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Abstract The rapid development of emerging technologies observed in recent years, such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, mobile internet, big data, cloud computing, and the Internet of Everything, are generating escalating demands for expanding the capacity density, and speed in next‐generation optical communications. This poses a significant challenge to existing communication techniques. Within this context, the integration of near‐infrared broadband, tunable, and high‐gain luminescent materials into silicon optical circuits or fiber architectures to transmit and modulate light shows enormous potential for advancing next‐generation communication techniques. Here, this review provides an overview of the recent breakthroughs in near‐infrared luminescent epitaxial/colloidal quantum dots, and metal‐active‐center‐doped materials for broadband optical amplifiers and tunable lasers. We also expound on efforts to enhance the bandwidth and gain of these materials‐based amplifiers and lasers, exploring the challenges associate with developing ultra‐broadband and high‐speed optical communication systems. Additionally, the potential applications in Fifth Generation Fixed Networks, integration with 5G and 6G wireless networks, compensation for current Si electronic based CMOS for high computing capability, and the prospects of these light sources for next‐generation optoelectronic devices are discussed.

With the acceleration of urbanization, the development and utilization of urban underground spaces are becoming increasingly frequent, and the potential risks in the operation of urban dense cable passage may pose a major threat to the security of the urban power supply. Therefore, a risk assessment method for urban dense cable passage operation based on a fuzzy-analytic hierarchy process is proposed. Firstly, the operation risk parameters of urban dense cable channels are analyzed in detail. Secondly, the weight of each index is calculated based on the analytic hierarchy process to determine the importance of each index in the risk assessment. Then, according to the membership degree of each index, the fuzzy relationship matrix is constructed to describe the relationship between each index and the risk level, and the comprehensive risk level of the cable channel is obtained through the matrix operation. Finally, taking the actual operation of an urban dense cable channel in a certain area of the China Southern Power Grid as the research object, the safety of its operation is comprehensively evaluated, and the effectiveness of the fuzzy-analytic hierarchy process in the operation risk assessment of the urban dense cable channel is verified. Corresponding risk control measures and suggestions are proposed according to the evaluation results.

Precisely determining how cables distribute their current-carrying capacity and temperature field is crucial for the dependable and cost-effective functioning of power grids. Firstly, the power cable structure and the advantages and disadvantages of different laying methods are analyzed in detail. Secondly, the theoretical model of current-carrying capacity calculation and temperature field of power cables, including heat convection, heat conduction, and heat radiation, is constructed, and the method for calculating cable current-carrying capacity, relying on the double-point chordal interception method, is suggested. Then, the COMSOL multiphysics 6.2 finite element simulation software is utilized to create a simulation model that aligns with the real cable laying technique. Finally, the current-carrying capacity and temperature field of power cables are simulated and analyzed for different arrangements of power cables in three laying modes, namely directly buried, row pipe, and trench. The simulation results show that the cable laying method greatly affects the cable’s carrying capacity; the more centralized the cable distribution, the smaller the flow. The method can be realized in different ways of laying power cables in the real-time rapid calculation of flow as the actual laying of power cables has an important reference and reference significance.

Abstract Cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) is an essential sensor of aberrant cytosolic DNA for initiating innate immunity upon invading pathogens and cellular stress, which is considered as a potential drug target for autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases. Here, we report the discovery of a class of cyclopeptide inhibitors of cGAS identified by an in vitro screening assay from a focused library of cyclic peptides. These cyclopeptides specifically bind to the DNA binding site of cGAS and block the binding of dsDNA with cGAS, subsequently inhibit dsDNA-induced liquid phase condensation and activation of cGAS. The specificity and potency of one optimal lead XQ2B were characterized in cellular assays. Concordantly, XQ2B inhibited herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1)-induced antiviral immune responses and enhanced HSV-1 infection in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, XQ2B significantly suppressed the elevated levels of type I interferon and proinflammatory cytokines in primary macrophages from Trex1 -/- mice and systemic inflammation in Trex1 -/- mice. XQ2B represents the specific cGAS inhibitor targeting protein-DNA interaction and phase separation and serves as a scaffold for the development of therapies in the treatment of cGAS-dependent inflammatory diseases.

AbstractTriptorelin is a first-line drug for assisted reproductive technology (ART), but the low bioavailability and frequent subcutaneous injection of triptorelin impair the quality of life of women preparing to become pregnant. We report silk fibroin (SF)-based microneedles (MNs) for transdermal delivery of triptorelin-loaded nanoparticles (NPs) to improve bioavailability and achieve safe and efficacious self-administration of triptorelin. Triptorelin was mixed into an aqueous solution of SF with shear force to prepare NPs to control the release and avoid the degradation of triptorelin by enzymes in the skin. Two-step pouring and centrifugation were employed to prepare nanoparticles-encapsulated polymeric microneedles (NPs-MNs). An increased β-sheet content in the conformation ensured that NPs-MNs had good mechanical properties to pierce the stratum corneum. Transdermal release of triptorelin from NPs-MNs was increased to ∼65%. The NPs-MNs exhibited a prolonged drug half-life and increased relative bioavailability after administration to rats. Surging levels of luteinizing hormone and estradiol in plasma and their subsequent prolonged downregulation indicate the potential therapeutic role of NPs-MNs in ART regimens. The triptorelin-loaded NPs-MNs developed in this study may reduce the physical and psychological burden of pregnant women using ART regimens.

A novel hyaluronic acid (HA)-modified hybrid nanocomplex HA-SeSe-COOH/siR-93C@PAMAM, which could efficiently deliver siRNA into tumor cells via a redox-mediated intracellular disassembly, was constructed for enhanced antitumor efficacy. Thereinto, siR-93C (siRNA) and positive PAMAM were firstly mixed into the electrostatic nano-intermediate, and then diselenide bond (-SeSe-)-modified HA was coved to shield excessive positive charges. This hybrid nanocomplex displayed uniform dynamic sizes, high stability, controlled zeta potential and narrow PDI distribution. Moreover, the -SeSe- linkage displayed GSH/ROS dual responsive properties, improving intracellular trafficking of siRNA. In vitro assays in A549 cell line presented that HA-SeSe-COOH/siR-93C@PAMAM has low cytotoxicity, rapid lysosomal escape and significant transfection efficiency; besides, an efficient proliferation inhibition ability and enhanced apoptosis. Furthermore, in animal studies, this negative-surfaced hybrid nanocomplex showed a prolonged circulation in blood and improved inhibition of tumor growth. All these results verified our hypothesis in this study that diselenide bonds-modified HA could promote not only stability and safety of nanoparticles in vivo but also intracellular behavior of siRNA via redox-dual sensitive properties; furthermore, this hybrid nanocomplex provided a visible potential approach for siRNA delivery in the antitumor field.

Human glutaminyl cyclase (hQC) is drawing considerable attention and emerging as a potential druggable target for Alzheimer's disease (AD) due to its close involvement in the pathology of AD via the post-translational pyroglutamate modification of amyloid-β. A recent phase 2a study has shown promising early evidence of efficacy for AD with a competitive benzimidazole-based QC inhibitor, PQ912, which also demonstrated favorable safety profiles. This finding has sparked new hope for the treatment of AD. In this review, we briefly summarize the discovery and evolution of hQC inhibitors, with a particular interest in classic Zinc binding group (ZBG)-containing chemicals reported in recent years. Additionally, we highlight several high-potency inhibitors and discuss new trends and challenges in the development of QC inhibitors as an alternative and promising disease-modifying therapy for AD.

One of the main reasons impeding wound healing is wound infection caused by bacterial colonization with a continuous stage of inflammation. Traditional wound treatments like gauze are being replaced by tissue adhesives with strong wet tissue adhesion and biocompatibility. Herein, a fast-crosslinking hydrogel is developed to achieve both strong antimicrobial properties and excellent biocompatibility. In this study, a simple and non-toxic composite hydrogel was prepared by the Schiff base reaction between the aldehyde group of 2,3,4-trihydroxybenzaldehyde (TBA) and the amino group of ε-Poly-L-lysine (EPL). Subsequently, a succession of experiments toward this new hydrogel including structure characterization, antimicrobial properties, cell experiment and wound healing were applied. The results of the experiments show that the EPL-TBA hydrogel not only exhibited excellent contact-active antimicrobial activities against Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli (E. coil) and Gram-positive Bacteria Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), but also inhibited the biofilm formation. More importantly, the EPL-TBA hydrogel promoted the wound healing with low cytotoxicity in vivo. These findings indicate that the EPL-TBA hydrogel has a promising use as a wound dressing in the bacterial infection prevention and wounds healing acceleration.

Nanoparticle drug delivery systems have proved anti-tumor effects; however, they are not widely used in tumor therapy due to insufficient ability to target specific sites, multidrug resistance to anti-tumor drugs, and the high toxicity of the drugs. With the development of RNAi technology, nucleic acids have been delivered to target sites to replace or correct defective genes or knock down specific genes. Also, synergistic therapeutic effects can be achieved for combined drug delivery, which is more effective for overcoming multidrug resistance of cancer cells. These combination therapies achieve better therapeutic effects than delivering nucleic acids or chemotherapeutic drugs alone, so the scope of combined drug delivery has also been expanded to three aspects: drug-drug, drug-gene, and gene-gene. This review summarizes the recent advances of nanocarriers to co-delivery agents, including i) the characterization and preparation of nanocarriers, such as lipid-based nanocarriers, polymer nanocarriers, and inorganic delivery carriers; ii) the advantages and disadvantages of synergistic delivery approaches; iii) the effectual delivery cases that are applied in the synergistic delivery systems; and iv) future perspectives in the design of nanoparticle drug delivery systems to co-deliver therapeutic agents.

Abstract The hollow structure has long attracted great attention because of its excellent properties. However, this special structure is usually synthesized through some complex approaches. Herein, we discovered that denatured bovine serum albumin (BSA) can trigger unusual biomineralization for the simple, green and shape‐controllable synthesis of germanium oxide (GeOx) hollow microsphere (HMS). At high temperature (60°C), BSA was denatured, and a compact BSA layer was formed around the H2 bubbles. The denatured BSA layer was stable and suitable for anchoring and growing GeOx. By simply changing the BSA concentration and temperature, various morphologies of GeOx could be obtained. Due to the denatured protein skeletons and microenvironment‐regulated collapse, GeOx HMS showed great potential for intelligently responsive pesticide delivery in the insect gut, showing superiority over traditional delivery systems, which early release pesticides in the mouth and stomach. Inspired by its large specific surface area, excellent biocompatibility, modifiable functional groups, and high electrocatalytic activity, GeOx HMS was also applied to versatile sensors for H2O2 assays at physiological pH and rapid coronavirus COVID‐19 detection. This work not only provides some evidence for understanding proteins in depth but also paves a new avenue for the biomineralization‐inspired synthesis of hollow structures with versatile functions.

Abstract Surface charge of biological and medical nanocarriers has been demonstrated to play an important role in cellular uptake. Owing to the unique physicochemical properties, charge-reversal delivery strategy has rapidly developed as a promising approach for drug delivery application, especially for cancer treatment. Charge-reversal nanocarriers are neutral/negatively charged at physiological conditions while could be triggered to positively charged by specific stimuli (i.e., pH, redox, ROS, enzyme, light or temperature) to achieve the prolonged blood circulation and enhanced tumor cellular uptake, thus to potentiate the antitumor effects of delivered therapeutic agents. In this review, we comprehensively summarized the recent advances of charge-reversal nanocarriers, including: (i) the effect of surface charge on cellular uptake; (ii) charge-conversion mechanisms responding to several specific stimuli; (iii) relation between the chemical structure and charge reversal activity; and (iv) polymeric materials that are commonly applied in the charge-reversal delivery systems. Graphical Abstract

Disasters are becoming the norm in this world, which also poses challenges to architects. Many needs to build temporary buildings may occur at the same time randomly around all over the world. Constructing an efficient and economical solution is the motivation of this research. Through a comprehensive review of all past related researches and architectural practices, “convenience” and “recyclability” have been identified as two important features of temporary buildings in the post-pandemic era. In this article, we carry on a novel research of discrete architecture. Based on the design paradigm of discrete architecture, this research uses the three main components of S/U/P to develop a Lego Architecture design method by combining with the Grasshopper plug-in under the Rhino platform to write a program that automatically generates the target plan. Then, a typical design scheme for physical construction verification and structural optimization is selected to ensure landing and safety. Originating from the thinking of productization, this research attempts to package the design methods and related knowledge into a systematic solution, relying on an open construction system framework to achieve a rapid, simple and safe construction of temporary buildings after disasters.

The rapid development of global telecommunication, cloud computing, big data, consumer electronics create increasing demands to expand the capacity and rate of data transmission for next generation broadband optical communication. It raises a great challenge for current rare‐earth ions doped fiber amplifiers due to the narrow emission bandwidth of rare‐earth ions. In this context, broadband near‐infrared (NIR) emitter based optical amplifiers are in urgent demand. Here, broadband optical amplification in S + C + L bands is achieved for the first time in PbS quantum dot (QD)‐doped low‐melting‐point glass fiber. With the pump of a 976 nm laser, the on‐off gain of PbS QD‐doped fiber (PQDF) ranges from 1.4 to 8.7 dB in 1500–1630 nm, while that of PbS QD‐doped glass ranges from 6.9 to 8.4 dB in 1530–1630 nm. Both QD‐doped glass and optical fiber show tunable luminescence covering the entire optical communication windows (O + E + S + C + L + U). The much higher quantum yield of PbS QDs in glass than that of colloidal QDs, the ultra‐broad and controllable emission bands and bandwidth make PbS QDs doped glass and fiber promising for applications in next generation broadband optical fiber amplifiers and tunable fiber lasers.

Abstract Background Entropy has become increasingly popular in computer science and information theory because it can be used to measure the predictability and redundancy of knowledge bases, especially ontologies. However, current entropy applications that evaluate ontologies consider only single-point connectivity rather than path connectivity, and they assign equal weights to each entity and path. Results We propose an Entropy-Aware Path-Based (EAPB) metric for ontology quality by considering the path information between different vertices and textual information included in the path to calculate the connectivity path of the whole network and dynamic weights between different nodes. The information obtained from structure-based embedding and text-based embedding is multiplied by the connectivity matrix of the entropy computation. EAPB is analytically evaluated against the state-of-the-art criteria. We have performed empirical analysis on real-world medical ontologies and a synthetic ontology based on the following three aspects: ontology statistical information (data quantity), entropy evaluation (data quality), and a case study (ontology structure and text visualization). These aspects mutually demonstrate the reliability of the proposed metric. The experimental results show that the proposed EAPB can effectively evaluate ontologies, especially those in the medical informatics field. Conclusions We leverage path information and textual information to enrich the network representational learning and aid in entropy computation. The analytics and assessments of semantic web can benefit from the structure information but also the text information. We believe that EAPB is helpful for managing ontology development and evaluation projects. Our results are reproducible and we will release the source code and ontology of this work after publication. (Source code and ontology: https://github.com/AnonymousResearcher1/ontologyEvaluate).