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Objective The purpose of this study is to investigate the acute toxicity, progression-free survival and overall survival in patients of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) treated with or without calcium folinate. Methods 1. Total of 422 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma were recruited from July 1, 2002 to December 31, 2014, including chemotherapy regimen of PF and CPF regimen. 2. The imformation of acute toxicities, recurrence and metastasis, and survival time were collected. 3. Data processing and analysis by Graphpad prism 6 software. Results 1. The overall survival of the Group CPF as compared to the Group PF at 3, 5,10 and 12 years were 97.42% vs. 91.24%，94.61% vs. 87.44%，88.74% vs. 81.98% and 88.74% vs. 78.57%, respectively. The OS of Group CPF got higher than that of Group PF (P=0.0269). 2. The overall survival rate of CPF group was significantly higher than that of group PF in clinical stage I-III, the overall survival was 90.83% vs. 82.12%，respectively（P=0.0348）. 3. The local control rate of the Group CPF as compared to the Group PF were 97.06% vs. 73.91% in stage T4 (P=0.0133). 4. No significant difference in other indicators between the two groups in hematological toxicity, except for Grade 3 neutropenia. 5. The incident of side effects of digestive system, such as nausea and vomiting, the Group CPF as compared to the Group PF were 45.06% vs. 67.31% and 33.95% vs. 46.15%，respectively（P=0.0000，P=0.0036）. Conclusions 1. Calcium folinate can significantly prolong the overall survival rate of patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma, especially in Stage I-III（90.83%）. 2. Calcium folinate can significantly improve the local control rate in patients with T4（97.06%）. 3. It shows obvious protective effects on digestive system（33.95%）

The East China Sea (ECS) off the Coast of Zhoushan Archipelago, Zhejiang (ECS-CZA) is home to abundant fishery resources and an important spawning, feeding, and nursing ground for a variety of fish species. Due to long-term overfishing, the ichthyoplankton structure has been dramatically altered. Understanding the species composition and distribution of fish eggs and larvae is one of the most essential tasks to accurately regulate fishery resources and formulate effective management policies; however, little is known about the ichthyoplankton in this region. In this study, an integrated strategy of morphology identification (MI) and mitochondrial COI DNA barcoding were used to identify species of fish eggs and larvae collected from the ECS-CZA. MI revealed 15 fish egg species belonging to 12 families and 12 fish larva species belonging to 12 families; in contrast, DNA barcoding altogether identified 30 species, including 18 fish egg species and 13 fish larva species. One species was shared between the egg and larva samples. Our study offers useful tools and critical scientific information for understanding the recruitment, distribution, and conservation management of various fish species in this marine environment.

BACKGROUND: Evidence of the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) plus antiangiogenic drugs in previously treated patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is still insufficient, so we investigated the safety and efficacy of nivolumab plus recombinant human (rh)-endostatin in such patients. METHODS: Patients without epithelial growth factor receptor (EGFR) or anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) targetable mutations in advanced NSCLC who did not respond to previous treatment were enrolled. Eligible patients received nivolumab (3 mg/kg, i.v. drip, day 1) every 2 weeks and rh-endostatin (210 mg, continuous i.v. infusion for 168 h) every 4 weeks until disease progression or discontinuation. The primary endpoint was the objective response rate (ORR). The secondary endpoints included disease control rate (DCR), duration of response (DOR), clinical benefit response rate (CBR), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS) and safety. RESULTS: A total of 34 patients received a median of 4 cycles of therapy. In all, 14 patients achieved confirmed partial response (PR) with an ORR of 41.2% [14/34; 95% confidence interval (CI): 23.7–58.6%], DCR of 64.7% (22/34; 95% CI: 47.8–81.6%), CBR of 44.1% (95% CI: 26.5–61.7%), and a DOR of 6.9 (95% CI: 4.4–9.4) months. Median follow-up was 12.2 (range, 2.3–18.1) months. Median PFS (mPFS) was 6.8 (95% CI: 1.1–12.1) months, median OS (mOS) was 17.1 (95% CI: 6.6–27.6) months, and 12-month survival rate of 64.4% (95% CI: 46.2–82.6%). In all, 18 (18/34, 52.9%) patients experienced at least one treatment-related adverse event (TRAE), and Grade 3 TRAEs occurred in 4 (4/34, 11.8%) of them. CONCLUSIONS: This study is first to assess nivolumab plus rh-endostatin in previously treated patients with advanced NSCLC. In view of its favorable efficacy and safety profile, this combination represents a promising treatment regimen in this patient population.

In this work, we combined red phosphorus and hierarchically porous carbon networks by the evaporation–condensation method to obtain a red phosphorus/porous carbon composite with outstanding performance for potassium storage.

BACKGROUND: Immunotherapy can activate the recognition of tumor antigen, build immune memory, and more and more clinical trials have taken the scheme of immunochemotherapy or immunoradiotherapy as a treatment strategy for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Our objective was to compare the efficacy and safety between pembrolizumab combined with the chemotherapy group and simple chemotherapy in neoadjuvant therapy of ESCC. METHODS: Fifty-four ESCC patients with stage II–IVa were enrolled at the Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University between January 2018 and December 2020, including 23 in the pembrolizumab combined with chemotherapy group (combined group), and 31 in the simple chemotherapy group. All patients received radical surgical treatment after two cycles of neoadjuvant therapy. RESULTS: The pathological complete response (pCR) and objective response rate (ORR) in the combined group were significantly higher than that of the simple chemotherapy group (30.4% vs. 9.7%, P=0.048; 86.9% vs. 95.7%, P=0.017) as well as the score of tumor regression ≥2 (80.7% vs. 50.0%, P=0.013). And the complete rate of esophagectomy and R0 /R1 resection rate in the two groups were not statistically significant. Otherwise, the incidence of adverse events in the combined group was similar compared with the simple chemotherapy group. CONCLUSIONS: Pembrolizumab combined with chemotherapy showed promising activity with a manageable safety profile. And it could offer a potential new neoadjuvant treatment approach for patients with ESCC.

Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) has emerged as a vital tool to reveal the native structure of beam-sensitive biomolecules and materials. Yet high-resolution cryo-EM analysis is still limited by the poorly controlled specimen preparation and urgently demands a robust supporting film material to prepare desirable samples. Here, we developed a bilayer Janus graphene membrane with the top-layer graphene being functionalized to interact with target molecules on the surface, while the bottom layer being kept intact to reinforce its mechanical steadiness. The ultraclean and atomically thin bilayer Janus membrane prepared by our protocol on one hand generates almost no extra noise and on the other hand reduces the specimen motion during cryo-EM imaging, thus allowing the atomic-resolution characterization of surface functional groups. Using such Janus membranes in cryo-EM specimen preparation, we were able to directly image the lithium dendrite and reconstruct macromolecules at near-atomic resolution. Our results demonstrate the bilayer Janus design as a promising supporting material for high-resolution cryo-EM and EM imaging.

The hawksbill turtle Eretmochelys imbricata (Linnaeus 1766) is distributed in the global tropical areas. Despite being listed as a “critically endangered” species by the IUCN, the illegal trafficking of E. imbricata shell products is reported worldwide as highly profitable. In the study, we used non-invasive sequencing of mitochondrial COI DNA to characterize tortoiseshell products provided by the law enforcement. Genetic analysis of a consensus of 167bp sequences indicated that the 86 samples belonged to three distinct haplotypes in E. imbricata. Two haplotypes joined the reference sequences (refs) originated from the Indo-Pacific stock (PS), i.e. P1 (n=25 plus 8 Refs) and P2 (n =13 plus 3 Refs) and the other one was combined with the refs derived from the Atlantic stock (AS), i.e. A1 (n= 48 plus 20 Refs). An additional haplotype, A2 (n=3) occurred in AS. The K-2-P distance between stocks (3.97%±1.53%) was significantly higher than the distances within stocks (PS, 0.27%±0.28%; AS, 0.05%±0.05%). This non-invasive sampling-based DNA analysis provided a time-efficient and cost-effective way for accurate identification of species and stock origin of tortoiseshells and assistance in combating the illegal trafficking of sea turtle and other wildlife products.

T cell–interacting activating receptor on myeloid cells 1 (TARM-1) is a novel leukocyte receptor expressed in neutrophils and macrophages. It plays an important role in proinflammatory response in acute bacterial infection, but its immunomodulatory effects on chronic Mycobacterium tuberculosis infections remain unclear. TARM-1 expression was significantly upregulated on CD14high monocytes from patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) as compared that on cells from patients with latent TB or from healthy control subjects. Small interfering RNA knockdown of TARM-1 reduced expression levels of proinflammatory cytokines IL-12, IL-18, IL-1β, and IL-8 in M. tuberculosis–infected macrophages, as well as that of HLA-DR and costimulatory molecules CD83, CD86, and CD40. Moreover, TARM-1 enhanced phagocytosis and intracellular killing of M. tuberculosis through upregulating reactive oxygen species. In an in vitro monocyte and T cell coculture system, blockade of TARM-1 activity by TARM-1 blocking peptide suppressed CD4+ T cell activation and proliferation. Finally, administration of TARM-1 blocking peptide in a mouse model of M. tuberculosis infection increased bacterial load and lung pathology, which was associated with decreased macrophage activation and IFN-γ production by T cell. Taken together, these results, to our knowledge, demonstrate a novel immune protective role of TARM-1 in M. tuberculosis infection and provide a potential therapeutic target for TB disease.

Introduction: HER2-mutant NSCLC is associated with poor prognosis. SHR-A1811 is a novel antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) consisting of a humanized HER2-directed monoclonal antibody, cleavable tetrapeptide-based linker, and DNA topoisomerase I inhibitor. Here, we report data from the phase 1 portion of a phase 1/2 study with SHR-A1811 in patients with HER2-mutant NSCLC (NCT04818333). Methods: In this single-arm, dose escalation and expansion phase 1 portion, patients with advanced activating HER2-mutant NSCLC who had failed platinum-based chemotherapy in the advanced or metastatic setting or could not tolerate chemotherapy were enrolled. SHR-A1811 was assessed at doses of 3.2, 4.8, 5.6, 6.4, and 8.0 mg/kg intravenously once every 21-day cycle. Dose escalation and determination of maximum tolerated dose (MTD) was guided by Bayesian logistic regression model with overdose control. Dose selected for expansion was determined based on data from dose-escalation phase. The primary endpoints were safety, MTD and recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D). Results: At data cutoff (Nov 8, 2022), 50 patients were enrolled. All were stage IV with a median of 3 (range 1-8) prior systemic treatments, including HER2-targeted TKI (66%), immune checkpoint inhibitors (68%), and anti-angiogenic drugs (78%). 96% had a HER2 kinase domain mutation. One patient in 8.0 mg/kg dose cohort had dose-limiting toxicities (grade 4 febrile neutropenia and grade 4 thrombocytopenia). The 4.8 mg/kg dose cohort was expanded to 38 patients. The median follow-up duration was 5.6 months (95% CI 4.2-7.0). 62% of patients remained on treatment. Overall, objective response rate was 40.0% (95% CI 26.4-54.8); median duration of response was 8.3 months (95% CI 5.4-13.7); disease control rate was 86.0% (95% CI 73.3-94.2); median progression-free survival was 10.8 months (95% CI 6.7-15.0). All patients had treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs). 42% of patients experienced grade ≥3 TRAEs, with the most common ones being decreased neutrophil count (30%), decreased white blood cell count (20%), anemia (16%), and thrombocytopenia (12%). Nine patients (18%) had serious AEs deemed related to SHR-A1811. Treatment discontinuation due to AEs was reported in two patients. One death was reported to be treatment related (interstitial lung disease). After single dosing, dose exposure (Cmax and AUClast) of SHR-A1811 increased in a dose-proportional manner. PK parameters of SHR-A1811 and total antibody were similar at all dose levels, with low plasma exposure of free topoisomerase I inhibitor observed. Conclusion: SHR-A1811 showed tolerable safety profile and durable antitumor activity in heavily pretreated patients with HER2-mutant NSCLC. Dose expansion at 4.8 mg/kg and 5.6 mg/kg is ongoing to establish the RP2D. Citation Format: Shun Lu, Hong Jian, Wei Hong, Zhengbo Song, Nong Yang, Sheng Hu, Zibin Liang, Yongsheng Wang, Yan Wang, Min Peng, Yan Yu, You Li, Jiapeng Shuang, Kaijing Zhao. Safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and efficacy of SHR-A1811, an antibody-drug conjugate, in patients with advanced HER2-mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC): a multicenter, open-label, phase 1/2 study [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 2 (Clinical Trials and Late-Breaking Research); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(8_Suppl):Abstract nr CT204.

Acute lung injury (ALI), as a common clinical emergency, is pulmonary edema and diffuse lung infiltration caused by inflammation. The lack of non-invasive alert strategy, resulting in failure to carry out preventive treatment, means high mortality and poor prognosis. Stimulator of interferon genes (STING) is a key molecular biomarker of innate immunity in response to inflammation, but there is still a lack of STING-targeted strategy. In this study, the first STING-targeted PET tracer, [18F]FBTA, was labeled with high radiochemical yield and molar activity. We confirmed that [18F]FBTA has a strong STING binding affinity and can be used for PET imaging in ALI mice to alert early lung inflammation and to assess the efficacy of drug therapy. Our STING-targeted strategy also reveals that [18F]FBTA can trace ALI before reaching the computed tomography (CT) diagnostic criteria, and demonstrates its better specificity and distribution than [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose ([18F]FDG).

Early diagnosis of sepsis-associated encephalopathy (SAE) is essential for the treatment and prognosis of septic patients. Static PET and MRI have shown promise for early diagnosis, while pharmacokinetic parameters from dynamic PET may provide better quantification for SAE. This study aims to compare the performance of dynamic 2-deoxy-2-[Dynamic [Both SUV and dephosphorylation rate constant (kThe dynamic PET (k

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), featuring porous crystalline structures with coordinated metal nodes and organic linkers, have recently found increasing interest in diverse applications. By virtue of their versatile and highly tunable compositions and structures, constructing hollow architectures will further endow MOFs with enhanced properties and designability, exceeding the molecular scale. MOFs could be considered as promising building units to fabricate complex hollow nanocomposites with faster mass transport, multiple active components, more exposed active sites, and better compatibility than bulk MOFs. To construct a promising blueprint for hollow pristine MOFs, this review provides a comprehensive overview for structural design strategies and applications of hollow pristine MOFs. We will highlight the merits, challenges and future potential by structuring and applying MOFs in sensing, separation, storage, catalysis, environmental remediation, photochemical and electrochemical energy conversion. This review might pave a new avenue for future development of novel pristine hollow MOFs.

The excessive depletion of fossil fuels and consequent energy crisis combined with environmental issues call for inexhaustible, clean and renewable energy sources and environmentally friendly energy technologies, such as solar energy and novel electrochemical energy conversion and storage devices. Developing supporting platforms for energy conversion and storage ameliorating mass transfer and electron transfer has stepped into the center of the energy research arena. Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are emerging crystalline porous materials linked via covalent bonding possessing flexible molecular design and synthetic strategies, high conjugated and modifiable structures, large surface area and porosity. Due to these merits, COFs have shown promising perspectives in energy applications including photocatalysis, electrocatalysis, supercapacitors, metal-ion/sulfur batteries, etc. This critical review imparts a comprehensive summary of the fast-developing COF field in terms of molecular design and subsequent synthetic strategies to prepare COFs with highly conjugated and modifiable structures and their applications in energy conversion and storage. Furthermore, challenges and perspectives according to previous contributions are also discussed for developing more efficient energy conversion and storage COF materials. It is anticipated that this review could boost further research enthusiasm for COF-based materials in energy applications.

Transition metal nitrides (TMNs) are predicted to be highly promising electrocatalysts for the nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) by theoretical calculations. TMNs follow a special Mars-van Krevelen (MvK) mechanism during the NRR, involving surface lattice nitrogen exchange and regeneration. It is hence essential to identify the source of nitrogen, especially taking the stability of lattice nitrogen into consideration. Herein, we investigated the deactivation process of a benchmark CrN nanoparticle catalyst (CrN NPs) with a phase-pure cubic rocksalt (RS) structure for the electrochemical NRR. The current work identifies two possible deactivation pathways for CrN: (i) potential-induced structural collapse of the catalyst including both lattice N leaching and metal dissolution and (ii) ammonia poisoning due to the accumulation and strong chemical bonding of the produced ammonia on the CrN surface. This work provides new perspectives for understanding the structural evolution of nitrogen-containing electrocatalysts for NRR research.

The suppression of irreversible phase change in battery-type materials during electrochemical process, leading to high-performance asymmetric supercapacitors (ASCs), remains one of the crucial challenges for the new generation of electrochemical energy storage devices. Herein, we propose a pre-activation strategy to address the corresponding problem based on an in-depth study of the failure mechanism of nickel–manganese layered double hydroxide (LDH), which is the inhibition of the exfoliation and deactivation of lattice Mn during the cycling process. The modified NiMn-LDH shows enhanced electrochemistry performance compared to pristine NiMn-LDH, with an increase in specific capacity from 855 to 1082 C g−1 and a doubling of stability after 3000 cycles. Furthermore, the assembled ASC device achieves a high specific energy density of 48.9 W h kg−1 at a power density of 810 W kg−1. The anchored, activated lattice Mn provided by hydrogen peroxide in the pre-activation strategy is proved to play a vital role in achieving high-performance ASCs. This work paves a new avenue to solve the long-standing significant challenge of battery-type materials for asymmetric supercapacitors.

[EN] Supercapacitors (SCs), showing excellent power density, long service life, and high reversibility, have received great attention because of the increasing demand for energy storage devices. To further improve their performance, it is essential to develop advanced electrode materials. One group of materials, porous crystalline solids referred to as metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), have proved to be excellent templates for synthesizing functional materials to be employed in the preparation of electrodes for SCs. In comparison to monometallic MOFs, bimetallic MOFs and their derivatives offer a number of advantages, including tunable electrochemical activity, high charge capacity, and improved electrical conductivity. This review focuses on the use of MOF-derived bimetallic materials in SCs, the origin of the improved performance, and the latest developments in the field. Furthermore, the challenges and perspectives in this research area are discussed., This work was supported by Tarbiat Modares University and College of Engineering, Peking University. Financial support by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (Severo Ochoa and RTI2018-98237-CO2-1) and Generalitat Valenciana (Prometeo 2017-083) is gratefully acknowledged.

Solar-thermal energy storage using latent heat of phase change materials (PCMs) offers renewable penetration in wide range of smart applications. The limiting solar energy harvesting efficiency of existing photo-thermal dopant materials and their negative impact on thermal storage capacity have remained fundamental impediment to further advancement. Herein, we explore a phosphorene based bandgap engineered broadband photonic nanoheater for efficient thermal charging of solid-solid PCMs. In our devised composite system, we benefitted from the synergistic effect of highly efficient photonic energy harvesting characteristic of exfoliated phosphorene nanoflakes (PNF) and latent heat storage capability as well as encapsulating feature of PCM matrix. The solar-thermal energy storage efficiency of our developed materials exceeds 95 % even at lower phosphorene doping level (1 wt. %) and under full solar spectrum with improved latent heat storage capacity (150 J g−1). The achieved efficiency is highest among all photo-thermal storage materials and attributed to the intense and broadband solar absorbance of PNF featured by wide thickness distribution. Further, coating of developed solar heat storage material on fabric substrate has shown promising results toward real world applications.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has rapidly evolved into a global pandemic. The public health systems have consequently been placed under tremendous pressure. Peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) are widely used in patients with cancers. Little is known about the provision of PICCs care amongst cancer patients during this pandemic. METHODS: We studied 156 cancer patients with PICCs treated at the Cancer Center of the Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University between January 2020 and March 2020. Their clinical characteristics, social features, psychological characteristics, and PICCs care situations were analyzed. The chi-squared (χ2) test or Fisher's exact test were used for univariate analyses. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed using stepwise variable selection. Differences were evaluated using a two-tailed test, and P

BACKGROUND Lung cancer is a clinical disease with multiple malignant tumors. Currently, it is difficult for patients to benefit from routine clinical nursing due to the lack of a pertinent and systematic approach. AIM To investigate the effect of integrated nursing care on the negative emotions and satisfaction of lung cancer patients. METHODS From January 2018 to December 2019, 92 patients with lung cancer were selected and divided into the study group and the control group; there were 46 patients in each group. The control group received routine nursing, and the study group received integrated medical care in addition to the care received by the control group. Negative emotions before and after the intervention, the self-management ability score after the intervention, family care burden after the intervention and nursing satisfaction after the intervention were measured in the two groups. RESULTS After the intervention, the self-rating anxiety scale and self-rating depression scale scores in the study group were lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05); the scores for health knowledge, self-concept, self-responsibility and self-care skills in the study group were higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05); the scores for individual burden and responsibility burden in the study group were lower than those before the intervention (P < 0.05); and the nursing satisfaction in the study group (93.48%) was higher than that in the control group (78.26%, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION An integrated nursing care approach for lung cancer patients can effectively relieve the patient’s negative feelings, improve their self-management ability, help to reduce the burden of family care and improve patient satisfaction with nursing activities.

Background The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) poses an unprecedented challenge to health and epidemic prevention system, especially the healthcare of patients with cancer. We sought to study the impact of COVID-19 on lung cancer patients in our center. Methods We initiated a retrospectively study to analyze the impact of COVID-19 on lung cancer patients in our center, who were accepted for routine anticancer treatment before the epidemic and planned to return to hospital in January and February of 2020. Results A total of 161 cases of lung cancer were included in the final analysis. As of April 15, 95 patients had delayed their return visit, and 47 cases were finally designated as having delayed admission during the epidemic and having to discontinue or delay their regular anticancer treatments. Of these 47 delayed patients, 33 were evaluated for tumor status using a computed tomography scan, 6 of these 33 cases (18.18%) were diagnosed as progressive disease (PD), and 5 cases did not return for visit. Conclusions This is the first study investigating impact of COVID-19 on non-COVID-19 lung cancer patients during the pandemic. The study demonstrates the significant impact of the COVID-19 crisis on oncological care, indicating the need for appropriate change of treatment decisions and continued follow-up and psycho-oncological support during this pandemic.

Folate acid receptors (FR) are overexpressed in various tumor types, and this makes them excellent targets for tumor localization. From the literature, folate-modified quantum dots (QDs) have the potential to effectively target and monitor brain tumors in vivo. Here we report the high tumor targeting efficacy of folate acid (FA) labeled near-infrared (NIR) QDs with their maximum emission at 800 nm. After coupling QD800-PEG (CdSeTe/ZnS) with FA, we used the orthotopic transplantation mouse model with folate-rich U87MG to test targeted fluorescence imaging of the tumor after intrathecal delivery. The results show that the tumor uptake of QD800-FA is much higher than that of QD800. The semiquantitative analysis of the region of interest (ROI) showed a higher tumor uptake of 90.9 ± 0.6%ID/g of QD800-FA as compared to 24.8 ± 1.6%ID/g of QD800. At the end point of our study, 6 weeks after injection, we could still observe fluorescence signals from the mouse brain.

Porous carbon materials doped with atomically dispersed metal sites (ADMSs) are promising electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) electrocatalysis. In this work, we fabricated hierarchical porous nitrogen-doped carbon nanofibers with atomically dispersed Fe-N4 sites by carbonization of electrospinning iron-based metal-organic frameworks (MOFs)/polyacrylonitrile nanofibers for ORR electrocatalysis. Remarkably, the resultant carbon nanofibers with atomically dispersed Fe-N4 sites exhibit extraordinary electrochemical performance with an onset potential of 0.994 V and a halfwave potential of 0.876 V in alkaline electrolyte, comparable to the benchmark commercial Pt/C catalyst. The high catalytic performance is originated from the unique hierarchically porous 1D carbon structure and abundant highly active atomically dispersed Fe-N4 sites.

Antiperovskite Co3 InC0.7 N0.3 nanomaterials with highly enhanced oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) performance were prepared by tuning nitrogen contents through a metal-organic framework (MOF)-derived strategy. The nanomaterial surpasses all reported noble-metal-free antiperovskites and even most perovskites in terms of onset potential (0.957 V at J=0.1 mA cm-2 ) and half-wave potential (0.854 V). The OER and zinc-air battery performance demonstrate its multifunctional oxygen catalytic activities. DFT calculation was performed and for the first time, a 4 e- dissociative ORR pathway on (200) facets of antiperovskite was revealed. Free energy studies showed that nitrogen substitution could strengthen the OH desorption as well as hydrogenation that accounts for the enhanced ORR performance. This work expands the scope for material design via tailoring the nitrogen contents for optimal reaction free energy and hence performance of the antiperovskite system.

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have emerged as desirable cross-functional platforms for electrochemical and photochemical energy conversion and storage (ECS) systems owing to their highly ordered ...

Solid-state batteries with metallic anodes have attracted great attention due to their high energy density and safety. As an indispensable part of these batteries, solid-state electrolytes (SSEs) with excellent mechanical strength and non-flammability play a significant role in suppressing the growth of dendrites and eliminating the risk of short circuits, whose development could greatly promote the overall battery performance. Recently, metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), a type of porous crystalline inorganic–organic material, have shown potential for the fabrication of high-performance SSEs, which have become an emerging research direction. Benefiting from the rich porosity, controllable functionality and modularity, MOFs not only offer great opportunities for manipulating the physicochemical and electrochemical properties of SSEs, but also provide ideal platforms for investigating the underlying mechanisms of ion conduction and the structure–property relationships. In this perspective, the development of MOF-based SSEs, which include MOF-incorporated polymer hybrids, ionic liquid-laden MOF hybrids, and neat MOFs as SSEs, is outlined. By discussing the pioneering works, both the opportunities and challenges in each SSE category are presented. Additionally, some design principles for MOFs and MOF-based SSEs, as well as the future directions for further development are provided.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease clinically characterized by impaired memory and progressive cognitive decline. Despite the advances in AD research, an effective method to timely diagnose AD has remained elusive, and until now, most AD patients receive the available symptomatic treatments late. Although the pathological hallmarks of AD have been traditionally described in the brain, recent studies have shown similar pathological changes in the retina which is developmentally an extension of the forebrain. Interestingly, retinal beta-amyloid (Aβ) accumulation preceded that of the brain in a transgenic mouse model of AD. In the quest of finding an early reliable biomarker for AD, researchers have targeted the optical imaging of retinal Aβ plaques as a method of diagnosing AD. One promising polyphenol compound that has found application in this area is curcumin due to its natural binding affinity to Aβ fibrils and oligomers while giving out a strong fluorescence signal. However, the clinical applications of curcumin have been difficult due to problems related to its bioavailability and retention in the body since it is a hydrophobic molecule. To address these limitations, we herein report the development of anionic and water-soluble DSPE-PEG2000 curcumin polymeric micelles (also referred to as curcumin micelles) that can label both brain and retinal Aβ plaques ex vivo. Following their intravitreal injection in the APPswe/PS1ΔE9 transgenic mouse model of AD, green-labeled retinal deposits were optically imaged live using a rodent retinal microscope. Furthermore, these micelles had excellent intraocular biocompatibility, low hemolytic ratio, and were safe for use in two key retinal cell lines (ARPE-19 and 661W cells). Taken together, these findings provide an alternative insight into the optical imaging of Aβ plaques for the diagnosis of AD using the eyes. More importantly, this study can be translated to humans in the future to improve on early diagnosis and timely management of the disease.

Polyurethane (PU) based phase change materials (PCMs) undergo the solid–solid phase transition and offer state-of-the-art thermal energy storage (TES). Nevertheless, the exploration of these PCMs in real-life applicable smart devices is generally hindered by the technical bottleneck of structural rigidity, low thermal storage capacity and lack of functionalities. Herein, for the first time, we systematically tuned the thermal storage capacity and flexibility of PU-based PCMs (PU-PCMs) by controlling the molecular weight of polyethylene glycol and figured out the optimum selection through the tradeoff between flexibility and thermal storage capacity. We further incorporated functionalized carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in flexible PU-PCMs to improve the thermal conductivity and solar-driven thermal conversion and storage capability. The results demonstrate that the thermal conductivity of the PU–CNT composite is improved by 2.3 times with only 5% weight content of CNTs, and the solar-thermal energy storage efficiency reaches 85.89% at 125 mW cm−2 of irradiation power. Benefitting from the unique mechanical and thermal properties, we further explored our developed composite PCM for solar-driven thermal management of human body parts.

The challenges of energy depletion and environmental pollution raise the demands for the development of new energy technologies, such as metal-air batteries (MABs). The performance of a metal-air battery heavily relies on two fundamental electrocatalytic reactions, that is, oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER), which take place at the air cathode during battery discharging and charging, respectively. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and their derivatives stand out as promising candidate catalysts for the once sluggish redox reactions at the cathodes of MABs, due to their unique merits of crystalline porous structures and tunable chemistry. These distinct characteristics of MOFs offer an effective way to introduce bifunctionality (catalytic activity for ORR and OER in the case of MABs) through the design and synthesis of MOF-based catalysts with large surface area, well-developed porous networks, smooth electron and mass transfer pathways and active sites with different catalytic preferences. Herein, this review summarizes recent advances in the design and synthesis of MOF-based catalysts for a range of MABs, including Li-, Zn-, Al-, Fe- and Na-air batteries. By the demonstration of representative examples, this review also discusses the underlying mechanisms for the origin of bifunctional performance and enhanced catalytic activity with MOF-based catalysts. Future challenges and prospects for both MOFs and MABs are also proposed at the end of this review.

Transition-metal-based phosphides (TMPs) have been considered as attractive electrocatalysts for water splitting due to their earth-abundance and remarkable catalytic activity. As a representative type of precursors, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) provide ideal plateaus for the design of nanostructured TMPs. In this work, the hierarchically structured iron phosphide nanobundles (FeP-500) were fabricated by one-step phosphorization of an iron-based MOF (MET(Fe)) precursor. The derived FeP-500 nanobundles were constructed by quasi-paralleled one-dimensional nanorods with uneven surface, which provided channels for electrolyte penetration, mass transport, and effective exposure of active sites during the water-splitting process. With the addition of conductive Super P, the obtained FeP-500-S exhibited a good electrocatalytic performance towards the hydrogen evolution reaction in alkaline electrolyte (1 mol L-1 KOH). Furthermore, to investigate the influence of secondary metal doping, a series of isoreticular MOF precursors and bimetallic TMPs were fabricated. The results indicated that the catalytic performance is structure dominated.

Mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells play a key role in local and systemic immune responses. Studies suggest that type 2 diabetes (T2D) is associated with alterations in the human MAIT cell response. However, the mechanisms that regulate the survival and homeostasis of human MAIT cells are poorly defined. In this study, we demonstrate that the costimulatory TNF superfamily receptor OX40 was highly expressed in MAIT cells of patients with T2D. Compared with OX40-negative MAIT cells, OX40-positive MAIT cells showed a high activation and a memory phenotype. Surprisingly, OX40 expression was negatively correlated with the frequency of MAIT cells in the peripheral blood of T2D patients. Increased cleaved caspase-3 levels were observed in OX40+-expressing MAIT cells in T2D patients. In vitro, activated OX40 signaling by recombinant OX40L protein promoted caspase-3 activation and apoptosis of MAIT cells. Inhibition of caspase-3 restored apoptosis of MAIT cells induced by OX40 signaling. These results identify OX40 as an amplifier of activation-induced cell death of human blood MAIT cells and shed new light on the regulation of MAIT cells in the phase of immune responses in T2D.

The Na-based dual-ion batteries (NDIBs), combining the advantages of Na-ion batteries and dual-ion batteries, are attracting more attention due to their merits of abundant source, low cost and high energy density. However, the main challenges faced by NDIBs are their low capacity and poor cycling. Herein, we report a new ion storage mechanism for high-performance NDIBs using amorphous carbon (AOMC) as cathode. Unlike the graphite carbon that can only accommodate the PF6− anion (typical DIB system), the AOMC herein can both accommodate Na+ cation and PF6− anion due to its amorphous feature, which is conceptually new dual-ion system for achieving much higher capacity. Ex-situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and Raman studies reveal that the disordered carbon in the AOMC can be transformed to the partial graphitic stacking in short range, improving both capacity and cycling stability of NDIBs. As a consequence, the AOMC delivers a highly reversible storage capacity of 136 mAh g−1 for 800 cycles at a very high current density of 2.0 A g−1, much higher than all the reported NDIBs. Such concept can be generalized to develop high-performance dual-ion full cell using sodium ion pre-intercalated materials as anode and AOMC as cathode.