Designer DNA nanodevices have attracted extensive interest for detection of specific targets in living cells. However, it still remains a great challenge to construct DNA sensing devices that can be activated at desired time with a remotely applied stimulus. Here we report a rationally designed, synthetic DNA nanodevice that can detect ATP in living cells in an upconversion luminescence-activatable manner. The nanodevice consists of a UV light-activatable aptamer probe and lanthanide-doped upconversion nanoparticles which acts as the nanotransducers to operate the device in response to NIR light. We demonstrate that the nanodevice not only enables efficient cellular delivery of the aptamer probe into live cells, but also allows the temporal control over its fluorescent sensing activity for ATP by NIR light irradiation in vitro and in vivo. Ultimately, with the availability of diverse aptamers selected in vitro, the DNA nanodevice platform will allow NIR-triggered sensing of various targets as well as modulation of biological functions in living systems.

Biofilm is difficult to thoroughly cure with conventional antibiotics due to the high mechanical stability and antimicrobial barrier resulting from extracellular polymeric substances. Encouraged by the great potential of magnetic micro-/nanorobots in various fields and their enhanced action in swarm form, we designed a magnetic microswarm consisting of porous Fe3O4 mesoparticles (p-Fe3O4 MPs) and explored its application in biofilm disruption. Here, the p-Fe3O4 MPs microswarm (p-Fe3O4 swarm) was generated and actuated by a simple rotating magnetic field, which exhibited the capability of remote actuation, high cargo capacity, and strong localized convections. Notably, the p-Fe3O4 swarm could eliminate biofilms with high efficiency due to synergistic effects of chemical and physical processes: (i) generating bactericidal free radicals (•OH) for killing bacteria cells and degrading the biofilm by p-Fe3O4 MPs; (ii) physically disrupting the biofilm and promoting •OH penetration deep into biofilms by the swarm motion. As a demonstration of targeted treatment, the p-Fe3O4 swarm could be actuated to clear the biofilm along the geometrical route on a 2D surface and sweep away biofilm clogs in a 3D U-shaped tube. This designed microswarm platform holds great potential in treating biofilm occlusions particularly inside the tiny and tortuous cavities of medical and industrial settings.

Creating nanoparticle dimers has attracted extensive interest. However, it still remains a great challenge to synthesize heterodimers with asymmetric compositions and synergistically enhanced functions. In this work, we report the synthesis of high quality heterodimers composed of porphyrinic nanoscale metal-organic frameworks (nMOF) and lanthanide-doped upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs). Due to the dual optical properties inherited from individual nanoparticles and their interactions, absorption of low energy photons by the UCNPs is followed by energy transfer to the nMOFs, which then undergo activation of porphyrins to generate singlet oxygen. Furthermore, the strategy enables the synthesis of heterodimers with tunable UCNP size and dual NIR light harvesting functionality. We demonstrated that the hybrid architectures represent a promising platform to combine NIR-induced photodynamic therapy and chemotherapy for efficient cancer treatment. We believe that such heterodimers are capable of expanding their potential for applications in solar cells, photocatalysis, and nanomedicine.

To study the clinical presentation and treatment outcome among children in South Western China with retinoblastoma (RB) and to determine factors predictive of poor outcome.A retrospective review of children diagnosed with RB from 2006 to 2015 at West China Hospital was undertaken. Demographic and clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes were studied.A total of 253 patients (unilateral 80.2%, bilateral 19.8%) were studied. Twenty six patients (10.3%) were from minority ethnic groups of China. The median onset age was 21 months. Leukocoria was the most common presenting sign (71%). Tumors were intraocular in 91.3% cases, extraocular in 8.7% cases. Extraocular RB patients had a longer median lag period than intraocular patients (9 months vs 2 months, P < 0.0001). In the intraocular group, 89.5% were advanced group D or E diseases. Enucleation was the major treatment for intraocular RB. However, over 10 years, the enucleation rate decreased constantly while more patients received chemotherapy. The Kaplan–Meier survival probability was 87.8%, 81.4%, and 74.8% at 3 years, 5 years, and 10 years, respectively. On Cox regression analysis, extraocular RB (P = 0.0008) and treatment abandonment (P < 0.0001) were associated with poor outcome; bilateral RB (P = 0.0116) and advanced pathological grade pT4 (P = 0.0011) were associated with poor outcome of intraocular RB.Most RB patients from South Western China were diagnosed at advanced clinical stage. Delayed presentation is related to extraocular RB which is a risk factor for poor outcome. Chemotherapy increased the eye salvage but had no effects to overall survival. Education for parents and general physicians for the early signs of RB (such as leukocoria), therapeutic strategy and treatment outcomes of RB may promote early diagnosis, improve the compliance, and outcome.

Early mortality remains a major challenge for the treatment of hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), which warrants the need for prompt risk stratification in the early phase of the disease. We retrospectively analyzed clinical features of a cohort of pediatric patients managed at a tertiary hospital in southern China from 2005 to 2015. A total of 116 patients (median age 27.5 months) with predominantly secondary HLH were included. In a multivariate Cox regression model, neutrophils <0.5 × 10(9)/L (risk ratio (RR) = 5.01; 95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.55-16.20; P = 0.007), total bilirubin over twofold upper limit of normal value (RR = 2.86; 95 % CI 0.83-9.88; P = 0.097), and albumin ≤20 g/L (RR = 5.79; 95 % CI 1.70-19.73; P = 0.005) at diagnosis were independent risk factors for 30-day mortality. The 30-day overall survival rate (OS) of patients with three risk factors was significantly lower than that of patients with zero to two risk factors (0 vs 90.7 %; P<0.001). Patients with three risk factors were 64-fold more likely to have early adverse outcome as compared to patients with zero to two risk factors (RR = 64.45; 95 % CI 18.35-226.33; P<0.001). Platelet count normalization in 2 weeks was an independent predictor for resolution after initial therapy with an odds ratio (OR) of 18.4 (95 % CI 2.7-122.9; P = 0.003). Our results indicate that severe neutropenia and liver function damage are prognostic factors for early death in HLH and platelet count normalization in 2 weeks is a critical predictor for resolution after initial therapy.

h i g h l i g h t s Zizania caduciflora was used as carbon precursor for activated carbon preparation. Activated carbon was modified with tartaric acid during phosphoric acid activation. Tartaric acid modification enhanced Cr(VI) sorption capacities of the carbons. XPS analysis was used to investigate the Cr(VI) sorption mechanisms.

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