Stabilised pathway and its anti-oxygen/glucose deprived activity about ligustilide, as a pharmacodynamic marker for Angelica sinensis (Oliv) Diles or Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort.

The inherent structural instability and very low bioavailability of ligustilide (Lig) lead to the limited application of the clinical neuroprotection. We developed a stabilised method for Lig, which involved a chemical synthesis between cyclopropylamine and the active phthalides extract included Lig from Angelica sinensis (Oliv) Diles or Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort, which generated correspond phthalide derivatives by nucleophilic additive and substituted reaction. During this process, four phthalide derivatives have been obtained and two compounds (3 and 4) stands out as an unprecedented dimeric phthalide entity. This research has meticulously delineated the stabilised pathway and polymerisation mechanics of Lig or its derivatives, an oxygen/glucose deprived PC12 cells experiment model utilised to screen the anti-stroke activity of this isolated Lig derivatives and the results supported this chemical transformation could achieve the stabilised goal of Lig and improved its anti-oxygen/glucose deprived activity.

Persistent autonomous molecular motion of DNA walker along a single-molecule nano-track for intracellular MicroRNA imaging.

While the intracellular imaging of miRNA biomarkers is of significant importance for the diagnosis and treatment of human cancers, DNA assembled nanoprobe has recently attracted considerable attention for imaging intracellular biomolecules. However, the complex construction process, intrinsic vulnerability to nuclease degradation and the limited signal transduction efficiency hamper its widespread application. In this contribution, based on persistent autonomous molecular motion of DNAzyme walker along a nano-substrate track, a DNA nanosphere probe (PNLD) is developed for the sensitive intracellular miR-21 imaging. Specifically, DNA nanosphere (called PN, single-molecule nano-track) is assembled from only one palindromic substrate, into which the locking strand-silenced DNAzymes (LD) are installed in a controlled manner. PNLD (made of PN and LD) can protect all DNA components against nuclease attack and maintain its structural integrity in serum solution over 24 h. Upon the activation by target miRNA, DNAzyme walker can move on the substrate scattered within PNLD (or on the surface) and between different PNLD objects and cleave many DNA substrates, generating an amplified signal. As a result, miR-21 can be detected down to 6.83 pM without the detectable interference from co-existing nontarget miRNAs. Moreover, PNLD system can accurately screen the different expression levels of miR-21 within the same type of cells and different types of cells, which is consistent with gold standard polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay. Via changing the target recognition sequence, the PNLD system can be suitable for the intracellular imaging of miR-155, exhibiting the desirable universality. In addition, the DNAzyme walker-based PNLD system can be used to distinguish cancer cells from healthy cells, implying the potential application in cancer diagnosis and prognosis.

Self-folding RCA product into a parallel monolayer DNA nanoribbon and woven into a nano-fence structure by a short bridge strand.

The universal programmed construction of patterned periodic self-assembled nanostructures is a technical challenge in DNA origami nanotechnology but has numerous potential applications in biotechnology and biomedicine. In order to circumvent the dilemma that traditional DNA origami requires a long unusual single-stranded virus DNA as the scaffold and hundreds or even thousands of short strands as staples, we report a method for constructing periodically-self-folded rolling circle amplification products (RPs). The repeating unit is designed to have 3 intra-unit duplexes (inDP1,2,3) and 2 between-unit duplexes (buDP1,2). Based on the complementary pairing of bases, RPs each can self-fold into a periodic grid-patterned ribbon (GR) without the help of any auxiliary oligonucleotide staple. Moreover, by using only an oligonucleotide bridge strand, the GRs are connected together into the larger and denser planar nano-fence-shaped product (FP), which substantially reduces the number of DNA components compared with DNA origami and eliminates the obstacles in the practical application of DNA nanostructures. More interestingly, the FP-based DNA framework can be easily functionalized to offer spatial addressability for the precise positioning of nanoparticles and guest proteins with high spatial resolution, providing a new avenue for the future application of DNA assembled framework nanostructures in biology, material science, nanomedicine and computer science that often requires the ordered organization of functional moieties with nanometer-level and even molecular-level precision.

Midbrain FA initiates neuroinflammation and depression onset in both acute and chronic LPS-induced depressive model mice.

Both exogenous gaseous and liquid forms of formaldehyde (FA) can induce depressive-like behaviors in both animals and humans. Stress and neuronal excitation can elicit brain FA generation. However, whether endogenous FA participates in depression occurrence remains largely unknown. In this study, we report that midbrain FA derived from lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a direct trigger of depression. Using an acute depressive model in mice, we found that one-week intraperitoneal injection (i.p.) of LPS activated semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidase (SSAO) leading to FA production from the midbrain vascular endothelium. In both in vitro and in vivo experiments, FA stimulated the production of cytokines such as IL-1ß, IL-6, and TNF-α. Strikingly, one-week microinfusion of FA as well as LPS into the midbrain dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN, a 5-HT-nergic nucleus) induced depressive-like behaviors and concurrent neuroinflammation. Conversely, NaHSO3 (a FA scavenger), improved depressive symptoms associated with a reduction in the levels of midbrain FA and cytokines. Moreover, the chronic depressive model of mice injected with four-week i.p. LPS exhibited a marked elevation in the levels of midbrain LPS accompanied by a substantial increase in the levels of FA and cytokines. Notably, four-week i.p. injection of FA as well as LPS elicited cytokine storm in the midbrain and disrupted the blood-brain barrier (BBB) by activating microglia and reducing the expression of claudin 5 (CLDN5, a protein with tight junctions in the BBB). However, the administration of 30 nm nano-packed coenzyme-Q10 (Q10, an endogenous FA scavenger), phototherapy (PT) utilizing 630-nm red light to degrade FA, and the combination of PT and Q10, reduced FA accumulation and neuroinflammation in the midbrain. Moreover, the combined therapy exhibited superior therapeutic efficacy in attenuating depressive symptoms compared to individual treatments. Thus, LPS-derived FA directly initiates depression onset, thereby suggesting that scavenging FA represents a promising strategy for depression treatment.

Factors affecting local alveolar bone thickness in unilateral maxillary canine-lateral incisor transposition.

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to use 3-dimensional data to investigate the factors affecting local alveolar bone thickness in unilateral maxillary canine-lateral incisor transposition. METHODS: Pretreatment cone-beam computed tomography data of 34 patients with unilateral maxillary canine-lateral transposition were imported into Dolphin Imaging software (version 11.8; Dolphin Imaging and Management Solutions, Chatsworth, Calif) for 3-dimensional reconstruction. The age, gender, and type of transposition at the beginning of treatment were recorded. The thickness and height of the transposed canine, the labiopalatal and distomedial distance from the transposed canine to the apex of the lateral incisor, the inclination of the transposed lateral incisor, the apical height of the lateral incisor, and the alveolar bone thickness in the apical plane were measured. Multiple linear regression analyses were applied to investigate the factors affecting alveolar bone thickness in the apical plane of the transposed lateral incisor. Two sample t test were applied to assess the difference of alveolar bone thickness in patients of different ages. RESULTS: The 10 boys and 24 girls had a mean age of 12.26 ± 2.34 years. In all 34 participants, the apical alveolar bone thickness of transposed lateral incisors was significantly higher than that of the unaffected side (P <0.05). Based on multiple regression analyses, factors associated with a wider alveolar bone thickness were as follows: age (ß = -0.237; P = 0.008), the labiopalatal distance from the transposed canine to the apex of the lateral incisor (ß = 0.675; P <0.001), and the inclination of the transposed lateral incisor (ß = 0.048; P = 0.032). Patients aged <11 years had significantly thicker alveolar bone than that of patients aged >11 years (P <0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with younger age, greater lateral incisor inclination, and greater labiopalatal distance between canine and lateral incisor had more alveolar bone thickness. Early treatment permits tooth movement within the thicker alveolar bone.

Contactin-associated protein-like 2 (CNTNAP2) mutations impair the essential α-secretase cleavages, leading to autism-like phenotypes.

Mutations in the Contactin-associated protein-like 2 (CNTNAP2) gene are associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and ectodomain shedding of the CNTNAP2 protein plays a role in its function. However, key enzymes involved in the C-terminal cleavage of CNTNAP2 remain largely unknown, and the effect of ASD-associated mutations on this process and its role in ASD pathogenesis remain elusive. In this report we showed that CNTNAP2 undergoes sequential cleavages by furin, ADAM10/17-dependent α-secretase and presenilin-dependent γ-secretase. We identified that the cleavage sites of ADAM10 and ADAM17 in CNTNAP2 locate at its C-terminal residue I79 and L96, and the main α-cleavage product C79 by ADAM10 is required for the subsequent γ-secretase cleavage to generate CNTNAP2 intracellular domain (CICD). ASD-associated CNTNAP2 mutations impair the α-cleavage to generate C79, and the inhibition leads to ASD-like repetitive and social behavior abnormalities in the Cntnap2-I1254T knock-in mice. Finally, exogenous expression of C79 improves autism-like phenotypes in the Cntnap2-I1254T knock-in and Cntnap2-/- knockout mice. This data demonstrates that the α-secretase is essential for CNTNAP2 processing and its function. Our study indicates that inhibition of the cleavage by pathogenic mutations underlies ASD pathogenesis, and upregulation of its C-terminal fragments could have therapeutical potentials for ASD treatment.

Intelligent Reconfiguration-Promoted Cellular Internalization of Core-Shell DNA Nanoprobe Equipped with Successive Dual Stimuli-Responsive Protective Satellites for Amplification Fluorescence Imaging of Tumor Cells.

Although DNA probes have attracted increasing interest for precise tumor cell identification by imaging intracellular biomarkers, the requirement of commercial transfection reagents, limited targeting ligands, and/or non-biocompatible inorganic nanostructures has hampered the clinic translation. To circumvent these shortcomings, a reconfigurable ES-NC (Na+-dependent DNAzyme (E)-based substrate (S) cleavage core/shell DNA nanocluster (NC)) entirely from DNA strands is assembled for precise imaging of cancerous cells in a successive dual-stimuli-responsive manner. This nanoprobe is composed of a strung DNA tetrahedral satellites-based protective (DTP) shell, parallelly aligned target-responsive sensing (PTS) interlayer, and hydrophobic cholesterol-packed innermost layer (HCI core). Tetrahedral axial rotation-activated reconfiguration of DTP shell promotes the exposure of interior hydrophobic moieties, enabling cholesterol-mediated cellular internalization without auxiliary elements. Within cells, over-expressed glutathione triggers the disassembly of the DTP protective shell (first stimulus), facilitating target-stimulated signal transduction/amplification process (second stimuli). Target miRNA-21 is detected down to 10.6 fM without interference from coexisting miRNAs. Compared with transfection reagent-mediated counterpart, ES-NC displays a higher imaging ability, resists nuclease degradation, and has no detectable damage to healthy cells. The blind test demonstrates that the ES-NC is suitable for the identification of cancerous cells from healthy cells, indicating a promising tool for early diagnosis and prediction of cancer.

Engineering Semicarbazide-Bearing Polypeptide Conjugates for Efficient Tumor Chemotherapy and Imaging of Tumor Metastasis.

Polypeptide materials offer scalability, biocompatibility, and biodegradability, rendering them an ideal platform for biomedical applications. However, the preparation of polypeptides with specific functional groups, such as semicarbazide moieties, remains challenging. This work reports, for the first time, the straightforward synthesis of well-defined methoxy-terminated poly(ethylene glycol)-b-polypeptide hybrid block copolymers (HBCPs) containing semicarbazide moieties. This synthesis involves implementing the direct polymerization of environment-stable N-phenoxycarbonyl-functionalized α-amino acid (NPCA) precursors, thereby avoiding the handling of labile N-carboxyanhydride (NCA) monomers. The resulting HBCPs containing semicarbazide moieties enable facile functionalization with aldehyde/ketone derivatives, forming pH-cleavable semicarbazone linkages for tailored drug release. Particularly, the intracellular pH-triggered hydrolysis of semicarbazone moieties restores the initial semicarbazide residues, facilitating endo-lysosomal escape and thus improving therapeutic outcomes. Furthermore, the integration of the hypoxic probe (Ir(btpna)(bpy)2 ) into the pH-responsive nanomedicines allows sequential responses to acidic and hypoxic tumor microenvironments, enabling precise detection of metastatic tumors. The innovative approach for designing bespoke functional polypeptides holds promise for advanced drug delivery and precision therapeutics.

The scalp prefrontal-limbic functional connectivity moderates stress-related rumination effects on stress recovery.

BACKGROUND: Mood disorders are often associated with hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis dysfunction, and rumination has been implicated in delayed cortisol recovery. However, research findings on the impact of rumination on cortisol recovery have been inconsistent. The moderating effects of scalp prefrontal-limbic connections on the relationship between rumination and cortisol recovery may explain these discrepancies. METHOD: Acute stress was induced by a 5-min simulated job interview. Salivary samples and affective ratings were collected at seven pre-determined time points. After the simulated job interview, 35 healthy adult participants were randomly assigned to either the rumination condition (n = 17) or the distraction condition (n = 18). RESULTS: Inducing stress and rumination led to increased cortisol levels, negative mood, and state rumination. Compared with the distraction group, the rumination group displayed delayed cortisol recovery and decreased scalp prefrontal-limbic connectivities, that is, left ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (LVLPFC) and left temporal area (LTMP) [ps < .05], and right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (RDLPFC) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) [ps < .05]. The relationship between rumination and cortisol recovery was moderated by connectivities between the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (LDLPFC) and LTMP, RDLPFC and LTMP, LDLPFC and ACC, and RDLPFC and ACC [B = -0.98 to -0.35, SE = 0.15-0.34, ps < .05]. Higher rumination combined with reduced scalp prefrontal-limbic connectivities to predict delayed cortisol recovery. CONCLUSION: The current findings suggest that scalp prefrontal-limbic connectivity is a neural underpinning related to emotion regulation for the effects of state rumination on stress recovery. These findings also provide a potential target for non-invasive intervention in HPA axis dysregulation.

Stool-softening effect and action mechanism of free anthraquinones extracted from Rheum palmatum L. on water deficit-induced constipation in rats.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: In traditional Chinese herbal medicine, rhubarb is said to remove accumulation with purgation, clearing heat, and discharging fire. Modern pharmacology has shown that rhubarb extract has a purgative effect when given to experimental animals in an appropriate dose. However, the active components and their mechanism of action are still not clearly defined. AIM OF THE STUDY: The current research aimed to evaluate the synergistic stool-softening effects and explore the action mechanism of rhubarb free anthraquinones (RhA) and their monomers on constipation in rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A rat model of water deficit-induced constipation was established to induce constipation, and these rats were treated with RhA and its monomers. ELISA, histopathology, immunohistochemistry, qPCR and Western blotting based on network pharmacology and molecular docking were conducted to explore the possible mechanism of action of RhA and its monomers. RESULTS: RhA, aloe-emodin, rhein, and chrysophanol showed stool-softening activity, and the combination of aloe-emodin and rhein had the strongest softening effect on faecal pellets. Aloe-emodin, rhein, and chrysophanol significantly increased the serum levels of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), motilin (MTL), and substance P (SP), upregulated the expression of VIP, cyclase-associated protein 1 (CAP1), protein kinase A (PKA), cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), aquaporin 3 (AQP3), aquaporin 4 (AQP4), and aquaporin 8 (AQP8), decreased the expression of epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) and Na+/H+ exchanger 3 (NHE3), and reduced the colonic tissue concentration of Na+-K+-ATPase in the constipated rats. Osmolality of colonic fluid in model rats treated by RhA, aloe-emodin, rhein, and chrysophanol was increased. CONCLUSION: Aloe-emodin, rhein, and chrysophanol were the stool-softening components of the RhA extract, and there were certain drug-interactions between the components. RhA upregulated VIP expression, activated the cyclic adenosine monophosphate protein kinase A (cAMP/PKA) pathway, and further stimulated CFTR expression while inhibiting NHE3 and ENaC expression, resulting in a hypertonic state in the colonic lumen. Water transport could then be driven by an osmotic gradient, which in turn led to the upregulation of AQP3, AQP4, and AQP8 expression. In addition, RhA likely improved gastrointestinal motility by increasing serum VIP, SP, and MTL concentrations, thus promoting faecal excretion.

Polyvinyl alcohol/chitosan based nanocomposite organohydrogel flexible wearable strain sensors for sports monitoring and underwater communication rescue.

Hydrogel-based flexible wearable sensors have garnered significant attention in recent years. However, the use of hydrogel, a biomaterial known for its high toughness, environmental friendliness, and frost resistance, poses a considerable challenge. In this study, we propose a stepwise construction and multiple non-covalent interaction matching strategy to successfully prepare dynamically physically crosslinked multifunctional conductive hydrogels. These hydrogels self-assembled to form a rigid crosslinked network through intermolecular hydrogen bonding and metal ion coordination chelation. Furthermore, the freeze-thawing process promoted the formation of poly(vinyl alcohol) microcrystalline domains within the amorphous hydrogel network system, resulting in exceptional mechanical properties, including a tensile strength (2.09 ± 0.01 MPa) and elongation at break of 562 ± 12 %. It can lift 10,000 times its own weight. Additionally, these hydrogels exhibit excellent resistance to swelling and maintain good toughness even at temperatures as low as -60 °C. As a wearable strain sensor with remarkable sensing ability (GF = 1.46), it can be effectively utilized in water and underwater environments. Moreover, it demonstrates excellent antimicrobial properties against Escherichia coli (Gram-negative bacteria). Leveraging its impressive sensing ability, we combine signal recognition with a deep learning model by incorporating Morse code for encryption and decryption, enabling information transmission.

Ag nanoparticle modified porous Si microspheres as high-performance anodes for Li-ion batteries.

This study aimed to address the challenges associated with silicon (Si) anode materials in Li-ion batteries, such as their large volume effect and poor electrical conductivity. To overcome these limitations, a novel composite microsphere called pSi/Ag was developed using quartz waste through a combination of high-energy ball-milling, spray drying, and magnesiothermic reduction techniques. The morphology and structure of the pSi/Ag composite were thoroughly characterized using various methods, including X-ray diffraction, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The results revealed that the Ag nanoparticles were uniformly dispersed within the porous micron-sized Si sphere particles, leading to enhanced electrochemical performance compared to pure porous silicon that did not undergo the spray drying process. The use of micron-sized Si prevented the excessive formation of the solid electrolyte interphase film, and the pSi/Ag-5 anode, prepared with 5 wt% AgNO3 as a precursor, demonstrated an impressive initial Coulombic efficiency of 92.8%. Moreover, a high specific capacity of 1251.4 mA h g-1 over 300 cycles at a current density of 4000 mA g-1 was attributed to the improved conductivity provided by the Ag nanoparticles in the Si matrix. The straightforward synthesis method employed in this study to produce pSi/Ag presents a promising approach for the future development of high-performance silicon anodes in Li-ion batteries.

Landscape of enhancer disruption and functional screen in melanoma cells.

BACKGROUND: The high mutation rate throughout the entire melanoma genome presents a major challenge in stratifying true driver events from the background mutations. Numerous recurrent non-coding alterations, such as those in enhancers, can shape tumor evolution, thereby emphasizing the importance in systematically deciphering enhancer disruptions in melanoma. RESULTS: Here, we leveraged 297 melanoma whole-genome sequencing samples to prioritize highly recurrent regions. By performing a genome-scale CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) screen on highly recurrent region-associated enhancers in melanoma cells, we identified 66 significant hits which could have tumor-suppressive roles. These functional enhancers show unique mutational patterns independent of classical significantly mutated genes in melanoma. Target gene analysis for the essential enhancers reveal many known and hidden mechanisms underlying melanoma growth. Utilizing extensive functional validation experiments, we demonstrate that a super enhancer element could modulate melanoma cell proliferation by targeting MEF2A, and another distal enhancer is able to sustain PTEN tumor-suppressive potential via long-range interactions. CONCLUSIONS: Our study establishes a catalogue of crucial enhancers and their target genes in melanoma growth and progression, and illuminates the identification of novel mechanisms of dysregulation for melanoma driver genes and new therapeutic targeting strategies.

Ag Nanoparticle and Ti-MOF Cooperativity for Efficient Inactivation of E. coli in Water.

Because of the limitations of traditional chlorine-based bactericidal water treatment, such as the formation of disinfection byproducts (DBPs) and resistance to chlorine, novel approaches and materials are required for effective disinfection of water. This study focuses on the development of a new sterilization material, Ag/NH2-MIL-125(Ti), which was designed to effectively inactivate Escherichia coli in water. The effectiveness of the as-designed material stems from the synergistic interactions between Ag nanoparticles (NPs) and photoactive metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). In this complex material, the MOFs play a critical role in dispersing and isolating the Ag NPs, thus preventing undesirable aggregation during bacterial inactivation. Simultaneously, Ag NPs enhance the photocatalytic performance of the MOFs. Sterilization experiments demonstrate the remarkable rapid E. coli inactivation performance of Ag/NH2-MIL-125(Ti) under illuminated and nonilluminated conditions. Within 25 min of visible light exposure, the as-prepared material achieves a >7-log E. coli reduction. In addition, Ag/NH2-MIL-125(Ti) efficiently decomposes acetic acid, which is the main DBP precursor, under visible light irradiation. Mechanistic investigations revealed that •O2- and h+ were the primary active substances responsible for the inactivation of E. coli and the decomposition of acetic acid, respectively.

A porous polyacrylonitrile (PAN)/covalent organic framework (COF) fibrous membrane photocatalyst for highly efficient and ultra-stable hydrogen evolution.

Photocatalytic water splitting has been regarded as one of the most promising technologies to generate hydrogen as an ideal energy carrier in the future. However, most of the experience for such process are derived from the researches based on the suspension powder photocatalysts under a stirring condition and a practical scaling application is urgently calling for the high-efficient panel reactors based on the membrane photocatalysts. Herein, we develop a new series of flexible and ultrastable membrane photocatalysts through a controllable growth of covalent organic framework (COF) photocatalysts on the polyacrylonitrile (PAN) electrospun fiber membrane. Multiple characterization techniques verify the successful anchoring of the COF-photocatalysts on the PAN fibers, forming a three-dimensional porous PAN/COF membrane photocatalyst with excellent light absorption ability, high specific surface area, and good hydrophily. As a result, the optimized PAN/COF membrane photocatalyst exhibits excellent hydrogen evolution rate up to 1.25 mmol g-1h-1 under visible-light irradiation without stirring, which is even higher than that of the corresponding suspension COF-powder photocatalyst with stirring. In particular, the PAN/COF membrane photocatalyst demonstrates a much more superior hydrogen evolution stability and also a much better recyclability. This study gives some experience for the practical scaling application of solar-driven water splitting.

Morphometric evaluation of alveolar bone after orthodontic treatment of multiple impacted teeth in the unilateral maxillary anterior region.

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to investigate the height and thickness of alveolar bone by cone-beam computed tomography imaging after orthodontic treatment in the unilateral maxillary anterior region and speculate on reasons for the difference in alveolar bone morphology. METHODS: This study selected 11 patients (3 males and 8 females; mean age, 9.42 ± 1.45 years). Cone-beam computed tomography was performed for these 11 patients before and after treatment using Dolphin Imaging software (Dolphin Imaging and Management Solutions, Chatsworth, Calif). Labial and palatal alveolar bone thickness (BT) at root apices and different levels along the roots and loss of alveolar bone height was measured for each impacted tooth and its contralateral homonymous tooth. RESULTS: After orthodontic therapy, all 3 impacted anterior teeth had different degrees of loss of labial alveolar bone height compared with the normal side (central incisor: -1.5 mm, P <0.005; lateral incisor: -1.06 mm, P <0.01; canine: -0.59 mm, P < 0.01). The lateral incisors also showed palatal alveolar bone height loss compared with the unaffected side (-0.8 mm, P <0.005). Alveolar BT at root apices of impacted canines was 1.14 mm thicker than the normal side (P <0.005). Central and lateral incisors were similar to the normal side. The thickness of the alveolar bone at 8, 10, and 12 mm of the impacted canine position was still larger than that on the healthy side, whereas the difference in average thickness between the healthy and affected side had been significantly reduced compared with pretreatment measurements. CONCLUSIONS: There is satisfactory retention of alveolar bone height in canines after orthodontic treatment; however, alveolar bone loss is slightly worse at central and lateral incisors. Retention of alveolar BT was normal for impacted anterior teeth, whereas excess apical alveolar BT at the canines, although still present, was substantially less significant than had been observed before treatment.

High-Strength, Freeze-Resistant, Recyclable, and Biodegradable Polyvinyl Alcohol/Glycol/Wheat Protein Complex Organohydrogel for Wearable Sensing Devices.

The application of flexible wearable sensing devices based on conductive hydrogels in human motion signal monitoring has been widely studied. However, conventional conductive hydrogels contain a large amount of water, resulting in poor mechanical properties and limiting their application in harsh environments. Here, a simple one-pot method for preparing conductive hydrogels is proposed, that is, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), wheat protein (WP), and lithium chloride (LiCl) are dissolved in an ethylene glycol (EG)/water binary solvent. The obtained PVA/EG/WP (PEW) conductive organohydrogel has good mechanical properties, and its tensile strength and elongation at break reach 1.19 MPa and 531%, respectively, which can withstand a load of more than 6000 times its own weight without breaking. The binary solvent system composed of EG/water endows the hydrogel with good frost resistance and water retention. PEW organohydrogel as a wearable strain sensor also has good strain sensitivity (GF = 2.36), which can be used to detect the movement and physiological activity signals in different parts of the human body. In addition, PEW organohydrogels exhibit good degradability, reducing the environmental footprint of the flexible sensors after disposal. This research provides a new and viable way to prepare a new generation of environmentally friendly sensors.

Hollow Nitrogen-Doped porous carbon spheres decorated with atomically dispersed Ni-N3 sites for efficient electrocatalytic CO2 reduction.

Hollow nitrogen-doped porous carbon spheres (HNCS) with plentiful coordination N sites, high surface area, and superior electrical conductivity are ideal catalyst supports due to their easily access of reactants to active sites and excellent stability. To date, nevertheless, little has been reported on HNCS as supports to metal-single-atomic sites for CO2 reduction (CO2R). Here we report our findings in preparation of nickel-single-atom catalysts anchored on HNCS (Ni SAC@HNCS) for highly efficient CO2R. The obtained Ni SAC@HNCS catalyst exhibits excellent activity and selectivity for the electrocatalytic CO2-to-CO conversion, achieving a Faradaic efficiency (FE) of 95.2% and a partial current density of 20.2 mA cm-2. When applied to a flow cell, the Ni SAC@HNCS delivers above 95% FECO over a wide potential range and a peak FECO of 99%. Further, there is no obvious degradation in FECO and the current for CO production during continuous electrocatalysis of 9 h, suggesting good stability of Ni SAC@HNCS.

Development and Core Technologies for Intelligent SWaP3 Infrared Cameras: A Comprehensive Review and Analysis.

With the development of infrared detection and imaging technology, infrared cameras (IRCs) play an important role in many fields, such as military, industry, and civilian. Additionally, the requirements for the size, performance, and intelligence of IRCs are becoming more and more strict. Consequently, the associated research and development (R&D) of IRCs is gradually focused on the aspects of miniaturization, high performance, intelligence, low power consumption, and low cost, involving many frontier fields, including artificial intelligence, new materials, new optical systems, and electronics systems. In fact, there are continual studies on intelligent SWaP3 IRCs, but unfortunately, a systematic arrangement and analysis are lacking. Therefore, a systematical and comprehensive review for the developments and core technologies of the intelligent SWaP3 IRCs is really needed. In this paper, in terms of the aforementioned requirements, we conduct a review and analysis of current intelligent SWaP3 IRCs based on 90 literature and statistics in recent decades to provide the relevant developers with a helpful reference for facilitating the indicator optimization of intelligent SWaP3 IRCs with new developed technologies. We analyze the development of SWaP3 IRCs in the aspects of lightweight, miniaturization, low price, and high performance, including hyperspectral resolution, high spatial resolution, large field of view (FOV), and wide dynamic elaborately. Moreover, the development in low power consumption and intelligence is also discussed in detail. Additionally, we briefly summarize the primary applications of intelligent SWaP3 IRCs in military, scientific, and civil. Then, the core technologies comprising high-integration, lightweight, hyperspectral imaging (HSI), low-power consumption, as well as the realization of high performance such as high-resolution, high-frame, and wide-dynamic range of SWaP3 IRCs are discussed and analyzed in detail. Finally, we prospect for the intelligent SWaP3 IRCs that it is necessary to continuously expand the concept of SWaP3 by reliability, stability, extensibility, and safety. In addition, it is useful to embed cutting-edge technologies such as small pixel pitch array, multi-sensors fusion, and deploy intelligent algorithms to IRCs. Additionally, the improvement of the whole machine from multi-dimension such as chip, camera, and system is expected and needs to be taken more seriously. It is hoped that this paper can provide a reference for the R&D of intelligent SWaP3 IRCs in the future.

Liver Metabolic Dysregulation Induced by Polypropylene Nano- and Microplastics in Nile Tilapia Using Internal Extractive Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry.

Understanding the metabolic disorders induced by nano- and microplastics in aquatic organisms at the molecular level could help us understand the potential toxicity of nano- and microplastics more thoroughly and provide a fundamental scientific basis for regulating the usage and management of plastic products. In this research, the effect of polypropylene nanoplastics (PP-NPs) and microplastics (PP-MPs) on metabolites in the tilapia liver was comprehensively investigated by internal extractive electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (iEESI-MS). A partial least-squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) and a one-component analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used for selecting 46 differential metabolites, including phospholipids, amino acids, peptides, carbohydrates, alkaloids, purines, pyrimidines, and nucleosides. Pathway enrichment analysis showed significant effects on glycerophospholipid metabolism, arginine and proline metabolism, and aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis after tilapia were exposed to PP-N/MPs. Dysregulation of these metabolites is mainly reflected in the possible induction of hepatitis, oxidative stress, and other symptoms. The application of iEESI-MS technology without sample pretreatment to the study of metabolic disorders in aquatic organisms under the interference of nano- and microplastics provides a promising analytical method for environmental toxicology research.