Identification and Validation of Basement Membrane Related LncRNA Signatures as a Novel Prognostic Model for Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a significant cancer with limited treatments and a poor prognosis, with the basement membrane (BM) playing a crucial role in its initiation and growth. This study utilized data from The Cancer Genome Atlas and the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases to identify basement membrane-related genes differentially expressed in HCC. Through gene co-expression analysis, BM-associated long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) were discovered. LncRNAs related to HCC survival were selected via univariate analysis, and a prognostic model was constructed using LASSO regression and multivariate analysis. This model effectively classified HCC patients into high and low-risk groups, uncovering significant differences in prognosis, immune response, mutation, and drug sensitivity. Six BM-related lncRNAs (GSEC, MIR4435-2HG, AC092614.1, AC127521.1, LINC02580, and AC008050.1) were validated in normal and HCC cell lines, and the key role of AC092614.1 in regulating proliferation, migration, and invasion of HCC cells in vitro was explored. This research emphasizes the prognostic and therapeutic relevance of BM-related lncRNAs in HCC, highlighting AC092614.1's role in disease progression and as a potential target for targeted therapy.

Cu fate driven by colloidal polystyrene microplastics with pipe scale destabilization in drinking water distribution systems.

Microplastics (MPs) and Cu have been detected in drinking water distribution systems (DWDSs). Investigating MP effects on Cu adsorption by pipe scales and concomitant variations of pipe scales was critical for improving the water quality, which remained unclear to date. Therefore, polystyrene microplastics (PSMPs) were adopted for the model MPs to determine their effects on Cu fate and pipe scale stabilization, containing batch adsorption, metal speciation extraction, and Cu release experiments. Findings demonstrated that complexation and electrostatic interactions were involved in Cu adsorption on pipe scales. PSMPs contributed to Cu adsorption via increasing negative charges of pipe scales and providing additional adsorption sites for Cu, which included the carrying and component effects of free and adsorbed PSMPs, respectively. The decreased iron and manganese oxides fraction (45.57 % to 29.91 %) and increased organic fraction (48.51 % to 63.58 %) of Cu in pipe scales when PSMPs were coexisting illustrated that PSMPs had a greater affinity for Cu than pipe scales and thus influenced its mobility. Additionally, the release of Cu could be facilitated by the coexisted PSMPs, with the destabilization of pipe scales. This study was the first to exhibit that Cu fate and pipe scale stabilization were impacted by MPs, providing new insight into MP hazards in DWDSs.

Role and action mechanisms of miR-149 and miR-31 in regulating function of pig cumulus cells and oocytes.

Understanding the mechanisms for oocyte maturation and optimizing the protocols for in vitro maturation (IVM) are greatly important for improving developmental potential of IVM oocytes. The miRNAs expressed in cumulus cells (CCs) play important roles in oocyte maturation and may be used as markers for selection of competent oocytes/embryos. Although a recent study from our group identified several new CCs-expressed miRNAs that regulate cumulus expansion (CE) and CC apoptosis (CCA) in mouse oocytes, validation of these findings and further investigation of mechanisms of action in other model species was essential before wider applications. By using both in vitro and in vivo pig oocyte models with significant differences in CE, CCA and developmental potential, the present study validated that miR-149 and miR-31 improved CE and developmental potential while suppressing CCA of pig oocytes. We demonstrated that miR-149 and miR-31 targeted SMAD family member 6 (SMAD6) and transforming growth factor ß2 (TGFB2), respectively, in the transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß) signaling. Furthermore, both miR-149 and miR-31 increased CE and decreased CCA via activating SMAD family member 2 (SMAD2) and increasing the expression of SMAD2 and SMAD family member 4. In conclusion, the present results show that miR-149 and miR-31 improved CE and developmental potential while suppressing CCA of pig oocytes by activating the TGF-ß signaling, suggesting that they might be used as markers for pig oocyte quality.

Ratiometric electrochemical immunoassay based on 2D Co/Fe MOF decorated with toluidine blue and Fc-labeled Schiff base for accurate assay of alpha-fetoprotein in clinical serum.

The high level of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) expression is closely related to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Herein, a dual signal ratiometric electrochemical immunosensor based on chitosan-ferrocenecarboxaldehyde-spindle gold (Chit-Fc-SAu) and Co/Fe metal-organic framework-toluidine blue/polydopamine (Co/Fe MOF-TB/PDA) was proposed for quantitative analysis of AFP. Specifically, Chit-Fc-SAu worked as a substrate to trap more primary antibodies (Ab1) generating the first electrochemical signal from Fc. Thanks to the large specific surface area, the synergistic and electronic effects of Co/Fe MOF nanosheets, and the rich functional groups of PDA, Co/Fe MOF-TB/PDA could load more secondary antibodies (Ab2) and signal molecules (TB) providing another amplified electrochemical signal. In the presence of AFP, Ab1-AFP-Ab2 formed a sandwich structure, and as the AFP concentration increased, the peak current ratio of TB to Fc (ITB/IFc) also increased. The dual signal ratiometric strategy can avoid environmental signal interference and achieve signal self-calibration, thereby improving the accuracy and reproducibility of detection. After a series of exploration, this self-calibrated ratiometric immunosensor exhibited a wide linear range (0.001-200 ng mL-1), a low detection limit (0.34 pg mL-1), and good repeatability. When applied to the assay of clinical serum samples, the detection results of ratiometric sensor were consistent with that of commercial electrochemiluminescence (ECL) immunoassay, significantly superior to that of non-ratiometric sensor. The self-calibrated strategy based on ratiometric sensor helps to improve the accuracy of AFP in clinical diagnosis.

Synthesis, Structure, and Optical Properties of a 0D Hybrid Organic-Inorganic Metal Halide (C5N2H14Cl)GeCl3.

Due to the flexible structural tunability and excellent photoelectric performance, hybrid organic-inorganic metal halides (OIMHs) have attracted intensive attention and become a hot topic in the field of materials. It is important and necessary to explore new OIMHs and study their structure-property relationship. In this work, a new lead-free OIMH, (C5N2H14Cl)GeCl3, is synthesized by the combination of hydrothermal and solution methods. This compound features a zero-dimensional structure composed of inorganic [GeCl3]- trigonal pyramids surrounded by isolated Cl- anions and organic (C5N2H14)2+ cations. Preliminary characterization and first-principles calculations are performed to study its basic optical properties. Interestingly, (C5N2H14Cl)GeCl3 shows weak blue emission under ultraviolet excitation, and the intrinsic mechanism is discussed.

Role of miRNAs in glucose metabolism of mouse cumulus cells†.

It is known that the oocyte has a limited capacity to acquire and metabolize glucose, and it must rely on cumulus cells (CCs) to take up glucose and produce pyruvate for use to produce ATP through oxidative phosphorylation. We therefore propose that miRNAs might regulate glucose metabolism (GM) in CCs and might be used as markers for oocyte quality assessment. Here, mouse CC models with impaired glycolysis or pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) were established, and miRNAs targeting the key enzymes in glycolysis/PPP were predicted using the miRNA target prediction databases. Expression of the predicted miRNAs was compared between CCs with normal and impaired glycolysis/PPP to identify candidate miRNAs. Function of the candidate miRNAs was validated by transfecting CCs or cumulus-oocyte-complexes (COCs) with miRNA inhibitors and observing effects on glucose metabolites of CCs and on competence of oocytes. The results validated that miR-23b-3p, let-7b-5p, 34b-5p and 145a-5p inhibited glycolysis, and miR-24-3p, 3078-3p,183-5p and 7001-5p inhibited PPP of CCs. Our observation using a more physiologically relevant model (intact cultured COCs) further validated the four glycolysis-targeting miRNAs we identified. Furthermore, miR-let-7b-5p, 34b-5p and 145a-5p may also inhibit PPP, as they decreased the production of glucose-6-phosphate. In conclusion, miRNAs play critical roles in GM of CCs and may be used as markers for oocyte quality assessment. Summary sentence:  We identified and validated eight new miRNAs that inhibit glycolysis and/or pentose phosphate pathways in cumulus cells (CCs) suggesting that miRNAs play critical roles in glucose metabolism of CCs and may be used for oocyte quality markers.

Aberrant accumulation of ceramides in mitochondria triggers cell death by inducing autophagy in Arabidopsis.

Sphingolipids are membrane lipids and play critical roles in signal transduction. Ceramides are central components of sphingolipid metabolism that are involved in cell death. However, the mechanism of ceramides regulating cell death in plants remains unclear. Here, we found that ceramides accumulated in mitochondria of accelerated cell death 5 mutant (acd5), and expression of mitochondrion-localized ceramide kinase (ACD5) suppressed mitochondrial ceramide accumulation and the acd5 cell death phenotype. Using immuno-electron microscopy, we observed hyperaccumulation of ceramides in acer acd5 double mutants, which are characterized by mutations in both ACER (alkaline ceramidase) and ACD5 genes. The results confirmed that plants with specific ceramide accumulation exhibited localization of ceramides to mitochondria, resulting in an increase in mitochondrial reactive oxygen species production. Interestingly, when compared with the wild type, autophagy-deficient mutants showed stronger resistance to ceramide-induced cell death. Lipid profiling analysis demonstrated that plants with ceramide accumulation exhibited a significant increase in phosphatidylethanolamine levels. Furthermore, exogenous ceramide treatment or endogenous ceramide accumulation induces autophagy. When exposed to exogenous ceramides, an increase in the level of the autophagy-specific ubiquitin-like protein, ATG8e, associated with mitochondria, where it directly bound to ceramides. Taken together, we propose that the accumulation of ceramides in mitochondria can induce cell death by regulating autophagy.

A Non-π-Conjugated Molecular Crystal with Balanced Second-Harmonic Generation, Bandgap, and Birefringence.

Traditional nonlinear optical (NLO) crystals are exclusively limited to ionic crystals with π-conjugated groups and it is a great challenge to achieve a subtle balance between second-harmonic generation, bandgap, and birefringence for them, especially in the deep-UV spectrum region (Eg  > 6.20 eV). Herein, a non-π-conjugated molecular crystal, NH3 BH3 , which realizes such balance with a large second-harmonic generation response (2.0 × KH2 PO4 at 1064 nm, and 0.45 × ß-BaB2 O4 at 532 nm), deep-UV transparency (Eg > 6.53 eV), and moderate birefringence (Δn = 0.056@550 nm) is reported. As a result, NH3 BH3 exhibits a large quality factor of 0.32, which is evidently larger than those of non-π-conjugated sulfate and phosphate ionic crystals. Using an unpolished NH3 BH3 crystal, effective second-harmonic generation outputs are observed at different wavelengths. These attributes indicate that NH3 BH3 is a promising candidate for deep-UV NLO applications. This work opens up a new door for developing high-performance deep-UV NLO crystals.

Predicting subsolid pulmonary nodules before percutaneous needle biopsy: a comparison of artificial neural network and biopsy results.

AIM: To establish an artificial neural network (ANN) model to predict subsolid nodules (SSNs) before percutaneous core-needle biopsy (PCNB). The results of the two methods were compared to provide guidance on the treatment of SSNs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a single-centre retrospective study using data from 1,459 SSNs between 2013 and 2021. The ANN was developed using data from patients who underwent surgery following computed tomography (CT) (SFC) and validated using data from patients who underwent surgery following biopsy (SFB). The prediction results of the ANN for the PCNB group and the histopathological results obtained after biopsy were compared with the histopathological results of lung nodules in the same group after surgery. Additionally, the choice of predictors for PCNB was analysed using multivariate analysis. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between the accuracies of the ANN and PCNB in the SFB group (p=0.086). The sensitivity of PCNB was lower than that of the ANN (p=0.000), but the specificity was higher (p=0.001). PCNB had better diagnostic ability than the ANN. The incidence of precursor lesions and non-neoplastic lesions in the SFB group was lower than that in the SFC group (p=0.000). A history of malignant tumours, size (2-3 cm), volume (>400 cm3) and mean CT value (≥-450 HU) are important factors for selecting PCNB. CONCLUSIONS: Both ANN and PCNB have comparable accuracy in diagnosing SSNs; however, PCNB has a slightly higher diagnostic ability than ANN. Selecting appropriate patients for PCNB is important for maximising the benefit to SSN patients.

A Novel High Entropy Hydroxide Electrode Material for Promoting Energy Density of Supercapacitors and Its Efficient Synthesis Strategy.

In this work, a novel high entropy hydroxide NiCoMoMnZn-layered double hydroxide(LDH) is synthesized as an electrode material for supercapacitors using a novel template re-etching method to promote the energy density. As a positive electrode material for supercapacitors, NiCoMoMnZn-LDH has the advantage of a uniform distribution of elements, high specific surface area, porous and stable structure. More importantly, the specific capacitance can reach 1810.2 F g-1 at the current density of 0.5 A g-1 , and the NiCoMoMnZn-LDH//AC HSC assembled from the material has an energy density of up to 62.1 Wh kg-1 at a power density of 475 W kg-1 . Moreover, the influence of different compositions on their morphological, structural, and electrochemical properties is investigated based on the characterization results. Then, the synergistic mechanism among the components of the high entropy NiCoMoMnZn-LDH is revealed in detail by DFT calculations. In addition, the synthesis strategy proposed in this work for high-entropy hydroxides exhibits universality. Experimental results show that the proposed strategy successfully avoids not only phase separation and element aggregation in the formation of high entropy materials, but also reduces structural distortion, which is beneficial for efficient and large-scale synthesis of high entropy hydroxides.

Non-line-of-sight ultraviolet transmission coverage in non-precipitating, foggy, and rainy weather.

Sensitivity to weather conditions is the principal limitation of free-space optical communication. However, for the scattering based ultraviolet (UV) non-line-of-sight (NLOS) communication, the atmospheric scattering effect functions as an attenuation factor and potentially as a performance enhancer. To investigate the UV NLOS transmission coverage under different weather conditions, we employ the Mie Theory in conjunction with classical aerosol and hydrometeor particle models to estimate the absorption coefficient, the scattering coefficient, and the scattering phase function. We then use these atmospheric parameters combined with a range estimation model to determine the coverage of the UV NLOS communication for specified path loss. Simulation results reveal that in non-precipitating weather, poorer visibility correlates with broader coverage. In foggy conditions, the coverage range in light fog exceeds that in fog-free environments; however, as fog intensity increases, the coverage range decreases. Rain enhances the coverage range; and heavier precipitation results in a larger coverage area.

Ionization Engineering of Hydrogels Enables Highly Efficient Salt-Impeded Solar Evaporation and Night-Time Electricity Harvesting.

Interfacial solar evaporation holds immense potential for brine desalination with low carbon footprints and high energy utilization. Hydrogels, as a tunable material platform from the molecular level to the macroscopic scale, have been considered the most promising candidate for solar evaporation. However, the simultaneous achievement of high evaporation efficiency and satisfactory tolerance to salt ions in brine remains a challenging scientific bottleneck, restricting the widespread application. Herein, we report ionization engineering, which endows polymer chains of hydrogels with electronegativity for impeding salt ions and activating water molecules, fundamentally overcoming the hydrogel salt-impeded challenge and dramatically expediting water evaporating in brine. The sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate-modified carbon black is chosen as the solar absorbers. The hydrogel reaches a ground-breaking evaporation rate of 2.9 kg m-2 h-1 in 20 wt% brine with 95.6% efficiency under one sun irradiation, surpassing most of the reported literature. More notably, such a hydrogel-based evaporator enables extracting clean water from oversaturated salt solutions and maintains durability under different high-strength deformation or a 15-day continuous operation. Meantime, on the basis of the cation selectivity induced by the electronegativity, we first propose an all-day system that evaporates during the day and generates salinity-gradient electricity using waste-evaporated brine at night, anticipating pioneer a new opportunity for all-day resource-generating systems in fields of freshwater and electricity.

How does multi-reference computation change the catalysis chemistry? DFT and CASPT2 studies of the Cu-catalysed coupling reactions between aryl iodides and ß-diketones.

The molecular mechanism of a Cu-catalysed coupling reaction was theoretically studied using density functional theory (DFT) and the complete active space self-consistent field method followed by the second-order perturbation theory (CASSCF/CASPT2) to investigate the effects of the strong electron correlation of the Cu centre on the reaction profile. Both DFT and CASSCF/CASPT2 calculations showed that the catalytic cycle proceeds via an oxidative addition (OA) reaction, followed by a reductive elimination (RE) reaction, where OA is the rate-determining step. Although the DFT-calculated activation energies of the OA and RE steps are highly dependent on the choice of functionals, the CASSCF/CASPT2 results are less affected by the choice of DFT-optimised geometries. Therefore, with a careful assessment based on the CASSCF/CASPT2 single-point energy evaluation, an optimal choice of the DFT geometry is of good qualitative use for energetics at the CASPT2 level of theory. Based on the changes in the electron populations of the 3d orbitals during the OA and RE steps, the characteristic features of the DFT-calculated electronic structure were qualitatively consistent with those calculated using the CASSCF method. Further electronic structure analysis by the natural orbital occupancy of the CASSCF wavefunction showed that the ground state is almost single-reference in this system and the strong electron correlation effect of the Cu centre can be dealt with using the MP2 or CCSD method, too. However, the slightly smaller occupation numbers of the 3dπ orbital in the course of reactions suggested that the electron correlation effect of the Cu(III) centre appears through the interaction between the 3dπ orbital and the C-I antibonding σ* orbital in the OA step, and between the 3dπ orbital and the Cu-C antibonding σ* orbital in the RE step.

Wide-field-of-view auto-coupling optical antenna system for high-speed bidirectional optical wireless communications in C band.

Due to a great many superior features of infrared light communication (ILC), like high capacity and strong privacy, ILC is considered a potential candidate for serving the high demands of beyond fifth-generation/sixth-generation (B5G/6 G) communication systems. However, the terminal's limited field-of-view (FOV) induces great difficulty in establishing line-of-sight (LoS) link between the transceiver and the terminal. In this paper, we propose a wide-FOV auto-coupling optical antenna system that utilizes a wide-FOV telecentric lens to collect incident infrared beams and automatically couple them into a specific single-mode-fiber (SMF) channel of fiber array and optical switch. The performance of this optical antenna system is assessed through simulation and manual alignment operation, and validated by automatic alignment results. A coupling loss of less than 10.6 dB within a FOV of 100° for both downstream and upstream beams in C band is demonstrated by the designed system. Furthermore, we establish a bidirectional optical wireless communications (OWC) system employing this antenna and a fiber-type modulating retro-reflector (MRR) system in the terminal. Both 10-Gbps on-off keying (OOK) downstream and upstream transmissions are successfully realized with the FOV of up to 100° in C band where the measured bit-error-rate (BER) is lower than 3.8 × 10-3. To the best of our knowledge, this is a brand-new auto-coupling optical antenna system with the largest FOV in ILC automatic alignment works in terminals that have ever been reported.

Optimizing postbiotic production through solid-state fermentation with Bacillus amyloliquefaciens J and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum SN4 enhances antibacterial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities.

Background: Postbiotics are an emerging research interest in recent years and are fairly advanced compared to prebiotics and probiotics. The composition and function of postbiotics are closely related to fermentation conditions. Methods: In this study, we developed a solid-state fermentation preparation method for postbiotics with antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities. The antibacterial activity was improved 3.62 times compared to initial fermentation conditions by using optimization techniques such as single factor experiments, Plackett-Burman design (PBD), steepest ascent method (SAM), and central composite design (CCD) methods. The optimized conditions were carried out with an initial water content of 50% for 8 days at 37°C and fermentation strains of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens J and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum SN4 at a ratio of 1:1 with a total inoculum size of 8%. The optimized SSF medium content ratios of peptide powder, wheat bran, corn flour, and soybean meal were 4, 37.4, 30, and 28.6%, respectively. Results: Under these optimized conditions, postbiotics with a concentration of 25 mg/mL showed significant broad-spectrum antibacterial capabilities against Escherichia coli, Salmonella, and Staphylococcus aureus and strong antioxidant activity against ABTS, DPPH, and OH radicals. Moreover, the optimized postbiotics exhibited good anti-inflammatory ability for reducing nitric oxide (NO) secretion in RAW 264.7 macrophage cells in response to LPS-induced inflammation. Furthermore, the postbiotics significantly improved intestinal epithelial wound healing capabilities after mechanical injury, such as cell scratches in IPEC-J2 cells (p < 0.05). Conclusion: In brief, we developed postbiotics through optimized solid-state fermentation with potential benefits for gut health. Therefore, our findings suggested that the novel postbiotics could be used as potential functional food products for improving body health.

A biodegradable injectable fluorescent polyurethane-oxidized dextran hydrogel for non-invasive monitoring.

Hydrogels have been extensively used in the field of biomedical engineering. In order to achieve non-invasive and real-time visualization of the in vivo status of hydrogels, we designed a fluorescent polyurethane-oxidized dextran (PU-OD) hydrogel with good injectability and self-healing properties, which was cross-linked from a tetraphenyl ethylene (TPE)-containing fluorescent polyurethane emulsion with oxidized dextran by dynamic acylhydrazone bonds. The hydrogel can be used as a visual platform for drug delivery as well as monitoring its own degradation. The network structure of the hydrogel gave it drug-loading capability, and the acylhydrazone bond enabled its pH-responsive drug release. Meanwhile, the PU-OD hydrogel could undergo fluorescence resonance transfer with doxorubicin hydrochloride, showing its potential application in monitoring drug release. In addition, fluorometric and weighing methods were performed to monitor the degradation behavior of the hydrogels in vivo and in vitro, respectively, showing that the non-invasive fluorometric method can be consistent with the invasive weighing method. This work highlights that the introduction of aggregation-induced emission molecules into polyurethanes provides a visual platform that allows for non-invasive monitoring of the material without affecting its own function, which is convenient and less damaging to the body or animals. Consequently, it possesses excellent and promising potential in biomedical materials technologies.

Iodine-125 brachytherapy for a desmoid tumor in the abdomen-thorax: A retrospective study.

PURPOSE: To investigate the safety and efficacy of iodine-125 seed implantation in the treatment of abdomen-thorax desmoid tumors (DTs). METHODS AND MATERIALS: Data from 14 DT patients who received brachytherapy with iodine-125 seeds were retrospectively collected from 2014 to 2020. The operation was completed using CT guidance and the treatment plan system (TPS). The number of lesions and the target dosimetry parameters were recorded. After brachytherapy, the lesions were evaluated using response evaluation criteria in solid tumors (RECIST). RESULTS: Fourteen patients with 18 lesions were enrolled in this study; eleven lesions were in the thorax, seven were in the abdomen, and the lesion gross tumor volume (GTV) was 82.10 cc (interquartile range [IQR]: 40.37, 203.42 cc). The median number of seeds was 88 (IQR: 35, 158), and the median prescription dose was 120 Gy (IQR: 115, 120 Gy). The D90 was 123 ± 16.7 Gy, the V90 was 97% (IQR: 95.00, 97.25%), and the V200 was 27% (IQR: 14.50, 33.00%). The median follow-up time for each lesion was 34 (IQR: 23, 67) months, and the local response rate was 100%. Following brachytherapy, the overall survival was 52.3 ± 30.72 months. One year after brachytherapy, one patient experienced persistent worsening of a brachial plexus injury; another received a ureteral stent. No brachytherapy-related complications were observed in the remaining patients. CONCLUSIONS: Iodine-125 brachytherapy is a novel treatment option for DT of the abdomen and thorax. Although it is a safe and effective treatment, the radiation dose of iodine-125 brachytherapy for DT-embedded organs at risk must be investigated further.

Transient regulation of gel properties by chemical reaction networks.

Transient regulation of gel properties by chemical reaction networks (CRNs) represents an emerging and effective strategy to program or temporally control the structures, properties, and functions of gel materials in a self-regulated manner. CRNs provide significant opportunities to construct complex or sustainable gels with excellent dynamic features, thus expanding the application scope of these materials. CRN-based methods for transiently regulating the gel properties are receiving increasing attention, and the related fields are worth further studying. This feature article focuses on the CRN-mediated transient regulation of six properties of gels, which are transient gelation, transient liquefaction of gels, transient assembly of macroscopic gels, temporary actuation of gels, transient healing ability of kinetically inert gels, and cascade reaction-based self-reporting of external stimuli. Recent advances that showcase the six properties of gels controlled by CRNs are featured, the characterization and structural elucidation of gels are detailed, and the significance, achievements, and expectations of this field are discussed. The strategy of transient regulation of gel properties via CRNs is potentially useful for building the next generation of adaptive functional materials.

Facile preparation of Ru nanoassemblies for electrochemical immunoassay of carcinoembryonic antigen in clinical serum.

Abnormal expression of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) can be used for early diagnosis of various cancers (e.g. colorectal cancer, cervical carcinomas, and breast cancer). In this work, using l-cysteine-ferrocene-ruthenium nanocomposites (L-Cys-Fc-Ru) to immobilize secondary antibody (Ab2) and Au nanoparticles (NPs) as the substrate to ensure accurate capture of primary antibody (Ab1), a signal-on sandwich-like biosensor was constructed in the presence of CEA. Specifically, Ru nanoassemblies (NAs) were first prepared by a facile one-step solvothermal approach as signal amplifiers for the electrical signal of Fc. Based on specific immune recognition, as the increase of CEA concentration, the content of L-Cys-Fc-Ru-Ab2 captured on the electrode surface also increased, thus the signal of Fc gradually increased. Therefore, the quantitative detection of CEA can be realized according to the peak current of Fc. After a series of experiments, it was found that the biosensor has a wide detection range from 1.0 pg mL-1 to 100.0 ng mL-1 and a low detection limit down to 0.5 pg mL-1, as well as good selectivity, repeatability and stability. Furthermore, satisfactory results were also obtained for the determination of CEA in serums, which were comparable to commercial electrochemiluminescence (ECL) method. The developed biosensor shows great potential in clinical applications.

Rational design of a Ru(II) complex with a donor-acceptor-donor structure for organic resistive memory devices.

A novel Ru(II) complex with a donor-acceptor-donor (D-A-D) ligand was designed and synthesized to prepare organic memory devices. The fabricated Ru(II) complex-based devices exhibited obvious bipolar resistance switching behavior with a low switching voltage (∼1.13 V) and a large ON/OFF ratio (105). The dominant switching mechanism can be explained by the distinct charge-transfer states endowed by the interaction between metals and ligands, which is verified by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Excitingly, the device displays a much lower switching voltage than most of the previously reported metal complex based memory devices due to the intense intramolecular charge transfer caused by the strong built-in electric field in D-A systems. This work not only reveals the potential of the Ru(II) complex in resistive switching devices, but also provides new inspiration to manipulate the switching voltage at the molecular level.