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Hybrid core–shell nanodiamond-gold nanoparticles were synthesized and characterized as a novel multifunctional material with tunable and tailored properties for multifunctional biomedical applications. The combination of nanostructured gold and nanodiamond properties afford new options for optical labeling, imaging, sensing, and drug delivery, as well as targeted treatment. ND@Au core–shell nanoparticles composed of nanodiamond (ND) core doped with Si vacancies (SiV) and Au shell were synthesized and characterized in terms of their biomedical applications. Several bioimaging modalities based on the combination of optical and spectroscopic properties of the hybrid nano-systems are demonstrated in cellular and developing zebrafish larvae models. The ND@Au nanoparticles exhibit isolated ND’s Raman signal of sp 3 bonded carbon, one-photon fluorescence of SiV with strong zero-phonon line at 740 nm, two-photon excited fluorescence of nanogold with short fluorescence lifetime and strong absorption of X-ray irradiation render them possible imaging agent for Raman mapping, Fluorescence imaging, two-photon Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging (TP-FLIM) and high-resolution hard-X-ray microscopy in biosystems. Potential combination of the imaging facilities with other theranostic functionalities is discussed.

Nanodiamonds have attracted remarkable scientific attention for bioimaging and therapeutic applications owing to their low toxicity with many cell lines, convenient surface properties and stable fluorescence without photobleaching. Newer techniques are being applied to enhance fluorescence. Interest is also growing in exploring the possibilities for modifying the nanodiamond surface and functionalities by attaching various biomolecules of interest for interaction with the targets. The potential of Raman spectroscopy and fluorescence properties of nanodiamonds has been explored for bioimaging and drug delivery tracing. The interest in nanodiamonds biological/medical application appears to be continuing with enhanced focus. In this review an attempt is made to capture the scope, spirit and recent developments in the field of nanodiamonds for biomedical applications.

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is considered to be a nontoxic material and is widely used in a number of everyday products, such as sunscreen. TiO2 nanoparticles (NP) are also considered as prospective agents for photodynamic therapy and drug delivery. These applications require an understanding of the potential effects of TiO2 on the blood system and its components upon administration. In the presented work, we analyze the interaction of TiO2 nanoparticles of different crystal phases (anatase and rutile) with individual rat Red Blood Cells (RBC) and the TiO2 influence on the oxygenation state and functionality of RBC, estimated via analysis of Raman spectra of Hemoglobin (Hb) and their distribution along individual RBC. Raman spectral signals also allow localization of the TiO2 NP on the RBC. No penetration of the NP inside RBC was observed; however, both kinds of TiO2 NP adsorbed on the RBC membrane can affect the Hb state. Mechanisms involving the NP–membrane–Hb interaction, resulting in partial deoxygenation of Hb and TiO2 photothermal effect on Hb under Raman laser excitation, are suggested. The possible influence on the safety of TiO2 use in advanced medical application, especially on the safety and efficiency of photothermal therapy, is discussed.

The Advanced Photon Source (APS) has been upgraded with a multi‐bend achromat lattice, achieving significantly reduced electron beam emittance and enhanced X‐ray coherence. Precise characterization of these properties is essential for optimizing beamline performance and enabling new experiments that take full advantage of the upgraded source. We report on measurements of source size and transverse coherence properties using grating interferometry at two beamlines: the APS 3‐ID‐B undulator beamline and the 1‐BM‐B bending magnet beamline. The results confirm the world‐record horizontal emittance of the upgraded APS below 30 pm rad and validate the theoretical design parameters. We further investigate the impact of optical aberrations and mechanical vibrations at the 12‐ID‐C beamline on coherence preservation. These measurements establish a benchmark for future beamline enhancements and demonstrate the effectiveness of grating interferometry for high‐precision beam characterization. Our findings provide critical insights into synchrotron beam dynamics, coherence degradation mechanisms, and strategies for optimizing beamline X‐ray optics at next‐generation light sources. This study presents source emittance and beam coherence measurements at the upgraded Advanced Photon Source using grating interferometry. The results confirm world‐record emittance values, validate design parameters, and offer key insights into coherence preservation and beamline optimization.

Ganoderma lucidum is one of most widely used herbal medicine and functional food in Asia, and ganoderic acids (GAs) are its active ingredients. Regulation of GA biosynthesis and enhancing GA production are critical to using G. lucidum as a medicine. However, regulation of GA biosynthesis by various signaling remains poorly understood. This study investigated the role of apoptosis signaling on GA biosynthesis and presented a novel approach, namely apoptosis induction, to increasing GA production. Aspirin was able to induce cell apoptosis in G. lucidum, which was identified by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated dUPT nick end labeling assay positive staining and a condensed nuclear morphology. The maximum induction of lanosta-7,9(11), 24-trien-3α-01-26-oic acid (ganoderic acid 24, GA24) production and total GA production by aspirin were 2.7-fold and 2.8-fold, respectively, after 1 day. Significantly lower levels of GA 24 and total GAs were obtained after regular fungal culture for 1.5 months. ROS accumulation and phosphorylation of Hog-1 kinase, a putative homolog of MAPK p38 in mammals, occurred after aspirin treatment indicating that both factors may be involved in GA biosynthetic regulation. However, aspirin also reduced expression of the squalene synthase and lanosterol synthase coding genes, suggesting that these genes are not critical for GA induction. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report showing that GA biosynthesis is linked to fungal apoptosis and provides a new approach to enhancing secondary metabolite production in fungi.

Background Hospital-at-home (HaH) programs provide acute medical care in home settings as an alternative to traditional inpatient hospitalization. In July 2024, the National Health Insurance Administration of Taiwan launched an HaH pilot program. This program focuses on older adults with frailty and operates through 2 referral models: emergency passed admission (EPA) and direct home admission (DHA). Methods This retrospective observational study was conducted in the Xinwu-Tai region of New Taipei City, Taiwan, from September 2024 to June 2025. Patient screening records were reviewed to determine the reasons for enrollment failure and identify the outcomes of those admitted. Key variables included diagnosis, referral model, functional status, clinical stability, treatment duration, and readmission. Results Of 1462 emergency department (ED) person-days screened, only 180 (12.3%) were eligible for the HaH program, with 6 (0.4%) enrolled through the EPA model. Among 1282 ineligible ED person-days, 50.6% were excluded for insufficient functional impairment (Barthel’s index > 60) and 49.4% were excluded for unstable clinical conditions. Another 5 ventilator-dependent patients were enrolled through the DHA model, yielding a 71.4% admission rate and a total of 11 HaH cases. A total of 10 patients completed home treatment without complications; only one required ED revisitation within 14 days. Conclusions Enrollment in the HaH program in Taiwan is limited by strict eligibility criteria, particularly through the EPA model. However, the favorable outcomes observed among the admitted patients support the model’s safety, feasibility, and cost-effectiveness. Expanding referral models and refining inclusion criteria may boost participation and enhance the program’s impact.

The quantitative evaluation of the three-dimensional (3D) morphology of porous composite materials is important for understanding mass transport phenomena, which further impact their functionalities and durability. Reactive porous paint materials are composites in nature and widely used in arts and technological applications. In artistic oil paintings, ambient moisture and water and organic solvents used in conservation treatments are known to trigger multiple physical and chemical degradation processes; however, there is no complete physical model that can quantitatively describe their transport in the paint films. In the present study, model oil paints with lead white (2PbCO 3 ·Pb(OH) 2 ) and zinc white (ZnO) pigments, which are frequently found in artistic oil paintings and are associated with the widespread heavy metal soap deterioration, were studied using synchrotron X-ray nano-tomography and unilateral nuclear magnetic resonance. This study aims to establish a relationship among the paints’ compositions, the 3D morphological properties and degradation. This connection is crucial for establishing reliable models that can predict transport properties of solvents used in conservation treatments and of species involved in deterioration reactions, such as soap formation.

Introduction: Long-term heart failure and mortality after catheter ablation for premature ventricular contraction (PVC) remain underexplored. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 4195 adults who underwent PVC ablation in a nationwide claims database. To address class imbalance, we used synthetic minority over-sampling technique (SMOTE) and random over-sampling examples (ROSE). Five supervised algorithms were compared: logistic regression, decision tree, random forest, XGBoost, and LightGBM. Discrimination was assessed by stratified five-fold cross-validation using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC AUC). Because rare events can bias ROC, we also examined precision–recall (PR) curves. Results: For predicting three-year heart failure, LightGBM with ROSE achieved the highest ROC AUC at 0.822. For three-year mortality, logistic regression with ROSE and LightGBM with ROSE showed balanced performance with ROC AUCs of 0.886 and 0.882. Pairwise DeLong tests indicated that these leading models formed a high-performing cluster without significant differences in ROC AUC. Age, prior heart failure, malignancy, and end-stage renal disease were the most influential predictors by model explainability analysis. Discussion: Addressing class imbalance and benchmarking modern learners against a transparent logistic baseline yielded robust, clinically interpretable risk stratification after PVC ablation. These models are suitable for integration into electronic health record dashboards, with external validation and local threshold optimization as next steps.

The nearly lattice-matched InxGa1−xN/InyAl1−yN epi-layers were grown on a GaN template by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy with a metal modulation technique. The band-gap energy of InxGa1−xN QW in photoluminescence measurement was estimated to be 2.89 eV and the indium concentration (x) was 14.8%. In X-ray photoelectric spectroscopy, we obtained an indium concentration (y) in the InyAl1−yN barrier of 25.9% and the band-offset was estimated to be 4.31 eV. From the atomic layer measurements from high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, the lattice misfit between the InxGa1−xN QW and InyAl1−yN barrier was 0.71%. The lattice-matched InxGa1−xN/InyAl1−yN QWs can therefore be evaluated from the band profiles of III-nitrides for engineering of full-visible-light emitting diode in optoelectronic application.

Mg-doped GaN was grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy (PAMBE) on a Fe-doped GaN template substrate by employing a shutter-controlled process. The transition from n-type to p-type conductivity of Mg-doped GaN in relation to the N/Ga flux ratio was studied. The highest p-type carrier concentration in this series was 3.12 × 1018 cm−3 under the most N-rich condition. By modulating the shutters of different effusion cells for the shutter-controlled process, a wide growth window for p-type GaN was obtained. It was found that the presence of Mg flux effectively prevents the formation of structural defects in GaN epi-layers, resulting in the improvement of crystal quality and carrier mobility.