Bioactive Patch for Rotator Cuff Repairing via Enhancing Tendon-to-Bone Healing: A Large Animal Study and Short-Term Outcome of a Clinical Trial.

Tissue engineering has demonstrated its efficacy in promoting tissue regeneration, and extensive research has explored its application in rotator cuff (RC) tears. However, there remains a paucity of research translating from bench to clinic. A key challenge in RC repair is the healing of tendon-bone interface (TBI), for which bioactive materials suitable for interface repair are still lacking. The umbilical cord (UC), which serves as a vital repository of bioactive components in nature, is emerging as an important source of tissue engineering materials. A minimally manipulated approach is used to fabricate UC scaffolds that retain a wealth of bioactive components and cytokines. The scaffold demonstrates the ability to modulate the TBI healing microenvironment by facilitating cell proliferation, migration, suppressing inflammation, and inducing chondrogenic differentiation. This foundation sets the stage for in vivo validation and clinical translation. Following implantation of UC scaffolds in the canine model, comprehensive assessments, including MRI and histological analysis confirm their efficacy in inducing TBI reconstruction. Encouraging short-term clinical results further suggest the ability of UC scaffolds to effectively enhance RC repair. This investigation explores the mechanisms underlying the promotion of TBI repair by UC scaffolds, providing key insights for clinical application and translational research.

Empathy in undergraduate medical students: a multi-center cross-sectional study in China.

BACKGROUND: Fostering empathy has been continuously emphasized in the global medical education. Empathy is crucial to enhance patient-physician relationships, and is associated with medical students' academic and clinical performance. However, empathy level of medical students in China and related influencing factors are not clear. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study among medical students in 11 universities. We used the Jefferson Scale of Empathy Student-version of Chinese version to measure empathy level of medical students. Factors associated with empathy were identified by the univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. Based on the variables identified above, the nomogram was established to predict high empathy probability of medical students. Receiver operating characteristic curve, calibration plot and decision curve analysis were used to evaluate the discrimination, calibration and educational utility of the model. RESULTS: We received 10,901 samples, but a total of 10,576 samples could be used for further analysis (effective response rate of 97.02%). The mean empathy score of undergraduate medical students was 67.38 (standard deviation = 9.39). Six variables including gender, university category, only child or not, self-perception doctor-patient relationship in hospitals, interest of medicine, Kolb learning style showed statistical significance with empathy of medical students (P < 0.05). Then, the nomogram was established based on six variables. The validation suggested the nomogram model was well calibrated and had good utility in education, as well as area under the curve of model prediction was 0.65. CONCLUSIONS: We identify factors influencing empathy of undergraduate medical students. Moreover, increasing manifest and hidden curriculums on cultivating empathy of medical students may be needed among medical universities or schools in China.

Fluffy hybrid nanoadjuvants for reversing the imbalance of osteoclastic and osteogenic niches in osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis is majorly caused by an imbalance between osteoclastic and osteogenic niches. Despite the development of nationally recognized first-line anti-osteoporosis drugs, including alendronate (AL), their low bioavailability, poor uptake rate, and dose-related side effects present significant challenges in treatment. This calls for an urgent need for more effective bone-affinity drug delivery systems. In this study, we produced hybrid structures with bioactive components and stable fluffy topological morphology by cross-linking calcium and phosphorus precursors based on mesoporous silica to fabricate nanoadjuvants for AL delivery. The subsequent grafting of -PEG-DAsp8 ensured superior biocompatibility and bone targeting capacity. RNA sequencing revealed that these fluffy nanoadjuvants effectively activated adhesion pathways through CARD11 and CD34 molecular mechanisms, hence promoting cellular uptake and intracellular delivery of AL. Experiments showed that small-dose AL nanoadjuvants effectively suppress osteoclast formation and potentially promote osteogenesis. In vivo results restored the balance between osteogenic and osteoclastic niches against osteoporosis as well as the consequent significant recovery of bone mass. Therefore, this study constructed a drug nanoadjuvant with peculiar topological structures and high bone targeting capacities, efficient intracellular drug delivery as well as bone bioactivity. This provides a novel perspective on drug delivery for osteoporosis and treatment strategies for other bone diseases.

Identification of Microorganism in Infected Wounds by Positively Charged Selective Sensor Array and Deep Learning Algorithm.

Microorganism are ubiquitous and intimately connected with human health and disease management. The accurate and fast identification of pathogenic microorganisms is especially important for diagnosing infections. Herein, three tetraphenylethylene derivatives (S-TDs: TBN, TPN, and TPI) featuring different cationic groups, charge numbers, emission wavelengths, and hydrophobicities were successfully synthesized. Benefiting from distinct cell wall binding properties, S-TDs were collectively utilized to create a sensor array capable of imaging various microorganisms through their characteristic fluorescent signatures. Furthermore, the interaction mechanism between S-TDs and different microorganisms was explored by calculating the binding energy between S-TDs and cell membrane/wall constituents, including phospholipid bilayer and peptidoglycan. Using a combination of the fluorescence sensor array and a deep learning model of residual network (ResNet), readily differentiation of Gram-negative bacteria (G-), Gram-positive bacteria (G+), fungi, and their mixtures was achieved. Specifically, by extensive training of two ResNet models with large quantities of images data from 14 kinds of microorganism stained with S-TDs, identification of microorganism was achieved at high-level accuracy: over 92.8% for both Gram species and antibiotic-resistant species, with 90.35% accuracy for the detection of mixed microorganism in infected wound. This novel method provides a rapid and accurate method for microbial classification, potentially aiding in the diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases.

Identification of Pancreatic Metastasis Cells and Cell Spheroids by the Organelle-Targeting Sensor Array.

Pancreatic cancer is a highly malignant and metastatic cancer. Pancreatic cancer can lead to liver metastases, gallbladder metastases, and duodenum metastases. The identification of pancreatic cancer cells is essential for the diagnosis of metastatic cancer and exploration of carcinoma in situ. Organelles play an important role in maintaining the function of cells, the various cells show significant differences in organelle microenvironment. Herein, six probes are synthesized for targeting mitochondria, lysosomes, cell membranes, endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, and lipid droplets. The six fluorescent probes form an organelles-targeted sensor array (OT-SA) to image pancreatic metastatic cancer cells and cell spheroids. The homology of metastatic cancer cells brings the challenge for identification of these cells. The residual network (ResNet) model has been proven to automatically extract and select image features, which can figure out a subtle difference among similar samples. Hence, OT-SA is developed to identify pancreatic metastasis cells and cell spheroids in combination with ResNet analysis. The identification accuracy for the pancreatic metastasis cells (> 99%) and pancreatic metastasis cell spheroids (> 99%) in the test set is successfully achieved respectively. The organelles-targeting sensor array provides a method for the identification of pancreatic cancer metastasis in cells and cell spheroids.

Organic peroxyl radicals from biacetyl accelerated the visible-light degradation of steroid estrogens in aqueous solution.

Indirect photodegradation is an important pathway for the reduction of steroid estrogens in sunlit surface waters. Nevertheless, the kinetics and mechanisms governing the interaction between coexisting carbonyl compounds and estrogens under visible light (Vis) remain unexplored. This study systematically investigates the Vis-induced photodegradation of 17ß-estradiol (E2) in the presence of five specific carbonyl compounds-biacetyl (BD), acetone, glyoxal, pyruvic acid, and benzoquinone. The results demonstrate that, among these compounds, only BD significantly enhanced the photodegradation of E2 under Vis irradiation (λ > 400 nm). The pseudo-first order photodegradation rate constants (k1) of E2 in the Vis/BD system were 0.025 min-1 and 0.076 min-1 in ultrapure water and river water, respectively. The enhancing effect of BD was found to be pH-dependent, increasing the pH from 3.0 to 11.0 resulted in a 76% reduction in the k1 value of E2 in the Vis/BD system. Furthermore, the presence of humic acid, NO3-, or HCO3- led to an increase of more than 35% in the k1 value of E2, while NO2- exerted a pronounced inhibitory effect, resulting in a 92% decrease. Peroxyacetyl and peroxymethyl radicals, derived from BD in a yield ratio of 9, played a crucial role in the degradation of E2. These peroxyl radicals primarily targeted electron-rich hydroxyl sites of E2, initiating hydroxylation and ring-opening reactions that culminated in the formation of acidic byproducts. Notably, toxicity evaluation indicates that these hydroxylated and acidic products exhibited lower toxicity than the parent compound E2. This study highlights the important role of peroxyl radicals in estrogen degradation within aquatic environment, and also helps to design efficient visible light-responsive photo-activators for the treatment of estrogen-contaminated waters.

Prediction of free radical reactions toward organic pollutants with easily accessible molecular descriptors.

Machine learning (ML) is becoming an efficient tool for predicting the fate of aquatic contaminants owing to the preponderance of big data. However, whether ML can "learn" the differences in reactivity among different free radicals has not yet been tested. In this work, the effectiveness of combining ML algorithms with molecular fingerprints to predict the reactivity of three free radicals was evaluated. First, a dataset containing 211 organic pollutants and their respective rate constants with the carbonate radical (CO3•-) was used to develop predictive models using both linear regression and ML methods. The use of topological atomic alignment information, in the form of the molecular access system (MACCS) and Morgan Fingerprint, and the electronic structure features (energy levels of the lowest unoccupied and highest occupied molecular orbitals, ELUMO and EHOMO, and the energy gap between ELUMO and EHOMO) gave satisfactory predictive performances (ML model with Random Forest algorithm with MACCS: RMSEtest = 0.787; linear regression model with energy levels: RMSEtest = 0.641). Additionally, the model interpretation correctly described that the key reactivity features for CO3•- were relatively close to those for SO4•- rather than those for •OH. These results suggest that combination of ML algorithms with easily accessible molecular fingerprints would be a powerful tool to accurately predict the radical reactions towards organic compounds.

Preclinical Short-term and Long-term Safety of Human Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have become a promising therapeutic method. More safety data are needed to support clinical studies in more diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the short- and long-term safety of human bone marrow-derived MSCs (hBMMSCs) in mice. In the present study, we injected control (saline infusion only), low (1.0 × 106/kg), medium (1.0 × 107/kg), and high (1.0 × 108/kg) concentrations of hBMMSCs into BALB/c mice. The safety of the treatment was evaluated by observing changes in the general condition, hematology, biochemical indices, pathology of vital organs, lymphocyte subsets, and immune factor levels on days 14 and 150. In the short-term toxicity test, no significant abnormalities were observed in the hematological and biochemical parameters between the groups injected with hBMMSCs, and no significant damage was observed in the major organs, such as the liver and lung. In addition, no significant differences were observed in the toxicity-related parameters among the groups in the long-term toxicity test. Our study also demonstrates that mice infused with different doses of hBMMSCs do not show abnormal immune responses in either short-term or long-term experiments. We confirmed that hBMMSCs are safe through a 150-day study, demonstrating that this is a safe and promising therapy and offering preliminary safety evidence to promote future clinical applications of hBMMSCs in different diseases.

A multi-center cross-sectional study on identification of influencing factors of medical students' emotional engagement in China.

BACKGROUND: Studies exploring influencing factors of emotional engagement among medical students are scarce. Thus, we aimed to identify influencing factors of medical students' emotional engagement. METHODS: We carried out a multi-center cross-sectional study among 10,901 medical students from 11 universities in China. The Chinese version of Utrecht Work Engagement Scale-Student version (UWES-S) was used to evaluate emotional engagement level of medical students. The predictors related to engagement level were determined by the logistic regression analysis. Furthermore, we constructed a nomogram to predict emotional engagement level of medical students. RESULTS: A total of 10,576 sample were included in this study. The mean emotional engagement score was 74.61(± 16.21). In the multivariate logistic regression model, we found that males showed higher engagement level compared with females [odds ratio (OR) (95% confidence interval (CI)): 1.263 (1.147, 1.392), P < 0.001]. Medical students from the second batches of medical universities had higher engagement level and from "Project 985" universities had lower engagement level compared with 211 project universities [OR (95%CI): 1.376 (1.093, 1.733), P = 0.007; OR (95%CI): 0.682 (0.535, 0.868), P = 0.002]. Medical students in grade 4 and grade 2 presented lower engagement level compared with in grade 1 [OR (95%CI): 0.860 (0.752, 0.983), P = 0.027; OR (95%CI): 0.861 (0.757, 0.980), P = 0.023]. Medical students lived in provincial capital cities had higher engagement level compared with in country [OR (95%CI): 1.176 (1.022, 1.354), P = 0.024]. Compared with eight-year emotional duration, medical students in other emotional duration (three-year and four-year) had lower engagement level [OR (95%CI): 0.762 (0.628, 0.924), P = 0.006]. Medical students' engagement level increased with increases of grade point average and interest in studying medicine. Medical students learned by converging style showed lower engagement level [OR (95%CI): 0.827 (0.722, 0.946), P = 0.006] compared with accommodating style. The model showed good discriminative ability (area under curve = 0.778), calibrating ability and clinical utility. CONCLUSIONS: We identified influencing factors of medical students' emotional engagement and developed a nomogram to predict medical students' emotional engagement level, providing reference and convenience for educators to assess and improve emotional engagement level of medical students. It is crucial for educators to pay more attention to emotional engagement of medical students and adopt effective strategies to improve their engagement level.

Global trends in indocyanine green fluorescence navigation in the field of gastric cancer: bibliometrics and knowledge atlas analysis.

Background: Indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence navigation can enhance the visualization of gastric cancer (GC) lesions, increase the lymph node detection rate, and reduce the incidence of anastomotic leakage in the treatment of GC. It thus holds considerable potential for application in GC clinical surgery and has attracted widespread research interest. The purpose of this study was to visualize the current topics and emerging trends in research regarding ICG in GC. Methods: We searched the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) for articles relevant to the use of ICG in GC. The resulting information was then analyzed from a bibliometric and knowledge graph analysis perspective using CiteSpace, Scimago Graphica, and R Studio so that the key trends and hot spots in research within this field could be identified and visualized. Results: Ultimately, 1,385 papers from 58 countries or regions published from 1991 to 2022 were included in this study. The largest number of publications were from China, followed by Japan and the United States. High-yield institutions were concentrated in Asian countries, especially China. The top publication contributors were Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Li Y and Bang YJ ranked first among the top 10 most productive authors and top 10 most cocited authors, respectively. World Journal of Gastroenterology was the most productive academic journal on ICG in GC, while Cancer Research was the most commonly cocited journal. The keyword "indocyanine green" was among the top 5 keywords, and will likely remain a popular topic in future research. Furthermore, the emerging themes including surgery, biopsy, lymphadenectomy, dissection, and gastrectomy have attracted increasing attention. Conclusions: Current research hotspots in this area focus on the clinical implementation of ICG in precision surgery for GC. Given the imaging tracer characteristics of ICG and its utility in GC surgery, the optimization and application of ICG-guided precision surgery techniques for GC will be a research hot spot going forward.

Near-Infrared Fluorescent Probe for the In Situ Visualization of Oxidative Stress in the Brains of Neuroinflammatory and Schizophrenic Mice.

Schizophrenia is a common mental disorder with unclear mechanisms. Oxidative stress and neuroinflammation play important roles in the pathological process of schizophrenia. Superoxide anion (O2•-) is an important oxidative stress biomarker in vivo. However, due to the existence of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), few near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent probes have been used for the sensing and detection of O2•- in the brain. With this research, we developed the first near-infrared fluorescent probe (named CT-CF3) for noninvasive detection of endogenous O2•- in the brain of mice. Enabling fluorescence monitoring of the dynamic changes in O2•- flux due to the prolonged activation of microglia in neuroinflamed and schizophrenic (SZ) mice brains, thereby providing direct evidence for the relationship between oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and schizophrenia. Furthermore, we confirmed the O2•- burst in the brains of first-episode schizophrenic mice and assessed the effect of two atypical antipsychotic drugs (risperidone and olanzapine) on redox homeostasis.

Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Regulate M1/M2 Macrophage Polarization in Mice with Immune Thrombocytopenia.

Mesenchymal stromal cells have shown promising effects in the treatment of immune thrombocytopenia. However, the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. In this study, we investigated the therapeutic effects of human bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells (hBMSCs) and analyzed their unique role in regulating the M1/M2 macrophage ratio. We established a passive immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) mouse model and showed that there was a significant M1/M2 imbalance in ITP model mice by assessing the M1/M2 ratios in the liver, spleen, and bone marrow; we observed excessive activation of M1 cells and decreased M2 cell numbers in vivo. We have shown that systemic infusion of hBMSCs effectively elevated platelet levels after disease onset. Further analysis revealed that hBMSCs treatment significantly suppressed the number of proinflammatory M1 macrophages and enhanced the number of anti-inflammatory M2 macrophages; in addition, the levels of proinflammatory factors, such as interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), were significantly decreased in vivo, while the levels of the anti-inflammatory factor interleukin-10 (IL-10) were increased. In conclusion, our data suggest that hBMSCs treatment can effectively increase platelet counts, and the mechanism is related to the induction of macrophage polarization toward the anti-inflammatory M2 phenotype and the decrease in proinflammatory cytokine production, which together ameliorate innate immune disorders.

Positively Charged Semiconductor Conjugated Polymer Nanomaterials with Photothermal Activity for Antibacterial and Antibiofilm Activities In Vitro and In Vivo.

Biofilm infections are associated with most human bacterial infections and are prone to bacterial multidrug resistance. There is an urgent need to develop an alternative approach to antibacterial and antibiofilm agents. Herein, two positively charged semiconductor conjugated polymer nanoparticles (SPPD and SPND) were prepared for additive antibacterial and antibiofilm activities with the aid of positive charge and photothermal therapy (PTT). The positive charge of SPPD and SPND was helpful in adhering to the surface of bacteria. With an 808 nm laser irradiation, the photothermal activity of SPPD and SPND could be effectively transferred to bacteria and biofilms. Under the additive effect of positive charge and PTT, the inhibition rate of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) treated with SPPD and SPND (40 µg/mL) could reach more than 99.2%, and the antibacterial activities of SPPD and SPND against S. aureus biofilms were 93.5 and 95.8%. SPPD presented better biocompatibility than SPND and exhibited good antibiofilm properties in biofilm-infected mice. Overall, this additive treatment strategy of positive charge and PTT provided an optional approach to combat biofilms.

Exploring Cancer Dependency Map genes and immune subtypes in colon cancer, in which TIGD1 contributes to colon cancer progression.

BACKGROUND: Tumour-dependent genes identified in CRISPR-Cas9 screens have been widely reported in Cancer Dependency Maps (CDMs). CDM-derived tumour-dependent genes play an important role in tumorigenesis and progression; however, they have not been investigated in colon cancer (CC). METHODS: CDM genes overexpressed in CC were identified from the TCGA-COAD dataset and CDM platform. A CDM signature and prognostic nomogram were constructed by Lasso Cox regression and multivariate Cox analyses. A weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA) and consensus clustering were used to define coexpressed genes with CDM risk scores and to determine two new immune subtypes. A comprehensive investigation was performed between the two subtypes and immune regulation, the immune microenvironment and the impact of immunotherapy. RESULTS: First, 1304 overexpressed CDM genes were identified. Then, a CDM signature with five cancer-dependent genes (MMS19, NOP14, POLRMT, SNAPC5 and TIGD1) and a prognostic nomogram were constructed, and they demonstrated robust predictive performance and a close relationship with clinical characteristics in different CC datasets. Patients with high CDM risk scores showed worse survival outcome and weaker response to chemotherapy. Additionally, TIGD1 genes were oncogenes that affected the CC cell cycle, according to cell functional experiments that involved the suppression of the TIGD1 gene. Furthermore, WGCNA and consensus clustering were used to define coexpressed genes with CDM risk scores and to determine two new immune subtypes. Finally, systematic investigations were conducted with the relationship between the CDM subtypes and immune regulation. CONCLUSIONS: This study constructed a CDM signature consisting of five risk genes that predict survival in CC patients. In addition, the immune subtypes provided valuable insights into immunotherapy for CC patients. TIGD1, as an oncogene, is independent prognostic factors for CC, and contributes to CC progression.

Near-Infrared Bodipy-Based Molecular Rotors for ß-Amyloid Imaging In Vivo.

ß-amyloid (Aß) is one of the important biomarkers for diagnosing Alzheimer's disease (AD). Many near-infrared probes based on the donor-π-acceptor structure have been developed to detect Aß. Most reported Aß probes are based on the N,N-dimethylamino group as the ideal donor, which is a widely accepted binding unit. As such, the development of fluorescent probes with improved binding units to detect Aß is urgently required. Therefore, with this research three anchoring molecular rotor electron donors consisting of cyclic amines of different ring sizes are developed, namely five-membered ring (TPyr), six-membered ring (TPip), and seven-membered ring (THAI). These new anchored molecular rotors are connected to a 4,4-difluoro-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene (BODIPY) and named TPyrBDP, TPipBDP, and THAIBDP. These probes exhibit high affinities (from 28 to 54 nm) for Aß1-42 aggregates. The six-membered ring dye TPipBDP exhibits the highest signal-to-noise (75.5-fold) and higher affinity (28.30 ± 5.94 nm). TPipBDP can cross the blood-brain barrier and exhibits higher fluorescence enhancement with APP/PS1 (AD) double transgenic (Tg) mice than with wild-type (WT) mice.

Tyrosinase-activated Nanocomposites for Double-Modals Imaging Guided Photodynamic and Photothermal Synergistic Therapy.

Tyrosinase (TYR) is an important biomarker of melanoma. The exploration of fluorescent pr-obes-based composites is beneficial to build an integrative platform for the diagnosis and treatment of melanoma. Herein, a multifunctional nanocomposite IOBOH@BSA activated by TYR is developed for selective imaging and ablation of melanoma. The chemical structure of IOBOH enables the fluorescence (FL) imaging activated by TYR, photoacoustic (PA) imaging, and photodynamic-photothermal activity by regulating the balance between radiative decay and non-radiative decay. IOBOH combined with bovine serum albumin (IOBOH@BSA) presents the response to TYR and realizes FL imaging with mitochondria-targeting in melanoma. Moreover, IOBOH@BSA shows excellent photothermal ability and is applied for PA imaging. After IOBOH@BSA is activated by TYR, the singlet oxygen generation increases obviously. IOBOH@BSA can realize TYR-activated imaging and photodynamic-photothermal therapy of melanoma. The development of TYR-activated multifunctional nanocomposites promotes the precise imaging and improves the therapeutic effect of melanoma.

Selenite-Catalyzed Reaction between Benzoquinone and Acetylacetone Deciphered the Enhanced Inhibition on Microcystis aeruginosa Growth.

The coexistence of selenite (Se(IV)) and acetylacetone (AA) generated a synergistic effect on the growth inhibition of a bloom-forming cyanobacterium, Microcystis aeruginosa. The mechanism behind this phenomenon is of great significance in the control of harmful algal blooms. To elucidate the role of Se(IV) in this effect, the reactions in ternary solutions composed of Se(IV), AA (or two other similar hydrogen donors), and quinones, especially benzoquinone (BQ), were investigated. The transformation kinetic results demonstrate that Se(IV) played a catalytic role in the reactions between AA (or ascorbic acid) and quinones. By comparison with five other oxyanions (sulfite, sulfate, nitrite, nitrate, and phosphate) and two AA derivatives, the formation of an AA-Se(IV) complexation intermediate was confirmed as a key step in the accelerated reactions between BQ and AA. To our knowledge, this is the first report on Se(IV) as a catalyst for quinone-involved reactions. Since both quinones and Se are essential in cells and there are many other chemicals of similar electron-donating properties to that of AA, the finding here shed light on the regulation of electron transport chains in a variety of processes, especially the redox balances that are tuned by quinones and glutathione.

Si-rhodamine fluorescent probe for monitoring of hypochlorous acid in the brains of mice afflicted with neuroinflammation.

Neuroinflammation leads to a persistent oxidative stress in the brain, and is closely related to the pathology of various neurological disorders. Hypochlorous acid (HClO) is a reactive oxygen species (ROS) that, at high levels, can cause brain tissue damage and neurogenic apoptosis. Herein, we designed and synthesized a silicon-rhodamine (SiR)-based formohydrazide (FH)-containing fluorescent probe, denoted as SiR-FH, for sensing HClO. This probe showed good selectivity, rapid response and high sensitivity. SiR-FH was successfully used to detect endogenous and exogenous HClO in living cells. Moreover, SiR-FH realized real-time monitoring of change in HClO flux in the brains of mice with LPS-induced neuroinflammation. The probe provides a practical tool for the monitoring of oxidative stress related to neuroinflammation.

Adsorption of Pb (II) and Cu (II) by magnetic beads loaded with xanthan gum.

Green and environmentally friendly and efficient separation adsorbents have attracted much attention in the treatment of heavy metal ions wastewater. In this study, xanthan gum (XG) was supported by fly ash magnetic beads (FAMB) to prepare adsorbent XG@FAMB. The effects of XG@FAMB dosage, pH value of the solution, adsorption time, and initial Pb (II) and Cu (II) concentration on its adsorption performance for Pb (II) and Cu (II) were investigated. The results show that under the conditions of pH 6, dosage of XG@FAMB 4.0 g/L, adsorption time 120 min, and initial concentration 60 mg/L, the maximum adsorption capacity of XG@FAMB for Pb (II) and Cu (II) was 14.93 mg/g and 14.88 mg/g, respectively. The adsorption process of Pb (II) and Cu (II) by XG@FAMB could be better described by the quasi-second-order kinetic model and Langmuir isothermal adsorption model, that is, the adsorption process is monolayer adsorption controlled by chemical action. The adsorption mechanism is that Pb (II) and Cu (II) coordinate with oxygen-containing functional groups hydroxyl and carboxyl on XG@FAMB surface, accompanied by electrostatic adsorption. XG@FAMB has the advantages of environmental protection of XG and easy solid-liquid separation of FAMB, and has a good removal effect on Pb (II) and Cu (II).

ZrO2 Superhydrophobic Coating with an Excellent Corrosion Resistance and Stable Degradation Performance on Zr-Based Bulk Metallic Glass.

Photocatalysis is an energy-saving and high-efficiency green environmental technology. Because of its wide band gap and low light utilization, few studies have been conducted on ZrO2 used as a photocatalytic material. In this paper, a corrosion-resistant superhydrophobic ZrO2 coating was prepared on the surface of Zr-based bulk metallic glass by electrochemical etching. This coating not only showed a better corrosion resistance and easier collection, but also presented a stable degradation performance when combined with H2O2; these characteristics are necessary for photocatalysts to survive under harsh environments. This study provides a new direction for designing superhydrophobic surfaces on bulk metallic glass that possess a functional performance.