Ga2O3 Quantum Dots with N-Doped Amorphous Carbon Fixed for Efficient Storage and Transfer of Lithium Ions by Introduction of Dopamine Hydrochloride.

The Ga2O3 anode has great potential due to its self-healing and high theoretical capacity in lithium-ion batteries. Like anodes with other transition metal oxides, the Ga2O3 anode has the problems of structural change and low electrical conductivity. The electrochemical performance of the Ga2O3 anode still needs to be improved. In this work, we synthesized a Ga2O3 quantum dots@N-doped carbon (Ga2O3-QD@NC) composite by hydrothermal reaction with a carbon source of dopamine hydrochloride, in which Ga2O3 quantum dots were dispersed in the interior of the amorphous carbon. Such a special structure is conducive to the high-speed migration of lithium ions and electrons and effectively inhibits volume expansion and agglomeration. Smaller and more uniform quantum dots facilitate efficient repair of the structure. Due to these advantages, the Ga2O3-QD@NC electrode has great electrochemical performance. The Ga2O3-QD@NC electrode has an initial discharge capacity of 1580 mAh g-1 with a high first Coulombic efficiency of 62.8% and a cycling capacity of 953 mAh g-1 under 0.1 A g-1. It even has a capacity of 460 mAh g-1 at 1 A g-1 after 300 cycles. This strategy can provide a new direction for the Ga2O3 anode in lithium-ion batteries with high capacity.

Crystal Engineering Enables Cobalt-Based Metal-Organic Frameworks as High-Performance Electrocatalysts for H2O2 Production.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with highly adjustable structures are an emerging family of electrocatalysts in two-electron oxygen reduction reaction (2e-ORR) for H2O2 production. However, the development of MOF-based 2e-ORR catalysts with high H2O2 selectivity and production rate remains challenging. Herein, an elaborate design with fine control over MOFs at both atomic and nano-scale is demonstrated, enabling the well-known Zn/Co bimetallic zeolite imidazole frameworks (ZnCo-ZIFs) as excellent 2e-ORR electrocatalysts. Experimental results combined with density functional theory simulation have shown that the atomic level control can regulate the role of water molecules participating in the ORR process, and the morphology control over desired facet exposure adjusts the coordination unsaturation degree of active sites. The structural regulation at two length scales leads to synchronous control over both the kinetics and thermodynamics for ORR on bimetallic ZIF catalysts. The optimized ZnCo-ZIF with a Zn/Co molar ratio of 9/1 and predominant {001} facet exposure exhibits a high 2e- selectivity of ∼100% and a H2O2 yield of 4.35 mol gcat-1 h-1. The findings pave a new avenue toward the development of multivariate MOFs as advanced 2e-ORR electrocatalysts.

Tanshinone IIA and hepatocellular carcinoma: A potential therapeutic drug.

Because of its high prevalence and poor long-term clinical treatment effect, liver disease is regarded as a major public health problem around the world. Among them, viral hepatitis, fatty liver, cirrhosis, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and autoimmune liver disease are common causes and inducements of liver injury, and play an important role in the occurrence and development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Tanshinone IIA (TsIIA) is a fat soluble polyphenol of Salvia miltiorrhiza that is extracted from Salvia miltiorrhiza. Because of its strong biological activity (anti-inflammatory, antioxidant), it is widely used in Asia to treat cardiovascular and liver diseases. In addition, TsIIA has shown significant anti-HCC activity in previous studies. It not only has significant anti proliferation and pro apoptotic properties. It can also play an anti-cancer role by mediating a variety of signal pathways, including phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt)/rapamycin (mTOR), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB). This review not only reviews the existing evidence and molecular mechanism of TsIIA's anti-HCC effect but also reviews the liver-protective effect of TsIIA and its impact on liver fibrosis, NAFLD, and other risk factors for liver cancer. In addition, we also conducted network pharmacological analysis on TsIIA and HCC to further screen and explore the possible targets of TsIIA against hepatocellular carcinoma. It is expected to provide a theoretical basis for the development of anti-HCC-related drugs based on TsIIA.

Vitamin D3 alleviates inflammation in ulcerative colitis by activating the VDR-NLRP6 signaling pathway.

Inflammation is a key factor in the development of ulcerative colitis (UC). 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D3, VD3), as the major active ingredient of vitamin D and an anti-inflammatory activator, is closely related to the initiation and development of UC, but its regulatory mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we carried out histological and physiological analyses in UC patients and UC mice. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), assays for transposase-accessible chromatin with high-throughput sequencing (ATAC-seq), chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays and protein and mRNA expression were performed to analyze and identify the potential molecular mechanism in UC mice and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced mouse intestinal epithelial cells (MIECs). Moreover, we established nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain (NOD)-like receptor protein nlrp6 -/- mice and siRNA-NLRP6 MIECs to further characterize the role of NLRP6 in anti-inflammation of VD3. Our study revealed that VD3 abolished NOD-like receptor protein 6 (NLRP6) inflammasome activation, suppressing NLRP6, apoptosis-associated speck-like protein (ASC) and Caspase-1 levels via the vitamin D receptor (VDR). ChIP and ATAC-seq showed that VDR transcriptionally repressed NLRP6 by binding to vitamin D response elements (VDREs) in the promoter of NLRP6, impairing UC development. Importantly, VD3 had both preventive and therapeutic effects on the UC mouse model via inhibition of NLRP6 inflammasome activation. Our results demonstrated that VD3 substantially represses inflammation and the development of UC in vivo. These findings reveal a new mechanism by which VD3 affects inflammation in UC by regulating the expression of NLRP6 and show the potential clinical use of VD3 in autoimmune syndromes or other NLRP6 inflammasome-driven inflammatory diseases.

Effect of Waveguide Aperture and Distance on Microwave Treatment Performance in Rock Excavation.

Rock burst is a common hazard during tunnel excavation in high-stress and hard rock strata. Microwave-assisted breaking has a great potential application in hard rock tunnel excavation, reducing the possibility of rock burst, and how to reasonably make the application on the TBM cutterhead is one of the critical issues. The waveguide aperture and distance between the rock face and waveguide have serious effects on its performance. In this paper, based on the arrangement of the microwave waveguide of the TBM cutterhead and the actual excavation situation, considering the reflection of microwave energy by the metal cutterhead and the scattering state of electromagnetic waves at the rock surface irradiation, a 2D model of rock irradiated by microwaves is established. The effects of waveguide aperture and distance on microwave irradiation performance of rock are studied, considering three different waveguide types: convergent waveguide, rectangular waveguide, and horn waveguide. The results show that the maximum temperature is located on the rock irradiation surface, rather than inside the rock. The rock temperature decreases in a cosine pattern with irradiation distance, rather than in linearity, which is consistent with the characteristics of electromagnetic wave propagation. The interval of irradiation distance where the rock temperature local maximum value appears is 1/4 of the electromagnetic wavelength, corresponding to the crest and trough of the electromagnetic wave. The rock temperature at the wave trough distance is lower than that of the wave crest distance, but the high-temperature zone is wider. In the range of 50~200 mm waveguide apertures, the rock temperature and damage decrease with the increase in waveguide aperture when irradiated at the crest distance, while the valley distance is opposite. A convergent waveguide and short irradiation distance enhance the energy focusing performance, so the temperature rise characteristics and rock damage are more concentrated. A large-waveguide-aperture horn waveguide and long irradiation distance form a wide range of high-temperature zones and rock damages.

Variants of a putative baseplate wedge protein extend the host range of Pseudomonas phage K8.

BACKGROUND: Narrow host range is a major limitation for phage applications, but phages can evolve expanded host range through adaptations in the receptor-binding proteins. RESULTS: Here, we report that Pseudomonas phage K8 can evolve broader host range and higher killing efficiency at the cost of virion stability. Phage K8 host range mutant K8-T239A carries a mutant version of the putative baseplate wedge protein GP075, termed GP075m. While phage K8 adsorbs to hosts via the O-specific antigen of bacterial LPS, phage K8-T239A uses GP075m to also bind the bacterial core oligosaccharide, enabling infection of bacterial strains resistant to K8 infection due to modified O-specific antigens. This mutation in GP075 also alters inter-protein interactions among phage proteins, and reduces the stability of phage particles to environmental stressors like heat, acidity, and alkalinity. We find that a variety of mutations in gp075 are widespread in K8 populations, and that the gp075-like genes are widely distributed among the domains of life. CONCLUSION: Our data show that a typical life history tradeoff occurs between the stability and the host range in the evolution of phage K8. Reservoirs of viral gene variants may be widely present in phage communities, allowing phages to rapidly adapt to any emerging environmental stressors. Video Abstract.

IgM deposition is a risk factor for delayed remission and early relapse of the pediatric minimal change disease.

Background: Minimal change disease (MCD) is the most common pathological subtype of pediatric idiopathic nephrotic syndrome (INS). It has been suggested that IgM deposition might predict kidney function deterioration in the course of MCD. However, the specific role of IgM deposition in the prognosis of MCD is still controversial. This study aims to investigate the clinical significance of IgM deposition on delayed remission and early relapse in a pediatric population. Methods: This study enrolled 283 children diagnosed with MCD by renal biopsy in a single center from 2010 to 2022. These cases were divided into two groups according to the histopathological deposition of IgM. Patients' demographics, clinical parameters, and follow-up data were collected and analyzed. The primary and secondary outcomes were defined as the time to the first remission and the first relapse. Results: The IgM-positive group had a weaker response to steroids (steroid-sensitive: 23.5% vs. 40.8%; steroid-dependent: 74.0% vs. 51.0%; steroid-resistant: 18.4% vs. 8.2%, P = 0.001), and showed more recurrent cases (47.2% vs. 34.4%, P = 0.047) compared with the IgM-negative group. The Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the IgM-positive group had a lower cumulative rate of the first remission (Log-rank, P < 0.001) and a higher rate of the first relapse (Log-rank, P = 0.034) than the IgM-negative group. Multivariate Cox analysis showed that IgM deposition was independently associated with the delayed first remission (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.604, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.465-0.785, P < 0.001) and the early first relapse (HR = 1.593, 95% CI = 1.033-2.456, P = 0.035). Conclusion: IgM deposition was associated with a weaker steroid response. MCD children with IgM deposition were prone to delayed first remission and early first relapse.

Clinical significance of histopathological features of paired recurrent gliomas: a cohort study from a single cancer center.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the histopathological characteristics of paired recurrent gliomas and their clinical significance. METHODS: Glioma patients who received both primary surgery and reoperation when recurrence at Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center from June 2001 to June 2019 were enrolled. Clinical and pathological characteristics were analyzed retrospectively, and histopathology of reoperation specimens was divided into three categories according to tumor cell activity and the degree of necrosis: active group, low-activity group, and necrosis group. RESULTS: A total of 89 patients were included in this study. The 2016 WHO grade of the first operation pathology and IDH1 status were related to survival time after the first operation, but there was no significant association with survival time after reoperation. The time interval between primary and reoperation was shorter for primary high-grade glioma and/or IDH1 wild-type tumor patients than for low-grade glioma and/or IDH1 mutant tumor patients (P < 0.001). Histopathological types of recurrent gliomas were analyzed, and 67 cases (75.3%) were classified into the active group, 14 (15.8%) into the low-activity group, and 8 (8.9%) into the necrosis group. The low-activity or necrosis group was associated with a higher radiotherapy dose and shorter operation interval. Further univariate and multivariate Cox survival analyses showed the histopathological patterns of recurrent gliomas to be related to survival time after reoperation. CONCLUSION: Primary WHO low grade or IDH1 mutant gliomas appeared survival benefit mainly on later recurrence, but was not a prognostic predictor following recurrence. Histopathological feature of recurrent glioma is related to previous treatment, including radiotherapy dosage and chemotherapy treatment, and is also an important independent prognostic factor for patients after reoperation.

Deep Learning for Noninvasive Assessment of H3 K27M Mutation Status in Diffuse Midline Gliomas Using MR Imaging.

BACKGROUND: Determination of H3 K27M mutation in diffuse midline glioma (DMG) is key for prognostic assessment and stratifying patient subgroups for clinical trials. MRI can noninvasively depict morphological and metabolic characteristics of H3 K27M mutant DMG. PURPOSE: This study aimed to develop a deep learning (DL) approach to noninvasively predict H3 K27M mutation in DMG using T2-weighted images. STUDY TYPE: Retrospective and prospective. POPULATION: For diffuse midline brain gliomas, 341 patients from Center-1 (27 ± 19 years, 184 males), 42 patients from Center-2 (33 ± 19 years, 27 males) and 35 patients (37 ± 18 years, 24 males). For diffuse spinal cord gliomas, 133 patients from Center-1 (30 ± 15 years, 80 males). FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE: 5T and 3T, T2-weighted turbo spin echo imaging. ASSESSMENT: Conventional radiological features were independently reviewed by two neuroradiologists. H3 K27M status was determined by histopathological examination. The Dice coefficient was used to evaluate segmentation performance. Classification performance was evaluated using accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve. STATISTICAL TESTS: Pearson's Chi-squared test, Fisher's exact test, two-sample Student's t-test and Mann-Whitney U test. A two-sided P value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: In the testing cohort, Dice coefficients of tumor segmentation using DL were 0.87 for diffuse midline brain and 0.81 for spinal cord gliomas. In the internal prospective testing dataset, the predictive accuracies, sensitivities, and specificities of H3 K27M mutation status were 92.1%, 98.2%, 82.9% in diffuse midline brain gliomas and 85.4%, 88.9%, 82.6% in spinal cord gliomas. Furthermore, this study showed that the performance generalizes to external institutions, with predictive accuracies of 85.7%-90.5%, sensitivities of 90.9%-96.0%, and specificities of 82.4%-83.3%. DATA CONCLUSION: In this study, an automatic DL framework was developed and validated for accurately predicting H3 K27M mutation using T2-weighted images, which could contribute to the noninvasive determination of H3 K27M status for clinical decision-making. EVIDENCE LEVEL: 2 Technical Efficacy: Stage 2.

The San-Qi-Xue-Shang-Ning formula protects against ulcerative colitis by restoring the homeostasis of gut immunity and microbiota.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality due to repetitive remissions and relapses, and many severe complications, including colitis-associated cancer (CAC). The San-Qi-Xue-Shang-Ning (SQ) formula has been utilized in clinical practice to treat gut diseases, but its pharmacological evidence is limited and awaits elucidation. AIM OF THE STUDY: Here, we elucidated the molecular mechanisms of the SQ formula. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Its therapeutic value in combating UC and CAC was predicted from network pharmacology and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). Experimental colitis models were established by feeding dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) to C57BL/6N mice for 7 days, and they were subjected to the SQ formula for 14 days. High-throughput technologies and biochemical investigations were executed to corroborate the anti-colitis effect. RESULTS: Network pharmacology and WGCNA demonstrated that the targets of the SQ formula were associated with interleukin-17 (IL-17), tumor necrosis factor (TNF), IL-1b and peroxisome proliferators-activated receptor (PPAR) signaling pathways, and correlated with the survival in patients with colorectal cancer. In mice with colitis, the SQ treatment hindered colitis progression in a dose-dependent manner, as evidenced by the rescued colon length and weight loss, improved colonic epithelial integrity, and abolished crypt loss. In addition to the suppressed serum IL-17, TNFα, and IL-1b levels, the SQ-treated colitis mice exhibited decreased colonic protein abundance of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1 α), PPARα, and Caspase3 (Casp3) with an increased PPARγ expression. Concurrently, the high dose of SQ promoted the alternative activation of peritoneal macrophages by increasing Arg1 and inhibiting iNOS2, thereby facilitating the migration of NCM460 cells and controlling TNF-induced reactive oxygen species production and apoptosis in intestinal organoids. In colitis-accompanied dysbiosis, the SQ formula reversed the decreased microbiota diversity indexes and restored the microbiome profile in the murine colitis models. CONCLUSION: The SQ formula is a potent anti-colitis drug that facilitates inflammation resolution and restores gut microbiota homeostasis.

Bacillus subtilis phage phi18: genomic analysis and receptor identification.

Bacillus subtilis strains play a pivotal role in the fermentation industry. B. subtilis phages can cause severe damage by infecting bacterial cells used in industrial fermentation processes. In this work, we isolated and characterized a Bacillus subtilis-infecting phage, termed phi18. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that phage phi18 particles have typical myovirus morphology, with an icosahedral head connected to a contractile tail. Genomic analysis revealed that the phage genome is a linear double-stranded DNA molecule of 147,298 bp with terminal redundancy of 14,434 bp, and 226 protein coding genes and four tRNA genes were predicted in the genome. Phage-resistant mutants were selected from a mariner transposon-insertion library of B. subtilis 168 in which two bacterial genes, tagE and pgcA, which are required for the glycosylation of wall teichoic acid (WTA), were found to be disrupted, suggesting that WTA is the receptor for phage phi18. Comparative genomic analysis showed that phage phi18 is a new member of the genus Okubovirus of the family Herelleviridae. Finally, general characteristics of the phage-resistant mutants, including biofilm formation, growth, and sporulation, were examined. The results showed that the phage-resistant mutants grew as rapidly as the parental strain B. subtilis 168 at 42 °C, suggesting that these phage-resistant mutants may be used as starters in fermentation processes.

Bioprinting a skin patch with dual-crosslinked gelatin (GelMA) and silk fibroin (SilMA): An approach to accelerating cutaneous wound healing.

Clinical settings often face significant obstacles in treating large acute wounds. The alternative of therapeutic approach is needed urgently. Hydrogels derived from natural or synthetic materials may be designed to perform a variety of functions for promoting wound healing. Herein, a 3D bioprinted hydrogel patch is designed for accelerating acute wound healing, which is fabricated with methacryloyl-substituted gelatin (GelMA) and silk fibroin (SilMA) dual-cross-linked by ultraviolet (UV) light. The GelMA with added silk fibroin (GelSilMA) shows improved biodegradation and mechanical properties. Furthermore, SilMA hydrogel can maintain a moisturized healing environment in wound area persistently with adequate degradation capacity. In vivo, GelSilMA (G-S) hydrogel can help to speed wound closure by the improved microenvironment for epidermal tissue regeneration and endogenous collagen generation accordingly. In summary, the G-S hydrogel patch can accelerate acute wound healing efficiently in a relatively simple and inexpensive manner.

Molecular mechanism of phosphorous signaling inducing anthocyanin accumulation in Arabidopsis.

Anthocyanins, flavonoid compounds derived from secondary metabolic pathways, play important roles in various biological processes. Phosphorus (P) is an essential macroelement for plant growth and development, and P-starvation usually results in anthocyanin accumulation. However, the molecular mechanism of P deficiency promotes anthocyanin biosynthesis has not been well characterized. Here, we provided evidence that the P signaling core protein PHOSPHATE STARVATION RESPONSE1 (PHR1) is physically associate with transcription factors (TFs) involved in anthocyanidin biosynthesis, including PRODUCTION OF ANTHOCYANIN PIGMENTS1 (PAP1/MYB75), MYB DOMAIN PROTEIN 113 (MYB113) and TRANSPARENT TESTA 8 (TT8). PHR1 and its homologies positively regulated anthocyanin accumulation in Arabidopsis seedlings under P-deficient conditions. Disruption of PHR1 simultaneously rendered seedlings hyposensitive to limiting P, whereas the overexpression of PHR1 enhanced P- deficiency-induced anthocyanin accumulation. Genetic analysis demonstrated that 35S:PHR1-2HA-5 seedlings partially recovers the P deficiency insensitive phenotype of myb-RNAi and tt8 mutants. In summary, our study indicated that protein complexes formed by PHR1 and MBW complex directly mediate the process of P-deficiency-induced anthocyanin accumulation, providing a new mechanistic understanding of how P-deficient signaling depends on the endogenous anthocyanin synthesis pathway to promote anthocyanin accumulation in Arabidopsis.

Cancer cell membrane coated PLGA nanoparticles as biomimetic drug delivery system for improved cancer therapy.

Based on the immune escape and homologous adhesion ability of cancer cells, a drug delivery system (DDS) could overcome the dilemma of immune clearance and non-specific binding by coating the cancer cell membrane (CCM). In this study, a biomimetic DDS based on CCM and poly lactic acid-glycolic acid (PLGA) nanoparticles was successfully constructed for tumor active and homologous targeting therapy. The doped CCM on the surface of the nanoparticle enabled the DDS to achieve immune escape and had an affinity for tumor tissues. The cellular uptake and in vivo distribution tests showed a superior cellular affinity of CCM coated PLGA nanoparticles (CCMNPs) than that of PLGA nanoparticles (PLGANPs). All of those results proved that CCMNPs endowed with drug-loaded nanoparticles had the abilities of immune escape and homologous targeting through the biological functional proteins retained on the coated CCM. In addition, the tumor inhibition rate of CCMNPs in tumor-bearing nude mice was 1.3 and 2.0-fold compared to PLGANPs and PTX injection, which showed the capacity to efficiently and accurately deliver drugs to cancer sites improved the therapeutic effect of tumor and achieved accurately targeted therapy.

Role of the Support Effects in Single-Atom Catalysts.

In recent years, single-atom catalysts (SACs) have received a significant amount of attention due to their high atomic utilization, low cost, high reaction activity, and selectivity for multiple catalytic reactions. Unfortunately, the high surface free energy of single atoms leads them easily migrated and aggregated. Therefore, support materials play an important role in the preparation and catalytic performance of SACs. Aiming at understanding the relationship between support materials and the catalytic performance of SACs, the support effects in SACs are introduced and reviewed herein. Moreover, special emphasis is placed on exploring the influence of the type and structure of supports on SAC catalytic performance through advanced characterization and theoretical research. Future research directions for support materials are also proposed, providing some insight into the design of SACs with high efficiency and high loading.

Hyposensitive canopy conductance renders ecosystems vulnerable to meteorological droughts.

Increased meteorological drought intensity with rising atmospheric demand for water (hereafter vapor pressure deficit [VPD]) increases the risk of tree mortality and ecosystem dysfunction worldwide. Ecosystem-scale water-use strategy is increasingly recognized as a key factor in regulating drought-related ecosystem responses. However, the link between water-use strategy and ecosystem vulnerability to meteorological droughts is poorly established. Using the global flux observations, historic hydroclimatic data, remote-sensing products, and plant functional-trait archive, we identified potentially vulnerable ecosystems, examining how ecosystem water-use strategy, quantified by the percentage bias (δ) of the empirical canopy conductance sensitivity to VPD relative to the theoretical value, mediated ecosystem responses to droughts. We found that prevailing soil water availability substantially impacted δ in dryland regions where ecosystems with insufficient soil moisture usually showed conservative water-use strategy, while ecosystems in humid regions exhibited more pronounced climatic adaptability. Hyposensitive and hypersensitive ecosystems, classified based on δ falling below or above the theoretical sensitivity, respectively, achieved similar net ecosystem productivity during droughts, employing different structural and functional strategies. However, hyposensitive ecosystems, risking their hydraulic system with a permissive water-use strategy, were unable to recover from droughts as quickly as hypersensitive ones. Our findings highlight that processed-based models predicting current functions and future performance of vegetation should account for the greater vulnerability of hyposensitive ecosystems to intensifying atmospheric and soil droughts.

Leveraging single-cell Raman spectroscopy and single-cell sorting for the detection and identification of yeast infections.

Invasive fungal infection serves as a great threat to human health. Discrimination between fungal and bacterial infections at the earliest stage is vital for effective clinic practice; however, traditional culture-dependent microscopic diagnosis of fungal infection usually requires several days, meanwhile, culture-independent immunological and molecular methods are limited by the detectable type of pathogens and the issues with high false-positive rates. In this study, we proposed a novel culture-independent phenotyping method based on single-cell Raman spectroscopy for the rapid discrimination between fungal and bacterial infections. Three Raman biomarkers, including cytochrome c, peptidoglycan, and nucleic acid, were identified through hierarchical clustering analysis of Raman spectra across 12 types of most common yeast and bacterial pathogens. Compared to those of bacterial pathogens, the single cells of yeast pathogens demonstrated significantly stronger Raman peaks for cytochrome c, but weaker signals for peptidoglycan and nucleic acid. A two-step protocol combining the three biomarkers was established and able to differentiate fungal infections from bacterial infections with an overall accuracy of 94.9%. Our approach was also used to detect ten raw urinary tract infection samples. Successful identification of fungi was achieved within half an hour after sample obtainment. We further demonstrated the accurate fungal species taxonomy achieved with Raman-assisted cell ejection. Our findings demonstrate that Raman-based fungal identification is a novel, facile, reliable, and with a breadth of coverage approach, that has a great potential to be adopted in routine clinical practice to reduce the turn-around time of invasive fungal disease (IFD) diagnostics.

Bimetallic metal-organic frameworks-based ratiometric fluorescence sensor for the quantitative detection of thiram in fruits samples.

The identification of residual thiram (Tr) in foods is vital in view of its harmful effects on human health. Herein, a ratiometric fluorescence sensor (I435/I590) based on rhodamine B/NH2-MIL-53(Al0.75Fe0.25) was constructed for the detection of Tr. Interestingly, the probe RhB/NH2-MIL-53(Bim) assisted by Cu2+ could rapidly and sensitively recognize Tr with a low detection limit of 0.11 µg/mL in 10 min. The fluorescence sensing mechanism was investigated using fluorescence spectra, UV-Vis absorption spectra, the fluorescence lifetime and quantum yield. The results showed that the excellent sensing performance was attributed to fluorescence resonance energy transfer, electrostatic interaction, and photoinduced electron transfer. In addition, the practical application of this platform showed acceptable relative recoveries for Tr (84.03-107.81 %), and precisions were also achieved (relative standard deviation ≤ 8.69 %, n = 3). These results show that the presented herein can be applied to monitor the Tr content in real fruit samples.

Bulk-boundary correspondence in disordered non-Hermitian systems.

The bulk-boundary correspondence (BBC) refers to the consistency between eigenvalues calculated under open and periodic boundary conditions. This consistency can be destroyed in systems with non-Hermitian skin effect (NHSE). In spite of the great success of the generalized Brillouin zone (GBZ) theory in clean non-Hermitian systems, the applicability of GBZ theory is questionable when the translational symmetry is broken. Thus, it is of great value to rebuild the BBC for disordered samples, which extends the application of GBZ theory in non-Hermitian systems. Here, we propose a scheme to reconstruct BBC, which can be regarded as the solution of an optimization problem. By solving the optimization problem analytically, we reconstruct the BBC and obtain the modified GBZ theory in several prototypical disordered non-Hermitian models. The modified GBZ theory provides a precise description of the fantastic NHSE, which predicts the asynchronous-disorder-reversed NHSE's directions.