Synthesis of Pyridine Heterocyclic Low-Melting-Point Phthalonitrile Monomer and the Effects of Different Curing Agents on Resin Properties.

A phthalonitrile monomer (DPTP) containing pyridine with sulfide bonds was prepared and cured into polymers using different curing agents under the same temperature-programmed process. We characterized and comprehensively evaluated the effects of different curing agents on the thermal and thermomechanical properties of phthalonitrile resin, showing that the DPTP monomer cured with naphthalene-containing curing agent exhibited the best performance among the three polymers. Differential scanning calorimetric (DSC) investigation manifested that the melting point of the DPTP monomer was 61 °C, with a processing window of about 170 °C, suggesting the presence of a wide processing range.

Dimerization of sub-nanoscale molecular clusters affords broadly tuneable viscoelasticity above the glass transition temperature.

Materials with promising mechanical performance generally demonstrate requirements for the critical sizes of their key building units, entanglements and crystal grains. Herein, only with van der Waals interaction, viscoelasticity with broad tunability has been facilely achieved below the critical size limits: the dimers of ∼1 nm polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) with < 4 kD and size < 5 nm, which demonstrate distinct material physics compared to that of polymer nanocomposites of POSS. The dimeric POSSs are confirmed by scattering and calorimetrical measurements to be intrinsic glassy materials with glass transition temperatures ( s) lower than room temperature.

Biallelic variants in coenzyme Q10 biosynthesis pathway genes cause a retinitis pigmentosa phenotype.

The aim of this study was to investigate coenzyme Q10 (CoQ) biosynthesis pathway defects in inherited retinal dystrophy. Individuals affected by inherited retinal dystrophy (IRD) underwent exome or genome sequencing for molecular diagnosis of their condition. Following negative IRD gene panel analysis, patients carrying biallelic variants in CoQ biosynthesis pathway genes were identified.

Co-amorphous Systems of Sinomenine with Platensimycin or Sulfasalazine: Physical Stability and Excipient-Adjusted Release Behavior.

There is strong interest to develop affordable treatments for the infection-associated rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Here, we present a drug-drug co-amorphous strategy against RA and the associated bacterial infection by the preparation and characterization of two co-amorphous systems of sinomenine (SIN) with platensimycin (PTM) or sulfasalazine (SULF), two potent antibiotics. Both of them were comprehensively characterized using powder X-ray diffraction, temperature-modulated differential scanning calorimetry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.

Self-Plasticized PVC Prepared by Introducing Fatty Acid to the PVC with Triglycidyl Isocyanurate as an Intermediate Bridge.

The phthalate-free self-plasticization of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) conforms to the concept of green chemistry. In this work, phthalate-free, biocontaining, self-plasticized PVC with nonmigration (4-an-TG-X-PVC; X = R, P, or O) was prepared by covalent attachment of ricinoleic acid, palmitic acid, and oleic acid, respectively, to the PVC matrix with 4-aminothiophenol and triglycidyl isocyanurate (TGIC) as intermediate bridges. 4-Aminothiophenol and TGIC acted as the nucleophilic reagent and the thermally stable substance, respectively.

Trial of Thrombectomy 6 to 24 Hours after Stroke Due to Basilar-Artery Occlusion.

Background: The effects and risks of endovascular thrombectomy 6 to 24 hours after stroke onset due to basilar-artery occlusion have not been extensively studied.

Methods: In a trial conducted over a 5-year period in China, we randomly assigned, in a 1:1 ratio, patients with basilar-artery stroke who presented between 6 to 24 hours after symptom onset to receive either medical therapy plus thrombectomy or medical therapy only (control). The original primary outcome, a score of 0 to 4 on the modified Rankin scale (range, 0 to 6, with a score of 0 indicating no disability, 4 moderately severe disability, and 6 death) at 90 days, was changed to a good functional status (a modified Rankin scale score of 0 to 3, with a score of 3 indicating moderate disability).

Performance Research and Formulation Optimization of High-Performance Local Insulation Spray Coating Materials.

Bird pest control has become a major task for the operation and maintenance of distribution network lines. Epoxy resin that cures quickly at room temperature can be used to coat locations where birds frequently build their nests. However, epoxy resin has enormous internal stress and is brittle, so it is essential to toughen it.

Neomorphic DNA-binding enables tumor-specific therapeutic gene expression in fusion-addicted childhood sarcoma.

Chimeric fusion transcription factors are oncogenic hallmarks of several devastating cancer entities including pediatric sarcomas, such as Ewing sarcoma (EwS) and alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma (ARMS). Despite their exquisite specificity, these driver oncogenes have been considered largely undruggable due to their lack of enzymatic activity.Here, we show in the EwS model that - capitalizing on neomorphic DNA-binding preferences - the addiction to the respective fusion transcription factor EWSR1-FLI1 can be leveraged to express therapeutic genes.

Melamine-graphene epoxy nanocomposite based die attach films for advanced 3D semiconductor packaging applications.

With the ultra-fast development of personal portable electronic devices, it is important to explore new die attach film (DAF) materials in the limited mounting area and height in order to meet the requirements of a high packaging density and a high operating speed. Graphene-based epoxy nanocomposites are becoming one of the most promising candidates for the next generation of DAFs combining the ultra-high thermal conductivity of graphene, and ultra-strong adhesion of epoxy polymers. However, poor dispersion and weak interfacial connections, due to the overly smooth surface of graphene nanosheets, are still pressing issues that limit their industrial applications.

Improve Quantum Yield of Poly(Maleic Anhydride-Alt-Vinyl Acetate) via Good Solvents.

In this study, the optical properties of poly(maleic anhydride-alt-vinyl acetate) (PMV) synthesized by different polymerization methods are studied systematically. Compared to self-stabilized precipitation polymerization (pPMV), solution polymerization produces PMV solids (sPMV) with an extraordinarily high quantum yield (QY) of 20.65%.

DUX4 expression activates JNK and p38 MAP kinases in myoblasts.

Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) is caused by misexpression of the DUX4 transcription factor in skeletal muscle that results in transcriptional alterations, abnormal phenotypes and cell death. To gain insight into the kinetics of DUX4-induced stresses, we activated DUX4 expression in myoblasts and performed longitudinal RNA sequencing paired with proteomics and phosphoproteomics. This analysis revealed changes in cellular physiology upon DUX4 activation, including DNA damage and altered mRNA splicing.

Multidimensional Control of Repeating Unit/Sequence/Topology for One-Step Synthesis of Block Polymers from Monomer Mixtures.

Synchronously and thoroughly adjusting the chemical structure difference between two blocks of the diblock copolymer is very useful for designing materials but difficult to achieve via self-switchable alternating copolymerization. Here, we report self-switchable alternating copolymerization from a mixture of two different cyclic anhydrides, epoxides, and oxetanes, where a simple alkali metal carboxylate catalyst switches between ring-opening alternating copolymerization (ROCOP) of cyclic anhydrides/epoxides and ROCOP of cyclic anhydrides/oxetanes, resulting in the formation of a perfect block tetrapolymer. By investigating the reactivity ratio of these comonomers, a reactivity gradient was established, enabling the precise synthesis of block copolymers with synchronous adjustment of each unit's chemical structure/sequence/topology.

Exploring of the property of epoxy resins based on diselenide and disulfide dynamic linkers.

Over the last decade, there has been a lot of interest in incorporating dynamic covalent bonds (DCBs) into epoxy resins. Because diselenide and disulfide bonds have similar properties, they are frequently used as DCBs in self-healing epoxy networks. In this paper, we present diselenide and disulfide dynamic linkers containing epoxy networks by analyzing the effects of mechanical properties, thermal stability, activation energies, and self-healing properties.

Enhancing the mechanical strength and toughness of epoxy resins with linear POSS nano-modifiers.

Glass transition temperature ( ) always deteriorates while improving the strength of epoxy resins which inherently suffer from brittleness. Herein, novel linear polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS)-epoxy nano-modifiers are synthesized with variable contents of POSS. The thermomechanical properties and chemical structure study of the POSS-epoxy indicates significant differences of the rigid POSS content in the linear nano-modifiers.

Exploring and expanding the phenotype and genotype diversity in seven Chinese families with spondylo-epi-metaphyseal dysplasia.

Spondylo-epi-metaphyseal dysplasia (SEMD) is a heterogeneous group of disorders with different modes of inheritance and is characterized by disproportionate or proportionate short stature. To date, more than 30 disease-causing genes have been identified, and different types of SEMD exhibit greatly overlapping clinical features, which usually complicate the diagnosis. This study was performed to expand the clinical and molecular spectrum of SEMD among Chinese subjects and to explore their potential phenotype-genotype relations.

Flexible and adhesive liquid-free ionic conductive elastomers toward human-machine interaction.

Based on the demand for flexible human-machine interaction devices, it is urgent to develop high-performance stretchable ionic conductive materials. However, most gel-based ionic conductive materials are composed of crosslinked polymer networks that contain liquids, and suffer from limitations of solvent volatilization and leakage, and the cross-linking restricts the movement and diffusion of polymer chains, making it difficult for them to achieve adhesion. Here, we introduce flexible and adhesive liquid-free ionic conductive elastomers (ICE) with salt using a non-crosslinked polymer strategy.

Artificial intelligence defines protein-based classification of thyroid nodules.

Determination of malignancy in thyroid nodules remains a major diagnostic challenge. Here we report the feasibility and clinical utility of developing an AI-defined protein-based biomarker panel for diagnostic classification of thyroid nodules: based initially on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE), and further refined for fine-needle aspiration (FNA) tissue specimens of minute amounts which pose technical challenges for other methods. We first developed a neural network model of 19 protein biomarkers based on the proteomes of 1724 FFPE thyroid tissue samples from a retrospective cohort.

TNFAIP3 mutation is an independent poor overall survival factor for patients with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Background: It is imperative to explore potential biomarkers for predicting clinical outcome and developing targeted therapies for T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL). This study aimed to investigate the mutation patterns of tumor necrosis factor-alpha-inducing protein 3 (TNFAIP3, also known as A20) and its role in the prognosis of T-ALL patients.

Methods: Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Sanger sequencing data from T-ALL (n = 49, JNU) and targeted sequencing data from T-ALL (n = 54, NFH) in our clinical center and a publicly available dataset (n = 121, PRJCA002270), were used to detect TNFAIP3 mutation.

Expression and Genetic Effects of GLI Pathogenesis-Related 1 Gene on Backfat Thickness in Pigs.

Backfat thickness (BFT) is an important carcass composition trait and regarded as a breeding focus. Our initial transcriptome analysis of pig BFT identified GLI pathogenesis-related 1 (GLIPR1) as one of the promising candidate genes. This study was conducted to identify the expression profiles, polymorphisms, and genetic effects of the GLIPR1 gene on BFT in pigs.

High-yield genome engineering in primary cells using a hybrid ssDNA repair template and small-molecule cocktails.

Enhancing CRISPR-mediated site-specific transgene insertion efficiency by homology-directed repair (HDR) using high concentrations of double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) with Cas9 target sequences (CTSs) can be toxic to primary cells. Here, we develop single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) HDR templates (HDRTs) incorporating CTSs with reduced toxicity that boost knock-in efficiency and yield by an average of around two- to threefold relative to dsDNA CTSs. Using small-molecule combinations that enhance HDR, we could further increase knock-in efficiencies by an additional roughly two- to threefold on average.

METTL1 gene polymorphisms synergistically confer hepatoblastoma susceptibility.

Introduction: Hepatoblastoma is a rare but devastating pediatric liver malignancy. Overexpressed methyltransferase-like 1 (METTL1) is a methyltransferase that catalyzes essential N7-methylguanosine (m7G) modification of eukaryotic mRNA. Accumulating evidence has revealed the oncogenic potential of METTL1.

Configurational Entropy Effects on Glass Transition in Metallic Glasses.

Configurational entropy () is known to be a key thermodynamic factor governing a glass transition process. However, this significance remains speculative because is not directly measurable. In this work, we demonstrate the role of theoretically and experimentally by a comparative study of a Zr-Ti-Cu-Ni-Be high-entropy metallic glass (HE-MG) with one of its conventional MG counterparts.

Manipulating Conjugated Polymer Backbone Dynamics through Controlled Thermal Cleavage of Alkyl Side Chains.

The morphological stability of an organic photovoltaic (OPV) device is greatly affected by the dynamics of donors and acceptors occurring near the device's operational temperature. These dynamics can be quantified by the glass transition temperature (T ) of conjugated polymers (CPs). Because flexible side chains possess much faster dynamics, the cleavage of the alkyl side chains will reduce chain dynamics, leading to a higher T .