A Widespread Radical-Mediated Glycolysis Pathway.

Glycyl radical enzymes (GREs) catalyze mechanistically diverse radical-mediated reactions, playing important roles in the metabolism of anaerobic bacteria. The model bacterium Escherichia coli MG1655 contains two GREs of unknown function, YbiW and PflD, which are widespread among human intestinal bacteria. Here, we report that YbiW and PflD catalyze ring-opening C-O cleavage of 1,5-anhydroglucitol-6-phosphate (AG6P) and 1,5-anhydromannitol-6-phosphate (AM6P), respectively. The product of both enzymes, 1-deoxy-fructose-6-phosphate (DF6P), is then cleaved by the aldolases FsaA or FsaB to form glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate (G3P) and hydroxyacetone (HA), which are then reduced by the NADH-dependent dehydrogenase GldA to form 1,2-propanediol (1,2-PDO). Crystal structures of YbiW and PflD in complex with their substrates provided insights into the mechanism of radical-mediated C-O cleavage. This "anhydroglycolysis" pathway enables anaerobic growth of E. coli on 1,5-anhydroglucitol (AG) and 1,5-anhydromannitol (AM), and we probe the feasibility of harnessing this pathway for the production of 1,2-PDO, a highly demanded chiral chemical feedstock, from inexpensive starch. Discovery of the anhydroglycolysis pathway expands the known catalytic repertoire of GREs, clarifies the hitherto unknown physiological functions of the well-studied enzymes FsaA, FsaB, and GldA, and demonstrates how enzyme discovery efforts can cast light on prevalent yet overlooked metabolites in the microbiome.

Nanocrystal hydroxyapatite carrying traditional Chinese medicine for osteogenic differentiation.

Developing biomaterials with high osteogenic properties is crucial for achieving rapid bone repair and regeneration. This study focuses on the application of nanocrystal hydroxyapatite (nHAp) as a drug carrier to load Fu Yuan Huo Xue Decoction (FYHXD), a traditional Chinese medicine derived from Angelica sinensis, aiming to achieve improved efficacy in treating bone diseases such as osteoporosis. Through a facile physical adsorption approach, the FTIR result emerges new characteristic absorption peaks in the range of 1200-950 cm-1, proving the successful absorption of FYHXD onto the nHAp with a loading efficiency of 39.76 %. The modified nHAp exhibits a similar shape to the bone-derived hydroxyapatite nanocrystals, and their diameter increases slightly after modification. The drug release assay implies the rapid release of FYHXD in the first 10 h, followed by a continuously slow release within 70 h. The developed nHAp effectively enhances the adhesion, spreading, and proliferation of MC3T3-E1 cells in vitro, and significantly promotes their osteogenic differentiation, as indicated by increased alkaline phosphatase activity. Overall, the biocomposites hold great promise as active ingredients for integration into bone-associated biomaterials, offering the potential to stimulate spontaneous osteogenesis without requiring exogenous osteogenic factors.

A smartphone sensing fluorescent detection of mercury ion based on silicon quantum dots in environment water.

Mercury ion (Hg2+) pose a significant hazard to the natural environment. Conventional techniques like Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, among others, pose some disadvantages as they demand a lot of money, need trained employees, and cannot provide on-site detection in real-time. A smartphone sensing technique based on silicon quantum dots (Si-QDs) was presented to detect Hg2+ in the environment without the usage of sophisticated equipment. Meanwhile, the technology was built by utilizing a smartphone to capture gray values of fluorescent images of the Si-QDs-Hg2+ system. Microwave-assisted Si-QDs with tiny particle size, high fluorescence, and good optical stability were created. The fluorescence of the Si-QDs was gradually quenched by raising the Hg2+ concentration from 0.5 µmol/L to 5.0 µmol/L for fluorescent detection with a detection limit of 28 nmol/L. The 94.8-97.1 % recovery demonstrated the viability of the Si-QDs approach for detecting Hg2+. Meanwhile, a smartphone sensing strategy was built by recording the gray value of the fluorescent images of the Si-QDs-Hg2+ systems using a smartphone, and the detection limit of the established approach was 3 nmol/L. The accuracy and reliability of the smartphone strategy were verified with the recovery rates of 80.3-92.5 % in tap water and 87.6-109 % in river water. Electron transfer quenching mechanism between Si-QDs and Hg2+ was evidenced by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, fluorescent decay curves, cyclic voltammetry, and Zeta potential. Finally, the suggested approach was used to detect Hg2+ in water samples from various environments.

Pathogenesis, Assessment, and Treatment of Coronary Microcirculation Dysfunction. / Patogênese, Avaliação e Tratamento da Disfunção da Microcirculação Coronariana.

Cardiovascular disease is the predominant cause of mortality on a global scale. Research indicates that women exhibit a greater likelihood of presenting with non-obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) when experiencing symptoms of myocardial ischemia in comparison to men. Additionally, women tend to experience a higher burden of symptoms relative to men, and despite the presence of ischemic heart disease, they are frequently reassured erroneously due to the absence of obstructive CAD. In cases of ischemic heart disease accompanied by symptoms of myocardial ischemia but lacking obstructive CAD, it is imperative to consider coronary microvascular dysfunction as a potential underlying cause. Coronary microvascular dysfunction, characterized by impaired coronary flow reserve resulting from functional and/or structural abnormalities in the microcirculation, is linked to adverse cardiovascular outcomes. Lifestyle modifications and the use of anti-atherosclerotic and anti-anginal medications may offer potential benefits, although further clinical trials are necessary to inform treatment strategies. This review aims to explore the prevalence, underlying mechanisms, diagnostic approaches, and therapeutic interventions for coronary microvascular dysfunction.

A doença cardiovascular é a causa predominante de mortalidade em escala global. A pesquisa indica que as mulheres, em comparação aos homens, apresentam maior probabilidade de apresentar doença arterial coronariana (DAC) não obstrutiva quando têm sintomas de isquemia miocárdica. Além disso, as mulheres tendem a apresentar uma maior carga de sintomas em relação aos homens e, apesar da presença de doença cardíaca isquêmica, são frequentemente tranquilizadas erroneamente devido à ausência de DAC obstrutiva. Nos casos de cardiopatia isquêmica acompanhada de sintomas de isquemia miocárdica, mas sem DAC obstrutiva, é imperativo considerar a disfunção microvascular coronariana como uma potencial causa subjacente. A disfunção microvascular coronariana, caracterizada por reserva de fluxo coronariano prejudicada resultante de anormalidades funcionais e/ou estruturais na microcirculação, está associada a desfechos cardiovasculares adversos. Modificações no estilo de vida e o uso de medicamentos antiateroscleróticos e antianginosos podem oferecer benefícios potenciais, embora sejam necessários mais ensaios clínicos para informar estratégias de tratamento. Esta revisão tem como objetivo explorar a prevalência, mecanismos subjacentes, abordagens diagnósticas e intervenções terapêuticas para disfunção microvascular coronariana.

Construction of COFs@MoS2-Pd Hierarchical Tubular Heterostructures for Enhanced Catalytic Performance.

Here, we report ternary COFs@MoS2-Pd hybrids with an innovative self-sacrificial approach. MoO3@Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) microcables were first prepared and then two-dimensional MoS2 nanosheets (NSs) were integrated onto the surface of COFs, as COFs@MoS2, after treatment with hydrothermal reaction. The MoS2 NSs were used as an excellent support to introduce Pd nanoparticles (NPs) thanks to their reducing ability for the formation of the ternary COFs@MoS2-Pd hybrids. While COF microtubes improved the electrical conductivity of the hybrid materials, they also decreased the aggregation of MoS2 NSs, as a contribution to the enhanced catalytic performance. The mild reaction between MoS2 and Pd2+ ions realized the dense distribution of Pd NPs onto COFs@MoS2 for abundant active sites to further improve the catalytic performance. Thus, the hierarchical MoS2-based ternary hybrids were prepared with the enhanced catalytical performance as validated with the enzyme-like catalysis and the reduction of 4-nitrophenol.

Energy-splitting from persistent luminescence nanoparticles with trivalent Cr ions for ratiometric temperature sensing.

MgGa2O4 (MGO) with the spinel structure exhibits abundance defects and could achieve the modulation of emission by ion doping as persistent luminescence nanoparticles (PLNPs). Here, we introduced Cr3+ ions into MGO to achieve near-infrared (NIR) emission, and Pr3+ ions to tune the lattice environment for enhanced NIR emission. The optimal composite, MgGa2O4: 0.005Cr3+, 0.003Pr3+ (MGCP), achieved enhanced NIR emission at 709 nm under 222 nm excitation. The concentration quenching was observed due to electric dipole-quadrupole interaction at high Cr3+ and Pr3+ content. The afterglow mechanism was revealed, while the energy-splitting occurs from trivalent Cr3+ ions at 650 and 709 nm, thanks to the complex lattice environment. We observed that the emission at 709 nm decreased, while the satellite signal at 650 nm increased first and then decreased intensity with increasing temperature, due to the intervalence charge transfer for Cr3+ ions at 303-528 K. Ratiometric temperature sensing was therefore realized with superb linearity, high absolute sensitivity at 303 K for 4.18%, and accuracy at 528 K for 2.62 K, confirming with the luminescence intensity ratio at 709 and 650 nm under excitation at 222 nm. Thus, we provide a method with energy-splitting emission of Cr3+ ions to design temperature sensing.

A systematic review and meta-analysis combined with bioinformatic analysis on the predictive value of E-cadherin in patients with renal cell carcinoma.

OBJECTIVES: Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most common cancer of the kidney. This study aims to evaluate the potential predictive value of E-cadherin, a marker of the epithelial mesenchymal transit (EMT) process that has been associated with tumor metastasis. METHODS: We searched PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library to identify prospective studies. Hazard ratios (HRs), odds ratios (ORs), and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were summarized to validate the relationship between E-cadherin and survival and clinical characteristics. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the NOS table. Then, we analyzed genetic data and clinical characteristics from The Cancer Genome Atlas Program (TCGA) database using R language with the dplyr package for validation. RESULTS: Including 21 articles. The analysis revealed a strong link between high E-cadherin expression and favorable prognosis (for OS, HR = 0.35, 95% CI: 0.19-0.62; for PFS, HR = 0.19, 95% CI: 0.03-0.53; for DSS, HR = 0.25, 95% CI: 0.08-0.76; for RFS, HR = 0.71, 95% CI: 0.44-1.16; for DFS, HR = 0.28, 95% CI: 0.13-0.61; for T stage, OR = 0.21, 95% CI: 0.11-0.41; for N stage, OR = 0.07, 95%CI: 0.02-0.25; for M stage, OR = 0.12, 95% CI: 0.02-0.60; for clinical stage, OR = 0.29, 95% CI: 0.18-0.47; for nuclear grade, OR = 0.23, 95% CI: 0.13-0.41; for tumor size, OR = 0.49, 95% CI: 0.26-0.92). The findings were supported by bioinformatic analysis which used TCGA RCC patient's cohort (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Based on the current data, E-cadherin may predict a better prognosis in RCC patients.

Connectomic insights into the impact of 1p/19q co-deletion in dominant hemisphere insular glioma patients.

Objectives: This study aimed to elucidate the influences of 1p/19q co-deletion on structural connectivity alterations in patients with dominant hemisphere insular diffuse gliomas. Methods: We incorporated 32 cases of left insular gliomas and 20 healthy controls for this study. Using diffusion MRI, we applied correlational tractography, differential tractography, and graph theoretical analysis to explore the potential connectivity associated with 1p/19q co-deletion. Results: The study revealed that the quantitative anisotropy (QA) of key deep medial fiber tracts, including the anterior thalamic radiation, superior thalamic radiation, fornix, and cingulum, had significant negative associations with 1p/19q co-deletion (FDR = 4.72 × 10-5). These tracts are crucial in maintaining the integrity of brain networks. Differential analysis further supported these findings (FWER-corrected p < 0.05). The 1p/19q non-co-deletion group exhibited significantly higher clustering coefficients (FDR-corrected p < 0.05) and reduced betweenness centrality (FDR-corrected p < 0.05) in regions around the tumor compared to HC group. Graph theoretical analysis indicated that non-co-deletion patients had increased local clustering and decreased betweenness centrality in peritumoral brain regions compared to co-deletion patients and healthy controls (FDR-corrected p < 0.05). Additionally, despite not being significant through correction, patients with 1p/19q co-deletion exhibited lower trends in weighted average clustering coefficient, transitivity, small worldness, and global efficiency, while showing higher tendencies in weighted path length compared to patients without the co-deletion. Conclusion: The findings of this study underline the significant role of 1p/19q co-deletion in altering structural connectivity in insular glioma patients. These alterations in brain networks could have profound implications for the neural functionality in patients with dominant hemisphere insular gliomas.

Theoretical Investigation of a Novel Two-Dimensional Non-MXene Mo3C2 as a Prospective Anode Material for Li- and Na-Ion Batteries.

A new two-dimensional (2D) non-MXene transition metal carbide, Mo3C2, was found using the USPEX code. Comprehensive first-principles calculations show that the Mo3C2 monolayer exhibits thermal, dynamic, and mechanical stability, which can ensure excellent durability in practical applications. The optimized structures of Lix@(3×3)-Mo3C2 (x = 1-36) and Nax@(3×3)-Mo3C2 (x = 1-32) were identified as prospective anode materials. The metallic Mo3C2 sheet exhibits low diffusion barriers of 0.190 eV for Li and 0.118 eV for Na and low average open circuit voltages of 0.31-0.55 V for Li and 0.18-0.48 V for Na. When adsorbing two layers of adatoms, the theoretical energy capacities are 344 and 306 mA h g-1 for Li and Na, respectively, which are comparable to that of commercial graphite. Moreover, the Mo3C2 substrate can maintain structural integrity during the lithiation or sodiation process at high temperature. Considering these features, our proposed Mo3C2 slab is a potential candidate as an anode material for future Li- and Na-ion batteries.

Odor Fingerprinting of Chitosan and Source Identification of Commercial Chitosan: HS-GC-IMS, Multivariate Statistical Analysis, and Tracing Path Study.

Chitosan samples were prepared from the shells of marine animals (crab and shrimp) and the cell walls of fungi (agaricus bisporus and aspergillus niger). Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) was used to detect their molecular structures, while headspace-gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (HS-GC-IMS) was employed to analyze their odor composition. A total of 220 volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including esters, ketones, aldehydes, etc., were identified as the odor fingerprinting components of chitosan for the first time. A principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that chitosan could be effectively identified and classified based on its characteristic VOCs. The sum of the first three principal components explained 87% of the total variance in original information. An orthogonal partial least squares discrimination analysis (OPLS-DA) model was established for tracing and source identification purposes, demonstrating excellent performance with fitting indices R2X = 0.866, R2Y = 0.996, Q2 = 0.989 for independent variable fitting and model prediction accuracy, respectively. By utilizing OPLS-DA modeling along with a heatmap-based tracing path study, it was found that 29 VOCs significantly contributed to marine chitosan at a significance level of VIP > 1.00 (p < 0.05), whereas another set of 20 VOCs specifically associated with fungi chitosan exhibited notable contributions to its odor profile. These findings present a novel method for identifying commercial chitosan sources, which can be applied to ensure biological safety in practical applications.

Modified five times simulated body fluid for efficient biomimetic mineralization.

Simulated body fluid (SBF) is widely utilized in preclinical research for estimating the mineralization efficacy of biomaterials. Therefore, it is of great significance to construct an efficient and stable SBF mineralization system. The conventional SBF solutions cannot maintain a stable pH value and are prone to precipitate homogeneous calcium salts at the early stages of the biomimetic process because of the release of gaseous CO2. In this study, a simple but efficient five times SBF buffered by 5 % CO2 was developed and demonstrated to achieve excellent mineralized microstructure on a type of polymer-aligned nanofibrous scaffolds, which is strikingly similar to the natural human bone tissue. Scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray examinations indicated the growth of heterogeneous apatite with a high-calcium-to-phosphate ratio on the aligned nanofibers under 5 times SBF buffered by 5 % CO2. Moreover, X-ray diffraction spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared analyses yielded peaks associated with carbonated hydroxyapatite with less prominent crystallization. In addition, the biomineralized aligned polycaprolactone nanofibers demonstrated excellent cell attachment, alignment, and proliferation characteristics in vitro. Overall, the results of this study showed that 5 × SBFs buffered by 5 % CO2 partial pressure are attractive alternatives for the efficient biomineralization of scaffolds in bone tissue engineering, and could be used as a model for the prediction of the bone-bonding bioactivity of biomaterials.

Construction of hierarchical NCMTs@MoO2/FeNi3 tubular heterostructures for enhanced performance in catalysis and protein adsorption.

A new type of hybrid material (NCMTs@MoO2/FeNi3) with a multi-layer heterostructure was designed and fabricated via a one-step pyrolysis process using FeOOH/NiMoO4@PDA as the precursor. FeOOH/NiMoO4@PDA was prepared by the solvothermal method, followed by the nickel-ion etching method coupled with the polymerization of dopamine (DA). The as-obtained material was made of nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes embedded with FeNi3 and MoO2 nanoparticles (NPs). Notably, the FeNi3 NPs exhibited significantly improved performance in the reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) and adsorption of histidine-rich protein as well as provided appropriate magnetism resources. The MoO2 NPs imparted a metallic nature with excellent conductivity, and the N-doped mesoporous carbon microtubes also improved conductivity and facilitated mass transfer, thus leading to enhanced performance in catalysis. Benefiting from the 1D hierarchical porous structure and compositional features, the NCMTs@MoO2/FeNi3 composites exhibited excellent performance in 4-NP reduction and protein adsorption via specific metal affinity between the polyhistidine groups of proteins and the FeNi3 NPs. The result presented here indicates that the strategy of combining tailored components, heterostructuring, and carbon integration is a promising way to obtain high-performance composites for other energy-related applications.

Engineering a Metal Reductase for the Bioremediation of Anthropogenic Electronic Wastes: From Hg(II) to Au(III) and Ag(I) Enzymatic Reduction.

Recovering precious metals from electronic waste (e-waste) using microbes presents a sustainable methodology that can contribute toward the maintenance of planetary health. To better realize the potential of bioremediation using engineered microbes, enzymes that mediate the reduction of Au(III) to Au(0) have been the subject of intense research. In this study, we report the successful engineering of a metal reductase, MerA, whose cognate substrate is mercury(II), toward other precious metals such as Au(III) and Ag(I). The engineered variant, G415I, exhibited a 15-fold increase in catalytic efficiency (k cat/K M) in Au(III) reduction to Au(0) and a 200-fold increase in catalytic efficiency in Ag(I) reduction to Ag(0) with respect to the wild-type enzyme. The apparent shift in preference toward noncognate metal ions may be attributed to the energetics of valency preference. The improved Au(III) reductase has an apparent increased preference toward monovalent cations such as Au(I) and Ag(I), with respect to divalent cations such as Hg(II), the cognate substrate of the progenitor MerA (an increase in K M of 5.0-fold for Hg(II), compared to a decrease in K M of 5.8-fold for Au(III) and 1.8-fold for Ag(I), respectively). This study further extends the mechanistic understanding of Au(III) bioreduction that could proceed through the stabilization of Au(I) en route to Au(0) and suggests that the biosynthesis of Au nanoparticles with high efficiency can be realized through the engineering of promiscuous metal reductases for precious metal recovery from e-wastes.

Propulsion mechanisms of micro/nanorobots: a review.

Micro/nanomotors (MNMs) are intelligent, efficient and promising micro/nanorobots (MNR) that can respond to external stimuli (e.g., chemical energy, temperature, light, pH, ultrasound, magnetic, biosignals, ions) and perform specific tasks. The MNR can adapt to different external stimuli and transform into various functional forms to match different application scenarios. So far, MNR have found extensive application in targeted therapy, drug delivery, tissue engineering, environmental remediation, and other fields. Despite the promise of MNR, there are few reviews that focus on them. To shed new light on the further development of the field, it is necessary to provide an overview of the current state of development of these MNR. Therefore, this paper reviews the research progress of MNR in terms of propulsion mechanisms, and points out the pros and cons of different stimulus types. Finally, this paper highlights the current challenges faced by MNR and proposes possible solutions to facilitate the practical application of MNR.

[Effects of Biochar-loaded Ammonia Nitrogen on Soil Carbon Emissions, Enzyme Activity, and Microbial Communities].

The form of soil nitrogen input significantly affects soil CO2 emission. As a new form of nitrogen input, biochar-loaded ammonia nitrogen not only reduces the input of chemical nitrogen fertilizer in farmland but also reduces the cost of environmental treatment. It is of great significance to promote the zero growth of national chemical fertilizer, the prevention and control of farmland non-point source pollution, and the realization of the national goal of "carbon peak" and "carbon neutralization." Through an indoor culture experiment, the effects of different nitrogen input forms on soil carbon emission, enzyme activity, and microbial community were studied through four treatments:no fertilization (CK), single application of chemical nitrogen fertilizer (CF), biochar combined application of chemical nitrogen fertilizer (BF), and biochar-loaded ammonia nitrogen (BN). The results showed that compared with that in CF, BF significantly increased cumulative carbon emissions (66.24 %), whereas BN had no significant difference. It is worth noting that the cumulative carbon emissions were significantly reduced by 35.28 % compared with that in BF and BN. Compared with those in CF and BF, the activities of ß-glucosidase, peroxidase, and polyphenol oxidase treated with BN significantly increased by 20.25 % and 5.20 %, respectively. Compared with that in CF, the BF treatment increased microbial community richness and community diversity, whereas the BN treatment decreased microbial community richness. Compared with that in BF, the relative abundance of Proteobacteria decreased by 11.16 %, and the relative abundance of Actinobacteria and Bacteroidota increased by 8.12 % and 5.83 %, respectively, in which xylosidase activity was the most important soil factor affecting microbial community structure. The relative abundance of Chloroflexi was significantly correlated with cellobiose hydrolase activity, and the relative abundance of Gemmatimonadetes was significantly correlated with ß-glucosidase activity. There was a very significant correlation between the relative abundance of Proteobacteria and cumulative carbon emissions. To summarize, compared with those under biochar combined with chemical nitrogen fertilizer, biochar loaded with ammonia nitrogen significantly reduced cumulative carbon emissions, and its emission reduction effect was better. The results of this study will be beneficial to the landing of the national "double carbon strategy," the healthy development of the biological natural gas industry, the construction of the national green cultivation circular agriculture system, and the realization of the national zero growth strategy of chemical fertilizer.

High-Throughput Screening Strategy for Electrocatalysts for Selective Catalytic Oxidation of Formaldehyde to Formic Acid.

Electrocatalytic oxidation of formaldehyde (FOR) is an effective way to prevent the damage caused by formaldehyde and produce high-value products. A screening strategy of a single-layer MnO2-supported transition metal catalyst for the selective oxidation of formaldehyde to formic acid was designed by high-throughput density functional calculation. N-MnO2@Cu and MnO2@Cu are predicted to be potential FOR electrocatalysts with potential-limiting steps (PDS) of 0.008 and -0.009 eV, respectively. Electronic structure analysis of single-atom catalysts (SACs) shows that single-layer MnO2 can regulate the spin density of loaded transition metal and thus regulate the adsorption of HCHO (Ead), and Ead is volcanically distributed with the magnetic moment descriptor -|mM - mH|. In addition, the formula quantifies Ead and |mM - mH| to construct a volcano-type descriptor α describing the PDS [ΔG(*CHO)]. Other electronic and structural properties of SACs and α are used as input features for the GBR method to construct machine learning models predicting the PDS (R2 = 0.97). This study hopes to provide some insights into FOR electrocatalysts.

A reference-free algorithm discovers regulation in the plant transcriptome.

Most plant genomes and their regulation remain unknown. We used SPLASH - a new, reference-genome free sequence variation detection algorithm - to analyze transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation from RNA-seq data. We discovered differential homolog expression during maize pollen development, and imbibition-dependent cryptic splicing in Arabidopsis seeds. SPLASH enables discovery of novel regulatory mechanisms, including differential regulation of genes from hybrid parental haplotypes, without the use of alignment to a reference genome.

Extracellular Matrix-Mimetic Intrinsic Versatile Coating Derived from Marine Adhesive Protein Promotes Diabetic Wound Healing through Regulating the Microenvironment.

The management of diabetic wound healing remains a severe clinical challenge due to the complicated wound microenvironments, including abnormal immune regulation, excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS), and repeated bacterial infections. Herein, we report an extracellular matrix (ECM)-mimetic coating derived from scallop byssal protein (Sbp9Δ), which can be assembled in situ within 30 min under the trigger of Ca2+ driven by strong coordination interaction. The biocompatible Sbp9Δ coating and genetically programmable LL37-fused coating exhibit outstanding antioxidant, antibacterial, and immune regulatory properties in vitro. Proof-of-concept applications demonstrate that the coating can reliably promote wound healing in animal models, including diabetic mice and rabbits, ex vivo human skins, and Staphylococcus aureus-infected diabetic mice. In-depth mechanism investigation indicates that improved wound microenvironments accelerated wound repair, including alleviated bacterial infection, lessened inflammation, appearance of abundant M2-type macrophages, removal of ROS, promoted angiogenesis, and re-epithelialization. Collectively, our investigation provides an in situ, convenient, and effective approach for diabetic wound repair.

Coronary artery calcification: concepts and clinical applications.

Vascular calcification is an important hallmark of atherosclerosis. Coronary artery calcification (CAC) implies the presence of coronary artery disease (CAD), irrespective of risk factors or symptoms, is concomitant with the development of advanced atherosclerosis. Coronary thrombosis is the most common clinical end event leading to acute coronary syndrome (ACS). The least common type of pathology associated with thrombosis is the calcified nodule (CN). It usually occurs in elderly patients with severely calcified and tortuous arteries. The prevalence of calcified nodules in patients with ACS may be underestimated due to the lack of easily recognisable diagnostic methods. In this review, the authors will focus on the classification, clinical significance, pathogenesis, and diagnostic evaluation and treatment of CAC to further explore the clinical significance of CN.

Fe3O4 nanoparticles entrapped in the inner surfaces of N-doped carbon microtubes with enhanced biomimetic activity.

Tubular structured composites have attracted great interest in catalysis research owing to their void-confinement effects. In this work, we synthesized a pair of hollow N-doped carbon microtubes (NCMTs) with Fe3O4 nanoparticles (NPs) encapsulated inside NCMTs (Fe3O4@NCMTs) and supported outside NCMTs (NCMTs@Fe3O4) while keeping other structural features the same. The impact of structural effects on the catalytic activities was investigated by comparing a pair of hollow-structured nanocomposites. It was found that the Fe3O4@NCMTs possessed a higher peroxidase-like activity when compared with NCMTs@Fe3O4, demonstrating structural superiority of Fe3O4@NCMTs. Based on the excellent peroxidase-like catalytic activity and stability of Fe3O4@NCMTs, an ultra-sensitive colorimetric method was developed for the detection of H2O2 and GSH with detection limits of 0.15 µM and 0.49 µM, respectively, which has potential application value in biological sciences and biotechnology.