Temporal Relationship between HbA1c and Depressive Symptom Trajectories in a Longitudinal Cohort Study: The Mediating Role of Healthy Lifestyles.

This study analyzed China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study data to explore the HbA1c-depression link, including depressive trajectories, while considering the mitigating impact of healthy lifestyles. Cross-lagged panel models and group-based trajectory modeling were performed to investigate the temporal relationship between HbA1c levels and depressive symptoms, as well as the depressive trajectories. Structural equation models were used to assess the mediating effects of healthy lifestyles. The mean age of the participants was 57.66 ± 9.04 years, with 53.68% being female. Analyzing 8826 participants across three waves, we observed a significant prediction of subsequent depressive symptoms by the preceding HbA1c levels (ß = 0.296; p < 0.001). Four distinct trajectories of depressive symptoms were distinguished: stable low, stable moderate, increasing, and stable high. Elevated HbA1c levels were associated with a higher risk of developing stable high (OR 1.12 and 95% CI 1.02-1.23), increasing (OR 1.21 and 95% CI 1.11-1.32), and stable moderate depressive symptoms (OR 1.07 and 95% CI 1.01-1.13). Engaging in two healthy life behaviors reduced stable high and increasing depressive pattern risks by 32% and 30%, respectively. Adherence to a healthy lifestyle lessened 7.2% of the impact of high HbA1c levels on the subsequent depressive symptoms. These findings highlight the potential benefits of incorporating adequate sleep and light physical activities, which might reduce the adverse impact of elevated HbA1c levels on depressive symptoms.

Tribovoltaic Effect Strengthened Microwave Catalytic Antibacterial Composite Hydrogel.

Microwave (MW) therapy is an emerging therapy with high efficiency and deep penetration to combat the crisis of bacterial resistance. However, as the energy of MW is too low to induce electron transition, the mechanism of MW catalytic effect remains ambiguous. Herein, a cerium-based metal-organic framework (MOF) is fabricated and used in MW therapy. The MW-catalytic performance of CeTCPP is largely dependent on the ions in the liquid environment, and the electron transition is achieved through a "tribovoltaic effect" between water molecules and CeTCPP. By this way, CeTCPP can generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) in saline under pulsed MW irradiation, showing 99.9995 ± 0.0002% antibacterial ratio against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) upon two cycles of MW irradiation. Bacterial metabolomics further demonstrates that the diffusion of ROS into bacteria led to the bacterial metabolic disorders. The bacteria are finally killed due to "amino acid starvation". In order to improve the applicability of CeTCPP, It is incorporated into alginate-based hydrogel, which maintains good MW catalytic antibacterial efficiency and also good biocompatibility. Therefore, this work provides a comprehensive instruction of using CeTCPP in MW therapy, from mechanism to application. This work also provides new perspectives for the design of antibacterial composite hydrogel.

Association of lifestyle with sleep health in general population in China: a cross-sectional study.

The concept of a healthy lifestyle is receiving increasing attention. This study sought to identify an optimal healthy lifestyle profile associated with sleep health in general population of China. An online cross-sectional survey was conducted from June to July 2022. Six healthy lifestyle factors were assessed: healthy diet, regular physical exercise, never smoking, never drinking alcohol, low sedentary behavior, and normal weight. Participants were categorized into the healthy lifestyle (5-6 factors), average (3-4 factors), and unhealthy lifestyle groups (0-2 factors). The study's primary outcome was sleep health, which included sleep quality, duration, pattern, and the presence of any sleep disorder or disturbance, including insomnia, excessive daytime sleepiness, obstructive apnea syndrome, and narcolepsy. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was applied to explore lifestyles associated with the selected sleep health outcomes. 41,061 individuals were included, forming 18.8% healthy, 63.8% average, and 17.4% unhealthy lifestyle groups. After adjusting for covariates, participants with healthy lifestyle were associated with a higher likelihood of good sleep quality (OR = 1.56, 95% CI = 1.46-1.68), normal sleep duration (OR = 1.60, 95% CI = 1.49-1.72), healthy sleep pattern (OR = 2.15, 95% CI = 2.00-2.31), and lower risks of insomnia (OR = 0.66, 95% CI = 0.61-0.71), excessive daytime sleepiness (OR = 0.66, 95% CI = 0.60-0.73), and obstructive apnea syndrome (OR = 0.40, 95% CI = 0.37-0.43), but not narcolepsy (OR = 0.92, 95% CI = 0.83-1.03), compared to those with unhealthy lifestyle. This large cross-sectional study is the first to our knowledge to quantify the associations of a healthy lifestyle with specific aspects of sleep health. The findings offer support for efforts to improve sleep health by modulating lifestyle.

Wireless Powered Microwave-Light Conversion Platform with Dual-Stimulus Nanoresponder Coating for Deep-Seated Photodynamic Therapy.

Traditional external field-assisted therapies, e.g., microwave (MW) therapy and phototherapy, cannot effectively and minimally damage eliminate deep-seated infection, owing to the poor penetrability of light and low reactive oxygen species (ROS) stimulation capability of MW. Herein, an implantable and wireless-powered therapeutic platform (CNT-FeTHQ-TS), in which external MW can be converted into internal light via MW wireless-powered light-emitting chips, is designed to eradicate deep-seated tissue infections by MW-induced deep-seated photodynamic therapy. In application, CNT-FeTHQ-TS is implanted at internal lesions, and the chip emits light under external MW irradiation. Subsequently, CNT-FeTHQ coating in the platform can respond to both MW and light simultaneously to generate ROS and MW-hyperthermia for rapid and precise sterilization at focus. Importantly, MW also improves the photodynamic performance of CNT-FeTHQ by introducing vacancies in FeTHQ to facilitate the photoexcitation process and changing the spin state of electrons to inhibit the complexation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs, which were confirmed by simulation calculations and in situ MW-irradiated photoluminescence experiments. In vivo, CNT-FeTHQ-TS can effectively cure mice with Staphylococcus aureus infection in dorsal subcutaneous tissue. This work overcomes the key clinical limitations of safe energy transmission and conversion for treating deep-seated infections.

Bidirectional Association between Sarcopenia and Depressive Symptoms among Chinese Middle- and Older-Aged Adults: Longitudinal Observational Study.

BACKGROUND: The study aimed to examine the bidirectional relationship between sarcopenia and depressive symptoms in a national, community-based cohort study, despite the unclear temporal sequence demonstrated previously. METHODS: Data were derived from four waves (2011 baseline and 2013, 2015, and 2018 follow-ups) of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). A total of 17,708 participants aged 45 years or older who had baseline data on both sarcopenia status and depressive symptoms in 2011 were included in the study. For the two cohort analyses, a total of 8092 adults without depressive symptoms and 11,292 participants without sarcopenia in 2011 were included. Sarcopenia status was defined according to the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia 2019 (AWGS 2019) criteria. Depressive symptoms were defined as a score of 20 or higher on the 10-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depressive Scale (CES-D-10). Cox proportional hazard regression models were conducted to examine the risk of depressive symptoms and sarcopenia risk, while cross-lagged panel models were used to examine the temporal sequence between depressive symptoms and sarcopenia over time. RESULTS: During a total of 48,305.1 person-years follow-up, 1262 cases of incident depressive symptoms were identified. Sarcopenia exhibited a dose-response relationship with a higher risk of depressive symptoms (HR = 1.7, 95%CI: 1.2-2.3 for sarcopenia, and HR = 1.5, 95%CI: 1.2-1.8 for possible sarcopenia, p trend < 0.001). In the second cohort analysis, 240 incident sarcopenia cases were identified over 39,621.1 person-years. Depressive symptoms (HR = 1.5, 95%CI: 1.2-2.0) are significantly associated with a higher risk of developing sarcopenia after multivariable adjustment (p < 0.001, Cross-lagged panel analyses demonstrated that depressive symptoms were associated with subsequent sarcopenia (ß = 0.003, p < 0.001). Simultaneously, baseline sarcopenia was also associated with subsequent depressive symptoms (ß = 0.428, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: This study identified a bidirectional relationship between depressive symptoms and sarcopenia. It seems more probable that baseline sarcopenia is associated with subsequent depressive symptoms in a stronger pattern than the reverse pathway. The interlinkage indicated that maintaining normal muscle mass and strength may serve as a crucial intervention strategy for alleviating mood disorders.

Ultrasound-Triggered Piezoelectric Catalysis of Zinc Oxide@Glucose Derived Carbon Spheres for the Treatment of MRSA Infected Osteomyelitis.

Currently, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)-induced osteomyelitis is a clinically life-threatening disease, however, long-term antibiotic treatment can lead to bacterial resistance, posing a huge challenge to treatment and public health. In this study, glucose-derived carbon spheres loaded with zinc oxide (ZnO@HTCS) are successfully constructed. This composite demonstrates the robust ability to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) under ultrasound (US) irradiation, eradicating 99.788% ± 0.087% of MRSA within 15 min and effectively treating MRSA-induced osteomyelitis infection. Piezoelectric force microscopy tests and finite element method simulations reveal that the ZnO@HTCS composite exhibits superior piezoelectric catalytic performance compared to pure ZnO, making it a unique piezoelectric sonosensitizer. Density functional theory calculations reveal that the formation of a Mott-Schottky heterojunction and an internal piezoelectric field within the interface accelerates the electron transfer and the separation of electron-hole pairs. Concurrently, surface vacancies of the composite enable the adsorption of a greater amount of oxygen, enhancing the piezoelectric catalytic effect and generating a substantial quantity of ROS. This work not only presents a promising approach for augmenting piezoelectric catalysis through construction of a Schottky heterojunction interface but also provides a novel, efficient therapeutic strategy for treating osteomyelitis.

Dual Redox Reaction Sites for Pseudocapacitance Based on Ti and -P Functional Groups of Ti3C2PBrx MXene.

MXenes have extensive applications due to their different properties determined by intrinsic structures and various functional groups. Exploring different functional groups of MXenes leads to improved performance or potential applications. In this work, we prepared new Ti3C2PBrx (x=0.4-0.6) MXene with phosphorus functional groups (-P) through a two-step gas-phase reaction. The acquisition of -P is achieved by replacing bromine functional groups (-Br) of Ti3C2Br2 in the phosphorus vapor. After -Br is replaced with -P, Ti3C2PBrx MXene shows an improved areal capacitance (360 mF cm-2) at 20 mV s-1 compared with Ti3C2Br2 MXene (102 mF cm-2). At a current density of 5 mA cm-2 after 10000 cycles, the capacitance retention of Ti3C2PBrx MXene has not decreased. The pseudocapacitive enhancement mechanism has been discovered based on the dual redox sites of the functional groups -P and Ti.

Ca-doping interfacial engineering and glycolysis enable rapid charge separation for efficient phototherapy of MRSA-infected wounds.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is the primary pathogenic agent responsible for epidermal wound infection and suppuration, seriously threatening the life and health of human beings. To address this fundamental challenge, we propose a heterojunction nanocomposite (Ca-CN/MnS) comprised of Ca-doped g-C3N4 and MnS for the therapy of MRSA-accompanied wounds. The Ca doping leads to a reduction in both the bandgap and the singlet state S1-triplet state T2 energy gap (ΔEST). The Ca doping also facilitates the two-photon excitation, thus remarkably promoting the separation and transfer of 808 nm near-infrared (NIR) light-triggered electron-hole pairs together with the built-in electric field. Thereby, the production of reactive oxygen species and heat are substantially augmented nearby the nanocomposite under 808 nm NIR light irradiation. Consequently, an impressive photocatalytic MRSA bactericidal efficiency of 99.98 ± 0.02 % is achieved following exposure to NIR light for 20 min. The introduction of biologically functional elements (Ca and Mn) can up-regulate proteins such as pyruvate kinase (PKM), L-lactate dehydrogenase (LDHA), and calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CAMKII), trigger the glycolysis and calcium signaling pathway, promote cell proliferation, cellular metabolism, and angiogenesis, thereby expediting the wound-healing process. This heterojunction nanocomposite, with its precise charge-transfer pathway, represents a highly effective bactericidal and bioactive system for treating multidrug-resistant bacterial infections and accelerating tissue repair. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Due to the bacterial resistance, developing an antibiotic-free and highly effective bactericidal strategy to treat bacteria-infected wounds is critical. We have designed a heterojunction consisting of calcium doped g-C3N4 and MnS (Ca-CN/MnS) that can rapidly kill methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) without damaging normal tissue through a synergistic effect of two-photon stimulated photothermal and photodynamic therapy. In addition, the release of trace amounts of biofunctional elements Mn and Ca triggers glycolysis and calcium signaling pathways that promote cellular metabolism and cell proliferation, contributing to tissue repair and wound healing.

Dual elemental doping activated signaling pathway of angiogenesis and defective heterojunction engineering for effective therapy of MRSA-infected wounds.

Multi-drug resistant bacterial infections pose a significant threat to human health. Thus, the development of effective bactericidal strategies is a pressing concern. In this study, a ternary heterostructure (Zn-CN/P-GO/BiS) comprised of Zn-doped graphite phase carbon nitride (g-C3N4), phosphorous-doped graphene oxide (GO) and bismuth sulphide (Bi2S3) is constructed for efficiently treating methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)-infected wound. Zn doping-induced defect sites in g-C3N4 results in a reduced band gap (ΔE) and a smaller energy gap (ΔEST) between the singlet state S1 and triplet state T1, which favours two-photon excitation and accelerates electron transfer. Furthermore, the formation of an internal electric field at the ternary heterogeneous interface optimizes the charge transfer pathway, inhibits the recombination of electron-hole pairs, improves the photodynamic effect of g-C3N4, and enhances its catalytic performance. Therefore, the Zn-CN/P-GO/BiS significantly augments the production of reactive oxygen species and heat under 808 nm NIR (0.67 W cm-2) irradiation, leading to the elimination of 99.60% ± 0.07% MRSA within 20 min. Additionally, the release of essential trace elements (Zn and P) promotes wound healing by activating hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR) signaling pathways. This work provides unique insight into the rapid antibacterial applications of trace element doping and two-photon excitation.

Dilute Aqueous-Aprotic Electrolyte Towards Robust Zn-Ion Hybrid Supercapacitor with High Operation Voltage and Long Lifespan.

With the merits of the high energy density of batteries and power density of supercapacitors, the aqueous Zn-ion hybrid supercapacitors emerge as a promising candidate for applications where both rapid energy delivery and moderate energy storage are required. However, the narrow electrochemical window of aqueous electrolytes induces severe side reactions on the Zn metal anode and shortens its lifespan. It also limits the operation voltage and energy density of the Zn-ion hybrid supercapacitors. Using 'water in salt' electrolytes can effectively broaden their electrochemical windows, but this is at the expense of high cost, low ionic conductivity, and narrow temperature compatibility, compromising the electrochemical performance of the Zn-ion hybrid supercapacitors. Thus, designing a new electrolyte to balance these factors towards high-performance Zn-ion hybrid supercapacitors is urgent and necessary. We developed a dilute water/acetonitrile electrolyte (0.5 m Zn(CF3SO3)2 + 1 m LiTFSI-H2O/AN) for Zn-ion hybrid supercapacitors, which simultaneously exhibited expanded electrochemical window, decent ionic conductivity, and broad temperature compatibility. In this electrolyte, the hydration shells and hydrogen bonds are significantly modulated by the acetonitrile and TFSI- anions. As a result, a Zn-ion hybrid supercapacitor with such an electrolyte demonstrates a high operating voltage up to 2.2 V and long lifespan beyond 120,000 cycles.

Electron Aggregation and Oxygen Fixation Reinforced Microwave Dynamic and Thermal Therapy for Effective Treatment of MRSA-Induced Osteomyelitis.

Antibiotics are frequently used to clinically treat osteomyelitis caused by bacterial infections. However, extended antibiotic use may result in drug resistance, which can be life threatening. Here, a heterojunction comprising Fe2O3/Fe3S4 magnetic composite is constructed to achieve short-term and efficient treat osteomyelitis caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The Fe2O3/Fe3S4 composite exhibits powerful microwave (MW) absorption properties, thereby effectively converting incident electromagnetic energy into thermal energy. Density functional theory calculations demonstrate that Fe2O3/Fe3S4 possesses significant charge accumulation and oxygen-fixing capacity at the heterogeneous interface, which provides more active sites and oxygen sources for trapping electromagnetic hotspots. The finite element analysis indicates that Fe2O3/Fe3S4 displays a larger electromagnetism field enhancement parameter than Fe2O3 owing to a significant increase in electromagnetic hotspots. These hotspots contribute to charge differential accumulation and depletion motions at the interface, thereby augmenting the release of free electrons that subsequently combine with the oxygen adsorbed by Fe2O3/Fe3S4 to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) and heat. This research, which achieves extraordinary bacterial eradication through the synergistic effect of microwave thermal therapy (MWTT) and microwave dynamic therapy (MDT), presents a novel strategy for treating deep-tissue bacterial infections.

Association between Shift Work and Health Outcomes in the General Population in China: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Shift work may adversely affect individuals' health, thus, the current study aimed to investigate the association between shift work and health outcomes in the general population. A total of 41,061 participants were included in this online cross-sectional survey, among which 9612 (23.4%) individuals engaged in shift work and 31,449 (76.6%) individuals engaged in non-shift work. Multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted to explore the association between shift work and health outcomes (psychiatric disorders, mental health symptoms, and physical disorders). In addition, associations between the duration (≤1 year, 1-3 years, 3-5 years, 5-10 years, ≥10 years) and frequency of shift work (<1 or ≥1 night/week) and health outcomes were also explored. The results showed that compared to non-shift workers, shift workers had a higher likelihood of any psychiatric disorders (odds ratios [OR] = 1.80, 95% CI = 1.56-2.09, p < 0.001), mental health symptoms (OR = 1.76, 95% CI = 1.68-1.85, p < 0.001), and physical disorders (OR = 1.48, 95% CI = 1.39-1.57, p < 0.001). In addition, inverted U-shaped associations were observed between the duration of shift work and health outcomes. These results indicated that shift work was closely related to potential links with poor health outcomes. The findings highlighted the importance of paying attention to the health conditions of shift workers and the necessity of implementing comprehensive protective measures for shift workers to reduce the impact of shift work.

Multiscale Interface Engineering of Sulfur-Doped TiO2 Anode for Ultrafast and Robust Sodium Storage.

Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) are a promising electrochemical energy storage system; however, their practical application is hindered by the sluggish kinetics and interfacial instability of anode-active materials. Here, to circumvent these issues, we proposed the multiscale interface engineering of S-doped TiO2 electrodes with minor sulfur/carbon inlaying (S/C@sTiO2), where the electrode-electrolyte interface (SEI) and electrode-current collector interface (ECI) are tuned to improve the Na-storage performance. It is found that the S dopant greatly promotes the Na+ diffusion kinetics. Moreover, the ether electrolyte generates much less NaF in the cycled electrode, but relatively richer NaF in the SEI in comparison to fluoroethylene carbonate-contained ester electrolyte, leading to a thin (9 nm), stable, and kinetically favorable SEI film. More importantly, the minor sodium polysulfide intermediates chemically interact with the Cu current collector to form a Cu2S interface between the electrode and the Cu foil. The conductive tree root-like Cu2S ECI serves not only as active sites to boost the specific capacity but also as a 3D "second current collector" to reinforce the electrode and improve the Na+ reaction kinetics. The synergy of S-doping and optimized SEI and ECI realizes large specific capacity (464.4 mAh g-1 at 0.1 A g-1), ultrahigh rate capability (305.8 mAh g-1 at 50 A g-1), and ultrastable cycling performance (91.5% capacity retention after 3000 cycles at 5 A g-1). To the best of our knowledge, the overall SIB performances of S/C@sTiO2 are the best among all of the TiO2-based electrodes.

Symmetrical Localized Built-in Electric Field by Induced Polarization Effect in Ionic Covalent Organic Frameworks for Selective Imaging and Killing Bacteria.

Photocatalytic materials are some of the most promising substitutes for antibiotics. However, the antibacterial efficiency is still inhibited by the rapid recombination of the photogenerated carriers. Herein, we design a cationic covalent organic framework (COF), which has a symmetrical localized built-in electric field due to the induced polarization effect caused by the electron-transfer reaction between the Zn-porphyrin unit and the guanidinium unit. Density functional theory calculations indicate that there is a symmetrical electrophilic/nucleophilic region in the COF structure, which results from increased electron density around the Zn-porphyrin unit. The formed local electric field can further inhibit the recombination of photogenerated carriers by driving rapid electron transfer from Zn-porphyrin to guanidinium under light irradiation, which greatly increases the yield of reactive oxygen species. This COF wrapped by DSPE-PEG2000 can selectively target the lipoteichoic acid of Gram-positive bacteria by electrostatic interaction, which can be used for selective discrimination and imaging of bacteria. Furthermore, this nanoparticle can rapidly kill Gram-positive bacteria including 99.75% of Staphylococcus aureus and 99.77% of Enterococcus faecalis at an abnormally low concentration (2.00 ppm) under light irradiation for 20 min. This work will provide insight into designing photoresponsive COFs through engineering charge behavior.

Instant Protection Spray for Anti-Infection and Accelerated Healing of Empyrosis.

Distinct from common injuries, deep burns often require a chronic recovery cycle for healing and long-term antibiotic treatment to prevent infection. The rise of drug-resistant bacteria has caused antibiotics to no longer be perfect, and continuous drug use can easily lead to repeated infection and even death. Inspired by wild animals that chew plants to prevent wound infection, probiotic extracts with a structure similar to the tailspike of phage are obtained from Lactobacillus casei and combined with different flavones to design a series of nonantibiotic bactericides. These novel antibacterial agents are combined with a rapid gelation spray with a novel cross-angle layout to form an instant protection spray (IPS) and provide a physical and anti-infectious barrier for burns within 30 s. This IPS is able to sterilize 100.00% and 96.14% of multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in vitro and in vivo, respectively. In addition, it is found to effectively reduce inflammation in MRSA-infected burns in rats and to promote tissue healing.

Natural Extracts for Antibacterial Applications.

Bacteria-induced epidemics and infectious diseases are seriously threatening the health of people around the world. In addition, antibiotic therapy has been inducing increasingly more serious bacterial resistance, which makes it urgent to develop new treatment strategies to combat bacteria, including multidrug-resistant bacteria. Natural extracts displaying antibacterial activity and good biocompatibility have attracted much attention due to greater concerns about the safety of synthetic chemicals and emerging drug resistance. These antibacterial components can be isolated and utilized as antimicrobials, as well as transformed, combined, or wrapped with other substances by using modern assistive technologies to fight bacteria synergistically. This review summarizes recent advances in natural extracts from three kinds of sources-plants, animals, and microorganisms-for antibacterial applications. This work discusses the corresponding antibacterial mechanisms and the future development of natural extracts in antibacterial fields.

A Smart Bacteria-Capture-Killing Vector for Effectively Treating Osteomyelitis Through Synergy Under Microwave Therapy.

Osteomyelitis caused by deep tissue infections is difficult to cure through phototherapy due to the poor penetration depth of the light. Herein, Cu/C/Fe3O4-COOH nanorod composites (Cu/C/Fe3O4-COOH) with nanoscale tip convex structures are successfully fabricated as a microwave-responsive smart bacteria-capture-killing vector. Cu/C/Fe3O4-COOH exhibited excellent magnetic targeting and bacteria-capturing ability due to its magnetism and high selectivity affinity to the amino groups on the surface of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). Under microwave irradiation, Cu/C/Fe3O4-COOH efficiently treated S. aureus-infected osteomyelitis through the synergistic effects of microwave thermal therapy, microwave dynamic therapy, and copper ion therapy. It is calculated the electric field intensity in various regions of Cu/C/Fe3O4-COOH under microwave irradiation, demonstrating that it obtained the highest electric field intensity on the surface of copper nanoparticles of Cu/C/Fe3O4-COOH due to its high-curvature tips and metallic properties. This led to copper nanoparticles attracted more charged particles compared with other areas in Cu/C/Fe3O4-COOH. These charges are easier to escape from the high curvature surface of Cu/C/Fe3O4-COOH, and captured by adsorbed oxygen, resulting in the generation of reactive oxygen species. The Cu/C/Fe3O4-COOH designed in this study is expected to provide insight into the treatment of deep tissue infections under the irradiation of microwave.

Improved hydrogen evolution performance of Ni-based nanoporous catalyst with Mo and B co-addition.

The exploration of efficient and stable noble-metal-free electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is of great interest for the development of electrochemical hydrogen production technologies. Herein, nanoporous Ni-based catalyst with Mo and B co-addition (NiMoB) prepared by dealloying is reported as an efficient electrocatalysts for HER. The nanoporous NiMoB achieves an overpotential of 31 mV at 10 mA cm-2, along with exceptional catalytic stability in alkaline electrolyte. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that the incorporation of Mo and B can synergistically optimize the electronic structure and regulate the adsorption of HER intermediates on the Ni active site, thus accelerating the HER kinetics. This study provides a new perspective for the development of non-precious Ni-based catalysts towards efficient hydrogen energy conversion.

Ultrasound-Induced Abiotic and Biotic Interfacial Electron Transfer for Efficient Treatment of Bacterial Infection.

Electron transfer plays an important role in various catalytic reactions and physiological activities, whose altered processes may change catalytic efficiency and interfere in physiological metabolic processes. In this study, we design an ultrasound (US)-activated piezoelectric responsive heterojunction (PCN-222-BTO, PCN: porous coordination network), which can change the electron transfer path at the abiotic and abiotic-biotic interfaces under US, thus achieving a rapid (15 min) and efficient bactericidal effect of 99.96%. US-induced polarization of BTO generates a built-in electric field, which promotes the electron transfer excited from PCN-222 to BTO at the PCN-222-BTO interface, thereby increasing the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Especially, we find that the biological electron transfer from the bacterial membrane to BTO is also activated at the MRSA-BTO interface. This antibacterial mode results in the down-regulated ribosomal, DNA and ATP synthesis related genes in MRSA, while the cell membrane and ion transport related genes are up-regulated due to the synergistic damage effect of ROS and disturbance of the bacterial electron transport chain. This US responsive dual-interface system shows an excellent therapeutic effect for the treatment of the MRSA-infected osteomyelitis model, which is superior to clinical vancomycin therapy.

Interfacial and Defect Polarization Enhanced Microwave Noninvasive Therapy for Staphylococcus aureus-Infected Chronic Osteomyelitis.

Chronic osteomyelitis (COM), is a long-term, constant, and intractable disease mostly induced by infection from the invasion of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) into bone cells. Here, we describe a highly effective microwave (MW) therapeutic strategy for S. aureus-induced COM based on the in situ growth of interfacial oxygen vacancy-rich molybdenum disulfide (MoS2)/titanium carbide (Ti3C2Tx) MXene with oxygen-deficient titanium dioxide (TiO2-x) on Ti3C2Tx (labeled as HU-MoS2/Ti3C2Tx) by producing reactive oxygen species (ROS) and heat. HU-MoS2/Ti3C2Tx produced heat and ROS, which could effectively treat S. aureus-induced COM under MW irradiation. The underlying mechanism determined by density functional theory (DFT) and MW vector network analysis was that HU-MoS2/Ti3C2Tx formed a high-energy local electric field under MW irradiation, consequently generating more high-energy free electrons to pass and move across the interface at a high speed and accelerate by the heterointerface, which enhanced the charge accumulation on both sides of the interface. Moreover, these charges were captured by the oxygen species adsorbed at the HU-MoS2/Ti3C2Tx interface to produce ROS. MoS2 facilitated multiple reflections and scattering of electromagnetic waves as well as enhanced impedance matching. Ti3C2Tx enhanced the conduction loss of electromagnetic waves, while functional groups induced dipole polarization to enhance attenuation of MW.