Browse Articles

pH‐Responsive AIE Photosensitizers for Enhanced Antibacterial Therapy

Abstract Bacterial infections significantly alter the local microenvironment, with acidic byproducts from bacterial metabolism leading to a pronounced pH reduction. Leveraging this characteristic, we synthesized and identified DHTPA, a near‐infrared (NIR) fluorescent and pH‐responsive aggregation‐induced emission (AIE) photosensitizer, for enhanced photodynamic therapy against bacterial infections. DHTPA aggregates exhibit a 2.1‐fold increase in ROS generation under weakly acidic conditions (pH 5.5) compared to neutral conditions (pH 7.4), attributed to its pH‐dependent electronic structure modulation. Upon NIR light irradiation, DHTPA aggregates precisely respond to the acidic microenvironment, significantly boosting ROS production for efficient bacterial eradication. In vitro studies demonstrated that DHTPA achieved over 99.9% bactericidal efficiency against both gram‐negative and gram‐positive bacteria. In a murine infected wound model, DHTPA treatment accelerated wound healing by 2.4 times, markedly reduced bacterial burden, and alleviated inflammatory responses, highlighting its therapeutic potential. By integrating NIR activation, pH responsiveness, and AIE properties, DHTPA presents a precise and efficient antibacterial therapeutic strategy, offering an innovative solution for the clinical management of bacterial infections.

Mitochondria-related parameters of lymphocyte subsets can distinguish different disease stages in patients with HBV infection

Single-cell RNA-seq analysis of mouse carotid artery under disturbed flow and human carotid plaques identifies key cell populations in atherosclerosis development

Abstract Atherosclerosis tends to occur in regions of disturbed blood flow. This study explored how disturbed flow aggravates atherosclerosis using single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) datasets from mouse carotid arteries under disturbed flow and human carotid artery plaques. The scRNA-seq datasets were obtained from the GEO (GSE159677, GSE43292, GSE163154, and GSE41571) and SRA (PRJNA722117) databases and were processed using Seurat. Functional enrichment analysis was conducted using Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) and Gene Ontology (GO). Single-cell Flux Estimation Analysis (scFEA) was used to analyze cell type-specific changes in metabolism and “transcriptomic noise analysis” to examine senescence. GWAS-significant cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk genes were used to calculate risk gene scores for main cell populations. CellChat and Cytosig were used to analyze cell communication and cytokines. scRNA-seq identified seven cell clusters in mouse arteries: endothelial cells (ECs), vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), fibroblasts, pericytes, macrophages, neutrophils, and T cells. Fibroblasts showed the most pronounced changes, particularly in inflammation and TGF-β signaling pathways. ECs, VSMCs, and fibroblasts had the highest enrichment of CVD risk gene scores, with fibroblasts showing most significant increases in gene risk scores after disturbed flow stimulation. A distinct fibroblast subgroup displayed high enrichment in inflammation and ossification-related pathways. CD36 + positive ECs exhibited significant senescence phenotypes following disturbed flow stimulation. Notable increases in VEGFA+ macrophages were discovered in the disturbed flow stimulation group, displaying a pronounced M1 pro-inflammatory phenotype associated with the severity of atherosclerosis and plaque stability. This study systematically elucidated functional changes of cell populations under disturbed flow. CD36+ ECs, VEGFA+ macrophages, and adventitial fibroblasts play critical roles in atherosclerosis.

Optimal sizing of hybrid renewable energy systems relying on the black winged kite algorithm for performance evaluation

Effect of substrate temperature on properties of WS2 thin films

Clinical characteristics and outcomes of critically ill elderly patients aged 90 years and older

Illusion of control and passion mediate the relationship between winning exposure and problem lottery gambling in a multigroup analysis

Role of shielding gas in tailoring microstructure and anisotropy in wire arc additive manufactured Inconel 686

Stromal modifying CHST15 siRNA enhances antitumor effect synergistically with anti-PD-1 immune checkpoint antibody in murine pancreatic cancer

Diagnostic value of neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio and serum biomarkers in chronic osteomyelitis

Abstract Chronic osteomyelitis (COM) is a persistent bone infection associated with severe complications, making early and accurate diagnosis essential. Traditional diagnostic methods, including imaging and bacterial cultures, are often limited by low sensitivity, long processing times, and the inability to detect infections in certain clinical scenarios. In this study, we evaluated the diagnostic utility of inflammatory biomarkers for COM, including neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), C-reactive protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and interleukin-6 (IL-6). A total of 200 participants, including 100 COM patients and 100 healthy controls, were enrolled. Our results showed that Gram-positive bacteria were more prevalent (59%), with Staphylococcus aureus being the most frequently isolated pathogen. Antibiotic resistance profiling revealed that Gram-positive bacteria exhibited high resistance to Penicillins but remained sensitive to Vancomycin and Linezolid. In contrast, Gram-negative bacteria showed high resistance to certain Penicillins, while sensitive to Carbapenems. Inflammatory marker levels (NLR, CRP, TNF-α, and IL-6) were significantly elevated in COM patients, with higher levels in Gram-negative infections. Multivariate logistic regression analysis and ROC curve analysis demonstrated that these inflammatory markers were significant predictors of COM, and the combination of these biomarkers showed superior diagnostic performance. Our findings suggest that NLR, CRP, TNF-α, and IL-6 are valuable diagnostic biomarkers for COM, and their combination enhances diagnostic precision, offering a promising tool for clinical management.

Conduction band convergence and local structure distortion for superior thermoelectric performance of GaSb-doped n-type PbSe thermoelectrics

Abstract Achieving high-stability thermoelectric materials with excellent average power factor and figure of merit is crucial for maximizing the output power density and conversion efficiency of thermoelectric devices. In this study, GaSb is added to PbSe as an n-type dopant to form stable solid solutions. Doping with GaSb flattens the conduction band and reduces the energy difference between the Σ and L conduction bands, thereby significantly improving the Seebeck coefficient. Herein, the Ga and Sb atoms co-occupy the vacant Pb sites, unlike in the case of traditional single-element doping, as is verified by density functional theory calculations. The resultant structural distortion is confirmed via transmission electron microscopy. This local structure distortion caused by GaSb doping reduces the lattice thermal conductivity. Consequently, the Pb0.99875(GaSb)0.00125Se sample exhibits a record-high average power factor of ~22.37 μW cm−1 K−2 and a high average figure of merit of ~0.94 in the temperature range of 300‒873 K. Furthermore, the introduction of interstitial Cu and discordant Zn atoms further reduces the lattice thermal conductivity. The Pb0.99875(GaSb)0.00125Zn0.01Se1.01-0.3%Cu sample exhibits a low lattice thermal conductivity of ~0.4 W m−1 K−1 at 873 K and a record-high average figure of merit of ~1.01 in the temperature range of 300‒873 K.

State- and time-resolved observation of ultrafast intermolecular proton transfer in hydrated biomolecules

Improper antiferroelectricity in NaNbO3-based perovskites driven by antiferrodistortive modulation

Bimetallic Design Based on the Nucleation Rate of Prussian Blue Analogues for Enhanced Aqueous Zinc Ion Batteries with Glycerol–Water Hybrid Electrolytes

Abstract A magical heterostructures of M‐PBAs (M = Co, Cu, and Zn) encapsulated by V‐PBA have been successfully obtained by a facile one‐pot coprecipitation method based on the difference in the binding energies of between these metal ions and ligands, and the nucleation rates of different M‐PBAs. Hence, due to the multiple redox pairs, open frameworks, ordered channels, and synergistic effect of two components, the obtained VM‐PBAs have been tested as cathodes in aqueous zinc‐ion batteries (AZIBs). To further inhibiting the hydrolysis of vanadium ions and the collapse of PBAs structures, a series of glycerol–water hybrid electrolyte with different content of glycerol were designed. Benefiting from the multiple hydroxyl groups, appropriate viscosity and accurate proportion of glycerol, the as‐assembled AZIBs with VMn‐PBAs cathode can exhibit excellent cycling performance (∼73% capacity retain of stable capacity) after 1000 cycles. This work provides a sight of preparation of PBAs nanomaterials and a strategy of improve the cycling stability and rate capacity of PBAs‐based cathodes in AZIBs.

Foliar application of yeast extract mitigates water deficit stress and elicits hypericin and phenolic production in Hypericum perforatum L

Abstract Yeast extract has emerged as a bio-elicitor capable of modulating secondary metabolism and stress tolerance in plants, but its impact on St John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum L.) remains unexplored. Therefore, the interactive effects of yeast extract (0, 3, and 6 g L−1) and irrigation intervals (7, 10, and 13 days) on hypericin and phenolic production in this medicinal herb were investigated in a field experiment. The prolonged irrigation intervals decreased biomass during both seasons. Hypericin content peaked under the 10-day irrigation interval but declined in the 13-day irrigation interval. Foliar spraying of yeast extract improved biomass, chlorophyll a, b, carotenoids, relative water content, and hypericin concentration across all water regimes. Yeast extract application reduced hydrogen peroxide and malondialdehyde contents in water deficit-subjected plants due to increased activity of superoxide dismutase and catalase, and elevated levels of total phenol and flavonoid contents in the leaves. The highest contents of hypericin and phenolics were recorded with applying 6 g L−1 yeast extract under the 10-day irrigation interval, corresponding with the strongest 2,2-diphenylpicrylhydrazyl scavenging activity and ferric-reducing power in the leaves. These findings suggest that yeast extract spraying might be a promising approach for enhancing the productivity and quality of medicinal plants under water deficit.

Electric load forecasting based on kernel extreme learning machine optimized by improved sparrow search algorithm

A comprehensive screening on the effect of Bacillus cereus and Vibrio natriegens bacterial consortia in cement mortar

Supplementation of silicon oxide nanoparticles mitigates the damaging effects of arsenic stress on photosynthesis, antioxidant mechanism and nitrogen metabolism in Brassica juncea

Supervised aerobic-strength exercise reduces postural sway and improves dual-task gait in Parkinson’s disease

Compression strength and damage model of frozen silty clay in Xing’an Baikal permafrost under temperature effects

Abstract The Daxing’anling, situated within the high-latitude transition zone between continuous and sporadic permafrost, mark the southern boundary of the Northern Hemisphere’s permafrost distribution. The thermally sensitive Xing’an Baikal permafrost in this region was investigated through uniaxial compression tests on remolded silty clay under controlled freezing temperatures (− 7.5 to − 0.5 °C). Results revealed a triphasic strength-temperature relationship: strength increased at 79.99 kPa/°C between − 0.5 and − 2.0 °C, surged to 1842.00 kPa/°C from − 2.0 to − 3.0 °C, then declined to 316.20 kPa/°C below − 3.0 °C. A brittle-ductile transition occurred at − 3.0 °C, shifting failure modes from plastic to brittle deformation. Building on Lemaitre’s strain equivalence principle and Weibull statistics, we developed a dual-variable damage model integrating thermal and mechanical damage, enabling quantitative cryogenic damage assessment, coupled damage evolution equations, and full temperature-regime stress–strain predictions. This work advances theoretical tools for engineering stability evaluation in the Xing’an Baikal permafrost environments.