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In this study, electroless Ni-Fe 3O 4 composite plating on polyester fabric modified with 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (APTMS) was investigated under ultrasonic irradiation. Effects of deposit weight on microstructure and properties of Ni-Fe 3O 4 composite coating were studied. Surface morphology, chemical composition and state, crystal structure of the electroless Ni-Fe 3O 4 composite plated polyester fabric were characterized by SEM, EDX, XPS and XRD. Magnetic properties, electrical resistivity and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding effectiveness (SE) of Ni-Fe 3O 4 plated polyester fabric were also evaluated. The presence of co-deposition of Fe 3O 4 in Ni coating on the polyester fabric is demonstrated by an XPS analysis. At a higher deposit weight, there is an increase in particle size and saturation magnetization, and a decrease in electrical resistivity with respect to the rise of deposit weight, respectively. As the Ni-Fe 3O 4 weight on the treated fabric is 32.90 g/m 2, the EMI SE of the Ni-Fe 3O 4 plated polyester fabric arrives 15–20 dB at frequencies that range from 8 to 18 GHz. The results indicate the Ni-Fe 3O 4 plated polyester fabrics are used as super-paramagnetic, conductive and EMI shielding materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A novel hydrothermal process using p-nitrobenzoic acid as structure-directing agent has been employed to synthesize plate-shaped WO3 nanostructures containing holes. The p-nitrobenzoic acid plays a critical role in the synthesis of such novel WO3 nanoplates. The morphology, structure and optical property of the WO3 nanoplates have been characterized by transmission electron microcopy (TEM), scanning electron microcopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and photoluminescence (PL). The lateral size of the nanoplates is 500–1000nm, and the thickness is about 80nm. The formation mechanism of WO3 nanoplates is discussed briefly. The gas sensitivity of WO3 nanoplates was studied to ethanol and acetone at different operation temperatures and concentrations. Furthermore, the WO3 nanoplate-based gas sensor exhibits high sensitivity for ethanol and acetone as well as quick response and recovery time at low temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Radiation-induced lung fibrosis (RILF) is a life-threatening complication of thoracic radiotherapy. Ferroptosis, a recently discovered type of cell death, is believed to contribute to RILF, though the associated mechanisms are unknown. This study aimed to investigate the potential mechanism of ferroptosis in RILF and examine the contribution of different cell types to ferroptosis during RILF progression. Methods: Histopathological changes in RILF lung tissue were assessed through H&E and Masson staining. IHC staining investigated ferroptosis markers (GPX4, ACSL4, NCOA4). Ferroptosis-related genes (FRG) and pathway scores were derived from RILF transcriptome microarray data. The sc-RNAseq analysis detected FRG score dynamics across cell types, validated by IF staining for PDGFR-α and ACSL4. Results: ACSL4 and NCOA4 protein levels were significantly higher and GPX4 lower in IR than control. FRG scores were positively correlated with fibrosis-related pathway scores in the RILF transcriptome data. FRG and ECM scores were concurrently upregulated in myofibroblasts. Enhanced co-staining of PDGFR-α and ACSL4 were observed in the fibrotic areas of RILF lungs. Conclusions: Our research indicated that in RILF, fibroblasts undergoing ferroptosis may release increased levels of ECM, potentially accelerating the progression of lung fibrosis. This finding presents ferroptosis as a potential therapeutic target in RILF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the design of an ultrahigh frequency ultrasound system combined with tightly focused 500 MHz ultrasonic transducers and high frequency wideband low noise amplifier (LNA) integrated circuit (IC) model design. The ultrasonic transducers are designed using Aluminum nitride (AlN) piezoelectric thin film as the piezoelectric element and using silicon lens for focusing. The fabrication and characterization of silicon lens was presented in detail. Finite element simulation was used for transducer design and evaluation. A custom designed LNA circuit is presented for amplifying the ultrasound echo signal with low noise. A Common-source and Common-gate (CS-CG) combination structure with active feedback is adopted for the LNA design so that high gain and wideband performances can be achieved simultaneously. Noise and distortion cancelation mechanisms are also employed in this work to improve the noise figure (NF) and linearity. Designed by using a 0.35 μm complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology, the simulated power gain of the echo signal wideband amplifier is 22.5 dB at 500 MHz with a capacitance load of 1.0 pF. The simulated NF at 500 MHz is 3.62 dB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To observe the effect of autoantibody against α1-adrenoceptor (α1-AR) on vasoconstriction. Methods: The synthetic peptide corresponding to the sequence of the second extracellular loop of the rat α1-AR was used as the antigen to screen the anti-α1-AR antibodies from the sera of immunized group and vehicle group by SA-ELISA. The IgGs from the positive sera were purified by affinity chromagraphy. The effects of antibody against α1-AR on the vasoconstriction of rats in vitro or blood pressure of rats in vivo were observed by tension of isolated thoracic aortic rings or tail-cuff method respectively. Results: In immunized group, the antibodies emerged at 3 weeks after initial immunization with the synthetic peptide, and reached the peak (1:5109±2.4) at 5 weeks, then persisted within 2 months; 3.5 months after immunization, the systolic blood pressure of the rats in immunized group was higher than that of vehicle group. The antibodies against α1-AR (10-6mol/L) increased the tension of isolated thoracic aortic ring from 1.06±0.08g to 1.88±0.06g (P<0.05, vs. control group),which is similar to the α1-AR agonist, phenylephrine (10-6mol/L), increased the tention from 1.04±0.07g to 2.26±0.03g. Conclusions: Our results demonstrated that the anti-α1-AR antibody exhibited remarkable effects of vascular contraction in vitro, and also can induce blood pressure increasing in vivo. Thus, autoantibody against α1-AR may play a role in both the initiation and maintenance of the hypertension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By using cheap and innocuous sodium chlorite, a series of tertiary amines have been oxidized to the corresponding lactams with good selectivity and high yield. In this method, neither transition-metal catalyst nor oxidant was used. In the oxidation step, the pH of the sodium chlorite was precisely adjusted to pH around 6 using CO2 , such pH is a compromise between oxidative properties, chemical stability, and unwanted precipitation. In addition, buffer salts are not necessary, which allows this oxidation reaction to be performed under safe and environmentally benign conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Two kinds of tungsten oxide (WO3) square nanoplates have been prepared by a simple hydrothermal method using l(+)-tartaric acid or citric acid as assistant agents. The products are characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). XRD, SEM and TEM images of the products illustrate that WO3 square nanostructures prepared in the presence of l(+)-tartaric acid have a hexagonal phase, length of ∼200nm and thickness of ∼100nm, while WO3 nanostructures synthesized in the presence of citric acid have an orthorhombic phase, length of ∼500nm and thickness of ∼100nm. Selected area electron diffraction (SAED) suggests that both of the as-prepared WO3 square nanoplates are single crystalline. The plausible growth mechanism for the formation of WO3 square nanostructures is also proposed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Introduction: Low skeletal muscle mass and high adipose tissue coexist across the body weight spectrum and independently predict the survival ratio of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. This combination may lead to a mutually exacerbating vicious cycle. Tumor-associated metabolic conditions primarily affect subcutaneous adipose tissue, but the nature and direction of its relationship with skeletal muscle are unclear. This study aims to examine the bidirectional causal relationship between skeletal muscle index (SMI) and subcutaneous fat index (SFI) during the perioperative period in CRC patients; as well as to validate the association between perioperative SMI, SFI, and CRC prognosis., Methods: This population-based retrospective cohort study included patients with stage I-III colorectal cancer who underwent radical resection at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University between September 2012 and February 2019. Based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, 1,448 patients were analyzed. Preoperative (P1), 2 months postoperative (P2), and 5 months postoperative (P3) CT scans were collected to evaluate the skeletal muscle index (SMI; muscle area at the third lumbar vertebra divided by height squared) and subcutaneous fat index (SFI; subcutaneous fat area at the third lumbar vertebra divided by height squared). A random intercept cross-lagged panel model (RI-CLPM) was used to examine the intra-individual relationship between SMI and SFI, and Cox regression was employed to assess the association between SMI, SFI, recurrence-free survival (RFS), and overall survival (OS)., Results: The median age at diagnosis was 59.00 years (IQR: 51.00-66.00), and 587 patients (40.54%) were female. RI-CLPM analysis revealed a negative correlation between SFI and subsequent SMI at the individual level: P1-P2 ( β  = -0.372, p  = 0.038) and P2-P3 ( β  = -0.363, p  = 0.001). SMI and SFI showed a negative correlation during P1-P2 ( β  = -0.363, p  = 0.001) but a positive correlation during P2-P3 ( β  = 0.357, p  = 0.006). No significant correlation was found between the random intercepts of SFI and SMI at the between-person level ( r  = 0.157, p  = 0.603). The Cox proportional hazards multivariate regression model identified that patients with elevated SFI had poorer recurrence-free survival (HR, 1.24; 95% CI: 1.00-1.55). Compared to patients with normal preoperative SMI and SFI, those with low SMI or high SFI had poorer recurrence-free survival (HR, 1.26; 95% CI: 1.03-1.55) and overall survival (HR, 1.39; 95% CI: 1.04-1.87). However, no significant association between SMI and SFI and the prognosis of colorectal cancer patients was observed postoperatively., Conclusion: In CRC patients, preoperative muscle loss leads to postoperative fat accumulation, exacerbating muscle loss in a feedback loop. Elevated preoperative SFI predicts poorer survival outcomes. Monitoring SMI and SFI is crucial as prognostic indicators, despite non-significant postoperative associations. Further research is needed to improve patient outcomes., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Yan, Liu, Liu, Jiang, Chen, Li, Ma, Li, Duan, You, Huang, Li and You.)

Background: Acromelic dysplasia caused by FBN1 mutation includes acromicric dysplasia (AD), geleophysic dysplasia 2 (GD2), and Weill-Marchesani syndrome 2 (WMS2). All three diseases share severe short stature and brachydactyly. Besides phenotypic similarity, there is a molecular genetic overlap among them, as identical FBN1 gene mutations have been identified in patients with AD, GD2, and WMS2. However, no family with different acromelic dysplasia phenotypes due to the same variant has been described in English reports., Case Report: The proband presented with typical facial features, severe short stature, short limbs, stubby hands and feet and radiological abnormalities. Her elder sister and mother had similar physical features. In addition, her elder sister was found to have aortic valve stenosis by echocardiography. Mutation analysis demonstrated a heterozygous missense mutation, c.5179C>T (p.Arg1727Trp) in exon 42 of the FBN1 . The proband and her mother were diagnosed with AD, and her elder sister with GD2. The proband was treated with recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) and had a body length gain of 0.72 SDS in half a year., Conclusion: These findings expand the phenotypic spectrum of FBN1 gene mutations and highlight that identical FBN1 genotypes can result in different phenotypes of acromelic dysplasia in a family. The efficacy of rhGH therapy in patients with acromelic dysplasia is controversial. More follow-up is needed on the long-term efficacy of rhGH therapy., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (© 2024 Tian, Dong, Yuan, Hou, Qing and Li.)

Objective: The gain of function (GOF) CTNNB1 mutations (CTNNB1 GOF ) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cause significant immune escape and resistance to anti-PD-1. Here, we aimed to investigate the mechanism of CTNNB1 GOF HCC-mediated immune escape and raise a new therapeutic strategy to enhance anti-PD-1 efficacy in HCC., Design: RNA sequencing was performed to identify the key downstream genes of CTNNB1 GOF associated with immune escape. An in vitro coculture system, murine subcutaneous or orthotopic models, spontaneously tumourigenic models in conditional gene-knock-out mice and flow cytometry were used to explore the biological function of matrix metallopeptidase 9 (MMP9) in tumour progression and immune escape. Single-cell RNA sequencing and proteomics were used to gain insight into the underlying mechanisms of MMP9., Results: MMP9 was significantly upregulated in CTNNB1 GOF HCC. MMP9 suppressed infiltration and cytotoxicity of CD8 + T cells, which was critical for CTNNB1 GOF to drive the suppressive tumour immune microenvironment (TIME) and anti-PD-1 resistance. Mechanistically, CTNNB1 GOF downregulated sirtuin 2 (SIRT2), resulting in promotion of β-catenin/lysine demethylase 4D (KDM4D) complex formation that fostered the transcriptional activation of MMP9. The secretion of MMP9 from HCC mediated slingshot protein phosphatase 1 (SSH1) shedding from CD8 + T cells, leading to the inhibition of C-X-C motif chemokine receptor 3 (CXCR3)-mediated intracellular of G protein-coupled receptors signalling. Additionally, MMP9 blockade remodelled the TIME and potentiated the sensitivity of anti-PD-1 therapy in HCC., Conclusions: CTNNB1 GOF induces a suppressive TIME by activating secretion of MMP9. Targeting MMP9 reshapes TIME and potentiates anti-PD-1 efficacy in CTNNB1 GOF HCC., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copy number and telomere length (TL) are dynamic factors that have been linked to the aging process in organisms. However, the causal relationship between these variables remains uncertain. In this research, instrumental variables (IVs) related to mtDNA copy number and TL were obtained from publicly available genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Through bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis, we examined the potential causal relationship between these factors. The forward analysis, with mtDNA copy number as the exposure and TL as the outcome, did not reveal a significant effect ( B =-0.004, P >0.05). On the contrary, upon conducting a reverse analysis, it was found that there exists a positive causal relationship ( B =0.054, P <0.05). Sensitivity analyses further confirmed the reliability of these results. The outcomes of this study indicate a one-way positive causal relationship, indicating that telomere shortening in the aging process may lead to a decrease in mtDNA copy number, providing new perspectives on their biological mechanisms.

This study explored the feasibility of utilizing a novel sorbent humic acid (HA) coated Fe 3 O 4 /attapulgite (MATP) magnetic nanoparticles (HMATP) for the sorption of propranolol from aqueous solutions. MATP and bare Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles were also synthesized under similar preparation conditions. The FTIR, Zeta potential, XRD, VSM, TEM, and TGA analyses were conducted to characterize the sorbent materials. The effects of pH, sorbent dosage, ionic strength, HA in the aqueous solution, contact time and initial sorbate concentration on sorption of propranolol were investigated using batch sorption experiments. The results suggested that the sorption capacity of HMATP showed little change from pH 4 to 10. Na + and Ca 2+ slightly inhibited the sorption of propranolol on HMATP. While HA in solution enhanced both MATP and HMATP, which indicated that HMATP can resist HA interference in water. Further, the less leaching amounts of Fe and HA suggested a good stability of HMATP. In all conditions, sorption capacity of propranolol on HMATP was obviously higher than that on MATP, which indicated that surface-coated HA played an important role in the propranolol sorption process. Electrostatic interaction, cation exchange, hydrogen bonding, and π-π electron donor acceptor interactions were considered as the sorption mechanisms., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Male rodents behave differently toward pups because of different sexual and/or paternal experiences; however, the mechanisms underlying these responses are not well understood. Using socially monogamous mandarin voles (Microtus mandarinus) we investigated the behavioral responses of males with different reproductive experiences (virgin males, paired males and new fathers) to new born pups. Central levels of neuropeptide oxytocin (OT), tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), as well as oxytocin receptor (OTR), dopamine 1-type receptor (D1R) and dopamine 2-type receptor (D2R) mRNA expression in the nucleus accumbens and medial amygdala were also measured in these males. Our data showed that new fathers exhibited more approaching behavior and contained more OT-immunoreactive and TH-immunoreactive neurons. In addition to increased OTR mRNA expression in the nucleus accumbens and medial amygdala, new fathers had higher D1R and D2R mRNA expression in the nucleus accumbens, and less D1R and D2R mRNA expression in the medial amygdala than paired males. These results demonstrate that males with different reproductive experiences display different behavioral responses to pups and that these differences are associated with altered OT and dopamine, and their receptors in specific brain regions., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To study the effects of the drying processing in terms operational parameters on the bioactive constituents of six Yuanzhi (Radix Palygalae) samples across China., Methods: Six Yuanzhi (Radix Palygalae) samples were investigated using thermogravimetry analysis. The heating courses were set in two ways: the temperature-programmed process from room temperature to 150 degrees C, and the constant-temperature course at 50 degrees C, 70 degrees C and 90 degrees C., Results: The peak temperature of six Yuanzhi (Radix Palygalae) samples ranged from 78 degrees C to 88 degrees C. The mass loss rate of Yuanzhi (Radix Palygalae) alcohol-soluble extract was significantly increased when heated at 90 degrees C. Four types of bioactive ingredients were detected in volatile oils of Yuanzhi (Radix Palygalae) sample from Shanxi province by Gas Chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy results showed that the drying temperature exerted a great influence on types and amount of ingredients of Yuanzhi (Radix Palygalae). The kinetic study showed that the constant-temperature drying process of Yuanzhi Radix Palygalae) samples could be well described by the Page Model, especially for the drying process at 50 degrees C, in which R2 and SD values were more than 0.98 and less than 0.04, respectively. The drying constant k of three Yuanzhi (Radix Palygalae) samples from Shanxi, Gansu and Shaanxi provinces in China was corresponding to the Arrhenius equation, and their activation energies were 28.07, 25.38 and 21.48 kJ/mol, respectively., Conclusion: The drying process of Yuanzhi (Radix Palygalae) was very important for bioactive ingredients improvement in Yuanzhi (Radix Palygalae). Temperature was a thermodynamic property significantly affecting the process.