DNA-Directed Assembly of Hierarchical MOF-Cellulose Nanofiber Microbioreactors with "Branch-Fruit" Structures.

Assembling metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) into ordered multidimensional porous superstructures promises the encapsulation of enzymes for heterogeneous biocatalysts. However, the full potential of this approach has been limited by the poor stability of enzymes and the uncontrolled assembly of MOF nanoparticles onto suitable supports. In this study, a novel and exceptionally robust Ni-imidazole-based MOF was synthesized in water at room temperature, enabling in situ enzyme encapsulation. Based on this MOF platform, we developed a DNA-directed assembly strategy to achieve the uniform placement of MOF nanoparticles onto bacterial cellulose nanofibers, resulting in a distinctive "branch-fruit" structure. The resulting hybrid materials demonstrated remarkable versatility across various catalytic systems, accommodating natural enzymes, nanoenzymes, and multienzyme cascades, thus showcasing enormous potential as universal microbioreactors. Furthermore, the hierarchical composites facilitated rapid diffusion of the bulky substrate while maintaining the enzyme stability, with ∼3.5-fold higher relative activity compared to the traditional enzyme@MOF immobilized in bacterial cellulose nanofibers.

Exceptionally high charge mobility in phthalocyanine-based poly(benzimidazobenzophenanthroline)-ladder-type two-dimensional conjugated polymers.

Two-dimensional conjugated polymers (2DCPs), composed of multiple strands of linear conjugated polymers with extended in-plane π-conjugation, are emerging crystalline semiconducting polymers for organic (opto)electronics. They are represented by two-dimensional π-conjugated covalent organic frameworks, which typically suffer from poor π-conjugation and thus low charge carrier mobilities. Here we overcome this limitation by demonstrating two semiconducting phthalocyanine-based poly(benzimidazobenzophenanthroline)-ladder-type 2DCPs (2DCP-MPc, with M = Cu or Ni), which are constructed from octaaminophthalocyaninato metal(II) and naphthalenetetracarboxylic dianhydride by polycondensation under solvothermal conditions. The 2DCP-MPcs exhibit optical bandgaps of ~1.3 eV with highly delocalized π-electrons. Density functional theory calculations unveil strongly dispersive energy bands with small electron-hole reduced effective masses of ~0.15m0 for the layer-stacked 2DCP-MPcs. Terahertz spectroscopy reveals the band transport of Drude-type free carriers in 2DCP-MPcs with exceptionally high sum mobility of electrons and holes of ~970 cm2 V-1 s-1 at room temperature, surpassing that of the reported linear conjugated polymers and 2DCPs. This work highlights the critical role of effective conjugation in enhancing the charge transport properties of 2DCPs and the great potential of high-mobility 2DCPs for future (opto)electronics.

Recognition of Digital Dental X-ray Images Using a Convolutional Neural Network.

Digital dental X-ray images are an important basis for diagnosing dental diseases, especially endodontic and periodontal diseases. Conventional diagnostic methods depend on the experience of doctors, so they are highly subjective and consume more energy than other approaches. The current computer-aided interpretation technology has low accuracy and poor lesion classification. This study proposes an efficient and accurate method for identifying common lesions in digital dental X-ray images by a convolutional neural network (CNN). In total, 188 digital dental X-ray images that were previously diagnosed as periapical periodontitis, dental caries, periapical cysts, and other common dental diseases by dentists in Qilu Hospital of Shandong University were collected and augmented. The images and labels were inputted into four CNN models for training, including visual geometry group (VGG)-16, InceptionV3, residual network (ResNet)-50, and densely connected convolutional networks (DenseNet)-121. The average classification accuracy of the four trained network models on the test set was 95.9%, while the classification accuracy of the trained DenseNet-121 network model reached 99.5%. It is demonstrated that the use of CNNs to interpret digital dental X-ray images is an efficient and accurate way to conduct auxiliary diagnoses of dental diseases.

Selective magnetic solid-phase extraction of amide herbicides from fish samples coupled with ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry.

An efficient magnetic dummy template molecularly imprinted polymer nanocomposite was prepared using multi-walled carbon nanotubes as a support and metolachlor deschloro as a dummy template. The obtained nanocomposites were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, vibrating sample magnetometry, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The adsorption performance of the obtained nanocomposites was evaluated through binding experiments, including static adsorption, kinetic adsorption, and selective recognition studies. The obtained nanocomposites were successfully applied as selective sorbents for the magnetic solid-phase extraction of seven amide herbicides (alachlor, acetochlor, pretilachlor, butachlor, metolachlor, diethatyl ethyl, and dimethachlor) coupled with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry from fish samples. Under the optimized conditions, the limit of detection was 0.01-0.1 µg/kg. The obtained recoveries of the amide herbicides from the fish samples were in the range of 88.0 to 102.1% with a relative standard deviation of less than 7.5%. This method, which eliminated the effect of template leakage on qualitative and quantitative analysis was found to be superior to the methods reported in the literature. The results indicated that it could be successfully applied to analyze amide herbicides in fish samples with satisfactory recoveries.

Insight into the Role of Psychological Factors in Oral Mucosa Diseases.

With the development of psychology and medicine, more and more diseases have found their psychological origins and associations, especially ulceration and other mucosal injuries, within the digestive system. However, the association of psychological factors with lesions of the oral mucosa, including oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), burning mouth syndrome (BMS), and recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS), have not been fully characterized. In this review, after introducing the association between psychological and nervous factors and diseases, we provide detailed descriptions of the psychology and nerve fibers involved in the pathology of OSCC, BMS, and RAS, pointing out the underlying mechanisms and suggesting the clinical indications.

Gray matter asymmetry in asymptomatic carotid stenosis.

Even clinically "asymptomatic" carotid stenosis is associated with multidomain cognitive impairment, gray matter (GM) atrophy, and silent lesion. However, the links between them remain unclear. Using structural MRI data, we examined GM asymmetry index (AI) and white matter hyperintensity (WMH) in 24 patients with severe asymptomatic carotid stenosis (SACS), 24 comorbidity-matched controls, and independent samples of 84 elderly controls and 22 young adults. As compared to controls, SACS patients showed worse verbal memories, higher WMH burden, and right-lateralized GM in posterior middle temporal and mouth-somatomotor regions. These clusters extended to pars triangularis, lateral temporal, and cerebellar regions, when compared with young adults. Further, a full-path of WMH burden (X), GM volume (atrophy, M1), AI (asymmetry, M2), and neuropsychological variables (Y) through a serial mediation model was analyzed. This analysis identified that left-dominated GM atrophy and right-lateralized asymmetry in the posterior middle temporal cortex mediated the relationship between WMH burden and recall memory in SACS patients. These results suggest that the unbalanced hemispheric atrophy in the posterior middle temporal cortex is crucial to mediating relationship between WMH burden and verbal recall memories, which may underlie accelerated aging and cognitive deterioration in patients with SACS and other vascular cognitive impairment.

Determination of sulfonamide antibiotics in fish and shrimp samples based on magnetic carbon nanotube dummy molecularly imprinted polymer extraction followed by UPLC-MS/MS.

In this study, a novel purification method using magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE) based on magnetic carbon nanotube dummy molecularly imprinted polymer (MCNTMIP) nanocomposite was investigated for separation and enrichment of sulfonamide antibiotics (SAs) in fish and shrimp samples. The MCNTMIP nanocomposite was successfully synthesized by applying carbon nanotubes as supporting template, methacrylic acid as functional monomer, sulfabenzamide as the dummy template for SAs, and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as crosslinking agent, then was characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectrometry and vibrating sample magnetometry. The adsorption performance of MCNTMIP was evaluated by binding experiments, including static adsorption, kinetic adsorption, and selectivity recognition study. The results confirmed that an imprinted polymer layer was successfully constructed on the surface of the MCNTMIP and this sorbent has advantages of simple magnetic separation, specific molecular recognition, and high adsorption capacity. Combined with ultra-high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS), we developed a rapid, sensitive, efficient MSPE method for detecting SAs analytes. Under the optimal conditions, the limits of detection were low to 0.1 µg/kg, and the recoveries of SAs analytes were ranged between 90.2 and 99.9%. In addition, the precision values were ranged between 0.5 and 9.1%. This method was successfully applied to analyze SAs in fish and shrimp samples with satisfactory recoveries.

Preparation of porous carbon-based molecularly imprinted polymers for separation of triazine herbicides in corn.

A synthesis route of using cellulose as the precursor to prepare porous carbon (PC) had been established in this study. The as-prepared PC was introduced as carriers in the synthesis process of porous carbon-molecularly imprinted polymers (PC-MIPs), which greatly improved the absorption capacity of MIPs. Triazine pesticides in corn were extracted with matrix solid-phase dispersion (MSPD) using the PC-MIPs as dispersants and determined by ultraperformance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). Under the optimal MSPD condition for extracting six kinds of triazines (simazine, terbutryn, simetryne, prometryne, ametryn, and atrazine), the detection limits were 0.005-0.02 ng g-1, while the precisions were 1.2-5.9%, and the recoveries were 92.6-104.7%. The method has been extensively applied to analyze various corn samples. Atrazine residue (1.2 µg kg-1) was detected in one corn sample, which was lower than the maximum residual limit indicated by the Chinese stated standards (50 µg kg-1).

Biological-based control strategies for MBR membrane biofouling: a review.

Membrane bioreactor (MBR) technology has been paid extensive attention for wastewater treatment because of its advantages of high effluent quality and minimized occupation space and sludge production. However, the membrane fouling is always an inevitable problem, which causes high operation and maintenance costs and prevents the wide use of MBR technology. The membrane biofouling is the most complicated and has relatively slow progress among all types of fouling. In recent years, many membrane biofouling control methods have been developed. Different from the physical or chemical methods, the biological-based strategies are not only more effective for membrane biofouling control, but also milder and more environment-friendly and, therefore, have been increasingly employed. This paper mainly focuses on the mechanism, unique advantages and development of biological-based control strategies for MBR membrane biofouling such as quorum quenching, uncoupling, flocculants and so on. The paper summarizes the up-to-date development of membrane biofouling control strategies, emphasizes the advantages and promising potential of biological-based ones, and points out the direction for future studies.

Magnetic Actuation of Flexible Microelectrode Arrays for Neural Activity Recordings.

Implantable microelectrodes that can be remotely actuated via external fields are promising tools to interface with biological systems at a high degree of precision. Here, we report the development of flexible magnetic microelectrodes (FMµEs) that can be remotely actuated by magnetic fields. The FMµEs consist of flexible microelectrodes integrated with dielectrically encapsulated FeNi (iron-nickel) alloy microactuators. Both magnetic torque- and force-driven actuation of the FMµEs have been demonstrated. Nanoplatinum-coated FMµEs have been applied for in vivo recordings of neural activities from peripheral nerves and cerebral cortex of mice. Moreover, owing to their ultrasmall sizes and mechanical compliance with neural tissues, chronically implanted FMµEs elicited greatly reduced neuronal cell loss in mouse brain compared to conventional stiff probes. The FMµEs open up a variety of new opportunities for electrically interfacing with biological systems in a controlled and minimally invasive manner.

Pegylated liposomal doxorubicin for myeloid neoplasms.

Pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (Peg-Dox) treatment resulted in a good outcome for patients with lymphoma and multiple myeloma, with reduced cardiotoxicity and an improved pharmacokinetic profile when compared to those of conventional doxorubicin. However, the use of Peg-Dox in myeloid neoplasms remains poorly studied. In this study, we first tested the role of Peg-Dox in the killing of myeloid cell lines and of primary myeloid leukemia cells. Then, a Peg-Dox-based protocol was used to treat patients with myeloid neoplasms. The results showed that the Peg-Dox and Peg-Dox-based protocols had a similar killing ability in myeloid cell lines and in primary myeloid leukemia cells compared to that of conventional doxorubicin. The complete remission rate was 87.5% and 100% for patients with refractory/relapsed acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome with excess blasts, respectively, after treatment with Peg-Dox. All patients developed grade 3 or 4 hematological toxicity and recovered approximately 2 weeks after completing chemotherapy. No deaths or other severe complications were reported. Our results showed that Peg-Dox can be used in the treatment of myeloid neoplasms with high rates of complete remission and with mild complications.

A facile modification to improve the biocompatibility and adsorbability of activated carbon with zwitterionic hydrogel.

In this work, poly(carboxybetaine methacrylate) hydrogel (pCBMA) was employed to modify the activated carbon (AC) for improving the biocompatibility and adsorption capacity of AC in biological environments. First, size-controlled hydrogel beads and hydrogel coated AC (pCBMA-AC) were fabricated with a homemade device, and the preparation conditions were optimized. Then the physical and biological properties of pCBMA-AC with different diameters were investigated. 2 mm pCBMA-AC dispalyed excellent stability with leakage rate only 0.16% after 72 h shaking incubation, as well as remarkable biocompatibility with merely 0.13% hemolysis rate and 3.41% cell death, while 14.72% and 70.11% for the bare AC, respectively, indicating the acceptable lower hemolysis and cytotoxicity according to ISO 10993. Furthermore, the adsorption capacities of pCBMA-AC were evaluated in biological environments with methylene blue as model molecules. The pCBMA-AC displayed 93.50% and 97.32% adsorption rates in BSA solution and FBS, respectively, but only 70.33% and 40.26% for the uncoated AC. These results indicated that pCBMA endows AC remarkable biocompatibility and adsorption capacity, which could extend the applications of AC in biological environments.

Lipid rafts-mediated endocytosis and physiology-based cell membrane traffic models of doxorubicin liposomes.

The clathrin-mediated endocytosis is likely a major mechanism of liposomes' internalization. A kinetic approach was used to assess the internalization mechanism of doxorubicin (Dox) loaded cationic liposomes and to establish physiology-based cell membrane traffic mathematic models. Lipid rafts-mediated endocytosis, including dynamin-dependent or -independent endocytosis of noncaveolar structure, was a dominant process. The mathematic models divided Dox loaded liposomes binding lipid rafts (B) into saturable binding (SB) and nonsaturable binding (NSB) followed by energy-driven endocytosis. The intracellular trafficking demonstrated early endosome-late endosome-lysosome or early/late endosome-cytoplasm-nucleus pathways. The three properties of liposome structures, i.e., cationic lipid, fusogenic lipid, and pegylation, were investigated to compare their contributions to cell membrane and intracellular traffic. The results revealed great contribution of cationic lipid DOTAP and fusogenic lipid DOPE to cell membrane binding and internalization. The valid Dox in the nuclei of HepG2 and A375 cells treated with cationic liposomes containing 40mol% of DOPE were 1.2-fold and 1.5-fold higher than that in the nuclei of HepG2 and A375 cells treated with liposomes containing 20mol% of DOPE, respectively, suggesting the dependence of cell type. This tendency was proportional to the increase of cell-associated total liposomal Dox. The mathematic models would be useful to predict intracellular trafficking of liposomal Dox.

Preparation of magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers by atom transfer radical polymerization for the rapid extraction of avermectin from fish samples.

A novel and highly efficient approach to obtain magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers is described to detect avermectin in fish samples. The magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers were synthesized by surface imprinting polymerization using magnetic multiwalled carbon nanotubes as the support materials, atom transfer radical polymerization as the polymerization method, avermectin as template, acrylamide as functional monomer, and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as crosslinker. The characteristics of the magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers were assessed by using transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, vibrating sample magnetometry, X-ray diffraction, and thermogravimetric analysis. The binding characteristics of magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers were researched through isothermal adsorption experiment, kinetics adsorption experiment, and the selectivity experiment. Coupled with ultra high performance liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry, the extraction conditions of the magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers as adsorbents for avermectin were investigated in detail. The recovery of avermectin was 84.2-97.0%, and the limit of detection was 0.075 µg/kg. Relative standard deviations of intra- and inter-day precisions were in the range of 1.7-2.9% and 3.4-5.6%, respectively. The results demonstrated that the extraction method not only has high selectivity and accuracy, but also is convenient for the determination of avermectin in fish samples.

Low-cost, acid/alkaline-resistant, and fluorine-free superhydrophobic fabric coating from onionlike carbon microspheres converted from waste polyethylene terephthalate.

Onionlike carbon microspheres composed of many nanoflakes have been prepared by pyrolyzing waste polyethylene terephthalate in supercritical carbon dioxide at 650 °C for 3 h followed by subsequent vacuum annealing at 1500 °C for 0.5 h. The obtained onionlike carbon microspheres have very high surface roughness and exhibit unique hydrophobic properties. Considering their structural similarities with a lotus leaf, we further developed a low-cost, acid/alkaline-resistant, and fluorine-free superhydrophobic coating strategy on fabrics by employing the onionlike carbon microspheres and polydimethylsiloxane as raw materials. This provides a novel technique to convert waste polyethylene terephthalate to valuable carbon materials. At the same time, we demonstrate a novel application direction of carbon materials by taking advantage of their unique structural properties. The combination of recycling waste solid materials as carbon feedstock for valuable carbon material production, with the generation of highly value-added products such as superhydrophobic fabrics, may provide a feasible solution for sustainable solid waste treatment.

Favorable effect of myofibroblasts on collagen synthesis and osteocalcin production in the periodontal ligament.

INTRODUCTION: In this study, we aimed to explore the expressions of α-smooth muscle actin, collagen type I, collagen type III, and osteocalcin in the periodontal ligament (PDL) under orthodontic loading, and to investigate the effect of myofibroblasts on collagen synthesis and osteocalcin production. METHODS: The teeth in the right maxillae of the rats were orthodontically loaded while the contralateral teeth remained unloaded as controls. The total 30 rats were divided into 5 groups, with each group corresponding to a treatment duration (0, 3, 5, 7, or 14 days, respectively). The expressions of α-smooth muscle actin, collagen type I, collagen type III, and osteocalcin in the tension area of the PDL over time were analyzed by immunochemistry staining. For the in-vitro study, the expressions of α-smooth muscle actin, collagen type I, collagen type III, and osteocalcin in the myofibroblasts and human osteoblast-like cells (MG63) coculture and PDL cells-MG63 coculture systems were examined by Western blot and real-time polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: Enhanced expression of α-smooth muscle actin, collagen type I, collagen type III, and osteocalcin in the tension area of the PDL under orthodontic loading were observed in vivo, and increased expressions of α-smooth muscle actin, collagen type I, collagen type III, and osteocalcin in the myofibroblasts-MG63 coculture system were observed compared with the controls. CONCLUSIONS: Expressions of α-smooth muscle actin, collagen type I, collagen type III, and osteocalcin are up-regulated in the PDL under orthodontic tensile loading. Myofibroblasts have a more positive effect on collagen synthesis and osteocalcin expression than do PDL cells.

Integrated Transcriptomic and Proteomic Analysis Identifies Novel Regulatory Genes Associated with Plant Growth Regulator-Induced Astringency in Grape Berries.

Astringency influences the sensory characteristics and flavor quality of table grapes. We tested the astringency sensory attributes of berries and investigated the concentration of flavan-3-ols/proanthocyanidins (PAs) in skins after the application of the plant growth regulators CPPU and GA3 to the flowers and young berries of the "Summer Black" grape. Our results showed that CPPU and GA3 applications increase sensory astringency perception scores and flavan-3-ol/proanthocyanidin concentrations. Using integrated transcriptomic and proteomic analysis, differentially expressed transcripts and proteins associated with growth regulator treatment were identified, including those for flavonoid biosynthesis that contribute to the changes in sensory astringency levels. Transient overexpression of candidate astringency-related regulatory genes in grape leaves revealed that VvWRKY71, in combination with VvMYBPA1 and VvMYC1, could promote the biosynthesis of proanthocyanidins, while overexpression of VvNAC83 reduced the accumulation of proanthocyanidins. However, in transient promoter studies in Nicotiana benthamiana, VvWRKY71 repressed the promoter of VvMYBPA2, while VvNAC83 had no significant effect on the promoter activity of four PA-related genes, and VvMYBPA1 was shown to activate its own promoter. This study provides new insights into the molecular mechanisms of sensory astringency formation induced by plant growth regulators in grape berries.

Biolimus-coated versus paclitaxel-coated balloons for coronary in-stent restenosis (BIO ASCEND ISR): a randomised, non-inferiority trial.

BACKGROUND: The treatment of in-stent restenosis (ISR) after drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation remains challenging in current clinical practice. AIMS: The study was conducted to investigate a novel biolimus-coated balloon (BCB) for the treatment of coronary DES-ISR compared with the best-investigated paclitaxel-coated balloon (PCB). METHODS: This was a prospective, multicentre, randomised, non-inferiority trial comparing a novel BCB with a clinically proven PCB for coronary DES-ISR. The primary endpoint was in-segment late lumen loss (LLL) at 9 months assessed by an independent core laboratory. Baseline and follow-up optical coherence tomography were performed in a prespecified subgroup of patients. RESULTS: A total of 280 patients at 17 centres were randomised to treatment with a BCB (n=140) versus a PCB (n=140). At 9 months, LLL in the BCB group was 0.23±0.37 mm compared to 0.25±0.35 mm in the PCB group; the mean difference between the groups was -0.02 (95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.12 to 0.07) mm; p-value for non-inferiority<0.0001. Similar clinical outcomes were also observed for both groups at 12 months. In the optical coherence tomography substudy, the neointimal area at 9 months was 2.32±1.04 mm2 in the BCB group compared to 2.37±0.93 mm2 in the PCB group; the mean difference between the groups was -0.09 (95% CI: -0.94 to 0.76) mm2; p=non-significant. CONCLUSIONS: This head-to-head comparison of a novel BCB shows similar angiographic outcomes in the treatment of coronary DES-ISR compared with a clinically proven PCB. (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04733443).

Frequency-Dependent Alterations in the Amplitude of Low-Frequency Fluctuations in Patients with Acute Pericoronitis: A Resting-State fMRI Study.

Background: Acute pericoronitis (AP) is a common cause of odontogenic toothache. Pain significantly affects the structure and function of the brain, but alterations in spontaneous brain activity in patients with AP are unclear. Purpose: To apply the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) method in resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate altered spontaneous brain activity characteristics in patients with AP in different frequency bands (typical, slow-4, and slow-5 bands) and assess their correlation with clinical scores. Patients and Methods: Thirty-four right-handed patients with AP and 31 healthy controls (HC), matched for age, sex, education, and right-handedness, were enrolled. All subjects underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. DPABI software was used for data preprocessing and extracting the ALFF values in different frequency bands. Subsequently, differences in ALFF values in the three bands were compared between the two groups. Correlation between ALFF values in the differential brain regions and clinical scores was assessed. Results: In the typical band, ALFF values were higher in the left insula, left superior occipital gyrus, left inferior parietal lobule, left posterior cerebellar lobule, and right postcentral gyrus in the AP than in the HC group. In the slow-4 band, ALFF values in the left superior occipital gyrus, right superior occipital gyrus, and right middle occipital gyrus were higher, and those in the right cingulate gyrus and right superior temporal gyrus were lower in the AP than in the HC group. In the slow-5 band, the ALFF values in the left insula and left superior occipital gyrus were higher in the AP than in the HC group. The ALFF values of the typical bands in the left insula, left inferior parietal lobule, and right postcentral gyrus correlated negatively, those of the slow-4 band in the right middle occipital gyrus correlated positively, and those of the slow-5 band in the left insula correlated negatively with the visual analogue scale score in the AP group. Conclusion: Our results suggested that the intrinsic brain activity of AP patients was abnormal and frequency-dependent. This provides new insights to explore the neurophysiological mechanisms of AP.