Search

Fluorine‐silicone heterogeneous rubbers have been developed to address the issue of poor low‐temperature resistance in fluorine rubber. Bi‐functionalized SiO2 nanoparticles have been prepared as a nano‐compatibilizer to enhance the cooperation of fluorine‐silicon heterogeneous rubbers and improve their compatibility. Research has demonstrated that the nano‐compatibilizer can reduce the interfacial energy between the two phases and facilitate void‐free dispersion of the phases. Fluorine‐silicone heterogeneous rubbers with varying ratios have been synthesized to achieve a broad low‐temperature range, from −34 to −58°C. Additionally, the use of the nano‐compatibilizer enhances the thermal stability and mechanical properties of the rubbers. This study presents a novel approach utilizing bi‐functionalized SiO2 nanoparticles to promote the cooperation of fluorine‐silicone heterogeneous rubbers, resulting in customizable low‐temperature resistance for applications in sealing and hose materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Excessive patulin contamination in fruit juice products pose a significant risk to human health. However, there is a notable absence of a comprehensive and long‐term survey regarding the contamination of patulin in fruit juices within the Chinese market. The present study revealed a discernible decline in the patulin contamination levels, which were as follows: 60% (33/55), 18.28% (17/93), 0% (0/122), 15.58% (12/77), and 0% (0/63) at various survey time dates (2014, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2022). Among them, 18.18% (in 2014), 6.45% (in 2016), and 3.90% (in 2020) of samples exceeded the maximum limit concentration of 50 μg/L, respectively. Despite the presence of varying levels of patulin contamination, the average daily intake of patulin across all years did not present a discernible risk to human health. This investigation offers valuable insights for evaluating the extent of human exposure to patulin and establishing regulatory measures to ensure the safety of juice products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by the progressive degeneration and damage of neurons in the brain. However, developing an accurate diagnostic assay using blood samples remains a challenge in clinic practice. The aim of this study was to explore senescence‐associated secretory phenotypes (SASPs) in peripheral blood using mass spectrometry based multi‐omics approach and to establish diagnostic assays for AD. Methods: This retrospective study included 88 participants, consisting of 29 AD patients and 59 cognitively normal (CN) individuals. Plasma and serum samples were examined using high‐resolution mass spectrometry to identify proteomic and metabolomic profiles. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was employed to screen biomarkers with diagnostic potential. K‐nearest neighbors (KNN) algorithm was utilized to construct a multi‐dimensional model for distinguishing AD from CN. Results: Proteomics analysis revealed upregulation of five plasma proteins in AD, including RNA helicase aquarius (AQR), zinc finger protein 587B (ZNF587B), C‐reactive protein (CRP), fibronectin (FN1), and serum amyloid A‐1 protein (SAA1), indicating their potential for AD classification. Interestingly, KNN‐based three‐dimensional model, comprising AQR, ZNF587B, and CRP, demonstrated its high accuracy in AD recognition, with evaluation possibilities of 0.941, 1.000, and 1.000 for the training, testing, and validation datasets, respectively. Besides, metabolomics analysis suggested elevated levels of serum phenylacetylglutamine (PAGIn) in AD. Interpretation: The multi‐omics outcomes highlighted the significance of the SASPs, specifically AQR, ZNF587B, CRP, and PAGIn, in terms of their potential for diagnosing AD and suggested neuronal aging‐associated pathophysiology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Augmented reality (AR) offers a transforming user experience and has been increasingly integrated into entertainment and service contexts. Drawing on experience economy theory and employing a mixed‐methods approach, this research evaluates the antecedents and consequences of four realms of viewer experiences: entertainment, educational, aesthetic, and escapist experiences, in AR‐infused sports videos. A qualitative study of semi‐structured interviews highlights three critical AR features in sports videos (i.e., novelty, vividness, and informativeness) in shaping viewer experiences. Subsequently, a research model is formulated to elucidate the relationships among AR features, four realms of viewer experiences, and behavioral intentions. A quantitative analysis based on survey data reveals that AR features exert varying effects on viewers' entertainment, educational, and aesthetic experiences, yet none significantly affects escapist experience, which is relatively trivial in viewers' overall experience. Entertainment, educational, aesthetic, and escapist experiences have various influences on viewers' intentions to watch again, to recommend, and to pay, except that entertainment and educational experiences do not significantly affect intention to pay. This research stresses the importance of understanding multiple aspects of user experiences in AR research and provides useful guidelines for AR features and viewer experience design in sports videos. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ammonia (NH3) is pivotal in modern industry and represents a promising next‐generation carbon‐free energy carrier. Electrocatalytic nitrate reduction reaction (eNO3RR) presents viable solutions for NH3 production and removal of ambient nitrate pollutants. However, the development of eNO3RR is hindered by lacking the efficient electrocatalysts. To address this challenge, we synthesized a series of macrocyclic molecular catalysts for the heterogeneous eNO3RR. These materials possess different coordination environments around metal centers by surrounding subunits. Consequently, electronic structures of the active centers can be altered, enabling tunable activity towards eNO3RR. Our investigation reveals that metal center with an N2(pyrrole)‐N2(pyridine) configuration demonstrates superior activity over the others and achieves a high NH3 Faradaic efficiency (FE) of over 90 % within the tested range, where the highest FE of approximately 94 % is obtained. Furthermore, it achieves a production rate of 11.28 mg mgcat−1 h−1, and a turnover frequency of up to 3.28 s−1. Further tests disclose that these molecular catalysts with diverse coordination environments showed different magnetic moments. Theoretical calculation results indicate that variated coordination environments can result in a d‐band center variation which eventually affects rate‐determining step energy and calculated magnetic moments, thus establishing a correlation between electronic structure, experimental activity, and computational parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background & Aim: Reproductive carrier screening seeks to identify couples at a high risk of having offspring affected by autosomal recessive and X‐linked (XL) conditions. The aim of this paper is to provide a comprehensive overview of existing carrier screening panels by examining their gene content and characteristics, identifying the most common genes/conditions included in these panels, and analyzing their listed prices. Methods: A comprehensive evaluation of existing carrier screening panels was conducted by searching for web‐based content, reviewing information brochures, and establishing direct contact with the providers via email or phone. Results: Twenty‐two panels and their providers were identified with a cumulative total of 2205 unique genes. The number of genes included in these panels varied from 44 to 2054. Only 15 genes (0.7%) were included in all the panels. The carrier frequency of these 15 common genes and their associated conditions varied greatly, but the conditions associated with the genes are "severe". The price of these 22 panels ranged from $349 to $4320 per couple (USD in 2023). The correlation between the listed price and the number of selected genes among these panels was small and not statistically significant (r = 0.1023, p = 0.6959). Conclusion: Considerable discrepancies exist among carrier screening panels. Ongoing research and monitoring are necessary to capture the dynamic nature of the carrier screening landscape, providing up‐to‐date information for clinical practice and informed decision‐making. Key points: What's already known about this topic?Previously, carrier screening focused on a limited number of common conditions, but now panels for hundreds of conditions are commercially available.The carrier screening market has experienced significant changes, with new providers entering and old providers exiting. What does this review add?There are considerable differences in gene content among the identified carrier screening panels.Rapid changes in this field were found due to acquisitions, providers discontinuing services, and new providers entering the market.This study identified 15 genes that were present in all the identified panels, with all of them associated with "severe" conditions.The correlation between the price and the number of selected genes was small and not statistically significant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Induction of immunogenic cell death (ICD) in tumor combined with immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy is widely developed to improve the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy. However, the current ICD induced based on apoptosis, i.e., immunogenic apoptosis, is often restricted in immunogenicity owing to the inflammatory quenching that occurs early in apoptosis. Recently, pyroptosis is demonstrated to be a more efficient ICD form, i.e., immunogenic pyroptosis. The cell contents released during pyroptosis can powerfully activate tumor immunogenicity. Herein, first, it is demonstrated that lower doses of epigenetic drug decitabine can increase GSDME expression in prostate cancer (PCa) RM‐1 cells and successfully induce an apoptosis‐pyroptosis transition after photodynamic therapy (PDT). Subsequently, a microenvironment dual‐responsive nano‐drug equipped with PD‐L1 blocking peptide (TSD@LSN‐D) is developed for self‐synergistic cancer immunotherapy. The poorly immunogenic RM‐1 PCa model confirm that the powerful antitumor immune response evoked by TSD@LSN‐D not only can effectively inhibit the primary tumor but also form a long‐term immune memory to prevent PCa recurrence and metastasis. To the best of authors' knowledge, this work presents the first concept that promotes the apoptosis–pyroptosis transition after tumor PDT through epigenetic modulation. Furthermore, the powerful combination of immunogenic pyroptosis with ICB opens a new platform for PCa immunotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to improve the poor solvent resistance and poor temperature resistance caused by traditional sizing agents, crystalline poly(ether ether ketone) (PEEK) is introduced to the interfacial phases of carbon fiber (CF) reinforced PEEK composites by a soluble precursor named PEEK‐1,3‐dioxolane. By changing the soluble precursor molecular weight and concentration in the sizing solution, the content of PEEK coated on the CF fiber surface can be controlled and the different interfacial properties of the PEEK composites can be obtained. The results shows that, with this method, crystalline PEEK can be completely coated on the CF surface, and the interfacial shear strength of the PEEK composites increases from 43.42 to 83.13 MPa. Due to none of any soluble compounds in the PEEK composites, the interfacial layer is well preserved under organic solvents and hygrothermal conditions, and the interfacial shear strength (IFSS) of the PEEK composites maintained above 85.4% and 90.44%, respectively. Scanning electron microscope clarifies that the mechanism of interface enhancement comes from a better wetting of crystalline PEEK on the fiber surface. Additionally, the sizing system of this investagation has the potential commercial value because of no toxic reagent (such as 2,4,5‐trichloro‐1‐hydroxy‐benzene or concentrated sulfuric acid) is required during sizing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Oral leukoplakia (OL) is the well-known disorder of oral mucosa, which has potential to be malignant and can lead to squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). In the following study, we developed a comprehensive nomogram for predicting the malignant progression of OL, based on analysis of clinicopathological variables.Methods: A retrospective analysis of patients diagnosed with OL was performed between 1998 and 2017 at the Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology. OL was confirmed by pre-treatment biopsy. The candidate risk factors for OL malignant transformation were screened from clinicopathological variables using the Cox proportional hazard regression analysis. The nomogram model was generated based on the COX regression results and was validated through Harrell concordance index (c-index) and calibration plots RESULTS: The incidence of OL malignant transformation (MT) was 12.2% (107/875), and the mean follow-up time was 4.5 years. The risk factors (age, histologic grade, site of lesion and smoking habit) derived from Cox proportional hazard regression analysis were incorporated in a novel nomogram model for prediction of MT severity. The c-index value of the nomogram model was 0.752, which confirmed the prediction ability; and was further confirmed by calibration plots results.Conclusion: Our data suggest that patients with OL who are over 50 years old, non-smokers with dysplasia, and OL lesions involving the lip, the floor of mouth, and tongue have an enhanced risk of MT. The established nomogram model has the predictive value of malignant progression, which is conductive to screen high-risk patients and guide treatment strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a case study of an older woman who initially presented with dysplasia and she developed acute promyelocytic leukaemia (APL) and was treated with all-trans retinoic acid and arsenic trioxide (ATRA/ATO). Information about treatment-related acute myeloid leukaemia (tAML) and treatment-related myelodysplastic syndrome is presented.

Background: Background: Bisphenol A (BPA) is an estrogen‐like chemical widely contained in daily supplies. There is evidence that environmental exposure to BPA could contribute to the development of hormone‐related cancers. As is reported in numerous studies, melatonin, an endogenous hormone secreted by the pineal gland, could markedly inhibit estrogen‐induced proliferation of breast cancer (BC) cells. In this study, we intended to reveal the effects of melatonin on BPA‐induced proliferation of estrogen receptor‐positive BC cells. Methods: Methods: We used methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium, luciferase reporter gene and western blotting assays to testify the effect of melatonin on BPA‐mediated proliferation of MCF‐7 and T47D cells. Results: Methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium and colony formation assays showed that melatonin could significantly abolish BPA‐elevated cell proliferation. Meanwhile, BPA‐upregulated phosphorylation of ERK and AKT was decreased by melatonin treatment. Mechanistically, we found that BPA was capable of upregulating the protein levels of steroid receptor coactivators (SRC‐1, SRC‐3), as well as promoting the estrogen response element activity. However, the addition of melatonin could remarkably block the elevation of steroid receptor coactivators expression and estrogen response element activity triggered by BPA. Conclusion: Conclusions: Therefore, these results demonstrated that melatonin could abrogate BPA‐induced proliferation of BC cells. Therapeutically, melatonin could be regarded as a potential medication for BPA‐associated BC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A practical and general iron-catalyzed Wacker-type oxidation of olefins to ketones is presented, and it uses ambient air as the sole oxidant. The mild oxidation conditions enable exceptional functional-group tolerance, which has not been demonstrated for any other Wacker-type reaction to date. The inexpensive and nontoxic reagents [iron(II) chloride, polymethylhydrosiloxane, and air] can, therefore, also be employed to oxidize complex natural-product-derived and polyfunctionalized molecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A highly sensitive method for the detection of 6-mercaptopurine (MP) by resonance Rayleigh light scattering (RLS) method was developed. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were synthesized by a modified seed method and characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). AuNPs were bound to MP via covalent bonding to form the MP-AuNPs complex, which increased the RLS intensity of MP at 347 nm (increased by 65.7%). Under optimum conditions, the magnitude of the enhanced RLS intensity for MP-AuNPs was proportional to MP concentration in the range 0.0681-1.702 μg mL−1. The linear regression equation was represented as follows: Δ I RLS = 9.31 + 82.42 c ( r = 0.9948). The limit of detection (LOD, 3σ) was 3.32 ng mL−1. The system was applied successfully to detect MP in pharmaceuticals. MP recoveries were 99.9-101.7% with a relative standard deviation (RSD) ( n = 5) of 0.59-0.77% for three synthetic samples, and 97.5-110.0% with an RSD of 0.98-2.10% ( n = 5) for tablet samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A gradient clean-up method for the quantification of five kinds of banned drugs (two hormones, two sedatives, and one chloramphenicol) in milk powder was developed. We used the combination of solid-phase extraction purification with gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. Milk powder was initially hydrolyzed by β-glucuronidase/arylsulfatase, and then the hydrolyzed solution was concentrated and purified using a C8 and cation resin solid-phase extraction column. To isolate hormones and chloramphenicol drugs, products from the previous step were diluted with methanol and further purified using a silica and diatomite solid-phase extraction column. After derivatization, the drugs were analyzed by gas chromatography with mass spectrometry, and the hydrolyzed solution was diluted with 5% ammoniated methanol to purify sedatives before gas chromatography with mass spectrometry analysis. Results showed that after adding the banned drugs at concentrations of 0.3-10.0 μg/kg, the average recovery range was 78.2-97.3% with relative standard deviations of 5.3-12.5%. The limit of quantification of the banned drugs (S/N ≥ 10) was 0.3-5.0 μg/kg, whereas the limit of detection (S/N ≥ 3) was 0.1-2.0 μg/kg. The solid-phase extraction gradient purification system was simple, rapid, and accurate, and could satisfy the detection requirements of hormone, sedatives, and chloramphenicol drugs when used together with gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Through a sensing length of 1,1515 µm, the integrated Mach-Zehnder interferometer sensor obtains a quadrature point and linear response in refractive index range of 1.31-1.42. The sensitivity is measured as 225.4 dB/RIU, and the response time is less than 20 s to solutions. Cost-efficient polymers are used as waveguide materials, and a microfluidic system is achieved. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 56:1697-1701, 2014 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infection is a common cause of morbidity and mortality in chronic lymphocytic leukemia and should be considered when examining bone marrow specimens to identify a potentially treatable pathogen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

VP35 is one of seven structural proteins encoded by the Ebola viral genome and mediates viral replication, nucleocapsid formation and host immune suppression. The C-terminal interferon inhibitory domain (IID) of VP35 is critical for dsRNA binding and interferon inhibition. The wild-type VP35 IID structure revealed several conserved residues that are important for dsRNA binding and interferon antagonism. Here, the expression, purification and crystallization of recombinant Zaire Ebola VP35 IID mutants R312A, K319A/R322A and K339A in space groups P6122, P212121 and P21, respectively, are described. Diffraction data were collected using synchrotron sources at the Advanced Light Source and the Advanced Photon Source. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gate‐/wavelength‐dependent scanning photocurrent measurements of black phosphorous (BP)–MoS2 heterojunctions have shown that the Schottky barrier at the MoS2–metal interface plays an important role in the photoresponse dynamics of the heterojunction. When the Fermi level is close to the conduction band of MoS2, photoexcited carriers can tunnel through the narrow depletion region at the MoS2–metal interface, leading to a short response time of 13 µs regardless of the incident laser wavelength. This response speed is comparable or better than that of other few‐layer BP–MoS2 heterojunctions. Conversely, when the MoS2 channel is in the off‐state, the resulting sizeable Schottky barrier and depletion width make it difficult for photoexcited carriers to overcome the barrier. This significantly delays the carrier transit time and thus the photoresponse speed, leading to a wavelength‐dependent response time since the photoexcited carriers induced by short wavelength photons have a higher probability to overcome the Schottky barrier at the MoS2–metal interface than long wavelength photons. These studies not only shed light on the fundamental understanding of photoresponse dynamics in BP–MoS2 heterojunctions, but also open new avenues for engineering the interfaces between 2D materials and metal contacts to reduce the response time of 2D optoelectronics. Wavelength‐ and gate‐dependent photoresponse speed is demonstrated in black phosphorus (BP)–MoS2 heterojunctions. Through modulating the Schottky barrier at the MoS2–metal interface with an applied gate voltage photoexcited carriers are either able to easily tunnel through or unable to overcome this barrier, shedding light on the significance of this barrier in the photoresponse dynamics of 2D materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Previous results provide supportive but not conclusive evidence for the use of omega-3 fatty acids to reduce blood lipids and prevent events of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, but the strength and shape of dose-response relationships remain elusive. Methods and Results This study included 90 randomized controlled trials, reported an overall sample size of 72 598 participants, and examined the association between omega-3 fatty acid (docosahexaenoic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, or both) intake and blood lipid changes. Random-effects 1-stage cubic spline regression models were used to study the mean dose-response association between daily omega-3 fatty acid intake and changes in blood lipids. Nonlinear associations were found in general and in most subgroups, depicted as J-shaped dose-response curves for low-/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. However, we found evidence of an approximately linear dose-response relationship for triglyceride and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol among the general population and more evidently in populations with hyperlipidemia and overweight/obesity who were given medium to high doses (>2 g/d). Conclusions This dose-response meta-analysis demonstrates that combined intake of omega-3 fatty acids near linearly lowers triglyceride and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Triglyceride-lowering effects might provide supportive evidence for omega-3 fatty acid intake to prevent cardiovascular events.