Exploring Mechanisms behind Migration's Impact on Protein Intake of Left-Behind Household Members: A Panel Analysis from China.

Malnutrition remains a critical global health challenge, especially in rural areas, where it significantly impacts the health and economic stability of households. This study explores (1) the relationship between labor migration and dietary protein intake in households remaining in economically disadvantaged rural regions and (2) the influence of remittance income, farm earnings, self-produced food, and changes in family size due to migration on their dietary protein. Panel data were collected through a three-wave household survey of 1368 rural households across six counties in the provinces of Guizhou, Yunnan, and Shaanxi during 2012, 2015, and 2018. Employing a two-way fixed effects model, we found that labor migration positively affects the protein consumption of families left behind. The mediated effects model indicated that decreases in family size had the most significant impact on protein intake, with a value of 8.714, accounting for 0.729 of the total effect; followed by the mediating effect through crop income, at 2.579, representing 0.216 of the total effect; and livestock income, at 0.772, contributing 0.073 of the total effect. However, the mediating effects of remittance income and self-production were found to be insignificant. In conclusion, our study found that migration improves protein intake primarily through increased crop and livestock production and decreased family size. These results highlight the critical role of family structure and farm productivity in enhancing the nutrition of families affected by labor migration, offering valuable insights for policymakers.

MOF-Derived Nanoparticles with Enhanced Acoustical Performance for Efficient Mechano-Sonodynamic Therapy.

Ultrasound (US) generates toxic reactive oxygen species (ROS) by acting on sonosensitizers for cancer treatment, and the mechanical damage induced by cavitation effects under US is equally significant. Therefore, designing a novel sonosensitizer that simultaneously possesses efficient ROS generation and enhanced mechanical effects is promising. In this study, carbon-doped zinc oxide nanoparticles (C-ZnO) are constructed for mechano-sonodynamic cancer therapy. The presence of carbon (C) doping optimizes the electronic structure, thereby enhancing the ROS generation triggered by US, efficiently inducing tumor cell death. On the other hand, the high specific surface area and porous structure brought about by C doping enable C-ZnO to enhance the mechanical stress induced by cavitation bubbles under US irradiation, causing severe mechanical damage to tumor cells. Under the dual effects of sonodynamic therapy (SDT) and mechanical therapy mediated by C-ZnO, excellent anti-tumor efficacy is demonstrated both in vitro and in vivo, along with a high level of biological safety. This is the first instance of utilizing an inorganic nanomaterial to achieve simultaneous enhancement of ROS production and US-induced mechanical effects for cancer therapy. This holds significant importance for the future development of novel sonosensitizers and advancing the applications of US in cancer treatment.

Hydroxyl-Driven Enhanced Birefringence in Borophosphates.

Borophosphates have become promising candidates for ultraviolet or deep-ultraviolet functional crystals. Through high-temperature solution method, four new borophosphates, K2B2P2O9, (NH4)2BP2O7(OH), K2BP2O7(OH), and P21/c-(NH4)2B2P3O11(OH), were acquired successfully. Single crystal X-ray diffraction suggests that K2B2P2O9, (NH4)2BP2O7(OH), and K2BP2O7(OH) belong to the noncentrosymmetric space group, while P21/c-(NH4)2B2P3O11(OH) belongs to the centrosymmetric compound. It is worth mentioning that K2B2P2O9, (NH4)2BP2O7(OH), and K2BP2O7(OH) present the new fundamental building blocks [B2P2O11], [BP2O10H], and [BP2O9(OH)], respectively, as far as we know. Compared with K2B2P2O9, (NH4)2BP2O7(OH), K2BP2O7(OH), and P21/c-(NH4)2B2P3O11(OH) exhibit a larger optical anisotropy, further confirming the positive effect of hydroxyl groups on birefringence. UV-vis-NIR diffuse reflectance spectra display that K2B2P2O9 and (NH4)2BP2O7(OH) have short UV cutoff edges. Meanwhile, theoretical calculations were conducted to comprehend their optical properties and electronic structures.

Ultrasound-Sensitive Intelligent Nanosystems: A Promising Strategy for the Treatment of Neurological Diseases.

Neurological diseases are a major global health challenge, affecting hundreds of millions of people worldwide. Ultrasound therapy plays an irreplaceable role in the treatment of neurological diseases due to its noninvasive, highly focused, and strong tissue penetration capabilities. However, the complexity of brain and nervous system and the safety risks associated with prolonged exposure to ultrasound therapy severely limit the applicability of ultrasound therapy. Ultrasound-sensitive intelligent nanosystems (USINs) are a novel therapeutic strategy for neurological diseases that bring greater spatiotemporal controllability and improve safety to overcome these challenges. This review provides a detailed overview of therapeutic strategies and clinical advances of ultrasound in neurological diseases, focusing on the potential of USINs-based ultrasound in the treatment of neurological diseases. Based on the physical and chemical effects induced by ultrasound, rational design of USINs is a prerequisite for improving the efficacy of ultrasound therapy. Recent developments of ultrasound-sensitive nanocarriers and nanoagents are systemically reviewed. Finally, the challenges and developing prospects of USINs are discussed in depth, with a view to providing useful insights and guidance for efficient ultrasound treatment of neurological diseases.

Vacancy Augmented Piezo-Sonosensitizer for Cancer Therapy.

Sonodynamic therapy (SDT) has been widely reported as a noninvasive and high-penetration therapy for cancer; however, the design of an efficient sonosensitizer remains an urgent need. To address this issue, molybdenum disulfide nanoflowers (MoS2 NF) as piezo-sonosensitizers and introduced sulfur vacancies on the MoS2 NF (Sv-MoS2 NF) to improve their piezoelectric property for cancer therapy are designed. Under ultrasonic mechanical stress, the Sv-MoS2 NF resulted in piezoelectric polarization and band tilting, which enhanced the charge carrier separation and migration. This resulted in an improved catalytic reaction for reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, ultimately enhancing the SDT performance. Thanks to the high efficiency of ROS generation, the Sv-MoS2 NF have demonstrated a good anticancer effect in vitro and in vivo. Following a systematic evaluation, Sv-MoS2 NF also demonstrated good biocompatibility. This novel piezo-sonosensitizer and vacancy engineering strategy provides a promising new approach for achieving efficient SDT.

Molecular Imaging-Guided Sonodynamic Therapy.

Low-intensity ultrasound-triggered sonodynamic therapy (SDT) is a promising noninvasive therapeutic modality due to its strong tissue penetration ability. In recent years, with the development of nanotechnology, nanoparticle-based sonosensitizer-mediated SDT has been widely investigated. With the increasing demand for precise and personalized treatment, abundant novel sonosensitizers with imaging capabilities have been developed for determining the optimal therapeutic window, thus significantly enhancing treatment efficacy. In this review, we focus on the molecular imaging-guided SDT. The prevalent mechanisms of SDT are discussed, including ultrasonic cavitation, sonoluminescence, reactive oxygen species, and mechanical damage. In addition, we introduce the major molecular imaging techniques and the design principles based on nanoparticles to achieve efficient imaging. Furthermore, the imaging-guided SDT for the treatment of cancer, bacterial infections, and vascular diseases is summarized. The ultimate goal is to design more effective imaging-guided SDT modalities and provide novel ideas for clinical translation of SDT.

A shape memory alloy actuated release device using non-self-locking thread.

This paper proposes a novel non-explosive and resettable release device driven by shape memory alloy (SMA), which can replace the commonly used pyrotechnic device. In the scheme, a flywheel nut with bidirectional thread is connected with two screws through the non-self-locking thread, and the target adapters are fixed with the two screws and then locked into a hole by the flywheel nut. When unlocking, the offset SMA actuator releases the flywheel nut by triggering the pulley assembly and multi-level levers. Under the pulling force of the pre-tightening load of the screws, the flywheel nut rotates at high speed to unlock the screws, thus releasing the target adapters. After separation, the device can be quickly reset with the reset tool without replacing any parts. The prototype of the release device is fabricated and tested; according to the performance test results, the device can bear the maximum bi-directional preload of 10 kN and the average unlocking force is 9.73 N. The unlocking time decreases with the increase in driving voltage, and the average unlocking response time is 342 ms under 9 V voltage. Furthermore, the actuator can function well with a lifetime of more than 50 cycles. It is concluded that this scheme has potential advantages to replace the traditional non-reusable explosive driving device.

Bioactive Metal-Organic Frameworks with Specific Metal-Nitrogen (M-N) Active Sites for Efficient Sonodynamic Tumor Therapy.

Sonodynamic therapy (SDT) offers an efficient noninvasive strategy for cancer treatment. However, the efficiency of SDT is limited by the structural and physicochemical properties of ultrasound (US)-sensitive agents. Here, we discover the combination of bioactivity and sonodynamic properties of zeolite imidazolium framework-8 nanocrystals (ZIF-8 NCs) for efficient tumor therapy. ZIF-8 NCs are susceptible to biodegradation to release zinc ions (Zn2+) triggered by the weakly acidic tumor microenvironment, demonstrating the bioactivity to induce apoptosis in cancer cells. Density functional theory calculations combined with experiments revealed that the unsaturated zinc-nitrogen (Zn-N) active sites on the surface of ZIF-8 NCs allow an enhanced electron transfer via ligand to metal charge transfer bands from the highest occupied molecular orbitals to the lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals. This process is critical for the generation of reactive oxygen species by metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) under US irradiation. In vivo experiments show that ZIF-8 NCs exhibit high tumor inhibition efficiency (84.6%) as both a bioactive anticancer agent and a sonosensitizer. We believe that this study can expand the application of MOFs and contribute to a better understanding of the mechanism of action of sonosensitizers.

Surface Wettability of Nanoparticle Modulated Sonothrombolysis.

Sonodynamic therapy (SDT) is a non-invasive and highly penetrating treatment strategy under ultrasound irradiation. However, uncertainty in the mechanism of SDT has seriously hindered its future clinical application. Here, the mechanism of SDT enhanced by the wettability of nanoparticles is investigated. Nanoparticles can adsorb and stabilize nanobubbles in liquid, thus enhancing SDT efficiency. The stability of the nanobubbles is positively correlated with the desorption energy of the nanoparticles, which is determined by the wettability of the nanoparticles. This conclusion is verified for mesoporous silica and polystyrene nanoparticles and it is found that nanoparticles with a water contact angle of about 90° possess the largest desorption energy. To further apply this conclusion, thrombus models are constructed on rats and the experimental results demonstrate that nanoparticles with the largest desorption energy have the highest thrombolytic efficiency. It is believed that these findings will help to better understand the SDT mechanism and guide new strategies for rational design of nanoparticles adopted in SDT.

Solvent-Dependent Adsorption-Driven Mechanism for MOFs-Based Yolk-Shell Nanostructures.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs)-based yolk-shell nanostructures have drawn enormous attention recently due to their multifunctionality. However, the regulations of the size and morphology of yolk-shell nanostructures are still limited by the unclear formation mechanism. Herein, we first demonstrated a solvent-dependent adsorption-driven mechanism for synthesizing yolk-shelled MOFs-based nanostructures coated with mesoporous SiO2 shells (ZIF-8@mSiO2 ) with tunable size and morphology. The selective and competitive adsorption of methanol (CH3 OH) and water (H2 O) on ZIF-8 core were found to have decisive effects on inducing the morphology evolution of yolk-shell nanostructures. The obtained yolk-shelled ZIF-8@mSiO2 nanostructures show great promise in generating acoustic cavitation effect for sonodynamic cancer therapy in vitro. We believe that this work will not only help us to design novel MOFs-based yolk-shell nanostructures, but also promote the widespread application of MOFs materials.

Manganese carbonate nanoparticles-mediated mitochondrial dysfunction for enhanced sonodynamic therapy.

Sonodynamic therapy (SDT) has attracted widespread attention due to its non-invasiveness and deep tissue penetration. However, the development of efficient sonodynamic nanoplatforms to improve the therapeutic efficiency is still one of the main challenges of current research. In this work, a new type of sonosensitizer prepared by a simple method, manganese carbonate nanoparticles (MnCO3 NPs), is used for enhanced SDT. MnCO3 NPs could generate large amounts of 1O2 and •OH under ultrasound irradiation. At the same time, CO2 and Mn ions could be released in a weak acid environment due to the excellent degradability of MnCO3 NPs. The CO2 bubbles caused cell necrosis by ultrasonic cavitation and used for ultrasound imaging. And Mn ions activated the mitochondrial cell apoptosis pathway. In vivo experiments proved that this sonosensitizer with mitochondrial regulatory capacity showed high tumor inhibition rates for enhanced sonodynamic tumor therapy.

MOF-Derived Double-Layer Hollow Nanoparticles with Oxygen Generation Ability for Multimodal Imaging-Guided Sonodynamic Therapy.

The high reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation ability and simple construction of sonosensitizer systems remain challenging in sonodynamic therapy against the hypoxic tumor. In this work, we rationally prepared MOF-derived double-layer hollow manganese silicate nanoparticle (DHMS) with highly effective ROS yield under ultrasound irradiation for multimodal imaging-guided sonodynamic therapy (SDT). The presence of Mn in DHMS increased ROS generation efficiency because it could be oxidized by holes to improve the electron-hole separation. Moreover, DHMS could produce oxygen in the tumor microenvironment, which helps overcome the hypoxia of the solid tumor and thus enhance the treatment efficiency. In vivo experiments demonstrated efficient tumor inhibition in DHMS-mediated SDT guided by ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging. This work presents a MOF-derived nanoparticle with sonosensitive and oxygen generating ability, which provides a promising strategy for tumor hypoxia in SDT.

Biodegradable Nanocomposite with Dual Cell-Tissue Penetration for Deep Tumor Chemo-Phototherapy.

Chemo-phototherapy, as a promising cancer combination therapy strategy, has attracted widespread attention. However, the complex tumor microenvironment restricts the penetration depth of chemo-phototherapy agents in the tumor region. Here, biodegradable amphiphilic gelatin (AG) wrapped nanocomposite (PRDCuS@AG) composed of doxorubicin and copper sulfide (CuS)-loaded dendrimer is designed for deep tumor chemo-phototherapy. PR in PRDCuS@AG represents arginine-conjugated polyamidoamine dendrimer. PRDCuS@AG can rapidly biodegrade into PRDCuS by matrix metalloproteinases under near-infrared light irradiation. The resulted PRDCuS harbors dual cell-tissue penetration ability, which can effectively penetrate deep into the tumor tissue. In particular, PRDCuS@AG achieves photoacoustic imaging-guided synergistic chemo-phototherapy with 97% of tumor inhibition rate. Moreover, PRDCuS@AG can further degrade into 3 nm ultrasmall CuS, which can be eliminated from the body after treatment to avoid side effects. This strategy provides an insight that the development of chemo-phototherapy agents with high penetration ability to overcome the limitation of current deep tumor therapy.

Two-Dimensional Nanomaterials for Photothermal Therapy.

Two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials are currently explored as novel photothermal agents because of their ultrathin structure, high specific surface area, and unique optoelectronic properties. In addition to single photothermal therapy (PTT), 2D nanomaterials have demonstrated significant potential in PTT-based synergistic therapies. In this Minireview, we summarize the recent progress in 2D nanomaterials for enhanced photothermal cancer therapy over the last five years. Their unique optical properties, typical synthesis methods, and surface modification are also covered. Emphasis is placed on their PTT and PTT-synergized chemotherapy, photodynamic therapy, and immunotherapy. The major challenges of 2D photothermal agents are addressed and the promising prospects are also presented.

Degradable Carbon-Silica Nanocomposite with Immunoadjuvant Property for Dual-Modality Photothermal/Photodynamic Therapy.

Carbon nanomaterials have flourished for cancer therapy for decades. However, their practical applications on clinical bases still pose a challenge to address the dilemma of metabolism in vivo. In this study, an attempt is made to design a degradable carbon-silica nanocomposite (CSN) with immunoadjuvant property, which could undergo an enzyme-free degradation process into small particles (∼5 nm) and facilitate its clinical application. CSN harbors photothermal and photodynamic properties and as an immunoadjuvant would help to generate tumor-associated antigens and mature dendritic cells (DCs). Potent antitumor effects have been achieved in both 4T1 and patient-derived xenograft tumor models with tumor inhibition efficiencies of 93.2% and 92.5%, respectively. We believe that this strategy will benefit the possible clinical translation and carbon-silica-nanomaterial-based cancer therapy.

Activation of Prodrugs by NIR-Triggered Release of Exogenous Enzymes for Locoregional Chemo-photothermal Therapy.

Enzymes have been used to direct the conversion of prodrugs in cancer therapy. However, non-specific distribution of endogenous enzymes seriously hinders their bioapplications. Herein, we developed a near-infrared-triggered locoregional chemo-photothermal therapy based on the exogenous enzyme delivery and remolded tumor mivroenvironment. The catalytic efficiency of enzymes was enhanced by the hyperthermia, and the therapeutic efficacy of photothermal therapy (PTT) was improved owing to the inhibition of heat shock protein 90 by chemotherapeutics. The locoregional chemo-phototherapy achieved a one-time successful cure in 4T1 tumor-bearing mice model. Thus, a mutually reinforcing feedback loop between PTT and chemotherapy can be initiated by the irradiation, which holds a promising future in cancer therapy.

Interventional Photothermal Therapy Enhanced Brachytherapy: A New Strategy to Fight Deep Pancreatic Cancer.

Photothermal-radiotherapy (PT-RT) is an effective strategy for relieving hypoxia-related radiotherapy resistance and inducing tumor-specific cell apoptosis/necrosis. Nevertheless, limited tissue penetration of near-infrared (NIR) laser and the serious side effects of high-dose radiation severely hinder its applications for deep tumors. An interventional photothermal-brachytherapy (IPT-BT) technology is proposed here for the internal site-specific treatment of deep tumors. This technology utilizes a kind of biodegradable honeycomb-like gold nanoparticles (HGNs) acting as both internal photothermal agents and radiosensitizers. A high tumor inhibition rate of 96.6% is achieved in SW1990 orthotopic pancreatic tumor-bearing mice by HGNs-mediated IPT-BT synergistic therapy. Interestingly, this approach effectively causes double-stranded DNA damage and improves the oxygen supply and the penetration of nanoparticles inside the tumor. Therefore, it is believed that this strategy may open up a new avenue for PT-RT synergistic therapy of deep malignant tumors and has a significant impact on the future clinical translation.

A Single-Atom Nanozyme for Wound Disinfection Applications.

Single-atom catalysts (SACs), as homogeneous catalysts, have been widely explored for chemical catalysis. However, few studies focus on the applications of SACs in enzymatic catalysis. Herein, we report that a zinc-based zeolitic-imidazolate-framework (ZIF-8)-derived carbon nanomaterial containing atomically dispersed zinc atoms can serve as a highly efficient single-atom peroxidase mimic. To reveal its structure-activity relationship, the structural evolution of the single-atom nanozyme (SAzyme) was systematically investigated. Furthermore, the coordinatively unsaturated active zinc sites and catalytic mechanism of the SAzyme are disclosed using density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The SAzyme, with high therapeutic effect and biosafety, shows great promises for wound antibacterial applications.

Biodegradable Poly(amino acid)-Gold-Magnetic Complex with Efficient Endocytosis for Multimodal Imaging-Guided Chemo-photothermal Therapy.

Gold complexes can serve as efficient photothermal converters for cancer therapy, but their non-biodegradability hinders clinical bioapplications. Although enormous effort has been devoted, the conventionally adopted synthetic methods of biodegradation are characterized by high cost and complicated procedures, which delay the process of further clinical translation of gold complexes. Here, we report a multifunctional poly(amino acid)-gold-magnetic complex with self-degradation properties for synergistic chemo-photothermal therapy via simple and green chemistry methods. Nanoparticles of ∼3 nm in the biodegradation product were observed in simulated body fluid in 4 days. The biodegradability mainly benefits from the weakened internal electrostatic interaction of the poly(amino acid) by the ions in simulated body fluid. It is demonstrated that the poly(amino acid)-gold-magnetic complex has great cellular endocytosis by taking advantage of the guanidine group in arginine and possesses multimodal imaging and efficient tumor ablation (94%). This study reports a possibility for gold-magnetic complexes composed of poly(amino acid) to serve as a biodegradable nanotherapeutic for clinical applications.

In Situ Growth of Pd Nanosheets on g-C3 N4 Nanosheets with Well-Contacted Interface and Enhanced Catalytic Performance for 4-Nitrophenol Reduction.

Loading novel metal nanosheets onto nanosheet support can improve their catalytic performance, but the morphological incompatibility makes it difficult to construct a well-contacted interface, which is of particular interest in supported catalysts. Herein, Pd nanosheets (Pd NSs) are supported onto graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets (CNNSs) with intimate face-to-face contact through an in situ growth method. This method overcomes the limitations of the morphological incompatibility and ensures the intimate interfacial contact between Pd NSs and CNNSs. The nitrogen-rich nature of CNNSs endows Pd NSs with abundant anchoring sites, which optimizes the electronic structure and improves the chemical and morphological stability of Pd NSs. The supported Pd NSs demonstrate high dispersion and exhibit largely enhanced activity toward the reduction of 4-nitrophenol. The concentration-normalized rate constant is up to 3052 min-1 g-1 L, which is 5.4 times higher than that obtained by unsupported Pd NSs. No obvious deactivation is observed after six runs of the recycling experiments. It is believed that the supported novel metal nanosheets with the intimately contacted interface may show promising applications in catalysis.