Iodine activates NLRP3 inflammasomes in PBMCs of patients with autoimmune thyroiditis and regulates Th1 and Th17 cell differentiation.

Objectives: Inflammasomes are associated with various autoimmune diseases. Herein, we aimed to study the occurrence of inflammasomes in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from patients with autoimmune thyroiditis (AIT), and the relationship between their abundance and the inflammatory response index of AIT. Furthermore, we examined the effect of iodine on inflammasomes containing NLR family pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) and inflammasome activation of helper T (Th) cell differentiation regulation in cultured PBMCs.

Oxygen-Vacancy-Induced Enhancement of BiVO Bifunctional Photoelectrochemical Activity for Overall Water Splitting.

Hydrogen generation via photoelectrochemical (PEC) overall water splitting is an attractive means of renewable energy production so developing and designing the cost-effective and high-activity bifunctional PEC catalysts both for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) has been focused on. Based on first-principles calculations, we propose a feasible strategy to enhance either HER or OER performance in the monoclinic exposed BiVO (110) facet by the introduction of oxygen vacancies (O). Our results show that oxygen vacancies induce charge rearrangements, which enhances charge transfer between active sites and adatoms.

Influence of ear tags on the results of body composition analysis in mice.

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of marking methods on the outcomes of body composition analysis and provide guidance for the selection of marking methods in mouse body composition analysis.

Methods: Male C57BL/6J mice aged 6 weeks were randomly assigned for pre- and post- ear tagging measurements. The body composition of the mice was measured using a small animal body composition analyzer, which provided measurements of the mass of fat, lean, and free fluid.

Progress of Crude Oil Gasification Technology Assisted by Microorganisms in Reservoirs.

Crude oil gasification bacteria, including fermenting bacteria, hydrocarbon-oxidizing bacteria, reducing bacteria, and methanogenic bacteria, participate in multi-step reactions involving initial activation, intermediate metabolism, and the methanogenesis of crude oil hydrocarbons. These bacteria degrade crude oil into smaller molecules such as hydrogen, carbon dioxide, acetic acid, and formic acid. Ultimately, they convert it into methane, which can be utilized or stored as a strategic resource.

A Chinese survey of clinical practice on the management of thyroid eye disease.

Objective: The management of thyroid eye disease (TED) has undergone significant changes for decades. The study sought to investigate current clinical practice on the management of TED in China.

Methods: An online questionnaire survey was conducted from April to May 2023.

Large Polarization Near 50 μC/cm in a Single Unit Cell Layer SrTiO.

The generally nonpolar SrTiO has attracted more attention recently because of its possibly induced novel polar states and related paraelectric-ferroelectric phase transitions. By using controlled pulsed laser deposition, high-quality, ultrathin, and strained SrTiO layers were obtained. Here, transmission electron microscopy and theoretical simulations have unveiled highly polar states in SrTiO films even down to one unit cell at room temperature, which were stabilized in the PbTiO/SrTiO/PbTiO sandwich structures by in-plane tensile strain and interfacial coupling, as evidenced by large tetragonality (∼1.

A facile N-doped NiFe(B) (Oxy)hydroxide monolithic electrode for enhanced water oxidation.

N-doped NiFe(B) (oxy)hydroxide can promote the catalytic activity for an alkaline oxygen evolution reaction (OER) significantly, but fabrication is difficult. Herein, we introduced a B-induction route to the N-NiFe(B) (oxy)hydroxide monolithic electrode under a relatively low temperature. We observed an excellent catalytic performance benefiting from an optimal electronic structure, enlarged surface area and improved hydrophilicity.

Iron-Doped Polymer Dots with Enhanced Fluorescence and Dual Enzyme Activity for Versatile Bioassays.

Nanozymes with multiple functionalities endow biochemical sensing with more sensitive and efficient analytical performance by widening the sensing modes. Meanwhile, the target-oriented design of multifunctional nanozymes for certain biosensing remains challenging. Herein, a constructive strategy of doping iron into polymer dots (PDs) to achieve nanozymes with excellent oxidase-mimicking and peroxidase-mimicking activity is proposed.

Coherent Modulation of the Aggregation Behavior and Intramolecular Charge Transfer in Small Molecule Probes for Sensitive and Long-term Nerve Agent Monitoring.

Aggregation-induced emission (AIE) shows promising performance in chemical sensing relying on the change of the emission behavior of the probe molecule monomers to the aggregated product. However, whether the response contrast could be further boosted by utilizing the emission property of the aggregated probe and the aggregated product remains a big challenge. Here, an exciting AIE probe regulation strategy was proposed by coherently modulating the aggregation behavior and the intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) property of the probes and thus an aggregated-to-aggregated colorimetric-fluorescent dual-mode detection was achieved.

Selenium in the treatment of mild-to-moderate Graves' orbitopathy: a 5-year prospective controlled cohort study.

Purpose: Graves' orbitopathy (GO) is the main extrathyroidal manifestation of Graves' disease. However, limited studies have investigated the actual efficacy of selenium in GO therapy. This longitudinal study explored the effect of selenium on QOL and prognosis of patients with mild-to-moderate GO.

Fluorescent assay for acetylcholinesterase activity and inhibitor screening based on lanthanide organic/inorganic hybrid materials.

It is of great significance for the clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) to achieve the on-site activity evaluation of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), the hydrolase of acetylcholine (ACh). Herein, we have developed a biosensing method endowed with considerable superiority based on the organic-inorganic hybrid composite Eu(DPA)@Lap with excellent stability and fluorescent properties for this purpose by loading Eu ions and 2,6-dipicolinic acid (DPA) into LAPONITE® (Lap). Through the comprehensive consideration of the specific hydrolysis of acetylthiocholine (ATCh) into thiocholine (TCh) by AChE, the high binding affinity of TCh to copper ion (Cu), and the selective fluorescence quenching ability of Cu, a simple Eu(DPA)@Lap-based assay was developed to realize the rapid and convenient evaluation of AChE activity.

Biomimetic Silk Architectures Outperform Animal Horns in Strength and Toughness.

Structural biomimicry is an intelligent approach for developing lightweight, strong, and tough materials (LSTMs). Current fabrication technologies, such as 3D printing and two-photon lithography often face challenges in constructing complex interlaced structures, such as the sinusoidal crossed herringbone structure that contributes to the ultrahigh strength and fracture toughness of the dactyl club of peacock mantis shrimps. Herein, bioinspired LSTMs with laminated or herringbone structures is reported, by combining textile processing and silk fiber "welding" techniques.

Circadian clock disruption in autoimmune thyroiditis.

Objective: A vicious cycle between circadian disruption and escalating immune responses has been described in diverse inflammatory disease. The current study aimed to explore the role of circadian clock disruption in autoimmune thyroiditis (AIT).

Methods: Thirty AIT patients and 30 controls were enrolled and biopsied for thyroid tissues.

Changing Iodine Status and the Incidence of Thyroid Disease in Mainland China: A Prospective 20-Year Follow-Up Study.

We aimed to assess the long-term effects of the transition in iodine status on the incidence of thyroid disorders over 20 years of follow-up. The original prospective cohort study, started in 1999 ( = 3761), classified three regions in north China based on iodine status (insufficient iodine, more than adequate iodine, and excessive iodine, respectively) for 5 years. Subsequently, participants were followed for up to another 15 years to assess the long-term effects of shifts to adequate iodine on the incidence of thyroid disorders.

Gestational and Postpartum Complications in Patients with First Trimester Thyrotoxicosis: A Prospective Multicenter Cohort Study from Northeast China.

Gestational transient thyrotoxicosis (GTT) and Graves' disease (GD) are the most common causes of hyperthyroidism during pregnancy. However, few studies have compared pregnancy outcomes of patients who had GTT with those who had GD in the first trimester of pregnancy. We conducted a prospective multicenter cohort study in China.

Analysis of terpenoids and their gene regulatory networks on the basis of the transcriptome and metabolome of .

, which is a unique wild plant resource in China, produces leaves and flowers with distinct aromas. However, there have been relatively few molecular studies on its floral aroma, which has hindered the research on this plant species at the molecular level and the breeding of novel varieties. In this study, transcriptome and metabolome analyses were performed using leaves, buds, and inflorescences at the exposure, initial opening, and blooming stages.

CRISPR/Cas9 Technology and Its Utility for Crop Improvement.

The rapid growth of the global population has resulted in a considerable increase in the demand for food crops. However, traditional crop breeding methods will not be able to satisfy the worldwide demand for food in the future. New gene-editing technologies, the most widely used of which is CRISPR/Cas9, may enable the rapid improvement of crop traits.

Effects of TSH suppressive therapy on bone mineral density (BMD) and bone turnover markers (BTMs) in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer in Northeast China: a prospective controlled cohort study.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) suppressive therapy on bone mineral density (BMD) and bone turnover markers (BTMs) in differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) patients after postoperative 1-2 years in Northeast China.

Methods: Five male, sixteen premenopausal, and eight postmenopausal female DTC patients receiving TSH suppressive therapy after thyroidectomy were enrolled. Patients were matched with healthy controls in a ratio of 1:2.

Complete Inhibition of the Rotation in a Barrierless TICT Probe for Fluorescence-On Qualitative Analysis.

Inhibition of twisting intramolecular charge transfer (TICT) is one of the most attractive methods for fluorescence-on analysis, whereas it remains enigmatic whether the fluorescence in a TICT-based probe could be thoroughly lightened. Here, for maximizing the fluorescence-on signal of the TICT-based probe, we develop a model by employing chemical reaction to directly cleave the linkage between the rotational electron donor and acceptor with a predisposed fluorescent signal close to zero. To validate this assumption, a nonfluorescent probe with barrierless rotation is successfully achieved by grafting acryloyl with -C═C- recognition sites onto coumarin, and 7-hydroxycoumarin with bright blue fluorescence could be released within 3 s upon probing KMnO with an amount as low as 0.

D-π-A Dual-Mode Probe Design for the Detection of nM-Level Typical Oxidants.

Although a set of functional molecules with the D-π-A structure has been explored as optical probes for the detection of target analytes, it remains a great challenge to elaborately design a single probe for distinguishing different analytes by their intrinsic oxidation or reduction capabilities and thus to generate distinct optical responses. Here, a unique TCF-based probe (DMA-CN) containing two unsaturated double bonds in the π-conjugation bridge and TCF with different reaction activities that could be cut off by KMnO and NaClO in varying degrees was developed, causing remarkably distinguishable responses for both fluorescence and colorimetric channels to discriminate KMnO and NaClO from each other. The fluorescence and colorimetric limits of detection (LODs) of the proposed DMA-CN toward KMnO were calculated as 60 and 91 nM, respectively, while those for NaClO were 13.

Outcomes of Early-Pregnancy Antithyroid Drug Withdrawal in Graves' Disease: A Preliminary Prospective Follow-Up Study.

The use of antithyroid drugs (ATDs) carries potential risk for teratogenic effects. For women with well-controlled hyperthyroidism on a low dose of ATDs, drug withdrawal upon pregnancy is recommended by international medical guidelines. Therefore, it is necessary to determine the characteristics of patients suitable for ATD withdrawal, subsequent changes in thyroid function after ATD discontinuation, and its impact on pregnancy and offspring outcomes.

Preparation, characterisation and comparison of glabridin-loaded hydrogel-forming microneedles by chemical and physical cross-linking.

Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and carbomer were used as the hydrogel system to fabricate glabridin-loaded hydrogel-forming microneedles (HFMNs) by chemical cross-linking (CCMNs) and physical cross-linking (PCMNs). The properties and drug permeation effects of glabridin-loaded HFMNs with different methods were compared. They both owned excellent shapes, mechanical and insertion properties.

Seasonal Changes of Thyroid Function Parameters in Women of Reproductive Age Between 2012 and 2018: A Retrospective, Observational, Single-Center Study.

Background: Thyroid function can be influenced by external stimuli such as light and temperature. However, it is currently unknown whether there is seasonal variation of thyroid function in women of reproductive age. Adequate thyroid function in reproductive-aged women is necessary for optimal fetal-maternal outcomes.

Polymer Nanocomposites with High Energy Density Utilizing Oriented Nanosheets and High-Dielectric-Constant Nanoparticles.

The development of high-energy-density electrostatic capacitors is critical to addressing the growing electricity need. Currently, the widely studied dielectric materials are polymer nanocomposites incorporated with high-dielectric-constant nanoparticles. However, the introduction of high-dielectric-constant nanoparticles can cause local electric field distortion and high leakage current, which limits the improvement in energy density.