Magnetosome-inspired synthesis of soft ferrimagnetic nanoparticles for magnetic tumor targeting.

Magnetic targeting is one of the most promising approaches for improving the targeting efficiency by which magnetic drug carriers are directed using external magnetic fields to reach their targets. As a natural magnetic nanoparticle (MNP) of biological origin, the magnetosome is a special "organelle" formed by biomineralization in magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) and is essential for MTB magnetic navigation to respond to geomagnetic fields. The magnetic targeting of magnetosomes, however, can be hindered by the aggregation and precipitation of magnetosomes in water and biological fluid environments due to the strong magnetic attraction between particles. In this study, we constructed a magnetosome-like nanoreactor by introducing MTB Mms6 protein into a reverse micelle system. MNPs synthesized by thermal decomposition exhibit the same crystal morphology and magnetism (high saturation magnetization and low coercivity) as natural magnetosomes but have a smaller particle size. The DSPE-mPEG-coated magnetosome-like MNPs exhibit good monodispersion, penetrating the lesion area of a tumor mouse model to achieve magnetic enrichment by an order of magnitude more than in the control groups, demonstrating great prospects for biomedical magnetic targeting applications.

Tunable metal-organic frameworks assist in catalyzing DNAzymes with amplification platforms for biomedical applications.

Various binding modes of tunable metal organic frameworks (MOFs) and functional DNAzymes (Dzs) synergistically catalyze the emergence of abundant functional nanoplatforms. Given their serial variability in formation, structural designability, and functional controllability, Dzs@MOFs tend to be excellent building blocks for the precise "intelligent" manufacture of functional materials. To present a clear outline of this new field, this review systematically summarizes the progress of Dz integration into MOFs (MOFs@Dzs) through different methods, including various surface infiltration, pore encapsulation, covalent binding, and biomimetic mineralization methods. Atomic-level and time-resolved catalytic mechanisms for biosensing and imaging are made possible by the complex interplay of the distinct molecular structure of Dzs@MOF, conformational flexibility, and dynamic regulation of metal ions. Exploiting the precision of DNAzymes, MOFs@Dzs constructed a combined nanotherapy platform to guide intracellular drug synthesis, photodynamic therapy, catalytic therapy, and immunotherapy to enhance gene therapy in different ways, solving the problems of intracellular delivery inefficiency and insufficient supply of cofactors. MOFs@Dzs nanostructures have become excellent candidates for biosensing, bioimaging, amplification delivery, and targeted cancer gene therapy while emphasizing major advancements and seminal endeavors in the fields of biosensing (nucleic acid, protein, enzyme activity, small molecules, and cancer cells), biological imaging, and targeted cancer gene delivery and gene therapy. Overall, based on the results demonstrated to date, we discuss the challenges that the emerging MOFs@Dzs might encounter in practical future applications and briefly look forward to their bright prospects in other fields.

The impact of a lung-protective ventilation mode using transpulmonary driving pressure titrated positive end-expiratory pressure on the prognosis of patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the impact of a lung-protective ventilation strategy utilizing transpulmonary driving pressure titrated positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) on the prognosis [mechanical ventilation duration, hospital stay, 28-day mortality rate and incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), survival outcome] of patients with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS). METHODS: A total of 105 ARDS patients were randomly assigned to either the control group (n = 51) or the study group (n = 53). The control group received PEEP titration based on tidal volume [A tidal volume of 6 mL/kg, flow rate of 30-60 L/min, frequency of 16-20 breaths/min, constant flow rate, inspiratory-to-expiratory ratio of 1:1 to 1:1.5, and a plateau pressure ≤ 30-35 cmH2O. PEEP was adjusted to maintain oxygen saturation (SaO2) at or above 90%, taking into account blood pressure], while the study group received PEEP titration based on transpulmonary driving pressure (Esophageal pressure was measured as a surrogate for pleural pressure using an esophageal pressure measurement catheter connected to the ventilator. Tidal volume and PEEP were adjusted based on the observed end-inspiratory and end-expiratory transpulmonary pressures, aiming to maintain a transpulmonary driving pressure below 15 cmH2O during mechanical ventilation. Adjustments were made 2-4 times per day). Statistical analysis and comparison were conducted on lung function indicators [oxygenation index (OI), arterial oxygen tension (PaO2), arterial carbon dioxide tension (PaCO2)] as well as other measures such as heart rate, mean arterial pressure, and central venous pressure in two groups of patients after 48 h of mechanical ventilation. The 28-day mortality rate, duration of mechanical ventilation, length of hospital stay, and ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) incidence were compared between the two groups. A 60-day follow-up was performed to record the survival status of the patients. RESULTS: In the control group, the mean age was (55.55 ± 10.51) years, with 33 females and 18 males. The pre-ICU hospital stay was (32.56 ± 9.89) hours. The mean Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II score was (19.08 ± 4.67), and the mean Murray Acute Lung Injury score was (4.31 ± 0.94). In the study group, the mean age was (57.33 ± 12.21) years, with 29 females and 25 males. The pre-ICU hospital stay was (33.42 ± 10.75) hours. The mean APACHE II score was (20.23 ± 5.00), and the mean Murray Acute Lung Injury score was (4.45 ± 0.88). They presented a homogeneous profile (all P > 0.05). Following intervention, significant improvements were observed in PaO2 and OI compared to pre-intervention values. The study group exhibited significantly higher PaO2 and OI compared to the control group, with statistically significant differences (all P < 0.05). After intervention, the study group exhibited a significant increase in PaCO2 (43.69 ± 6.71 mmHg) compared to pre-intervention levels (34.19 ± 5.39 mmHg). The study group's PaCO2 was higher than the control group (42.15 ± 7.25 mmHg), but the difference was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). There were no significant differences in hemodynamic indicators between the two groups post-intervention (all P > 0.05). The study group demonstrated significantly shorter mechanical ventilation duration and hospital stay, while 28-day mortality rate and incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) showed no significant differences. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis revealed a significantly better survival outcome in the study group at the 60-day follow-up (HR = 0.565, 95% CI: 0.320-0.999). CONCLUSION: Lung-protective mechanical ventilation using transpulmonary driving pressure titrated PEEP effectively improves lung function, reduces mechanical ventilation duration and hospital stay, and enhances survival outcomes in patients with ARDS. However, further study is needed to facilitate the wider adoption of this approach.

Digital mobile fronthaul based on delta-sigma modulation employing a simple self-coherent receiver.

The coherent digital radio-over-fiber (DRoF) system is a promising candidate for future mobile fronthaul networks (MFNs) due to its high receiver sensitivity and excellent robustness against nonlinearities. However, conventional coherent receivers with complicated structure and heavy algorithms are too expensive and power-hungry for cost-sensitive MFN applications. In addition, currently deployed digital MFNs based on common public radio interface (CPRI) suffer from low spectral efficiency and high data rate. Towards these issues we propose a novel DRoF downlink scheme employing a simple self-coherent receiver. In baseband unit (BBU), the radio signal is converted to a digital bit stream by a band-pass delta-sigma modulator (BP-DSM), which can be simply recovered with the utilization of a band-pass filter at the receiver. In remote radio unit (RRU), an electro-absorption modulated laser (EML) acts as a low-cost coherent homodyne receiver in virtue of injection locking technique. In the experiment, the injection-locked operation of the DSM signal is successfully achieved, and two modified schemes are proposed for the DSM signal to increase the locking range with a tolerable sensitivity penalty. The experimental results demonstrate the superiority of our approach in two aspects: 1) the EML-based coherent receiver outperforms a PIN photodiode in terms of receiver sensitivity; 2) compared to the analog RoF system, a 5-dB improvement in loss budget is obtained when DSM is employed with the aid of a simple equalizer.

Adipose mesenchymal stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles containing microRNA-26a-5p target TLR4 and protect against diabetic nephropathy.

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a complication of diabetes that is increasing in prevalence in China. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) carrying microRNAs (miRs) may represent a useful tool in the development of therapies for DN. Here, we report that EVs released by adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs) during DN contain a microRNA, miR-26a-5p, that suppresses DN. Using bioinformatic analyses, we identified differentially expressed miRs in EVs from ADSCs and in DN and predicted downstream regulatory target genes. We isolated mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from adipose tissues and collected EVs from the ADSCs. We exposed mouse glomerular podocytes and MP5 cells to high glucose (HG), ADSC-derived EVs, miR-26a-5p inhibitor/antagomir, Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) plasmids, or the NF-κB pathway activator (phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate, or PMA). We used the cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay and flow cytometry to investigate the impact of miR-26a-5p on cell viability and apoptosis and validated the results of these assays with in vivo experiments in nude mice. We found that in DN, miR-26a-5p is expressed at very low levels, whereas TLR4 is highly expressed. Of note, EVs from ADSCs ameliorated the pathological symptoms of DN in diabetic mice and transferred miR-26a-5p to HG-induced MP5 cells, improving viability while suppressing the apoptosis of MP5 cells. We also found that miR-26a-5p protects HG-induced MP5 cells from injury by targeting TLR4, inactivating the NF-κB pathway, and downregulating vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA). Moreover, ADSC-derived EVs transferred miR-26a-5p to mouse glomerular podocytes, which ameliorated DN pathology. These findings suggest that miR-26a-5p from ADSC-derived EVs protects against DN.

Eriodictyol inhibits high glucose-induced extracellular matrix accumulation, oxidative stress, and inflammation in human glomerular mesangial cells.

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is one of the major complications of diabetes mellitus. The progression of DN has been found to be associated with high glucose (HG)-induced oxidative stress and inflammation in diabetes mellitus. Eriodictyol is a flavonoid that possesses antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. However, the effect of eriodictyol on DN remains unknown. In the present study, we evaluated the role of eriodictyol in mesangial cells (MCs) in response to HG condition. The results showed that eriodictyol repressed cell proliferation of HG-stimulated MCs. Treatment with eriodictyol attenuated oxidative stress, which was evidenced by increased superoxide dismutase activity as well as decreased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde. Besides, eriodictyol suppressed the expressions of two NADPH oxidase (NOX) isoforms, NOX2 and NOX4, which are responsible for the generation of ROS. Eriodictyol suppressed the production of extracellular matrix proteins including fibronectin and Collagen IV, as well as the secretion of inflammatory cytokines including TNF-α, IL-1ß, and IL-6 in HG-induced MCs. Moreover, the HG-induced activation of Akt/NF-κB pathway was mitigated by eriodictyol. In conclusion, eriodictyol protected MCs from HG stimulation though inhibition of Akt/NF-κB pathway.

miR-214 ameliorates acute kidney injury via targeting DKK3 and activating of Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway.

BACKGROUND: miR-214 was demonstrated to be upregulated in models of renal disease and promoted fibrosis in renal injury independent of TGF-ß signaling in vivo. However, the detailed role of miR-214 in acute kidney injury (AKI) and its underlying mechanism are still largely unknown. METHODS: In this study, an I/R-induced rat AKI model and a hypoxia-induced NRK-52E cell model were used to study AKI. The concentrations of kidney injury markers serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, and kidney injury molecule-1 were measured. The expressions of miR-214, tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL)-1ß, IL-6, were detected by RT-qPCR. The protein levels of Bcl-2, Bax, Dickkopf-related protein 3, ß-catenin, c-myc, and cyclinD1 were determined by western blot. Cell apoptosis and caspase 3 activity were evaluated by flow cytometry analysis and caspase 3 activity assay, respectively. Luciferase reporter assay was used to confirm the interaction between miR-214 and Dkk3. RESULTS: miR-214 expression was induced in ischemia-reperfusion (I/R)-induced AKI rat and hypoxic incubation of NRK-52E cells. Overexpression of miR-214 alleviated hypoxia-induced NRK-52E cell apoptosis while inhibition of miR-214 expression exerted the opposite effect. Dkk3 was identified as a target of miR-214. Anti-miR-214 abolished the inhibitory effects of DKK3 knockdown on hypoxia-induced NRK-52E cell apoptosis by inactivation of Wnt/ß-catenin signaling. Moreover, miR-214 ameliorated AKI in vivo by inhibiting apoptosis and fibrosis through targeting Dkk3 and activating Wnt/ß-catenin pathway. CONCLUSION: miR-214 ameliorates AKI by inhibiting apoptosis through targeting Dkk3 and activating Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway, offering the possibility of miR-214 in the therapy of ischemic AKI.

[Effect of serum containing Xihuang pill on proliferation of human breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-435 and MCF-7 Cells].

To study the effect of serum containing Xihuang pill on the proliferation of human breast cancer cell lines MDA-MB-435 and MCF-7 and the gene and protein expressions of Bcl-2, Bax, TP53, in order to explore the effect and mechanism of Xihuang pill in resisting breast cancer. The serum of the rats was prepared by the method of MTT assay. The expressions of Bcl-2 and Bax were detected by RT-PCR. The serum levels of Bcl-2 and Bax and the mRNA expression of TP53 were detected by immunofluorescence. The rats with serum containing Xihuang pill could inhibit the proliferation of MDA-MB-435 cells and MCF-7 cells (P<0.05). The serum containing Xihuang pill increased TP53 and Bax in MDA-MB-435 cells (P<0.05), and the ratio of Bcl-2/Bax was decreased (P<0.05). Meanwhile, the serum containing Xihuang pill could up-regulate the mRNA expression of Bax in MCF-7 cells and decrease the expression of Bcl (P<0.05), but there was no significant difference between the expression of TP53mRNA and Bax protein expressions after the treatment of MCF-7 cells with Xihuang pill serum. Serum containing Xihuang pill can induce the apoptosis of human breast cancer cells, and the mechanism of estrogen receptor-negative breast cancer cell apoptosis may be induced by up-regulating the mRNA expression of TP53, which can induce the expression of Bax and promote the metastasis of Bax to mitochondria, and ultimately play the role of inducing apoptosis.

One-Step and Surfactant-Free Fabrication of Gold-Nanoparticle-Decorated Bismuth Oxychloride Nanosheets Based on Laser Ablation in Solution and Their Enhanced Visible-Light Plasmonic Photocatalysis.

A simple synthetic route is presented for fabricating gold nanoparticle (NP)-decorated bismuth oxychloride (BiOCl) nanosheets in one step based on laser ablation of a gold target in a hydrochloric acid solution of bismuth nitrate without surfactant. After laser ablation, BiOCl nanosheets with attached Au NPs are obtained. The nanosheets are sub-micron in the planar dimension and around 20 nm thick, and the Au NPs are a mean size of approximately 20 nm. Further experiments reveal that such Au-NP-decorated nanosheets could be formed at a large Cl/Bi molar ratio range (0.01 to 3) in solution. The formation of the BiOCl nanosheets is attributed to the Au plasma plume-induced local fast hydrothermal reaction, which drives the planar growth of BiOCl. Importantly, these Au-NP-decorated BiOCl nanosheets exhibit high photodegradation activity on rhodamine B, a typical organic pollutant, compared with bare nanosheets under visible light irradiation, and show highly stable and recyclable performance. This is attributed to the plasmonic properties of Au NPs, which increase optical absorption and promote separation of electron-hole pairs in the NP-decorated BiOCl nanosheets. This work provides not only a new plasmonic photocatalyst for the oxidative degradation of organic pollutants, but also a general method for fabrication of the metal-NP-decorated nanosheets of other layer-structured oxychlorides.

Laser-Irradiation-Induced Melting and Reduction Reaction for the Formation of Pt-Based Bimetallic Alloy Particles in Liquids.

Laser melting in liquids (LML) is one of the most effective methods to prepare bimetallic alloys; however, despite being an ongoing focus of research, the process involved in the formation of such species remains ambiguous. In this paper, we prepared two types of Pt-based bimetallic alloys by LML, including Pt-Au alloys and Pt-iron group metal (iM=Fe/Co/Ni) alloys, and investigated the corresponding mechanisms of alloying process. Detailed component and structural characterizations indicate that laser irradiation induced a quite rapid formation process (not exceeding 10 s) of Pt-Au alloy nanospheres, and the crystalline structures of Pt-Au alloys is determined by the monometallic constituents with higher content. For Pt-iM alloys, we provide direct evidence to support the conclusion that FeOx /CoOx /NiOx colloids can be reduced to elementary Fe/Co/Ni particles by ethanol molecules during laser irradiation, which then react with Pt colloids to form Pt-iM sub-microspheres. These results demonstrate that LML provides an optional route to prepare Pt-based bimetallic alloy particles with tunable size, components, and crystalline phase, which should have promising applications in biological and catalysis studies.

Two-mode sensing strategies based on tunable cobalt metal organic framework active sites to detect Hg2.

Heavy metal pollution poses a major threat to human health, and developing a user-deliverable heavy metal detection strategy remains a major challenge. In this work, two-mode Hg2+ sensing platforms based on the tunable cobalt metal-organic framework (Co-MOF) active site strategy are constructed, including a colorimetric, and an electrochemical assay using a personal glucose meter (PGM) as the terminal device. Specifically, thymine (T), a single, adaptable nucleotide, is chosen to replace typical T-rich DNA aptamers. The catalytic sites of Co-MOF are tuned competitively by the specific binding of T-Hg2+-T, and different signal output platforms are developed based on the different enzyme-like activities of Co-MOF. DFT calculations are utilized to analyze the interaction mechanism between T and Co-MOF with defect structure. Notably, the two-mode sensing platforms exhibit outstanding detection performance, with LOD values as low as 0.5 nM (colorimetric) and 3.69 nM (PGM), respectively, superior to recently reported nanozyme-based Hg2+ sensors. In real samples of tap water and lake water, this approach demonstrates an effective recovery rate and outstanding selectivity. Surprisingly, the method is potentially versatile and, by exchanging out T-Hg2+-T, can also detect Ag+. This simple, portable, and user-friendly Hg2+ detection approach shows plenty of promise for application in the future.

Porous reticular Co@Fe metal-organic gel: dual-function simulated peroxidase nanozyme for both colorimetric sensing and antibacterial applications.

Constructing metal-organic gels (MOGs) with enzyme-catalyzed activity and studying their catalytic mechanism are crucial for the development of novel nanozyme materials. In this study, a Co@Fe MOG with excellent peroxidase activity was developed by a simple and mild one-pot process. The results showed that the material exhibited almost a single peroxidase activity under optimal pH conditions, which allowed it to attract and oxidize the chromogenic substrate 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB). Based on the active electron transfer between the metal centers and the organic ligand in the synthetic material, the Co@Fe MOG-H2O2-TMB system was verified to be able to detect H2O2 and citric acid (CA). The catalytic microenvironment formed by the adsorption and the catalytic center accelerated the electron-transfer rate, which expedited the generation of hydroxyl radicals (˙OH, a kind of reactive oxygen species (ROS)) in the presence of H2O2. The persistence and high intensity of ˙OH generation were proven, which would endow Co@Fe MOG with a certain antibacterial ability, promoting the healing of bacteria-infected wounds. In conclusion, this study contributes to the development efforts toward the application systems of nanozymes for marker detection and antibacterial activity.

Nanozymes-Mediated Cascade Reaction System for Tumor-Specific Diagnosis and Targeted Therapy.

Cascade reactions are described as efficient and versatile tools, and organized catalytic cascades can significantly improve the efficiency of chemical interworking between nanozymes. They have attracted great interest in many fields such as chromogenic detection, biosensing, tumor diagnosis, and therapy. However, how to selectively kill tumor cells by enzymatic reactions without harming normal cells, as well as exploring two or more enzyme-engineered nanoreactors for cascading catalytic reactions, remain great challenges in the field of targeted and specific cancer diagnostics and therapy. The latest research advances in nanozyme-catalyzed cascade processes for cancer diagnosis and therapy are described in this article. Here, various sensing strategies are summarized, for tumor-specific diagnostics. Targeting mechanisms for tumor treatment using cascade nanozymes are classified and analyzed, "elements" and "dimensions" of cascade nanozymes, types, designs of structure, and assembly modes of highly active and specific cascade nanozymes, as well as a variety of new strategies of tumor targeting based on the cascade reaction of nanozymes. Finally, the integrated application of the cascade nanozymes systems in tumor-targeted and specific diagnostic therapy is summarized, which will lay the foundation for the design of more rational, efficient, and specific tumor diagnostic and therapeutic modalities in the future.

Removal of sulfonamide antibiotics by constructed wetland substrate with NaOH-modified corn straw biochar under different operating conditions.

This study examined the elimination of sulfonamide antibiotics (SAs) by constructed wetland substrates with NaOH-modified corn straw biochar and assessed the impact of environmental conditions on the effectiveness of SAs removal. The study demonstrated that the constructed wetland substrate with NaOH-modified biochar significantly eliminated eight SAs, with a removal rate of over 94 %. During the removal process, the intermediates will undergo regeneration of the parent compounds under low DO concentrations. This was based on the linear stepwise regression analysis and Geodetector models. The results showed that SA types COD, NH4+-N, TN, and DO had a stronger influence. The dominant bacteria in the constructed wetland system were mainly affected by antibiotic concentration, DO, NH4+-N and NO3--N, which affected the removal of antibiotics. Overall, the constructed wetland substrate with NaOH-modified corn straw biochar can be effectively employed as an ecological method for eliminating SAs from the environment.

Novel strategies in melanoma treatment using silver nanoparticles.

Melanoma has remarkably gained extensive attention owing to its high morbidity and mortality. Conventional treatment methods still have some problems and defects. Therefore, more and more novel methods and materials have been continuously developed. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have attracted significant interest in the field of cancer research especially for melanoma treatment because of their excellent properties including antioxidant, antiproliferative, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antifungal, and antitumor abilities. In this review, the applications of AgNPs in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cutaneous melanoma are mainly introduced. It also focuses on the therapy strategies of photodynamic therapy (PDT), photothermal therapy (PTT), and chemotherapy for melanoma treatment. Taken together, AgNPs play an increasingly crucial role in cutaneous melanoma treatment, which have promising application in the future.

Rethinking Saliency Map: A Context-Aware Perturbation Method to Explain EEG-Based Deep Learning Model.

Deep learning is widely used to decode the electroencephalogram (EEG) signal. However, there are few attempts to specifically study how to explain EEG-based deep learning models. In this paper, we review the related works that attempt to explain EEG-based models. And we find that the existing methods are not perfect enough to explain the EEG-based model due to the non-stationary nature, high inter-subject variability and dependency of EEG data. The characteristics of the EEG data require the explanation to incorporate the instance-level saliency identification and the context information of EEG data. Recently, mask perturbation is proposed to explain deep learning model. Inspired by the mask perturbation, we propose a new context-aware perturbation method to address these concerns. Our method not only extends the scope to the instance level but can capture the representative context information when estimating the saliency map. In addition, we point out another role of context information in explaining the EEG-based model. The context information can also help suppress the artifacts in the EEG-based deep learning model. In practice, some users might want a simple version of the explanation, which only indicates a few features as salient points. To further improve the usability of our method, we propose an optional area limitation strategy to restrict the highlighted region. In the experiment section, we select three representative EEG-based models and implement them on the emotional EEG dataset DEAP. The results of the experiments support the advantages of our method.

Biomedical applications of supramolecular hydrogels with enhanced mechanical properties.

Supramolecular hydrogels bound by hydrogen bonding, host-guest, hydrophobic, and other non-covalent interactions are among the most attractive biomaterials available. Supramolecular hydrogels have attracted extensive attention due to their inherent dynamic reversibility, self-healing, stimuli-response, excellent biocompatibility, and near-physiological environment. However, the inherent contradiction between non-covalent interactions and mechanical strength makes the practical application of supramolecular hydrogels a great challenge. This review describes the mechanical strength of hydrogels mediated by supramolecular interactions, and focuses on the potential strategies for enhancing the mechanical strength of supramolecular hydrogels and illustrates their applications in related fields, such as flexible electronic sensors, wound dressings, and three-dimensional (3D) scaffolds. Finally, the current problems and future research prospects of supramolecular hydrogels are discussed. This review is expected to provide insights that will motivate more advanced research on supramolecular hydrogels.

Development and validation of a nomogram for predicting survival in patients with acute pancreatitis.

BACKGROUND: Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a complex and heterogeneous disease. We aimed to design and validate a prognostic nomogram for improving the prediction of short-term survival in patients with AP. METHODS: The clinical data of 632 patients with AP were obtained from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care (MIMIC)-IV database. The nomogram for the prediction of 30-day, 60-day and 90-day survival was developed by incorporating the risk factors identified by multivariate Cox analyses. RESULTS: Multivariate Cox proportional hazard model analysis showed that age (hazard ratio [HR]=1.06, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.03-1.08, P<0.001), white blood cell count (HR=1.03, 95% CI 1.00-1.06, P=0.046), systolic blood pressure (HR=0.99, 95% CI 0.97-1.00, P=0.015), serum lactate level (HR=1.10, 95% CI 1.01-1.20, P=0.023), and Simplified Acute Physiology Score II (HR=1.04, 95% CI 1.02-1.06, P<0.001) were independent predictors of 90-day mortality in patients with AP. A prognostic nomogram model for 30-day, 60-day, and 90-day survival based on these variables was built. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis demonstrated that the nomogram had good accuracy for predicting 30-day, 60-day, and 90-day survival (area under the ROC curve: 0.796, 0.812, and 0.854, respectively; bootstrap-corrected C-index value: 0.782, 0.799, and 0.846, respectively). CONCLUSION: The nomogram-based prognostic model was able to accurately predict 30-day, 60-day, and 90-day survival outcomes and thus may be of value for risk stratification and clinical decision-making for critically ill patients with AP.

Crystallinity Tuning of Na3 V2 (PO4 )3 : Unlocking Sodium Storage Capacity and Inducing Pseudocapacitance Behavior.

As a promising cathode material of sodium-ion batteries, Na3 V2 (PO4 )3 (NVP) has attracted extensive attention in recent years due to its high stability and fast Na+ ion diffusion. However, the reversible capacity based on the two-electron reaction mechanism is not satisfactory limited by the inactive M1 lattice sites during the insertion/extraction process. Herein, self-supporting 3D porous NVP materials with different crystallinity are fabricated on carbon foam substrates by a facile electrostatic spray deposition method. The V5+ /V4+ redox couple is effectively activated and the three-electron reactions are realized in NVP for sodium storage by a proper crystallinity tuning. In a disordered NVP sample, an ultra-high specific capacity of 179.6 mAh g-1 at 0.2 C is achieved due to the coexistence of redox reactions of the V4+ /V3+ and V5+ /V4+ couples. Moreover, a pseudocapacitive charge storage mechanism induced by the disordered structure is first observed in the NVP electrode. An innovative model is given to understand the disorder-induced-pseudocapacitance phenomenon in this polyanion cathode material.

Origin of the Anomalous Electrical Transport Behavior in Fe-Intercalated Weyl Semimetal Td -MoTe2.

Weyl semimetal Td -MoTe2 has recently attracted much attention due to its intriguing electronic properties and potential applications in spintronics. Here, Fe-intercalated Td -Fex MoTe2 single crystals (0 < x < 0.15 ) are grown successfully. The electrical and thermoelectric transport results consistently demonstrate that the phase transition temperature TS is gradually suppressed with increasing x. Theoretical calculation suggests that the increased energy of the Td phase, enhanced transition barrier, and more occupied bands in 1T' phase is responsible for the suppression in TS . In addition, a ρα -lnT behavior induced by Kondo effect is observed with x ≥ 0.08, due to the coupling between conduction carriers and the local magnetic moments of intercalated Fe atoms. For Td -Fe0.15 MoTe2 , a spin-glass transition occurs at ≈10 K. The calculated band structure of Td -Fe0.25 MoTe2 shows that two flat bands exist near the Fermi level, which are mainly contributed by the dyz and d x 2 - y 2 ${{\rm{d}}_{{x^2} - {y^2}}}$ orbitals of the Fe atoms. Finally, the electronic phase diagram of Td -Fex MoTe2 is established for the first time. This work provides a new route to control the structural instability and explore exotic electronic states for transition-metal dichalcogenides.