Explore the vast range of titles available.

Covalent organic frameworks show great potential in gas adsorption/separation, biomedicine, device, sensing, and printing arenas. However, covalent organic frameworks are generally not dispersible in common solvents resulting in the poor processability, which severely obstruct their application in practice. In this study, we develop a convenient top-down process for fabricating solution-processable covalent organic frameworks by introducing intermolecular hydrogen bonding and π-π interactions from ionic liquids. The bulk powders of imine-linked, azine-linked, and β -ketoenamine linked covalent organic frameworks can be dispersed homogeneously in optimal ionic liquid 1-methyl-3-octylimidazolium bromide after heat treatment. The resulting high-concentration colloids are utilized to create the covalent organic framework inks that can be directly printed onto the surface. Molecular dynamics simulations and the quantum mechanical calculations suggest that C‒H···π and π-π interaction between ionic liquid cations and covalent organic frameworks may promote the formation of colloidal solution. These findings offer a roadmap for preparing solution-processable covalent organic frameworks, enabling their practical applications. Covalent organic frameworks are generally not dispersible in common solvents resulting in the poor processability which limits their practical application. Here, the authors develop a top-down process to produce solution-processable covalent organic frameworks based on the assistance of ionic liquids by means of intermolecular hydrogen bonding and π-π interactions.

It is very desirable to develop advanced sustainable biomedical materials with superior biosafety and bioactivity for clinical applications. Herein, biomass‐derived multilayer‐structured absorbable microparticles (MQxTy) composed of starches and plant polyphenols are readily constructed for the safe and effective treatment of bone defects with intractable bleeding by coating multiple layers of quaternized starch (Q+) and tannic acid onto microporous starch microparticles via facile layer‐by‐layer assembly. MQxTy microparticles exhibit efficient degradability, low cytotoxicity, and good blood compatibility. Among various MQxTy microparticles with distinct Q+/T− double layers, MQ2T2 with outmost polyphenol layer possess the unique properties of platelet adhesion/activation and red blood cell aggregation, resulting in the best hemostatic performance. In a mouse cancellous‐bone‐defect model, MQ2T2 exhibits the favorable hemostatic effect, low inflammation/immune responses, high biodegradability, and promoted bone repair. A proof‐of‐concept study of beagles further confirms the good performance of MQ2T2 in controlling intractable bleeding of bone defects. The present work demonstrates that such biomass‐based multilayer‐structured microparticles are very promising biomedical materials for clinical use. Biomass‐derived multilayer‐structured hemostatic microparticles (MQ2T2) composed of starches and plant polyphenols are constructed to integrate the advantages of cationized amylopectin (with high viscosity), polyphenol (with unique properties in accelerating hemostasis), and multilayer structures (with favorable biodegradability), which can achieve effective (accelerated hemostasis and promoted bone repair) treatments of bone defects with intractable bleeding in mouse and beagle models.

Background Bright light therapy (BLT) has been proved to have beneficial effects on Parkinson’s disease (PD), the mechanisms remained unclear. Improvements of visual pathways might be key to BLT. Objective The aim of this study is to validate whether BLT improves clinical symptoms in PD and explore the possible mechanisms of visual pathways evaluated by optical coherence tomography (OCT), pattern electroretinogram (PERG) and visual evoked potentials (VEP). Methods Twenty-three PD patients were enrolled in this crossover randomized placebo-controlled study. Participants received either one month of BLT or dim light therapy (DLT), separated by one-month wash-out period, followed by another intervention. Participants underwent clinical scales, and visual-related evaluations including OCT, PERG and VEP before and after each intervention. Mixed-effects regression models were used to determine the effect between BLT and DLT on improving the differentials of clinical scales (Δscales), OCT (Δretinal thickness), PERG (ΔPERG values) and VEP (ΔP100 latencies). Correlations between clinical symptoms and visual evaluations improvements were analyzed in PD patients receiving BLT. Results Excessive daytime sleepiness, anxiety, life quality and autonomic function were improved after BLT. Compared with DLT, bilateral ΔN95 latencies for PERG and ΔP100 latencies for VEP were improved after BLT. We did not observe the changes of four quadrants retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness after BLT or DLT. Conclusions BLT is a valuable and safe non-pharmacological intervention for improving visual function in PD patients. Significance These findings extend neural mechanisms of BLT to visual pathways improvements.

In recent decades, illegal wildlife trade has become a global problem that threatens the conservation of many species. To promote sustainable animal trade, conservation plans must be developed and implemented locally. However, illegal trade in protected aquatic wildlife still occurs in many places. To understand the current situation of illegal sales, we conducted a sampling survey on eight sites in Xiamen for 5 consecutive years. The results show that illegal sales behavior is widespread, but there are changes. Notably, the proportion of stores with illegal sales fell from 17.7% in 2018 to 10.8% in 2022. We observed 24 species, 12 of which are listed in CITES. Among them, 15 species were recorded in annual surveys, accounting for 62.5% of the total species surveyed. Among the 24 species investigated, there were 8 living species. From 2018 to 2022, the number of food stalls selling protected species dropped the most, from 22.7% to 0%. Followed by dry goods stores, the number of stores selling protected species dropped from 24% to 8.3%. However, the number of craft shops selling protected species increased by 14.8%. It put forward protection suggestions such as focusing on cracking down on illegal sales and strengthening consumer publicity and education.

Background Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) is the second most common form of non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC), with a steadily increasing global incidence, especially in populations with prolonged ultraviolet (UV) exposure. Advanced or metastatic cSCC carries a poor prognosis, while the application of targeted therapies and immunotherapies remains in the exploratory stage, due to limited understanding of the underlying mechanisms of cSCC occurrence and progression. Epigenetic dysregulation plays important roles in the progression of cSCC. However, how multi-dimensional regulatory networks reshape the epigenetic landscape and contribute to dysregulated gene expression in cSCC remains unclear. Methods In this study, we performed parallel RNA m 6 A sequencing, 850K DNA methylation arrays, whole transcriptome sequencing, and ATAC-seq chromatin accessibility profiling on samples from normal skin, actinic keratosis (AK), and cSCC. We analyzed the regulatory networks and pathways of epigenetic modifications on gene expression. We further explored the crosstalk of epigenetic regulatory networks by correlation analysis. By integrating single-cell RNA-seq data, we identified epigenetically upregulated candidate genes and confirmed their expression and functions with experimental methods. Results Our integrated multi-omics analysis provides a comprehensive and dynamic epigenetic map of cSCC progression. Further analysis revealed that DNA methylation and m 6 A modification jointly regulate gene expression through independent and synergistic ways. The identified epigenetically upregulated candidate genes IDO1, IFI6 , and OAS2 were validated to be overexpressed in cSCC tissues and cell lines, and functional assays confirmed their potential key roles in regulating the processes of cell proliferation, migration and invasion in cSCC. Conclusions By integrating multi-omics data, this study systematically highlights the multi-layered epigenetic alterations and regulatory mechanisms involved in cSCC development. This multi-stage, multi-omics, and multi-resolution integrated analysis provides a theoretical basis and new insights for future personalized treatment strategies for cSCC.

In recent years, smart fisheries, as an emerging model for fishery development, have become a research hotspot in the fishery and aquaculture industries of many countries. Smart fisheries can be thought of as a system that combines techniques for raising, catching, or selling aquatic products to improve production and sustainable development. Smart fisheries are crucial to improving fishery and aquaculture management. In this study, a comprehensive analysis was conducted using bibliometric analysis, the results of which are presented through visual mapping and data charts. This study collected data from the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) database and compared it with the WoS database. A total of 949 articles were retrieved on topics related to smart fisheries, including 579 articles from WoS and 370 articles from CNKI. The results present the visualization and analysis of annual publications, author collaboration maps, research collaboration institutions, keywords, etc. The development of smart fisheries in China is obviously different from that in foreign countries. China attaches great importance to technology and production, while foreign countries focus on environmental issues. Therefore, this study helps us to understand the current research status, research hotspots, and future development directions of smart fisheries, providing certain references for future management.

The rapid reduction in coral reefs worldwide has led to increasing attention toward protecting and restoring coral reef ecosystems. Coral reefs not only have a rich diversity of coral species, but they can also provide important products and services for human beings. One type of coral, Echinogorgia, has important scientific research value and application prospects. To understand the diversity of coral species, diving surveys were conducted in Xiamen Bay in 2017 and 2021, and a total of 928 samples were collected. Taxonomic research was conducted using methods such as morphological identification through electron microscopy. Specific phylogenetic trees of the COI gene, mtMuts gene, and ITS1 gene were analyzed. There were 47 specimens of Echinogorgia coral included among 928 samples. Fifteen species of Echinogorgia were identified, including Echinogorgia ramosa, Echinogorgia flexilis, Echinogorgia russelli, Echinogorgia ramulosa, and Echinogorgia gracilima (which represent the newly recorded species in the waters of China). This study increases the species diversity records in China and contributes to new geographical distribution information of Echinogorgia worldwide. The primary data also serve as the baseline data for long-term biomonitoring programs to estimate the status of octocorals in Xiamen Bay.

The study of gene diversity in interspecies contributes to our understanding of the environmental adaptation, evolutionary history, origin, and stability of biodiversity. Crabs are the main component of the macrobenthos community; therefore, how crabs adapt to different environments can be a guide to understand how to maintain community diversity. Previous studies on environmental adaptation have focused on differences in morphology, organ structure, and function, but there is a lack of research that explores this topic from the perspective of gene diversity in benthonic crabs. In this study, the leucosiid crab was selected for transcriptome assembly and was analyzed as this superfamily is one of the main clades in brachyuran crabs. Their transcriptome data were used to understand the gene diversity, phylogeny, and divergence time estimations. Subsequently, candidate gene families for depth adaptation were found in eight species that live in habitats with different depths. The results indicated that the number of total unigene sequences was between 65,617 (Philyra malefactrix) and 98,279 (Arcania heptacantha) in eight species. The total length of the genes was counted to be between 48,006,211 and 95,471,088 bp. The age of the superfamily Leucosioidea is over 150 Ma, dating back to at least the Jurassic geological period. The divergence of the family Leucosiidae would have occurred in the middle Cretaceous (around 100 Ma). After dividing into groups of three depth types, which carried the gene families, it was found that the three groups shared the solute carrier family, whereas bile acid secretion, organic solute transporter subunit alpha-like, and solute carrier organic anion transporter families only existed in the shallow group. This result shown that the gene function of ion concentration regulation might one of the candidate gene families related to the environmental adaptation of the leucosiid crab. Hence, these gene families will be analyzed in future studies to understand the mechanism of depth adaptation regulation in crabs.

Coral reefs provide a habitat for many marine organisms and support the safety, coastal protection, well-being, and food and economic security of hundreds of millions of people. The focus on coral species diversity cannot be overemphasized. One of them, Astrogorgia, contains many marine natural active substances, and has important scientific research value and application prospects. Most of the current research on the active substances of the genus Astrogorgia is based on unidentified species, and in-depth taxonomic studies are urgently needed. A total of 1185 samples were collected from 2014 to 2021 in the waters of Xiamen Bay. Herein, the morphological identification, electronic microscopy, and gene fragment sequencing methods were used for the taxonomic study. There are three species of Astrogorgia identified, including Astrogorgia lafoa, A. arborea, and A. dumbea. Among them, A. lafoa and A. arborea are newly recorded species in the waters of China. A. lafoa is distributed in Qingyu Island, A. arborea is distributed in Wuyu Island, and A. dumbea is widely distributed in Baiha Reef, Qingyu Island, Wuyu Island, and Xiaobai Island. In this paper, the geographical distribution and the habits of 18 species of Astrogorgia are summarized, and the evolution of family and genus classification of Astrogorgia is discussed. The results enrich the geographical distribution information and coral species diversity records of Astrogorgia in China.

Epilepsy is one common brain disorder, which is not well controlled by current pharmacotherapy. In this study we characterized the therapeutic potential of borneol, a plant-derived bicyclic monoterpene compound, in the treatment of epilepsy and elucidated the underlying mechanisms. The anti-seizure potency and properties of borneol were assessed in both acute and chronic mouse epilepsy models. Administration of (+)-borneol (10, 30, 100 mg/kg, i.p.) dose-dependently attenuated acute epileptic seizure in maximal-electroshock seizure (MES) and pentylenetetrazol (PTZ)-induced seizure models without obvious side-effect on motor function. Meanwhile, (+)-borneol administration retarded kindling-induced epileptogenesis and relieved fully kindled seizures. Importantly, (+)-borneol administration also showed therapeutic potential in kainic acid-induced chronic spontaneous seizure model, which was considered as a drug-resistant model. We compared the anti-seizure efficacy of 3 borneol enantiomers in the acute seizure models, and found (+)-borneol being the most satisfying one with long-term anti-seizure effect. In electrophysiological study conducted in mouse brain slices containing the subiculum region, we revealed that borneol enantiomers displayed different anti-seizure mechanisms, (+)-borneol (10 μM) markedly suppressed the high frequency burst firing of subicular neurons and decreased glutamatergic synaptic transmission. In vivo calcium fiber photometry analysis further verified that administration of (+)-borneol (100 mg/kg) inhibited the enhanced glutamatergic synaptic transmission in epilepsy mice. We conclude that (+)-borneol displays broad-spectrum anti-seizure potential in different experimental models via decreasing the glutamatergic synaptic transmission without obvious side-effect, suggesting (+)-borneol as a promising anti-seizure compound for pharmacotherapy in epilepsy.