Microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC), primarily caused by sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) biofilms, presents a significant challenge to the integrity of petroleum pipeline systems. In this study, zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) were green-synthesized using tomato peel extract and evaluated for their corrosion inhibition performance in anaerobic conditions. The presence of phytochemicals in the extract facilitated the formation of hexagonal wurtzite-structured ZnO NPs (with a size range of 20–45 nm) with organic-inorganic hybrid interfaces, enhancing their interfacial interaction and anti-biofilm capability. Surface-bound biomolecules rapidly adsorbed onto the metal surface, forming a transient passivation layer that effectively suppressed early-stage corrosion by retarding initial anodic dissolution. The green-synthesized ZnO NPs achieved a 90.6% reduction in viable SRB cells, reduced corrosion rate by 74.2% (based on weight loss), decreased corrosion pit depth by 83.9% (via 3D profilometry), and inhibited biofilm formation by 67.5% (quantified by CLSM). Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy further showed that the green ZnO NPs increased charge-transfer resistance by approximately 13 times and 11 times after 7 and 28 days, respectively, outperforming chemically synthesized ZnO NPs by about 7.8 times. The enhanced electrochemical performance, combined with the sustainable origin derived from agricultural waste and the environmental friendliness of the synthesis process, underscores the potential of tomato peel-derived ZnO NPs as an efficient and eco-friendly alternative for MIC mitigation in oilfield pipeline systems.

Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H MRS) enables non-invasive in vivo detection of metabolites and biochemical alterations, providing critical information for neurological disease diagnosis and metabolic monitoring. However, conventional ¹H MRS is restricted to endogenous metabolites with resonance signals clustered in the 1–5 ppm region, resulting in severe spectral overlap that fundamentally limits specific identification of target biomolecules. While reaction-responsive molecular probes are widely used in optical imaging, their integration with ¹H MRS to resolve spectral congestion remains underexplored. We develop a reaction-based chemical shift engineering strategy for ¹H MRS. Target-specific chemical reactions generate well-resolved resonance peaks beyond 5 ppm, thereby circumventing interference from endogenous metabolites and water signals. As a proof of concept, we engineered a molecular probe FS for selective detection of norepinephrine (NE), a key neurotransmitter implicated in depression. We elucidated the reaction mechanism via theoretical simulation, and validated its performance in aqueous solutions, PC12 cells, and fluoxetine-treated live rats on a 7.0 T magnetic resonance system. The probe FS undergoes specific cascade nucleophilic substitution with NE to produce 4-hydroxybutanal, which yields a characteristic aldehyde proton resonance at 9.7 ppm, fully separated from endogenous spectral signals. The probe exhibited favorable selectivity, anti-interference capacity and pH stability in vitro. Furthermore, FS successfully detected endogenous NE secretion in PC12 cells and enabled in vivo monitoring of pharmacologically elevated NE in rat brains. This work establishes a generalizable strategy to expand the metabolic detection scope of ¹H MRS via analyte-specific chemical reactions, holding significant translational potential for disease diagnosis, dynamic metabolic monitoring and preclinical drug evaluation.

This study simulated four ionic environments and combined electrochemistry, surface characterizations and metatranscriptomics to explore the individual and coupled effects of Cl- and SO42- on microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) of X65 carbon steel. The four environments were: control group (W1), high-chloride (W2), high-sulphate (W3), and composite ionic (W4). After 21 days of immersion, corrosion rates followed W4 > W2 > W3 > W1. Cl- destroyed the passive film and caused severe pitting corrosion, while SO42- enhanced SRB metabolism and promoted a 50 μm-thick dense biofilm. Under combined Cl-/SO42- stress, chemical corrosion and MIC acted synergistically, forming loose porous products with a maximum pitting depth of 8.77 μm. Metatranscriptomics demonstrated that composite ions reshaped microbial gene networks and upregulated genes for sulfur metabolism, energy production, transmembrane transport and biofilm synthesis. Key ribosome and stress-response genes (cspA, rmf) showed the highest expression in W4. SRB and halotolerant bacteria were co-enriched to drive interfacial corrosion. These findings reveal that ion-regulated microbial metabolic transcription enhances extracellular electron transfer (EET) and interfacial electrochemical activity, which constitutes the core bioelectrochemical mechanism for synergistic corrosion. This study reveals the bioelectrochemical and transcriptional mechanism by which ions regulate microbial metabolism to accelerate synergistic corrosion.

While immunotherapy represents a breakthrough in cancer treatment by enabling specific tumor targeting with reduced toxicity, its success is often impeded by the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). Conditions within the TME, particularly hypoxia and high glutathione (GSH) concentrations, actively suppress immune activation, leading to suboptimal therapeutic outcomes. To address these limitations, we developed a manganese-doped layered double hydroxide nanosystem loaded with chlorin e6 (Mn-LDH-Ce6). By catalyzing the decomposition of endogenous H2O2 into oxygen, the platform's catalase (CAT)-mimetic function enhances the sonodynamic therapy under ultrasound. This synergistically results in a pronounced increase in ROS and oxidative stress, while the subsequent irradiation further propagates ROS generation and directly initiates pyroptosis. However, the elevated glutathione levels in the TME paradoxically counteract this effect by scavenging oxidative species and exacerbating immunosuppression, ultimately compromising therapeutic outcomes. To disrupt this defense mechanism, Mn-LDH-Ce6 harnesses its glutathione oxidase (GSHOx)-like activity to deplete GSH, which in turn induces its own degradation within the TME and enables Ce6 release, collectively implementing a dual-action strategy that reinstates potent antitumor activity. Notably, released Mn2+ ions activate the cGAS-STING pathway, promoting STING phosphorylation and interferon-mediated immunity. Through the integrated sonodynamic amplification of oxidative stress, pyroptosis induction, and cGAS-STING pathway activation, this nanoplatform effectively reverses immunosuppression and curbs tumor growth, thereby establishing an innovative design concept and a theoretical framework for combined sonodynamic therapy and immunotherapy.

Sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) in oil pipeline reinjection water can lead to microbial corrosion (MIC) and environmental contamination, and conventional chemical biocides suffer from ecotoxicity and microbial resistance. This study proposes a sustainable solution for green synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) based on fruit peel extracts. ZnO NPs were prepared by biosynthesis using waste fruit peel (citrus, tomato and lemon) extracts as complexing and stabilizing agents, and their morphology, crystal structure and surface functional groups were characterized by SEM, XRD and FTIR. The antimicrobial performance and anticorrosion mechanism were comprehensively evaluated by the determination of minimum inhibitory concentration, quantitative biofilm analysis, as well as carbon steel corrosion weight loss method characterization. The synthesized ZnO NPs have a particle size of 20–50 nm (spherical) and hexagonal fibrillated zincite crystal structure. Among the tested nanoparticles, the one synthesized from tomato peel extract was the most effective, achieving 94.58

Microbiologically induced corrosion (MIC) is widespread in the oilfield industry, and new environmentally friendly materials are urgently needed to inhibit MIC with the increasing environmental requirements and microbial resistance problems. The synthesis method and cost of the materials are important factors that must be considered in the production and application. In this study, Ag/Cu bimetallic nanoparticles (BNPs) were synthesized by eco-friendly and sustainable method using waste banana peel extract (BPE) as a green reducing. The antibacterial and corrosion inhibition properties of Ag/Cu BNPs were investigated by using the enriched mixed strains containing sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) as model bacteria. The results of electron microscopy showed that the prepared BNPs exhibited spherical structure with about 19.0 nm in size. The synthesized nanoparticles significantly inhibited the growth of mixed strains by antimicrobial experiments with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) value of 9.38 μg/mL. The addition of Ag/Cu BNPs (9.38 μg/mL) inhibited the corrosion of X65 carbon steel induced by the mixed strains with 77.9% compared to the untreated condition. Correspondingly, the number of sessile SRB cells in the solution containing Ag/Cu BNPs (9.38 μg/mL) after 28 days of immersion decreased by 5-log compared with the treatment group without nanomaterials (1.1 × 108 cells/cm2). Furthermore, the observation of the surface morphology and strains cellular microstructure of carbon steel treated with nanoparticle materials illustrated that the corrosion inhibition mechanism mainly includes destroying cell structure, affecting metabolic activities and inhibiting biofilm formation. The environmentally friendly nanoparticle materials prepared in this study have great potential in the safe and clean production of oil fields.

The aim of this study was to provide a new possibility to inhibit microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) and microbial resistance problems prevalent in the oilfield industry. The study focused on the preparation of composite nanoparticles by using rhamnolipids as stabilizers and doping them with copper-based nanoparticles and utilizing the functional synergy of both to inhibit the MIC. The antibacterial and corrosion inhibition properties of the prepared composites against mixed sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) enriched in oilfield production water were investigated. The antibacterial and corrosion inhibition effects of the composite nanoparticles were superior to those of the copper-based nanoparticles at the same concentration. Antibacterial experiments showed that the synthesized composites significantly inhibited the growth of SRB and disrupted their cellular structure. In corrosion inhibition experiments, an effective corrosion inhibition effect against SRB corrosion on X65 carbon steel corrosion was observed, with the corrosion inhibition rate reaching 75.3 %, the biofilm thickness was reduced by 75.4 %, and the depth of corrosion pits was reduced by 87.5 %. The corrosion inhibition mechanism mainly includes the synergistic destruction of cell structure by rhamnolipids and copper-based nanoparticles, which affects metabolic activities, reduces bacterial adhesion on the carbon steel surface and inhibits the formation of biofilm. Therefore, the composite have the potential to act as effective corrosion inhibitors.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) transplantation is a promising therapeutic strategy for ischemic stroke. However, the survival of transplanted MSCs is often compromised by the excessive levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and calcium ions (Ca2+) in the ischemic microenvironment following blood flow occlusion. In this study, a protective strategy is developed using functional nanomaterials to escort and shield MSCs. Specifically, NaGdF4@PDA-ALD nanoparticles (NPANs) are synthesized, featuring a NaGdF4 core coated with polydopamine (PDA) for ROS scavenging and further modified with alendronate sodium (ALD) for Ca2+ chelation. The internalization of NPANs by MSCs protected them from oxidative damage and calcium overload, thereby promoting their viability and functionality. Furthermore, NaGdF4 generated T1 signal enhancement, enabling in vivo tracking of MSCs via magnetic resonance imaging. The NPANs-treated MSCs demonstrated improved survival and migration to the ischemic region, promoting blood flow restoration and angiogenesis. These findings confirm the feasibility of employing functional nanoparticles to augment MSCs-based therapies, offering a promising strategy to improve their therapeutic efficacy in ischemic stroke treatment.

Sulfite radicals (·SO3-) are sulfur-centered reactive species with relatively strong oxidizing and nucleophilic properties, showing great promise for tumor therapy by interacting with numerous biomolecules. However, the massive in situ generation of ·SO3- in tumor cells poses a significant challenge. Therefore, it is of great importance to explore novel strategies that facilitate the efficient in situ generation of ·SO3-. Here, we engineered a nanocomposite FePEIDN, capable of specifically responding to the tumor microenvironment (TME) to generate ·SO3- with long half-life for efficient tumor treatment. In this nano-system, amorphous iron (amorphous Fe0) nanoparticles were modified with polyetherimide (PEI), followed by covalent conjugation of 2,4-dinitrobenzenesulfonyl (DN) moiety onto their surface to obtain the desired FePEIDN. The FePEIDN responded to high concentrations of glutathione (GSH) in the TME to form sulfite (SO32-). Simultaneously, FePEIDN could release Fe2+, initiating the Fenton reaction to convert the overproduced H2O2 into hydroxyl radicals (·OH) and generating peroxidase-like Fe (III) species that catalyze SO32- to ·SO3-. Both in vitro and in vivo findings revealed that FePEIDN exhibited a satisfactory therapeutic effect on tumors. This work not only sheds light on an avenue for combating cancer but also provides promising insights into the development of innovative anti-cancer drugs.

Epoxy resin (EP) is a candidate material for offshore oil platform safety signs due to its excellent corrosion resistance property. However, fabricating EP with good anti-corrosion as well as mechanical properties remains a significant challenge. Here, we report a new modification strategy to simultaneously improve the corrosion resistance and mechanical performance of EP by coupling it with KH550 silanized graphene oxide (KGO) and KH550 silanized glass fiber (KGF). KGO and KGF were grafted onto EP to obtain the modified EP material, i.e., KGO/KGF/EP composites and were characterized by FITR, XRD, SEM, and TGA to confirm the successful synthesis of the composites. It is shown that the tensile strength and adhesion strength of KGO/KGF/EP were 85.5 MPa and 16.0 MPa, which are 10.3% and 23.1% higher than KGO/GF/EP. Compared with KGF/EP, the corrosion potential increased by 9.9% and the corrosion rate decreased by 98.8%. Moreover, fluid–structure coupling simulation indicated the maximum stress of the material was within the criteria under extreme wind speeds, demonstrating its great potential for offshore oil platform safety sign applications.

Tau PET tracers are being developed for imaging Alzheimer's disease (AD), primary tauopathies, and potentially screening of cognitively unimpaired elders. A second-generation tau tracer PM-PBB3, currently in Phase 3 clinical trials with FDA Fast Track Designation, shows promise as a broad-spectrum tau imaging agent, but is limited by photoisomerization and binding to amyloid fibrils. Herein, the study reports the development of a better tau probe, BMP-7, created by strategically introducing a methyl group at position 2 of the butadiene scaffold to enhance its chemical and biological properties. BMP-7 exhibits remarkable photostability, showing no significant change in HPLC assays after 6 h of light exposure. Critically, BMP-7 demonstrates increased sensitivity and 4.9-fold greater selectivity than PM-PBB3 for detecting tau pathology in brain sections from transgenic mouse models of AD and 4R tauopathies. Specifically, BMP-7 binds to MC1-reactive pathological tau conformations requiring both C- and N-terminal phosphorylation, which is abolished by in vitro dephosphorylation. Furthermore, BMP-7 readily penetrates the blood-brain barrier and binds to tau pathology in vivo. These studies demonstrate that BMP-7 bearing 2-methyl-butadiene scaffold improves photostability and significantly enhances the sensitivity and selectivity of tau pathology detection, offering substantial advantages for future applications. Therefore, BMP-7 shows potential for further clinical development.

This study aimed to optimize the electrochemical dissolution process of GH4738 scrap, a Ni-based superalloy, to achieve a high dissolution rate with minimal energy consumption. Using the Plackett–Burman design, we identified four key factors from a pool of eight candidates that significantly influence both the dissolution rate and energy consumption: current density, NiCl2 concentration, electrolysis time, and H2SO4 concentration. The steepest ascent method was then applied to define a region that minimized energy consumption while maximizing the dissolution rate. Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to determine the central point for further analysis, providing valuable insights for optimizing the dissolution parameters. The study demonstrated that increasing the NiCl2 concentration reduced the breakdown potential, and at an H2SO4 concentration of 1.5 mol/L, high dissolution efficiency was achieved with minimal energy consumption. The interactions among the parameters significantly affected the dissolution performance. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) confirmed the significant influence of these parameters on the dissolution behavior of Ni-based superalloys. This research contributes to the understanding of GH4738 scrap dissolution and provides a systematic approach for optimizing the process, which is crucial for efficient material recovery and laboratory sustainability.

Sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) is one of the main microorganisms that induce MIC. In order to explore the influence of different SRB content in different water media on X65 test tablets, the corrosion mechanism and the effect of developed antibacterial materials were revealed from the electrochemical level. In this paper, the systematic simulation of seawater and production water was carried out, and fluorescence analysis, electrochemical analysis and scanning electron microscopy analysis were carried out. The study of electrochemical corrosion law shows that the corrosion current density under bacterial condition is significantly higher than that under sterile condition, indicating that bacteria promote corrosion. The plant-based Ag/Cu bimetallic nanoparticle inhibitor can inhibit the corrosion of carbon steel by sulfate-reducing bacteria.

The central nervous system (CNS) maintains homeostasis with its surrounding environment by restricting the ingress of large hydrophilic molecules, immune cells, pathogens, and other external harmful substances to the brain. This function relies heavily on the blood-cerebrospinal fluid (B-CSF) and blood-brain barrier (BBB). Although considerable research has examined the structure and function of the BBB, the B-CSF barrier has received little attention. Therapies for disorders associated with the central nervous system have the potential to benefit from targeting the B-CSF barrier to enhance medication penetration into the brain. In this study, we synthesized a nanoprobe ANG-PEG-UCNP capable of crossing the B-CSF barrier with high targeting specificity using a hydrocephalus model for noninvasive magnetic resonance ventriculography to understand the mechanism by which the CSF barrier may be crossed and identify therapeutic targets of CNS diseases. This magnetic resonance nanoprobe ANG-PEG-UCNP holds promising potential as a safe and effective means for accurately defining the ventricular anatomy and correctly locating sites of CSF obstruction.

Complex microbiological interactions in reinjection water can lead to severe corrosion of pipelines. In this study, X65 specimen was used for corrosion simulation experiments to explore the microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) and mechanism in actual oilfield reinjection water. The results of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) showed that the X65 carbon steel was severely corroded by microorganisms, with the maximum localized corrosion pit depth of 15.04 mu m after 28 days of immersion. Electrochemical analysis and weight loss measurement further confirmed that the mixed microorganisms caused serious corrosion of X65 carbon steel, and the maximum corrosion rate was 0.249 mm/y. Furthermore, microbial community structure determination showed that mixed microorganisms in the actual reinjection water formed a corrosive biofilm on the surface of X65 steel, inducing severe pitting corrosion, which was mainly attributed to the synergistic effect of Pseudomonas, sulfur-oxidizing bacteria (SOB), sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) and methanogenic archaea. The results of this study have important guiding significance for the identification of MIC process for actual water samples of the oilfield and the timely adjustment of MIC control measures.

Molecular imaging holds the potential for noninvasive and accurate grading of liver fibrosis. It is limited by the lack of biomarkers that strongly correlate with liver fibrosis grade. Here, we discover the grading potential of fibroblast activation protein alpha (FAP alpha) for liver fibrosis through transcriptional analysis and biological assays on clinical liver samples. The protein and mRNA expression of FAP alpha are linearly correlated with fibrosis grade (R2 = 0.89 and 0.91, respectively). A FAP alpha-responsive MRI molecular nanoprobe is prepared for quantitatively grading liver fibrosis. The nanoprobe is composed of superparamagnetic amorphous iron nanoparticles (AFeNPs) and paramagnetic gadoteric acid (Gd-DOTA) connected by FAP alpha-responsive peptide chains (ASGPAGPA). As liver fibrosis worsens, the increased FAP alpha cut off more ASGPAGPA, restoring a higher T1-MRI signal of Gd-DOTA. Otherwise, the signal remains quenched due to the distance-dependent magnetic resonance tuning (MRET) effect between AFeNPs and Gd-DOTA. The nanoprobe identifies F1, F2, F3, and F4 fibrosis, with area under the curve of 99.8%, 66.7%, 70.4%, and 96.3% in patients' samples, respectively. This strategy exhibits potential in utilizing molecular imaging for the early detection and grading of liver fibrosis in the clinic. Molecular imaging holds promise for liver fibrosis grading but limited by a lack of effective biomarker. Here, the authors discover the grading potential of fibroblast activation protein alpha and design a responsive MRI nanoprobe that achieves fibrosis grading in mice models and clinical samples.

Using polyaniline as the modification material, copper was loaded into the structure of polyaniline, and its structure and morphology were characterized to prove the successful preparation of polyaniline/copper composite material. The internal structure of the substrate, polyaniline, polyaniline/copper and working electrode was characterized by SEM. The results showed that the prepared composite material had been fully loaded on the nickel foam. The three-dimensional porous structure of nickel foam improves the charge transfer efficiency, provides more contact sites for detecting hydrogen peroxide and increases the specific surface area of the electrode. Acrylamide was selected as the main component of the electrolyte gel, and a flexible hydrogel with good conductivity and transparency was obtained by adding other substances. Nickel foam was used as the base material and then soaked in the composite material solution to obtain the working electrode. An electrochemical workstation was used to test the electrochemical performance of the sensor. The prepared electrochemical sensor has a good response to hydrogen peroxide. When the amount of polyaniline is 0.3 g, the sensor has the best detection effect. When sulfonic acid is added to the electrolyte gel, the sensor has a more obvious current response to hydrogen peroxide.

Inactivating hyperactivated transcription factors can overcome tumor therapy resistance, but their undruggable features limit the development of conventional inhibitors. Here, we report that carbon-centered free radicals (R⋅) can inactivate NF-κB transcription by capping the active sites in both NF-κB and DNA. We construct a type of thermosensitive R⋅ initiator loaded amphiphilic nano-micelles to facilitate intracellular delivery of R⋅. At a temperature of 43 °C, the generated R⋅ engage in electrophilic radical addition towards double bonds in nucleotide bases, and simultaneously cap the sulfhydryl residues in NF-κB through radical chain reaction. As a result, both NF-κB nuclear translocation and NF-κB-DNA binding are suppressed, leading to a remarkable NF-κB inhibition of up to 94.1 %. We have further applied R⋅ micelles in a clinical radiofrequency ablation tumor therapy model, showing remarkable NF-κB inactivation and consequently tumor metastasis inhibition. Radical capping strategy not only provides a method to solve the heat-sink effect in clinic tumor hyperthermia, but also suggests a new perspective for controllable modification of biomacromolecules in cancer therapy.

Corn starch was modified by different methods (acetylation, esterification and amination). The effects of different modification methods on the structure and physicochemical properties of starch were investigated. Four kinds of starches were reacted with copper respectively, and the influence of four kinds of starches on the preparation of copper was investigated under the condition of different addition amounts. Including the morphology and antibacterial effect of copper, it provides a reference for the selection of starch/copper in the future research. In this paper, the structure, morphology and thermodynamic properties of four kinds of starch and modified starch/copper were characterized and analyzed, and the antibacterial properties of starch/copper were tested by enzyme labeling. The results show that: After starch was modified in different ways, its internal crystal structure changed, but the change was small. After modification, the hydrophobicity of starch was improved, and the contact Angle was about 40°. The thermodynamic properties are also improved, and the esterification effect is better. In terms of morphology, the surface of the original starch particles is smooth and most of them are irregular, while the modified starch morphology changes obviously and the particle structure is destroyed. Under the condition of adding the original starch, the copper morphology is mostly irregular, but after adding the modified starch, the copper with hexahedral morphology can be obtained. In addition, the antibacterial effect of starch/copper was not significantly related to the different dosage, and the modification of starch had a certain effect on the antibacterial effect, in contrast, amylamine/copper had the best effect.

The spatiotemporal characterization of signaling crosstalk between subcellular organelles is crucial for the therapeutic effect of malignant tumors. Blocking interactive crosstalk in this fashion is significant but challenging. Herein, a communication interception strategy is reported, which blocks spatiotemporal crosstalk between subcellular organelles for cancer therapy with underlying molecular mechanisms. Briefly, amorphous-core@crystalline-shell Fe@Fe3 O4 nanoparticles (ACFeNPs) are fabricated to specifically block the crosstalk between lysosomes and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) by hydroxyl radicals generated along with their trajectory through heterogeneous Fenton reaction. ACFeNPs initially enter lysosomes and trigger autophagy, then continuous lysosomal damage blocks the generation of functional autolysosomes, which mediates ER-lysosome crosstalk, thus the autophagy is paralyzed. Thereafter, released ACFeNPs from lysosomes induce ER stress. Without the alleviation by autophagy, the ER-stress-associated apoptotic pathway is fully activated, resulting in a remarkable therapeutic effect. This strategy provides a wide venue for nanomedicine to exert biological advantages and confers new perspective for the design of novel anticancer drugs.