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With the rapid growth of advanced nanoengineering strategies, there are great implications for therapeutic immunostimulators formulated in nanomaterials to combat cancer. It is crucial to direct immunostimulators to the right tissue and specific immune cells at the right time, thereby orchestrating the desired, potent, and durable immune response against cancer. The flexibility of nanoformulations in size, topology, softness, and multifunctionality allows precise regulation of nano‐immunological activities for enhanced therapeutic effect. To grasp the modulation of immune response, research efforts are needed to understand the interactions of immune cells at lymph organs and tumor tissues, where the nanoformulations guide the immunostimulators to function on tissue specific subsets of immune cells. In this review, recent advanced nanoformulations targeting specific subset of immune cells, such as dendritic cells (DCs), T cells, monocytes, macrophages, and natural killer (NK) cells are summarized and discussed, and clinical development of nano‐paradigms for targeted cancer immunotherapy is highlighted. Here the focus is on the targeting nanoformulations that can passively or actively target certain immune cells by overcoming the physiobiological barriers, instead of directly injecting into tissues. The opportunities and remaining obstacles for the clinical translation of immune cell targeting nanoformulations in cancer therapy are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resilience, a psychological trait conceptualized as the ability to recover from setbacks, can be weakened by childhood maltreatment, which comprises childhood abuse and childhood neglect. The current study aimed to investigate whether childhood maltreatment could increase automatic negative thoughts (ANT), thus weakening resilience. Furthermore, as psychological characteristics are commonly subject to the moderating effects of cultural context and biology, the study also explored whether and how cultural and genetic factors separately interact with childhood maltreatment to predict resilience. In study 1, the participants comprised 237 American and 347 Chinese individuals; study 2 included 428 genotyped Chinese individuals. We combined regression, mediation, moderation, and machine learning methods to test the mediating effect of ANT on the link between childhood maltreatment and resilience as well as the moderating roles of culture and genetics. Study 1 found that both childhood abuse and childhood neglect increased ANT and thus weakened resilience. In addition, the ANT-mediating effects of childhood neglect were stronger in American than Chinese participants. In Study 2, using the leave-one-out approach, we constructed two separate prediction models based on 22 and 16 important single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), and we found that the interaction between childhood abuse/neglect and polygenic scores based on important SNPs could predict ANT. The mediating effects of ANT on the relationship between childhood abuse/neglect and resilience were significant for participants with low polygenic scores but not for those with high polygenic scores. In conclusion, both the cultural environment and individual genetic makeup moderated the mediating effects of ANT on the association between childhood maltreatment and resilience. These findings indicated the roles of culture and genetics in protecting against the adverse effects of childhood maltreatment on resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current research aimed to examine the relationship between residential mobility and loss aversion, a ubiquitous decision‐making bias conceptualized in prospect theory. Combining correlational, experimental, and electroencephalography approaches, we tested the hypothesis that residential mobility may increase loss aversion. The results revealed a positive correlation between residential mobility and loss aversion (Study 1). These effects were moderated by individuals' residential mobility/stability mindsets. Behaviorally, we observed a positive association between residential mobility history and loss aversion among individuals with a high (vs. low) subjective uncertainty after manipulating their residential mobility mindset by priming them with a mobile or stable lifestyle (Study 2). On the neural level, we found that the mindset of residential mobility (vs. stability) enhanced the differential feedback‐related negativity (FRN) modulations between the large‐win and large‐loss conditions among Chinese participants with a high subjective uncertainty (Study 3). In conclusion, residential mobility elevated loss aversion by enhancing feelings of subjective uncertainty. Our findings provide novel insights into how changes in the socioecological environment shape individuals' decision‐making bias. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: As the prevalence of hypertension increases in China, it is advised to use salt-restriction spoons (SRS) as a lifestyle modification. This study aimed to examine the associations between estimated salt consumption, SRS usage, and the hypertension status in individuals with poorly controlled hypertension. Methods: Data was collected in Huzhou City, Zhejiang Province, in 2021 using convenience sampling. The analysis involved ordinal logistic regression and restricted cubic splines to assess the relevant factors. Results: The study found that 73.34% of the 1215 patients had uncontrolled blood pressure (BP). Urinary excretion was assessed through the utilization of the Kawasaki, INTERSALT, and Tanaka formulas. The outcomes of these three methodologies revealed average daily sodium excretion values of 208.70 (65.65), 154.78 (33.91), and 162.61 (40.87) mmol, respectively. The prevalence of utilizing SRS was found to be 37.78% in this study. Despite the acknowledgment among SRS users of the potential hazards associated with excessive salt consumption, there exists a contradictory pattern of attitudes and behaviors concerning salt reduction. Among individuals with different levels of salt intake (quartiles 1–4, Q1 vs Q4), there was a positive association between limiting salt and hypertension status when controlling for other variables (Kawasaki adjusted OR = 0.58, 95% CI = 0.43–0.79; INTERSALT adjusted OR = 0.62, 95% CI = 0.41–0.92; Tanaka adjusted OR = 0.61, 95% CI = 0.45–0.92, p < 0.05). Our research also revealed that using or used SRS was a protective factor for blood BP control (adjusted OR = 0.79, 95% CI = 0.64–0.99, P < 0.05). The restricted cubic spline plots illustrated a monotonic upward relationship between estimated 24-h urinary Na and BP (P-overall association < 0.05; P-non-linear association > 0.05). Conclusions: The use of dietary SRS could result in decrease in daily salt intake for BP control in patients with poorly controlled hypertension. To reduce the impact of high BP in China, additional studies are required to create interventions that can enhance the results for patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rattle-type magnetic mesoporous hollow carbon (RMMHC) materials have shown great promise as adsorbents for water treatment. In this work, we report a surfactant-free synthesis of RMMHC nanoparticles (NPs) using magnetite NPs as the core, tetrapropyl orthosilicate, resorcinol and formaldehyde to form the shell followed by carbonization and selective silica etching. The pore size, specific surface area and pore volume of RMMHC NPs can be tuned by varying the carbonization temperature (500, 700 and 900 °C). At the optimized temperature of 700 °C, the RMMHC NPs possess the highest specific surface area of 579 m 2 g −1 , the largest pore volume of 0.795 cm 3 g −1 , and the largest pore size of 7.6 nm among all three samples. The adsorption capacity of optimized RMMHC NPs towards di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (a model organic pollutant) reaches as high as 783.1 mg g −1 . Taking advantage of the magnetic property, the adsorbents retain more than 87% of their initial adsorption capacity over five times' reuse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Chemical composition of bee pollen was analyzed by metabolomics. • 40 differential metabolites were identified as phenolamides in bee pollen. • 26 of phenolamides were strongly correlated with anti-tyrosinase activity. • Spermidine derivatives were dominant over putrescine and spermine derivatives. Bee pollen, which is known as a "full-nutrient food", has outstanding anti-tyrosinase activity. However, the chemical components contributing to this activity remain unknown. To comprehensively elucidate the chemical components of bee pollen inhibiting tyrosinase, we performed the anti-tyrosinase activity evaluation of bee pollen extract (BPE) of eight species, metabolomic analysis of chemical composition, multivariate statistical analysis and correlation analysis. The results revealed that the anti-tyrosinase activity of eight BPEs was significantly different (p < 0.05), with IC 50 value ranging from 10.08 to 408.81 μg/mL. A total of 725 metabolites were detected from these BPEs, and 40 differential metabolites were identified, all of which were phenolamides. All these phenolamides were positively correlated with the anti-tyrosinase activity, among which 26 phenolamides (21 spermidine derivatives and five spermine derivatives) showed particularly high correlations (r > 0.7). This is the first report to reveal the main contributor to the anti-tyrosinase activity of bee pollen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mesostructuredhollow carbon nanoparticles have widespread applications.A big challenge in materials science is surfactant-free synthesisof hollow carbon nanoparticles with tunable mesostructures. Hereinwe report a new surfactant-free sequential heterogeneous nucleationpathway to prepare mesostructured hollow carbon nanoparticles. Thisstrategy relies on two polymerizable systems, i.e., resorcinol formaldehydeand tetraethyl orthosilicate, each of which undergoes homogeneousnucleation and particle growth. By controlling the polymerizationkinetics of two systems when mixed together, sequential heterogeneousnucleation can be programmed, leading to monodispersed and mesostructuredhollow carbon nanoparticles with large mesopores, controllable mesostructures(bi- and triple-layered), and rich morphologies (invaginated, intact,and endoinvaginated spheres). For the first time, it is demonstratedthat the invaginated structure shows better hemocompatibility comparedto the intact one. The pristine hollow carbon nanoparticles with largepore size and high pore volume show the high loading capacity of biomoleculesand successfully deliver biomolecules into cells. Our strategy haspaved the way for the designed synthesis of unprecedented carbon nanostructureswith potential applications in drug/biomolecule delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Permutite incorporating CdSe in mesopores has been prepared with a simple route. Firstly, mercaptosuccinic acid-capped CdSe quantum dots (QDs) were prepared in aqueous solution by using SeO as selenium source and NaBH as reductant. Secondly, the commercial permutite was treated with acetic acid to induce a partial dealumnization, which can introduce a large number of intracrystal mesopores, and the CdSe QDs were successfully incorporated in the mesopores with the wet impregnation method. Photoluminescence spectra, X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy were used for the characterization of samples. The spectra analyses results showed that the illuminant colour of QDs/permutite powder was similar to the corresponding QDs colloid. X-ray diffraction measurements indicated that the (1 0 1) diffraction peak at 2 휃 = 27° for QDs/permutite powder was the same as the raw permutite, and the energy-dispersive X-ray spectra demonstrated that Cd and Se elements existed in the CdSe QDs/permutite powder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of functional nanocarriers that can enhance the cellular delivery of a variety of nucleic acid agents is important in many biomedical applications such as siRNA therapy. We report the synthesis of large pore mesoporous silica nanoparticles (LPMSN) loaded with iron oxide and covalently modified by polyethyleneimine (denoted PEI-Fe-LPMSN) as carriers for gene delivery. The LPMSN have a particle size of ∼200 nm and a large pore size of 11 nm. The large pore size is essential for the formation of large iron oxide nanoparticles to increase the magnetic properties and the adsorption capacity of siRNA molecules. The magnetic property facilitates the cellular uptake of nanocarriers under an external magnetic field. PEI is covalently grafted on the silica surface to enhance the nanocarriers’ affinity against siRNA molecules and to improve gene silencing performance. The PEI-Fe-LPMSN delivered siRNA–PLK1 effectively into osteosarcoma cancer cells, leading to cell viability inhibition of 80%, higher compared to the 50% reduction when the same dose of siRNA was delivered by a commercial product, oligofectamine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A new and facile approach has been developed to prepare monodisperse mesoporous silica nanospheres (MMSNs) with controlled particle sizes and pore structures. In our approach, MMSNs were synthesized simply in a sodium acetate solution without adding any other alkali or alcohol additives. MMSNs have a spherical shape and uniform particle sizes, which can be adjusted from 50 to 110nm by increasing the reaction temperature from 40 to 80°C. By performing a subsequent hydrothermal treatment (HT) under basic condition (pH=∼11.5) at 130°C, the mesoporous pore volume and surface area can be enhanced, while keeping the mono-dispersion characteristics and the mesopore size almost unchanged. The pore sizes of MMSNs can be adjusted from 2.8 to 4.0nm under acidic solutions by changing the HT temperature from 100 to 130°C. The formation process of MMSNs has been investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) techniques. A spherical micelle templating mechanism is proposed to explain the formation of MMSNs in our system, which is different from that of traditional highly ordered mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MCM-41). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Residential mobility mindset enhances temporal discounting. • Mobility mindset enhances the differential feedback-related negativity (FRN) between present and future large-amount losses. • Uncertainty mediates the effects of residential mobility on temporal discounting. With the internationalization of human society, population mobility has greatly increased, which can affect people's psychological states and behaviors. Research on residential mobility is burgeoning, but few studies have linked this topic to decision making, particularly temporal discounting, in which individuals generally discount future gains and losses. In Study 1, we manipulated individuals' residential mobility and stability and found that residential mobility heightened temporal discounting. In Study 2, which was designed to investigate the neural mechanism underlying this relationship, the participants gambled between two pictures and received temporal-related feedback, including gain and loss, while event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded. The results showed that the main effect of temporal discounting was reflected in the feedback-related negativity (FRN) component in the 180–340 ms time window. Additionally, the participants primed with mobility rather than stability exhibited a significant difference in FRN over the right-central electrodes between present and future large-amount losses but not between present and future large-amount or small-amount gains. Study 3 revealed that residential mobility increased the participant's sense of uncertainty, thereby enhancing temporal discounting. In conclusion, the current research reveals that residential mobility enhances temporal discounting by modulating the neural processes involved in evaluating monetary loss and by increasing the individual's sense of uncertainty. This research suggests that socioecological factors play important roles in individuals' intertemporal decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Progress of nanoprobes for MR imaging of brain diseases is summarized. • Strategies for MRI nanoprobes to overcome blood–brain barrier are discussed. • Applications of MRI nanoprobes in disease-diagnostic imaging are reviewed. • Challenges and perspectives of MRI nanoprobes for brain diseases are discussed. Increasing brain disease incidence has become a common cause of disability and death worldwide. Early diagnosis of brain diseases is crucial to improve the prognosis of patients and reduce the mortality rate. In this regard, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is now playing an essential role in the early diagnosis of brain diseases due to its high spatial resolution, outstanding performance of soft tissue imaging, high penetration depth, and noninvasiveness. Brain disease diagnosis by MRI has achieved significant progress, but distinguishing healthy tissues from diseased tissue needs to be substantially improved. The emergence and prosperous development of nanomaterials provides an efficient strategy for the construction of functional magnetic resonance nanoprobes. Based on the nanoprobes with high specificity, desirable sensitivity, prominent signal intensity, targeting, and controllable metabolism, we can achieve better imaging of brain diseases at the structural as well as functional level, which can further provide diagnostic and therapeutic values. In this comprehensive review, we summarized and discussed the current progress of engineering nanoprobes for MR imaging of brain diseases, ranging from the types of MRI probes, stimulus-responsive design, and BBB penetrating methods, to their versatile applications in several typical brain diseases. The unsettled challenges and future perspectives on the rational design of MRI nanoprobes and their further clinical translations have also been discussed and forecasted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonspecific immunotherapies often induce general immune activation or suppression. Conversely, antigen‐specific immunotherapy, which refers to dampening or augmenting adaptive immunity against a disease‐specific antigen, increases T‐cell target specificity to pathological tissues, thereby reducing side effects on the rest of the immune system. Advances in engineering strategies for nanomaterials have enabled the feasible modulation of their physicochemical features to incorporate antigens and inherently interact with innate immune cells, which remarkably amplifies the orchestration of antigen‐specific immune responses against cancer and autoimmune diseases. From this contemporary perspective, the basic principles of antigen‐specific immunotherapy are briefly introduced and we elucidate how the latest nanoengineering paradigms regulate the functions of heterogeneous subsets of immune cells, such as antigen‐presenting cells, B cells, and regulatory or cytotoxic T cells, promoting antigen‐specific immunotherapy to treat autoimmune diseases and cancer. An outlook on prospects and remaining challenges have been discussed for, translating scientific discoveries of powerful nanomaterials into medical advances in antigen‐specific immunotherapy, thus offering new treatment modalities for patients with unmet needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Central nervous system (CNS) diseases are hardly to cure, primarily caused by the systemic and local barriers. Nanomedicine remarkedly augments physical barrier permeability to potentiate the therapy for CNS diseases. Here we summarize recent progress of advanced nanomedicines against a broad spectrum of CNS diseases and our perspectives on future directions moving nanomedicines from bench to besides. [Display omitted] Despite the impressive strides in the research community, numerous obstacles pose marked challenges in the treatment of central nervous system (CNS) disorders. The limitations of current therapeutics are primarily attributed to the systemic and local barriers, particularly the intact blood–brain barriers (BBB). Nanomedicine represents one promising avenue, which enables safe and effective delivery of neurotherapeutics into the CNS by traversing or bypassing the physical barriers. Here, we provide an overview of recent progress of advanced nanoengineering technologies for delivery of neurotherapeutics and elucidate how the emerging nanotherapeutics overcome the restrictive barriers with enhanced therapeutic implications to CNS diseases. The non-invasive strategies crossing BBB mainly comprise carrier-mediated transport, cell-mediated transport, adsorptive mediated transport, paracellular transport, passive diffusion, and receptor-mediated transport. We briefly discuss the typical paradigms of nanomaterials and their physiochemical factors determining CNS transport efficacy, particularly focusing on the applications of advanced nanotechnology in the management of ischemic stroke, neurodegenerative diseases, infectious diseases, pain, and tumor. The prospects and challenges of neuro-nanotherapeutics toward clinical translation are also analyzed from our point of view. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vaccines comprising innovative adjuvants are rapidly reaching advanced translational stages, such as the authorized nanotechnology adjuvants in mRNA vaccines against COVID-19 worldwide, offering new strategies to effectively combat diseases threatening human health. Adjuvants are vital ingredients in vaccines, which can augment the degree, extensiveness, and longevity of antigen specific immune response. The advances in the modulation of physicochemical properties of nanoplatforms elevate the capability of adjuvants in initiating the innate immune system and adaptive immunity, offering immense potential for developing vaccines against hard-to-target infectious diseases and cancer. In this review, we provide an essential introduction of the basic principles of prophylactic and therapeutic vaccination, key roles of adjuvants in augmenting and shaping immunity to achieve desired outcomes and effectiveness, and the physiochemical properties and action mechanisms of clinically approved adjuvants for humans. We particularly focus on the preclinical and clinical progress of highly immunogenic emerging nanotechnology adjuvants formulated in vaccines for cancer treatment or infectious disease prevention. We deliberate on how the immune system can sense and respond to the physicochemical cues (e.g., chirality, deformability, solubility, topology, and chemical structures) of nanotechnology adjuvants incorporated in the vaccines. Finally, we propose possible strategies to accelerate the clinical implementation of nanotechnology adjuvanted vaccines, such as in-depth elucidation of nano-immuno interactions, antigen identification and optimization by the deployment of high-dimensional multiomics analysis approaches, encouraging close collaborations among scientists from different scientific disciplines and aggressive exploration of novel nanotechnologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multifunctional core-shell-structured dendritic mesoporous silica nanoparticles with a fullerene-doped silica core, a dendritic silica shell and large pores have been prepared. The combination of photodynamic therapy and antibody therapeutics significantly inhibits the cancer cell growth by effectively reducing the level of anti-apoptotic proteins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highly ordered hexagonal meso-structured, vesicles, and mesoporous ordered siliceous foams have been elaborately synthesized in weak HCl solution under static conditions without any organic additives by finely tuning reaction pH (3.0-5.0) and/or the amount of adding sodium sulfate (NaSO). Lower pH value is favorable for hexagonal structure and higher pH value and NaSO concentration is beneficial for vesicles and foams. Siliceous materials with different morphologies (rod, vesicle and foam), structures (hexagonal, vesicle and foam) and pore sizes were used for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) removal. The adsorption and desorption performance of hexagonal mesostructure (S1), vesicles (S5) and macroporous ordered siliceous (S7) samples were investigated under static (water vapor, n-hexane and 93# gasoline) and dynamic (n-hexane) conditions. Compared with S1, S5, commercial silica gel (SG) and activated carbon (AC), S7 shows higher static adsorption capacity of n-hexane and 93# gasoline, more stable breakthrough time and larger n-hexane adsorption capacity under dynamic adsorption conditions. The designed siliceous materials with high VOCs removal capacity and recyclability show great potential for VOCs controlling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Although some nucleotide binding, leucine‐rich repeat immune receptor (NLR) proteins conferring resistance to specific viruses have been identified in dicot plants, NLR proteins involved in viral resistance have not been described in monocots.We have used map‐based cloning to isolate the CC‐NB‐LRR (CNL) Barley stripe mosaic virus (BSMV) resistance gene barley stripe resistance 1 (BSR1) from Brachypodium distachyon Bd3‐1 inbred line. Stable BSR1 transgenic Brachypodium line Bd21‐3, barley (Golden Promise) and wheat (Kenong 199) plants developed resistance against BSMV ND18 strain. Allelic variation analyses indicated that BSR1 is present in several Brachypodium accessions collected from countries in the Middle East.Protein domain swaps revealed that the intact LRR domain and the C‐terminus of BSR1 are required for resistance. BSR1 interacts with the BSMV ND18 TGB1 protein in planta and shows temperature‐sensitive antiviral resistance. The R390 and T392 residues of TGB1ND (ND18 strain) and the G196 and K197 residues within the BSR1 P‐loop motif are key amino acids required for immune activation.BSR1 is the first cloned virus resistance gene encoding a typical CNL protein in monocots, highlighting the utility of the Brachypodium model for isolation and analysis of agronomically important genes for crop improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are few researches on the application of multifunctional carbon quantum dots (CQDs) in analysis and detection. In this study, carbon quantum dots (CQDs) with dual‐function detection were synthesized by the one‐step hydrothermal method with citric acid as the carbon source and o‐phenylendiamine as the nitrogen source to detect Fe3+ and sunset yellow. The morphology of the prepared CQDs and the surface functional groups were characterized using TEM, FTIR, XPS, UV‐Vis spectroscopy, and fluorescence spectrophotometer. The results show that the morphology of CQDs is nearly spherical and well dispersed, with a particle size range of 1.24∼6 nm and the average particle size was 3.23 nm. The surface of the CQDs has hydrophilic groups, such as OH, −COOH and −NH2. CQDs exhibited good acid and alkali resistance, salt resistance, and photobleaching resistance under different conditions. The detection limits of CQDs for Fe3+ and sunset yellow were 1.52 μM and 0.812 μM, respectively. The recoveries of actual samples were 96.65 %∼104.85 % and 95.4 %∼104.55 %, with relative standard deviations (RSDs) of less than 6 %. Therefore, CQDs can be employed as dual‐function fluorescent probes in the practical detection of samples and have promising application prospects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is increasing evidence supporting the concept of cancer stem cells (CSCs), which are responsible for the initiation, growth and metastasis of tumors. CSCs are thus considered the target for future cancer therapies. To achieve this goal, identifying potential therapeutic targets for CSCs is essential. Methods: We used a natural product of vitamin E, gamma tocotrienol (gamma-T3), to treat mammospheres and spheres from colon and cervical cancers. Western blotting and real-time RT-PCR were employed to identify the gene and protein targets of gamma-T3 in mammospheres. Results: We found that mammosphere growth was inhibited in a dose dependent manner, with total inhibition at high doses. Gamma-T3 also inhibited sphere growth in two other human epithelial cancers, colon and cervix. Our results suggested that both Src homology 2 domain-containing phosphatase 1 (SHP1) and 2 (SHP2) were affected by gamma-T3 which was accompanied by a decrease in K- and H-Ras gene expression and phosphorylated ERK protein levels in a dose dependent way. In contrast, expression of self-renewal genes TGF-beta and LIF, as well as ESR signal pathways were not affected by the treatment. These results suggest that gamma-T3 specifically targets SHP2 and the RAS/ERK signaling pathway. Conclusions: SHP1 and SHP2 are potential therapeutic targets for breast CSCs and gamma-T3 is a promising natural drug for future breast cancer therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel composites of iron oxide encapsulated in macroporous silica with excellent arsenic adsorption performance have been successfully developed. Macroporous silica foams with large pore sizes of ≈100 nm and a high pore volume of 1.6 cm3 g−1 are chosen as the porous matrix. Electron tomography technique confirms that γ-Fe2O3 nanoparticles with an average particle size of ≈6 nm are spatially well-dispersed and anchored on the pore walls at even a high γ-Fe2O3 content of 34.8 wt%, rather than forming aggregates inside the pores or on the external surface. The open large-pore structure, high loading amount, and the non-aggregated nature of γ-Fe2O3 nanoparticles lead to increased adsorption sites and thus high adsorption capacities of both As (V) and As (III) without pre-treatment (248 and 320 mg g−1, respectively). Moreover, the composites can reduce the concentration of both As (V) and As (III) from 100 to 2 μg L−1. It is also demonstrated that the composites can be applied in a household drinking water treatment device, which can continuously treat 20 L of wastewater containing As (V) with the effluent concentration lower than the World Health Organization standard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silica nanoparticles (SNPs) have attracted widespread attention as biocompatible and efficient nanocarriers for gene delivery. The physicochemical properties of SNPs such as particle size, pore size, nanotopography and surface chemistry play important roles in regulating the intracellular delivery performance of genetic molecules. SNPs engineered with a rambutan-like spiky surface (Ram-SNPs) have shown significantly enhanced transfection efficiency for plasmid DNA (pDNA). However, the impact of the particle size of Ram-SNPs on their pDNA delivery performance has not been reported. Here, we synthesized Ram-SNPs with tailored nanoparticles sizes of 180, 330 and 520 nm by controlling the polymerization of resorcinol–formaldehyde and silica in a surfactant-free synthesis system. The polyethylenimine modified Ram-SNPs were loaded with pDNA molecules for intracellular delivery. Smaller sized Ram-SNPs demonstrated slightly weaker binding with pDNA, enhanced cellular uptake and significantly higher transfection efficiency than the larger particles. This structure–function relationship is different from other SNPs used for pDNA delivery. The cellular uptake mechanism by Ram-SNPs was also investigated. These findings provide useful guidance for the rational design of silica-based non-viral vectors for efficient gene delivery applications. A series of bioinspired rambutan-like silica nanoparticles with varied particle sizes were developed for plasmid DNA delivery, where smaller sized nanoparticles promoted the gene transfection efficiency due to enhanced cellular uptake capability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The formation of vaterite is well known to be influenced by many low molecular weight additives. In this study, Density functional theory calculations was employed to study the effect of biological material lysine(Lys), aspartic acid(Asp), threonine(Thr) and glycine(Gly) on the formation of vaterite CaCO 3. The interaction energies between Gly and CaCO 3 (110) and (104) surfaces were −2.618 and −1.784 eV, respectively. With the molar ratio of Ca2+ to Gly at 1.5, the reaction time of 11.5 min, the pH value of 7.5, the crystalline product of the reaction was almost monodisperse spherical vaterite in Ca(OH) 2 -Gly-CO 2 reaction system. The obtained products were characterized by the XRD, RAM, SEM, TEM, and FT-IR. The results showed that the increase of Gly concentration inhibited the nucleation and the growth of calcite. Lys, Asp, Thr and Gly were employed as stabilizers for controlling particles, the crystalline product of the reaction was almost monodisperse vaterite CaCO 3. Its surface chemistry can be explored using this mechanism analysis. The methods are expected to be a reference for industrial production process. [Display omitted] • Stronger amino acid adsorption on CaCO 3 (110) vs. CaCO 3 (104) leads to vaterite CaCO 3. • Mole ratio (Gly/Ca2+) > 2 produces >99 % aragonite CaCO 3. • Vaterite prep in Ca(OH) 2 -Gly-CO 2 system suitable for industrial use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immune responses stimulated by photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photothermal therapy (PTT) are a promising strategy for the treatment of advanced cancer. However, the antitumor efficacy by PDT or PTT alone is less potent and unsustainable against cancer metastasis and relapse. In this study, Gd3+ and chlorin e6 loaded single‐walled carbon nanohorns (Gd‐Ce6@SWNHs) are developed, and it is demonstrated that they are a strong immune adjuvant, and have high tumor targeting and penetration efficiency. Then, three in vivo mouse cancer models are established, and it is found that sequential PDT and PTT using Gd‐Ce6@SWNHs synergistically promotes systemic antitumor immune responses, where PTT stimulates dendritic cells (DCs) to secrete IL‐6 and TNF‐α, while PDT triggers upregulation of IFN‐γ and CD80. Moreover, migration of Gd‐Ce6@SWNHs from the targeted tumors to tumor‐draining lymph nodes sustainably activates the DCs to generate a durable immune response, which eventually eliminates the distant metastases without using additional therapeutics. Gd‐Ce6@SWNHs intervened phototherapies also generate durable and long‐term memory immune responses to tolerate and prevent cancer rechallenge. Therefore, this study demonstrates that sequential PDT and PTT using Gd‐Ce6@SWNHs under moderate conditions elicits cooperative and long‐lasting antitumor immune responses, which are promising for the treatment of patients with advanced metastatic cancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social norms are essential but vary across human societies. With the internationalization of human society, the population's mobility has greatly increased, which can impact people's psychological states and behaviors. The current research aimed to examine the hypothesis that residential mobility plays a crucial role in the perception of social norm violations with six studies. Studies 1 and 2 used an association test and experimental manipulation, respectively, and found that residential mobility was associated with a decreased perception of weak social norm violations in females. Study 3 further suggested that residential mobility modulates individuals' perception threshold to social norm violation behavior. Studies 4 and 5 revealed that the relationship between residential mobility and perception of social norm violations is mediated by face threats, and a mini meta-analysis further confirmed the significant effect of residential mobility on the perception of social norm violations. Our findings provide insights into how and why individuals' perceptions of social norm-violating behaviors vary according to the dynamic development of society. As residential mobility continues to increase worldwide, especially in developing countries, we may observe concomitant changes in the subjective perception of social norms that should be given more attention during social governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Empathic neural responses to others' suffering are subject to both social and biological influences. The present study tested the hypothesis that empathic neural responses to others' pain are more flexible in an intergroup context in G/G than A/A carriers of the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) (rs53576). We recorded event-related brain potentials to painful vs neutral expressions of Asian and Caucasian faces that were assigned to a fellow team or an opponent team in Chinese carriers of G/G or A/A allele of OXTR. We found that G/G carriers showed greater neural responses at 136–176 ms (P2) over the frontal/central region to painful vs neutral expressions of faces with shared either racial or mini group identity. In contrast, A/A carriers showed significant empathic neural responses in the P2 time window only to the faces with both shared racial and mini group identity. Moreover, the racial in-group bias in empathic neural responses varied across individuals' empathy traits and ethnic identity for G/G but not A/A carriers. Our findings provide electrophysiological evidence for greater flexibility of empathic neural responses in intergroup contexts in G/G (vs A/A) carriers of OXTR and suggest interactions between OXTR and intergroup relationships on empathy for others' suffering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By using the first-principle supercell calculations, we studied the site substitution and ternary alloying elements M (M = Al, Si, Cu, Zn, Sn, Zr, Ta, Nb, Ti, W, V, Mo, Cr, Os, Rh, Ir, Pd and Pt) effect on the structural, mechanical, thermal and electronic properties of B2 RuHf-based intermetallics. The formation enthalpy H and ternary transfer energy E M Hf → Ru of RuHf–M intemetallics are calculated to predict the site preference of M. The elastic parameters including bulk modulus B , shear modulus G , Young' modulus E , B / G ratio, Poisson's ratio υ , universal anisotropic index A u , shear anisotropic factors A 1 , A 2 , A 3 and directional Young's modulus have been calculated. The results reveal that RuHf and RuHf–M intermetallics without superhard characters are not low-compressive materials. In addition, the anisotropic elastic properties of these compounds are predicted. Also, the results demonstrate the anisotropic acoustic velocities, anisotropic thermal conductivity and potential thermal-insulating application of these compounds. Furthermore, the electronic densities of states (DOS) are calculated to illustrate the electron structures of these compounds and further investigate their structural and mechanical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

TiO 2 nanotube arrays co-sensitized with SnS 2 and CdS nanoparticles (SnS 2 /CdS/TiO 2 NTs) were successfully fabricated by SILAR method. The as-synthesized SnS 2 /CdS/TiO 2 NTs were characterized with X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) and ultraviolet-visible (UV–vis). Their photocatalytic activities have been investigated on the degradation of methylene blue under simulated solar light irradiation. XRD results indicate that TiO 2 NTs were mainly anatase phase, SnS 2 and CdS were highly crystallized. FESEM results indicate that TiO 2 NTs can keep the nanotubular structures at low deposition concentration. UV–vis results indicate that SnS 2 and CdS can be used to improve the absorbing capability of TiO 2 NTs for the visible light. And the band gap of SnS 2 /CdS/TiO 2 NTs is 1.95 eV. Photocatalytic results indicate that SnS 2 nanoparticles are conducive to improve the photocatalytic efficiency. And the highest degradation rate to methylene blue of SnS 2 /CdS/TiO 2 NTs is 94.5%. At last, the photocatalytic mechanism of SnS 2 /CdS/TiO 2 NTs to methylene blue is also described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a series of CdS/TiO 2 NTs have been synthesized by SILAR method. The as-prepared CdS/TiO 2 NTs have been analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), and ultraviolet–visible (UV–vis). And their photocatalytic activities have been investigated on the degradation of methylene blue under simulated solar light irradiation. XRD results indicate that TiO 2 NTs were anatase phase, CdS nanoparticles were hexagonal phase. FESEM results indicate that low deposition concentration can keep the nanotubular structures. UV–vis results indicate that CdS can be used to improve the absorbing capability of TiO 2 NTs for visible light, and the content of CdS affects the band gap. Photocatalytic results indicate that CdS nanoparticles are conducive to improve the photocatalytic efficiency of TiO 2 NTs, and the highest degradation rate can reach 93.8%. And the photocatalytic mechanism of CdS/TiO 2 NTs to methylene blue is also described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the urchin-like ZnO nanostructures composed of self-assembled cone-shaped ZnO nanorods grown on the Zn-deposited Cu substrate fabricated by electrodeposition-hydrothermal method. In the FESEM images, the cone-shaped ZnO nanorods radiate from the center of the nanostructure forming a spherical urchin-like shape with a diameter of 5 μm–10 μm, the average diameter and the length of the cone-shaped ZnO nanorods can be identified as 0.1 μm–1 μm and 3 μm–5 μm, respectively. The SAED of the diffraction ring suggests that this ZnO nanorod was polycrystalline with the wurtzite hexagonal phase. The measured optical band gap Eg values are 3.12 eV, 2.98 eV, 3.04 eV and 3.10 eV respectively with the increasing pH values. In the as-prepared condition, the photoluminescence (PL) spectra of the urchin-like ZnO nanostructures are composed of a violet emission band at about 393 nm and two blue emission bands at about 446 nm and 463 nm at room temperature. With an increase in the pH value of hydrothermal solution, the intensity of PL spectra increases, while the forbidden gaps of four samples become narrower. Finally, a possible growth mechanism of the urchin-like ZnO nanostructures has been discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hierarchical flower-like ZnO nanostructures and Mg-doped ZnO flower-like hierarchical nanostructures composed of porous nanosheets were synthesized via a one-step hydrothermal method. In this method, Zn(NO 3 ) 2 ·6H 2 O was used as a precursor and Mg(NO 3 ) 2 ·6H 2 O was the dopant. FESEM, EDS, XRD, UV–vis absorption spectra and PL spectra were used to characterize the samples. It demonstrates that small portions of Mg are successfully incorporated into the lattice of the ZnO nanostructures. The incorporation of Mg into ZnO is supported by broadening and higher Bragg angle shift in XRD pattern and EDS analysis. Cell Parameters of hierarchical flower-like Mg-doped ZnO nanostructures are obtained from Rietveld analysis. The decrease of c- axis indicates that substitution by Mg 2+ is the dominant doping form in the hierarchical ZnO nanostructures. PL spectra show that the effective Mg doping suppresses the near band gap emission and the green emission. The band edge emission shifts to the blue with increasing amount of Mg doping, reflecting the change in the excitons energy seen in the absorption spectra. The defect band is believed to be due to deep traps and becomes dominant at high levels of doping. All the results show that the molar ratio of Mg and Zn determines the structure, surface morphology and optical properties of the samples significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mn-doped CuO nanosheets were prepared through a hydrothermal method to enhance their photocatalytic property. The structural and morphological features were monitored by using X-Ray diffraction (XRD) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). UV-vis absorption spectra showed the enhance absorption performance both in UV and visible light region. The band gaps were also calculate and the minimum value was 1.25 eV. The photocatalytic activity was investigated by the degradation of methylene blue (MB), which indicated that the photoactivity of samples depended on the amount of Mn2+ incorporated into the CuO lattice. The improved performance of photocatalysts can be attributed to enhanced light absorption and lower electron-hole recombination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Feather-like Cd-doped CuO nanostructures were fabricated by a one-step hydrothermal method. X-ray diffraction pattern (XRD) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) demonstrated that Cd 2+ entered the crystal lattice of CuO and substituted Cu 2+ without destroying crystal structures to form feather-like CuO nanostructures. The optical property of Cd-doped CuO was investigated by using UV–vis spectrophotometer. A slight blue-shift of optical band gap was observed because of quantum confinement effect. The doped samples exhibited obviously higher absorbance in UV light region and better photocatalytic activity for the photodegradation of methyl blue than the pure CuO nanosheets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Micrometer-sized ZnO spheres with average diameter about 2 μm were prepared through a facile template-free hydrothermal method. Their structures and morphologies were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). XRD result indicates that the sample is pure hexagonal ZnO with a crystalline zincite structure. The FESEM images confirmed that the samples were monodisperse ZnO microspheres. Optical properties have been investigated by using UV–vis absorption spectrum and photoluminescence measurement. The UV–vis absorption spectrum displays an obvious and significant absorption at wavelength less than 400 nm. Photoluminescence measurement was tested at excitation wavelength of 325 nm. From the luminescence spectrum, we can observe that the ZnO microspheres show strong emission feature at 400 nm and a blue emission at 461 nm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a simple electrochemical etching and a subsequent heat treatment to synthesize nanowire-like CuO thin films with pure phase at room temperature. The reaction media has great effect on microstructure of products to significantly improve optical and photocatalytic activities of materials. Detailed characterizations of the synthesized nanomaterials are performed utilizing X-ray diffraction (XRD) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) to study their crystalline phase and morphology. The photoluminescence (PL) spectrum shows a main emission peak and a blue emission band whose centers are located at 352 nm and 463 nm, respectively. Photocatalytic study demonstrated the degradation of methylene blue (MB) can reach 95.6% after 210 min irradiation, showing its potential application in waste water treatment. A plausible growth mechanism for the transformation is also proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hierarchical CuO microspheres have been successfully synthesized by chemical bath deposition, during which Cu(OH) 2 nanorobs firstly transform into CuO nanosheets and then these nanosheets spontaneously self-assemble to form CuO microspheres. Detailed characterization of the synthesized nanomaterials was performed utilizing X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and UV–Vis absorption spectra to study their crystalline phase, morphology and optical property. Additionally, photocatalytic performance of Cu(OH) 2 /CuO composite and pure CuO nanostructures was evaluated. Optical gaps of them are 2.75 eV and 1.33 eV respectively, showing a significant enhancement in the photocatalytic property in comparison with commercial CuO as demonstrated in photodegradation of methyl blue (MB). A growth mechanism for the formation of CuO nanostructure was also proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, flower-like CdS structures have been prepared by a hydrothermal method with SDBS as surfactant. The influences of different experimental conditions on the morphologies, UV-Vis and fluorescence properties of CdS have been investigated. The performances of CdS have been analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) and room-temperature photoluminescence (PL). The XRD result indicates that the flower-like CdS structures are of hexagonal phase. The FESEM results indicate that the main role of SDBS is to make the CdS crystals assemble together to form the flower-like structures. The UV-Vis results show CdS has a strong absorption in the ultraviolet region and visible-light region. The PL results show CdS has two emission peaks, respectively at 461 nm and 553 nm. The growth mechanism for the formation of flower-like CdS structures is also described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, the flower-like CdS have been prepared by hydrothermal method with thiourea as sulfur source and SDBS as surfactant. The effects of different experimental conditions on the morphology of CdS have been investigated. The performances of CdS have been analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), room temperature photoluminescence (PL) and UV–vis. The result of XRD indicates that CdS we prepared are highly crystallized, which are of hexagonal phase. The FE-SEM results indicate that the main role of SDBS is to make the CdS crystals assemble together to form the flower-like structures, and the reaction time affects the morphology of CdS, and the suitable reaction temperature is 160 °C. Its optical energy band gap is observed at 2.50 eV. The fluorescence spectrum shows that the flower-like CdS have a broad absorption peak and the max emission wavelength is 508.6 nm. The growth mechanism for the formation of CdS with flower-like structures is also described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radial-like ZnO structures were prepared using zinc sulfate (ZnSO4·7H2O) and zinc acetate [Zn(CH3COO)2·2H2O] as zinc sources by a facile template-free hydrothermal method in this paper. Structural and optical properties of radial-like ZnO structures are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), UV-vis spectrophotometer and photoluminescence measurement (PL). It has been found that the distinct surface morphologies of radial-like ZnO structures grown by different zinc sources. Slim radial-like ZnO with a hexagonal wurtzite structure is grown by using ZnSO4·7H2O as zinc sources, whereas coarse radial-like ZnO with zincite structure is achieved by zinc acetate. The UV-vis absorption spectra of them both display an obvious and significant absorption in the ultraviolet region. The room temperature PL spectra of ZnO structures grown by two different zinc sources possess a common feature that consists of a strong ultraviolet (UV) peak and visible emission band. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: By applying comparative genomics analyses, a high-density genetic linkage map narrowed the powdery mildew resistance gene Pm41 originating from wild emmer in a sub-centimorgan genetic interval. Abstract: Wheat powdery mildew, caused by Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici, results in large yield losses worldwide. A high-density genetic linkage map of the powdery mildew resistance gene Pm41, originating from wild emmer ( Triticum turgidum var. dicoccoides) and previously mapped to the distal region of chromosome 3BL bin 0.63-1.00, was constructed using an F recombinant inbred line population derived from a cross of durum wheat cultivar Langdon and wild emmer accession IW2. By applying comparative genomics analyses, 19 polymorphic sequence-tagged site markers were developed and integrated into the Pm41 genetic linkage map. Ultimately, Pm41 was mapped in a 0.6 cM genetic interval flanked by markers XWGGC1505 and XWGGC1507, which correspond to 11.7, 19.2, and 24.9 kb orthologous genomic regions in Brachypodium, rice, and sorghum, respectively. The XWGGC1506 marker co-segregated with Pm41 and could be served as a starting point for chromosome landing and map-based cloning as well as marker-assisted selection of Pm41. Detailed comparative genomics analysis of the markers flanking the Pm41 locus in wheat and the putative orthologous genes in Brachypodium, rice, and sorghum suggests that the gene order is highly conserved between rice and sorghum. However, intra-chromosome inversions and re-arrangements are evident in the wheat and Brachypodium genomic regions, and gene duplications are also present in the orthologous genomic regions of Pm41 in wheat, indicating that the Brachypodium gene model can provide more useful information for wheat marker development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The 773K isothermal section of the phase diagram of the Ho–Co–Fe ternary system was investigated by using X-ray diffraction technique, metallographic analysis and scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive analysis. The isothermal section of the ternary system consists of 6 three-phase regions, 16 two-phase regions and 11 single-phase regions. Three pairs of corresponding compounds of Ho–Co and Ho–Fe systems, i.e., Ho2Co17 and Ho2Fe17, HoCo3 and HoFe3, HoCo2 and HoFe2, form a continuous series of solid solution. At 773K the compound Ho6Fe23−x Co x was found to have a wide homogeneity range from 0 to 29at.% Co. The maximum solid solubilities of Fe in Co, Ho2Co7, Ho12Co7 and Ho3Co were determined to be about 10, 9, 2 and 5at.% Fe, respectively. The maximum solid solubility of Co in Fe is found to be 78at.% Co. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The isothermal section of the phase diagram of the Y–Fe–Cr ternary system at 773K was investigated by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), optical microscopy, differential thermal analysis (DTA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) equipped with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The isothermal section consists of 8 single-phase regions, 14 two-phase regions and 7 three-phase regions. The maximum solid solubilities of Cr in Fe, Y2Fe17, Y6Fe23 and YFe2 are 13, 18, 6 and 6at.% Cr, respectively. The maximum solid solubility of Fe in Cr is about 15at.% Fe. It was found that there is some homogeneity range in the ternary compound of YFe12−x Cr x with x =2.1–3.4 at 773K. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]