A single-photon source based on topological bulk cavity.

Topological photonics offers the potential to develop quantum light sources with inherent robustness against structural disorders. To date, topologically protected edge or corner states have been investigated for this purpose. Here, for the first time, we exploit a topological bulk state with vertical directionality to enhance the light emission from a single semiconductor quantum dot (QD).

Peptidomics and molecular docking reveal digestion-resistant IgE-binding epitopes in bovine β-lactoglobulin and α-lactalbumin from simulated infant digestion.

β-Lactoglobulin (BLG) and α-lactalbumin (ALA) are the primary allergens in whey protein. However, gastrointestinal digestion can induce structural rearrangements of their IgE-binding epitopes, complicating the precise evaluation of allergenicity. This study developed a novel approach to identify digestion-resistant antigenic epitopes of BLG and ALA through simulated in vitro infant digestion.

Exogenous supplementation of key membrane lipid precursors enhances freeze-drying resistance in Lacticaseibacillus paracasei K56 by modulating membrane composition.

Exogenous fatty acids can integrate into bacterial membranes and participate in endogenous fatty acid synthesis, thereby influencing membrane stress resistance. Our previous study established a correlation between membrane lipids and the freeze-drying resistance of Lacticaseibacillus paracasei K56 and identified key lipid species. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of two key membrane phospholipid precursor substances: stearic acid (C18:0), a crucial precursor of FA 18:1, and cytidine diphosphate diacylglycerol (CDP-DAG), an intermediate in phospholipid biosynthesis.

Machine learning-assisted point-of-care diagnostics for cardiovascular healthcare.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) continue to drive global mortality rates, underscoring an urgent need for advancements in healthcare solutions. The development of point-of-care (POC) devices that provide rapid diagnostic services near patients has garnered substantial attention, especially as traditional healthcare systems face challenges such as delayed diagnoses, inadequate care, and rising medical costs. The advancement of machine learning techniques has sparked considerable interest in medical research and engineering, offering ways to enhance diagnostic accuracy and relevance.

Refractive Index-Corrected Light-Sheet Microscopy for Macro-View Cardiovascular Imaging.

Light-sheet fluorescence microscopy (LSFM) enables rapid data acquisition with minimal phototoxicity, while optical clearing reduces light scattering by matching sample and imaging medium refractive indices (RIs). Emerging clearing methods extend from cells and organoids to entire organs and organisms, prompting macro-view LSFM microscopes with macro-objectives for low-magnification imaging of larger specimens at adequate resolution. In cardiovascular studies, multiple organs often require imaging, yet clearing protocols optimized for different organs alter the sample RIs inconsistently.

Microfluidic Fabrication of Hyaluronic Acid-Cysteine-Modified Chitosan Microspheres for CD44-Targeted Probiotic Delivery in Colitis Treatment.

Probiotics play a crucial role in regulating intestinal immune homeostasis and supporting gut health; however, oral administration faces challenges such as nonspecific distribution and low efficacy. To achieve precise and efficient delivery, in this study, a targeted delivery system embedded probiotics to the colonic inflammatory site CD44 was constructed by covalently linking yaluronic acid (HA) to ysteine-modified hitosan (CCH) using microfluidic technology. Two probiotic strains, FL-276.

Nontargeted Lipidomics Reveals Key Membrane Lipids in Three Strains with Different Spray Drying Resistance.

The cell membrane of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) functions as a crucial barrier against external conditions. Spray drying, a technique used for large-scale bacterial powder production, exposes cells to high temperatures, resulting in membrane damage. In this study, three strains of A12, F1-7, and KV9 with significant differences in survival rates after spray drying (47.

Protein corona as a mediator in antibiotic adsorption onto microplastics: Mechanisms and implications.

Microplastics are emerging pollutants capable of adsorbing antibiotics in the environment through interactions mediated by biological molecules such as proteins, ultimately posing risks to human health. However, direct evidence demonstrating that microplastics and antibiotics form chemical-adsorption products has not been explored. One key mechanism contributing to their co-exposure risks during their transmission is biofilm formation, particularly the development of a protein corona, which may also serve as a potential virulence mechanism.

Microscopic Response Mechanism of Epsilon-Negative and Epsilon-Near-Zero Metacomposites.

Metals have traditionally served as the primary functional phase in the development of metamaterials exhibiting epsilon-near-zero (ENZ) and epsilon-negative (EN) responses, albeit with persisting ambiguities regarding their response mechanisms. This paper presents the tunable ENZ (' ~ 0) and EN (' < 0) parameters at the 20-MHz to 1-GHz region based on Cu/CaCuTiO (Cu/CCTO) metacomposites. By means of first-principles calculations and multi-physics simulations, the underlying mechanisms governing ENZ and EN responses are unveiled.

Multiscale Engineered Bionic Solid-State Electrolytes Breaking the Stiffness-Damping Trade-Off.

All-solid-state lithium metal batteries (LMBs) are regarded as next-generation devices for energy storage due to their safety and high energy density. The issues of Li dendrites and poor mechanical compatibility with electrodes present the need for developing solid-state electrolytes with high stiffness and damping, but it is a contradictory relationship. Here, inspired by the superstructure of tooth enamel, we develop a composite solid-state electrolyte composed of amorphous ceramic nanotube arrays intertwined with solid polymer electrolytes.

Characterization of Key Lipid Components in the Cell Membrane of Freeze-Drying Resistant Strains Using Nontargeted Lipidomics.

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are usually freeze-dried into powder for transportation and storage, with the bacterial membrane playing a crucial role in this process. However, different strains exhibit different levels of freeze-drying resistance in their cell membranes. In this study, () strains 1F20, K56, and J5, demonstrating survival rates of 59.

Passive Isothermal Flexible Sensor Enabled by Smart Thermal-Regulating Aerogels.

Environmentally induced sensor temperature fluctuations can distort the outputs of a sensor, reducing their stability during long-term health monitoring. Here, a passive isothermal flexible sensor is proposed by using hierarchical cellulose aerogel (HCA) as the top tribonegative layer, which allows the sensor to adapt dynamic thermal environments through both radiative cooling and heat insulation. The radiative cooling effect can cool down the temperatures of a sensor in summer, while the hollow microfibers in HCA provide ultralow thermal conductivity to reduce internal heat loss in winter.

Effects of refrigeration and freezing on milk fat globule membrane lipids in stored breast milk: Insights from non-targeted lipidomics.

Breast milk storage provides flexibility for working mothers, though its effects on milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) lipids are not fully understood. This study examined breast milk stored under refrigerated (2 and 4 days) and frozen (7, 14, and 21 days) conditions, finding that these storage durations preserved similar structural characteristics during in vitro gastrointestinal digestion. The analysis focused on MFGM lipid composition under various storage conditions using non-targeted lipidomics.

Rapid prediction of acute thrombosis via nanoengineered immunosensors with unsupervised clustering for multiple circulating biomarkers.

The recent SARS-CoV-2 pandemic underscores the need for rapid and accurate prediction of clinical thrombotic events. Here, we developed nanoengineered multichannel immunosensors for rapid detection of circulating biomarkers associated with thrombosis, including C-reactive protein (CRP), calprotectin, soluble platelet selectin (sP-selectin), and D-dimer. We fabricated the immunosensors using fiber laser engraving of carbon nanotubes and CO laser cutting of microfluidic channels, along with the electrochemical deposition of gold nanoparticles to conjugate with biomarker-specific aptamers and antibody.

Efficient construction of high-quality sulfonated porous aromatic frameworks by optimizing the swelling state of porous structures.

Conventional post-modification methods usually face the fundamental challenge of balancing the high content of functional groups and large surface area for porous organic polymers (POPs). The reason, presumably, stems from ineffective and insufficient swelling of the porous structure of POP materials, which is detrimental to mass transfer and modification of functional groups, especially with large-sized ones. It is important to note that significant differences exist in the porous structures of POP materials in a solvent-free state after thermal activation and solvent swelling state.

Electrostatic spraying encapsulation of probiotic-loaded W/O/W emulsion in sodium alginate microspheres to enhance probiotic survival stability.

Water-oil-water (W/O/W) double emulsions have been widely studied and applied in probiotic encapsulation. However, challenges remain in enhancing emulsion stability, protecting encapsulated probiotics from adverse environmental conditions, and improving their viability. This study aimed to optimize the functional components of each phase of the W/O/W emulsion to address these issues.

Frontiers in artificial intelligence-directed light-sheet microscopy for uncovering biological phenomena and multi-organ imaging.

Light-sheet fluorescence microscopy (LSFM) introduces fast scanning of biological phenomena with deep photon penetration and minimal phototoxicity. This advancement represents a significant shift in 3-D imaging of large-scale biological tissues and 4-D (space + time) imaging of small live animals. The large data associated with LSFM requires efficient imaging acquisition and analysis with the use of artificial intelligence (AI)/machine learning (ML) algorithms.

Unleashing the Potential of Electroactive Hybrid Biomaterials and Self-Powered Systems for Bone Therapeutics.

The incidence of large bone defects caused by traumatic injury is increasing worldwide, and the tissue regeneration process requires a long recovery time due to limited self-healing capability. Endogenous bioelectrical phenomena have been well recognized as critical biophysical factors in bone remodeling and regeneration. Inspired by bioelectricity, electrical stimulation has been widely considered an external intervention to induce the osteogenic lineage of cells and enhance the synthesis of the extracellular matrix, thereby accelerating bone regeneration.

A reconfigurable and conformal liquid sensor for ambulatory cardiac monitoring.

The severe mismatch between solid bioelectronics and dynamic biological tissues has posed enduring challenges in the biomonitoring community. Here, we developed a reconfigurable liquid cardiac sensor capable of adapting to dynamic biological tissues, facilitating ambulatory cardiac monitoring unhindered by motion artifacts or interference from other biological activities. We employed an ultrahigh-resolution 3D scanning technique to capture tomographic images of the skin on the wrist.

A seamless living biointerface for inflammation management.

A novel living biointerface that integrates living biological and hydrogel systems, can significantly improve monitoring and treatment through enhanced interaction with biological tissues, revolutionizing our chronic inflammation management.

Investigating the role of membrane lipid composition differences on spray drying survival in Lactobacillus bulgaricus using non-targeted Lipidomics.

The cell membrane, consisting of a phospholipid bilayer, is an important defense system of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) against adverse conditions. However, this membrane gets damaged during the process of spray drying of LAB into powder. In this study, two strains of Lactobacillus bulgaricus L9-7 and L4-2-12 with significantly different survival rates of about 22.

Non-Invasive Detection of Early-Stage Fatty Liver Disease via an On-Skin Impedance Sensor and Attention-Based Deep Learning.

Early-stage nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a silent condition, with most cases going undiagnosed, potentially progressing to liver cirrhosis and cancer. A non-invasive and cost-effective detection method for early-stage NAFLD detection is a public health priority but challenging. In this study, an adhesive, soft on-skin sensor with low electrode-skin contact impedance for early-stage NAFLD detection is fabricated.

Amorphous FeSnO Nanosheets with Hierarchical Vacancies for Room-Temperature Sodium-Sulfur Batteries.

Room-temperature sodium-sulfur (RT Na-S) batteries, noted for their low material costs and high energy density, are emerging as a promising alternative to lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) in various applications including power grids and standalone renewable energy systems. These batteries are commonly assembled with glass fiber membranes, which face significant challenges like the dissolution of polysulfides, sluggish sulfur conversion kinetics, and the growth of Na dendrites. Here, we develop an amorphous two-dimensional (2D) iron tin oxide (A-FeSnO) nanosheet with hierarchical vacancies, including abundant oxygen vacancies (Os) and nano-sized perforations, that can be assembled into a multifunctional layer overlaying commercial separators for RT Na-S batteries.