2 h-1 in open system and 2.38-1.44 kg m-2 h-1 in close system) under simulated 1 sun, high Reva under natural sunlight, excellent salt resistance and high fresh water yield, which surpass most state-of-the-art evaporators. Moreover, when combined with a superhydrophilic cover, the evaporators show much higher average Reva of real seawater, remarkable fresh water yield and excellent long-term stability over one month continuous ISE under natural sunlight. The findings here will promote the development of advanced evaporators via microstructure engineering and their real-world ISE applications.

Local Anesthetic Bupivacaine Inhibits Melanoma Proliferation and Metastasis by Targeting PAPSS2.

BACKGROUND: Melanoma is a highly invasive skin cancer with limited treatment strategies. Bupivacaine, a commonly used local anesthetic recognized for its safety, has shown promise in combating tumors. 3'-phosphoadenosine 5'-phosphosulfate synthase 2 (PAPSS2) is a key enzyme in the sulfation process and is associated with the development and metastasis of various tumors. This study aimed to explore the mechanism by which bupivacaine inhibits melanoma proliferation and metastasis by targeting PAPSS2. METHODS: The effects of bupivacaine on the proliferation of A375 and A2058 melanoma cells were evaluated using Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), 5-Ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) labeling, and clonogenic assays. Cell migration, invasion, and PAPSS2 expression were evaluated using Transwell experiments and Quantitative Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis. Additionally, an in vivo melanoma tumor model in nude mice was constructed to evaluate the impact of bupivacaine on melanoma growth and metastasis. Immunohistochemistry was used to assess tumor metastasis and PAPSS2 expression levels in the nude mouse model. RESULTS: Experimental results demonstrated that bupivacaine significantly inhibited melanoma proliferation and invasion compared to the control group. Notably, this inhibitory effect was partially reversed by PAPSS2 overexpression. In vivo experiments demonstrated that bupivacaine-treated nude mice exhibited reduced tumor volumes, weights, and fewer lung metastatic foci. Molecular analysis via qRT-PCR and immunohistochemistry analysis further indicated that bupivacaine significantly reduced PAPSS2 in tumor tissues. CONCLUSION: This study confirms that bupivacaine, a local anesthetic, can inhibit melanoma proliferation and metastasis by targeting the PAPSS2 signaling pathway. These findings suggest its potential as an anti-tumor medication and present new treatment strategies for melanoma.

Design of Mineral Oil/Stearic Acid Hybrid Coatings for Reducing Hygroscopicity of Ammonium Nitrate.

Ammonium nitrate (AN) is a very promising high-energy oxidant for use in solid propellants but suffers from serious hygroscopicity. While various coating materials (e.g., surfactants) have been employed to mitigate the hygroscopicity of AN, the interaction mechanisms between AN and these coatings remain inadequately understood. Here, we report the preparation of a mineral oil/stearic acid (MO/SA) hybrid coating that significantly reduces the hygroscopicity of AN. The hygroscopicity of AN is efficiently inhibited through interactions between the NH4+ of AN molecules and the -COOH of SA molecules, resulting in the formation of a dense and hydrophobic coating. Additionally, the defects in the SA coating are compensated for by the MO film. Consequently, MO/SA@AN particles with a low mass ratio of the coating (1.35 wt %) exhibit a low hygroscopicity of 7.24% after being kept in a 90% relative humidity environment at 20 °C for 24 h, representing a 48.10% decline of the hygroscopicity. Furthermore, MO/SA@AN maintains a high rate of hygroscopicity decline, at 29.5%, even at 35 °C and 90% RH after 24 h. Additionally, the hybrid coating effectively accelerates the thermal decomposition reactions of AN. This study provides valuable insights into the development of hybrid coatings with excellent antihygroscopic properties for AN.

Progress and Outlook on Electrochemical Sensing of Lung Cancer Biomarkers.

Electrochemical biosensors have emerged as powerful tools for the ultrasensitive detection of lung cancer biomarkers like carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), neuron-specific enolase (NSE), and alpha fetoprotein (AFP). This review comprehensively discusses the progress and potential of nanocomposite-based electrochemical biosensors for early lung cancer diagnosis and prognosis. By integrating nanomaterials like graphene, metal nanoparticles, and conducting polymers, these sensors have achieved clinically relevant detection limits in the fg/mL to pg/mL range. We highlight the key role of nanomaterial functionalization in enhancing sensitivity, specificity, and antifouling properties. This review also examines challenges related to reproducibility and clinical translation, emphasizing the need for standardization of fabrication protocols and robust validation studies. With the rapid growth in understanding lung cancer biomarkers and innovations in sensor design, nanocomposite electrochemical biosensors hold immense potential for point-of-care lung cancer screening and personalized therapy guidance. Realizing this goal will require strategic collaboration among material scientists, engineers, and clinicians to address technical and practical hurdles. Overall, this work provides valuable insight for developing next-generation smart diagnostic devices to combat the high mortality of lung cancer.

Causal relationship between T2DM microvascular complications and gut microbiota: a Mendelian randomization study.

Background: Gowing number of studies have demonstrated the association between gut microbiome and T2DM microvascular complications, however the causal relationship remains unclear. Therefore, we using the Mendelian randomization (MR) approach to investigate this causal relation. Methods: Using gut microbiome data from the International MiBioGen Consortium genome-wide association study (GWAS) and T2DM microvascular complications data from the FinnGen Consortium GWAS to perform MR analyses. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were selected as instrumental variables (IVs), the inverse variance weighting (IVW) method was used as the primary analysis method, and the results were tested for heterogeneity and horizontal pleiotropy. Results: Our research identified that there are 5 known microbial species and 2 unknown microbial species in the gut microbiome that were causally related to T2DM retinopathy. Besides, three and seven known microbial species causal relationships between the gut microbiome and T2DM neuropathy and T2DM nephropathy, respectively. Conclusions: Using MR methods, we demonstrated the causal relationship between gut microbiome and microvascular complications in T2DM, providing a new strategy for the prevention and treatment of it.

Apatinib combined with temozolomide in diffuse midline glioma: a novel and effective therapy.

PURPOSE: Diffuse midline glioma (DMG), H3 K27M-mutant is a type of diffuse high-grade glioma that occurs in the brain midline carrying an extremely poor prognosis under the best efforts of surgery, radiation, and other therapies. For better therapy, we explored the efficacy and toxicity of a novel therapy that combines apatinib and temozolomide in DMG. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 32 patients with DMG who underwent apatinib plus temozolomide treatment was performed. Apatinib was given 500 mg in adults, 250 mg in pediatric patients once daily. Temozolomide was administered at 200 mg/m2/d according to the standard 5/28 days regimen. The main clinical data included basic information of patients, radiological and pathological characteristics of tumors, treatment, adverse reactions, prognosis. RESULTS: The objective response rate was 24.1%, and the disease control rate was 79.3%. The median PFS of all patients was 5.8 months, and median OS was 10.3 months. A total of 236 cycles of treatment were available for safety assessment and the toxicity of the combination therapy was relatively well tolerated. The most common grade 3 toxicities were myelosuppression including leukopenia (5.08%), neutropenia (4.24%), lymphopenia (2.12%), thrombocytopenia (1.69%) and anemia (1.27%). Grade 4 toxicities included neutropenia (2.12%), thrombocytopenia (2.12%) and proteinuria (1.69%). All the adverse events were relieved after symptomatic treatment or dose reduction. CONCLUSIONS: Apatinib plus temozolomide could be an effective regimen with manageable toxicities and favorable efficacy and may outperform temozolomide monotherapy, particularly in newly diagnosed adults with tumors located outside the pons. The novel therapy deserves further investigation in adult DMG patients.

Association between previous consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and diabetes remission in patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetic ketoacidosis.

This study examined the potential correlation between the immoderate intake of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) and the subsequent rate of diabetes remission (DR). 206 individuals who met the eligibility criteria between January 2019 and June 2022 were recruited. Inquiries were conducted to gather information on the participants' beverage consumption before the onset. Subsequently, the participants were separated into the diabetes remission group (DR group) and nondiabetes remission group (NDR group) depending on whether they met the diagnostic criteria for diabetes remission. Baseline clinical elements within the two groups were juxtaposed, and factors influencing diabetes remission were identified through logistic regression analyses. The cutoff values of each critical factor were determined based on the receiver operating characteristic curve. One hundred and nine patients reported a history of SSB consumption, while the remaining 58 reported no such history. After 1 year, 40 patients achieved remission from diabetes. Compared with the NDR group, a higher SSBs ratio, body mass index (BMI), and blood creatinine (BCr) was observed in the DR group after adjusting for confounders, SSBs (odds ratio [OR] = 3.503; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.334-9.202; p = 0.011) and BCr (OR = 1.038; 95% CI = 1.003-1.079; p = 0.042) emerged as independent predictors of DR. The composite index of SSBs and BCr efficaciously predicted DR (area under the ROC curve [AUC] = 0.810, p < 0.001). SSBs and BCr were independent risk factors for DR. The amalgamation of these markers could more accurately predict DR.

Garsorasib in patients with KRASG12C-mutated non-small-cell lung cancer in China: an open-label, multicentre, single-arm, phase 2 trial.

BACKGROUND: Garsorasib (D-1553; InventisBio, Shangai, China), a potent KRASG12C inhibitor, has shown promising antitumour activity in patients with KRASG12C-mutated (ie, Gly12Cys) non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in a phase 1 study. We report results from a phase 2 study conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of garsorasib in patients with locally advanced or metastatic KRASG12C-mutated NSCLC. METHODS: This open-label, multicentre, single-arm, phase 2 trial enrolled adult patients with KRASG12C-mutated NSCLC who had previously been treated with platinum-based chemotherapy and immune checkpoint inhibitors from 43 hospitals in China. Participants received 600 mg garsorasib orally twice per day. Tumour assessments were performed at baseline, at the end of every two cycles (of 21 days) for the first eight cycles, and at the end of every three cycles thereafter. The primary endpoint was objective response rate (ORR) as assessed by an independent review committee (IRC) following the guidelines in Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumours, version 1.1. Efficacy and safety were assessed in all patients who received at least one dose of garsorasib. This trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT05383898, and is active but no longer recruiting. FINDINGS: From June 17, 2022, to May 17, 2023, of 225 patients screened for eligibility, 123 patients were enrolled and treated with garsorasib. Of these 123 participants, the median age was 64 years (IQR 59-68), 108 (88%) were male and 15 (12%) were female. At data cutoff (Nov 17, 2023), the median follow-up duration was 7·9 months (IQR 6·3-10·4), and 82 (67%) of 123 patients had discontinued treatment. The IRC-confirmed ORR was 50% (61 of 123 patients; 95% CI 41-59). 117 (95%) of 123 patients reported treatment-related adverse events, with 61 (50%) experiencing grade 3 or higher events. The most common types of adverse events of grade 3 or higher associated with garsorasib were hepatic and gastrointestinal events, including increased liver enzymes, such as aspartate aminotransferase (21 [17%] of 123 participants), alanine aminotransferase (19 [15%] of 123 participants), and gamma-glutamyltransferase (28 [23%] of 123 participants); nausea (2 [2%] of 123 participants); and vomiting (2 [2%] of 123 participants). No new safety signals were identified, and most of the adverse events were well managed. INTERPRETATION: The results show that garsorasib has a high response rate, long duration of response, and an acceptable and manageable safety profile in patients with previously treated KRASG12C-mutated NSCLC. Garsorasib potentially provides a promising treatment option for this patient population. FUNDING: InventisBio.

Telehealth With Comprehensive Live-Fed Real-World Data as a Patient Care Platform for Lung Cancer: Implementation and Evaluation Study.

BACKGROUND: Telehealth has emerged as a popular channel for providing outpatient services in many countries. However, the majority of telehealth systems focus on operational functions and offer only a sectional patient journey at most. Experiences with incorporating longitudinal real-world medical record data into telehealth are valuable but have not been widely shared. The feasibility and usability of such a telehealth platform, with comprehensive, real-world data via a live feed, for cancer patient care are yet to be studied. OBJECTIVE: The primary purpose of this study is to understand the feasibility and usability of cancer patient care using a telehealth platform with longitudinal, real-world data via a live feed as a supplement to hospital electronic medical record systems specifically from physician's perspective. METHODS: A telehealth platform was constructed and launched for both physicians and patients. Real-world data were collected and curated using a comprehensive data model. Physician activities on the platform were recorded as system logs and analyzed. In February 2023, a survey was conducted among the platform's registered physicians to assess the specific areas of patient care and to quantify their before and after experiences, including the number of patients managed, time spent, dropout rate, visit rate, and follow-up data. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were performed on the data sets. RESULTS: Over a period of 15 months, 16,035 unique users (13,888 patients, 1539 friends and family members, and 174 physician groups with 608 individuals) registered on the platform. More than 382,000 messages including text, reminders, and pictures were generated by physicians when communicating with patients. The survey was completed by 78 group leaders (45% of the 174 physician groups). Of the participants, 84% (65.6/78; SD 8.7) reported a positive experience, with efficient communication, remote supervision, quicker response to questions, adverse event prevention, more complete follow-up data, patient risk reduction, cross-organization collaboration, and a reduction in in-person visits. The majority of the participants (59/78, 76% to 76/78, 97.4%) estimated improvements in time spent, number of patients managed, the drop-off rate, and access to medical history, with the average ranging from 57% to 105%. When compared with prior platforms, responses from physicians indicated better experiences in terms of time spent, the drop-off rate, and medical history, while the number of patients managed did not significantly change. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that a telehealth platform, equipped with comprehensive, real-world data via a live feed, is feasible and effective for cancer patient care. It enhances inpatient management by improving time efficiencies, reducing drop-off rates, and providing easy access to medical history. Moreover, it fosters a positive experience in physician-patient interactions.

Malleable, Ultrastrong Antibacterial Thermosets Enabled by Guanidine Urea Structure.

Dynamic covalent polymers (DCPs) that strike a balance between high performance and rapid reconfiguration have been a challenging task. For this purpose, a solution is proposed in the form of a new dynamic covalent supramolecular motif-guanidine urea structure (GUAs). GUAs contain complex and diverse chemical structures as well as unique bonding characteristics, allowing guanidine urea supramolecular polymers to demonstrate advanced physical properties. Noncovalent interaction aggregates (NIAs) have been confirmed to form in GUA-DCPs through multistage H-bonding and π-π stacking, resulting in an extremely high Young's modulus of 14 GPa, suggesting remarkable mechanical strength. Additionally, guanamine urea linkages in GUAs, a new type of dynamic covalent bond, provide resins with excellent malleability and reprocessability. Guanamine urea metathesis is validated using small molecule model compounds, and the temperature dependent infrared and rheological behavior of GUA-DCPs following the dissociative exchange mechanism. Moreover, the inherent photodynamic antibacterial properties are extensively verified by antibacterial experiments. Even after undergoing three reprocessing cycles, the antibacterial rate of GUA-DCPs remains above 99% after 24 h, highlighting their long-lasting antibacterial effectiveness. GUA-DCPs with dynamic nature, tuneable composition, and unique combination of properties make them promising candidates for various technological advancements.

Prediction of TNFRSF9 expression and molecular pathological features in thyroid cancer using machine learning to construct Pathomics models.

BACKGROUND: The TNFRSF9 molecule is pivotal in thyroid carcinoma (THCA) development. This study utilizes Pathomics techniques to predict TNFRSF9 expression in THCA tissue and explore its molecular mechanisms. METHODS: Transcriptome data, pathology images, and clinical information from the cancer genome atlas (TCGA) were analyzed. Image segmentation and feature extraction were performed using the OTSU's algorithm and pyradiomics package. The dataset was split for training and validation. Features were selected using maximum relevance minimum redundancy recursive feature elimination (mRMR_RFE) and modeling conducted with the gradient boosting machine (GBM) algorithm. Model evaluation included receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis. The Pathomics model output a probabilistic pathomics score (PS) for gene expression prediction, with its prognostic value assessed in TNFRSF9 expression groups. Subsequent analysis involved gene set variation analysis (GSVA), immune gene expression, cell abundance, immunotherapy susceptibility, and gene mutation analysis. RESULTS: High TNFRSF9 expression correlated with worsened progression-free interval (PFI) and acted as an independent risk factor [hazard ratio (HR) = 2.178, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.045-4.538, P = 0.038]. Nine pathohistological features were identified. The GBM Pathomics model demonstrated good prediction efficacy [area under the curve (AUC) 0.819 and 0.769] and clinical benefits. High PS was a PFI risk factor (HR = 2.156, 95% CI 1.047-4.440, P = 0.037). Patients with high PS potentially exhibited enriched pathways, increased TIGIT gene expression, Tregs infiltration (P < 0.0001), and higher rates of gene mutations (BRAF, TTN, TG). CONCLUSIONS: The GBM Pathomics model constructed based on the pathohistological features of H&E-stained sections well predicted the expression level of TNFRSF9 molecules in THCA.

The RTK-RAS signaling pathway is enriched in patients with rare acute myeloid leukemia harboring t(16;21)(p11;q22)/FUS::ERG.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with t(16;21)(p11;q22)/FUS::ERG is a rare AML subtype associated with poor prognosis. However, its clinical and molecular features remain poorly defined. We determined the clinicopathological, genomic, and transcriptomic characteristics and outcomes of patients with AML harboring FUS::ERG at our center. Thirty-six AML patients harboring FUS::ERG were identified, with an incidence rate of 0.3%. These patients were characterized by high lactate dehydrogenase levels (median: 838.5 U/L), elevated bone marrow blast counts (median: 71.5%), and a CD56-positive immunophenotype (94.3%). Notably, we found that RTK-RAS GTPase (RAS) pathway genes, including NRAS (33%) and PTPN11 (24%), were frequently mutated in this subtype. Transcriptome analysis revealed enrichment of the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase-Akt (PI3K-Akt), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and RAS signaling pathways and upregulation of BCL2, the target of venetoclax, in FUS::ERG AML compared to RUNX1::RUNX1T1 AML, a more common AML subtype with good prognosis. The median event-free survival in patients with FUS::ERG AML was 11.9 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 9.0-not available [NA]) months and the median overall survival was 18.2 (95% CI: 12.4-NA) months. Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation failed to improve outcomes. Overall, the high incidence of RTK-RAS pathway mutations and high expression of BCL2 may indicate promising therapeutic targets in this high-risk AML subset.

Zr modulated N doping composites for CO2 conversion into carbonates.

Acidic and basic sites of catalysts are essential for CO2 capture and activation. In this work, Zr, N-ZnO/ZnAl-LDH-IL composites in ionic liquid and methanol systems were fabricated, and applied to catalyze the synthesis of ethylene carbonate (EC) from ethylene glycol (EG) and CO2 with about 4.76 mmolEC gCat.-1 h-1. The composites showed more strong basic sites due to the effective induction of reactive groups on the catalyst surface by Zr doping, resulting in an increase of pyridinic-N groups from 5.48% to 22.25%. More C atoms adjacent to pyridinic-N as strong basic sites was conducive to the activation of CO2 and EG. In addition, the possible catalytic pathway and mechanism of the composites for synthesizing EC as well as the doping of La, Fe, Ce, and Cu were also investigated, which provides an effective strategy for regulating the acid-base centers on the catalyst surface through ionic liquids and methanol solvents.

Cardiac resident macrophages: The core of cardiac immune homeostasis.

Cardiac resident macrophages (CRMs) are essential in maintaining the balance of the immune homeostasis in the heart. One of the main factors in the progression of cardiovascular diseases, such as myocarditis, myocardial infarction(MI), and heart failure(HF), is the imbalance in the regulatory mechanisms of CRMs. Recent studies have reported novel heterogeneity and spatiotemporal complexity of CRMs, and their role in maintaining cardiac immune homeostasis and treating cardiovascular diseases. In this review, we focus on the functions of CRMs, including immune surveillance, immune phagocytosis, and immune metabolism, and explore the impact of CRM's homeostasis imbalance on cardiac injury and cardiac repair. We also discuss the therapeutic approaches linked to CRMs. The immunomodulatory strategies targeting CRMs may be a therapeutic approach for the treatment of cardiovascular disease.

Neuron-Like Silicone Nanofilaments@Montmorillonite Nanofillers of PEO-Based Solid-State Electrolytes for Lithium Metal Batteries with Wide Operation Temperature.

Poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)-based composite solid electrolytes (CSEs) are promising to accelerate commercialization of solid-state lithium metal batteries (SSLMBs). Nonetheless, this is hindered by the CSEs' limited ion conductivity at room temperature. Here, we propose design, synthesis, and application of the bioinspired neuron-like nanofillers for PEO-based CSEs. The neuron-like superhydrophobic nanofillers are synthesized by controllably grafting silicone nanofilaments onto montmorillonite nanosheets. Compared to various reported fillers, the nanofillers can greatly improve ionic conductivity (4.9×10-4 S cm-1, 30 °C), Li+ transference number (0.63), oxidation stability (5.3 V) and mechanical properties of the PEO-based CSEs because of the following facts. The distinctive neuron-like structure and the resulting synaptic-like connections establish numerous long-distance continuous channels over various directions in the PEO-based CSEs for fast and uniform Li+ transport. Consequently, the assembled SSLMBs with the CSEs and LiFePO4 or NCM811 cathodes display superior cycling stability over a wide temperature range of 50 °C to 0 °C. Surprisingly, the pouch batteries with the large-scale prepared CSEs kept working after being repeatedly bent, folded, cut or even punched in air. We believe that design of neuron-like nanofillers is a viable approach to produce CSEs with high room temperature ionic conductivity for SSLMBs.

Thorough molecular configuration analysis of noncanonical AAV genomes in AAV vector preparations.

The unique palindromic inverted terminal repeats (ITRs) and single-stranded nature of adeno-associated virus (AAV) DNA are major hurdles to current sequencing technologies. Due to these characteristics, sequencing noncanonical AAV genomes present in AAV vector preparations remains challenging. To address this limitation, we developed thorough molecule configuration analysis of noncanonical AAV genomes (TMCA-AAV-seq). TMCA-AAV-seq takes advantage of the documented AAV packaging mechanism in which encapsidation initiates from its 3' ITR, for AAV-seq library construction. Any AAV genome with a 3' ITR is converted to a template suitable to adapter addition by a Bst DNA polymerase-mediated extension reaction. This extension reaction helps fix ITR heterogeneity in the AAV population and allows efficient adapter addition to even noncanonical AAV genomes. The resulting library maintains the original AAV genome configurations without introducing undesired changes. Subsequently, long-read sequencing can be performed by the Pacific Biosciences (PacBio) single-molecule, real-time (SMRT) sequencing technology platform. Finally, through comprehensive data analysis, we can recover canonical, noncanonical AAV DNA, and non-AAV vector DNA sequences, along with their molecular configurations. Our method is a robust tool for profiling thorough AAV-population genomes. TMCA-AAVseq can be further extended to all parvoviruses and their derivative vectors.

Facile Preparation of Impalement Resistant, Mechanically Robust and Weather Resistant Photothermal Superhydrophobic Coatings for Anti-/De-icing.

Photothermal superhydrophobic coatings hold great promise in addressing the limitations of conventional superhydrophobic anti-icing coatings. However, developing such coatings with excellent impalement resistance, mechanical robustness and weather resistance remains a significant challenge. Here, we report facile preparation of robust photothermal superhydrophobic coatings with all the above advantages. The coatings were prepared by spraying a dispersion consisting of fluorinated silica nanoparticles, a silicone-modified polyester adhesive and photothermal carbon black nanoparticles onto Al alloy plates followed by thermal curing. Thermal curing caused migration of perfluorodecyl polysiloxane from within the coatings to the surface, effectively maintaining a low surface energy despite the presence of the adhesive. Therefore, combined with the hierarchical micro-/nanostructure, dense yet rough nanostructure, adhesion of the adhesive and chemically inert components, the coatings exhibited remarkable superhydrophobicity, impalement resistance, mechanical robustness and weather resistance. Furthermore, the coatings demonstrated excellent photothermal effect even in the -10 °C, 80 % relative humidity and weak sunlight (0.2 sun) environment. Consequently, the coatings showed excellent passive anti-icing and active de-icing performance. Moreover, the coatings have good generalizability and scalability. We are confident that this study will accelerate the practical implementation of photothermal superhydrophobic coatings.

A phase II study of efficacy and safety of the MEK inhibitor tunlametinib in patients with advanced NRAS-mutant melanoma.

BACKGROUND: NRAS-mutant melanoma is an aggressive subtype with poor prognosis; however, there is no approved targeted therapy to date worldwide. METHODS: We conducted a multicenter, single-arm, phase II, pivotal registrational study that evaluated the efficacy and safety of the MEK inhibitor tunlametinib in patients with unresectable, stage III/IV, NRAS-mutant melanoma (NCT05217303). The primary endpoint was objective response rate (ORR) assessed by independent radiological review committee (IRRC) per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) v1.1. The secondary endpoints included progression-free survival (PFS), disease control rate (DCR), duration of response(DOR), overall survival (OS) and safety. FINDINGS: Between November 2, 2020 and February 11, 2022, a total of 100 patients were enrolled. All (n = 100) patients received at least one dose of tunlametinib (safety analysis set [SAS]) and 95 had central laboratory-confirmed NRAS mutations (full analysis set [FAS]). In the FAS, NRAS mutations were observed at Q61 (78.9%), G12 (15.8%) and G13 (5.3%). The IRRC-assessed ORR was 35.8%, with a median DOR of 6.1 months. The median PFS was 4.2 months, DCR was 72.6% and median OS was 13.7 months. Subgroup analysis showed that in patients who had previously received immunotherapy, the ORR was 40.6%. No treatment-related deaths occurred. INTERPRETATION: Tunlametinib showed promising antitumor activity with a manageable safety profile in patients with advanced NRAS-mutant melanoma, including those who had prior exposure to immunotherapy. The findings warrant further validation in a randomized clinical trial.

Attapulgite-Based Stable Superhydrophobic Coatings for Preventing Rain Attenuation of 5G Radomes.

Superhydrophobic coatings hold immense promise for various applications. However, their practical use is currently hindered by issues such as poor stability, high costs, and complex preparation processes. Here, we present the preparation of cost-effective and stable superhydrophobic coatings through fluorination of natural attapulgite (F-ATP) nanorods and subsequent solvent-induced phase separation of a silicone-modified polyester adhesive (SMPA) with the F-ATP nanorods dispersed in it. Phase separation of the F-ATP/SMPA system forms a uniform suspension of microaggregates, which can be easily utilized for preparing superhydrophobic coatings via spray coating. The coatings have a low-surface-energy hierarchical micro/nanostructure due to phase separation of SMPA and adhesion of F-ATP to it. Moreover, the effects of the solvent composition (i.e., phase separation degree of SMPA) and the SMPA/F-ATP mass ratio on the morphology, superhydrophobicity, and stability of the coatings were investigated. After systematic optimization, the coatings exhibit excellent static and dynamic superhydrophobicity as well as high mechanical, chemical, thermal, and UV aging stability. Finally, the coatings were applied to the 5G radome surface and showed good rain attenuation prevention performance. Thus, we are confident that the superhydrophobic coatings have great application potential due to their advantages of outstanding performance, straightforward preparation procedures, cost-effectiveness, etc.