Smart and functional polyelectrolyte complex hydrogel composed of salecan and chitosan lactate as superadsorbent for decontamination of nickel ions.

Green and functional bio based adsorbents based on naturally derived polysaccharides have attracted considerable interest owing to their non-toxicity, biodegradability, flexible design, and wide origins. Here, smart polyelectrolyte complex (PEC SC1-SC4) hydrogels were developed by self-assembling of different ratios of salecan and chitosan lactate (CL) for clean-up of nickel ion (Ni) from wastewater. Preparation process was rapid and eco-friendly, without any toxic cross-linkers.

A Five-gene Signature for Predicting the Prognosis of Colorectal Cancer.

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a kind of tumor with high incidence and its treatment situation is still very difficult despite the constant renewal and development of treatment methods.

Objective: To assist the prognosis, monitoring and survival of CRC patients with a model.

Methods: In this study, we established a new prognostic model for CRC.

Neural primacy of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), a key structure in the executive system, has consistently emerged as a crucial element in the pathophysiology of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). However, the neural primacy of the DLPFC remains elusive in this disorder. We investigated the causal interaction (measured by effective connectivity) between the DLPFC and the remaining brain areas using bivariate Granger causality analysis of resting-state fMRI collected from 88 medication-free OCD patients and 88 matched healthy controls.

Femtosecond laser programmed artificial musculoskeletal systems.

Natural musculoskeletal systems have been widely recognized as an advanced robotic model for designing robust yet flexible microbots. However, the development of artificial musculoskeletal systems at micro-nanoscale currently remains a big challenge, since it requires precise assembly of two or more materials of distinct properties into complex 3D micro/nanostructures. In this study, we report femtosecond laser programmed artificial musculoskeletal systems for prototyping 3D microbots, using relatively stiff SU-8 as the skeleton and pH-responsive protein (bovine serum albumin, BSA) as the smart muscle.

Electrochemical DNA Sensors Based on MoS-AuNPs for Polynucleotide Kinase Activity and Inhibition Assay.

The determination of T4 polynucleotide kinase (PNK) activity and the screening of PNK inhibitors are critical to disease diagnosis and drug discovery. Numerous electrochemical strategies have been developed for the sensitive measurement of PNK activity and inhibition. However, they often suffer from additional labels and multiple steps of the detection process for the electrochemical readout.

A simple strategy for selective photocatalysis degradation of organic dyes through selective adsorption enrichment by using a complex film of CdS and carboxylmethyl starch.

Resource utilization of wastes through effective separation is a major challenge in the field of water and wastewater treatment. Photocatalytic degradation is a powerful water treatment technology but has no selectivity in degradation of various coexisting contaminants due to its strong oxidation. In this work, a complex film composed of CdS and carboxylmethyl starch (CdS/CMS) was designed and fabricated using in situ formation method.

Dectin-1 Facilitates IL-18 Production for the Generation of Protective Antibodies Against .

Invasive candidiasis (IC) is one of the leading causes of death among immunocompromised patients. Because of limited effective therapy treatment options, prevention of IC through vaccine is an appealing strategy. However, how to induce the generation of direct candidacidal antibodies in host remains unclear.

Microfabricated Gaps Reveal the Effect of Geometrical Control in Wound Healing.

The geometry (size and shape) of gaps is a key determinant in controlling gap closure during wound healing. However, conventional methods for creating gaps result in un-defined geometries and poorly characterized conditions (cell death factors and cell debris), which can influence the gap closure process. To overcome these limitations, a novel method to create well-defined geometrical gaps is developed.

Microwave-assisted synthesis of nutgall tannic acid-based salecan polysaccharide hydrogel for tunable release of β-lactoglobulin.

The low stability of β-lactoglobulin (βlg) under gastric conditions decreases the protein amount reaching the small intestine. Thus, it is crucial to develop a vehicle that can protect βlg from the stomach harsh acidity and enable its sustained and prolonged release in the small intestine. Herein, a fresh hydrogel composed of salecan-g-poly(N,N-dimethylaminoethyl acrylate) (PDMAEA) and nutgall tannic acid (TA) was fabricated by microwave-assisted polymerization.

Diversity and specificity of the bacterial community in Chinese horse milk cheese.

The nutrition and flavor of cheese are generated by the microbial community. Thus, horse milk cheese with unique nutrition and flavor, an increasingly popular local cheese of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China, is considered to have diverse and specific bacterial community. To verify this hypothesis, horse, cow, and goat milk cheese samples produced under the same environmental conditions and manufacturing process were collected, and the 16S rRNA gene was targeted to determine the bacterial population size and community composition by real-time quantitative PCR and high-throughput sequencing.

Dissolving Microneedles with Spatiotemporally controlled pulsatile release Nanosystem for Synergistic Chemo-photothermal Therapy of Melanoma.

High aggressiveness and recurrence of melanoma tumors require multiple systemic drug administrations, causing discomfort and severe side effects to the patients. Topical treatment strategies that provide repetitively controllable and precise drug administrations will greatly improve treatment effects. In this study, a spatiotemporally controlled pulsatile release system, which combined dissolving microneedles (DMNs) and thermal-sensitive solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs), was constructed to realize multiple doses of dual-modal chemo-photothermal therapy in a single administration.

Characteristics of asymptomatic COVID-19 infection and progression: A multicenter, retrospective study.

Novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, has spread globally since the end of 2019. Asymptomatic carriers are of great concern as they can undermine the interventions to stop the pandemic. However, there is limited information about the characteristics and outcomes of the asymptomatic patients.

Laser Fabrication of Bioinspired Graphene Surfaces With Superwettability.

The past decades have seen growing research interest in developing efficient fabrication techniques for preparing bioinspired graphene surfaces with superwettability. Among the various fabrication methods, laser fabrication stands out as a prominent one to achieve this end and has demonstrated unique merits in the development of graphene surfaces with superwettability. In this paper, we reviewed the recent advances in this field.

An enhanced coagulation using a starch-based coagulant assisted by polysilicic acid in treating simulated and real surface water.

In this work, a simple and environmentally-friendly enhanced coagulation, by using a cationic starch-based coagulant (starch-3-chloro-2-hydroxypropyl trimethyl ammonium chloride, St-CTA) coupled with an optimized polysilicic acid (PSA), has been tried to coagulate the kaolin suspensions and humic acid (HA) aqueous solutions, which are used as the simulated sources of inorganic colloidal particles and organic pollutant, respectively, in micro-polluted turbid surface water. Dosing of St-CTA and PSA at the same time is more efficient and more convenient than other two separated feeding methods in this enhanced coagulation process. The synergic coagulation process and mechanism were studied and discussed in detail based on the apparent coagulation performance, floc properties, and zeta potentials of supernatants.

ZNRD1-AS1 Promotes Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Cell Invasion and Metastasis by Regulating the miR-335-ROCK1 Axis.

Background: Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are known as key regulators in many cancer types, but their biological functions in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) remain largely unknown. In the present study, we aim to explore the role of the lncRNA ZNRD1-AS1 in NPC tumor development.

Methods: The role of ZNRD1-AS1 in NPC tissues and cells was explored by using quantitative real-time PCR assay.

Turning weakness into strength: Albumin nanoparticle-redirected amphotericin B biodistribution for reducing nephrotoxicity and enhancing antifungal activity.

As the gold standard treatment for invasive fungal infection, amphotericin B (AmB) is limited by its severe nephrotoxicity. It has been shown that AmB complex with albumin in vivo forms a sub-10 nm nanocomplex within kidney excretion size range and eventually induces the nephrotoxicity. This study presents an approach to take advantage of the "weakness" of such unique interaction between AmB and albumin to form AmB nanocomplex beyond the size range of kidney excretion.

Studies on interactions of pentagalloyl glucose, ellagic acid and gallic acid with bovine serum albumin: A spectroscopic analysis.

Fluorescence techniques and circular dichroism (CD) were utilized to investigate the interactions of a typical gallotannin 1,2,3,4,6-penta-O-galloyl-β-D-glucopyranose (PGG) and two simple phenolic compounds ellagic acid (EA) and gallic acid (GA) with bovine serum albumin (BSA). Fluorescence experiments showed that PGG and EA could strongly interact with BSA. The binding constants showed a pH-dependent binding of phenolic acids by BSA.

Anatomic alterations across amygdala subnuclei in medication-free patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Background: The amygdala has been implicated in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), a common, disabling illness. However, the regional distribution of anatomic alterations in this structure and their association with the symptoms of OCD remains to be established.

Methods: We collected high-resolution 3D T1-weighted images from 81 untreated patients with OCD and no lifetime history of comorbid psychotic, affective or anxiety disorders, and from 95 age- and sex-matched healthy controls.

White matter disruption in obsessive-compulsive disorder revealed by meta-analysis of tract-based spatial statistics.

Background: Exploring white matter (WM) microstructural alterations is a momentous step for gaining insights about underlying mechanisms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and improving the efficacy of therapies for this condition. Many tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) studies have revealed abnormalities of fractional anisotropy (FA; an index of WM integrity) in OCD. However, research works have not drawn robust conclusions.

Large-scale network dysfunction in the acute state compared to the remitted state of bipolar disorder: A meta-analysis of resting-state functional connectivity.

Background: Bipolar disorder (BD) is a mental disorder characterized by mood fluctuations between an acute episodic state of either mania or depression and a clinically remitted state. Dysfunction of large-scale intrinsic brain networks has been demonstrated in this disorder, but it remains unknown whether those network alterations are related to different states.

Methods: In the present study, we performed a meta-analysis of whole-brain seed-based resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) studies in BD patients to compare the intrinsic function of brain networks between episodic and remitted states.

Effect of a Partial Pressure Tool on Improving the Heterogeneous Oil Recovery and Polymer Solution Microstructure.

To improve the oil displacement effect of polymer solutions in heterogeneous oil layers and increase the energy utilization rate, Daqing Oilfield proposes a partial pressure tool to control the polymer solution injection amount in high-permeability oil layers and increase the injection amount in low-permeability oil layers to enhance the total oil recovery. To study the effect of the partial pressure tool on enhancing oil recovery and the action mechanism of the tool on polymer molecules in high-permeability reservoirs, core displacement experiments were performed to study the effects of various factors on oil recovery. Microscopic experiments were then carried out to study the differences in molecular morphology and molecular coil size of the microscopic polymer solution before and after the action of the partial pressure tool.

Leisure Choices and Employee Well-Being: Comparing Need Fulfillment and Well-Being during TV and Other Leisure Activities.

Background: Working adults spend most of their leisure time watching TV. In this paper, we seek to clarify how experiences of psychological need fulfillment and well-being differ when watching TV and engaging in other leisure activities. We suggest that, compared to other leisure activities, watching TV is equally conducive to fulfilling needs for: (a) relaxation and detachment from stress and (b) autonomy, but is less conducive to fulfilling needs for (c) meaning, (d) mastery, and (e) affiliation and thus also less conducive to promoting subjective wellbeing.

Formation of self-assembled polyelectrolyte complex hydrogel derived from salecan and chitosan for sustained release of Vitamin C.

Vitamin C (VC) is an indispensable nutrient for human health. However, poor chemical stability in gastric environment restricts its full assimilation by intestine. It is important to construct a safe carrier that can protect VC from the gastric fluid and sustainably release it in intestine.

RNase II binds to RNase E and modulates its endoribonucleolytic activity in the cyanobacterium Anabaena PCC 7120.

In Escherichia coli, the endoribonuclease E (RNase E) can recruit several other ribonucleases and regulatory proteins via its noncatalytic domain to form an RNA degradosome that controls cellular RNA turnover. Similar RNA degradation complexes have been found in other bacteria; however, their compositions are varied among different bacterial species. In cyanobacteria, only the exoribonuclease PNPase was shown to bind to the noncatalytic domain of RNase E.

Neuropathic pain releasing calcitonin gene related peptide protects against stroke in rats.

Neuropathic pain (NPP) is deemed as a potential risk of stroke; however, recent pieces of evidence showed that calcitonin gene-related peptide is involving in pain progression as well as organ protection. The mechanisms underlying the neuroprotection of calcitonin gene-related peptide are yet poorly described with respect to stroke. The present study showed that the elevated level of calcitonin gene-related peptide-induced by NPP exerts a protective effect against stroke in rats, which was further confirmed in vivo and vitro via mitigation of inflammatory response, inhibition of neuronal cell apoptosis, and increase in regional cerebral blood flow.