Mussel Foot Protein-Inspired Adhesive Tapes with Tunable Underwater Adhesion.

Instant and strong adhesion to underwater adherends is a big challenge due to the continuous interference of water. Mussel foot protein-bioinspired catechol-based adhesives have garnered great interest in addressing this issue. Herein, a novel self-made catecholic compound with a long aliphatic chain was utilized to prepare thin (∼0.07 mm) and optically transparent (>80%) wet/underwater adhesive tapes by UV-initiated polymerization. Its adhesion activity was water-triggered, fast (<1 min), and strong (adhesion strength to porcine skin: ∼1.99 MPa; interfacial toughness: ∼610 J/m2, burst pressure: ∼1950 mmHg). The effect of the catechol/phenol group and positively charged moiety on the wet/underwater adhesion to abiotic/biotic substrates was investigated. On the wet/underwater adherends, the tape with catechol groups presented much higher interfacial toughness, adhesion strength, and burst pressure than the analogous tape with phenol groups. The tape with both the catechol group and cationic polyelectrolyte chitosan had a more impressive improvement in its adhesion to wet/underwater biological tissues than to abiotic substrates. Therefore, catechol and a positive moiety in the tape would synergistically enhance its wet/underwater adhesion to various substrates, especially to biological tissues. The instant, strong, and noncytotoxic tape may provide applications in underwater adhesion for sealing and wound closure.

The Study of Associated Factors for Non-Tuberculous Mycobacterial Pulmonary Disease Compared to Pulmonary Tuberculosis: A Propensity Score Matching Analysis.

Objective: Investigate the differences in clinical manifestations, imaging features, and associated inflammatory markers between Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Pulmonary Disease (NTM-PD) and Pulmonary Tuberculosis (PTB), identify potential risk factors for NTM-PD, and establish a logistic regression model to evaluate its diagnostic value. Methods: Baseline data were collected from 145 patients with NTM-PD and 206 patients with PTB. Propensity score matching (PSM) was utilized to achieve a 1:1 match between the two groups, resulting in 103 matched pairs. The differences in comorbidities, imaging features, and inflammatory markers were compared between the two groups. Multivariate binary logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify independent influencing factors, and the diagnostic value of the established model was evaluated. Results: After matching, significant differences were observed between the NTM-PD group and the PTB group in terms of diabetes, bronchiectasis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD), cystic and columnar changes, lung cavity presentation, and monocyte percentage (MONO%), lymphocyte count (LYMPH#), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) (P<0.05). Logistic regression analysis confirmed that diabetes, bronchiectasis, COPD, and lung cavities were risk factors for NTM-PD. The established regression analysis model was analyzed by the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve, the Area Under the Curve (AUC) was obtained as 0.795 (P<0.001, 95% CI 0.734-0.857). At a Youden index of 0.505, the sensitivity was 84.5% and the specificity was 66.6%. The Hosmer-Lemeshow test was used to evaluate the model's calibration, with a chi-square value of 11.023 and P=0.200>0.05, indicating no significant difference between predicted and observed values. Conclusion: For patients without diabetes but with bronchiectasis, COPD, and imaging characteristics of lung cavities, a high level of vigilance and active differential diagnosis for NTM-PD should be exercised. Given that the clinical manifestations of NTM-PD are similar to those of PTB, a detailed differential diagnosis is necessary during the diagnostic process to avoid misdiagnosis.

Amphiphilic Janus cotton gauze with enhanced moisture management and blood coagulation for rapid hemostasis and wound healing.

Cotton gauze is commonly used in initial emergency care. However, its high hydrophilicity and limited clotting capacity can lead to the excessive absorption of blood, resulting in unnecessary blood loss. Herein, an amphiphilic Janus cotton gauze with excellent moisture management and enhanced blood coagulation has been developed via in situ generating bioactive glass (BG) onto the cotton gauze (CG), and then attaching cardanol (CA) onto one side of the BG-loaded CG (CG@BG) via click reaction. The Janus gauze (CA-CG@BG) has asymmetric wetting properties with a hydrophilic side (CA-CG@BGHL) and a hydrophobic side (HBCA-CG@BG). When applied to hemostatic, the porous and active BG on CA-CG@BGHL can rapidly initiate coagulation cascade to form a robust thrombus. CA on HBCA-CG@BG can entangled with each other, creating a hydrophobic barrier that prevents blood from flowing out. The hemostatic performance of CA-CG@BG is superior to that of CG in both rats and pigs. Interestingly, CA-CG@BG possesses unidirectional exudate removal. When applied to wound healing, the exudate can penetrate the hydrophobic HBCA-CG@BG to the hydrophilic CA-CG@BGHL, resulting in faster wound healing than CG. CA-CG@BG exhibits excellent cytocompatibility and hemocompatibility. This unique Janus dressing shows promise as a potential material for clinical applications in the future.

Response of selenium pools to drought stress by regulating physio­biochemical attributes and anatomical changes in Gentiana macrophylla.

Selenium (Se), as a vital stress ameliorant, possesses a beneficial effect on mediating detrimental effects of environmental threats. However, the mechanisms of Se in mitigating the deleterious effects of drought are still poorly understood. Gentiana macrophylla Pall. is a well-known Chinese medicinal herb, and its root, as the main medicinal site, has significant therapeutic effects. The purpose of this experiment was to investigate the functions of Se on the seedling growth and physiobiochemical characteristics in G. macrophylla subjected to drought stress. The changes in microstructure and chloroplast ultrastructure of G. macrophylla leaves under drought exposure were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), scanning electron microscopes and energy dispersive X-Ray spectroscope (SEM-EDX), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), respectively. Results revealed that drought stress induced a notable increase in oxidative toxicity in G. macrophylla, as evidenced by elevated levels of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), lipid peroxidation (MDA), enhanced antioxidative response, decreased plant photosynthetic function, and inhibited plant growth. Chloroplasts integrity with damaged membranes and excess osmiophilic granule were observed in the drought-stressed plants. Se supplementation notably recovered the stomatal morphology, anatomical structure damage, and chloroplast ultrastructure of G. macrophylla leaves caused by drought exposure. Exogenous Se application markedly enhanced SPAD, photosynthetic stomatal exchange parameters, and photosystem II activity. Se supplementation significantly promoted the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and catalase (CAT), while reducing levels of MDA, superoxide anion (O2-.) and H2O2, and improving membrane integrity. Furthermore, the ameliorative effects of Se were also suggested by increased contents of osmotic substances (soluble sugar and proline), boosted content of gentiopicroside and loganinic acid in roots, and alleviated the inhibition in plant growth and biomass. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis of Se-treated G. macrophylla roots under drought stress demonstrated that Se-stimulated metabolites including O-H, C-H, N-H, C-N, and CO functional groups, were involved in resisting drought stress. Correlation analysis indicated an obvious negative correlation between growth parameters and MDA, O2-. and H2O2 content, while a positive correlation with photosynthetic gas exchange parameters. Principal component analysis (PCA) results explained the total variance into two principal components contributing the maximum (93.50 %) among the drought exposure with or without Se due to the various experiment indexes. In conclusion, Se exerts beneficial properties on drought-induced detrimental effects in G. macrophylla by relieving oxidative stress, improving photosynthesis indexes, PSII activity, regulating anatomical changes, altering levels of gentiopicroside and loganinic acid, and promoting growth of drought-stressed G. macrophylla.

FASN regulates STING palmitoylation via malonyl-CoA in macrophages to alleviate sepsis-induced liver injury.

STING (stimulator of interferon genes) is a critical immunoregulatory protein in sepsis and is regulated by various mechanisms, especially palmitoylation. FASN (fatty acid synthase) is the rate-limiting enzyme to generate cellular palmitic acid (PA) via acetyl-CoA and malonyl-CoA and participates in protein palmitoylation. However, the mechanisms underlying the interaction between STING and FASN have not been completely understood. In this study, STING-knockout mice were used to confirm the pivotal role of STING in sepsis-induced liver injury. Metabolomics confirmed the dyslipidemia in septic mice and patients. The compounds library was screened, revealing that FASN inhibitors exerted a significant inhibitory effect on the STING pathway. Mechanically, the regulatory effect of FASN on the STING pathway was dependent on palmitoylation. Further experiments indicated that the upstream of FASN, malonyl-CoA inhibited STING pathway possibly due to C91 (palmitoylated residue) of STING. Overall, this study reveals a novel paradigm of STING regulation and provides a new perspective on immunity and metabolism.

Aplp1 interacts with Lag3 to facilitate transmission of pathologic α-synuclein.

Pathologic α-synuclein (α-syn) spreads from cell-to-cell, in part, through binding to the lymphocyte-activation gene 3 (Lag3). Here we report that amyloid ß precursor-like protein 1 (Aplp1) interacts with Lag3 that facilitates the binding, internalization, transmission, and toxicity of pathologic α-syn. Deletion of both Aplp1 and Lag3 eliminates the loss of dopaminergic neurons and the accompanying behavioral deficits induced by α-syn preformed fibrils (PFF). Anti-Lag3 prevents the internalization of α-syn PFF by disrupting the interaction of Aplp1 and Lag3, and blocks the neurodegeneration induced by α-syn PFF in vivo. The identification of Aplp1 and the interplay with Lag3 for α-syn PFF induced pathology deepens our insight about molecular mechanisms of cell-to-cell transmission of pathologic α-syn and provides additional targets for therapeutic strategies aimed at preventing neurodegeneration in Parkinson's disease and related α-synucleinopathies.

Coagulating blood into adhesive gel by hybrid powder based on oppositely charged polysaccharide/tannic acid-modified mesoporous bioactive glass.

Hemostatic powder is widely utilized in emergency situations to control bleeding due to its ability to work well on wounds with irregular shapes, ease of application, and long-term stability. However, traditional powder often suffers from limited tissue adhesion and insufficient support for blood clot formation, leaving it susceptible to displacement by the flow of blood. This study introduces a hemostatic powder composed of tannic modified mesoporous bioactive glass (TMBG), cationic quaternized chitosan (QCS), and anionic hyaluronic acid modified with catechol group (HADA). The resulting TMBG/QCS/HADA based hemostatic powder (TMQH) rapidly absorbs plasma, concentrating blood coagulation factors. Simultaneously, the water-soluble QCS and HADA interact to form a 3D network structure, which can be strengthened by crosslinking with TMBG. This network effectively captures clustered blood coagulation factors, leading to a strong and adhesive thrombus that resists disruption from blood flow. TMQH exhibits superior efficacy in promoting hemostasis compared to Celox™ both in rat arterial injuries and non-compressible liver puncture wounds. TMQH demonstrates excellent antibacterial activity, cytocompatibility, and blood compatibility. These outstanding superiorities in blood clotting capability, wet tissue adhesion, antibacterial activity, safety for living organisms, ease of application, and long-term stability, make TMQH highly suitable for emergency hemostasis.

Recent research advances in polysaccharide-based hemostatic materials: A review.

Massive bleeding resulting from civil and martial accidents can often lead to shock or even death, highlighting the critical need for the development of rapid and efficient hemostatic materials. While various types of hemostatic materials are currently utilized in clinical practice, they often come with limitations such as poor biocompatibility, toxicity, and biodegradability. Polysaccharides, such as alginate (AG), chitosan (CS), cellulose, starch, hyaluronic acid (HA), and dextran, have exhibit excellent biocompatibility and in vivo biodegradability. Their degradation products are non-toxic to surrounding tissues and can be absorbed by the body. As a result, polysaccharides have been extensively utilized in the development of hemostatic materials and have gained significant attention in the field of in vivo hemostasis. This review offers an overview of the different forms, hemostatic mechanisms, and specific applications of polysaccharides. Additionally, it discusses the future opportunities and challenges associated with polysaccharide-based hemostats.

Clotting Blood into an Adhesive Gel by Hemostatic Powder Based on Cationic/Anionic Polysaccharides and Laponite.

Hemostatic powder is widely employed for emergency bleeding control due to its ability to conform to irregularly shaped wounds, ease of use, and stable storage. However, current powders exhibit limited tissue adhesion and insufficient support for thrombus formation, making them easily washed away by blood. In this study, a hybrid powder (QAL) was produced by mixing quaternized chitosan (QCS) powder, catechol-modified alginate (Cat-SA) powder, and laponite (Lap) powder. Upon addition of QAL, the blood quickly transformed to a robust and adhesive blood gel. The adhesion strength of the blood gel was up to 31.33 ± 1.56 kPa. When compared with Celox, QAL showed superior performance in promoting hemostasis. Additionally, QAL exhibited effectiveness in eliminating bacteria while also demonstrating outstanding biocompatibility with cells and blood. These favorable properties, including strong coagulation, adhesion to wet tissue, antibacterial activity, biosafety, ease of use, and stable storage, make QAL a promising emergency hemostatic agent.

Heterostructured ZnFe2O4@Ni3S2 nanosheet arrays on Ni foam as an efficient oxygen evolution catalyst.

Honeycomb-like ZnFe2O4@Ni3S2 hierarchical nanosheet arrays on Ni foam (NF) were fabricated via a combined hydrothermal and electrodeposition method. The electrode exhibits high oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity with low overpotentials of 254 mV at 10 mA cm-2 and 290 mV at 50 mA cm-2, a small Tafel slope of 39.29 mV dec-1 and excellent durability in an alkaline electrolyte.

Ferried Albumin-Inspired Bioadhesive With Dynamic Interfacial Bonds for Emergency Rescue.

Emergency prehospital wound closure and hemorrhage control are the first priorities for life-saving. Majority of bioadhesives form bonds with tissues through irreversible cross-linking, and the remobilization of misalignment may cause severe secondary damage to tissues. Therefore, developing an adhesive that can quickly and tolerably adhere to traumatized dynamic tissue or organ surfaces in emergency situations is a major challenge. Inspired by the structure of human serum albumin (HSA), a branched polymer with multitentacled sulfhydryl is synthesized, then, an instant and fault-tolerant tough wet-tissue adhesion (IFA) hydrogel is prepared. Adhesive application time is just 5 s (interfacial toughness of ≈580 J m-2), and favorable tissue-adhesion is maintained after ten cycles. IFA hydrogel shows unchangeable adhesive performance after 1 month of storage based on the internal oxidation-reduction mechanism. It not only can efficiently seal various organs but also achieves effective hemostasis in models of the rat femoral artery and rabbit-ear artery. This work also proposes an effective strategy for controllable adhesion, enabling the production of asymmetric adhesives with on-demand detachment. Importantly, IFA hydrogel has sound antioxidation, antibacterial property, hemocompatibility, and cytocompatibility. Hence, the HSA-inspired bioadhesive emerges as a promising first-aid supply for human-machine interface-based health management and non-invasive wound closure.

Diagnostic challenge and survival analysis of pulmonary oligometastases and primary lung cancer in breast cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to compare breast cancer patients with pulmonary oligometastases (POM) and primary lung cancer (PLC) and to assess whether there were differences in clinical features, CT features, and survival outcomes between the two groups. METHODS: From January 2010 to December 2021, the clinical records of 437 with malignant pulmonary nodules who had breast cancer patients were reviewed. POM was identified in 45 patients and PLC in 43 patients after the initial detection of pulmonary nodules. The clinicopathological characteristics, CT appearance of pulmonary nodules, and survival of the two groups were compared. RESULTS: Stage II to IV breast tumors (p < 0.001), high pathological grade of breast cancer (p = 0.001), low proportion of luminal-type breast cancer (p = 0.003), and the higher serum CYFRA 21-1 level (p = 0.046) were the clinical characteristics of pulmonary nodules suggestive of POM rather than PLC. The CT features of lung nodules indicative of PLC rather than POM were the subsolid component (p < 0.001), lobulation (p = 0.010), air bronchogram (p < 0.001) and pleural indentation (p = 0.004). Ten-year survival rate for PLC was 93.2%, which was higher compared with 57.8% in those with POM (p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Elevated serum CYFRA 21-1 levels and late-stage breast cancer may be beneficial for the diagnosis of POM. CT imaging appearances of the subsolid component, lobulation, air bronchogram, and pleural indentation increase the likelihood of PLC. Breast cancer patients with PLC presented better survival with attentive monitoring than those with POM.

Gluing blood into adhesive gel by oppositely charged polysaccharide dry powder inspired by fibrin fibers coagulation mediator.

Hemostatic powders that adapt to irregularly shaped wounds, allowing for easy application and stable storage, have gained popularity for first-aid hemorrhage control. However, traditional powders often provide weak thrombus support and exhibit limited tissue adhesion, making them susceptible to dislodgment by the bloodstream. Inspired by fibrin fibers coagulation mediator, we have developed a bi-component hemostatic powder composed of positively charged quaternized chitosan (QCS) and negatively charged catechol-modified alginate (Cat-SA). Upon application to the wound, the bi-component powders (QCS/Cat-SA) rapidly absorb plasma and dissolve into chains. These chains interact with each other to form a network, which can effectively bind and entraps clustered red blood cells and platelets, ultimately leading to the creation of a durable and robust thrombus. Significantly, these interconnected polymers adhere to the injury site, offering protection against thrombus disruption caused by the bloodstream. Benefiting from these synthetic properties, QCS/Cat-SA demonstrates superior hemostatic performance compared to commercial hemostatic powders like Celox™ in both arterial injuries and non-compressible liver puncture wounds. Importantly, QCS/Cat-SA exhibits excellent antibacterial activity, cytocompatibility, and hemocompatibility. These advantages of QCS/Cat-SA, including strong blood clotting, wet tissue adherence, antibacterial activity, biosafety, ease of use, and stable storage, make it a promising hemostatic agent for emergency situations.

PAA-PU Janus Hydrogels Stabilized by Janus Particles and its Interfacial Performance During Hemostatic Processing.

Hydrogel is a very promising dressing for hemostasis and wound healing due to its good adhesion and long-term moist environment. However, secondary injury caused by tissue adhesion due to homogeneous hydrogel cannot be ignored. The obvious interface existing in Janus hydrogel will weaken its asymmetric function. Here, a hierarchical adhesive polyacrylic acid-polyurushiol water-oil Janus hydrogel (JPs@PAA-PU) without adhesive layer is fabricated by one-pot method in the stabilization of polystyrene@silica-siliver Janus particles (JPs). The morphological structure, mechanical properties, anisotropic chemical composition, and adhesion performance, in vivo, and in vitro hemostatic properties of Janus hydrogel are investigated. Result shows that the obtained Janus hydrogel possesses obvious compartmentalization in microstructure, functional groups, and chemical elements. Janus hydrogel is provided with asymmetric interfacial toughness with top 52.45 ± 2.29 Kpa and bottom 7.04 ± 0.88 Kpa on porcine liver. The adhesion properties of PAA side to tissue, red blood cells and platelets, promoting effect of PU side on coagulation cascade reaction and its physical battier endow Janus hydrogel with shorter hemostatic time and less blood loss than control group. It also exhibits excellent antibacterial effects against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus (>90%). Janus hydrogel possesses biosafety, providing safety guarantee for clinical applications in the future.

Cohering Plasma into Adhesive Gel by Natural Biopolymer-Nanoparticle Hybrid Powder for Efficient Hemostasis and Wound Healing.

Hemostatic powder is commonly used in emergency bleeding control due to its suitability for irregularly shaped wounds, ease of use, and stable storage. However, traditional powder often has limited tissue adhesion and weak thrombus support, which makes it vulnerable to displacement by blood flow. Herein, we have developed a tricomponent hemostatic powder (MQS) composed of mesoporous bioactive glass nanoparticle (MBG), positively charged quaternized chitosan (QCS), and negatively charged catechol-modified alginate (SADA). Upon application to the wound, MBG with its high specific surface area quickly absorbs plasma, concentrating the blood coagulation factor. Simultaneously, the water-soluble QCS and SADA interact with each other and form a net, which can be further cross-linked by MBG. This network efficiently binds and entraps clustered blood coagulation factors, ultimately resulting in the formation of a durable and robust thrombus. Furthermore, the formed net adheres to the injury site, offering protection against thrombus disruption caused by the bloodstream. Benefiting from the synergistic effect of these three components, MQS demonstrates superior hemostatic performance compared to commercial hemostatic powders like Celox in both arterial injuries and noncompressible liver puncture wounds. Furthermore, MQS can effectively accelerate wound healing. In addition, MQS exhibits excellent antibacterial activity, cytocompatibility, and hemocompatibility. These advantages of MQS, including strong blood clotting, wet tissue adherence, antibacterial activity, wound healing ability, biosafety, ease of use, and stable storage, make it a promising hemostatic agent for emergency situations.

Stress-strain characteristics of FRP-PVC confined spontaneous combustion gangue concrete columns.

A total of 40 fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) confined spontaneous combustion gangue coarse-aggregate concrete (SAC) specimens were subjected to axial compression tests and theoretical studies. The main analysis focused on the impact of the replacement rate of spontaneous combustion gangue (SCG), the type of CFRP confinement, and the number of CFRP layers on the axial compression performance of CFRP-PVC confined SAC (CFRP-PVC-SAC). The results show that CFRP-PVC confinement can effectively enhance the axial compressive capacity, axial deformation, and lateral deformation of the components. The increase in strength ranges from 1.68 to 3.48 times, while the increase in strain ranges from 5.21 to 11.98 times. The crack patterns and expansive behavior of the coal gangue concrete under confinement exhibit significant differences compared to ordinary concrete. In addition, based on the framework of the existing FRP-confined plain concrete model, a modified model is established to facilitate prediction of stress-strain relationships for short columns of CFRP-PVC-SAC, with the calculated results in good agreement with experimental values.

Antibacterial and hemostatic chitin sponge directly constructed from Pleurotus Eryngii via top-down approach.

Chitin, the second most abundant polysaccharide on earth, possesses unique characteristics, including biosafety, biodegradability, and procoagulant activity, making it an attractive material for hemostasis. However, the conventional bottom-up construction of chitin-based materials is intricate and time-consuming. In this study, we have developed a top-down strategy to prepare a 3D porous chitin-based hemostatic sponge with exceptional hemostatic properties and antibacterial activity, directly from the spongy Pleurotus eryngii. The top-down method involves deproteinization, in situ quaternization, and tannin acid crosslinking. The obtained sponge has an interconnected microporous structure with high porosity (89.7 ± 3.2 %), endowing it with high water absorption (2047 ± 105 %) and rapid water-triggered shape-memory behavior (< 2 s). The sponge exhibits superior blood coagulant activity and outperforms standard medical gauze, gelatin sponge, and chitosan sponge in both topical artery and non-compressive liver puncture wound. In addition, the sponge exhibited significant antibacterial activity against both gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and gram-negative Escherichia coli. In summary, this study provides a straightforward and practical approach for constructing an antibacterial and hemostatic chitin sponge that could be a valuable option for treating bleeding wounds.

An open-pore MFI zeolite nanosheet-modified separator with Li-ion flux regulation for lithium-metal batteries.

Separator modification has become one of the most facile and promising methods to inhibit Li dendrite formation. Herein, an open-pore MFI zeolite nanosheet-modified polyacrylonitrile (open-pore MFI NSs@PAN) separator was prepared via the combination of vacuum filtration and the electrospinning technique. The straight channels in the MFI NSs, the fluid channels formed by the stacking of the MFI NSs and the interconnected network channels formed by the interweaving of the PAN nanofibers jointly constructed a micro/nano pore structure, which provides sufficient Li+ transport channels and enables uniform Li+ flux. Consequently, the open-pore MFI NSs@PAN separator-based cell delivers a stable and uniform Li deposition, demonstrating a more stable cycle-life and better rate capability. Redistributing Li+ flux through straight channel zeolite nanosheets provides a powerful method for suppressing Li dendrites, presenting enormous potential for promoting the commercial application of lithium metal batteries.