A novel cross-priming amplification technique combined with lateral flow strips for rapid and visual detection of zoonotic Toxoplasma gondii.

Toxoplasma gondii, an obligate intracellular protozoan, infects almost all warm-blooded animals and humans, with felines serving as its sole definitive hosts. Cats release T. gondii oocysts into the environment through feces, contributing to environmental contamination that can lead to toxoplasmosis in humans upon exposure through ingestion of contaminated food, water, or soil.

Association of the Revised Cardiac Risk Index with 1-year postoperative mortality: A single-center retrospective study.

Objective: To explore risk factors for 1-year postoperative mortality and to identify its association with the Revised Cardiac Risk Index (RCRI).

Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study involving 54,933 patients aged 18 years and above who were surgically treated under general or regional anesthesia in a tertiary hospital in Singapore. Independent risk factors for 1-year postoperative mortality were identified by univariate Cox regression analysis.

High prediagnostic dietary intake of vitamin B and vitamin B is associated with favorable prognosis of colorectal cancer among Chinese colorectal cancer patients.

The potential impact of one-carbon metabolism (OCM)-related B vitamins (vitamin B, B, B, and folate) on colorectal cancer survival warrants investigation but research is sparse. This cohort study examined the association between the prediagnostic dietary intakes of OCM-related B vitamins and colorectal cancer survival. A total of 2799 colorectal cancer patients from the Guangdong Colorectal Cancer Cohort, enrolled at baseline in 2010, were followed for mortality outcomes through 2023.

Assessing stroke-induced abnormal muscle coactivation in the upper limb using the surface EMG co-contraction Index: A systematic review.

Electromyography (EMG) is increasingly used in stroke assessment research, with studies showing that EMG co-contraction (EMG-CC) of upper limb muscles can differentiate stroke patients from healthy individuals and correlates with clinical scales assessing motor function. This suggests that EMG-CC has potential for both assessing motor impairments and monitoring recovery in stroke patients. However, systematic reviews on EMG-CC's effectiveness in stroke assessment are lacking.

Development of micro-nanostructured film with antibacterial, anticorrosive and thermal conductivity properties on copper surface.

A micro-nano sharkskin like film (Cu-MNS-FA) was synthesized on copper surface through chemical etching followed by formate passivation, and its anticorrosive, antibacterial and thermal conductivity properties were investigated. Results show that after 7 d of exposure to nature, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Desulfovibrio vulgaris seawater, the charge transfer resistance of Cu-MNS-FA is more than three times higher than that of unmodified copper. In particular, in D.

Recent advances in graphitic carbon nitride-based nanocomposites for energy storage and conversion applications.

Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) has gained significant attention as a promising nonmetallic semiconductor photocatalyst due to its photochemical stability, favorable electronic properties, and efficient light absorption. Nevertheless, its practical applications are hindered by limitations such as low specific surface area, rapid recombination of photogenerated charge carriers, poor electrical conductivity, and restricted photo-response ranges. This review explores recent advancements in the synthesis, modification and application of g-C3N4 and its nanocomposites with a focus on addressing these challenges.

Optical properties of quasi-two-dimensional GaAs/AlGaAs nanosheets prepared by releasing epitaxial layer.

Quasi-two-dimensional nanosheets exhibit novel properties and promising applications in optoelectronic flexible devices. Research on non-layered III-V semiconductor nanosheets has been constrained by their covalent bonding connections. In this study, GaAs/AlGaAs heterojunction nanosheets were prepared by releasing an epitaxial layer, and their optical properties were investigated by adopting steady-state and transient absorption spectroscopy.

Incidence and Risk Factors for Nonreversal of Stoma in Patients With Crohn's Disease: A Single-Center Study.

Background: Even in the biological era, permanent stoma is not uncommon in patients with Crohn's Disease.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the incidence and risk factors of permanent stoma in Crohn's disease patients and provide clinical evidence for reducing this disabling outcome.

Design: Consecutive patients with Crohn's disease who underwent ostomies in the past decade were reviewed.

Corrigendum: Silver nanoparticles directly formed on natural macroporous matrix and their anti-microbial activities (2007, Nanotechnology, 18, 055605).

In the published article "Silver nanoparticles directly formed on natural macroporous matrix and their anti-microbial activities, Nanotechnology 18 (2007) 055605", the figure caption of Figure 8 has an error in immersion time, and the correct caption is given in this Corrigendum.

Mn-Mn Dimers Induced Multimode Emitters in Mn-Activated AZn(PO) (A = K, Rb, and Cs) with Unique [ZnPO] Chains and [ZnO] Groups.

Mn-doped luminescent materials play a significant role in a variety of fields, including modern lighting, displays, and imaging. Mn exhibits a broad and adjustable emission, hinging on the local environment of the crystal field and the interaction of the 3d electrons. However, it is still a challenge to realize the precise control of the emission of Mn ions due to site-prior occupation in a specific lattice.

Lipid-Rapamycin Nanovaccines Overcome the Antidrug Antibody Barrier in Biologic Therapies.

Antidrug antibodies (ADAs) against biologics present a major challenge for sustained biotherapy, including enzyme replacement therapies and adeno-associated virus (AAV) gene therapies. These antibodies arise from undesirable immune responses, leading to altered pharmacokinetics, reduced efficacy, and adverse reactions. In this study, we introduced a rationally designed lipid-rapamycin (Rapa)-based nanovaccine to restore immune tolerance to biologics and overcome drug resistance.

High Entropy: A General Strategy for Broadening the Operating Temperature of Magnetic Refrigeration.

Lattice distortion and disorder in the chemical environment of magnetic atoms within high-entropy compounds present intriguing issues in the modulation of magnetic functional compounds. However, the complexity inherent in high-entropy disordered systems has resulted in a relative scarcity of comprehensive investigations exploring the magnetic functional mechanisms of these alloys. Herein, we investigate the magnetocaloric effect (MCE) of the high-entropy intermetallic compound GdTbDyHoErCo.

Psyllium: A Nutraceutical and Functional Ingredient in Foods.

Psyllium is an excellent natural source of soluble and insoluble dietary fiber. It has been used as a nutraceutical and functional ingredient in foods. Many efforts have been made to understand and improve its physicochemical, biological, and functional properties to promote its food applications.

Circuit Modules for Flexible Locomotion.

Locomotion, like all behaviors, possesses an inherent flexibility that allows for the scaling of movement kinematic features, such as speed and vigor, in response to an ever-changing external world and internal drives. This flexibility is embedded in the organization of the spinal locomotor circuits, which encode and decode commands from the brainstem and proprioceptive feedback. This review highlights our current understanding of the modular organization of these locomotor circuits and how this modularity endows them with intrinsic mechanisms to adjust speed and vigor, thereby contributing to the flexibility of locomotor movements.

Exploring P-(Fe,V)-Codoped Metastable-Phase β-NiMoO for Improving the Performance of Overall Water Splitting.

It is especially essential to develop high-performance and low-cost nonprecious metal catalysts for large-scale hydrogen production. A large number of electrochemical catalysts composited by transition metal centers has been reported; however, it is still a great challenge to design and manipulate target electrocatalysts to realize high overall water-splitting activity at the atomic level. Herein, we develop totally new P-(Fe,V)-codoped metastable-phase β-NiMoO.

Effect of Temperature on Condensed State Structure and Conductivity Characteristics of Micron-Level Biaxially Oriented Polypropylene Films.

Polymer-based dielectric films are increasingly demanded for devices under high electric fields used in new energy vehicles, photovoltaic grid connections, oil and gas exploration, and aerospace. However, leakage current is one of the significant factors limiting the improvement of the insulation performance. This paper tested the leakage current and condensed state structure characteristics of biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) films and obtained the nonlinear characteristics of leakage current of BOPP films in the range of 40-440 V/μm and 40-110 °C.

Unraveling the Role of Functional Groups of Terephthalate in Enhancing the Electrochemical Oxygen Evolution Reaction of Nickel-Organic Framework Nanoarrays.

The platelike nickel-terephthalate-type metal-organic framework nanoarrays (Ni-BDC NAs) on carbon cloth are obtained by employing agaric-like Ni(OH) NAs as sacrificial templates. The microenvironment of Ni-BDC NAs is modulated by various neighboring functional groups (-NH, -NO, and -Br) on the carboxylate ligand, exerting minimal destructive effects on the structure and morphology of Ni-BDC NAs. The electrochemical oxygen evolution reaction (OER) of Ni-BDC-NH NAs, Ni-BDC-NO NAs, and Ni-BDC-Br NAs exhibited a significant enhancement compared to that of Ni-BDC NAs alone, as evidenced by both experimental and theoretical assessments.

Precision Oncology: A Global Perspective on Implementation and Policy Development.

Despite the acknowledged merits of precision oncology (PO) and its increasing global implementation, its full potential for advancing care and prevention remains unrealized. The benefits are currently accessible to only limited patient segments because of multifaceted barriers. Successful implementation hinges on various factors-scientific complexities not limited to technical, clinical, regulatory, economic, administrative, and health care policy-related challenges.

Design of ()-3-(5-Thienyl)carboxamido-2-aminopropanoic Acid Derivatives as Novel NMDA Receptor Glycine Site Agonists: Variation in Molecular Geometry to Improve Potency and Augment GluN2 Subunit-Specific Activity.

NMDA receptor ligands have therapeutic potential in neurological and psychiatric disorders. We designed ()-3-(5-thienyl)carboxamido-2-aminopropanoic acid derivatives with nanomolar agonist potencies at NMDA receptor subtypes (GluN12/A-D). These compounds are superagonists at GluN1/2C compared to glycine and partial to full agonists at GluN1/2A and GluN1/2D but display functional antagonism at GluN1/2B due to low agonist efficacy.

Assessing therapist skills in teletherapy: the development and validation of the tele-facilitative interpersonal skills task.

Teletherapy via videoconferencing has become common practice but has unique challenges. We aimed to develop and validate the first performance-based observer-rated measure of teletherapy skills: The Teletherapy Facilitative Interpersonal Skills Performance Task (Tele-FIS). We developed a set of 12 Tele-FIS video stimulus clips as simulations of four research-informed common therapeutic challenges in teletherapy: technology, distraction, boundaries and privacy, and emotional disconnection.

Single-Cell Multi-Omics Profiling of Immune Cells Isolated from Atherosclerotic Plaques in Male ApoE Knockout Mice Exposed to Arsenic.

Background: Millions worldwide are exposed to elevated levels of arsenic that significantly increase their risk of developing atherosclerosis, a pathology primarily driven by immune cells. While the impact of arsenic on immune cell populations in atherosclerotic plaques has been broadly characterized, cellular heterogeneity is a substantial barrier to in-depth examinations of the cellular dynamics for varying immune cell populations.

Objectives: This study aimed to conduct single-cell multi-omics profiling of atherosclerotic plaques in apolipoprotein E knockout () mice to elucidate transcriptomic and epigenetic changes in immune cells induced by arsenic exposure.

A Functional Variant in Is Associated with the Risk of Radiation Pneumonitis.

Radiation pneumonitis (RP) is characterized by inflammation and is associated with autophagy. However, the relationship between functional genetic variants of autophagy-related genes and radiation pneumonitis remains unknow. In this study we aimed to investigate whether genetic variants of genes involved in autophagy are associated with radiation pneumonitis.

Visualization of Apical-Basal Stress Polarity Regulating Directed Cell Migration with a FRET-Based Biosensor.

Intracellular morphological apical-basal polarity, regulated by conserved polarity proteins, plays a crucial role in cell migration and metastasis. In this study, using a genetically encoded Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) biosensor to visually present the spatiotemporal stress state between the lipid rafts on the membrane and the linked actin, we first provide the evidence for the existence of intrinsic apical-basal stress polarity in tumor cells and demonstrate that this polarity is a prerequisite for the formation of flow-induced front-back stress polarity. Interestingly, our study revealed that the front-back stress polarity disappeared upon the disruption of intrinsic apical-basal stress discrepancy, resulting in a large attenuated cell migration activity reduced from 76.

Design, Synthesis, and Evaluation of Selective PDE4 Inhibitors for the Therapy of Pulmonary Injury.

Pulmonary inflammation is the main cause of lung injury. Phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) is a promising anti-inflammatory target for the treatment of respiratory diseases. Herein, we designed and synthesized 43 compounds in two novel series of benzimidazole derivatives as PDE4 inhibitors.