A fluorescence probe with targeted mitochondria for detecting hydrogen peroxide in vitro and in diabetic mice.

We designed and prepared probe W-1 for the detection of H2O2. W-1 showed excellent selectivity for H2O2 and was accompanied by colorimetric signal changes. The excellent linear relationship between fluorescence intensity and H2O2 concentration (0-100 µM) provided favorable conditions for its quantitative detection. In addition, the combination of portable test strips with a smartphone platform provided great convenience for on-site visual detection of H2O2. Moreover, W-1 possessed targeting mitochondria property and could be applied to image the exogenous and endogenous H2O2 in cells to distinguish normal cells and cancer cells. Lastly, W-1 was used for monitoring the H2O2 fluctuation of the diabetic process in mice, and the results showed an increase in H2O2 levels in diabetes. Therefore, the probe provided a tool for understanding the pathological and physiological mechanisms of diabetes by imaging H2O2.

Semi-invasive wearable clinic: Solution-processed smart microneedle electronics for next-generation integrated diagnosis and treatment.

The integrated smart electronics for real-time monitoring and personalized therapy of disease-related analytes have been gradually gaining tremendous attention. However, human tissue barriers, including the skin barrier and brain-blood barrier, pose significant challenges for effective biomarker detection and drug delivery. Microneedle (MN) electronics present a promising solution to overcome these tissue barriers due to their semi-invasive structures, enabling effective drug delivery and target-analyte detection without compromising the tissue configuration. Furthermore, MNs can be fabricated through solution processing, facilitating large-scale manufacturing. This review provides a comprehensive summary of the recent three-year advancements in smart MNs development, categorized as follows. First, the solution-processed technology for MNs is introduced, with a focus on various printing technologies. Subsequently, smart MNs designed for sensing, drug delivery, and integrated systems combining diagnosis and treatment are separately summarized. Finally, the prospective and promising applications of next-generation MNs within mediated diagnosis and treatment systems are discussed.

Theranostic antibacterial hydrogel based on biopolymers cross-linked and doped with phytic acid from rice bran for wound healing.

Theranostic antibacterial wound dressing is highly recommended in practical applications. The conventional methods of integrating diagnostic and therapeutic functions have the disadvantages of complicated preparation, mutual interference, inability to effectively broad spectrum antibacterial property, and easy to induce drug-resistant bacteria. Herein, a pH and light-responsive theranostic antibacterial hydrogel is developed by biopolymers polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and polyaniline (PANI), and cross-linking with phytic acid (PA), which is widely present in rice bran. The biological polymer-based conductive hydrogel enables timely diagnosis and photothermal sterilization in-situ for wound healing. Because PANI is highly sensitive to pH changes in the bacterial microenvironment, the hydrogel can detect bacterial infections at concentrations as low as 103 CFU/mL. Subsequently, PANI absorbs near-infrared light to achieve on-demand exothermic sterilization (under 808 nm irradiation for 20 min, the killing ratios for Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli reached almost 100 %). In addition, the hydrogel can monitor the intensity of joint movement to avoid wound re-tearing sensitively. In vitro cytotoxicity and hemocompatibility experiments and in vivo full-thickness infected wound model indicate that the hydrogel has good biocompatibility, antibacterial ability, and can accelerate the wound healing effectively. This work will promote the development of wearable electronic devices and precision medicine.

A Robust Anti-Thermal-Quenching Phosphor Based on Zero-Dimensional Metal Halide Rb3InCl6:xSb3.

High-power phosphor-converted white light-emitting diodes (hp-WLEDs) have been widely involved in modern society as outdoor lighting sources. In these devices, due to the Joule effect, the high applied currents cause high operation temperatures (>500 K). Under these conditions, most phosphors lose their emission, an effect known as thermal quenching (TQ). Here, we introduce a zero-dimensional (0D) metal halide, Rb3InCl6:xSb3+, as a suitable anti-TQ phosphor offering robust anti-TQ behavior up to 500 K. We ascribe this behavior of the metal halide to two factors: (1) a compensation process via thermally activated energy transfer from structural defects to emissive centers and (2) an intrinsic structural rigidity of the isolated octahedra in the 0D structure. The anti-TQ phosphor-based WLEDs can stably work at a current of 2000 mA. The low synthesis cost and nontoxic composition reported here can herald a new generation of anti-TQ phosphors for hp-WLED.

4D Printable liquid crystal elastomers with restricted nanointerfacial slippage for long-term-cyclic-stability photothermal actuation.

Liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) blended with photothermal nanofillers can reversibly and rapidly deform their shapes under external optical stimuli. However, nanointerfacial slipping inevitably occurs between the LCE molecules and the nanofillers due to their weak physical interactions, eventually resulting in cyclic instability. This work presents a versatile strategy to fabricate nanointerfacial-slipping-restricted photoactuation elastomers by chemically bonding the nanofillers into a thermally actuatable liquid crystal network. We experimentally and theoretically investigated three types of metal-based nanofillers, including zero-dimensional (0D) nanoparticles, one-dimensional (1D) nanowires, and two-dimensional (2D) nanosheets. The toughly crosslinked nanointerface allows for remarkably promoted interfacial thermal conductivity and stress transfer. Therefore, the resultant actuators enable the realization of long-term-cyclic-stability 4D-printed flexible intelligent systems such as the optical gripper, crawling robot, light-powered self-sustained windmill, butterflies with fluttering wings, and intelligent solar energy collection system.

Injectable Conductive Hydrogel with Self-Healing, Motion Monitoring, and Bacteria Theranostics for Bioelectronic Wound Dressing.

Wounds at joints are difficult to treat and tend to recover more slowly due to the frequent motions. When using traditional hydrogel dressings, they are easy to crack and undergo bacterial infection, difficult to match and monitor the irregular wounds. Integrating multiple functions within a hydrogel dressing to achieve intelligent wound monitoring and healing remains a significant challenge. In this research, a multifunctional hydrogel is developed based on polysaccharide biopolymer, poly(vinyl alcohol), and hydroxylated graphene through dynamic borate ester bonding and supramolecular interaction. The prepared hydrogel not only exhibits rapid self-healing (within 60 s), injectable, conductive and motion monitoring properties, but also realizes in situ bacterial sensing and killing functions. It shows excellent bacterial sensitivity (within 15 min) and killing ability via the changes of electrical signals and photothermal therapy, avoiding the emergence of drug-resistant bacteria. In vivo experiments prove that the hydrogel can promote wound healing effectively. In addition, it displays great electromechanical performance to achieve real-time monitoring and prevent re-tearing of the wound at human joints. The injectable pH-responsive hydrogel with good biocompatibility demonstrates considerable potential as multifunctional bioelectronic dressing for the detection, treatment, management, and healing of infected joint wounds.

Advances in single ice crystal shaping materials: From nature to synthesis and applications in cryopreservation.

Antifreeze (glyco) proteins [AF(G)Ps], which are widely present in various extreme microorganisms, can control the formation and growth of ice crystals. Given the significance of cryogenic technology in biomedicine, climate science, electronic energy, and other fields of research, scientists are quite interested in the development and synthesis high-efficiency bionic antifreeze protein materials, particularly to reproduce their dynamic ice shaping (DIS) characteristics. Single ice crystal shaping materials, a promising class of ice-controlling materials, can alter the morphology and growth rate of ice crystals at low temperatures. This review aims to highlight the development of single ice crystal shaping materials and provide a brief comparison between a series of natural and bionic synthetic materials with DIS ability, which include AF(G)Ps, polymers, salts, and nanomaterials. Additionally, we summarize their applications in cryopreservation. Finally, this paper presents the current challenges and prospects encountered in developing high-efficiency and practical single ice crystal shaping materials. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: The formation and growth of ice crystals hold a significant importance to an incredibly broad range of fields. Therefore, the design and fabrication of the single ice crystal shaping materials have gained the increasing popularity due to its key role in dynamic ice shaping (DIS) characteristics. Especially, single ice crystal shaping materials are considered one of the most promising candidates as ice inhibitors, presenting tremendous prospects for enhancing cryopreservation. In this work, we focus on the molecular characteristics, structure-function relationships, and DIS mechanisms of typical natural and biomimetic synthetic materials. This review may provide inspiration for the design and preparation of single ice crystal shaping materials and give guidance for the development of effective cryopreservation agent.

Smart Aqueous Zinc Ion Battery: Operation Principles and Design Strategy.

The zinc ion battery (ZIB) as a promising energy storage device has attracted great attention due to its high safety, low cost, high capacity, and the integrated smart functions. Herein, the working principles of smart responses, smart self-charging, smart electrochromic as well as smart integration of the battery are summarized. Thus, this review enables to inspire researchers to design the novel functional battery devices for extending their application prospects. In addition, the critical factors associated with the performance of the smart ZIBs are comprehensively collected and discussed from the viewpoint of the intellectualized design. A profound understanding for correlating the design philosophy in cathode materials and electrolytes with the electrode interface is provided. To address the current challenging issues and the development of smart ZIB systems, a wide variety of emerging strategies regarding the integrated battery system is finally prospected.

Near-Infrared Light-Driven MXene/Liquid Crystal Elastomer Bimorph Membranes for Closed-Loop Controlled Self-Sensing Bionic Robots.

More recently, soft actuators have evoked great interest in the next generation of soft robots. Despite significant progress, the majority of current soft actuators suffer from the lack of real-time sensory feedback and self-control functions, prohibiting their effective sensing and multitasking functions. Therefore, in this work, a near-infrared-driven bimorph membrane, with self-sensing and feedback loop control functions, is produced by layer by layer (LBL) assembling MXene/PDDA (PM) onto liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) film. The versatile integration strategy successfully prevents the separation issues that arise from moduli mismatch between the sensing and the actuating layers, ultimately resulting in a stable and tightly bonded interface adhesion. As a result, the resultant membrane exhibited excellent mechanical toughness (tensile strengths equal to 16.3 MPa (||)), strong actuation properties (actuation stress equal to 1.56 MPa), and stable self-sensing (gauge factor equal to 4.72) capabilities. When applying the near-infrared (NIR) laser control, the system can perform grasping, traction, and crawling movements. Furthermore, the wing actuation and the closed-loop controlled motion are demonstrated in combination with the insect microcontroller unit (MCU) models. The remote precision control and the self-sensing capabilities of the soft actuator pave a way for complex and precise task modulation in the future.

Three/Four-Dimensional Printed PLA Nano/Microstructures: Crystallization Principles and Practical Applications.

Compared to traditional methods, three/four-dimensional (3D/4D) printing technologies allow rapid prototyping and mass customization, which are ideal for preparing nano/microstructures of soft polymer materials. Poly (lactic acid) (PLA) is a biopolymer material widely used in additive manufacturing (AM) because of its biocompatibility and biodegradability. Unfortunately, owing to its intrinsically poor nucleation ability, a PLA product is usually in an amorphous state after industrial processing, leading to some undesirable properties such as a barrier property and low thermal resistance. Crystallization mediation offers a most practical way to improve the properties of PLA products. Herein, we summarize and discuss 3D/4D printing technologies in the processing of PLA nano/microstructures, focusing on crystallization principles and practical applications including bio-inspired structures, flexible electronics and biomedical engineering mainly reported in the last five years. Moreover, the challenges and prospects of 3D/4D printing technologies in the fabrication of high-performance PLA materials nano/microstructures will also be discussed.

Abnormal expression of CXCL13, MIF and IL-35 in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome and its relationship with disease severity.

Introduction: The aim of the study was to detect the saliva chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 13 (CXCL13), macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), and interleukin 35 (IL-35) levels in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) and pSS-associated interstitial lung disease (pSS-ILD), and to explore the relationship between CXCL13, MIF, IL-35 levels, and disease severity. Material and methods: ESSDAI score was used to evaluate the disease activity of pSS patients, and the levels of CXCL13, MIF and IL-35 in saliva of subjects were detected and analyzed, and the relationship between CXCL13, MIF, IL-35 and the occurrence of pSS was evaluated. Pearson's correlation coefficient was used to analyze the correlation between CXCL13, MIF, IL-35 and ESSDAI score. ROC curve analysis was conducted to assess the diagnostic value of CXCL13, MIF, IL-35 and their combined application in pSS. Results: The levels of CXCL13, MIF, and IL-35 in saliva were positively correlated with ESSDAI score. Saliva CXCL13 and IL-35 are risk factors for the development of pSS into pSS-ILD. The ROC curve shows that the combination of saliva CXCL13, MIF and IL-35 has the highest diagnostic efficiency for pSS-ILD. Conclusions: CXCL13, MIF and IL-35 are related to the activity of pSS, and the combined diagnosis of these three indexes is expected to be an important method to predict the occurrence and development of pSS.

Tuning ice nucleation with pH-modulated Fe3+ cross-linked hydrogel surfaces.

Ice nucleation plays a vital function in various fields. In this study, we prepared hydrogel surfaces with different cross-linkages by pH-modulating the coordination pattern of Fe3+ and catechol. We found that the ice nucleation temperature decreases with increasing cross-linkages. Further analysis shows that the hydrogel surfaces with different cross-linking degrees could achieve the regulation of ice nucleation by modulating the interfacial water. Our study elucidates the mechanism of ice nucleation regulated by interfacial water in soft matter and proposes a new method for preparing ice nucleation-regulated material.

Inhibition of perilipin 2 attenuates cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury by blocking NLRP3 inflammasome activation both in vivo and in vitro.

Cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (CI/R) usually causes neuroinflammation within the central nervous system, further prompting irreversible cerebral dysfunction. Perilipin 2 (Plin2), a lipid droplet protein, has been reported to exacerbate the pathological process in different diseases, including inflammatory responses. However, the role and mechanism of Plin2 in CI/R injury are unclear. In this study, the rat models of transient middle cerebral artery occlusion followed by reperfusion (tMCAO/R) were established to mimic I/R injury, and we found that Plin2 was highly expressed in the ischemic penumbra of tMCAO/R rats. The siRNA-mediated knockdown of Plin2 significantly decreased neurological deficit scores and reduced infarct areas in rats induced by I/R. Detailed investigation showed that Plin2 deficiency alleviated inflammation of tMCAO/R rats as evidenced by reduced secretion of proinflammatory factors and the blockade of NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activation. In vitro experiments showed that Plin2 expression was upregulated in mouse microglia subjected to oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R). Plin2 knockdown inhibited OGD/R-induced microglia activation and the accumulation of inflammation-related factors. Taken together, this study demonstrates that lipid droplet protein Plin2 contributes to the pathologic process of CI/R damage by impacting inflammatory response and NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Thus, Plin2 may provide a new therapeutic direction for CI/R injury.

MXene Contact Engineering for Printed Electronics.

MXenes emerging as an amazing class of 2D layered materials, have drawn great attention in the past decade. Recent progress suggest that MXene-based materials have been widely explored as conductive electrodes for printed electronics, including electronic and optoelectronic devices, sensors, and energy storage systems. Here, the critical factors impacting device performance are comprehensively interpreted from the viewpoint of contact engineering, thereby giving a deep understanding of surface microstructures, contact defects, and energy level matching as well as their interaction principles. This review also summarizes the existing challenges of MXene inks and the related printing techniques, aiming at inspiring researchers to develop novel large-area and high-resolution printing integration methods. Moreover, to effectually tune the states of contact interface and meet the urgent demands of printed electronics, the significance of MXene contact engineering in reducing defects, matching energy levels, and regulating performance is highlighted. Finally, the printed electronics constructed by the collaborative combination of the printing process and contact engineering are discussed.

Conversion of glucose to methyl glycolate in subcritical methanol.

Methyl glycolate (MG) is an important biodegradable PGA plastic monomer. Herein, a green approach to synthesize MG by methanolysis of glucose is proposed, in which the subcritical methanol and phenol/quinone redox system were combined to promote the reversible C-C cleavage and oxidation during the cascade reaction of glucose to MG.

Convergence of 3D Bioprinting and Nanotechnology in Tissue Engineering Scaffolds.

Three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting has emerged as a promising scaffold fabrication strategy for tissue engineering with excellent control over scaffold geometry and microstructure. Nanobiomaterials as bioinks play a key role in manipulating the cellular microenvironment to alter its growth and development. This review first introduces the commonly used nanomaterials in tissue engineering scaffolds, including natural polymers, synthetic polymers, and polymer derivatives, and reveals the improvement of nanomaterials on scaffold performance. Second, the 3D bioprinting technologies of inkjet-based bioprinting, extrusion-based bioprinting, laser-assisted bioprinting, and stereolithography bioprinting are comprehensively itemized, and the advantages and underlying mechanisms are revealed. Then the convergence of 3D bioprinting and nanotechnology applications in tissue engineering scaffolds, such as bone, nerve, blood vessel, tendon, and internal organs, are discussed. Finally, the challenges and perspectives of convergence of 3D bioprinting and nanotechnology are proposed. This review will provide scientific guidance to develop 3D bioprinting tissue engineering scaffolds by nanotechnology.

Matching CP@NCOH/NF Cathode and GH/FNP/NF Anode for High-Performance Asymmetric Supercapacitor.

It is extremely crucial to design and match high-quality cathode and anode for achieving high-performance asymmetric supercapacitors (ASCs). Herein, Co3 (PO4 )2 @NiCo-LDH/Ni foam (CP@NCOH/NF) cathode with hierarchical morphology and graphene hydrogel/Fe-Ni phosphide/Ni foam (GH/FNP/NF) anode with the robust and porous structure are elaborately designed and prepared, respectively. Owing to their unique and profitable structures, both CP@NCOH/NF and GH/FNP/NF electrodes yield the superior capacity (10760 and 2236 mC cm-2 at 2 mA cm-2 , respectively), good rate capability (63% retention at 200 mA cm-2 and 52% retention at 50 mA cm-2 , respectively), and excellent cycling stability (72% and 74% retention after 10 000 cycles, respectively). Benefiting from their matchable electrochemical performances, the configured solid-state CP@NCOH/NF//GH/FNP/NF ASC outputs both competitive energy density (80.2 Wh kg-1 /4.1 mWh cm-3 ) and power density (14563 W kg-1 /750 mW cm-3 ), companied by remarkable cyclability (71% retention after 10 000 cycles), manifesting its great promise for large-scale integrated energy-storage system.

Transmembrane p24 trafficking protein 10 (TMED10) inhibits mitochondrial damage and protects neurons in ischemic stroke via the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) signaling pathway.

Stroke, a type of acute cerebrovascular disease, is a global disease with high mortality. Neuronal ischemia and hypoxia are closely related to occurrence and development of cognitive impairment. Transmembrane p24 trafficking protein 10 (TMED10) as a transmembrane protein involves in vesicle protein transport in the secretory pathways. However, the function and mechanism of TMED10 on ischemic stroke and cognitive impairments remain unclear. In current study, TMED10 was highly expressed in cerebral ischemic penumbra of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) mouse model. Downregulation of TMED10 suppressed cell survival and facilitated apoptosis in primary cortical neurons, which were grown under oxygen glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R) condition. Upregulation of TMED10 protected neurons form apoptosis induced by OGD/R. Further research indicated that the decrease of TMED10 resulted in neuronal mitochondrial injury through increasing reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Meanwhile, TMED10 reduction induced neuronal apoptosis and mitochondrial damage through activating the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) pathway. Moreover, the knockdown of TMED10 increased cerebral infarction area, aggravated neuronal injury and promoted neuronal apoptosis through activating the JNK pathway in the cerebral ischemic penumbra of MCAO mouse model. Additionally, Morris water maze test verified that the severity of cognitive impairment increased with the decline of TMED10. Collectively, this study reveals that TMED10 inhibits mitochondrial damage, and protects neurons from apoptosis in MCAO-induced ischemic stroke and cognitive impairment via blocking the JNK pathway.

Preparation and characterization of lauric acid-stearic acid/expanded perlite as a composite phase change material.

Rapid energy consumption stimulates the development of energy-saving materials. In this work, the L-S eutectic mixture used as a PCM was compounded with EP via vacuum adsorption to synthesize LS/EP CPCM. The maximum mass adsorption rate of EP on L-S is determined to be 70% via leakage experiments. The microscopic morphology, chemical, and crystal structure were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD), respectively. The phase change properties were measured by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The melting temperature of LS/EP is 37.79 °C, with a latent heat of 126.05 J g-1, and it has a crystallinity of over 90%. The thermal decomposition was evaluated by TGA. The initial decomposition temperature is 132.20 °C for LS/EP. In addition, the results of accelerated phase change cycling experiments showed that LS/EP CPCM has good reliability.

Red fluorescent AIEgens based multifunctional nonviral gene vectors for the efficient combination of gene therapy and photodynamic therapy in anti-cancer.

Precise molecular engineering of AIEgens-based cationic delivery systems for high transfection efficiency (TE) and effective photodynamic therapy (PDT) holds a huge potential for cancer treatment. Herein, three amphiphiles (DT-C6/8/12-M) consisting of di(triazole-[12]aneN3) (M) and 1,1-dicyano-2-phenyl-2-(4-diphenylamino)phenyl-ethylene (DT) units have been developed to achieve luminescent tracking, efficient TE, and effective PDT in vitro and in vivo. These compounds exhibited strong aggregated induced emission (AIE) at 630 nm and mega Stokes shifts of up to 160 nm. They were able to bind DNA into nanoparticles with suitable sizes, positive surface potential, and good biocompatibility in the presence of DOPE. Among them, vector DT-C12-M/DOPE with n-dodecyl linker achieved a transfection efficiency as high as 42.3 folds that of Lipo2000 in PC-3 cell lines. DT-C12-M/DOPE exhibited the capability of successful endo/lysosomal escape and rapid nuclear delivery of pDNA, and the gene delivery process was clearly monitored via confocal laser scanning microscopy. Moreover, efficient reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation by DT-C12-M upon light irradiation led to effective PDT in vitro . We further show that combination of p53 gene therapy and PDT dramatically enhanced cancer therapeutic outcome in vivo. This "three birds, one stone" strategy offers a novel and promising approach for real-time tracking of gene delivery and better cancer treatment.