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Gel polymer electrolytes (GPEs) are increasingly recognized for their potential to enhance lithium (Li)-ion batteries owing to their exceptional thermal stability and remarkable electrochemical performance. Despite these advantages, the practical application of traditional GPEs is hindered by their tendency to swell and their limited mechanical strength. To address these issues, this study introduces a bio-inspired rigid-soft coupling GPE comprising polyethylene oxide (PEO) and poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP), reinforced with Kevlar fiber fabric fabricated using a simple solution-casting method. The resulting PEO/PVDF-HFP/Kevlar (PPK) GPE demonstrates excellent ionic conductivity of 2.815 mS cm−1and a Li-ion migration number of 0.571, alongside an ultra-high mechanical strength of 32.59 MPa. These features collectively contribute to the prevention of lithium dendrite growth and enhanced electrochemical performance of LiFePO4cells, leading to stable cycling performance. The deployment of PPK GPE can pave the way for significant advancements in high-performance Li-ion batteries for various practical applications.

Accelerating the breaking of the nitrogen nonpolar bond (N≡N) is an important factor to improve the efficiency of the electro-catalytic nitrogen reduction reaction (e-NRR). In this work, polyoxometalates-derived FeMo-based ternary oxide materials MoO2-Mo4O11-FeMoO4@X(abbreviated as MoFeO@X, Xrepresents the synthesis temperature of 650, 750 and 850 °C) were designed and synthesized for e-NRR under ambient conditions. The scanning electron microscopy images of MoFeO@750 show an ellipsoidal-like structure (0.86 × 0.6 μm). The relatively large specific surface area, formation of multiple interfaces, together with the synergistic effect of iron and molybdenum bimetals, would make MoFeO@Xcatalyst more easily absorb and activate N2in the e-NRR. Expectedly, the synthesized MoFeO@750 shows an optimal NH3production rate of 16.57 μg·h−1·mgcat.−1and Faradaic efficiency of 12.33% at − 0.3 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode (νs. RHE), with outstanding electrochemical and structural stability.

Neutral-point voltage unbalancing is a common problem in three-level inverters. The original neutral-point voltage balancing circuit is the buck–boost converter. Since the inductor carries low frequency components, the power density is limited. At the same time, the efficiency is low because the soft switching cannot be realized. In this article, a neutral-point voltage balance circuit based on resonant switched-capacitor converter (RSCC) is proposed. The proposed converter uses a series resonant inductor and resonant capacitor to transfer the unbalanced energy between two dc-link capacitors. Based on phase shift modulation, the RSCC circuit controls the output current to compensate the neutral-point current of the inverter to achieve the suppression of neutral-point voltage ripple. To achieve the minimum loss, a step-by-step optimal design is presented and the optimal switching frequency, resonant inductance, and resonant capacitance can be derived. The proposed circuit has the advantages that all switches of RSCC can realize the zero voltage switching, and the magnetic volume can be greatly reduced because only high frequency components flow through the inductor. A 400 V-10 A prototype of RSCC and the inverter is built, and main experimental results are provided to verify the time-domain analysis and the effectiveness of the proposed RSCC voltage balance circuit.

Acupuncture is an efficient treatment modality for many different training, but the technique can be challenging to master. Identification of the different acupuncture points can now be practiced in a standardized and patient-safe simulation-based environment. We aim to gather additional evidence regarding simulation-based training of acupuncture skills and hope that the simulation-based test developed and will be used for simulation-based mastery learning in future develop.

In recent years, the gap between the supply and demand of medical radioisotopes has increased, necessitating new methods for producing medical radioisotopes. Photonuclear reactions based on gamma sources have unique advantages in terms of producing high specific activity and innovative medical radioisotopes. However, the lack of experimental data on reaction cross sections for photonuclear reactions of medical radioisotopes of interest has severely limited the development and production of photonuclear transmutation medical radioisotopes. In this study, the entire process of the generation, decay, and measurement of medical radioisotopes was simulated using online gamma activation and offline gamma measurements combined with a shielding gamma-ray spectrometer. Based on a quasi-monochromatic gamma beam from the Shanghai Laser Electron Gamma Source (SLEGS), the feasibility of this measurement of production cross section for surveyed medical radioisotopes was simulated, and specific solutions for measuring medical radioisotopes with ultra-low production cross sections were provided. The feasibility of this method for high-precision measurements of the reaction cross section of medical radioisotopes was demonstrated.

The exploration of exotic shapes and properties of atomic nuclei, e.g., αcluster and toroidal shape, is a fascinating field in nuclear physics. To study the decay of these nuclei, a novel detector aimed at detecting multiple α-particle events was designed and constructed. The detector comprises two layers of double-sided silicon strip detectors (DSSD) and a cesium iodide scintillator array coupled with silicon photomultipliers array as light sensors, which has the advantages of their small size, fast response, and large dynamic range. DSSDs coupled with cesium iodide crystal arrays are used to distinguish multiple αhits. The detector array has a compact and integrated design that can be adapted to different experimental conditions. The detector array was simulated using Geant4, and the excitation energy spectra of some α-clustering nuclei were reconstructed to demonstrate the performance. The simulation results show that the detector array has excellent angular and energy resolutions, enabling effective reconstruction of the nuclear excited state by multiple αparticle events. This detector offers a new and powerful tool for nuclear physics experiments and has the potential to discover interesting physical phenomena related to exotic nuclear structures and their decay mechanisms.

Developing surface-functionalized catalysts with exceptional activity and selectivity for the electrocatalytic CO2RR to C2+products under neutral electrolyte.A remarkable C2+FE of nearly 90% at an unprecedented current density of 300 mA cm−2and maintain high FE (> 80%) at the wide current density performance (100–600 mA cm−2) in neutral environments using a flow cell as well as MEA electrolyzer.Mechanical study reveals that reducing the coverage of coordinated K·H2O water increased the probability of intermediate reactants (CO) interacting with the surface, thereby promoting efficient C–C coupling and enhancing the yield of C2+products.

This study aims to analysis the content and positional distribution of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6 n-3) in algal oils (Schizochytriumsp.) using both Candida antarcticaLipase B (CAL-B)-catalyzed-transesterification combined with GC and 13C NMR. The triacylglycerol (TAG) molecular species in algal oils were also identified and quantified using LC-MS. The algal oils were from 3 kinds of oil processing including crude oil (CAO), liquid phase and solid phase oils from fractionation (LAO and SAO) as well as re-esterified triacylglycerol (rTAG). Algal oils contain 55%–97% polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and 45%–80% DHA of the total oil; and DHA dominantly esterified at sn-2 position of glycerol backbone with the ratio of sn-2 DHA to total DHA ranged from 32% to 48%. A total of 42 TAGs were identified including 27 TAGs contained DHA, of which the 22:6/22:6/22:5 and 22:6/22:6/22:6 were the predominant species. The lipids containing DHA of algal oils are influenced by the fractionation processing. Compared with physical modified algal oils, rTAG has high DHA content (∼80%, P < 0.05) but lower sn-2 DHA relative content (∼32%, P < 0.05). This study provides an effective analysis scheme for high-PUFA-oils which will be used to develop novel functional oils.

Intensively farmed crops used to experience numerous environmental stresses. Among these, shade and drought significantly influence the morpho-physiological and biochemical attributes of plants. However, the interactive effect of shade and drought on the growth and development of soybean under dense cropping systems has not been reported yet. This study investigated the interactive effect of PEG-induced osmotic stress and shade on soybean seedlings. The soybean cultivar viz., C-103 was subjected to PEG-induced osmotic stress from polyethylene glycol 6000 (PEG-6000) under shading and non-shading conditions. PEG-induced osmotic stress significantly reduced the relative water contents, morphological parameters, carbohydrates and chlorophyll contents under both light environments. A significant increase was observed in osmoprotectants, reactive oxygen species and antioxidant enzymes in soybean seedlings. Henceforth, the findings revealed that, seedlings grown under non-shading conditions produced more malondialdehyde and hydrogen peroxide contents as compared to the shade-treated plants when subjected to PEG-induced osmotic stress. Likewise, the shaded plants accumulated more sugars and proline than non-shaded ones under drought stress. Moreover, it was found that non-shaded grown plants were more sensitive to PEG-induced osmotic stress than those exposed to shading conditions, which suggested that shade could boost the protective mechanisms against osmotic stress or at least would not exaggerate the adverse effects of PEG-induced osmotic stress in soybean seedlings.

Future climate projections suggest a poleward shift of the maximum intensity of tropical cyclones (TCs) over the western North Pacific. However, the global nature of the latitudinal change in TC genesis under global warming remains poorly understood. We show, using large‐ensemble high‐resolution atmospheric model simulations (d4PDF) with four warming scenarios, that the poleward shift is a robust change over the globe, attributable to the weakening of the Hadley circulation. The weakened ascent driven by the upper‐tropospheric warming suppresses the TC genesis within 5°–20° latitudes, whereas the weakened descent enhances the TC genesis in the poleward latitudes. We further estimate the poleward shift of TC genesis to emerge at the 2 K global warming over the Arabian Sea, South Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and at the 4 K warming over the North Pacific. The present results underscore the potential for increasing social and economic risks associated with TCs at higher latitudes. Climate models have projected a decrease in TC genesis frequency in future warming. However, the global nature of the latitudinal change in TC genesis under global warming remains uncertain partly due to insufficient resolution as well as the ensemble size of climate model simulations. We show a global feature of the robust poleward shift of the TC genesis during the active seasons of both hemispheres scaled with the global warming level, which can be attributed to the weakening of the Hadley circulation. The weakened ascending branch of the Hadley circulation, driven by the increased upper tropospheric warming, potentially hinders TC genesis within 5°–20° latitudes. Conversely, the weakened descending branch of the Hadley circulation enhances the likelihood of TC genesis within 20°–35° latitudes. We further estimate that the signal of TC genesis is expected to emerge over high latitudes of the Arabian Sea, South Atlantic and South Pacific Oceans at the 2 K warming and at the 4 K warming over the North Pacific. The present analyses have significant implications not only for assessing the reliability of future TC‐related changes in climate models but also for estimating the increased TC‐related hazards at higher latitudes under global warming. We project a global feature of the robust poleward shift of tropical cyclone (TC) genesis during active seasons of both hemispheresMore TC genesis at high latitudes can be attributed to the weakening of the Hadley circulationPoleward shift of TC genesis emerges at 2 K warming over Arabian Sea, South Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and at 4 K warming over North Pacific We project a global feature of the robust poleward shift of tropical cyclone (TC) genesis during active seasons of both hemispheres More TC genesis at high latitudes can be attributed to the weakening of the Hadley circulation Poleward shift of TC genesis emerges at 2 K warming over Arabian Sea, South Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and at 4 K warming over North Pacific

Traditional particle identification methods face timeconsuming, experience-dependent, and poor repeatability challenges in heavy-ion collisions at low and intermediate energies. Researchers urgently need solutions to the dilemma of traditional particle identification methods. This study explores the possibility of applying intelligent learning algorithms to the particle identification of heavy-ion collisions at low and intermediate energies. Multiple intelligent algorithms, including XgBoost and TabNet, were selected to test datasets from the neutron ion multi-detector for reaction-oriented dynamics (NIMROD-ISiS) and Geant4 simulation. Tree-based machine learning algorithms and deep learning algorithms e.g. TabNet show excellent performance and generalization ability. Adding additional data features besides energy deposition can improve the algorithm’s performance when the data distribution is nonuniform. Intelligent learning algorithms can be applied to solve the particle identification problem in heavy-ion collisions at low and intermediate energies.

Hydrogen is a kind of clean and sustainable energy source and arises wide attention in industrial and commercial scenarios. The utilization of hydrogen in safety is eternal theme, thereby it is important to detect hydrogen quickly and accurately in production, use and storage stage. This review focuses on the fiber grating hydrogen sensor, which depicts a great promising for industrial application, introduces the up‐to‐date progress and provides new insight for scale use. Starting with an overview of the sensing mechanism of hydrogen‐sensitive material, then this paper briefly introduces the working principle of fiber grating hydrogen sensor. After that, design and optimization methods for fiber grating hydrogen sensor are emphatically summarizes from viewpoints of sensor structure, hydrogen‐sensitive material, and sensor durability. Last, the challenges of fiber grating hydrogen sensor for practical applications are demonstrated and the future prospects are also put forward, namely the depth investigation in structure, material, key fabrication technology and environmental adaptability of sensor. This review focuses on the fiber grating hydrogen sensor which depicts a great promising for the industrial application, and mainly introduces the design and optimization methods for the sensor from sensor structure, hydrogen‐sensitive material and sensor durability perspectives, which is expected to provide some new ideas for its practical applications.

In contrast to the original form of the anode, the perforated anode is a new kind of anode that can significantly reduce the bubble thickness while maintaining a stable electrolysis process. The bubble movement was simulated within physical and mathematical models of the flow field in the anode–cathode distance (ACD) area, in which the electrolyte solidification zone in the anode perforations was treated creatively as a porous medium. The flow field distribution and the bubble layer thickness in the ACD area were simulated. The influence of the process parameters, such as the electrolyte temperature and ACD, on the flow field was analyzed. The results show that compared with the regular anode and slotted anode, the use of the perforated anode reduces the thickness of the bubble layer by approximately 1.63 and 1.06 mm, respectively. The velocity of the electrolyte is positively correlated with the electrolyte temperature, anode width, and bubble layer thickness. The immersion depth of the anode and the interanode gap have little effect on the bubble thickness and flow field.

Observing nuclear neutrinoless double beta (0νββ) decay would be a revolutionary result in particle physics. Observing such a decay would prove that the neutrinos are their own antiparticles, help to study the absolute mass of neutrinos, explore the origin of their mass, and may explain the matter-antimatter asymmetry in our universe by lepton number violation. We propose developing a time projection chamber (TPC) using high-pressure 82SeF6gas and Topmetal silicon sensors for readout in the China Jinping Underground Laboratory (CJPL) to search for neutrinoless double beta decay of 82Se, called the NνDEx experiment. Besides being located at CJPL with the world’s thickest rock shielding, NνDEx combines the advantages of the high Qββ(2.996 MeV) of 82Se and the TPC’s ability to distinguish signal and background events using their different topological characteristics. This makes NνDEx unique, with great potential for low-background and high-sensitivity 0νββsearches. NνDEx-100, a NνDEx experiment phase with 100 kg of SeF6gas, is being built, with plans to complete installation at CJPL by 2025. This report introduces 0νββphysics, the NνDEx concept and its advantages, and the schematic design of NνDEx-100, its subsystems, and background and sensitivity estimation.

The types of endotracheal tube, positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) level, endotracheal tube cuff pressure level, and nursing activity may influence the occurrence of pulmonary aspiration in ventilated patients with an endotracheal tube, but the evidence on their degree of influence is still inconclusive.

A comprehensive and reliable correlation between the gasification characteristics and char structure will be helpful to propose a tentative reaction pathway. The rapid-pyrolysis char samples were prepared with a novel high-temperature vertical quenching furnace at high temperatures from 900 to 1500 °C with different residence times. The physicochemical structure and gasification reactivity of chars were systematically analyzed. Results demonstrated that the chemical structures were slightly influenced by the residence time at lower pyrolysis temperatures (900 and 1000 °C), while the graphitization degree was increased by the prolongation of the residence time at 1100 °C. With the increase of the pyrolysis temperature, Lc,a/d002,aand IG/Iallmonotonously increased, while ID1/IGand ID3/IGmonotonously decreased. Additionally, the specific surface area was not considered in the correlations because it was not the main factor affecting the reactivity. The isothermal and non-isothermal gasification reactivities of coal char gradually decreased with the increase of the pyrolysis temperature to some extent. However, ID1/IGcould act as a rough indicator for evaluating the characteristic temperatures of chars. It was also revealed that the reaction rate was controlled by various chemical structural factors at different stages. Hence, the correlations based on the chemical structure parameters by combining X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy showed credibility on the prediction of char characteristic temperatures as the critical factor varied with the gasification stage.

ObjectivesTo conduct an updated systematic review and meta-analysis of association between sleep and all-cause cognitive disorders.MethodsPubMed and EMBASE were searched from inception to 18 February 2019. Cohort studies exploring longitudinal associations of sleep with cognitive decline or dementia were included. The multivariable-adjusted effect estimates were pooled by random-effects models, with credibility assessment. The robust error meta-regression model was used to conduct the dose–response meta-analysis for sleep duration.Results11 155 reports were searched and 51 eligible cohorts with 15 sleep problems were included for our meta-analyses. Ten types of sleep conditions or parameters, including six (insomnia, fragmentation, daytime dysfunction, prolonged latency, rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder and excessive time in bed) with moderate-to-high levels of evidence, were linked to higher risk of all-cause cognitive disorders. Furthermore, a U-shaped relationship was revealed for the associations with sleep duration.ConclusionsSleep management might serve as a promising target for dementia prevention.

Objective: The aim of this study is to assess the association between midlife risk factors and dementia. Methods: PubMed and Cochrane library were systematically searched on May 24, 2018, to retrieve prospective cohort studies. The summary Relative Risk (RR) and 95% Confidence Interval (CI) were calculated by the random-effect model to explore the association between midlife risk factors and dementia. Sensitivity analysis and meta-regression were conducted to explore the source of heterogeneity. Publication bias was examined using Begg's and Egger's tests. Results: Thirty-four prospective cohort studies were included, among which 24 were eligible for metaanalysis. A total of 159,594 non-demented adults were enrolled at baseline before 65 years and 13,540 people were diagnosed with dementia after follow-up. The pooled results revealed that five factors could significantly increase the dementia risk by 41 to 78%, including obesity (RR, 1.78; 95% CI: 1.31-2.41), diabetes mellitus (RR, 1.69; 95% CI: 1.38-2.07), current smoking (RR, 1.61; 95%, CI: 1.32-1.95), hypercholesterolemia (RR, 1.57; 95% CI: 1.19-2.07), and hypertension (borderline blood pressure RR, 1.41; 95% CI: 1.23-1.62 and high Systolic Blood Pressure (SBP) RR, 1.72; 95% CI: 1.25-2.37). However, the sensitivity analyses found that the results of hypercholesterolemia and high SBP were not reliable, which need to be confirmed by more high-quality studies. No influences due to publication bias were revealed. In the systematic review, another three factors (hyperhomocysteinemia, psychological stress, and heavy drinking) were found to be associated with elevated dementia risk. In addition, physical exercise, a healthy diet, and hormone therapy in middle age were associated with the reduction of dementia risk. Conclusions: Middle-aged people with obesity, diabetes, hypertension, or hypercholesterolemia, and current smokers in midlife are at higher risk of developing dementia later in life.

A new microporous MIL-100(Fe)/Ti3C2MXene composite was constructed as a non-noble metal-based Schottky junction photocatalyst with improved nitrogen fixation ability. Ti3C2MXene nanosheets exhibited excellent metal conductivity and were employed as two-dimensional support to optimize the composite’s energy band structure. MIL-100(Fe) with a large specific surface area was used as an adsorbent and a photocatalytic oxidation center. The MIL-100(Fe)/Ti3C2MXene composite not only exhibited higher thermal stability but also showed significantly increased nitrogen fixation activity under visible light. The NO conversion rate of the composite catalyst was about four and three times higher than that of the pure Ti3C2MXene and the pure MIL-100(Fe) samples, respectively. Although adsorption plays an important role in the nitrogen fixation process, the synergistic effects of the Schottky junctions are the main cause of the enhanced photocatalytic activity. The built-in electric field can be generated to form charge-transfer channels, which help to achieve a desirable photocatalytic activity.

In this study, the interannual variations in the tropical cyclone (TC) over the western North Pacific (WNP) and the influences of regional sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies are documented by separating the WNP into four quadrants considering nonuniform SST‐induced environmental changes. Our analysis shows that the TC variations in the northwest and southeast quadrants are related to both equatorial central‐eastern Pacific Ocean (EPO) and tropical Indian Ocean (TIO) SST anomalies. The TC variation in the northeast quadrant is mainly related to tropical North Atlantic Ocean SST anomalies. The main environmental variables differ for the TC variations in the four quadrants. Lower‐level (850‐hPa) vorticity is important for the TC variations in the northwest, southwest, and southeast quadrants. Midlevel (700‐hPa) humidity contributes to the TC variations in the northwest, northeast, and southeast quadrants. The vertical shear has a supplementary contribution to the TC variation in the southeast quadrant. The potential intensity (PI) negatively affects the TC variations in the southwest and southeast quadrants. The remote SST anomalies modulate different environmental variables over the WNP. The TIO SST influence is manifested in the lower‐level vorticity and vertical motion. The tropical North Atlantic SST impact occurs through the lower‐level vorticity change. The EPO SST effect occurs via changing the lower‐level vorticity and vertical motion as well as the midlevel moisture and vertical shear. The environmental variables experience more prominent changes when SST anomalies coexist in two remote regions. Numerical experiments confirm the EPO and TIO SST anomaly impacts on the environmental conditions affecting the WNP TC variations. Tropical cyclogenesis displays different features under various combinations of regional SST anomaliesMain environmental variables for tropical cyclogenesis change differ among different sectorsEnvironmental variable changes vary with the combination of regional SST anomalies

Ternary NiCoFe layer hydroxides with different Ni/Co/Fe molar ratios were prepared using simple urea method. By finely tuning Ni/Co/Fe molar ratio, the optimized hydroxide (LDH 2.0), a Ni/Co/Fe molar ratio of 2.0/1.0/1.0, provided high specific capacitance (408 F g−1 at 2.0 A g−1) and good stability (90.9% retention over 1000 cycles) due to maximum crystallinity (91.35% crystallinity) and specific surface area (160 m2 g−1). In order to further improve the electrochemical performances, the LDH 2.0 was made into a composite (LDH/PANI) with polyaniline (PANI) via in situ polymerization of aniline monomer. The LDH/PANI composite had a much higher specific capacitance (717 F g−1 at 2.0 A g−1) compared with the LDH 2.0 , and a significant improvement of cycleability (84.7% retention over 1000 cycles). The results indicated that the LDH/PANI had a synergistic effect of both components due to the complementary properties, which guaranteed a good electric contact and consequently increased the specific capacitance. These provided a new approach for designing organic-inorganic composite materials with potential application in supercapacitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Charged particle diagnosis is an important aspect of laser–plasma experiments conducted at super-intense laser facilities. In recent years, Columbia Resin #39 (CR-39) detectors have been widely employed for detecting charged particles in laser–plasma experiments. This is because the CR-39 polymer does not respond to electromagnetic pulses or X-rays. This study presents a method for calibrating the relationship between particle energy and track diameter in a CR-39 detector (TasTrak®) using 3–8 MeV protons, 6–30 MeV carbon ions, and 1–5 MeV alpha particles. The particle tracks were compared under the manufacturer’s recommended etching conditions of 6.25 mol/l NaOH at 98 °C and under the widely adopted experimental conditions of 6.25 mol/l NaOH at 70 °C. The results show that if the NaOH solution concentration is 6.25 mol/l, then the temperature of 70 °C is more suitable for etching proton tracks than 98 °C and employing a temperature of 98 °C to etch alpha-particle and carbon-ion tracks can significantly reduce the etching time. Moreover, this result implies that C3+ion or alpha-particle tracks can be distinguished from proton tracks with energy above 3 MeV by controlling the etching time. This calibration method for the CR-39 detector can be applied to the diagnosis of reaction products in laser–plasma experiments.

To increase the water solubility of questin and broaden its application in preventing and treating Vibriodiseases in aquaculture, an inclusion complex of questin with 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) was prepared by stirring and coevaporation strategy. The results of thin-layer chromatography and nuclear magnetic resonance spectrum confirmed the inclusion of questin into HP-β-CD. The aqueous solubility of questin in the inclusion complex reached (62.63 ± 1.21) µg/mL, which was 110 times of questin’s original solubility. The preliminary agar diffusion method indicated that questin–HP-β-CD inclusion complex showed enhanced antibacterial activity against Vibrio harveyicompared with free questin. This finding provided a reliable basis for the further application of questin as aquatic antibacterial agent.

Thymopentin (TP5) is an effective immunomodulatory agent for autoimmune disease that has been used clinically for decades. However, its application is greatly limited by its extremely short half-life in vivo, poor membrane permeability and extensive metabolism in gastrointestinal tract, resulting in repeated injection and poor patient compliance. In the present study, we developed a TP5-loaded, phospholipid-based phase separation gel (PPSG) to achieve sustained drug release profile and long-lasting therapeutic effects. We firstly demonstrated the physiochemical characteristics of PPSG before and after phase transition by examining the viscosity and morphology change caused by the phase transition. Moreover, the PPSG exerted a low cytotoxicity in L929 cells and HUVECs, suggesting the biocompatibility of PPSG. A month-long drug release profile of TP5 PPSG was observed both in vitro and in vivo, revealing its sustained and controlled drug release property. Most importantly, in cyclophosphamide-induced immunosuppressive rats, a single dose of TP5 PPSG (15 mg/kg, sc) injected could normalize their T-SOD levels and CD4+/CD8+ ratio; such an immunoregulatory effect was comparable to that produced by repeated injection of TP5 solution (0.6 mg/kg per day, sc) for 14 consecutive days. Thus, TP5 PPSG has a great potential for sustained delivery of TP5 in clinical use because of its simple manufacture process, good biocompatibility and long-lasting immunomodulatory efficacy, which could greatly improve patient compliance.

Celastrol (CLT)-loaded PEG–PLGA nanoparticles (NPs/CLT) coated with neutrophil membranes (NNPs/CLT) were explored for the management of acute pancreatitis (AP). PEG–PLGA nanoparticles sized around 150 nm were proven to selectively accumulate in the pancreas in rats with AP. NNPs were found to overcome the blood–pancreas barrier and specifically distributed to the pancreatic tissues. Moreover, NNPs showed more selective accumulation in the pancreas than nanoparticles without any membrane coating in AP rats. Compared to CLT solution and the NPs/CLT group, NNPs/CLT significantly downregulated the levels of serum amylase and pancreatic myeloperoxidase in AP rats. Also, using NNPs as the delivery vehicle significantly reduced the systemic toxicity of CLT in AP rats. Together, these results suggest that NNPs/CLT represent a highly promising delivery vehicle for the targeted therapy of AP.