Sodium alginate-based nanocomposite hydrogel membrane for removal of heavy metal ions and dyes in water.

Membrane filtration technology plays a crucial role in the field of water treatment because of its efficient separation and purification capability. However, it remains a major challenge to develop reusable membranes with high retention, stable filtration to remove heavy metal ions and dyes from water in the field. In this study, sodium alginate (SA), cellulose nanofibers (CNF) and metal-organic frame UiO-66 were innovatively used as raw materials to prepare SA/CNF/UiO-66 dual-network composite hydrogel membrane by unique cooking method.

A Solid-State Transformation of Hydrogen-Bonded Organic Frameworks for Efficient Acetylene Storage and Gas Separation.

Developing robust microporous hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks (HOFs) is crucial for exploring novel physical adsorbents and revealing the structure-property relationship of hydrogen-bonding pairing behaviors. However, it is still challenging to obtain dense and stable hydrogen-bonded frameworks due to the rigidity and spatial resistance of the tectonic centers. Herein, we report a robust microporous HOF (HOF-ZSTU-4) via 4,4',4',4″-([1,1'-biphenyl]-4,4'-diylbis(azanetriyl))tetrabenzoic acid (HBDATB) with flexible nitrogen nodes composing the tectonic center.

Highly Transparent Anti-Smudge Coatings for Self-Cleaning, Controllable Liquid Transport, and Corrosion Resistance.

Highly transparent anti-smudge coatings are attractive for diverse fields due to their inherent repellency against various contaminants and the ability to keep surfaces clean. In this work, a novel fluorine-free anti-smudge coating system was developed by using poly(dimethysiloxane), tris(hydroxymethyl) aminomethane, and isophorone diisocynate to synthesize a hexa-functional coating precursor and utilizing hexamethylene diisocyanate trimer as a curing agent. The resultant anti-smudge coatings are highly transparent and can be applied to various substrates.

Defense guard: strategies of plants in the fight against Cadmium stress.

Soil Cadmium (Cd) contamination is a worldwide problem with negative impacts on human health. Cultivating the Cd-Pollution Safety Cultivar (Cd-PSC) with lower Cd accumulation in edible parts of plants is an environmentally friendly approach to ensure food security with wide application prospects. Specialized mechanisms have been addressed for Cd accumulation in crops.

Elucidating the Causal Link Between Treg-Related Immune Traits and Atherosclerosis-Related Cardiovascular Diseases: A Bidirectional Mendelian Randomisation Analysis.

Aim: Regulatory T cells (Tregs) play a crucial role in the development and progression of atherosclerosis. However, the specific association between Treg immune traits and atherosclerosis and related cardiovascular diseases remains unclear, impeding their potential for clinical therapeutic application.

Method: Fifty-eight Treg-related immune traits were obtained from the latest summary level genome-wide association study, which included 3,757 individuals from Sardinia.

Daphnetin-mediated mitophagy alleviates intervertebral disc degeneration via the Nrf2/PINK1 pathway.

Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) is a major cause of low back pain (LBP), and effective therapies are still lacking. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) stress induces NLRP3 inflammasome activation, and this, along with extracellular matrix metabolism (ECM) degradation in nucleus pulposus cells (NPCs), plays a crucial role in the progression of IDD. Daphnetin (DAP) is a biologically active phytochemical extracted from plants of the , which possesses various bioactivities, including antioxidant properties.

Altered interactions between attentional networks in older adults with mild cognitive impairment.

Previous research using the Attention Network Test (ANT) paradigm has indicated that older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) experience declines in attentional performance across the three core networks: alerting, orienting, and executive control, primarily focusing on main effects. The present study sought to expand these findings by exploring whether interactions between these networks are also affected in the presence of MCI. To achieve this, we used the Revised Attention Network Test (ANT-R) to examine both the individual attentional networks and their interactions in 21 older adults with MCI and 27 healthy controls (HCs) matched on demographic variables.

Enhancing Molecular Network-Based Cancer Driver Gene Prediction Using Machine Learning Approaches: Current Challenges and Opportunities.

Cancer is a complex disease driven by mutations in the genes that play critical roles in cellular processes. The identification of cancer driver genes is crucial for understanding tumorigenesis, developing targeted therapies and identifying rational drug targets. Experimental identification and validation of cancer driver genes are time-consuming and costly.

Physiological Insights Into the Role of Pericytes in Spinal Cord Injury.

Vascular regeneration plays a vital role in tissue repair yet is drastically impaired in those with a spinal cord injury (SCI). Pericytes are of great significance as they are entwined with vessel-specific endothelial cells and actively contribute to maintaining the spinal cord's vascular network. Within the neurovascular unit (NVU), subtypes of pericytes characterized by various markers such as PDGFR-β, Desmin, CD146, and NG-2 are involved in vascular regeneration in SCI repair.

Empagliflozin promotes skin flap survival by activating AMPK signaling pathway.

Flaps are widely used in surgical wound repair, yet distal necrosis poses a significant postoperative challenge, stemming from potential factors such as inadequate blood perfusion, inflammation, ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury, mitochondrial impairment, and subsequent ferroptosis. Empagliflozin (EMPA), a sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor, has pharmacological activities that promote angiogenesis, mitophagy, and inhibit inflammation, I/R injury, and ferroptosis. However, it is unclear whether EMPA can enhance flap survival.

Myrtenol promotes skin flap survival by inhibiting apoptosis and promoting autophagy via the MEK/ERK pathway.

Skin flaps are often used for repair and reconstruction, including oral cavity and palate. However, postoperative flap necrosis limited applications. Myrtenol, a plant-derived bicyclic monoterpene, has pharmacological effects including inhibiting apoptosis and promoting autophagy.

Effect of smoking behaviour and related blood DNA methylation on visceral adipose tissues.

Background: Recent studies have found that tobacco smoking is associated with fat distribution, yet limited research has focused on its relationship with visceral adipose tissues (VATs). Furthermore, the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the interactions among smoking, epigenetic modifications, and VATs remain unknown.

Method: We performed univariable Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to elucidate the causal relationship between smoking behaviours and VATs, including epicardial and pericardial adipose tissue (EPAT), liver fat (LF), and pancreas fat (PF).

De-Methyl Esterification Modification of Root Pectin Mediates Cd Accumulation of Lactuca sativa.

Cadmium (Cd) contamination in agricultural soil brings severe health risks through the dietary intake of Cd-polluted crops. The comprehensive role of pectin in lowering Cd accumulation is investigated through low Cd accumulated (L) and high Cd accumulated (H) cultivars of L. sativa.

Analysis on heat transfer performance of coaxial borehole heat exchanger in a layered subsurface with groundwater.

In the realm of ground source heat pump (GSHP) installations, the operational efficiency of borehole heat exchangers (BHEs) is heavily dependent on the complex configurations of geological formations, including soil stratification and the movement of underground water. Our research investigated the influences of ground structure characteristics on the heat transfer performance of coaxial BHEs. A coaxial borehole heat exchanger with a three-dimensional design was constructed, setting a typical geology from the Xiong'an New Region as the boundary condition.

Tetrahydroberberine Prevents Ovariectomy-Induced Bone Loss by Inhibiting RANKL-Induced Osteoclastogenesis and Promoting Osteoclast Apoptosis.

Postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMOP) arises from the disruption in bone remodeling caused by estrogen deficiency, leading to a heightened susceptibility to osteoporotic fractures in aging women. Tetrahydroberberine (THB) is a chemical compound extracted from , a member of the traditional Chinese medicine series "Zhejiang eight taste", possessing a variety of pharmacological functions such as lowering lipids and preventing muscle atrophy. However, the impact of THB on PMOP has not been systematically explored.

Adjustable flanged technique for secondary implantation of four-point scleral‑fixated posterior chamber intraocular lenses using two parallel 6-0 polyglactin sutures.

Objective: To assess the efficacy and safety of using the adjustable flanged technique for secondary implantation of four-point scleral‑fixated posterior chamber intraocular lenses with two parallel 6-0 polyglactin sutures.

Methods: Two parallel 6-0 polyglactin sutures were passed separately through the two haptics on the horizontal line of the 4-haptic IOL. The four externalized sutures were then trimmed and cauterized to form flanges.

Quantitative optical coherence tomography angiography assessments in the fellow eyes of those with central serous chorioretinopathy.

Background: To analyze the vessel density (VD) of the retina and choriocapillaris (CC) layer and the structure of the foveal avascular zone (FAZ) in the fellow eyes of central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) patients by using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA).

Methods: This was a case-control study. Unilateral CSC patients and age-matched healthy subjects were recruited from the Affiliated Eye Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University between July 2016 and July 2021.

Improve the efficiency and accuracy of ophthalmologists' clinical decision-making based on AI technology.

Background: As global aging intensifies, the prevalence of ocular fundus diseases continues to rise. In China, the tense doctor-patient ratio poses numerous challenges for the early diagnosis and treatment of ocular fundus diseases. To reduce the high risk of missed or misdiagnosed cases, avoid irreversible visual impairment for patients, and ensure good visual prognosis for patients with ocular fundus diseases, it is particularly important to enhance the growth and diagnostic capabilities of junior doctors.

Retinal vascular morphological characteristics in diabetic retinopathy: an artificial intelligence study using a transfer learning system to analyze ultra-wide field images.

Aim: To investigate the morphological characteristics of retinal vessels in patients with different severity of diabetic retinopathy (DR) and in patients with or without diabetic macular edema (DME).

Methods: The 239 eyes of DR patients and 100 eyes of healthy individuals were recruited for the study. The severity of DR patients was graded as mild, moderate and severe non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) according to the international clinical diabetic retinopathy (ICDR) disease severity scale classification, and retinal vascular morphology was quantitatively analyzed in ultra-wide field images using RU-net and transfer learning methods.

4D label-free proteomics analysis of oxygen-induced retinopathy with or without anti-VEGF treatment.

Oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR) animal model is widely used for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) researches. The purpose of this study was to identify proteins and related pathways of OIR with or without anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) treatment, for use as biomarkers in diagnosing and treating ROP. Nine samples were subjected to proteomic analysis.

Non-contact wide-field viewing system-assisted scleral buckling surgery for retinal detachment in silicone oil-filled eyes.

Aim: To evaluate scleral buckling (SB) surgery using a non-contact wide-field viewing system and 23-gauge intraocular illumination for the treatment of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment in silicone oil (SO)-filled eyes.

Methods: Totally 9 patients (9 eyes) with retinal detachment in SO-filled eyes were retrospectively analyzed. All patients underwent non-contact wide-field viewing system-assisted buckling surgery with 23-gauge intraocular illumination.

Connectome-based prediction of decreased trust propensity in older adults with mild cognitive impairment: A resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging study.

Trust propensity (TP) relies more on social than economic rationality to transform the perceived probability of betrayal into positive reciprocity expectations in older adults with normal cognition. While deficits in social rationality have been observed in older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), there is limited research on TP and its associated resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) mechanisms in this population. To measure TP and related psychological functions (affect, motivation, executive cognition, and social cognition), MCI (n = 42) and normal healthy control (NHC, n = 115) groups completed a one-shot trust game and additional assessments of related psychological functions.

Sirt1 Inhibits Atrial Fibrosis by Downregulating the Expression of the Transforming Growth Factor-β1/Smad Pathway.

Background: Atrial fibrosis is an important factor leading to atrial fibrillation, and the transforming growth factor-β1/Smad pathway is a key factor in inducing atrial fibrosis. Sirt1 is a member of the histone deacetylase (sirtuin) family, and recent studies have proven its cardioprotective effects.

Objectives: This study explored the effect of Sirt1 on atrial fibrosis through the transforming growth factor-β1/Smad pathway.