Early life malnutrition and risk of T2DM adulthood: evidence from the lower socioeconomic status of northwest Chinese population.

Objective: This study aimed to explore whether famine exposure during early life are associated with a high risk of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) in adulthood and the role of socioeconomic status (SES) on this effect. Materials and methods: We conducted a secondary data analysis based on data from a cross-sectional survey, collected 3,355 participants born between January 1, 1941 and December 31, 1966. Participants were categorized into four groups based on their date of birth, unexposed (individuals born in 1963-1966), infant exposed (individuals born in 1959-1962), childhood exposed (individuals born in 1949-1958), and adolescent exposed (born in 1941-1948). The association of famine exposure with T2DM risk in adults and conducted separately in plain area and mountain area was assessed using logistics regression model. Result: 22.35% of participants were diagnosed with T2DM, of which 43.47% were from the childhood famine-exposed group, representing the highest proportion among all subgroups (p < 0.001). Participants exposed to famine during childhood and adolescence from the lower SES mountain areas showed a significantly higher prevalence of T2DM in adulthood than those from the plain areas (p < 0.001). The adolescence stage exposed famine will increase the risk of T2DM in the mountain area (OR 2.46, 95% CI 1.61, 3.77). Conclusion: No strong evidence demonstrates that exposure to famine during the early life stage increases the risk of developing T2DM in adulthood. However, populations with lower SES are likely to be exposed to more risk factors for T2DM.

A Nomogram Based on Clinicopathological Characteristics for Estimating the Risk of Brain Metastasis from Advanced Gastric Cancer: A Multi-Center Retrospective Clinical Study.

Purpose: Although brain metastasis (BM) from gastric cancer (GC) is relatively uncommon, its incidence has been increasing owing to advancements in treatment modalities. Unfortunately, patients diagnosed with BM from gastric cancer have poor life expectancy. Our study aims to establish a predictive model for brain metastasis in advanced gastric cancer patients, thus enabling the timely diagnosis of brain metastasis. Patients and Methods: The clinicopathological features of a cohort which included 40 GC patients with brain metastasis, 32 of whom from the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, 2 from Gaoxin Branch of the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, remaining 6 from Anyang District Hospital, and 80 non-metastatic advanced GC patients from the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University between 2018 and 2022. Data were retrospectively analyzed. Results: Age, tumor size, differentiation, lymph node grade, tumor location, Lauren classification, liver metastasis, carbohydrate antigen 199 (CA199), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (Her-2) were associated with BM. A nomogram integrated with nine risk factors (tumor size, differentiation, lymph node grade, tumor location, Lauren classification, liver metastasis, CA-199, LDH, and Her-2) showed good performance (Area Under Curve 0.95, 95% CI: 0.91-0.98). Conclusion: We developed and validated a nomogram that achieved individualized prediction of the possibility of BM from GC. This model enables personalized imaging review schedules for timely brain metastasis detection in advanced gastric cancer patients.

Inhibition and Mechanism of Citral on Bacillus cereus Vegetative Cells, Spores, and Biofilms.

Bacillus cereus causes food poisoning by producing toxins that cause diarrhea and vomiting and, in severe cases, endocarditis, meningitis, and other diseases. It also tends to form biofilms and spores that lead to contamination of the food production environment. Citral is a potent natural antibacterial agent, but its antibacterial activity against B. cereus has not been extensively studied. In this study, we first determined the minimum inhibitory concentrations and minimum bactericidal concentrations, growth curves, killing effect in different media, membrane potential, intracellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP), reactive oxygen species levels, and morphology of vegetative cells, followed by germination rate, morphology, germination state of spores, and finally biofilm clearance effect. The results showed that the minimum inhibitory concentrations and minimum bactericidal concentrations of citral against bacteria ranged from 100 to 800 µg/mL. The lag phase of bacteria was effectively prolonged by citral, and the growth rate of bacteria was slowed down. Bacteria in Luria-Bertani broth were reduced to below the detection limit by citral at 800 µg/mL within 0.5 h. Bacteria in rice were reduced to 3 log CFU/g by citral at 4000 µg/mL within 0.5 h. After treatment with citral, intracellular ATP concentration was reduced, membrane potential was altered, intracellular reactive oxygen species concentration was increased, and normal cell morphology was altered. After treatment with citral at 400 µg/mL, spore germination rate was reduced to 16.71%, spore morphology was affected, and spore germination state was altered. It also had a good effect on biofilm removal. The present study showed that citral had good bacteriostatic activity against B. cereus vegetative cells and its spores and also had a good clearance effect on its biofilm. Citral has the potential to be used as a bacteriostatic substance for the control of B. cereus in food industry production.

Cytochrome P450 Enzyme Design by Constraining the Catalytic Pocket in a Diffusion Model.

Although cytochrome P450 enzymes are the most versatile biocatalysts in nature, there is insufficient comprehension of the molecular mechanism underlying their functional innovation process. Here, by combining ancestral sequence reconstruction, reverse mutation assay, and progressive forward accumulation, we identified 5 founder residues in the catalytic pocket of flavone 6-hydroxylase (F6H) and proposed a "3-point fixation" model to elucidate the functional innovation mechanisms of P450s in nature. According to this design principle of catalytic pocket, we further developed a de novo diffusion model (P450Diffusion) to generate artificial P450s. Ultimately, among the 17 non-natural P450s we generated, 10 designs exhibited significant F6H activity and 6 exhibited a 1.3- to 3.5-fold increase in catalytic capacity compared to the natural CYP706X1. This work not only explores the design principle of catalytic pockets of P450s, but also provides an insight into the artificial design of P450 enzymes with desired functions.

One-pot electrochemical detection of foodborne pathogen based on in situ nucleic acid amplification and wash-free assay.

A signal amplification electrochemical biosensor chip was developed to integrate loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) based on in situ nucleic acid amplification and methyl blue (MB) serving as the hybridization redox indicator for sensitive and selective foodborne pathogen detection without a washing step. The electrochemical biosensor chip was designed by a screen-printed carbon electrode modified with gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) and covered with polydimethylsiloxane membrane to form a microcell. The primers of the target were immobilized on the Au NPs by covalent attachment for in situ amplification. The electroactive MB was used as the electrochemical signal reporter and embedded into the double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) amplicons generated by LAMP. Differential pulse voltammetry was introduced to survey the dsDNA hybridization with MB, which differentiates the specifically electrode-unbound and -bound labels without a washing step. Pyrene as the back-filling agent can further improve response signaling by reducing non-specific adsorption. This method is operationally simple, specific, and effective. The biosensor showed a detection linear range of 102-107 CFU mL-1 with the limit of detection of 17.7 CFU mL-1 within 40 min. This method showed promise for on-site testing of foodborne pathogens and could be integrated into an all-in-one device.

A pH ultra-sensitive hydrated iridium oxyhydroxide films electrochemical sensor for label-free detection of Vibrio parahaemolyticus.

Vibrio parahaemolyticus (V. parahaemolyticus) is a major foodborne pathogen, which can cause serious foodborne illnesses like diarrhoea. Rapid on-site detection of foodborne pathogens is an ideal way to respond to foodborne illnesses. Herein, we provide an electrochemical sensor for rapid on-site detection. This sensor utilized a pH-sensitive metal-oxide material for the concurrent isothermal amplification and label-free detection of nucleic acids. Based on a pH-sensitive hydrated iridium oxide oxyhydroxide film (HIROF), the electrode transforms the hydrogen ion compound generated during nucleic acid amplification into potential, so as to achieve a real-time detection. The results can be transmitted to a smartphone via Bluetooth. Moreover, HIROF was applied in nucleic acid device detection, with a super-Nernst sensitivity of 77.6 mV/pH in the pH range of 6.0-8.5, and the sensitivity showed the best results so far. Detection of V. parahaemolyticus by this novel method showed a detection limit of 1.0×103 CFU/mL, while the time consumption was only 30 min, outperforming real-time fluorescence loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP). Therefore, the characteristics of compact, portable, and fast make the sensor more widely used in on-site detection.

Rational Molecular Design of a Fluorescent Probe for Selectively Sensing Human Cytochrome P450 2D6.

Cytochrome P450 2D6 (CYP2D6) is a key enzyme that mediates the metabolism of various drugs and endogenous substances in humans. However, its biological role in drug-drug interactions especially mechanism-based inactivation (MBI), and various diseases remains poorly understood, owing to the lack of molecular tools suitable for selectively monitoring CYP2D6 in complex biological systems. Herein, using a tailored molecular strategy, we developed a fluorescent probe BDPM for CYP2D6. BDPM exhibits excellent specificity and imaging capability for CYP2D6, making it suitable for the real-time monitoring of endogenous CYP2D6 activity in living bio-samples. Therefore, our tailored strategy proved useful for constructing the highly selective and enzyme-activated fluorescent probes. BDPM as a molecular tool to explore the critical roles of CYP2D6 in the pathogenesis of diseases, high-throughput screening of inhibitors and intensive investigation of CYP2D6-induced MBI in natural systems.

Molecular Engineering Regulation Achieving Out-of-Plane Polarization in Rare-Earth Hybrid Double Perovskites for Ferroelectrics and Circularly Polarized Luminescence.

Out-of-plane polarization is a highly desired property of two-dimensional (2D) ferroelectrics for application in vertical sandwich-type photoferroelectric devices, especially in ultrathin ferroelectronic devices. Nevertheless, despite great advances that have been made in recent years, out-of-plane polarization remains unrealized in the 2D hybrid double perovskite ferroelectric family. Here, from our previous work 2D hybrid double perovskite HQERN ((S3HQ)4EuRb(NO3)8, S3HQ = S-3-hydroxylquinuclidinium), we designed a molecular strategy of F-substitution on organic component to successfully obtain FQERN ((S3FQ)4EuRb(NO3)8, S3FQ = S-3-fluoroquinuclidinium) showing circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) response. Remarkably, compared to the monopolar axis ferroelectric HQERN, FQERN not only shows multiferroicity with the coexistence of multipolar axis ferroelectricity and ferroelasticity but also realizes out-of-plane ferroelectric polarization and a dramatic enhancement of Curie temperature of 94 K. This is mainly due to the introduction of F-substituted organic cations, which leads to a change in orientation and a reduction in crystal lattice void occupancy. Our study demonstrates that F-substitution is an efficient strategy to realize and optimize ferroelectric functional characteristics, giving more possibility of 2D ferroelectric materials for applications in micro-nano optoelectronic devices.

Variant-specific antibody response following repeated SARS-CoV-2 vaccination and infection.

The ongoing emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants poses challenges to the immunity induced by infections and vaccination. We conduct a 6-month longitudinal evaluation of antibody binding and neutralization of sera from individuals with six different combinations of vaccination and infection against BA.5, XBB.1.5, EG.5.1, and BA.2.86. We find that most individuals produce spike-binding IgG or neutralizing antibodies against BA.5, XBB.1.5, EG.5.1, and BA.2.86 2 months after infection or vaccination. However, compared to ancestral strain and BA.5 variant, XBB.1.5, EG.5.1, and BA.2.86 exhibit comparable but significant immune evasion. The spike-binding IgG and neutralizing antibody titers decrease in individuals without additional antigen exposure, and <50% of individuals neutralize XBB.1.5, EG.5.1, and BA.2.86 during the 6-month follow-up. Approximately 57% of the 107 followed up individuals experienced an additional infection, leading to improved binding IgG and neutralizing antibody levels against these variants. These findings provide insights into the impact of SARS-CoV-2 variants on immunity following repeated exposure.

A CuSO4/Bicinchoninic acid/Reducing sugar based stable and non-ROS catalyst system for the CuAAC reaction in bioanalysis.

The limitations of commonly used sodium ascorbate-based catalyst system for copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) reaction include excess production of reactive oxygen species and rapid catalyst deactivation. In this study instead of using a highly active reducing agent, such as, sodium ascorbate, we chose reducing sugar as a mild reducing agent to build up the catalyst system for CuAAC reaction. Interestingly, the bicinchoninic acid (BCA) assay system containing reducing sugar satisfies the essential elements of the catalyst system for CuAAC reaction. We found that CuSO4/BCA/Reducing sugar system can catalyze the CuAAC reaction but with low yield. Rational analyses of various parameters in CuSO4/BCA/Glucose catalyst system suggested storage at room temperature might enhance the catalytic activity, which was proven to be the case. Importantly, the system remains stable at room temperature and minimal H2O2 was detected. Notably, our study showed that the coordination between the slow reduction of Cu(I) by reducing sugar and the selective chelation of Cu(I) by BCA is key to developing this system. The CuSO4/BCA/Reducing sugar catalyst system was successfully applied to various CuAAC reaction based bioanalyses, and it is suitable for the CuAAC reaction based bioanalyses that are sensitive to ROS or request long reaction time.

A biphasic accelerated strand exchange amplification strategy for culture-independent and rapid detection of Salmonella enterica in food samples.

Salmonella enterica is a common foodborne pathogen that can cause food poisoning in humans. The organism also infects and causes disease in animals. Rapid and sensitive detection of S. enterica is essential to prevent the spread of this pathogen. Traditional technologies for the extraction and detection of this pathogen from complex food matrices are cumbersome and time-consuming. In this study, we introduced a novel strategy of biphasic assay integrated with an accelerated strand exchange amplification (ASEA) method for efficient detection of S. enterica without culture or other extraction procedures. Food samples are rapidly dried, resulting in a physical fluidic network inside the dried food matrix, which allows polymerases and primers to access the target DNA and initiate ASEA. The dried food matrix is defined as the solid phase, while amplification products are enriched in the supernatant (liquid phase) and generate fluorescence signals. The analytical performances demonstrated that this strategy was able to specifically identify S. enterica and did not show any cross-reaction with other common foodborne pathogens. For artificially spiked food samples, the strategy can detect 5.0 × 101 CFU mL-1S. enterica in milk, 1.0 × 102 CFU g-1 in duck, scallop or lettuce, and 1.0 × 103 CFU g-1 in either oyster or cucumber samples without pre-enrichment of the target pathogen. We further validated the strategy using 82 real food samples, and this strategy showed 92% sensitivity. The entire detection process can be finished, sample-to-answer, within 50 min, dramatically decreasing the detection time. Therefore, we believe that the proposed method enables rapid and sensitive detection of S. enterica and holds great promise for the food safety industry.

Three-Charge (0, -1, -2) Ligand-Based Binuclear and Mononuclear Deep-Red Phosphorescent Iridium Complexes Bearing Benzo[d]oxazole-2-Thiol Ligand.

A new class of three-charge (0, -1, -2) ligand-based binuclear and mononuclear iridium complexes bearing benzo[d]oxazole-2-thiol ligand have been synthesized. Notably, the binuclear complexes (IrIr1 and IrIr2) can be generated at low temperatures by reacting the iridium complex precursors (2a and 2b) with equal amounts of the benzo[d]oxazole-2-thiol ligands, while the corresponding mononuclear complexes (Ir1 and Ir2) are formed at high temperatures. X-ray diffraction analysis shows that the benzo[d]oxazole-2-thiol ligand plays an unusual and interesting bridging role in binuclear complexes and induces rich intermolecular and intramolecular interactions, while in mononuclear complexes, it forms an interesting four-membered ring coordination. More importantly, all complexes experienced efficient deep-red emission in the 628-674 nm range, and the mononuclear complexes have higher luminescent efficiency and longer excited state lifetime than the binuclear complexes. As a result, organic light-emitting diode devices incorporating two mononuclear complexes (Ir1 and Ir2) as guest material of the light-emitting layer can obtain good maximum external quantum efficiency (3.5% and 5.5%) in the deep-red region (629 and 632 nm) with CIE coordinates (0.61, 0.33) and (0.62, 0.34), along with a low turn-on voltage (2.8 V).

Corrigendum: Quercetin suppresses ovariectomy-induced osteoporosis in rat mandibles by regulating autophagy and the NLRP3 pathway.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1177/15353702231211977.].

An orally administered bacterial membrane protein nanodrug ameliorates doxorubicin cardiotoxicity through alleviating impaired intestinal barrier.

The cardiotoxicity caused by Dox chemotherapy represents a significant limitation to its clinical application and is a major cause of late death in patients undergoing chemotherapy. Currently, there are no effective treatments available. Our analysis of 295 clinical samples from 132 chemotherapy patients and 163 individuals undergoing physical examination revealed a strong positive correlation between intestinal barrier injury and the development of cardiotoxicity in chemotherapy patients. We developed a novel orally available and intestinal targeting protein nanodrug by assembling membrane protein Amuc_1100 (obtained from intestinal bacteria Akkermansia muciniphila), fluorinated polyetherimide, and hyaluronic acid. The protein nanodrug demonstrated favorable stability against hydrolysis compared with free Amuc_1100. The in vivo results demonstrated that the protein nanodrug can alleviate Dox-induced cardiac toxicity by improving gut microbiota, increasing the proportion of short-chain fatty acid-producing bacteria from the Lachnospiraceae family, and further enhancing the levels of butyrate and pentanoic acids, ultimately regulating the homeostasis repair of lymphocytes in the spleen and heart. Therefore, we believe that the integrity of the intestinal barrier plays an important role in the development of chemotherapy-induced cardiotoxicity. Protective interventions targeting the intestinal barrier may hold promise as a general clinical treatment regimen for reducing Dox-induced cardiotoxicity.

Accuracy Assessment of Geometric-Distortion Identification Methods for Sentinel-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar Imagery in Highland Mountainous Regions.

SAR imagery plays a crucial role in geological and environmental monitoring, particularly in highland mountainous regions. However, inherent geometric distortions in SAR images often undermine the precision of remote sensing analyses. Accurately identifying and classifying these distortions is key to analyzing their origins and enhancing the quality and accuracy of monitoring efforts. While the layover and shadow map (LSM) approach is commonly utilized to identify distortions, it falls short in classifying subtle ones. This study introduces a novel LSM ground-range slope (LG) method, tailored for the refined identification of minor distortions to augment the LSM approach. We implemented the LG method on Sentinel-1 SAR imagery from the tri-junction area where the Xiaojiang, Pudu, and Jinsha rivers converge at the Yunnan-Sichuan border. By comparing effective monitoring-point densities, we evaluated and validated traditional methods-LSM, R-Index, and P-NG-against the LG method. The LG method demonstrates superior performance in discriminating subtle distortions within complex terrains through its secondary classification process, which allows for precise and comprehensive recognition of geometric distortions. Furthermore, our research examines the impact of varying slope parameters during the classification process on the accuracy of distortion identification. This study addresses significant gaps in recognizing geometric distortions and lays a foundation for more precise SAR imagery analysis in complex geographic settings.

[A fluorescence method based on malachite green/aptamer for detection of ochratoxin A in traditional Chinese medicines].

A label-free fluorescence method based on malachite green/aptamer was developed for the detection of ochratoxin A(OTA) in traditional Chinese medicines. Malachite green itself exhibits weak fluorescence. Upon interaction with the aptamer specific to OTA, the G-quadruplex structure of the aptamer provides a protective microenvironment for malachite green, which significantly enhances its fluorescence signal. After OTA is added, preferential binding occurs between the aptamer and OTA, and malachite green will be released from the aptamer, which weakens the fluorescence signal. According to this principle, this paper established a fluorescence method with the aptamer of OTA as the recognition element and malachite green as the fluorescent probe for the detection of OTA in traditional Chinese medicines. The key experimental factors such as the concentrations of metal ions, aptamer, and malachite green were optimized to improve the performance of the method. OTA was detected under the optimal experimental conditions, and the results showed that with the increase in OTA concentration, the fluorescence signal gradually weakened. Within the range of 20-1 000 nmol·L~(-1), the OTA concentration was linearly correlated with the fluorescence signal ratio ΔF/F(ΔF=F_0-F, where F_0 is the fluorescence signal of aptamer/malachite green, and F is the fluorescence signal of OTA/aptamer/malachite green), with R~2 of 0.995. The limit of detection of the established method was 7.1 nmol·L~(-1). Furthermore, three substances structurally similar to OTA and two mycotoxins that may coexist with OTA were selected for experiments, which aimed to examine the cross-reactivity and specificity of the established method. The cross-reactivity experiments demonstrated that the interferers did not significantly affect the fluorescence signal of the detection system. The specificity experiments revealed that when mycotoxins were mixed with OTA, the fluorescence signal generated by the mixture closely resembled that of OTA itself. The results indicated that even in the presence of interferents, the established method remained unaffected and demonstrated excellent specificity. Additionally, this method exhibited remarkable reproducibility and stability. In the case of simple centrifugation and dilution of traditional Chinese medicine samples(Puerariae Lobatae Radix, Sophorae Flavescentis Radix, and Periplocae Cortex), the OTA detection method was applicable, with recovery rates ranging from 91.5% to 121.3%. Notably, this approach does not need complex pretreatment of traditional Chinese medicines while offering simple operation, low detection costs, and short detection time. Furthermore, by incorporating aptamers into the quality evaluation of traditional Chinese medicines, this method expands the application scope of aptamers.

Prevotella copri promotes vascular calcification via lipopolysaccharide through activation of NF-κB signaling pathway.

Emerging evidence indicates that alteration of gut microbiota plays an important role in chronic kidney disease (CKD)-related vascular calcification (VC). We aimed to investigate the specific gut microbiota and the underlying mechanism involved in CKD-VC. We identified an increased abundance of Prevotella copri (P. copri) in the feces of CKD rats (induced by using 5/6 nephrectomy followed by a high calcium and phosphate diet) with aortic calcification via amplicon sequencing of 16S rRNA genes. In patients with CKD, we further confirmed a positive correlation between abundance of P. copri and aortic calcification scores. Moreover, oral administration of live P. copri aggravated CKD-related VC and osteogenic differentiation of vascular smooth muscle cells in vivo, accompanied by intestinal destruction, enhanced expression of Toll-like receptor-4 (TLR4), and elevated lipopolysaccharide (LPS) levels. In vitro and ex vivo experiments consistently demonstrated that P. copri-derived LPS (Pc-LPS) accelerated high phosphate-induced VC and VSMC osteogenic differentiation. Mechanistically, Pc-LPS bound to TLR4, then activated the nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) and nucleotide-binding domain, leucine-rich-containing family, pyrin domain-containing-3 (NLRP3) inflammasome signals during VC. Inhibition of NF-κB reduced NLRP3 inflammasome and attenuated Pc-LPS-induced VSMC calcification. Our study clarifies a novel role of P. copri in CKD-related VC, by the mechanisms involving increased inflammation-regulating metabolites including Pc-LPS, and activation of the NF-κB/NLRP3 signaling pathway. These findings highlight P. copri and its-derived LPS as potential therapeutic targets for VC in CKD.

Robust Radicals Featuring B- and N-Embedded Dioxygen-Bridged Units: Synthesis, Structures, and Optical Properties.

Tris(2,4,6-trichlorophenyl)methyl (TTM) group has been widely used for constructing organic radicals, but the poor optical stabilities limit the application prospects of the TTM radicals. In this work, the rigid B- and N-embedded dioxygen-bridged (BO and NO) units were attached to the TTM skeleton as the strong electron-withdrawing and electron-donating groups, respectively. The rigidity and strong electronic effect of the BO and NO units contribute to the high chemical and optical stability of BO-TTM and NO-TTM radicals. Notably, NO-TTM exhibits near-infrared emission at 830 nm with a narrow full width at half maximum (FWHM) of 55 nm (100 meV), while BO-TTM shows blue-shifted luminescence at 635 nm and a narrower FWHM of merely 43 nm (130 meV). This study has developed a methodology to produce highly efficient and enduring luminescent radicals, which could tune emission properties such as wavelength and FWHM.

Three-Dimensional Bimetallic Ammonium K-Eu Nitrate with a Rare (6,6)-Connected Ion Topology Exhibiting Structural Phase Transition and Photoluminescence Properties.

A K-Eu bimetallic ammonium metal-nitrate three-dimensional (3D) framework incorporating R-N-methyl-3-hydroxyquinuclidine, (RM3HQ)2KEu(NO3)6 (RM3HQ = R-N-methyl-3-hydroxyquinuclidine, 1), was characterized and reported. Distinguishing from the former hybrid rare-earth double perovskites, 1 adopts a mixed corner- and face-sharing K+/Eu3+-centered polyhedral connectivity to form a 3D inorganic framework, showing a rare (6, 6)-connected ion topology with a 66 framework. Notably, 1 exhibits clear phase transition, and the switchable thermodynamic behavior is confirmed by variable-temperature dielectric measurements and second-harmonic generation response. Moreover, 1 also shows photoluminescence properties. The activator Eu3+ plays a crucial role in this process, leading to a significant narrow emission at 592 nm with a photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of 20.76%. The fluorescence lifetime (FLT) of 1 is 4.32 ms. This finding enriches the bimetallic hybrid system for potential electronic and/or luminescence applications.

Lysis-Free Isolation and Direct Amplification of Pathogenic Bacterial DNA Using Diatom Frustules.

DNA has been implicated as an important biomarker for the diagnosis of bacterial infections. Herein, we developed a streamlined methodology that uses diatom frustules (DFs) to liberate and capture bacterial DNA and allows direct downstream amplification tests without any lysis, washing, or elution steps. Unlike most conventional DNA isolation methods that rely on cell lysis to release bacterial DNA, DFs can trigger the oxidative stress response of bacterial cells to promote bacterial membrane vesicle formation and DNA release by generating reactive oxygen species in aqueous solutions. Due to the hierarchical porous structure, DFs provided high DNA capture efficiency exceeding 80% over a wide range of DNA amounts from 10 pg to 10 ng, making only 10 µg DFs sufficient for each test. Since laborious liquid handling steps are not required, the entire DNA sample preparation process using DFs can be completed within 3 min. The diagnostic use of this DF-based methodology was illustrated, which showed that the DNA of the pathogenic bacteria in serum samples was isolated by DFs and directly detected using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) at concentrations as low as 102 CFU/mL, outperforming the most used approaches based on solid-phase DNA extraction. Furthermore, most of the bacterial cells were still alive after DNA isolation using DFs, providing the possibility of recycling samples for storage and further diagnosis. The proposed DF-based methodology is anticipated to simplify bacterial infection diagnosis and be broadly applied to various medical diagnoses and biological research.