Is 'me-time' selfish?: Daily vitality crossover in dual-earner couples.

This multisource daily diary study examined the recovery outcomes of working mothers' time spent for the self (i.e. me-time) and whether the benefits crossover to their husbands.

Chemical reactions with Liesegang rings: generation of non-permanent thermal patterns.

Patterns are encountered and employed in nature, such as in the communication or growth of organisms and sophisticated behaviors such as camouflage. Artificial patterns are not rare, either. They can also be used in sensing, recording information, and manipulating material properties.

Catalytic CuO/Cu Site Trades off the Coupling and Etching Reactions of Carbon Intermediates for CO-Assisted Graphene Synthesis.

In the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) synthesis of graphene, the surficial chemical state of the metal substrate has exerted key roles in all elemental reaction steps determining the growth mechanism of graphene. Herein, a CO-participated annealing procedure is designed to construct catalytic CuO/Cu sites on Cu foil for the graphene CVD synthesis with CO/CH as carbon sources. These CuO/Cu species can catalyze the CH decomposition and subsequent C─C coupling to form C intermediates for fast growth of monolayer hexagonal graphene domains with a diameter of ≈30 µm within 0.

Platinum/(Carbon-Nanotube) Electrocatalyst Boosts Hydrogen Evolution Reaction in Acidic, Neutral and Alkaline Solutions.

Widely used catalysts for electrocatalytic hydrogen (H) evolution reaction (HER) have high platinum (Pt) contents and show low efficiencies in neutral and alkaline solutions. Herein, a carbon nanotube (CNT) supported Pt catalyst (Pt/CNT45) with 1 wt.% Pt is fabricated.

A Coordination Nanosystem Enables Endogenous Ferric Ion-Initiated Multi-Catalysis for Synergistic Tumor-Specific Ferroptosis and Gene Therapy.

Emerging evidence demonstrates that inducing ferroptosis, a nonapoptotic programmed cell death mode, holds significant potential for tumor treatment. However, current ferroptosis strategies utilizing exogenous Fenton-type heavy metal species or introducing glutathione (GSH)/glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) suppressants are hampered by latent adverse effects toward organisms, while utilizing endogenous iron may cause undesirable tumor angiogenesis through specific signaling pathways. Here, a ferric ion (Fe)-responsive and DNAzyme-delivered coordination nanosystem (ZDD) is developed to achieve a novel scheme of synergistic tumor-specific ferroptosis and gene therapy, which modulates and harnesses the endogenous iron in tumors for inducing ferroptosis while intercepting tumor angiogenesis to enhance therapeutic efficacy.

Molecular Mechanism of Unexpected Metal-Independent Hydroxyl Radical Production by Mercaptotriazole and HO.

It is well known that hydroxyl radical (OH) can be largely produced either through the classic iron-mediated inorganic-Fenton system or our recently discovered haloquinones/HO organic-Fenton-like system, but rarely produced via thiol compounds. Here, unexpectedly, we found that OH can be unequivocally generated by incubation of HO and mercaptotriazole (MTZ), a typical heterocyclic thiol which has been used as an environmentally friendly corrosion inhibitor for mild steel. By the complementary applications of HPLC-MS and oxygen-18 isotope-labeling method, MTZ-derived sulfenic (MTZ-SOH) and sulfinic acids were detected and identified as transient intermediates, and sulfonic acid as final products.

Observation of Real-Time Spin-Orbit Torque Driven Dynamics in Antiferromagnetic Thin Film.

In the burgeoning field of spintronics, antiferromagnetic materials (AFMs) are attracting significant attention for their potential to enable ultra-fast, energy-efficient devices. Thin films of AFMs are particularly promising for practical applications due to their compatibility with spin-orbit torque (SOT) mechanisms. However, studying these thin films presents challenges, primarily due to the weak signals they produce and the rapid dynamics driven by SOT, that are too fast for conventional electric transport or microwave techniques to capture.

Site-Selective Modification and Labeling of Native RNA.

Ribonucleic acid (RNA) plays a pivotal role in regulating biological processes within living systems, with modified nucleosides serving as critical modulators of various aspects of biological functions. Therefore, the development of efficient methodologies for late-stage, site-selective RNA modification is of considerable interest, as it facilitates the functional exploration of RNA chemical modifications and their implications for therapeutic applications. Precise RNA modification holds significant promise for the treatment of genetic diseases by enabling the correction of mutated nucleobases to their wild-type forms.

Evaluation of a new technology for terminal sterilization of flexible endoscopes using hydrogen peroxide gas plasma.

In laboratory testing, a novel hydrogen peroxide gas plasma endoscope sterilizer consistently reduced vegetative organisms, but not bacterial spores, to undetectable levels in the presence of high organism load (≥6.5 log) and organic material and salts. These findings highlight the importance of meticulous cleaning of endoscopes prior to sterilization.

Multiomic analyses direct hypotheses for Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease risk genes.

Prions are assemblies of misfolded prion protein that cause several fatal and transmissible neurodegenerative diseases, with the most common phenotype in humans being sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD). Aside from variation of the prion protein itself, molecular risk factors are not well understood. Prion and prion-like mechanisms are thought to underpin common neurodegenerative disorders meaning that the elucidation of mechanisms could have broad relevance.

Fabrication of Dual-Ligand Zn-MOFs with Asynchronous Fluorescence Response for Efficient Ratiometric/Visual Sensing of Tetracycline Antibiotics in Animal-Derived Foods.

The extensive use of tetracyclines in livestock poses health risks due to their residues in animal-derived food; therefore, developing simple detection methods to replace complex traditional approaches is of paramount importance. Here, we developed a dual-ligand zinc-based metal-organic framework material, Zn-BTC-BDC-NH (denoted as ZTD), for the detection of tetracyclines. The intrinsic blue fluorescence of ZTD was quenched upon the introduction of tetracyclines due to electron transfer from -NH of ZTD to -CO- and -OH groups of tetracycline molecules; meanwhile, the new green fluorescence emission was generated through π-π stacking between aromatic rings and the formation of complexes between Zn and C-O/C═O groups.

Design of S-Scheme CuInS/CeO Heterojunction for Enhanced Photocatalytic Degradation of Pharmaceuticals in Wastewater.

The release of common medications and illegal drugs into the environment could be potentially harmful to the ecosystem and hamper the behavior and growth of plants and animals. These pollutants gain access to water through sewage and factory discharges and have been found to exceed safety limits in water bodies. Therefore, there is an urgent need for improved wastewater purification systems.

PBAE-PEG based lipid nanoparticles for lung cell-specific gene delivery.

Exemplified by successful use in COVID-19 vaccination, delivery of modified mRNA encapsulated in lipid nanoparticles provides a framework for treating various genetic and acquired disorders. However, lipid nanoparticles that can deliver mRNA into specific lung cell types have not yet been established. Here, we sought whether poly(®-amino ester)s (PBAE) or PEGylated PBAE (PBAE-PEG) in combination with 4A3-SC8/DOPE/cholesterol/DOTAP lipid nanoparticles (LNP) could deliver mRNA into different types of lung cells in vivo.

Mitigating cadmium contamination in soil using Biochar, sulfur-modified Biochar, and other organic amendments.

Biochar is a novel approach to remediating heavy metal-contaminated soil. Using various organic amendments like phyllosilicate-minerals (PSM), compost, biochar (BC) and sulfur-modified biochar (SMB), demonstrates superior adsorption capacity and stability compared to unmodified biochar (BC). The adsorption mechanisms of SMB are identified for its potential to increase soil-pH and reduce available cadmium (Cd).

Surface Hydroxylated S/O Dual-Vacancy S-Scheme Hollow [In2S3-x/In2O3-x](OH)y Heterojunction for Photothermal-promoted Low-Temperature Methanol/Water Reforming into Hydrogen.

To enable highly efficient in situ hydrogen release from methanol/water reforming at lower temperature, the integration of solar-energy offers a promising approach to activate methanol/water and substantially lower the activation energy of this reaction. Herein, we present a novel dual-vacancy defective hollow heterostructure derived from Metal-Organic Frameworks, featuring abundant surface hydroxyl groups and S/O vacancies, for photothermal-promoted methanol solution reforming into hydrogen. The [In2S3-x/In2O3-x](OH)y exhibits exceptional photothermal H2 evolution activity, achieving a production rate of 215.

Surface Reconstruction of An Integrated CoO-Co2Mo3O8 electrode Enabling Efficient Ampere-Level Hydrogen Evolution in Alkaline Water or Seawater.

To accelerate the water dissociation in the Volmer step and alleviate the destruction of bubbles to the physical structure of catalysts during the alkaline hydrogen evolution, an integrated electrode of cobalt oxide and cobalt-molybdenum oxide grown on Ni foam, named CoO-Co2Mo3O8, is designed. This integrated electrode enhances the catalyst-substrate interaction confirmed by a micro-indentation tester, and thus hinders the destruction of the physical structure of catalysts caused by bubbles. Electrochemical testing shows the occurrence of a surface reconstruction of the integrated electrode, and CoO is transformed into Co(OH)2, denoted as Co(OH)2-Co2Mo3O8.

Quantum Chemical NMR Spectroscopic Structural Analysis in Solution: The Investigation of 3-Indoleacetic Acid Dimer Formation in Chloroform and DMSO Solution.

We present a DFT-PCM NMR study of 3-indoleacetic acid (3-IAA), used as a working example, including explicit solvent molecules, named PCM-nCHCl, PCM-nDMSO (n = 0, 2, 4, 8, 14, 20, and 25), to investigate the dimer formation in solution. Apart from well-known cyclic (I) and open (II) acetic acid (AA) dimers, two new structures were located on DFT-PCM potential energy surface (PES) for 3-IAA named quasicyclic A (III) and quasicyclic B (IV), the last one having N-H…O hydrogen bond (instead of O-H…O). In addition, four other structures having π-π type interactions named V, VI, VII, and VIII were also obtained completing the sample on the PES.

Deployment and transcriptional evaluation of nitisinone, an FDA-approved drug, to control bed bugs.

Background: Bed bugs are blood-feeders that rapidly proliferate into large indoor infestations. Their bites can cause allergies, secondary infections and psychological stress, among other problems. Although several tactics for their management have been used, bed bugs continue to spread worldwide wherever humans reside.

Modeling the response to interleukin-21 to inform natural killer cell immunotherapy.

Natural killer (NK) cells are emerging agents for cancer therapy. Several different cytokines are used to generate NK cells for adoptive immunotherapy including interleukin (IL)-2, IL-12, IL-15 and IL-18 in solution, and membrane-bound IL-21. These cytokines drive NK cell activation through the integration of signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT) and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) pathways, which overlap and synergize, making it challenging to predict optimal cytokine combinations for both proliferation and cytotoxicity.

Noninvasive in vivo imaging of macrophages: understanding tumor microenvironments and delivery of therapeutics.

Macrophages are pivotal in the body's defense and response to inflammation. They are present in significant numbers and are widely implicated in various diseases, including cancer. While molecular and histological techniques have advanced our understanding of macrophage biology, their precise function within the cancerous microenvironments remains underexplored.

Endogenous sex hormone levels are associated with the revised Framingham Stroke Risk Profile in postmenopausal women: a longitudinal study in a Swedish cohort.

Background: Endogenous sex hormones in postmenopausal women have been associated with risk of cardiovascular diseases. The aim of this study was to determine the association between endogenous sex hormones and the revised Framingham Stroke Risk Profile (rFSRP) in postmenopausal women.

Methods: This is an observational cross-sectional study on the Vara-Skövde cohort, a Swedish population-based study for longitudinal surveillance of the development and progress of type 2 diabetes and hypertension.

Continuous PPI Treatment After Gastric Bypass Increases the Risk of Pathological PTH Levels at 10 Years Postoperatively.

Background: Apart from massive weight loss, metabolic and bariatric surgery, especially gastric bypass (Roux-en-Y gastric bypass [RYGB]), can cause nutritional deficiencies. Proton pump inhibitors (PPI), relatively often used after RYGB, are associated with reduced calcium absorption. We have studied the long-term impact of PPI upon calcium homeostasis among RYGB patients.

Ways to Measure Metals: From ICP-MS to XRF.

Purpose Of Review: This review explores the use of Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) and X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) for quantifying metals and metalloids in biological matrices such as hair, nails, blood, bone, and tissue. It provides a comprehensive overview of these methodologies, detailing their technological limitations, application scopes, and practical considerations for selection in both laboratory and field settings. By examining traditional and novel aspects of each method, this review aims to guide researchers and clinical practitioners in choosing the most suitable analytical tool based on their specific needs for sensitivity, precision, speed, and sample preparation.