Entropy-Dominated Triplet Exciton Emission in Carbon Dots.

Phosphorescence in carbon dots (CDs) from triplet exciton radiative recombination at room temperature has achieved significant advancement. Confinement and nanoconfinement, serving as valuable techniques, are commonly utilized to brighten triplet exciton in CDs, thereby enhancing their phosphorescence. However, a comprehensive and universally applicable physical description of confinement-enhanced phosphorescence is still lacking, despite efforts to understand its underlying nature. In this study, the dominance of entropy is revealed in triplet exciton emission from CDs through the establishment of a microscopic vibration state model. CDs with varying entropy levels are studied, indicating that in a low entropy system, the multi-energy triplet exciton emission in CDs exhibits enhanced brightness, accompanied by a corresponding increase in their lifetimes. The product of lifetime and intensity in CDs serves as a descriptor for their phosphorescence properties. Moreover, an entropy-dependent information variation system based on the CDs is demonstrated. Specifically, in a low-entropy system, information is retained, whereas the corresponding information is erased in a high-entropy system. This work elucidates the underlying physical nature of confinement-enhanced triplet exciton emission, offering a deeper understanding of achieving ultralong phosphorescence in the future.

Low-coordinated Mn-N2 sites in graphene oxide induce peroxydisulfate activation for tetracycline degradation: Process optimization and theoretical calculation.

Atom-dispersed low-coordinated transition metal-Nx catalysts exhibit excellent efficiency in activating peroxydisulfate (PDS) for environmental remediation. However, their catalytic performance is limited due to metal-N coordination number and single-atom loading amount. In this study, low-coordinated nitrogen-doped graphene oxide (GO) confined single-atom Mn catalyst (Mn-SA/NGO) was synthesized by molten salt-assisted pyrolysis and coupled to PDS for degradation of tetracycline (TC) in water. Aberration-corrected high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (AC-HAADF-STEM) and X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (XAFS) analysis showed the successful doping of single-atom Mn (weight percentage 1.6%) onto GO and the formation of low-coordinated Mn-N2 sites. The optimized parameters obtained by Box-Behnken Design achieved 100% TC removal in both prediction and experimental results. The Mn-SA/NGO + PDS system had strong anti-interference ability for TC removal in the presence of anions. Besides, Mn-SA/NGO possessed good reusability and stability. O2•-, •OH, and 1O2 were the main active species for TC degradation, and the TC mineralization reached 85.1%. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations confirmed that the introduction of single atoms Mn could effectively enhance adsorption and activation of PDS. The findings provide a reference for the synthesis of high-performance single-atom catalysts for effective removal of antibiotics.

O-GlcNAc Modification Is a Promising Therapeutic Target for Diabetic Retinopathy.

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a very serious diabetes complication. Changes in the O-linked N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) modification are associated with many diseases. However, its role in DR is not fully understood. In this research, we explored the effect of O-GlcNAc modification regulation by activating AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in DR, providing some evidence for clinical DR treatment in the future. Bioinformatics was used to make predictions from the database, which were validated using the serum samples of diabetic patients. As an in vivo model, diabetic mice were induced using streptozotocin (STZ) injection with/without an AMPK agonist (metformin) or an AMPK inhibitor (compound C) treatment. Electroretinogram (ERG) and H&E staining were used to evaluate the retinal functional and morphological changes. In vitro, 661 w cells were exposed to high-glucose conditions, with or without metformin treatment. Apoptosis was evaluated using TUNEL staining. The protein expression was detected using Western blot and immunofluorescence staining. The angiogenesis ability was detected using a tube formation assay. The levels of O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) and O-GlcNAcase (OGA) in the serum changed in the DR patients in the clinic. In the diabetic mice, the ERG wave amplitude and retinal thickness decreased. In vitro, the apoptotic cell percentage and Bax expression were increased, and Bcl2 expression was decreased in the 661 w cells under high-glucose conditions. The O-GlcNAc modification was increased in DR. In addition, the expression of GFAT/TXNIP O-GlcNAc was also increased in the 661 w cells after the high-glucose treatment. Additionally, the Co-immunoprecipitation(CO-IP) results show that TXNIP interacted with the O-GlcNAc modification. However, AMPK activation ameliorated this effect. We also found that silencing the AMPKα1 subunit reversed this process. In addition, the conditioned medium of the 661 w cells may have affected the tube formation in vitro. Taken together, O-GlcNAc modification was increased in DR with photoreceptor cell degeneration and neovascularization; however, it was reversed after activating AMPK. The underlying mechanism is linked to the GFAT/TXNIP-O-GlcNAc modification signaling axis. Therefore, the AMPKα1 subunit plays a vital role in the process.

Digital Self-Interference Canceler with Joint Channel Estimator for Simultaneous Transmit and Receive System.

Simultaneous transmit and receive wireless communications have been highlighted for their potential to double the spectral efficiency. However, it is necessary to mitigate self-interference (SI). Considering both the SI channel and remote transmission (RT) channel need to be estimated before equalizing the received signal, we propose two adaptive algorithms for linear and nonlinear self-interference cancellation (SIC), based on a multi-layered joint channel estimator structure. The proposed algorithms estimate the RT channel while performing SIC, and the multi-layered structure ensures improved performance across various interference-to-signal ratios. The M-estimate function enhances the robustness of the algorithm, allowing it to converge even when affected by impulsive noise. For nonlinear SIC, this paper introduces an adaptive algorithm based on generalized Hammerstein polynomial basis functions. The simulation results indicate that this approach achieves a better convergence speed and normalized mean squared difference compared to existing SIC methods, leading to a lower system bit error rate.

The association between renal pelvis urine density and the risk of severe infectious complications in patient with symptom-free hydronephrosis after shock wave lithotripsy: a multi-center prospective study.

Finding reliable and easy-to-obtain predictors of severe infectious complications after shock wave lithotripsy (SWL) is a major clinical need, particular in symptom-free hydronephrosis. Therefore, we aim to prospectively investigate the predictive value of Hounsfield units (HU) in renal pelvis urine for the risk of severe infectious complications in patients with ureteral stones and symptom-free hydronephrosis after SWL. This multi-center prospective study was conducted from June 2020 to December 2023. The HU of renal pelvis urine was measured by non-enhanced computed tomography. The severe infectious complications included systemic inflammatory response syndrome, sepsis, and septic shock. Binary logistic regression models assessed the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Finally, 1,436 patients with ureteral stones were enrolled in this study. 8.9% (128/1,436) of patients experienced severe infectious complications after SWL treatment. After adjusting confounding variables, compared with the patients in the lowest renal pelvis urine density quartile, the OR (95% CI) for the highest quartile was 32.36 (13.32, 78.60). There was a positive linear association between the HU value of renal pelvis urine and the risk of severe infectious complications after SWL (P for trend < 0.001). Furthermore, this association was also observed stratified by age, gender, BMI, stone size, stone location and hydronephrosis grade (all P for interaction > 0.05). Additionally, the nonlinear association employed by restricted cubic splines is not statistically significant (nonlinear P = 0.256). The AUROC and 95%CI of renal pelvis urine density were 0.895 (0.862 to 0.927, P value < 0.001). The cut-off value was 12.0 HU with 78.59% sensitivity and 85.94% specificity. This multi-center prospective study demonstrated a positive linear association between HU in renal pelvis urine and the risk of severe infectious complications in patients with ureteral stones and symptom-free hydronephrosis after SWL, regardless of age, gender, BMI, stone size, stone location, and hydronephrosis grade. These findings might be helpful in the SWL treatment decision-making process.

Insights on the enhancement of chilling tolerance in Rice through over-expression and knock-out studies of OsRBCS3.

Chilling stress is an important environmental factor that affects rice (Oryza sativa L.) growth and yield, and the booting stage is the most sensitive stage of rice to chilling stress. In this study, we focused on OsRBCS3, a rice gene related to chilling tolerance at the booting stage, which encodes the key enzyme ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) small subunit in photosynthesis. The aim of this study was to elucidate the role and mechanism of OsRBCS3 in rice chilling tolerance at the booting stage. The expression levels of OsRBCS3 under chilling stress were compared in two japonica rice cultivars with different chilling tolerances: Kongyu131 (KY131) and Longjing11 (LJ11). A positive correlation was found between OsRBCS3 expression and chilling tolerance. Over-expression (OE) and knock-out (KO) lines of OsRBCS3 were constructed using over-expression and CRISPR/Cas9 technology, respectively, and their chilling tolerance was evaluated at the seedling and booting stages. The results showed that OE lines exhibited higher chilling tolerance than wild-type (WT) lines at both seedling and booting stages, while KO lines showed lower chilling tolerance than WT lines. Furthermore, the antioxidant enzyme activities, malondialdehyde (MDA) content and Rubisco activity of four rice lines under chilling stress were measured, and it was found that OE lines had stronger antioxidant and photosynthetic capacities, while KO lines had the opposite effects. This study validated that OsRBCS3 plays an important role in rice chilling tolerance at the booting stage, providing new molecular tools and a theoretical basis for rice chilling tolerance breeding.

Engineering Sizable and Broad-Spectrum Antibacterial Fabrics through Hydrogen Bonding Interaction and Electrostatic Interaction.

Long-lasting and highly efficient antibacterial fabrics play a key role in public health occurrences caused by bacterial and viral infections. However, the production of antibacterial fabrics with a large size, highly efficient, and broad-spectrum antibacterial performance remains a great challenge due to the complex processes. Herein, we demonstrate sizable and highly efficient antibacterial fabrics through hydrogen bonding interaction and electrostatic interaction between surface groups of ZnO nanoparticles and fabric fibers. The production process can be carried out at room temperature and achieve a production rate of 300 × 1 m2 within 1 h. Under both visible light and dark conditions, the bactericidal rate against Gram-positive (S. aureus), Gram-negative (E. coli), and multidrug-resistant (MRSA) bacteria can reach an impressive 99.99%. Furthermore, the fabricated ZnO nanoparticle-decorated antibacterial fabrics (ZnO@fabric) show high stability and long-lasting antibacterial performance, making them easy to develop into variable antibacterial blocks for protection suits.

Hypothalamic FTO promotes high-fat diet-induced leptin resistance in mice through increasing CX3CL1 expression.

Long-term consumption of a high-fat diet (HFD) disrupts energy homeostasis and leads to weight gain. The fat mass and obesity-associated (FTO) gene has been consistently identified to be associated with HFD-induced obesity. The hypothalamus is crucial for regulating energy balance, and HFD-induced hypothalamic leptin resistance contributes to obesity. FTO, an N6-methyladenosine (m6A) RNA methylation regulator, may be a key mediator of leptin resistance. However, the exact mechanisms remain unclear. Therefore, the present study aims to investigate the association between FTO and leptin resistance. After HFD or standard diet (SD) feeding in male mice for 22 weeks, m6A-sequencing and western blotting assays were used to identify target genes and assess protein level, and molecular interaction changes. CRISPR/Cas9 gene knockout system was employed to investigate the potential function of FTO in leptin resistance and obesity. Our data showed that chemokine (C-X3-C motif) ligand 1 (CX3CL1) was a direct downstream target of FTO-mediated m6A modification. Furthermore, upregulation of FTO/CX3CL1 and suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS3) in the hypothalamus impaired leptin-signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 signaling, resulting in leptin resistance and obesity. Compared to wild-type (WT) mice, FTO deficiency in leptin receptor-expressing neurons of the hypothalamus significantly inhibited the upregulation of CX3CL1 and SOCS3, and partially ameliorating leptin resistance under HFD conditions. Our findings reveal that FTO involved in the hypothalamic leptin resistance and provides novel insight into the function of FTO in the contribution to hypothalamic leptin resistance and obesity.

Highly Antibacterial and Antioxidative Carbon Nanodots/Silk Fibroin Films for Fruit Preservation.

The issues of fruit waste and safety resulting from rot have spurred a demand for improved packaging systems. Herein, we present highly antibacterial and antioxidative carbon nanodot/silk fibroin (CD/SF) films for fruit preservation. The films are composed of CDs and SF together with a small amount of glycerol via hydrogen bonding, exhibiting outstanding biosafety, transparency, and stretchability. The films effectively integrate key functionalities (atmosphere control, resistance to food-borne pathogens, and antioxidation properties) and can be manufactured in large sizes (about 20 × 30 cm), boasting a transmission rate of 13 183 cm3/m2·day for oxygen and 2860 g/m2·day for water vapor, favoring the preservation of fresh fruits. A convenient dip-coating method enables in situ fabrication of films with a thickness of approximately 14 µm directly on the fruits' surface providing comprehensive protection. Importantly, the films are washable and biodegradable. This work presents a promising technology to produce multifunctional and eco-friendly antibacterial packaging systems.

Research on the Moisture Stability of Asphalt Mixtures with Three Solid Waste Fillers.

Widespread interest has been drawn to the use of solid waste fillers as a partial replacement for natural fillers in high-performance asphalt mixtures in recent years. However, variations in the material properties of solid waste fillers remain a problem for the recycling method. To address this issue, the limestone powder in asphalt mixtures was replaced with three solid waste fillers, including steel slag powder, tailings powder and calcium carbide slag powder in this study. The chemical composition of the fillers was first characterized to assess the homogeneity of the material. Then, a dense-graded asphalt mixture (AC) and a stone matrix asphalt (SMA) mixture were designed, produced and characterized for wet stability. The results show that the asphalt mixtures with solid waste fillers were superior to limestone powder (LP) asphalt mixtures in terms of resistance to water damage, and the steel slag powder showed the best improvement in moisture stability of the asphalt mixtures. The optimum substitution of solid waste filler for limestone filler was 25%. With the addition of anti-stripping agents, the moisture stability of the asphalt mixture with limestone filler was also greatly enhanced. On the contrary, a marginal enhancement was observed in the moisture stability of asphalt mixtures using solid waste fillers. Solid waste fillers can be used in asphalt mixtures and have a similar function as that of anti-stripping agents. In summary, the use of solid waste fillers to replace mineral fillers in asphalt mixtures is a reliable, value-added recycling option.

Experimental and Numerical Investigation on the Aerosol Micro-Jet 3D Printing of Flexible Electronic Devices.

In this study, the optimal forming parameters for printing flexible circuits using aerosol jet printing technology are explored through numerical simulation and experiments. The printhead during the deposition process is numerically simulated. By employing the controlled variable method, the process parameters such as gas flow rate, working distance, nozzle diameter, and printing speed are selected to investigate their effects on the morphology of the printed lines. Accordingly, single-factor experiments are designed to validate the printing of flexible circuits on both planar and curved substrates. Laser micro-sintering is utilized to improve the conductivity of the printed lines and ultimately fabricate flexible strain sensors. Under the sheath gas flow rate of 400 sccm, carrier gas flow rate of 100 sccm, working distance of 3 mm, nozzle diameter of 500 µm, and printing speed of 10 mm/s, the optimal morphology of the printed lines is achieved with low linewidth characteristics. The variations in the focal ratio, working distance, nozzle diameter, and printing speed significantly affect the minimum feature line width and morphology of the printed lines.

Puerarin alleviates sleep disorders in aged mice related to repairing intestinal mucosal barrier.

More and more evidence suggests that puerarin, a potential remedy for gut inflammation, may have an ameliorative effect on sleep disturbances. However, the relationship between puerarin and sleep disruption has not been extensively researched. This study aims to explore the role and mechanisms of puerarin in improving sleep disorders. We established a light-induced sleep disorder model in mice and assessed the effects of puerarin on cognitive behavior using open field and water maze tests. Pathological detection demonstrated that sleep disturbances resulted in observable damage to the liver, lung, and kidney. Puerarin reversed multi-organ damage and inflammation. Further, puerarin activated paneth cells, resulting in increased lysozyme and TGF-ß production, and stimulating intestinal stem cell proliferation. Puerarin also effectively inhibited the expression of F4/80, iNOS, TNF-α, and IL-1ß in the small intestine, while it increased Chil3, CD206, and Arg-1 levels. Moreover, puerarin treatment significantly decreased P-P65, TLR4, Bcl-xl, and cleaved caspase-3 protein levels while increasing barrier protein levels, including ZO-1, Occludin, Claudin 1 and E-cadherin suggesting a reduction in inflammation and apoptosis in the gut. Overall, puerarin diminished systemic inflammation, particularly intestinal inflammation, and enhanced intestinal barrier integrity in mice with sleep disorders. Our findings suggest a potential new therapeutic pathway for sleep disorders.

Clinical outcomes following observation, post-operative radiation therapy, or post-operative chemoradiation for HPV-associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas.

BACKGROUND: Intermediate and high-risk features (IRFs/HRFs) for locoregional recurrence following initial surgery for oropharyngeal SCCs (OP-SCCs) were defined prior to the known association of HPV with OP-SCC. There are limited reports on practice patterns and outcomes associated with post-operative radiation therapy (PORT) or chemoradiation (POCRT) for HPV-associated OP-SCCs. MATERIALS/METHODS: The National Cancer Database was queried for patients with HPV-associated OP-SCCs managed initially with surgery with IRFs or HRFs. IRFs were defined as pT3/T4 disease, pN1-3 disease, and lymphovascular space invasion, and HRFs as positive margins and extranodal extension (ENE). Patients were stratified into no adjuvant therapy, PORT, or POCRT arms. Kaplan-Meier analysis was utilized for comparison of overall survival (OS) between treatment arms followed by a Cox multivariate (MVA) proportional-hazards model and propensity score analyses with inverse probability treatment weighting (IPTW). RESULTS: We identified 6,301 patients; 51.2% had IRFs only and 48.8% had HRFs. Regarding treatment, 25.5%, 38.2%, and 36.3% of patients received no RT, PORT, and POCRT, respectively. Patients with IRFs who did not receive RT or CRT had inferior 8-year OS (81.1% vs. 87.8%; p < 0.001) that remained significant on IPTW MVA (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.69 (95% CI: 1.27-2.24; p < 0.001). Among patients with HRFs, 8-year OS was not significantly different between patients receiving PORT vs. POCRT (77.3% vs. 79.2%; p = 0.22) that remained insignificant on IPTW MVA (HR = 0.91(0.72-1.17); p = 0.48). CONCLUSION: A significant proportion of HPV-associated OP-SCC patients with IRFs or HRFs did not receive PORT, which was associated with inferior OS. We did not demonstrate with statistical power that POCRT vs. PORT was associated with superior OS in patients with HRFs, though prospective studies are warranted.

Design and Experiment of a Biomimetic Duckbill-like Vibration Chain for Physical Weed Control during the Rice Tillering Stage.

The widespread use of chemical herbicides has jeopardized concerns about food safety and ecological consequences. To address these issues and reduce reliance on chemical herbicides, a physical weed control device was developed for the tillering stage in paddy fields. This device features a biomimetic duckbill-like vibration chain that effectively controls weed outbreaks. The chain penetrates the soft surface soil of the paddy field under gravity and rapidly stirs the soil through vibration, leading to the detachment of the weed roots anchored in the surface layer. Simultaneously, the device avoids mechanical damage to rice seedlings rooted in deeper soil. This study aimed to investigate the effects of chain structural parameters (the number of chain rows, vibration amplitude, and length of chains) and operational parameters (vibration frequency and working velocity) on weed control efficiency and rice seedling damage. Through a central composite regression field test, the optimal device structure and operational parameters were determined. The optimization results demonstrated that a vibration amplitude of 78.8 mm, a chain length of 93.47 cm, and 3.4 rows of chains, along with a vibration frequency and working velocity ranging from 0.5 to 1.25 m/s, achieved an optimal weeding effect. Under the optimal parameter combination, field test results demonstrated that approximately 80% of the weeds in the field were effectively cleared. This indicates that the design of the biomimetic duckbill-like vibration chain weeding device exhibits a relatively superior weeding performance, offering a practical solution for the management of weeds in rice fields.

A burns and COVID-19 shared stress responding gene network deciphers CD1C-CD141- DCs as the key cellular components in septic prognosis.

Differential body responses to various stresses, infectious or noninfectious, govern clinical outcomes ranging from asymptoma to death. However, the common molecular and cellular nature of the stress responsome across different stimuli is not described. In this study, we compared the expression behaviors between burns and COVID-19 infection by choosing the transcriptome of peripheral blood from related patients as the analytic target since the blood cells reflect the systemic landscape of immune status. To this end, we identified an immune co-stimulator (CD86)-centered network, named stress-response core (SRC), which was robustly co-expressed in burns and COVID-19. The enhancement of SRC genes (SRCs) expression indicated favorable prognosis and less severity in both conditions. An independent whole blood single-cell RNA sequencing of COVID-19 patients demonstrated that the monocyte-dendritic cell (Mono-DC) wing was the major cellular source of SRC, among which the higher expression of the SRCs in the monocyte was associated with the asymptomatic COVID-19 patients, while the quantity-restricted and function-defected CD1C-CD141-DCs were recognized as the key signature which linked to bad consequences. Specifically, the proportion of the CD1C-CD141-DCs and their SRCs expression were step-wise reduced along with worse clinic conditions while the subcluster of CD1C-CD141-DCs from the critical COVID-19 patients was characterized of IFN signaling quiescence, high mitochondrial metabolism and immune-communication inactivation. Thus, our study identified an expression-synchronized and function-focused gene network in Mono-DC population whose expression status was prognosis-related and might serve as a new target of diagnosis and therapy.

Formulation and Evaluation on Synergetic Anti-Hepatoma Effect of a Chemically Stable and Release-Controlled Nanoself-Assembly with Natural Monomers.

Introduction: Hepatoma is the leading cause of death among liver diseases worldwide. Modern pharmacological studies suggest that some natural monomeric compounds have a significant effect on inhibiting tumor growth. However, poor stability and solubility, and side effects are the main factors limiting the clinical application of natural monomeric compounds. Methods: In this paper, drug-co-loaded nanoself-assemblies were selected as a delivery system to improve the chemical stability and solubility of Tanshinone II A and Glycyrrhetinic acid, and to produce a synergetic anti-hepatoma effect. Results: The study suggested that the drug co-loaded nanoself-assemblies showed high drug loading capacity, good physical and chemical stability, and controlled release. In vitro cell experiments verified that the drug-co-loaded nanoself-assemblies could increase the cellular uptake and cell inhibitory activity. In vivo studies verified that the drug co-loaded nanoself-assemblies could prolong the MRT0-∞, increase accumulation in tumor and liver tissues, and show strong synergistic anti-tumor effect and good bio-safety in H22 tumor-bearing mice. Conclusion: This work indicates that natural monomeric compounds co-loaded nanoself-assemblies would be a potential strategy for the treatment of hepatoma.

Investigating association between gut microbiota and sarcopenia-related traits: a Mendelian randomization study.

Background: Observational studies have indicated a potential link between gut microbiota and sarcopenia. However, the underlying mechanisms and a causal relationship have not been established. Thus, the objective of this study is to examine the possible causal association between gut microbiota and sarcopenia-related traits, including low hand-grip strength and appendicular lean mass (ALM), to shed light on the gut-muscle axis. Methods: To investigate the potential impact of gut microbiota on low hand-grip strength and ALM, we utilized a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) approach. Summary statistics were obtained from genome-wide association studies of gut microbiota, low hand-grip strength, and ALM. The primary MR analysis employed the random-effects inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method. To assess the robustness, we conducted sensitivity analyses using the MR pleiotropy residual sum and outlier (MR-PRESSO) test to detect and correct for horizontal pleiotropy, as well as the MR-Egger intercept test and leave-one-out analysis. Results: Alcaligenaceae, Family XIII, and Paraprevotella were positively associated with the risk of low hand-grip strength (P-values < 0.05). Streptococcaceae were negatively associated with low hand-grip strength (P-values < 0.05). Eight bacterial taxa (Actinomycetales, Actinomycetaceae, Bacteroidaceae, Porphyromonadaceae, Prevotellaceae, Bacteroides, Marvinbryantia, and Phascolarctobacterium) were associated with a higher risk of ALM (P-values < 0.05). Eubacterium fissicatena group was negatively associated with ALM (P-values < 0.05). Conclusion: We found several gut microbiota components causally associated with sarcopenia-related traits. Our findings provided insights into novel strategies for the prevention and treatment of sarcopenia through the regulation of the gut microbiota, contributing to a better understanding of the gut-muscle axis.

Enhanced Phosphorescence of Carbon Nanodots via Double Confinement for 3D Artworks with Long Emission Lifetimes.

Phosphorescent materials as block elements to build artwork incorporating the time and emission, enable them with spectacular lighting effects. In this work, enhanced phosphorescence of carbon nanodots (CNDs) is demonstrated via double confinement strategy, which silica and epoxy resin are used as the first and the second order confinement layer. The multi-confined CNDs show an enhanced phosphorescence quantum yield up to 16.4%, with enduring emission lifetime up to 1.44 s. Delicately, the plasticity of the epoxy resin enables them easily to be designed for 3D artworks with long emission lifetimes in different shapes. The efficient and eco-friendly phosphorescent CNDs may arouse intense interest both in the academic community and markets.

Chitin nanocrystal-assisted 3D bioprinting of gelatin methacrylate scaffolds.

In recent years, there has been an increasing focus on the application of hydrogels in tissue engineering. The integration of 3D bioprinting technology has expanded the potential applications of hydrogels. However, few commercially available hydrogels used for 3D biological printing exhibit both excellent biocompatibility and mechanical properties. Gelatin methacrylate (GelMA) has good biocompatibility and is widely used in 3D bioprinting. However, its low mechanical properties limit its use as a standalone bioink for 3D bioprinting. In this work, we designed a biomaterial ink composed of GelMA and chitin nanocrystal (ChiNC). We explored fundamental printing properties of composite bioinks, including rheological properties, porosity, equilibrium swelling rate, mechanical properties, biocompatibility, effects on the secretion of angiogenic factors and fidelity of 3D bioprinting. The results showed that adding 1% (w/v) ChiNC to 10% (w/v) GelMA improved the mechanical properties and printability of the GelMA hydrogels, promoted cell adhesion, proliferation and vascularization and enabled the printing of complex 3D scaffolds. This strategy of incorporating ChiNC to enhance the performance of GelMA biomaterials could potentially be applied to other biomaterials, thereby expanding the range of materials available for use. Furthermore, in combination with 3D bioprinting technology, this approach could be leveraged to bioprint scaffolds with complex structures, further broadening the potential applications in tissue engineering.

Antibacterial Carbon Dots: Mechanisms, Design, and Applications.

The increase in antibiotic resistance promotes the situation of developing new antibiotics at the forefront, while the development of non-antibiotic pharmaceuticals is equally significant. In the post-antibiotic era, nanomaterials with high antibacterial efficiency and no drug resistance make them attractive candidates for antibacterial materials. Carbon dots (CDs), as a kind of carbon-based zero-dimensional nanomaterial, are attracting much attention for their multifunctional properties. The abundant surface states, tunable photoexcited states, and excellent photo-electron transfer properties make sterilization of CDs feasible and are gradually emerging in the antibacterial field. This review provides comprehensive insights into the recent development of CDs in the antibacterial field. The topics include mechanisms, design, and optimization processes, and their potential practical applications are also highlighted, such as treatment of bacterial infections, against bacterial biofilms, antibacterial surfaces, food preservation, and bacteria imaging and detection. Meanwhile, the challenges and outlook of CDs in the antibacterial field are discussed and proposed.