Pre-enrichment-free electrochemical detection of lead ions using functionalized tungsten oxide: Integration of surface functionalization and redox cycling mechanisms.

Methods for electrochemical detection of heavy metal ions have garnered widespread attention due to their high sensitivity, ease of operation, low cost, and suitability for on-site detection. However, these methods typically require a pre-enrichment step to improve the detection limit and sensitivity, which increases operational complexity and introduces potential errors. In this study, tungsten oxide electrodes with various functional groups were prepared by electrodeposition and high-temperature annealing, utilizing the amphoteric properties of l-alanine.

N,S-doped TiC MXene quantum dots-anchored metal ruthenium: Efficient electrocatalyst for pH-universal hydrogen evolution reaction.

Electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) via water splitting is a prospective technology for achieving the sustainable production of hydrogen. So, ruthenium-based electrocatalysts have been extensively studied. However, metallic ruthenium tends to agglomerate due to the high cohesive energy, resulting in decreased HER performance in practical usage.

The application of an escape room teaching method on the training for ICU new nurses: a quasi-experimental study.

Background: There is a severe shortage of intensive care nurses worldwide, and training a qualified ICU nurse is hard since it takes a very long time to accumulate the intensive care knowledge and skills needed. This study aimed to examine the effect of an escape room teaching method on teamwork attitudes and intensive care knowledge of ICU new nurses, their satisfaction with, and willingness to participate in escape room training.

Methods: A convenience sampling approach was utilized to enlist new nurses from April 2023 to March 2024 in China.

Saponin content in medicinal plants in response to application of organic and inorganic fertilizers: a meta-analysis.

The application of fertilizers is a key agronomic practice in the artificial cultivation of medicinal plants, aiming to boost yields and enhance the levels of their bioactive constituents. However, systematic investigations on the influence of various fertilizers on the concentration of active compounds in saponin-containing medicinal plants remain insufficient. In this study, 966 experimental outcomes from 29 papers were analyzed via meta-analysis to examine the effects of organic fertilizers, inorganic fertilizers, and their combined application on the levels of different saponin monomers in medicinal plants.

"Light-Up" Near-Infrared Fluorescent Probe for Visualization of Hydrogen Sulfide Content and Abiotic Stress Response in Plants.

Hydrogen sulfide (HS) plays a vital role in plant physiology and stress adaptation, but the detection of endogenous HS remains a challenge. In this work, a near-infrared fluorescent probe (NIR-BOD-HS) was synthesized using boron-dipyrromethene (BODIPY) as the raw material, which showed a good linear relationship in the concentration range of 0.1-70 μM and a detection limit of 56 nM.

Rational design and construction of a mesoporous silica-supported ratiometric fluorescent probe for the sensitive detection of nicosulfuron.

The excessive use of pesticides is an urgent issue facing environmental sustainability and human health. In this study, a uniform dispersion size, good fluorescence performance and mesoporous structure of a ratiometric fluorescent probe were constructed for nicosulfuron detection. A solvent-free in situ solid-phase synthesis method was used to encapsulate biomass carbon dots within mesoporous silica (CDs@mSiO₂), followed by the modification of l-cysteine-modified manganese-doped zinc sulfide quantum dots (ZnS:Mn QDs), to construct a ratiometric fluorescent probe for highly sensitive and selective detection of nicosulfuron.

Nek6 regulates autophagy through the mTOR signaling pathway to alleviate cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Objective: Cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury (CIRI) is a major obstacle to neurological recovery after clinical treatment of ischemic stroke. The aim of this study was to investigate the molecular mechanism of Nek6 alleviating CIRI through autophagy after cerebral ischemia.

Materials And Methods: A mouse model of CIRI was constructed by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO).

Elucidating the molecular mechanisms of CCR5-containing extracellular vesicles in vitro and in a rat model of experimental Rheumatoid arthritis.

Extracellular vesicles from Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) derived synovial fibroblasts (EVs) have been implicated in the pathogenesis of RA, acting as mediators of cell-to-cell communication. This study aimed to elucidate the role of the chemokine receptor CCR5 and EVs positive for CCR5 (EVs) in RA, focusing on their impact on cartilage destruction and bone erosion in a rat model of Adjuvant-induced arthritis (AIA). In vivo experiments were conducted using AIA rats, treated with either EVs, EVs without CCR5 (EVs), or EVs which encapsulated the CCR5 antagonist Maraviroc.

Optical tuning of the terahertz response of black phosphorus quantum dots: effects of weak carrier confinement.

In contrast to few-layer black phosphorus (BP) with a relatively larger area, BP quantum dots (BP-QDs) are expected to have distinctive electromagnetic response and carrier behaviors, especially in low-frequency range such as in the THz regime. Herein, we experimentally investigate the THz properties of BP-QDs as well as the optical control of these properties. It is demonstrated that the effects of weak carrier confinement, which is associated with diffusive restoring current in each BP-QD, contribute significantly to the effective THz conductivity of BP-QDs.

An innovative and efficient strategy for removing Congo red using magnetic hollow Zn/Co zeolitic imidazolate framework composite.

The discharge of wastewater containing Congo red (CR) poses a significant threat to aquatic ecosystems and human health, underscoring the urgent need for effective removal methods. In this study, we have developed a novel strategy for efficient removing CR, utilizing the synthesized magnetic hollow Zn/Co zeolitic imidazolate framework composite (MH-ZIF). Comprehensive characterization of MH-ZIF and comparison with contrasting materials were conducted.

Visual rigid laryngoscopy versus video laryngoscopy for endotracheal intubation in elderly patients: A randomized controlled trial.

Objective: To assess the efficacy and safety of visual rigid laryngoscopy and video laryngoscopy and to provide clinical information for developing a more suitable intubation tool for elderly patients.

Methods: In 75 consecutive elderly patients undergoing elective surgery in a single institution, tracheal intubation was randomly performed by 2 experienced anaesthesiologists using visual rigid laryngoscopy (Group I, n = 38) or video laryngoscopy (Group II, n = 37). The primary outcome was intubation time.

A high-efficiency strategy for fruit preservation using green, natural raw materials.

Straw is an abundant renewable biomass resource material. Lignin contained in straw is a unique natural aromatic compound in nature. At present, it is urgent to find ways to realize the higher value of natural lignin resources.

A facile colorimetric sensor for ketoprofen detection in milk: Integrating molecularly imprinted polymers with Cu-doped FeO nanozymes.

A facile and efficient detection method is required to address the potential health risks of ketoprofen (KP) in animal-derived foods. Herein, we integrated molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) with Cu-doped FeO nanozymes (FeO-Cu) to develop a selective colorimetric sensor for KP detection. Chitosan and glutaraldehyde were used as functional monomers and cross-linkers to fabricate proposed the MIPs@FeO-Cu.

Investigating the effects of the greenery increase on air temperature, ventilation and cooling energy demand in Melbourne with the Weather Research and Forecasting model and Local Climate Zones.

Vegetation has a well-known potential for mitigating urban overheating. This work aims to explore the effects of enhancing urban greenery in Melbourne (Australia) through a configuration of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model including the Building Effect Parameterization and the Local Climate Zones and presents novelties in: i) covering two-months and ii) focusing on air circulation and buildings cooling energy demand through the ventilation coefficient (VC) and the cooling degree hours (CDHs). A control case and two "what-if" scenarios with a growing green coverage equal to 35 % (control case), 50 % (modest increase) and 60 % (robust increase) have been designed and then simulated for January and February 2019.

A rapid and accurate fluorescent sensor array based on lanthanide metal-organic framework for identification and determination of perfluorinated compounds.

Perfluorinated compounds (PFCs), as an important class of environmental pollutants, have chemical and structural similarities that make their detection a great technical challenge. This study synthesized three species of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) using different lanthanide metal ions or organic ligands, which were integrated into a fluorescent sensor array. This innovative approach offers a straightforward, rapid, and precise detection strategy for PFCs.

Analysing tie-break performance of professional tennis players at Grand Slam matches.

A tiebreak in tennis is one of the critical moments where players are expected to excel under mental pressure and maintain high level of performance. Despite the importance of tiebreak points, research exploring the performance of male and female players during such match phrase remains limited. This study aimed to investigate i) the overall tiebreak performance of male and female players in relation to the outcome, ii) to examine their point-level performance by considering different contextual variables.

Modulating neuroinflammation and cognitive function in postoperative cognitive dysfunction via CCR5-GPCRs-Ras-MAPK pathway targeting with microglial EVs.

Aims: Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is prevalent among the elderly, characterized primarily by cognitive decline after surgery. This study aims to explore how extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from BV2 microglial cells, with and without the C-C chemokine receptor type 5 (CCR5), affect neuroinflammation, neuronal integrity, and cognitive function in a POCD mouse model.

Methods: We collected EVs from LPS-stimulated BV2 cells expressing CCR5 (EVs) and from BV2 cells with CCR5 knockdown (EVs).

The impact of tumor size on the prognosis and chemotherapy efficacy in stage I/II colon cancer patients.

The impact of tumor size on the survival and chemotherapy reponse of early-stage colon cancer remains unclear. Our study explored the effect of tumor size on overall survival (OS) and postoperative chemotherapy efficacy in patients with stage I/II colon cancer. Stage I/II colon cancer patients from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database and a China center were extracted as two cohorts respectively.

Anthraquinones-based photocatalysis: A comprehensive review.

In recent years, there has been significant interest in photocatalytic technologies utilizing semiconductors and photosensitizers responsive to solar light, owing to their potential for energy and environmental applications. Current efforts are focused on enhancing existing photocatalysts and developing new ones tailored for environmental uses. Anthraquinones (AQs) serve as redox-active electron transfer mediators and photochemically active organic photosensitizers, effectively addressing common issues such as low light utilization and carrier separation efficiency found in conventional semiconductors.

The () gene family in : genome-wide identification and their expression profiling under heat and drought stresses.

Unlabelled: Auxin response factors (ARFs), as the main components of auxin signaling, play a crucial role in various processes of plant growth and development, as well as in stress response. So far, there have been no reports on the genome-wide identification of the ARF transcription factor family in , a deciduous tree plant in the family Juglaceae. In this study, a total of 34 genes were identified based on whole genome sequence, and they were unevenly distributed on 16 chromosomes, with the highest distribution on chromosome 6.

"One for two" strategy to construct an organic-inorganic polymer colloid for flame-retardant modification of flax fabric and rigid polyurethane foam.

Polymeric materials such as fabric and foam have high flammability which limits their application in the field of fire protection. To this end, an organic-inorganic polymer colloid constructed from carboxymethyl chitosan and ammonium polyphosphate was used to improve the flame retardancy of flax fabric (FF) and rigid polyurethane foam (RPUF) based on a "one for two" strategy. The modification processes of FF and RPUF relied on pad-dry-cure method and UV-curing technology, respectively, and the modified FF and RPUF were severally designated as CMC/APP-FF and RFR-RPUF.