Validation Status of Electronic Sphygmomanometers in China: A National Survey.

Background: Although the information on the validation status of electronic sphygmomanometer (ES) devices in use in health care institutions and households is much more clinically relevant than that of ES models available on the market, it remains insufficient.

Methods: A national survey was conducted across all administrative regions of mainland China to assess the validation status of ESs. Fifty-eight cities were selected with stratification by municipality, provincial capital, and other cities, and health care institutions and households in each city were chosen by convenience to identify ES devices in use according to the study protocol.

Human milk whey proteins: Constituents, influencing factors, detection methods, and comparative analysis with other sources.

Whey proteins, the most abundant proteins in human milk (HM), play a vital role in the growth and development of infants. This review first elaborates on the main components of HM whey proteins, including various proteins with specific functions, and details the functions of these proteins in terms of infant nutrition, immunity, as well as growth and development. Secondly, it analyzes factors that affect HM whey proteins, such as maternal differences, dietary habits, and geographical differences.

Amorphization Stabilizes Te-based Aqueous Batteries via Confining Free Water.

Tellurium (Te), with its rich valence states (-2 to +6), could endow aqueous batteries with potentially high specific capacity. However, achieving complete and stable hypervalent Te0/Te4+ electrochemistry in an aqueous environment poses significant challenges, owing to the sluggish reduction kinetics, the easy dissolution of Te4+ species, and a controversial energy storage mechanism. Herein, for the first time, we demonstrate an amorphous strategy for robust aqueous TeO2/Te electrochemistry.

Functional Characterization and In Silico Prediction Tools Improve the Pathogenicity Prediction of Novel Bile Acid Transporter Variants.

The pathogenicity of cholestatic liver diseases (CLDs) remains insufficiently characterized, hindering definitive diagnosis and timely treatment. The aim of this study was to improve the pathogenicity prediction of novel bile acid (BA) transporter variants in patients with CLDs. We analyzed the clinical characteristics and genetic profiles of a CLD cohort (n = 57) using multiple in silico tools and in vitro functional assays.

Growth of microbes in competitive lifestyles promotes increased ARGs in soil microbiota: insights based on genetic traits.

Background: The widespread selective pressure of antibiotics in the environment has led to the propagation of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). However, the mechanisms by which microbes balance population growth with the enrichment of ARGs remain poorly understood. To address this, we employed microcosm cultivation at different antibiotic (i.

Combined exposure to mixed brominated flame retardants on obstructive sleep apnea syndrome in US adults.

Background: Accumulating research highlights that exposure to serum brominated flame retardants (BFRs) may elevate health risks. The effects of serum BFRs, both alone and in combination, on obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) have not been thoroughly studied. Our main goal was to examine the association between individual and mixtures of serum BFRs and OSAS risk.

Volatile Sieving Using Architecturally Designed Nanochannel Lamellar Membranes in Membrane Desalination.

Thermally driven membrane desalination processes have garnered significant interest for their potential in the treatment of hypersaline wastewater. However, achieving high rejection rates for volatiles while maintaining a high water flux remains a considerable challenge. Herein, we propose a thermo-osmosis-evaporation (TOE) system that utilizes molecular intercalation-regulated graphene oxide (GO) as the thermo-osmotic selective permeation layer, positioned on a hydrophobic poly(vinylidene fluoride) fibrous membrane serving as the thermo-evaporation layer.

All-angle unidirectional flat-band acoustic metasurfaces.

Flat bands have empowered novel phenomena such as robust canalization with strong localization, high-collimation and low-loss propagation. However, the spatial symmetry protection in photonic or acoustic lattices naturally forces flat bands to manifest in pairs aligned at an inherently specific angle, resulting in a fixed bidirectional canalization. Here, we report an acoustic flat-band metasurface, allowing not only unidirectional canalization at all in-plane angles but also robust tunability in band alignment.

Tailoring Water-in-DMSO Electrolyte for Ultra-stable Rechargeable Zinc Batteries.

Rechargeable zinc batteries (RZBs) are hindered by two primary challenges: instability of Zn anode and deterioration of the cathode structure in traditional aqueous electrolytes, largely attributable to the decomposition of active H2O. Here, we design and synthesize a non-flammable water-in-dimethyl sulfoxide electrolyte to address these issues. X-ray absorption spectroscopy, in situ techniques and computational simulations demonstrate that the activity of H2O in this electrolyte is extremely compressed, which not only suppresses the side reactions and increases the reversibility of Zn anode, but also diminishes the cathode dissolution and proton intercalation.

Preparation of carboxymethyl chitosan-Tb (CMCh-Tb) fluorescent probe: For high-sensitivity Cu detection and mechanism study.

Carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCh) is a natural polysaccharide derivative with biodegradability, rich in active amino and carboxyl groups. It can act as a ligand to coordinate with rare earth ions, transferring absorbed energy to the central ion to sensitize its luminescence. In this paper, CMCh-Tb was prepared as a solid fluorescent probe by mixing CMCh solution with Tb.

Efficacy and durability of cobalt sulfide nanoparticles and axial sulfur-coordinated cobalt single-atom composite sites in hydrogenative nitroaromatics decontamination.

Emerging single-atom materials and metal sulfides hold significant promise as alternatives to precious metal catalysts for nitroaromatics conversion; however, their intrinsic activity and durability remain insufficiently understood. Herein, sulfur and nitrogen co-doped carbon matrices incorporating CoS nanoparticles and single-atom Co with Co-N-S coordination were constructed through a facile pyrolysis approach. Advanced characterization techniques, such as X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) and aberration-corrected electron microscopy, unveiled unique structural features underpinning exceptional catalytic efficiency and recyclability.

A Chromatography Test Strip of Exonuclease III-Amplified Aptamer for Rapid Identification of Prorocentrum minimum.

Recently, the scale and frequency of harmful algae blooms (HABs) have gradually increased, posing a serious threat to human health, marine ecosystems and economic development. For early warning, a method is required that can quickly detect and monitor microalgae. It is proposed to use aptamer targeted to Prorocentrum minimum, along with exonuclease III (Exo III), gold nanoparticles, target single-stranded DNA and hairpin structure probe to construct a new method, i.

Integrated Microneedles and Hydrogel Biosensor Platform: Toward a Diagnostic Device for Collection and Dual-Mode Sensing of Monkeypox Virus A29 Protein.

The outbreak of the monkeypox epidemic underscores the importance of developing a rapid and sensitive virus detection technique. Microneedles (MNs) offer minimally invasive sampling capabilities, providing a solution for the development of integrated extraction and diagnostic portable devices. Here, we report an integrated MNs and hydrogel biosensor (IMHB) platform, composed of an electronic device, an MN patch, and a hydrogel patch.

Glyphosate-Based Herbicide Stress During Pregnancy Impairs Intestinal Development in Newborn Piglets by Modifying DNA Methylation.

Glyphosate-based herbicide (GBH), a feed contaminant, has been proven to impair the growth and development of humans and animals. Previous research has revealed that maternal toxin exposure during pregnancy could cause permanent fetal changes by epigenetic modulation. However, there was insufficient evidence of the involvement of DNA methylation in maternal GBH exposure-induced intestinal health of offspring.

The volcanic relationship of model phthalocyanine molecular catalysts in the CO reduction reaction.

We have constructed a series of model metal phthalocyanines (MPc) for the carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CORR), constructed a volcano relationship through density functional theory (DFT) and experiments, and obtained cobalt phthalocyanine (CoPc) at the apex. The volcano diagram is conducive to the screening of catalysts and has a guiding role in the design of catalysts.

Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacterial Infection Using Coassembled Dimeric Antimicrobial Peptide-Based Nanofibers.

The emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens, coupled with the limited effectiveness of existing antibiotics in eradicating biofilms, presents a significant threat to global health care. This critical situation underscores the urgent need for the discovery and development of antimicrobial agents. Recently, peptide-derived antimicrobial nanomaterials have shown promise in combating such infections.

Lanthanide-polyoxometalate-based self-erasing luminescent hydrogels with time-dependent and resilient properties for advanced information encryption.

In such an era of information explosion, improving the level of information security is still a challenging task. Self-erasing luminescent hydrogels are becoming ideal candidates for improving the level of information security with simple encryption and decryption methods. Herein, a lanthanide-polyoxometalate-based self-erasing luminescent hydrogel with time-dependent and resilient properties was constructed through a covalent crosslinked network constructed with polyacrylamide and a non-covalent crosslinked network constructed with [2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl]trimethyl ammonium chloride/NaDyWO, along with doping urease.

Mitigating the Efficiency Deficit in Single-Crystal Perovskite Solar Cells by Precise Control of the Growth Processes.

The power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of polycrystalline perovskite solar cells (PC-PSCs) have now reached a plateau after a decade of rapid development, leaving a distinct gap from their Shockley-Queisser limit. To continuously mitigate the PCE deficit, nonradiative carrier losses resulting from defects should be further optimized. Single-crystal perovskites are considered an ideal platform to study the efficiency limit of perovskite solar cells due to their intrinsically low defect density, as demonstrated in bulk single crystals.

Low-Temperature Growth of Centimeter-Sized 2D PdSe by Self-Limiting Liquid-Phase Edge Epitaxy.

Two-dimensional (2D) PdSe atomic crystals hold great potential for optoelectronic applications due to their bipolar electrical characteristics, tunable bandgap, high electron mobility, and exceptional air stability. Nevertheless, the scalable synthesis of large-area, high-quality 2D PdSe crystals using chemical vapor deposition (CVD) remains a significant challenge. Here, we present a self-limiting liquid-phase edge-epitaxy (SLE) low-temperature growth method to achieve high-quality, centimeter-sized PdSe films with single-crystal domain areas exceeding 30 μm.

Directed evolution of antimicrobial peptides using multi-objective zeroth-order optimization.

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) emerge as a type of promising therapeutic compounds that exhibit broad spectrum antimicrobial activity with high specificity and good tolerability. Natural AMPs usually need further rational design for improving antimicrobial activity and decreasing toxicity to human cells. Although several algorithms have been developed to optimize AMPs with desired properties, they explored the variations of AMPs in a discrete amino acid sequence space, usually suffering from low efficiency, lack diversity, and local optimum.

A lineage 1 branch porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus live vaccine candidate provides broad cross-protection against HP-like PRRSV in piglets.

Multiple porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) subtypes coinfect numerous pig farms in China, and commercial PRRSV vaccines offer limited cross-protection against heterologous strains. Our previous research confirmed that a PRRSV lineage 1 branch attenuated live vaccine (SD-R) provides cross-protection against HP-PRRSV, NADC30-like PRRSV and NADC34-like PRRSV. HP-PRRSV has undergone significant genetic variation following nearly two decades of evolution and has transformed into a subtype referred to as HP-like PRRSV, which also exhibits high pathogenicity.

Dual PTCH2 mutation [Ser391*, Leu104Pro]: unveiling a potential new genetic susceptibility factor for glioma development.

Gliomas are a heterogeneous type of central nervous system tumor. The etiology of glioma formation remains elusive, with approximately 5% of gliomas being familial, underscoring the significance of understanding genetic susceptibility in glioma development. In this study, a dual germline PTCH2 mutation [Ser391*, Leu104Pro] was identified in a family with a history of glioma, and sequencing data from WES/SimcereDx Neuro-Onco 360 including 910 Chinese patients with glioma and 1666 patients with solid tumors were analyzed.

Microporous carbon derived from waste plastics for efficient adsorption of tetracycline: Adsorption mechanism and application potentials.

In recent years, the accumulation of waste plastics and emergence plastic-derived pollutants such as microplastics have driven significantly the development and updating of waste plastic utilization technology. This study prepared the porous carbon (PC-1-KOH) material directly from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) in waste plastic bottles using KOH activation and molten salt strategy for efficient removal of antibiotic tetracycline (TC). The maximum removal efficiency of TC was 100.

Accessing renewable magnetic cellulose nanofiber adsorbent to enhance separation efficiency for adsorption and recovery of Cd.

To address the issue of toxic cadmium pollution and meet the need for rapid separation from water body, a magnetic bio-composite material, marked as CFeMg, was prepared via a facile method. It explicitly includes components of cellulose nanofiber (CNF), FeO and Mg (OH). The microstructures and morphology were characterized and analyzed using XRD, FT-IR, SEM, and TEM.