Controllable nonreciprocal phonon laser in a hybrid photonic molecule based on directional quantum squeezing.

Here, a scheme for a controllable nonreciprocal phonon laser is proposed in a hybrid photonic molecule system consisting of a whispering-gallery mode (WGM) optomechanical resonator and a χ(2)-nonlinear WGM resonator, by directionally quantum squeezing one of two coupled resonator modes. The directional quantum squeezing results in a chiral photon interaction between the resonators and a frequency shift of the squeezed resonator mode with respect to the unsqueezed bare mode. We show that the directional quantum squeezing can modify the effective optomechanical coupling in the optomechanical resonator, and analyze the impacts of driving direction and squeezing extent on the phonon laser action in detail. Our analytical and numerical results indicate that the controllable nonreciprocal phonon laser action can be effectively realized in this system. The proposed scheme uses an all-optical and chip-compatible approach without spinning resonators, which may be more beneficial for integrating and packaging of the system on a chip. Our proposal may provide a new route to realize integratable phonon devices for on-chip nonreciprocal phonon manipulations, which may be used in chiral quantum acoustics, topological phononics, and acoustical information processing.

Hydrogen-bonding and π-π interaction promoted solution-processable covalent organic frameworks.

Covalent organic frameworks show great potential in gas adsorption/separation, biomedicine, device, sensing, and printing arenas. However, covalent organic frameworks are generally not dispersible in common solvents resulting in the poor processability, which severely obstruct their application in practice. In this study, we develop a convenient top-down process for fabricating solution-processable covalent organic frameworks by introducing intermolecular hydrogen bonding and π-π interactions from ionic liquids. The bulk powders of imine-linked, azine-linked, and ß-ketoenamine linked covalent organic frameworks can be dispersed homogeneously in optimal ionic liquid 1-methyl-3-octylimidazolium bromide after heat treatment. The resulting high-concentration colloids are utilized to create the covalent organic framework inks that can be directly printed onto the surface. Molecular dynamics simulations and the quantum mechanical calculations suggest that C‒H···π and π-π interaction between ionic liquid cations and covalent organic frameworks may promote the formation of colloidal solution. These findings offer a roadmap for preparing solution-processable covalent organic frameworks, enabling their practical applications.

Protein and Peptide-Based Nanotechnology for Enhancing Stability, Bioactivity, and Delivery of Anthocyanins.

Anthocyanin, a unique natural polyphenol, is abundant in plants and widely utilized in biomedicine, cosmetics, and the food industry due to its excellent antioxidant, anticancer, antiaging, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties. However, the degradation of anthocyanin in an extreme environment, such as alkali pH, high temperatures, and metal ions, limits its physiochemical stabilities and bioavailabilities. Encapsulation and combining anthocyanin with biomaterials could efficiently stabilize anthocyanin for protection. Promisingly, natural or artificially designed proteins and peptides with favorable stabilities, excellent biocapacity, and wide sources are potential candidates to stabilize anthocyanin. This review focuses on recent progress, strategies, and perspectives on protein and peptide for anthocyanin functionalization and delivery, i.e., formulation technologies, physicochemical stability enhancement, cellular uptake, bioavailabilities, and biological activities development. Interestingly, due to the simplicity and diversity of peptide structure, the interaction mechanisms between peptide and anthocyanin could be illustrated. This work sheds light on the mechanism of protein/peptide-anthocyanin nanoparticle construction and expands on potential applications of anthocyanin in nutrition and biomedicine.

Fabrication of silk sericin-anthocyanin nanocoating for chelating and saturation-visualization detection of metal ions.

Silk sericin (SS) is a natural water-soluble protein with the potential to chelate metal ions via its polar groups. However, the difficulty of identifying the saturation of SS limits its application as filter films. One solution is to construct SS filter films with an indicator to reflect the degree of saturation of silk sericin. Hence, the nanocoating consisting of co-assembled SS protein and anthocyanin (C3G) nanoparticles is designed, constructed, and characterized to chelate metal ions with a saturation-visualization detection behavior. Here, metal ions Zn2+ and Al3+ are chosen as models to explore the chelating ability of SS and indicator behaviors of C3G, which could indicate the saturation degree of SS. Interestingly, after the saturation of SS in the solution and filter film situations, the visible color progressively shifts from pink to blue (Zn2+) or violet (Al3+), with the corresponding redshift of UV-Vis absorbance of C3G. Remarkable removal effectiveness of Zn2+ and Al3+, namely 93.16% and 53.97%, as well as an evident saturation-visualization detection, were identified by filter paper films with the nanocoating. Our research provides a fresh viewpoint for designing SS filter films that could effectively remove metal ions while enabling real-time viewing.

Epigenetic Regulation in the Pathogenesis of Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease. The etiology of RA remains undetermined and the pathogenesis is complex. There remains a paucity of ideal therapeutic drugs and treatment strategies. The epigenetic modifications affect and regulate the function and characteristics of genes through mechanisms, including DNA methylation, histone modification, chromosome remodeling, and RNAi, thereby exerting a significant impact on the living state of the body. Recently, the phenomenon of epigenetic modification in RA has garnered growing research interest. The application of epigenetically modified methods is the frontier field in the research of RA pathogenesis. This review highlights the research on the pathogenesis of RA based on epigenetic modification in the recent five years, thereby suggesting new methods and strategies for the diagnosis and treatment of RA.