Light-Activatable Nanotherapeutic Platform Synchronizing ROS-Mediated Antibacterial Action with Macrophage Polarization for Refractory Wound Infections.

The treatment of persistent drug-resistant bacterial infections in wounds poses a significant global medical challenge. Developing innovative antimicrobial strategies capable of simultaneously achieving bacterial eradication, inflammation resolution, and tissue regeneration has become imperative. Herein, a nanocomposite featuring plasma-enhanced enzymatic activity and immunoregulatory properties is engineered, designed to reprogram the wound microenvironment and expedite healing in drug-resistant bacterial infections.

Machine Learning-Driven Optimization of Therapeutic Substance Composition for High-Hardness, Fast-Dissolving Microneedles for Androgenetic Alopecia Treatment.

Treating androgenetic alopecia (AGA) with platelet-rich plasma (PRP) holds great promise; however, effective and comfortable delivery remains a challenge. Direct injection causes pain, and PRP-incorporated microneedles (MNs) have low hardness and slow dissolution. To tackle this problem, we propose a machine-learning (ML)-driven strategy, which involves integrating the selection of therapeutic substances, orthogonal experiment designs, ML prediction, and Pareto front identification.

Nonadiabatic Renormalization of the Phonon Dispersion in Monolayer and Bilayer Graphene.

Nonadiabatic effects profoundly influence lattice dynamics, resulting in phonon renormalizations not only at the center of Brillouin zone (BZ), but also across the entire dispersion at finite momenta. These nonadiabatic phenomena exhibit clear dimensional dependencies and remain largely unexplored experimentally in low-dimensional systems. Here, we utilize high-resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy to investigate nonadiabatic phonon dispersion renormalization in monolayer graphene (MLG) and Bernal bilayer graphene (BLG).

Nanocarrier Nanomechanics: A Key to Unlocking Endocytosis in Cancer Cells Navigating Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition Dynamics.

The mechanical properties of nanocarriers and the ability of tumor cells to sense mechanical cues are critical factors in regulating cellular internalization. During epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), tumor cells undergo changes that enhance their invasiveness, but how these changes affect their ability to sense mechanical cues, thereby impacting drug delivery efficiency and treatment effects, is still unknown. Here, we synthesized chitosan nanoparticles (CSNPs) with different Young's moduli ranging from 0.

A Multifunctional MXene@CeO-Enhanced Hydrogel Dressing for Synergistic Photothermal Antibacterial and Antioxidative Therapy in Wound Healing.

Chronic wounds infected with drug-resistant bacteria present a formidable clinical challenge, exacerbated by antibiotic overuse that severely compromises healing. Herein, a multifunctional therapeutic hydrogel wound dressing is developed to address these challenges. This advanced nanocomposite hydrogel incorporates cerium dioxide-doped MXene nanosheets (MXene@CeO) within a glycidyl methacrylate-modified gelatin (GMA-Gelatin) matrix and crosslinked into a hydrogel under UV irradiation (GMAG-GEL), forming a near-infrared (NIR)-responsive material (MXene@CeO/GMAG-GEL).

Dual-component modulation strategy for enhancing interfacial compatibility in 4.6 V LRMO-based solid-state lithium metal batteries.

Solid-state lithium metal batteries with a Li-rich manganese oxide (LRMO) cathode suffer from challenges in interfacial compatibility. This study improves the interface between a PVC-based gel electrolyte and electrodes dual-component modulation. The optimized electrolyte exhibits high oxidation stability and facilitates the formation of inorganic-rich interphases, contributing to the long-term stability of the interface.

Multifunctional Nanoplatform Based on Gelatin Nanoparticles with Immunomodulatory Capabilities for Combined Immunotherapy and Chemotherapy of Melanoma.

Tumor immunotherapy has shown considerable therapeutic potential, especially when combined with chemotherapy. In this study, we developed a multifunctional nanoplatform GNPs-DOX/R848 that combined immunotherapy and chemotherapy for the treatment of melanoma, in which gelatin nanoparticles (GNPs) were loaded with the immunomodulatory agent resiquimod (R848) and the chemotherapy drug doxorubicin (DOX). GNPs possessed inherent immunomodulatory properties; when combined with R848, they induced a more pronounced polarization of M1-like macrophages by activating the NF-κB signaling pathway, thereby reversing the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment.

Dimethyl itaconate: An effective antioxidant for promoting angiogenesis under oxidative stress.

Angiogenesis is an important physiological process in the human body. When ischemic diseases occur, the ischemic and hypoxic environment induces excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) within cells, which inhibits angiogenesis and leads to poor prognosis. Therefore, finding antioxidants that can eliminate excessive ROS to promote angiogenesis is crucial for the treatment of ischemic diseases.

[Comparative Analysis of Ambient Ozone and Its Background Concentration in Beijing in Recent Years].

To understand the trends of O pollution changes and the contribution of regional background in Beijing in recent years, this study investigated the temporal variations of O mixing ratios and the exceedance of O pollution at different types of sites, such as urban, suburban, clean, regional, and transportation sites, based on the online monitoring data from 34 stations in Beijing from 2018 to 2022. The regional background estimation method proposed by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality （TCEQ） was applied to calculate the contributions of regional background and local generation to O. The results showed that the annual average value of O mixing ratios in Beijing was the highest in 2019, the lowest in 2021, and rebounded in 2022, from 2018 to 2022.

Tailoring chemical composition of solid electrolyte interphase by selective dissolution for long-life micron-sized silicon anode.

Micron-sized Si anode promises a much higher theoretical capacity than the traditional graphite anode and more attractive application prospect compared to its nanoscale counterpart. However, its severe volume expansion during lithiation requires solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) with reinforced mechanical stability. Here, we propose a solvent-induced selective dissolution strategy to in situ regulate the mechanical properties of SEI.

Controlled Growth of Single-Crystal Graphene Wafers on Twin-Boundary-Free Cu(111) Substrates.

Single-crystal graphene (SCG) wafers are needed to enable mass-electronics and optoelectronics owing to their excellent properties and compatibility with silicon-based technology. Controlled synthesis of high-quality SCG wafers can be done exploiting single-crystal Cu(111) substrates as epitaxial growth substrates recently. However, current Cu(111) films prepared by magnetron sputtering on single-crystal sapphire wafers still suffer from in-plane twin boundaries, which degrade the SCG chemical vapor deposition.

Direct Observation of Topological Phonons in Graphene.

Phonons, as the most fundamental emergent bosons in condensed matter systems, play an essential role in the thermal, mechanical, and electronic properties of crystalline materials. Recently, the concept of topology has been introduced to phonon systems, and the nontrivial topological states also exist in phonons due to the constraint by the crystal symmetry of the space group. Although the classification of various topological phonons has been enriched theoretically, experimental studies were limited to several three-dimensional (3D) single crystals with inelastic x-ray or neutron scatterings.

Tracking of Protein Adsorption on Poly(l-lactic acid) Film Surfaces: The Role of Molar Mass.

Poly(l-lactic acid) (PLLA) has been extensively utilized as a biomaterial for various biomedical applications. The first and one of the most critical steps upon contact with biological fluids is the adsorption of proteins on the material's surface. Understanding the behavior of protein adsorption is vital for guiding the synthesis and preparation of PLLA for biomedical purposes.

Combination of Rapid Intrinsic Activity Measurements and Machine Learning as a Screening Approach for Multicomponent Electrocatalysts.

Machine learning (ML) coupled with quantum chemistry calculations predicts catalyst properties with high accuracy; however, ML approaches in the design of multicomponent catalysts primarily rely on simulation data because obtaining sufficient experimental data in a short time is difficult. Herein, we developed a rapid screening strategy involving nanodroplet-mediated electrodeposition using a carbon nanocorn electrode as the support substrate that enables complete data collection for training artificial intelligence networks in one week. The inert support substrate ensures intrinsic activity measurement and characterization of the irreversible reconstruction of multinary alloy particles during the oxygen evolution reaction.

Determination of the preferred epitaxy for III-nitride semiconductors on wet-transferred graphene.

Transferred graphene provides a promising III-nitride semiconductor epitaxial platform for fabricating multifunctional devices beyond the limitation of conventional substrates. Despite its tremendous fundamental and technological importance, it remains an open question on which kind of epitaxy is preferred for single-crystal III-nitrides. Popular answers to this include the remote epitaxy where the III-nitride/graphene interface is coupled by nonchemical bonds, and the quasi-van der Waals epitaxy (quasi-vdWe) where the interface is mainly coupled by covalent bonds.

Cryptotanshinone-Doped Photothermal Synergistic MXene@PDA Nanosheets with Antibacterial and Anti-Inflammatory Properties for Wound Healing.

Humans are threatened by bacteria and other microorganisms, resulting in countless pathogen-related infections and illnesses. Accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in infected wounds activates strong inflammatory responses. The overuse of antibiotics has led to increasing bacterial resistance.

Recognition Imaging of Trace E-cadherins on the Bladder Cancer Cells Surface during Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition by Force-Distance Curve-Based AFM.

Tumor-associated epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) contains a set of transitional cellular states usually judged by the EMT marker expression. E-cadherin is a down-regulated EMT epithelial marker, and the detection of E-cadherin is challenging on cancer cell surfaces in the middle and late stages of EMT. Here, the trace E-cadherins on the living bladder cancer T24 cell surface during EMT were investigated with force-distance curve-based atomic force microscopy.

Revealing the Effect of Photothermal Therapy on Human Breast Cancer Cells: A Combined Study from Mechanical Properties to Membrane HSP70.

Hyperthermia-induced overexpression of heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) leads to the thermoresistance of cancer cells and reduces the efficiency of photothermal therapy (PTT). In contrast, cancer cell-specific membrane-associated HSP70 has been proven to activate antitumor immune responses. The dual effect of HSP70 on cancer cells inspires us that in-depth research of membrane HSP70 (mHSP70) during PTT treatment is essential.

Molecular/Nanomechanical Insights into Electrostimulation-Inhibited Energy Metabolism Mechanisms and Cytoskeleton Damage of Cancer Cells.

Inhibiting energy metabolism of cancer cells is an effective way to treat cancer but remains a great challenge. Herein, electrostimulation (ES) is applied to effectively suppress energy metabolism of cancer cells to induce rapid cell death, and deeply reveal the underlying mechanisms at the molecular and nanomechanical levels by combined use of fluorescence imaging and atomic force microscopy. Cancer cells are found significantly less tolerant to ES than normal cells; and ES causes "domino effect" to induce mitochondrial dysfunction to impede electron transport chain (ETC) and tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle pathways, leading to fatal energy-supply crisis and death of cancer cells.

Aptamer conjugated polydopamine-coated gold nanoparticles as a dual-action nanoplatform targeting β-amyloid peptide for Alzheimer's disease therapy.

The accumulation and deposits of amyloid beta (Aβ) peptide are an important pathological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The development of multifunctional agents that can effectively clear Aβ aggregates is one of the potential strategies to treat AD. Herein, aptamer conjugated polydopamine-coated gold nanoparticles (Au@PDA-Apt NPs) for targeting Aβ peptides were designed.

Integrated wafer-scale ultra-flat graphene by gradient surface energy modulation.

The integration of large-scale two-dimensional (2D) materials onto semiconductor wafers is highly desirable for advanced electronic devices, but challenges such as transfer-related crack, contamination, wrinkle and doping remain. Here, we developed a generic method by gradient surface energy modulation, leading to a reliable adhesion and release of graphene onto target wafers. The as-obtained wafer-scale graphene exhibited a damage-free, clean, and ultra-flat surface with negligible doping, resulting in uniform sheet resistance with only ~6% deviation.

Size-effect on the intracellular antioxidative activity of Prussian blue nanoparticles investigated by atomic force microscopy.

Nanoparticles-based antioxidative therapy has been highlighted in a series of diseases triggered by excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS). Prussian blue nanoparticles (PBNPs), as a representative artificial nanozyme, have been proved as highly effective ROS scavengers. However, its detailed intracellular antioxidant mechanism is not clear yet.

The protective effect of biomineralized BSA-MnO nanoparticles on HUVECs investigated by atomic force microscopy.

Manganese-based nanozymes have been widely used in the field of cell protection due to their various enzyme-mimicking activities, but their effect on the mechanical properties of cells is not yet known. Here, bovine serum albumin-modified MnO nanoparticles (BSA-MnO NPs) with good biocompatibility were synthesized by a one-step biomineralization method using BSA as a template. BSA-MnO NPs possess scavenging activity against superoxide free radicals (O˙), hydroxyl radicals (˙OH) and hydrogen peroxide (HO).

Baicalin Targets HSP70/90 to Regulate PKR/PI3K/AKT/eNOS Signaling Pathways.

Baicalin is a major active ingredient of traditional Chinese medicine , and has been shown to have antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and antitumor activities. However, the protein targets of baicalin have remained unclear. Herein, a chemical proteomics strategy was developed by combining baicalin-functionalized magnetic nanoparticles (BCL-N@MNPs) and quantitative mass spectrometry to identify the target proteins of baicalin.

Imaging and quantifying analysis the binding behavior of PD-L1 at molecular resolution by atomic force microscopy.

Immunotherapy has emerged as an effective treatment modality for cancer. The interaction of programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1) and programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) plays a key role in tumor-related immune escape and has become one of the most extensive targets for immunotherapy. Herein, we investigated the interaction of PD-L1 with its antibody and PD-1 using atomic force microscopy-based single molecule force spectroscopy for the first time.