Progress in antileishmanial drugs: Mechanisms, challenges, and prospects.

Leishmaniasis, a neglected tropical disease caused by Leishmania parasites, continues to pose global health challenges. Current treatments face issues like resistance, safety, efficacy, and cost. This review covers the discovery, mechanisms of action, clinical applications, and limitations of key antileishmanial agents: pentavalent antimonials, amphotericin B, miltefosine, paromomycin, and pentamidine.

Experiences and barriers in downward referral decision-making for palliative care patient caregivers under China's three-tiered linkage model: A qualitative study.

Objective: This study aimed to explore hospice caregivers' downward referral decision-making experiences and barriers under the triadic linkage model in China and to analyze the deeper social dynamics of hospice referral choices.

Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with caregivers handling hospice referrals from two primary hospice agencies in Nanjing, China. The themes were analyzed and summarized using the Colaizzi 7-step analysis.

A lncRNA signature associated with endoplasmic reticulum stress supports prognostication and prediction of drug resistance in acute myelogenous leukemia.

Background: Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) is a type of blood cancer that is characterized by the accumulation of young and undeveloped myeloid cells in the bone marrow. It is considered a heterogeneous disease due to its diverse nature. Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress has emerged as a critical regulator of tumor development and drug resistance in various cancers.

The Engineering Screen of Photoactive Nanozymes Based on N-Containing Covalent Organic Frameworks for Antibacterial Application.

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are a class of highly efficient photocatalytic organic semiconductor materials, which have been developed for the design of photoactive nanozymes. Nitrogen (N)-heterocycles could effectively improve their photocatalytic activity of COFs. However, the systematic exploration of photoactive nanozymes based on N-containing COFs is still lacking.

Association of leukocyte telomere length with the risk of digestive diseases: A large-scale cohort study.

Background: Leukocyte telomere length (LTL) shortening, a biomarker of telomere attrition, has been linked to multiple diseases. However, the relationship between LTL and digestive diseases remains uncertain. This study aimed to investigate the association between LTL and the risk of digestive diseases.

Exploring the dark side of diagnostic dyes with a focus on Indocyanine green's adverse reactions.

Indocyanine green (ICG) is a diagnostic dye commonly used in medical imaging and liver function monitoring. Given its widespread use, there is a need for detailed evaluations of its adverse drug reactions in real-world settings. As the comprehensive overview of its safety profile is very limited, this study aimed to analyze the adverse events (AEs) associated with ICG using data from the Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS).

Formation Mechanism of Polypyrrole-Coated Hollow Glass Microspheres (PPy@HGMs) Composite Powder.

Coating conductive nanoparticles onto the surface of hollow glass microspheres (HGMs) is essential for broadening their applications. However, the low density and high specific surface area of HGM powders, along with the thin walls of the cavity shells and poor surface adhesion, pose challenges for the uniform attachment of functional particles. In this study, we developed a novel integrated process that combines flotation, hydroxylation, and amination pretreatment for HGMs with in situ surface polymerization to achieve a uniform coating of polypyrrole (PPy) on the surface of HGMs.

Mechanical Extrusion of the Plasma Membrane to Generate Ectosome-Mimetic Nanovesicles for Lung Targeting.

Extracellular vehicles (EVs) are naturally occurring nanocarriers that participate in the transportation of biologics between cells. Despite their potential in drug delivery, their optimal use in therapy remains a challenge, which comes from the difficulty in preparation scale-up and cargo loading efficiency. As a membrane-enclosed nanoscale system, EVs are reluctant to be transfected with cargos and purified by conventional methods.

Enhancing Radiofrequency Ablation for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Nano-Epidrug Effects on Immune Modulation and Antigenicity Restoration.

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA), a critical therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), carries a significant risk of recurrence and metastasis, particularly owing to mechanisms involving immune evasion and antigen downregulation via epigenetic modifications. This study introduces a "nano-epidrug" named MFMP. MFMP, which is composed of hollow mesoporous manganese dioxide (MnO) nanoparticles, FIDAS-5 as an MAT2A inhibitor, macrophage membrane, and anti-PD-L1 (aPD-L1), targets HCC cells.

Highly sensitive CH CH and CO simultaneous measurement LITES sensor based on multi-pass cell with overlapped spots pattern and QTFs with low resonant frequency.

This paper presents a simultaneous measurement light-induced thermoelectric spectroscopy (LITES) sensor with high sensitivity for detecting methane (CH), carbon monoxide (CO) and acetylene (CH). It employs a multi-pass cell (MPC) with an overlapped spots pattern and low resonant frequency circle-head quartz tuning forks (QTFs) for the first time. The fiber-coupled MPC with an optical length (OPL) of 40 m was combined with a thin-film filter (TFF) to improve the laser absorption and enable light spots multiplexing on mirrors.

Reducing Non-Radiative Energy Losses in Non-Fullerene Organic Solar Cells.

With the rapid advancement of non-fullerene acceptors (NFAs), the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of organic solar cells (OSCs) has surpassed the 20 % threshold, highlighting their considerable potential as next-generation energy conversion devices. In comparison to inorganic or perovskite solar cells, the open-circuit voltage (V) of OSCs is constrained by substantial non-radiative energy losses (ΔE), leading to values notably below those anticipated by the Shockley-Queisser limit. In OSCs, non-radiative energy losses are intimately associated with the electroluminescent quantum efficiency (EQE) of charge transfer states, which is in turn directly affected by the photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of acceptor materials.

Constructing efficient organic solar cells by highly volatile solid additives with controlled phase morphology.

We synthesized two highly volatile and low-cost solid additives, PT and TFT. The inclusion of PT and TFT effectively influences the aggregation behavior of D18: L8-BO during the film-forming process. Consequently, PT and TFT-treated D18: L8-BO-based OSCs achieved power conversion efficiencies of 18.

The Effect of Mother's Mediation on Sibling Conflict Among Chinese Children.

Thirty-four Chinese families (each consisting of a mother and two children) were recruited to participate in this study. The firstborn children had an average age of 12.00 ± 2.

Boosting organic solar cell efficiency tailored end-group modifications of novel non-fused ring electron acceptors.

In this study, we designed and synthesized two NFREAs, 2BTh-3F and 2BTh-CN, incorporating distinct substituents to modulate their electron-withdrawing properties. We meticulously explore the distinct impacts of these substituents on NFREA performance. Our investigation revealed that the introduction of 3,5-difluoro-4-cyanophenyl in 2BTh-CN significantly enhanced electron withdrawal and intramolecular charge transfer, leading to a red-shifted absorption spectrum and optimized energy levels.

Variation profiles, formation mechanisms, and emission risks of brominated flame retardant compounds during cement kiln co-processing of hexabromocyclododecane-containing waste.

Cement kiln co-processing technique has been suggested as a promising disposal method for hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD)-containing construction wastes. However, concerns persist regarding the potential emissions of secondary brominated flame retardant (BFR) compounds. To address this, we conducted both field and laboratory experiments to elucidate the emission characteristics and formation mechanisms of BFRs during the co-processing of HBCD-containing waste in cement kilns.

Experiences of family caregivers of patients with end-of-life cancer during the transition from hospital to home palliative care: a qualitative study.

Background: The transition of family caregivers of patients with end-of-Life cancer receiving palliative care from hospital to home is a complex and challenging process. This phase of care involves not only the physical and psychological health of the patient but also the role adaptation and emotional support of the family caregivers. To gain a deeper understanding of the various experiences and feelings during this process, we conducted a qualitative study.

Electron, hole, and energy transfer dynamics in non-fullerene small-molecule acceptors.

When photoexcited, an organic photovoltaic (OPV) donor/acceptor (D/A) blend is expected to undergo charge separation (CS) through three channels: electron transfer, hole transfer, and energy transfer-induced electron/hole transfer. However, previous spectroscopic studies on various blends based on non-fullerene acceptors (NFAs) have not been able to directly characterize the dynamics of these processes, due to spectral overlap of the involved intermediate species. Herein, we study the excited-state dynamics of D/A blends composed of PBDB-T (D) and a L-series NFA (L4 or L5) and show that the species responsible for these processes in the PBDB-T/L4 blend can be spectroscopically identified, allowing us to disentangle their dynamics.

Evaluating nitrogen dynamic and utilization under controlled-release fertilizer application for sunflowers in an arid region: Experimental and modeling approach.

Traditional nitrogen fertilizers (TNF), such as urea, percolate easily in arid fields, posing low nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and a high non-point pollution risk. Controlled-release fertilizers (CRF) exhibit significantly lower deep seepage, rendering it a favorable choice in arid fields due to its ability to enhance NUE through slow-release mechanisms. However, current models do not fully account for the soil nitrogen dynamics and crop interactions under controlled-release conditions, and lack quantification.

Priority Organic Pollutant Monitoring Inventory and Relative Risk Reduction Potential for Solid Waste Incineration.

Incineration is a promising sustainable treatment method for solid waste. However, the ongoing revelation of new toxic pollutants in this process has become a controversial issue impeding its development. Thus, identifying and regulating high-risk pollutants emerge as pivotal strides toward reconciling this debate.