Injectable Thermo-Responsive Peptide Hydrogels and Its Enzyme Triggered Dynamic Self-Assembly.

Endogenous stimuli-responsive injectable hydrogels hold significant promise for practical applications due to their spatio-temporal controllable drug delivery. Herein, we report a facile strategy to construct a series of in situ formation polypeptide hydrogels with thermal responsiveness and enzyme-triggered dynamic self-assembly. The thermo-responsive hydrogels are from the diblock random copolymer mPEG-b-P(Glu-co-Tyr). The L-glutamic acid (Glu) segments with different γ-alkyl groups, including methyl, ethyl, and n-butyl, offer specific secondary structure, facilitating the formation of hydrogel. The L-tyrosine (Tyr) residues not only provide hydrogen-bond interactions and thus adjust the sol-gel transition temperatures, but also endow polypeptide enzyme-responsive properties. The PTyr segments could be phosphorylated, and the phosphotyrosine copolymers were amphiphilies, which could readily self-assemble into spherical aggregates and transform into sheet-like structures upon dephosphorylation by alkaline phosphatase (ALP). P(MGlu-co-Tyr/P) and P(MGlu-co-Tyr) copolymers showed good compatibility with both MC3T3-E1 and Hela cells, with cell viability above 80% at concentrations up to 1000 µg/mL. The prepared injectable polypeptide hydrogel and its enzyme-triggered self-assemblies show particular potential for biomedical applications.

Encapsulating stable perovskite catalysts in hollow nanoreactors for enhanced pollutants degradation.

Creating a microenvironment for enhanced peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation is vital in advanced oxidation processes. The objective of this study was to fabricate nanoshells composed of titanium dioxide embedded with cobalt titanate nanoparticles of perovskite to act as nanoreactors for effectively initiating PMS and degrading contaminants. The unique porous structure and confined space of the nanoreactor facilitated reactant absorption and mass transfer to the active sites, resulting in exceptional catalytic performance for pollutant elimination. Experimental findings revealed close to 100% decomposition efficiency of 4-chlorophenol (4-CP) within an hour utilizing the nanoreactors over a wide pH range. The TiO2/CoTiO3 hollow nanoshells catalysts also displayed adaptability in disintegrating organic dyes and antibiotics. The radicals SO4•-, •OH, and non-radicals 1O2 were determined to be accountable for eliminating pollutants, as supported by trapping experiments and electron paramagnetic resonance spectra. The catalyst was confirmed as an electron donor and PMS as an electron acceptor through electrochemical tests and density functional theory calculations. This study underscores the potential of incorporating stable perovskite catalysts in hollow nanoreactors to enhance wastewater treatment.

Enzyme-Triggered Polyelectrolyte Complex for Responsive Delivery of α-Helical Polypeptides to Optimize Antibacterial Therapy.

Responsive nanomaterials hold significant promise in the treatment of bacterial infections by recognizing internal or external stimuli to achieve stimuli-responsive behavior. In this study, we present an enzyme-responsive polyelectrolyte complex micelles (PTPMN) with α-helical cationic polypeptide as a coacervate-core for the treatment of Escherichia coli (E. coli) infection. The complex was constructed through electrostatic interaction between cationic poly(glutamic acid) derivatives and phosphorylation-modified poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(tyrosine) (PEG-b-PPTyr) by directly dissolving them in aqueous solution. The cationic polypeptide adopted α-helical structure and demonstrated excellent broad-spectrum antibacterial activity against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) as low as 12.5 µg mL-1 against E. coli. By complexing with anionic PEG-b-PPTyr, the obtained complex formed ß-sheet structures and exhibited good biocompatibility and low hemolysis. When incubated in a bacterial environment, the complex cleaved its phosphate groups triggered by phosphatases secreted by bacteria, exposing the highly α-helical conformation and restoring its effective bactericidal ability. In vivo experiments confirmed accelerated healing in E. coli-infected wounds.

Fe3O4@TiO2 Microspheres: Harnessing O2 Release and ROS Generation for Combination CDT/PDT/PTT/Chemotherapy in Tumours.

In the treatment of various cancers, photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been extensively studied as an effective therapeutic modality. As a potential alternative to conventional chemotherapy, PDT has been limited due to the low Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) yield of photosensitisers. Herein, a nanoplatform containing mesoporous Fe3O4@TiO2 microspheres was developed for near-infrared (NIR)-light-enhanced chemodynamical therapy (CDT) and PDT. Titanium dioxide (TiO2) has been shown to be a very effective PDT agent; however, the hypoxic tumour microenvironment partly affects its in vivo PDT efficacy. A peroxidase-like enzyme, Fe3O4, catalyses the decomposition of H2O2 in the cytoplasm to produce O2, helping overcome tumour hypoxia and increase ROS production in response to PDT. Moreover, Fe2+ in Fe3O4 could catalyse H2O2 decomposition to produce cytotoxic hydroxyl radicals within tumour cells, which would result in tumour CDT. The photonic hyperthermia of Fe3O4@TiO2 could not only directly damage the tumour but also improve the efficiency of CDT from Fe3O4. Cancer-killing effectiveness has been maximised by successfully loading the chemotherapeutic drug DOX, which can be released efficiently using NIR excitation and slight acidification. Moreover, the nanoplatform has high saturation magnetisation (20 emu/g), making it suitable for magnetic targeting. The in vitro results show that the Fe3O4@TiO2/DOX nanoplatforms exhibited good biocompatibility as well as synergetic effects against tumours in combination with CDT/PDT/PTT/chemotherapy.

Boosting sodium-ion battery performance by anion doping in NASICON Na4MnCr(PO4)3 cathode.

Na superionic conductor (NASICON)-structured Na4MnCr(PO4)3 (NMCP) possessing unique three-electron transfer process renders admirable energy density for sodium ion batteries (SIBs). However, the current issues like its sluggish Na+ diffusion kinetics, deficient intrinsic conductivity, and unsatisfactory structural stability, hinder its practical application. Herein, a selective replacement of O elements in PO4 group by Cl anions in the NMCP system was developed to significantly enhance its electrochemical performance. The results affirm that the enhanced performance of Cl doped samples can be attributed to the enlargement of cell size, the creation of Na vacancies and the weakness of Na2O bond after Cl doping. The as-prepared Na3.85□0.15MnCr(PO3.95Cl0.05)3/C (NMCPC - 15/C) cathode delivers a high capacity (128.0 mAh/g at 50 mA g-1) and excellent rate performance (73.0 mAh/g at 1000 mA g-1) in contrast to NMCP/C that merely provides 105.2 mAh/g at 50 mA g-1 and reduces to 47.4 mAh/g at 1000 mA g-1. Meanwhile, NMCPC - 15/C shows a capacity retention of 60.7 % at 1000 mA g-1 after 500 cycles, while only 37.1 % for NMCP/C in the same test conditions. Moreover, the satisfactory performance and energy density of NMCPC - 15/C||hard carbon (HC) full cell confirm the potential practicality of NMCPC - 15. Therefore, chloride ions doping into NMCP has practical application prospects in the preparation of high-performance cathode materials and our work also offers new inspiration to apply anion doping strategies in promoting the performance of the other NASICON-structured cathodes for SIBs.

Calcineurin B-like protein ZmCBL8-1 promotes salt stress resistance in Arabidopsis.

MAIN CONCLUSION: ZmCBL8-1 enhances salt stress tolerance in maize by improving the antioxidant system to neutralize ROS homeostasis and inducing Na+/H+ antiporter gene expressions of leaves. Calcineurin B-like proteins (CBLs) as plant-specific calcium sensors have been explored for their roles in the regulation of abiotic stress tolerance. Further, the functional variations in ZmCBL8, encoding a component of the salt overly sensitive pathway, conferred the salt stress tolerance in maize. ZmCBL8-1 is a transcript of ZmCBL8 found in maize, but its function in the salt stress response is still unclear. The present study aimed to characterize the protein ZmCBL8-1 that was determined to be composed of 194 amino acids (aa) with three conserved EF hands responsible for binding Ca2+. However, a 20-aa fragment was found to be missing from its C-terminus relative to another transcript of ZmCBL8. Results indicated that it harbored a dual-lipid modification motif MGCXXS at its N-terminus and was located on the cell membrane. The accumulation of ZmCBL8-1 transcripts was high in the roots but relatively lower in the leaves of maize under normal condition. In contrast, its expression was significantly decreased in the roots, while increased in the leaves under NaCl treatment. The overexpression of ZmCBL8-1 resulted in higher salt stress resistance of transgenic Arabidopsis in a Ca2+-dependent manner relative to that of the wild type (WT). In ZmCBL8-1-overexpressing plants exposed to NaCl, the contents of malondialdehyde and hydrogen peroxide were decreased in comparison with those in the WT, and the expression of key genes involved in the antioxidant defense system and Na+/H+ antiporter were upregulated. These results suggested that ZmCBL8-1 played a positive role in the response of leaves to salt stress by inducing the expression of Na+/H+ antiporter genes and enhancing the antioxidant system to neutralize the accumulation of reactive oxygen species. These observations further indicate that ZmCBL8-1 confers salt stress tolerance, suggesting that transcriptional regulation of the ZmCBL8 gene is important for salt tolerance.

The safety and effectiveness of a self-made negative pressure suction device in the treatment of chronic wounds.

INTRODUCTION: Chronic wounds are wounds that are not healed or have no healing tendency for more than 1 month due to various factors. In clinical nursing, chronic wounds are often not properly treated, and the treatment efficiency is low. Therefore, it is very important to explore effective methods to deal with chronic wounds. OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of a self-made negative pressure suction device (NPSD) in the nursing of chronic wounds in the elderly. METHODS: A total of 50 elderly patients with chronic wounds who were hospitalised in our hospital from January 2020 to December 2022 were selected as participants by convenient sampling. According to the random number table method, they were divided into a control group and an observation group, with 25 people in each group. The control group was treated with chloroplast foam dressing, debridement gel and alginate dressing. The observation group was treated with a self-made NPSD on the basis of the control group. The wound healing of the two groups was observed. RESULTS: After the intervention of the self-made NPSD, the granulation tissue coverage rate and wound volume reduction rate of the observation group were significantly increased (p < 0.05), and the positive rate of bacterial infection was significantly decreased (p < 0.05). After 3 months of intervention, the total effective rate of the observation group was significantly higher than that of the control group (χ2  = 3.869, p = 0.0492). CONCLUSION: The self-made NPSD can effectively promote the healing of a chronic wound.

Theoretical study on intra-molecule interactions in TKX-50.

To fully and deeply understand the weak interactions in the gaseous structure of the TKX-50 molecule, two conformations I and II of the TKX-50 molecule confirmed in a crystal cell were optimized at the B3LYP/6-311g(d,p) level in the gas state, and the single point energy of the optimized structure was calculated at the M06-2X/ma-TZVPP level. Analyzing methods for weak interactions such as the interaction region indicator (IRI), topological basin analysis, and the extended transition state-natural orbitals for chemical valence (ETS-NOCV) theory with the help of Multiwfn code were employed to reveal the corresponding intramolecular weak interactions. The results showed that there were 5 kinds of intramolecular weak interaction in both conformations. They are two types of H bond, two types of intra-ring weak interaction, and one type of O-N bond within the molecular fragment containing the bis-tetrazole ring. The combined effect of all these weak interactions holds the bis-tetrazole ring of TKX-50 retaining an almost coplanar configuration. Meanwhile, the strength of these weak interactions is significantly different in conformation I and conformation II. The most obvious difference is that conformation II has a significant H transfer between intramolecular fragments due to the mirror rotation of almost 180° of cations (NH3OH)+ perpendicular to the N-O bond axis thereof as compared to the reference conformation I. This conformational difference not only makes the weak interaction between the two conformations very different but also forms a quasi-covalent bond in conformation II with much larger bonding energy than other H bonds, thus resulting in conformation II having lower electron energy and more stable geometry. In addition, the order of breaking various H bonds in the combustion decomposition process of TKX-50 is deduced by comparing various H bonds.

Targeted Spin-State Regulation to Boost Oxygen Reduction Reaction.

Catalytic reactions are known to be significantly affected by spin states and their variations during reaction processes, yet the mechanisms behind them remain not fully understood, thus preventing the rational optimization of catalysis. Here, we explore the relationship between the spin states of active sites and their catalytic performance, taking the oxygen reduction reaction as an example. We demonstrate that the catalytic performance is spin-state-dependent and can be improved by adjusting spin states during the catalytic process. To this end, we further investigate the possibility of altering the spin states of transition metals through the application of external fields, such as adsorbed species. By studying the influence of the strength of adsorbed ligands on spin states and its impact on catalytic performance, our results show that optimal catalytic performance is achieved when the strength of the external field is neither too strong nor too weak, forming a volcano-like relationship between the catalytic performance and the external field strength. Our findings can have far-reaching implications for the rational design of high-performance catalysis.

Mechanical Properties and Non-Isothermal Crystallization Kinetics of Polylactic Acid Modified by Polyacrylic Elastomers and Cellulose Nanocrystals.

In this paper, a polyacrylic elastomer latex with butyl acrylate (BA) as the core and methyl methacrylate (MMA) copolymerized with glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) as the shell, named poly(BA-MMA-GMA) (PBMG), was synthesized by seeded emulsion polymerization. Cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) was dispersed in the polyacrylic latex to prepare PBMG/CNC dispersions with different CNC contents. The dried product was mixed with polylactic acid (PLA) to fabricate PLA/PBMG/CNC blends. The addition of PBMG and PBMG/CNC improved the mechanical properties of the PLA matrix. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was used to investigate the non-isothermal crystallization kinetics. The Avrami equation modified by the Jeziorny, Ozawa and Mo equations was used to analyze the non-isothermal crystallization kinetics of PLA and its blends. Analysis of the crystallization halftime of non-isothermal conditions indicated that the overall rate of crystallization increased significantly at 1 wt% content of CNC. This seemed to result from the increase of nucleation density and the acceleration of segment movement in the presence of the CNC component. This phenomenon was verified by polarizing microscope observation.

Disease Burden Evaluation of Injury and Poisoning in China from 2009 to 2019.

Background: We aimed to analyze the differences and changing trends of mortality of Injury and Poisoning (IP) between urban and rural areas and gender in China to find out the influencing factors and to propose improvement measures. Methods: IP mortality, population, economy, medical and health information data came from the official web-site of the National Bureau of Statistics, and basic data on education level came from the Chinese Ministry of Education. Then the differences of the mortality of IP were compared between different areas and gender in China from 2009 to 2019, and the relationships between the mortality changes of IP and education level, GDP per capita, the numbers of practicing physicians, health institutions and urbanization rate were also explored by establishing a ridge regression model. Results: The mortality of IP in rural areas was significantly higher than that of urban areas, and in male was higher than that of female (both P<0.001). Primary school graduates, GDP per capita, the number of practicing physicians, health institutions and urbanization rate had strong correlations (rmin=-0.622) with the mortality of IP. Ridge regression model showed that there was a quantitative relationship between primary school graduates, GDP per capita, the number of practising physicians, health institutions, urbanization rate and the mortality of IP in China. Conclusion: As the difference of working nature, economic development imbalance, psychological and gender, the mortality of IP was significantly different, so the state should take more effective measures to develop the urban and rural areas balanced, and reduce the IP risk in some particular occupations.

Iron-Coordinated L-Lysine-Based Nanozymes with High Peroxidase-like Activity for Sensitive Hydrogen Peroxide and Glucose Detection.

It is crucial to develop sensitive and accurate sensing strategies to detect H2O2 and glucose in biological systems. Herein, biocompatible iron-coordinated L-lysine-based hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-mimetic enzymes (Lys-Fe-NPs) were prepared by precipitation polymerization in aqueous solution. The coordinated Fe2+ ion acted as centers of peroxidase-like enzymes of Lys-Fe-NPs, and the catalytic activity was evaluated via the oxidation of 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) by H2O2. Therefore, a sensitive colorimetric detection sensor for H2O2 was constructed with a linear range of 1 to 200 µM and a detection limit of 0.51 µM. The same method could also be applied to highly sensitive and selective detection of glucose, with a linear range of 0.5 to 150 µM and a detection limit of 0.32 µM. In addition, an agarose-based hydrogel biosensor colorimetric was successfully implemented for visual assessment and quantitative detection of glucose. The design provided a novel platform for constructing stable and nonprotein enzyme mimics with lysine and showed great potential applications in biorelevant assays.

ZmCIPK32 positively regulates germination of stressed seeds via gibberellin signal.

Calcineurin B-like proteins (CBLs) as specific calcium sensors that interact with CBL-interacting protein kinases (CIPKs) play a key role in the regulation of plant development and abiotic stress tolerance. In this study, we isolated and characterized the CIPK32 gene from Zea mays. ZmCIPK32 showed that it comprised 440 amino acids and a conserved NAF motif responsible for the interaction with CBLs localized in the cytoplasm and cell membrane. The interaction of ZmCIPK32 with ZmCBL1 and ZmCBL9 demonstrated using yeast two-hybrid system and bimolecular fluorescence complementation assay required the presence of the NAF domain. Overexpression of ZmCIPK32 promoted early germination in transgenic Arabidopsis seeds relative to that observed in wild-type (WT) plants under mannitol treatment. In addition, ZmCIPK32-overexpressing plants were insensitive to treatments with exogenous abscisic acid and paclobutrazol (PBZ) at seed germination and early seedling stages. Expression levels of the key genes GA20ox and GA3ox involved in the synthesis of gibberellin (GA) were increased, whereas expression levels of genes involved in the conversion of active GA to inactive forms and GA signaling were reduced in ZmCIPK32-overexpressing plants relative to those in WT plants under mannitol and PBZ treatments. Furthermore, overexpression of ZmCIPK32 increased GA level but decreased abscisic acid level in transgenic lines compared to the respective levels in WT plants under PBZ or mannitol treatments. Our results suggest that ZmCIPK32 positively regulates seed germination under stressed conditions by modulating GA signals.

Cadmium tolerance and hyperaccumulation in plants - A proteomic perspective of phytoremediation.

Cadmium (Cd) is a major environmental pollutant and poses a risk of transfer into the food chain through contaminated plants. Mechanisms underlying Cd tolerance and hyperaccumulation in plants are not fully understood. Proteomics-based approaches facilitate an in-depth understanding of plant responses to Cd stress at the systemic level by identifying Cd-inducible differentially abundant proteins (DAPs). In this review, we summarize studies related to proteomic changes associated with Cd-tolerance mechanisms in Cd-tolerant crops and Cd-hyperaccumulating plants, especially the similarities and differences across plant species. The enhanced DAPs identified through proteomic studies can be potential targets for developing Cd-hyperaccumulators to remediate Cd-contaminated environments and Cd-tolerant crops with low Cd content in the edible organs. This is of great significance for ensuring the food security of an exponentially growing global population. Finally, we discuss the methodological drawbacks in current proteomic studies and propose that better protocols and advanced techniques should be utilized to further strengthen the reliability and applicability of future Cd-stress-related studies in plants. This review provides insights into the improvement of phytoremediation efficiency and an in-depth study of the molecular mechanisms of Cd enrichment in plants.

Near Infrared-Activatable Methylene Blue Polypeptide Codelivery of the NO Prodrug via π-π Stacking for Cascade Reactive Oxygen Species Amplification-Mediated Photodynamic Therapy.

The application of photodynamic therapy (PDT) has attracted remarkable interest in cancer treatment because of the advantages of noninvasiveness and spatiotemporal selectivity. However, the PDT efficiency is considerably limited by photosensitizer (PS) quenching and severe hypoxia in solid tumors. Herein, a kind of near infrared (NIR)-activatable methylene blue (MB) peptide nanocarrier was developed for codelivery of nitric oxide (NO) prodrug JSK, expecting a cascade of reactive oxygen species (ROS) amplification-mediated antitumor PDT. In detail, MB was conjugated to water-soluble polyethylene glycol-polylysine (PEG-PLL) through NIR-photocleavable 10-N-carbamoyl bonds, and the subsequent amphiphilic conjugates (mPEG-PLL-MB) self-assembled into nanoparticles (NPs), which allowed JSK codelivery via π-π stacking interactions. MB in quenched state in mPEG-PLL-MB/JSK NPs could be photoactivated by NIR light locoregionally in a controlled manner due to the photocleavage of carbamoyl bonds. Apart from ROS production, assembly disturbance and even disintegration of mPEG-PLL-MB/JSK occurred along with MB activation that subsequently freed JSK, which was further triggered by intracellularly overexpressed glutathione (GSH) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) to sustain the release of NO. NO then served as a hypoxia relief agent through inhibition of cellular respiration to economize O2, cooperating with MB activation and GSH depletion, which synergistically enabled a cascade of ROS amplification to augment PDT for mitochondrial apoptosis-mediated tumor inhibition in vitro and in vivo. Therefore, this pioneering strategy of cascade amplification of ROS addressed the key issues of PS inactivation, hypoxia resistance, and ROS neutralization in a three-pronged approach, which hold great promise in efficient antitumor PDT.

Genetic Engineering of Starch Biosynthesis in Maize Seeds for Efficient Enzymatic Digestion of Starch during Bioethanol Production.

Maize accumulates large amounts of starch in seeds which have been used as food for human and animals. Maize starch is an importantly industrial raw material for bioethanol production. One critical step in bioethanol production is degrading starch to oligosaccharides and glucose by α-amylase and glucoamylase. This step usually requires high temperature and additional equipment, leading to an increased production cost. Currently, there remains a lack of specially designed maize cultivars with optimized starch (amylose and amylopectin) compositions for bioethanol production. We discussed the features of starch granules suitable for efficient enzymatic digestion. Thus far, great advances have been made in molecular characterization of the key proteins involved in starch metabolism in maize seeds. The review explores how these proteins affect starch metabolism pathway, especially in controlling the composition, size and features of starch. We highlight the roles of key enzymes in controlling amylose/amylopectin ratio and granules architecture. Based on current technological process of bioethanol production using maize starch, we propose that several key enzymes can be modified in abundance or activities via genetic engineering to synthesize easily degraded starch granules in maize seeds. The review provides a clue for developing special maize cultivars as raw material in the bioethanol industry.

The Roles of CDPKs as a Convergence Point of Different Signaling Pathways in Maize Adaptation to Abiotic Stress.

The calcium ion (Ca2+), as a well-known second messenger, plays an important role in multiple processes of growth, development, and stress adaptation in plants. As central Ca2+ sensor proteins and a multifunctional kinase family, calcium-dependent protein kinases (CDPKs) are widely present in plants. In maize, the signal transduction processes involved in ZmCDPKs' responses to abiotic stresses have also been well elucidated. In addition to Ca2+ signaling, maize ZmCDPKs are also regulated by a variety of abiotic stresses, and they transmit signals to downstream target molecules, such as transport proteins, transcription factors, molecular chaperones, and other protein kinases, through protein interaction or phosphorylation, etc., thus changing their activity, triggering a series of cascade reactions, and being involved in hormone and reactive oxygen signaling regulation. As such, ZmCDPKs play an indispensable role in regulating maize growth, development, and stress responses. In this review, we summarize the roles of ZmCDPKs as a convergence point of different signaling pathways in regulating maize response to abiotic stress, which will promote an understanding of the molecular mechanisms of ZmCDPKs in maize tolerance to abiotic stress and open new opportunities for agricultural applications.

Characteristics, likelihood and challenges of road traffic injuries in China before COVID-19 and in the postpandemic era.

Through a review of previous studies, this paper analysed the epidemiological characteristics and attempts to determine the various trends of road traffic injuries (RTIs) in China before and after the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This paper proposed effective measures and suggestions for responding to RTIs in China. Moreover, this paper aimed to provide some references for studies on RTIs in the future. According to a reference review, 50 articles related to RTIs were published and viewed in the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang database, Weipu (VIP) database and PubMed/MEDLINE database. Articles were selected according to the exclusion and inclusion criteria and then classified and summarized. Regarding cases, RTIs in China were highest in summer, autumn, and in rural areas and lowest in February. Men, elderly individuals and people living in rural areas were more susceptible to RTIs. In addition, thanks to effective and proactive policies and measures, the number of RTIs and casualties in China has substantially decreased, while there has been a growing number of traffic accidents along with the increase in nonmotor vehicles. However, it is worth noting that the number of RTIs obviously fell during the COVID-19 pandemic due to traffic lockdown orders and home quarantine policies. Nevertheless, accidents related to electric bicycles increased unsteadily because of the reduction in public transportation use at the same time. The factors that cause RTIs in China can be divided into four aspects: human behaviours, road conditions, vehicles and the environment. As a result, measures responding to RTIs should be accordingly proposed. Moreover, the road traffic safety situation in developing countries was more severe than that in developed countries. RTIs in China showed a downward trend attributed to road safety laws and various policies, and the downward trend was more significant during the COVID-19 pandemic owing to traffic lockdowns and home quarantine measures. It is urgent and necessary to promote road traffic safety, reduce injuries, and minimize the burden of injuries in developing countries.

Nucleophilic ring-opening of thiocyclic carbonates: A scheme to prepare sulfhydryl-rich binders for high-performance lithium-sulfur batteries.

Problems such as cathode collapse caused by volume change and shuttle effect of lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) limit the commercialization of Lithium-Sulfur (Li-S). Herein, we developed a sulfhydryl-containing multifunctional binder prepared by the nucleophilic ring-opening reaction of thiocyclic carbonates with amino groups. The binders (CNP-T and CNP-F) form sulfur-containing polymers with sulfur through the wet-slurry process, thereby effectively suppressing the shuttle effect. The abundant polar functional groups (e.g., -NH2, -CS(NH)-) in CNP-T and CNP-F can effectively adsorb LiPSs to weaken the shuttle effect, which is confirmed by both density functional theory (DFT) and experimental results. At the same time, their own hyperbranched network structure can also limit the volume change of the sulfur cathode. Therefore, the Li-S battery exhibits an initial specific capacity of 924.02 mAh/g and a decay rate of 0.033% when cycled at 1C for 500 cycles.

Analysis of road traffic injuries and casualties in China: a ten-year nationwide longitudinal study.

Background: Road traffic injuries (RTIs) are a serious global problem, and a huge challenge for both economic development and public health. Methods: This longitudinal study was based on the national data from Chinese authorities. Descriptive analysis was utilized to analyze the prevalence and trend of RTIs among different types, groups and regions. In addition, ridge regression or/and curve regression were also used to explore the relationship between those possible influencing factors and RTIs. Results: From 2010 to 2019, the death toll from motor vehicle accidents (MVAs) decreased firstly and then increased, while the death toll from non-MVAs continued to rise since 2012, and the death toll from pedestrian and occupant accidents fluctuated only a little. The mortality rate of MVA was relatively stable from 2010 to 2012, and declined from 2013. The mortality rate of motor vehicle accidents was higher in rural than urban, the same to male compared with female. The results of ridge regression showed that gross domestic product (GDP)-per-capita, total population, number of health personnel and car ownership were positively correlated with the death toll of non-MVAs (P < 0.05). Additionally, the results of curve regression suggested that the quadratic or cubic relationship between each factor and the number of MVAs was well fitted, while only partially fitted in fatalities. Conclusions: In recent years, RTIs in China show different trends, and the problem of non-motor vehicle traffic injuries has been neglected which should be paid more attention. Moreover, according to the new trends and traffic conditions in RTIs revealed in this study, it is necessary to formulate targeted intervention measures establish a multi-faceted comprehensive safety system to reduce the disease burden of RTIs as well as the total injuries.