Surface-engineered nanobeads for regioselective antibody binding: A robust immunoassay platform leveraging catalytic signal amplification.

Regulating protein interactions and protein corona formation of nanomaterials is crucial for advancing nanomedicine, where surface engineering of nanomaterials plays a pivotal role in precise control over biological interactions. Here, we present a surface-engineered nanoparticle-based immunoassay platform using carboxyl-enriched polystyrene nanobeads (CEPS) with regioselectively controlled antibody-binding properties. Proteomic analysis and theoretical simulation revealed that CEPS has an enhanced Fc-specific binding affinity for immunoglobulins compared to conventional carboxylated polystyrene beads, with a higher surface carboxyl density critically mediating protein interactions.

Enhancing Biodegradable Bone Plate Performance: Stereocomplex Polylactic Acid for Improved Mechanical Properties and Near-Infrared Transparency.

The use of biodegradable materials in bone plates offers remarkable advantages; however, their application in bone fixation is limited by their brittleness. Moreover, treatments tailored to patient conditions are needed in orthopedics. In this study, bone plates were fabricated with stereocomplex polylactic acid (scPLA) and the effects of poly(d-lactic acid) molecular weight and scPLA blending ratios were analyzed.

Inflamed Tissue-Targeting Polyphenol-Condensed Antioxidant Nanoparticles with Therapeutic Potential.

Inflammation is essential for pathogen eradication and tissue repair; However, chronic inflammation can bring on multi-organ dysfunction due to an overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Among various anti-inflammatory agents, polyphenol-based nanotherapeutics offer potential advantages, including enhanced stability, targeted delivery, multiple therapeutic functions, and personalized therapy tailored to the severity. Despite these advantages, the development of biocompatible nanomedicines capable of selective accumulation in inflamed tissues and efficient inhibition of ROS-induced inflammatory signaling pathways remains a considerable challenge.

A hyperelastic torque-reversal mechanism for soft joints with compression-responsive transient bistability.

Snap-through, a rapid transition of a system from an equilibrium state to a nonadjacent equilibrium state, is a valuable design element of soft devices for converting a monolithic stimulus into systematic responses with impulsive motions. A common way to benefit from snap-through is to embody it within structures and materials, such as bistable structures. Torque-reversal mechanisms discovered in nature, which harness snap-through instability via muscular forces, may have comparative advantages.

MOGrip: Gripper for multiobject grasping in pick-and-place tasks using translational movements of fingers.

Humans use their dexterous fingers and adaptable palm in various multiobject grasping strategies to efficiently move multiple objects together in various situations. Advanced manipulation skills, such as finger-to-palm translation and palm-to-finger translation, enhance the dexterity in multiobject grasping. These translational movements allow the fingers to transfer the grasped objects to the palm for storage, enabling the fingers to freely perform various pick-and-place tasks while the palm stores multiple objects.

Reprogramming Filamentous fd Viruses to Capture Copper Ions.

C-terminal truncated variants (A, VA, NVA, ANVA, FANVA and GFANVA) of our recently identified Cu(II) specific peptide "HGFANVA" were displayed on filamentous fd phages. Wild type fd-tet and engineered virus variants were treated with 100 mM Cu(II) solution at a final phage concentration of 10 vir/ml and 10 vir/ml. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) imaging before Cu(II) exposure showed ≈6-8 nm thick filamentous virus layer formation.

Probing Local pH Change during Electrode Oxidation of TEMPO Derivative: Implication of Redox-Induced Acidity Alternation by Imidazolium-Linker Functional Groups.

The chemical degradation of 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl (TEMPO)-based aqueous energy storage and catalytic systems is pH sensitive. Herein, we voltammetrically monitor the local pH (pH) at a Pt ultramicroelectrode (UME) upon electro-oxidation of imidazolium-linker functionalized TEMPO and show that its decrease is associated with the greater acidity of the cationic (oxidized) rather than radical (reduced) form of TEMPO. The protons that drive the decrease in pH arise from hydrolysis of the conjugated imidazolium-linker functional group of 4-[2-(-methylimidazolium)acetoxy]-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl chloride (MIMAcO-T), which was studied in comparison with 4-hydroxyl-TEMPO (4-OH-T).

Aggregation-induced emission carbon dots as Al-mediated nanoaggregate probe for rapid and selective detection of tetracycline.

Worldwide abuse of tetracycline (TC) seriously threatens environmental safety and human health. Metal-TC complexes formed by residual TC in the environment can also contribute to the spread of antibiotic resistance. Therefore, monitoring of TC residues is still required.

Nanopore surface engineering of molecular imprinted mesoporous organosilica for rapid and selective detection of L-thyroxine.

To develop a biosensing platform for precise diagnosis and management of thyroid-related diseases, the sensitive and selective recognition and identification of L-thyroxine (T4), a thyroid hormone, remains challenging. We herein introduce T4-imprinted mesoporous organosilica (T4-IMO) for sensitive and specific detection of T4 via the sophisticated engineering of pore surfaces using additives with different polarities. The pore surface of T4-IMO emitting a stable fluorescence signal is simply modified by fixed additives.

Phage display selection of a Pb(II) specific peptide and its application as a biorecognition unit for colorimetric detection of Pb(II) ions.

Phage display technology employs a library of engineered filamentous M13 viruses infecting only bacteria. In this study, the genuine phage display selection technique was applied to identify a Pb(II) specific peptide. After three rounds of positive selection against Pb(II) coated agarose-based beads and the consecutive negative screenings against interfering metal ions (Al(III), Co(II), Fe(III), Ni(II), and Zn(II)), a final phage library with enhanced Pb(II) binding was obtained.

Bacteriophage Engineering for Improved Copper Ion Binding.

In this study, fd viruses are genetically modified to display seven cropped versions (H, HG, HGF, HGFA, HGFAN, HGFANV and HGFANVA) of the previously identified Cu(II) specific peptide (HGFANVA). Atomic force microscopy (AFM) imaging reveals the typical filamentous structures of recombinant phages with thicknesses of ≈2-5 nm in dry state. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) imaging shows that HGFANVA viruses form larger elongated assemblies than H viruses that are deposited with a mineral layer after Cu(II) treatment.

In-drop thermal cycling of microcrystal assembly for senescence control (MASC) with minimal variation in efficacy.

The secretome from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) has recently gained attention for new therapeutics. However, clinical application requires cell manufacturing to attain enough cells. Unfortunately, this process often drives MSCs into a senescent state that drastically changes cellular secretion activities.

Metabolite Profile Characterization of Cyanobacterial Strains with Bioactivity on Lipid Metabolism Using In Vivo and In Vitro Approaches.

Cyanobacteria have demonstrated their therapeutic potential for many human diseases. In this work, cyanobacterial extracts were screened for lipid reducing activity in zebrafish larvae and in fatty-acid-overloaded human hepatocytes, as well as for glucose uptake in human hepatocytes and mRNA induction in murine brown adipocytes. A total of 39 cyanobacteria strains were grown and their biomass fractionated, resulting in 117 chemical fractions.

Phytoremediation of diclofenac using the Green Liver System: Macrophyte screening to system optimization.

Green Liver Systems employ the ability of macrophytes to take up, detoxify (biotransform), and bioaccumulate pollutants; however, these systems require optimization to target specific pollutants. In the present study, the aim was to test the applicability of the Green Liver System for diclofenac remediation considering the effects of selected variables. As a starting point, 42 macrophyte life forms were evaluated for diclofenac uptake.

Glycemic variability leads to higher levels of auto-oxidized oxysterol species in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus.

Purpose: Hyperglycemia and glycemic variability (GV) are associated with oxidative stress in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). Oxysterol species, produced by the non-enzymatic oxidation of cholesterol, are potential biomarkers of oxidative stress. This study examined the relationship between auto-oxidized oxysterols and GV in patients with type 1 DM.

Investigating Endocrine Disrupting Impacts of Nine Disinfection Byproducts on Human and Zebrafish Estrogen Receptor Alpha.

Background: Disinfection byproducts (DBPs) cause endocrine disruption via estrogenic or anti-estrogenic effects on estrogen receptors. However, most studies have focused on human systems, with little experimental data being presented on aquatic biota. This study aimed to compare the effects of nine DBPs on zebrafish and human estrogen receptor alpha (zERα and hERα).

Titanium (IV) oxide anatase nanoparticles as vectors for diclofenac: assessing the antioxidative responses to single and combined exposures in the aquatic macrophyte Egeria densa.

Titanium dioxide, frequently used in commonplace products, is now regularly detected in aquatic environments. Understanding its toxic effects on native biota is essential. However, combined toxicity with commonly occurring pollutants, such as the pharmaceutical diclofenac, may provide more insight into environmental situations.

Thyroid-Friendly Soft Materials as 3D Cell Culture Tool for Stimulating Thyroid Cell Function.

The disruption of thyroid hormones because of chemical exposure is a significant societal problem. Chemical evaluations of environmental and human health risks are conventionally based on animal experiments. However, owing to recent breakthroughs in biotechnology, the potential toxicity of chemicals can now be evaluated using 3D cell cultures.

Mechanistic Insight into Wettability Enhancement of Lithium-Ion Batteries Using a Ceramic-Coated Layer.

The crucial issue of wettability in high-energy-density lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) has not been comprehensively addressed to date. To overcome the challenge, state-of-the-art LIBs employing a ceramic-coated separator improves the safety- and wettability-related aspects of LIBs. Here, we present a mechanistic study of the effects of a ceramic-coated layer (CCL) on electrode wettability and report the optimal position of the CCL in LIBs.

Review on the ecotoxicological impacts of plastic pollution on the freshwater invertebrate Daphnia.

The environmental impacts of plastic pollution have recently attracted universal attention, especially in the aquatic environment. However, research has mostly been focused on marine ecosystems, even though freshwater ecosystems are equally if not more polluted by plastics. In addition, the mechanism and extent to which plastic pollution affects aquatic biota and the rates of transfer to organisms through food webs eventually reaching humans are poorly understood, especially considering leaching hazardous chemicals.

Species Differences in Response to Binding Interactions of Bisphenol A and its Analogs with the Modeled Estrogen Receptor 1 and In Vitro Reporter Gene Assay in Human and Zebrafish.

Adverse impacts associated with the interactions of numerous endocrine-disruptor chemicals (EDCs) with estrogen receptor 1 play a pivotal role in reproductive dysfunction. The predictive studies on these interactions thus are crucial in the risk assessment of EDCs but rely heavily on the accuracy of specific protein structure in three dimensions. As the three-dimensional (3D) structure of zebrafish estrogen receptor 1 (zEsr1) is not available, the 3D structure of zEsr1 ligand-binding domain (zEsr1-LBD) was generated using MODELLER and its quality was assessed by the PROCHECK, ERRAT, ProSA, and Verify-3D tools.

Aggregation-induced emission nanoparticles with improved optical absorption for boosting fluorescence signal of tumors in vivo.

Nanomaterial development has been extensively investigated for several decades to realize sensitive and accurate imaging of tumors in vivo. The manufacturing of nanoparticles with highly efficient tumor targeting and excellent optical properties is still an important research topic. The structure and composition ratio of materials that decisively contribute to the brightness and size of nanoparticles have a great influence on image sensitivity and tumor targeting efficiency.

Pharmaceutical Pollution in Aquatic Environments: A Concise Review of Environmental Impacts and Bioremediation Systems.

The presence of emerging contaminants in the environment, such as pharmaceuticals, is a growing global concern. The excessive use of medication globally, together with the recalcitrance of pharmaceuticals in traditional wastewater treatment systems, has caused these compounds to present a severe environmental problem. In recent years, the increase in their availability, access and use of drugs has caused concentrations in water bodies to rise substantially.