Selective Asymmetric Hydrogenation of Waste Polyethylene Terephthalate via Controlled Sorption through Precisely Tuned Moderate Acid Sites.

The partial hydrogenation of waste polyethylene terephthalate (PET) offers a great opportunity to produce valuable chemicals, yet achieving precise catalytic control remains challenging. Herein, for the first time, we realized one-pot selective hydrogenation of waste PET to -toluic acid (-TA) with a record-high yield of 53.4%, alongside a 36.

The value of peripheral blood inflammation markers in risk assessment and prediction of lung cancer.

Background: Lung cancer has high mortality rates globally, with inflammatory processes playing a pivotal role in NSCLC progression. Peripheral blood inflammation markers offer promise for NSCLC risk assessment and prediction.

Methods: A retrospective case-control study included 50 NSCLC patients and 50 healthy individuals admitted for routine health examinations as controls.

Root morphology, exudate patterns, and mycorrhizal symbiosis are determinants to improve phosphorus acquisition in alfalfa.

Differences in phosphorus (P) utilisation efficiency (PUtE) and/or yield are closely linked to differences in root functional traits under low soil P availability. However, our understanding of how soil P availability mediates the intraspecific variation in root functional traits for breeding high-P efficiency genotypes to increase PUtE and yield remains limited. We investigated that plant growth parameters and pivotal root functional traits associated with P acquisition in 20 alfalfa genotypes with contrasting P efficiencies and supplied with low, medium or high levels of P.

The clinical significance of T-cell regulation in hypertension treatment.

Hypertension, a globally prevalent condition, is closely associated with T cell-mediated inflammatory responses. Studies have shown that T cells, by secreting pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), Interleukin-17 (IL-17), and Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), directly lead to vascular dysfunction and elevated blood pressure. The activation of Th1 and Th17 cell subsets, along with the dysfunction of regulatory T cells (Tregs), is a critical mechanism in the onset and progression of hypertension.

Superselective superior rectal artery embolization in the treatment of hemorrhoidal disease.

Hemorrhoids are a prevalent and benign anal disorder for which minimally invasive treatments are increasingly preferred. The UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence clinical guideline (2010) recommends hemorrhoidal artery ligation as a treatment option for hemorrhoidal disease. Superior rectal artery embolization (SRAE) leverages this principle by using digital subtraction angiography to precisely identify and superselectively embolize the arteries supplying the hemorrhoidal region.

Prognostic Role of Global DNA Methylation in Renal Cancer Reveals Decitabine Treatment Benefit.

Background: Renal cancer presents a significant global health challenge due to its rising incidence and mortality rates. Often undetected in early stages, it complicates diagnosis and treatment. Current therapies face resistance and limited effectiveness, especially in advanced stages.

Characteristic Changes and Potential Markers of Flavour in Raw Pu-Erh Tea with Different Ageing Cycles Analysed by HPLC, HS-SPME-GC-MS, and OAV.

To investigate the flavour evolution mechanism of raw Pu-erh tea (RPT) during storage, the volatile and non-volatile compounds of RPT with different storage years (1-10 years) from the same raw material origin, manufacturer, and storage location in Wenshan Prefecture, Yunnan Province, were systematically analysed by HPLC, HS-SPME-GC-MS, and OAV. The results showed that both cluster analyses based on non-volatile and volatile compounds could classify RPT of different storage years into three ageing cycles, with key turning points in the third and eighth years of storage, which is also accompanied by the colour changing from green to orange or brown, the aroma changing from a faint scent to woody and ageing, the astringency diminishing, and the sweet and mellow increasing. Theophylline was identified as the potential marker of RPT stored 1-3 years, while (-)-catechin gallate, (-)-gallocatechin gallate, quercetin, and rutin as those for a storage of 9-10 years.

Integrated Analysis of Transcriptomics and Proteomics Provides Insights into the Accumulation Mechanism of Ascorbic Acid in Tratt.

Tratt (RRT) is widely cultivated in Guizhou Province, China. In recent years, RRT has emerged as one of the most promising new fruit crops in China, primarily because of its remarkably high levels of ascorbic acid (AsA). In this research, we assessed the AsA levels in RRT across various growth phases.

Effects of Sand Type and Alkali Equivalent on Drying Shrinkage and Microstructure of Seawater-Sea Sand Alkali-Activated Slag Concrete.

The use of seawater and sea sand for the preparation of alkali-activated concretes plays an important role in reducing carbon emissions and alleviating resource scarcity. However, both alkali-activated concretes and products made from seawater and sea sand tend to exhibit significant drying shrinkage. Therefore, this study investigates the effect of the addition of seawater and sea sand on the basic properties and drying shrinkage properties of alkali-activated concretes, and regulates the properties of seawater and sea sand alkali-activated slag (SSAS) concretes with the key parameter of the alkali equivalent.

Polyethylene Glycolylation of the Purified Basic Protein (Protamine) of Squid (): Structural Changes and Evaluation of Proliferative Effects on Fibroblast.

In recent years, arginine-rich basic proteins have garnered significant attention due to their essential roles in various biological processes. However, the potential of marine-derived proteins in this domain remains largely unexplored. This study presents, for the first time, the isolation and purification of a 14.

Impregnation of SeS into a Nitrogen- and Sulfur-Co-Doped Functional Metal Carbides and Nitrides for High-Performance Li-S Batteries.

In this study, nitrogen- and sulfur-co-doped MXene (NS-MXene) was developed as a high-performance cathode material for lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries. Heterocyclic SeS molecules were successfully confined within the NS-MXene structure using a simple melt impregnation method. The resulting NS-MXene exhibited a unique wrinkled morphology with a stable structure which facilitated rapid ion transport and provided a physical barrier to mitigate the shuttle effect of polysulfide.

Enhancing the Fatigue Properties of Rigid Polyurethane Foam by Dissipating the Mechanical Energy of Rubber Powder.

Rigid polyurethane-based foam is an ideal choice for sandwich-panel-filling materials due to its high strength, low thermal conductivity, high adhesion, and high chemical resistivity. Since sandwich panel materials often face cyclic mechanical loads during their service, it is significant to study the design methods of fatigue-resistant rigid polyurethane foam and its fatigue failure mechanism to improve the performance of sandwich-panel-filling materials. In this study, a fatigue-resistant rubber powder/polyurethane composite material was prepared by introducing rubber powder, and its fatigue failure mechanism was systematically studied.

Dissipative Particle Dynamics: Simulation of Chitosan-Citral Microcapsules.

In this paper, the dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) method is used to simulate the self-assembly process, appearance, mesoscopic structure, and wrapping properties of microcapsules formed with citral as the core material and chitosan and sodium alginate as the single-wall materials, and with citral as the core material and chitosan-sodium alginate, chitosan-methylcellulose, sodium alginate-chitosan, and sodium alginate-methylcellulose as the double-wall materials. The effects of chitosan content and wall material composition on the structure, morphology, encapsulation performance, and stability of microcapsules are compared and analyzed. In addition, the microcapsules are deeply analyzed by using the mesoscopic structure, radial distribution function, and diffusion coefficient.

Self-Compassion and Medical Coping Modes of Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis: Mediating Role of Personal Mastery.

Aim: To test the mediating role of personal mastery in the relationship between self-compassion and medical coping modes in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Design: A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was administered.

Methods: We enrolled a convenience sampling of patients with RA from a Class A tertiary hospital.

Association of dietary quality indicators with gallstones in the US: NHANES 2017-2020.

Background: While dietary factors are known to influence gallstone development, the specific relationships between comprehensive dietary quality indicators and gallstone risk remain poorly understood. This study aimed to explore the association between dietary quality indicators and gallstones using data from the 2017 to 2020 US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).

Methods: A total of 6,623 US adults were extracted from the 2017-2020 NHANES, of which 734 participants self-reported having gallstones.

Increased HA/CD44/TGFβ signaling implicates in renal fibrosis of a Col4a5 mutant Alport mice.

X-linked Alport syndrome (XLAS) caused by X-linked COL4A5 gene mutation is a hereditary disease that affects mainly the kidney. XLAS patients, especially males whose single copy of the COL4A5 gene is disrupted, suffer from a life-threatening renal disease, the mechanism of which remains unclear. Renal fibrosis is a characteristic pathology observed in XLAS kidney tissue.

Uniform Spray Dried Loxapine Microparticles Potentially for Nasal Delivery: Exploring Discriminatory In Vitro Release Evaluation Methods.

This study aimed to develop suitable in vitro evaluation methods for the release behavior of nasal powders (NPs). We synthesized a range of standardized microparticles with adjustable size and morphology by co-spray-drying loxapine succinate (LOX) and gelatin (GEL) using an ethanol/water solvent mixture in a self-designed micro-fluidic jet spray dryer (MFJSD). The influence of the LOX/GEL mass ratio and solvent composition on particle characteristics, including size, morphology, and crystalline properties, was systematically investigated.

Biochar application using recycled annual self straw reduces long-term greenhouse gas emissions from paddy fields with economic benefits.

Paddy fields are major contributors to agricultural greenhouse gas emissions. Applying ~1% biochar by topsoil weight (high single, HS) effectively reduces greenhouse gas emissions from paddy fields, but long-term impacts are unclear. Here we present 8-year field experiments showing HS reduces CO equivalent per hectare by 59% and yields a net benefit of US$1,810 per hectare.

The crucial role of protein corona in mediating the colloid stability and co-transport behaviors in saturated quartz columns.

Clarifying the stability and co-transport of environmental colloids and radionuclides in porous media is crucial, as they pose potential risks to nuclear environmental safety. However, there is limited knowledge of the significant role of protein corona in Eu(III) transport carried by bentonite colloids (BC) in the presence of bovine serum albumin (BSA). The protein corona mediated the stability and co-transport behaviors of BC and Eu(III) in saturated quartz columns were investigated, and a ripening adsorption co-transport model (RACM) was established to qualitatively describe the Eu(III) transport by composited colloids.

Defect-induced persistent photoconductivity and nonvolatility in two-dimensional BiSe thin film for neuromorphic vision sensing capability.

Optical synaptic devices (OSDs) have neuromorphic vision sensing capability showing great potential in breaking the von Neumann bottleneck and facilitating future artificial vision systems. However, the applications of two-dimensional (2D) material-based OSDs are still impeded by complicated structures, preparation techniques and so on. In this work, we propose a 2D OSD based on BiSe films prepared by a chemical vapor deposition method followed by an in-situ thermal treatment.

Frequent Hand Hygiene-Induced Skin Symptoms and Alterations in Hand Microbiota: A Neglected Form of Chronic Occupational Exposure Among Health Care Workers.

Background: Frequent hand hygiene is essential for infection control among health care workers (HCWs) but may cause adverse skin effects.

Purpose: To assess the relationships between frequent hand hygiene practices, skin symptoms, and microbiota alterations in HCWs.

Methods: A comprehensive search of 7 databases was conducted to identify articles published between January 2014 and July 2024 in English and Chinese.

Anti-inflammatory effects of Esomeprazole in septic lung injury by mediating endoplasmic reticulum stress.

Acute lung injury characterized by overactive pulmonary inflammation is a common and serious complication of sepsis. Esomeprazole (ESO), a potent proton pump inhibitor (PPI), has been demonstrated as a promising anti-inflammatory agent in treating sepsis at high concentrations, the efficacy of which in sepsis-induced lung injury has not been explored. This research aimed to investigate the role of ESO in septic lung injury and the potential mechanism.