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Purpose: After extraction, dental alveolus filling aims to reduce bone loss and maintain the alveolus volume during patient rehabilitation. Boric acid (BA) is a boron-derived compound with osteogenic properties and an interesting candidate for alveoli filling. This study aims to investigate the osteogenic capacity of the local application of BA in dental socket preservation. Methods: Thirty-two male Wistar rats were submitted to upper right incisor extraction and randomly divided into four groups (n = 8): control group (no intervention), BA (8 mg/kg) socket filling, bone graft (Cerabone®, Botiss, Germany), and BA + bone graft socket filling. Animals were euthanized 28 days after dental extraction. MicroCT and histological analysis were performed to evaluate the newly formed bone on the dental alveolus. Results: MicroCT analysis demonstrated that bone volume fraction (BV/TV), bone surface (BS), bone surface/bone volume ratio (BS/BV), bone surface density (BS/TV), trabecular thickness (Tb.Th), total bone porosity (Po-tot), and total volume of pore space (Po.V(tot)) from BA and BA + bone graft rats were significantly different from the control group. Histological evaluation displayed a delayed bone repair in BA rats, with the presence of connective tissue and inflammatory infiltrate. However, the BA + bone graft group demonstrated histological aspects like the bone graft animals, with less organized osteoblasts, suggesting inferior bone repair. Conclusion: Osteogenic capacity did not depend on the BA local application after 28 days of dental extraction. The presence of inflammation in the BA group can represent toxicity induced by the substance dosage used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Boric acid is widely used in human life and industrial production. However, few methods for solving the slow dissolution behavior of boric acid are reported. Based on the Density Functional Theory (DFT) analysis, a reasonable modulation strategy is proposed and an effective regulation method is obtained for preparing instant boric acid in this work. The DFT theoretical calculations and various characterizations explain the relation between the exposed surface of crystalline boric acid and its dissolution rate. The experiment results prove that the slow dissolution behavior of boric acid can be dramatically improved by regulating its exposed surface of crystalline particles. This work may fill the lack in the controllable regulation of boric acid crystalline structure and provide new perspectives for improving the dissolution rate of other crystalline products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Caffeic acid (CA) is a natural polyphenol that can have various positive effects on human health. However, its extraction and processing can cause significant ecological issues. Therefore, it is crucial to detect and degrade CA effectively in the environment. In this study, we have developed a multifunctional magnetic luminescent nanozyme, Fe 3 O 4 @CeO 2 /Tb-MOF, which combines peroxidase activity to detect and degrade CA. The fluorescence of the nanozyme was significantly attenuated due to the specific nucleophilic reaction between its boronic acid moiety and the o-diphenol hydroxyl group of CA, energy competition absorption and photo-induced electron transfer (PET) effect. This nanozyme demonstrates a linear detection range from 50 nM to 500 μM and an exceptionally low detection limit of 18.9 nM, along with remarkable selectivity and stability. Moreover, the synergistic catalysis of Fe 3 O 4 and CeO 2 within Fe 3 O 4 @CeO 2 /Tb-MOF fosters peroxidase activity, leading to the generation of substantial free radicals catalyzed by H 2 O 2 , which ensures the efficient degradation of CA (∼95%). The superparamagnetic property of Fe 3 O 4 further enables the efficient reuse and recycling of the nanozyme. This research provides a novel approach for the concurrent detection and remediation of environmental contaminants., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Acrylamide-based bait has super water absorption making it highly attractive to subterranean termites that are lured by wood with high water content. This study investigated the control efficiency of these baits on subterranean termites. In particular, we evaluated the water-absorption capacity, attractiveness to subterranean termites, and control efficiency of these baits on subterranean termites through wooden blocks (Populus deltoides and three types of particleboards)., Results: The results indicated a substantial water absorption capacity of acrylamide (70.6%; control: 14.8%) and a strong attraction for feeding subterranean termites (P. deltoides: 198 highest; 81 lowest subterranean termites individuals; combination of neem leaves and walnut shells: 168 highest; 36 lowest subterranean termites individuals). When acrylamide was combined with boric acid at the highest concentration, it resulted in the lowest wood consumption rates (P. deltoides: 24.1%; control: 63.8%, combination of neem leaves and walnut shells: 32.5%; control: 62.1%)., Conclusions: In conclusion, this research supports the commercial viability of employing innovative acrylamide-based toxic baits and particleboards for subterranean termite management. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.)

Fruits, nuts, legumes, and vegetables are rich sources of boron (B), an essential plant nutrient with chemopreventive properties. Blood boric acid (BA) levels reflect recent B intake, and men at the US mean intake have a reported non-fasting level of 10 μM. Treatment of DU-145 prostate cancer cells with physiological concentrations of BA inhibits cell proliferation without causing apoptosis and activates eukaryotic initiation factor 2 (eIF2α). EIF2α induces cell differentiation and protects cells by redirecting gene expression to manage endoplasmic reticulum stress. Our objective was to determine the temporal expression of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-activated genes in DU-145 prostate cells treated with 10 μM BA. Immunoblots showed post-treatment increases in eIF2α protein at 30 min and ATF4 and ATF6 proteins at 1 h and 30 min, respectively. The increase in ATF4 was accompanied by an increase in the expression of its downstream genes growth arrest and DNA damage-induced protein 34 (GADD34) and homocysteine-induced ER protein (Herp), but a decrease in GADD153/CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein homologous protein (CHOP), a pro-apoptotic gene. The increase in ATF6 was accompanied by an increase in expression of its downstream genes GRP78/BiP, calreticulin, Grp94, and EDEM. BA did not activate IRE1 or induce cleavage of XBP1 mRNA, a target of IRE1. Low boron status has been associated with increased cancer risk, low bone mineralization, and retinal degeneration. ATF4 and BiP/GRP78 function in osteogenesis and bone remodeling, calreticulin is required for tumor suppressor p53 function and mineralization of teeth, and BiP/GRP78 and EDEM prevent the aggregation of misfolded opsins which leads to retinal degeneration. The identification of BA-activated genes that regulate its phenotypic effects provides a molecular underpinning for boron nutrition and biology.

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In order to investigate the effect of boron element on liquefied wood carbon fibers and their composites, boric acid and boron carbide were utilized to modify liquefied wood resin through copolymerization and blending methods respectively. Then boric acid-modified liquefied wood carbon fiber (BA-WCF) and boron carbide-modified liquefied wood carbon fiber (BC-WCF) were produced via melt spinning, curing, and carbonization treatments. As expected, this modification approach effectively prevents the formation of skin-core structures and accelerates the evolution of a graphite microcrystalline structure, thereby enhancing the mechanical properties of the carbon fibers. Particularly, the tensile strength and elongation at break of BA-WCF increased to 331.57 MPa and 7.57 % respectively, representing increments of 117 % and 86 % compared to the conventional fibers. Furthermore, the as-fabricated carbon fiber/resin composites (CFPRs), composing of BA-WCF or BC-WCF as fillers and liquefied wood resin as matrix, exhibited excellent interlaminar shear strength, outstanding abrasion resistance, and well thermal conductivity, as well as electrical performance, significantly outperforming the conventional carbon fiber/phenolic resin composites. The friction rate of BC-WP/BA-WCF/CF was 2.37 %, while its thermal conductivity could reach 1.927 W/(m·K). These promising attributes lay the groundwork for the development of high-performance carbon fiber-based materials, fostering their widespread utilization across various industries., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Dietary boron intake is associated with reduced prostate and lung cancer risk and increased bone mass. Boron is absorbed and circulated as boric acid (BA) and at physiological concentrations is a reversible competitive inhibitor of cyclic ADP ribose, the endogenous agonist of the ryanodine receptor calcium (Ca(+2)) channel, and lowers endoplasmic reticulum (ER) [Ca(2+)]. Low ER [Ca(2+)] has been reported to induce ER stress and activate the eIF2α/ATF4 pathway. Here we report that treatment of DU-145 prostate cells with physiological levels of BA induces ER stress with the formation of stress granules and mild activation of eIF2α, GRP78/BiP, and ATF4. Mild activation of eIF2α and its downstream transcription factor, ATF4, enables cells to reconfigure gene expression to manage stress conditions and mild activation of ATF4 is also required for the differentiation of osteoblast cells. Our results using physiological levels of boric acid identify the eIF2α/ATF pathway as a plausible mode of action that underpins the reported health effects of dietary boron.

Peptidylboronic acids have recently become widespread as effective drugs for cancer treatment. Howe­ver, the use of these drugs is often accompanied by negative side effects associated with the phenotypic affiliation to the ABO system. Therefore, it is important to determine the role of pharmaco-chemical charac­teristics of antigens of ABO system and therapeutic agents (for example, bortezomib) in the selection of individualized therapies for patients with chronic lymphoproliferative neoplasms. The expediency and efficiency of bortezomib use for patients with plasma cell myeloma depen­ding on the phenotype affiliation to the ABO system were evaluated. Efficiency of plasma cell myeloma therapy was analyzed in 104 patients who received treatment according to clinical protocols. Dependence of the duration of remission in performance of standard polychemotherapy was researched. Calculation of energy parameters and geomet­ry of probable supramolecular structures of peptidylboronic (bortezomib) and boric acids with antigens of the ABO blood system was performed in the HyperChem 8.07 software package. It was demonstrated that the ability of antigens to form supramolecular complexes with bortezomib varies in the series: B1 >> 01 > A1, which is in line with the results of clinical researches. It was assumed that in case of patients with В blood group secondary process (interaction of bortezomib with carbohydrate antigen) is energetically more beneficial than the main process (inhibition of proteasome), while for patients with O and A groups, equilibrium is shifted toward the main reaction, which results in the therapeutic effect of the drug.

Oxidative stress and inflammation have pivotal roles in gastric ulcer development caused by alcohol consumption. Trace element boric acid taken into the human and animal body from dietary sources displays strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory functions. However, the mechanisms underlying these actions of boric acid remain unclear, and its effectiveness in preventing gastric lesions is unknown. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to evaluate the protective effects of boric acid in alcohol-induced gastric ulcer and elucidate its potential mechanisms. Gastric ulcer was induced by 75% oral ethanol administration in rats, and the effectiveness of prophylactic boric acid treatment at 100 mg/kg concentration was assessed by histopathological examination, ELISA assay and qRT-PCR. Gross macroscopic and histopathological evaluations revealed that boric acid alleviated gastric mucosal lesions. Boric acid decreased reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration and the overall oxidation state of the body while improving antioxidant status. It reduced the concentration of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6). The mRNA expression of JAK2 and STAT3 was decreased while the expression of AMPK was increased with boric acid pretreatment. Moreover, Sema3A and PlexinA1 levels were elevated upon boric acid pretreatment, and homocysteine levels were reduced. Our results demonstrated that boric acid protects gastric mucosa from ethanol-induced damage by regulating oxidative and inflammatory responses. In addition, our findings suggested that the gastroprotective activity of boric acid could be attributed to its regulatory function in the IL-6/JAK2/STAT3 signaling modulated by AMPK and that Sema3A/PlxnA1 axis and homocysteine are potentially involved in this process., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Introduction: Metals and their metal ions have been shown to exhibit certain biological functions that make them attractive for use in biomaterials, for example in bone tissue engineering (BTE) applications. Recent data shows that Molybdenum (Mo) is a potent inducer of osteogenic differentiation in human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (BMSCs). On the other hand, while boron (B) has been shown to enhance vascularization in BTE applications, its impact on osteogenic differentiation is volatile: while improved osteogenic differentiation has been described, other data show that B might slow down osteogenic differentiation or reduce the calcification of the extracellular matrix (ECM) when applied in higher doses. Still, the combination of pro-osteogenic Mo and pro-angiogenic B is certainly attractive in the context of biomaterials intended for the use in BTE., Methods: Therefore, the combined effect of molybdenum trioxide and boric acid at different ratios was investigated in this study to evaluate the effects on the viability, proliferation, osteogenic differentiation, ECM production and maturation of BMSCs., Results: Mo ions proved to be stronger osteoinductive compared to B, in fact, while some osteogenic differentiation markers were downregulated in the presence of B, the presence of Mo provided compensation. The combined application of B and Mo indicated a combination of individual effects, partially even enhancing the expected combined performance of the single stimulations., Conclusions: The combination of B and Mo might be beneficial for BTE applications since the limited osteogenic properties of B can be compensated by Mo. Furthermore, since B is known to be pro-angiogenic, the combination of both substances may synergistically lead to improved vascularization and bone regeneration. Future studies should assess the angiogenic performance of this combination in greater detail., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier GmbH.. All rights reserved.)

Most breast cancers originate in the lobules or ducts of the breast. Breast cancer as the second main cause of death among women in the world is the most common kind of cancer in women. Studies have been conducted to find the optimal treatment for breast cancer. Moreover, the therapeutic effects of different drugs and substances on this disease have been intensively researched. Boric acid accounts for 96% of the boron content in body fluids, and its derivatives are absorbed by the human body. It is assumed to be represented as (B(OH)2). Experimental studies have shown a reduction of cell proliferation and stimulation of apoptosis in some melanoma, prostate, and colon cancer cell lines through boric acid. The aim of this study was to investigate if boric acid could be used for treating breast cancer. The impacts of boric acid on the human breast carcinoma cell lines MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 were studied with TUNEL, BrdU, caspase-3, and endo-G immunohistochemical studies in 3D and 2D culture systems. Furthermore, we conducted a qRT-PCR study to show changes in the expression of some genes involved in apoptosis. Suppression of cell proliferation through boric acid-inducing apoptosis was observed both in 3D and 2D culture conditions. These results are compatible with the gene expression results. The ENDOG, CASP3, CASP8, and CASP9 gene expression significantly changed at all time intervals in MCF-7 and MD-MB-231 cell lines boric acid can potentially treat breast cancer as an anti-cancer agent candidate., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Recent evidence suggests that ferroptosis, an iron-dependent cell death process, may be involved in Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology. The study evaluated the therapeutic potential of betaine and boric acid (BA) pretreatment administered to rats for 21 days in AD. Then, the rats were sacrificed, and morphological and biochemical analyses were performed in brain tissues. Next, an ex vivo AD model was created by applying amyloid-β (Aβ1-42) to synaptosomes isolated from the brain tissues. Synaptosomes were analyzed with micrograph images, and protein and mRNA levels of ferroptotic markers were determined. Betaine and BA pretreatments did not cause any morphological and biochemical differences in the brain tissue. However, Aβ (1-42) administration in synaptosomes increased the levels of acyl-CoA synthetase long chain family member-4 (ACSL4), transferrin receptor-1 protein (TfR1), malondialdehyde (MDA), and 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) and decreased the levels glutathione peroxidase-4 (GPx4) and glutathione (GSH). Moreover, ACSL4, GPx4, and TfR1 mRNA and protein levels were similar to the ELISA results. In contrast, betaine and BA pretreatments decreased the levels of ACSL4, TfR1, MDA, and 8-OHdG in synaptosomes incubated with Aβ1-42, while promoting increased levels of GPx4 and GSH. In addition, betaine and BA pretreatments completely reversed ACSL4, GPx4, and TfR1 mRNA and protein levels. Therefore, betaine and BA pretreatments may contribute to the prevention of neurodegenerative damage by supporting antiferroptotic activities., (© 2023 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Background: The continuous advancement in medical and surgical techniques has led to a rise in the frequency of abdominal operations, subsequently increasing the incidence of intra-abdominal adhesions. Over 90% of laparotomies result in postoperative intra-abdominal adhesions. This study investigates the effect of a 5% boric acid solution on the development of intra-abdominal adhesions in rats, using an adhesion model., Methods: This study was conducted with two groups: a control group, in which the adhesion model was applied without any treatment, and a boric acid group, which was treated with a 5% boric acid solution. Each group comprised 16 rats. On the 14th postoperative day, the rats were sacrificed, re-explored, and the developed adhesions were evaluated both macroscopically and microscopically. The data from macroscopic and microscopic scoring were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U test in the IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) Statistics 24 program. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. This research was supported by the Manisa Celal Bayar University Scientific Research Projects Commission., Results: A statistically significant difference was observed between the boric acid-treated group and the control group, with the boric acid group showing a significant decrease in adhesion development both macroscopically and microscopically (p<0.05)., Conclusion: In the future, boron could play a significant role in reducing and preventing intra-abdominal adhesions after surgery. This investigation could pave the way for further research into the mechanism by which boric acid prevents the development of intra-abdominal adhesions. Moreover, it is imperative to explore the potential side effects of intra-abdominal boron application at the optimum concentration of the solution.

Additive manufacturing is growing in the area of dentistry and orthopedics due to the potential for the fabrication of individual implants. In this study, fused deposition modeling which is the most popular method was used to produce 3D scaffolds having a grid pattern from the polyurethane (PU) filament. Then, this scaffold was coated with boric acid (BA) with the thermionic vacuum arc technique. The microstructure analysis showed the macro-pores having a dimension of ~ 0.16 mm 2 . The BA coating increased the roughness in adverse decreased the wettability. The presence of BA on the scaffold before and after cell culture was confirmed by FESEM-EDS and ATR-FTIR. The Cell proliferation and osteogenic differentiation capacity of dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) on uncoated and coated printed 3D PU scaffolds were also investigated. On the third day, cell viability was found to be higher (1.3-fold) in the groups containing BA. However, on the seventh day, the increase in cell proliferation in the PU+BA group was found to be less than in the other groups. According to Ca deposition analysis and Alizarin Red staining, PU+BA increased the calcium accumulation in the cells in both osteogenic induced and non-induced conditions at day 14. According to gene expression analysis, the Runx2 expression was not detected in PU+BA groups with and without differentiation medium (p ≤0.05). The expression of OCN was persistently increased up to 21-fold and 48-fold in cells on PU and PU+BA in osteogenic differentiation medium group after 14 days compared to control group (p ≤0.05). DSPP expression was observed only in PU+BA in osteogenic differentiation medium group. In line with the results that we have obtained, our 3D printed scaffolds have properties to trigger the differentiation of DPSCs cells in terms of osteogenicity., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Hydroxytyrosol possesses a variety of biological and pharmacological activities that are beneficial to human health. However, the methodologies for its detection always suffered from problems. In this work, the gold nanoparticle modified polymer decorated with boric acids (pMBA/VPBA@Au) was synthesized and used both as the adsorbent and matrix to enrich and ionize small molecule substances through surface-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (SALDI-MS). The pMBA/VPBA@Au displayed a low detection limit (8 × 10 -6 M) and high selectivity (1:100) for the enrichment of hydroxytyrosol, and the linear correlation curve between the concentration of hydroxytyrosol and the intensity of MS had a good correlation (10 -4 -10 -2 M, R 2  = 0.997). Additionally, the pMBA/VPBA@Au was used to quantify hydroxytyrosol in red wines, and the contents were 0.053-0.094 μg/mL. In general, a simple and novel method for the detection of hydroxytyrosol by SALDI-MS using boric acid functionalized polymer was developed for the first time, showing a good practical application value., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Boron (B) is an element that has recently been wondered and researched in many fields, especially due to its effects on energy metabolism. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of boric acid (BA) on newly discovered energy metabolism peptides that have not been studied before. In this study, the effects of 15 mg/kg of BA were evaluated in 24 Wistar rats. Groups were named as control group, 15 mg/kg BA group, streptozotocin (STZ)-induced experimental diabetic group, and STZ-induced experimental diabetic + 15 mg/kg BA administered group (STZ+15 mg/kg BA). Serum asprosin, nesfatin-1, preptin, insulin, total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), and glucose analyses were performed. In this study, the increase in glucose, TG, TC, LDL-C levels, and AST, ALT activities in STZ-induced groups were reduced with BA administration. While HDL-C level significantly decreased in the STZ group, the level approached the control group values after BA administration (p<0.001). As for peptides, although there was a statistically significant increase after 15 mg/kg BA administration, these levels did not approach the control group values (p<0.001). According to the findings, STZ-induced diabetes mellitus and the biochemical processes that develop accordingly change correlatively. This study showed that BA is effective in energy metabolism., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

BackgroundThe global disparity in cancer incidence remains a major public health problem. We focused on prostate cancer since microscopic disease in men is common, but the incidence of clinical disease varies more than 100 fold worldwide. Ca(2+) signaling is a central regulator of cell proliferation, but has received little attention in cancer prevention. We and others have reported a strong dose-dependent reduction in the incidence of prostate and lung cancer within populations exposed to boron (B) in drinking water and food; and in tumor and cell proliferation in animal and cell culture models.Methods/principal findingsWe examined the impact of B on Ca(2+) stores using cancer and non-cancer human prostate cell lines, Ca(2+) indicators Rhod-2 AM and Indo-1 AM and confocal microscopy. In DU-145 cells, inhibition of Ca(2+) release was apparent following treatment with Ringers containing RyR agonists cADPR, 4CmC or caffeine and respective levels of BA (50 microM), (1, 10 microM) or (10, 20, 50,150 microM). Less aggressive LNCaP cancer cells required 20 microM BA and the non-tumor cell line PWR1E required 150 microM BA to significantly inhibit caffeine stimulated Ca(2+) release. BA (10 microM) and the RyR antagonist dantroline (10 microM) were equivalent in their ability to inhibit ER Ca(2+) loss. Flow cytometry and confocal microscopy analysis showed exposure of DU-145 cells to 50 microM BA for 1 hr decreased stored [Ca(2+)] by 32%.Conclusion/significanceWe show B causes a dose dependent decrease of Ca(2+) release from ryanodine receptor sensitive stores. This occurred at BA concentrations present in blood of geographically disparate populations. Our results suggest higher BA blood levels lower the risk of prostate cancer by reducing intracellular Ca(2+) signals and storage.

Epidemiological, animal, and cell culture studies have identified boron as a chemopreventative agent in prostate cancer. The present objective was to identify boron-induced changes in the DU-145 human prostate cancer cell line. We show that prolonged exposure to pharmacologically-relevant levels of boric acid, the naturally occurring form of boron circulating in human plasma, induces the following morphological changes in cells: increases in granularity and intracellular vesicle content, enhanced cell spreading and decreased cell volume. Documented increases in beta-galactosidase activity suggest that boric acid induces conversion to a senescent-like cellular phenotype. Boric acid also causes a dose-dependent reduction in cyclins A-E, as well as MAPK proteins, suggesting their contribution to proliferative inhibition. Furthermore, treated cells display reduced adhesion, migration and invasion potential, along with F-actin changes indicative of reduced metastatic potential. Finally, the observation of media acidosis in treated cells correlated with an accumulation of lysosome-associated membrane protein type 2 (LAMP-2)-negative acidic compartments. The challenge of future studies will be to identify the underlying mechanism responsible for the observed cellular responses to this natural blood constituent.

Chitosan-based bioplastics are attractive biodegradable alternatives to petroleum-derived plastics. However, optimizing the properties of chitosan materials to fit a particular application or obtain a desired property is not a trivial feat. Here, we report the tunability of glycerol-plasticized chitosan films with the addition of boric acid. In combination, glycerol and boric acid form neutral complexes that alter the hydrogen-bonding face of the plasticizer and ultimately limit glycerol's ability to plasticize chitosan. Thus, we found that chitosan films containing glycerol-boric acid complexes were less flexible, had increased thermal transition temperatures, and showed more uniform morphologies. Structural, thermal, mechanical and morphological characterization was performed using ATR-FTIR, TGA and DSC, DMA, and SEM respectively. Molecular-level interactions of the neutral boron complexes and D-glucosamine, the repeat unit of chitosan, were also investigated used NMR and ATR-FTIR. The results of this work demonstrate the necessity of specific hydrogen-bonding interactions between the plasticizer and the polymer for effective plasticization, an important insight into the plasticization mechanism of chitosan films. Furthermore, the formation of complexes with glycerol is a novel and convenient method for tuning the physical properties of chitosan films., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Hospital sinks are environmental reservoirs that harbour healthcare-associated (HCA) pathogens. Selective pressures in sink environments, such as antibiotic residues, nutrient waste and hardness ions, may promote antibiotic resistance gene (ARG) exchange between bacteria. However, cheap and accurate sampling methods to characterize these factors are lacking., Aims: To validate a workflow to detect antibiotic residues and evaluate water chemistry using dipsticks. Secondarily, to validate boric acid to preserve the taxonomic and ARG ('resistome') composition of sink trap samples for metagenomic sequencing., Methods: Antibiotic residue dipsticks were validated against serial dilutions of ampicillin, doxycycline, sulfamethoxazole and ciprofloxacin, and water chemistry dipsticks against serial dilutions of chemical calibration standards. Sink trap aspirates were used for a 'real-world' pilot evaluation of dipsticks. To assess boric acid as a preservative of microbial diversity, the impact of incubation with and without boric acid at ∼22 °C on metagenomic sequencing outputs was evaluated at Day 2 and Day 5 compared with baseline (Day 0)., Findings: The limits of detection for each antibiotic were: 3 μg/L (ampicillin), 10 μg/L (doxycycline), 20 μg/L (sulfamethoxazole) and 8 μg/L (ciprofloxacin). The best performing water chemistry dipstick correctly characterized 34/40 (85%) standards in a concentration-dependent manner. One trap sample tested positive for the presence of tetracyclines and sulphonamides. Taxonomic and resistome composition were largely maintained after storage with boric acid at ∼22 °C for up to five days., Conclusions: Dipsticks can be used to detect antibiotic residues and characterize water chemistry in sink trap samples. Boric acid was an effective preservative of trap sample composition, representing a low-cost alternative to cold-chain transport., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Attractive toxic sugar baits (ATSBs) lure mosquitoes to feed on the baits and subsequently killed them. We investigated the effects of a boric acid-containing ATSB on the population of Aedes albopictus at 48 h exposure and assessed the field effectiveness on this ATSB on two types of community farms in New Taipei City, Taiwan, including isolated ATSB farms and nonisolated ATSB farms. The result showed that mosquitoes exposed to the ATSB solution for 48 h were killed within 7 d under laboratory conditions. Exposure of female and male mosquitoes to ATSB resulted in mean survival times ranging from 52 to 62 h and 30 to 48 h, respectively. For field efficacy test, on isolated ATSB farms, a significant reduction of ovitrap density index (ODI) up to 24 % was noted after the replacement frequency was increased to every 2 weeks. However, the intervention efficacy on nonisolated ATSB farms had mixed results. The ODI significantly reduced by 21.4 % and 6.9 % on the nonisolated ATSB Chongmin and Nanjing farms, respectively, when bait replacement was done every 2 weeks instead of every 3 weeks. By contrast, the ODI on the nonisolated ATSB Yongchang farms increased significantly, irrespectively of the bait replacement frequency. Nevertheless, the total number of eggs trapped on all ATSB farms exhibited a concave curve pattern; while the mosquito population on non-ATSB control farms continued to increase over time. In conclusion, deploying simple ATSB stations containing boric acid is a practical approach for integrated vector management programs., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: The current study aimed to investigate boron carbide and boric acid nanoparticles (NPs) as absorbents for thermal neutrons and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) as a substrate and neutron moderator for fast neutrons. The goal was to assess the performance of boron carbide and boric acid NPs based on HDPE as a nanoshield of photoneutrons from medical linear accelerators., Materials and Methods: This study was conducted in two parts of simulation and practice. The Monte Carlo (MC) simulation involved modeling and verification of the single-layer, double-layer, and combined nanoshields by selecting nanomaterials and substrates and, finally, calculating the macroscopic cross-sections. The practical part involved manufacturing nanoshields based on the simulation results and evaluating the manufactured nanocomposites via experimental measurements., Results: MC simulation results with an uncertainty of less than 1% showed that for the monolayer samples, the best result belonged to boron carbide at a concentration of 10% and a macroscopic cross-section of 0.933 cm -1 . At a concentration of 20%, the highest value among the double-layer samples was 0.936 cm -1 and for the combined samples, this value was 0.928 cm -1 . Boron carbide single-layer nanocomposites at a 10% concentration, as well as the bilayer nanoshield of 10% boron carbide and 20% boric acid performed well; however, the best performance belonged to the nanoshield with a macroscopic cross-section of 0.960 and the combination containing 5% boron carbide and 10% boric acid., Conclusions: The research suggests that utilizing boron carbide and boric acid nanoshields in combination with HDPE holds promise as a viable approach to protecting from the photoneutrons. Further exploration of these nanocomposite shields and their practical applications is warranted, with the potential to yield significant advancements in radiation therapy safety and efficacy.

Background: Sugar, when used as the phagostimulant in attractive toxic bait control tools, limits the efficacy and selectivity of this technology. Thus, more potent and selective phagostimulants than sugar are required to improve this technology. The potency of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) as an alternative model phagostimulant was assessed to determine its capacity to override the aversive effects of select antifeedants and toxicants. How ATP and sucrose modulate the rate of toxicity in the yellow fever mosquito Aedes aegypti was also examined., Methods: A no-choice feeding assay was used to investigate the phagostimulatory ability of ATP to override the aversive effects of structurally divergent antifeedant and toxicant compounds, and to modulate the rate of toxicity over 24 h. Binary combinations of antifeedant and toxicant compounds, at various concentrations, were similarly assessed for enhanced lethal potency. In comparison, no-choice open access and cotton wick feeding assays were used to determine the phagostimulatory role of sucrose in the ingestion of boric acid-laced diets. Dissections of the guts were performed to determine the diet destination as dependant on the phagostimulant., Results: ATP is a potent phagostimulant that dose dependently overrides aversion to antifeedant and toxicant tastants. Feeding on antifeedant- or toxicant-laced diets that was induced by ATP selectively resulted in rapid knockdown (nicotine, lobeline and caffeine) or death (boric acid and propylene glycol), with a combination of the two lethal compounds inducing a synergistic effect at lower concentrations. ATP- and sucrose-induced feeding predominantly directed the antifeedant- or toxicant-laced meals to the midgut and the crop, respectively., Conclusions: ATP is an efficacious alternative model phagostimulant to sucrose that overrides the aversive effects of antifeedants and toxicants, resulting in rapid toxic effects. Furthermore, this study demonstrates that variation in the rate of toxicity between ATP- and sugar-induced feeding is at least partly regulated by the differential feeding response, volume imbibed and the destination of the meals. Additional research is needed to identify structurally related, stable analogues of ATP due to the ephemeral nature of this molecule. For future applications, the workflow presented in this study may be used to evaluate such analogues for their suitability for use in attractive bait stations designed to target a broad range of haematophagous arthropods and prevent off-target species' feeding., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

A Co(II)‐catalyzed effective synthesis of amidinium imine derivatives from the reaction of isocyanides and boric acids using organic azides as nitrene source has been developed. This protocol provides a new, environment‐friendly and simple strategy to construct amidinium imine derivatives with a range of substrates without any oxidants and additives. A Co(II)‐catalyzed effective synthesis of amidinium imine derivatives with isocyanides and boric acids using organic azides as nitrene source has been developed. This protocol provides a new, environment‐friendly and simple strategy to effective synthesis of the amidinium imine derivatives with a range of substrates without any oxidants and additives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]