Porous NiMoO4 Nanosheet Films and a Device with Ultralarge Optical Modulation for Electrochromic Energy-Storage Applications.

Reducing building energy consumption, improving aesthetics, and improving occupant privacy as well as comfort by dynamically adjusting solar radiation are important application areas for electrochromic (EC) smart windows. However, the current transition metal oxides still cannot meet the requirements of neutral coloration and large optical modulation. We report NiMoO4 nanosheet films directly grown on fluorine-doped tin oxide glasses. The as-grown NiMoO4 film not only achieves neutral coloration from transparent to dark brown but also shows an ultralarge optical modulation (86.8% at 480 nm) and excellent cycling stability (99.4% retention of maximum optical modulation after 1500 cycles). Meanwhile, an EC device demonstrating good EC performance was constructed. These results will greatly promote the research and development of binary transition metal oxides for both EC and energy-storage applications, and NiMoO4 films may be an excellent candidate to replace NiO films as ion-storage layers in complementary EC devices with WO3 films as EC layers.

Anti-HER2 therapy response assessment for guiding treatment (de-)escalation in early HER2-positive breast cancer using a novel deep learning radiomics model.

OBJECTIVES: Anti-HER2 targeted therapy significantly reduces risk of relapse in HER2 + breast cancer. New measures are needed for a precise risk stratification to guide (de-)escalation of anti-HER2 strategy. METHODS: A total of 726 HER2 + cases who received no/single/dual anti-HER2 targeted therapies were split into three respective cohorts. A deep learning model (DeepTEPP) based on preoperative breast magnetic resonance (MR) was developed. Patients were scored and categorized into low-, moderate-, and high-risk groups. Recurrence-free survival (RFS) was compared in patients with different risk groups according to the anti-HER2 treatment they received, to validate the value of DeepTEPP in predicting treatment efficacy and guiding anti-HER2 strategy. RESULTS: DeepTEPP was capable of risk stratification and guiding anti-HER2 treatment strategy: DeepTEPP-Low patients (60.5%) did not derive significant RFS benefit from trastuzumab (p = 0.144), proposing an anti-HER2 de-escalation. DeepTEPP-Moderate patients (19.8%) significantly benefited from trastuzumab (p = 0.048), but did not obtain additional improvements from pertuzumab (p = 0.125). DeepTEPP-High patients (19.7%) significantly benefited from dual HER2 blockade (p = 0.045), suggesting an anti-HER2 escalation. CONCLUSIONS: DeepTEPP represents a pioneering MR-based deep learning model that enables the non-invasive prediction of adjuvant anti-HER2 effectiveness, thereby providing valuable guidance for anti-HER2 (de-)escalation strategies. DeepTEPP provides an important reference for choosing the appropriate individualized treatment in HER2 + breast cancer patients, warranting prospective validation. CLINICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: We built an MR-based deep learning model DeepTEPP, which enables the non-invasive prediction of adjuvant anti-HER2 effectiveness, thus guiding anti-HER2 (de-)escalation strategies in early HER2-positive breast cancer patients. KEY POINTS: • DeepTEPP is able to predict anti-HER2 effectiveness and to guide treatment (de-)escalation. • DeepTEPP demonstrated an impressive prognostic efficacy for recurrence-free survival and overall survival. • To our knowledge, this is one of the very few, also the largest study to test the efficacy of a deep learning model extracted from breast MR images on HER2-positive breast cancer survival and anti-HER2 therapy effectiveness prediction.

Molecular Insights into the Effects of F16L and F19L Substitutions on the Conformation and Aggregation Dynamics of Human Calcitonin.

Human calcitonin (hCT) regulates calcium-phosphorus metabolism, but its amyloid aggregation disrupts physiological activity, increases thyroid carcinoma risk, and hampers its clinical use for bone-related diseases like osteoporosis and Paget's disease. Improving hCT with targeted modifications to mitigate amyloid formation while maintaining its function holds promise as a strategy. Understanding how each residue in hCT's amyloidogenic core affects its structure and aggregation dynamics is crucial for designing effective analogues. Mutants F16L-hCT and F19L-hCT, where Phe residues in the core are replaced with Leu as in nonamyloidogenic salmon calcitonin, showed different aggregation kinetics. However, the molecular effects of these substitutions in hCT are still unclear. Here, we systematically investigated the folding and self-assembly conformational dynamics of hCT, F16L-hCT, and F19L-hCT through multiple long-time scale independent atomistic discrete molecular dynamics (DMD) simulations. Our results indicated that the hCT monomer primarily assumed unstructured conformations with dynamic helices around residues 4-12 and 14-21. During self-assembly, the amyloidogenic core of hCT14-21 converted from dynamic helices to ß-sheets. However, substituting F16L did not induce significant conformational changes, as F16L-hCT exhibited characteristics similar to those of wild-type hCT in both monomeric and oligomeric states. In contrast, F19L-hCT exhibited substantially more helices and fewer ß-sheets than did hCT, irrespective of their monomers or oligomers. The substitution of F19L significantly enhanced the stability of the helical conformation for hCT14-21, thereby suppressing the helix-to-ß-sheet conformational conversion. Overall, our findings elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying hCT aggregation and the effects of F16L and F19L substitutions on the conformational dynamics of hCT, highlighting the critical role of F19 as an important target in the design of amyloid-resistant hCT analogs for future clinical applications.

Aerobic Microbial Transformation of Fluorinated Liquid Crystal Monomer: New Pathways and Mechanism.

Fluorinated liquid crystal monomers (FLCMs) have been suggested as emerging contaminants, raising global concern due to their frequent occurrence, potential toxic effects, and endurance capacity in the environment. However, the environmental fate of the FLCMs remains unknown. To fill this knowledge gap, we investigated the aerobic microbial transformation mechanisms of an important FLCM, 4-[difluoro(3,4,5-trifluorophenoxy)methyl]-3, 5-difluoro-4'-propylbiphenyl (DTMDPB), using an enrichment culture termed as BG1. Our findings revealed that 67.5 ± 2.1% of the initially added DTMDPB was transformed in 10 days under optimal conditions. A total of 14 microbial transformation products obtained due to a series of reactions (e.g., reductive defluorination, ether bond cleavage, demethylation, oxidative hydroxylation and aromatic ring opening, sulfonation, glucuronidation, O-methylation, and thiolation) were identified. Consortium BG1 harbored essential genes that could transform DTMDPB, such as dehalogenation-related genes [e.g., glutathione S-transferase gene (GST), 2-haloacid dehalogenase gene (2-HAD), nrdB, nuoC, and nuoD]; hydroxylating-related genes hcaC, ubiH, and COQ7; aromatic ring opening-related genes ligB and catE; and methyltransferase genes ubiE and ubiG. Two DTMDPB-degrading strains were isolated, which are affiliated with the genus Sphingopyxis and Agromyces. This study provides a novel insight into the microbial transformation of FLCMs. The findings of this study have important implications for the development of bioremediation strategies aimed at addressing sites contaminated with FLCMs.

The effect of childhood family adversity on adulthood depression among Chinese older migrant workers: gender differences in the mediating role of social-ecological systems.

BACKGROUND: Older migrant workers (OMWs) in China face unique challenges rooted in their early life experiences, which increase their vulnerability to psychological and behavioral problems in adulthood. By utilizing the cumulative disadvantage model and the social-ecological systems theory, this study explored the effect of childhood family adversity on adulthood depression in the mediating roles of OMWs' social-ecological microsystem and mesosystem and further examined gender differences in these associations. METHODS: Data were collected from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), involving a sample of 4,309 OMWs aged 50 and above. The measures included the Center for Epidemiological Research Depression Scale, childhood family adversity, socioeconomic status, marital quality, and physical and cognitive health. RESULTS: Childhood family adversity was positively associated with adulthood depression among OMWs. Social microsystem (physical and cognitive health) and mesosystem (marital quality and socioeconomic status) factors significantly mediated this relationship. Multi-group analysis revealed that the mediating effects of marital quality and socioeconomic status were stronger for female OMWs, while the mediating effects of physical and cognitive health were stronger for male OMWs. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that childhood family adversity has a lasting impact on the mental health of OMWs, and that social-ecological systems factors play an important role in this relationship. The study also highlights the need for gender-specific interventions to address the mental health needs of OMWs.

Advancing Alzheimer's research: Radiomics visualization of the default mode network in cerebral perfusion imaging.

OBJECTIVE: Alzheimer's disease, an irreversible neurological condition, demands timely diagnosis for effective clinical intervention. This study employs radiomics analysis to assess image features in default mode network cerebral perfusion imaging among individuals with cognitive impairment. METHODS: A radiomics analysis of cerebral perfusion imaging was conducted on 117 patients with cognitive impairment. They were divided into training and validation sets in a 7:3 ratio. Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) and Random Forest were employed to select and model image features, followed by logistic regression analysis of LASSO and Random Forest results. Diagnostic performance was assessed by calculating the area under the curve (AUC). RESULTS: In the training set, LASSO achieved AUC of 0.978, Random Forest had an AUC of 0.933. In the validation set, LASSO had AUC of 0.859, Random Forest had AUC of 0.986. By conducting Logistic Regression analysis in combination with LASSO and Random Forest, we identified a total of five radiomics features, with four related to morphology and one to textural features, originating from the medial prefrontal cortex and middle temporal gyrus. In the training set, Logistic Regression achieved AUC of 0.911, while in the validation set, it attained AUC of 0.925. CONCLUSION: The medial prefrontal cortex and middle temporal gyrus are the two brain regions within the default mode network that hold the highest significance for Alzheimer's disease diagnosis. Radiomics analysis contributes to the clinical assessment of Alzheimer's disease by delving into image data to extract deeper layers of information.

A portable intelligent hydrogel platform for multicolor visual detection of HAase.

Hyaluronidase (HAase) is an important endoglycosidase involved in numerous physiological and pathological processes, such as apoptosis, senescence, and cancer progression. Simple, convenient, and sensitive detection of HAase is important for clinical diagnosis. Herein, an easy-to-operate multicolor visual sensing strategy was developed for HAase determination. The proposed sensor was composed of an enzyme-responsive hydrogel and a nanochromogenic system (gold nanobipyramids (AuNBPs)). The enzyme-responsive hydrogel, formed by polyethyleneimine-hyaluronic acid (PEI-HA), was specifically hydrolyzed with HAase, leading to the release of platinum nanoparticles (PtNPs). Subsequently, PtNPs catalyzed the mixed system of 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) and H2O2 to produce TMB2+ under acidic conditions. Then, TMB2+ effectively etched the AuNBPs and resulted in morphological changes in the AuNBPs, accompanied by a blueshift in the localized surface plasmon resonance peak and vibrant colors. Therefore, HAase can be semiquantitatively determined by directly observing the color change of AuNBPs with the naked eye. On the basis of this, the method has a linear detection range of HAase concentrations between 0.6 and 40 U/mL, with a detection limit of 0.3 U/mL. In addition, our designed multicolor biosensor successfully detected the concentration of HAase in human serum samples. The results showed no obvious difference between this method and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, indicating the good accuracy and usability of the suggested method.

Integrated metabolomic and transcriptomic analysis reveals variation in the metabolites of Dendrobium officinale, Dendrobium huoshanense, Dendrobium nobile.

INTRODUCTION: Dendrobium is a perennial herb of the genus Dendrobium in the orchid family. Generally, Dendrobium officinale (TP) and Dendrobium huoshanense (HS) are both considered to have the function of yin-nourishing, while Dendrobium nobile (JC) has better efficacy of heat-clearing. However, because of the wide variety of Dendrobium species, the classification and clinical application of Dendrobium are often confused clearly distinguished in different medicinal uses. OBJECTIVE: In order to compare the differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs) and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of the three Dendrobium. METHODS: We selected TP, HS, and JC cultivated on stone for metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses between 2 and 3 years. RESULTS: The results showed that a total of 489 metabolites were obtained, including 72 were DAMs. The 72 DAMs were mainly enriched in metabolic pathways and biosynthesis of secondary metabolites. Transcriptome analysis results showed that 1,038 annotated DEGs were identified among the three Dendrobium species. The comprehensive analysis showed that the three Dendrobium differed in the distribution of the content of four major active components: flavonoids, amino acids, alkaloids, and sugars and alcohols, among which the DAMs and DEGs were mainly enriched in metabolic pathways and secondary metabolite biosynthesis. CONCLUSION: In this study, metabolomics and transcriptomics were utilized to compare the differences among the three species of Dendrobium, to provide theoretical references for future research and selection of different species of Dendrobium based on different medicinal uses, and to lay the foundation for further research on the biosynthesis of flavonoids in Dendrobium.

Simultaneous detection of dental caries and fissure sealant in intraoral photos by deep learning: a pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Deep learning, as an artificial intelligence method has been proved to be powerful in analyzing images. The purpose of this study is to construct a deep learning-based model (ToothNet) for the simultaneous detection of dental caries and fissure sealants in intraoral photos. METHODS: A total of 1020 intraoral photos were collected from 762 volunteers. Teeth, caries and sealants were annotated by two endodontists using the LabelMe tool. ToothNet was developed by modifying the YOLOX framework for simultaneous detection of caries and fissure sealants. The area under curve (AUC) in the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) and free-response ROC (FROC) curves were used to evaluate model performance in the following aspects: (i) classification accuracy of detecting dental caries and fissure sealants from a photograph (image-level); and (ii) localization accuracy of the locations of predicted dental caries and fissure sealants (tooth-level). The performance of ToothNet and dentist with 1year of experience (1-year dentist) were compared at tooth-level and image-level using Wilcoxon test and DeLong test. RESULTS: At the image level, ToothNet achieved an AUC of 0.925 (95% CI, 0.880-0.958) for caries detection and 0.902 (95% CI, 0.853-0.940) for sealant detection. At the tooth level, with a confidence threshold of 0.5, the sensitivity, precision, and F1-score for caries detection were 0.807, 0.814, and 0.810, respectively. For fissure sealant detection, the values were 0.714, 0.750, and 0.731. Compared with ToothNet, the 1-year dentist had a lower F1 value (0.599, p < 0.0001) and AUC (0.749, p < 0.0001) in caries detection, and a lower F1 value (0.727, p = 0.023) and similar AUC (0.829, p = 0.154) in sealant detection. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed deep learning model achieved multi-task simultaneous detection in intraoral photos and showed good performance in the detection of dental caries and fissure sealants. Compared with 1-year dentist, the model has advantages in caries detection and is equivalent in fissure sealants detection.

Antibiotic influx and efflux in Pseudomonas aeruginosa: Regulation and therapeutic implications.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a notorious multidrug-resistant pathogen that poses a serious and growing threat to the worldwide public health. The expression of resistance determinants is exquisitely modulated by the abundant regulatory proteins and the intricate signal sensing and transduction systems in this pathogen. Downregulation of antibiotic influx porin proteins and upregulation of antibiotic efflux pump systems owing to mutational changes in their regulators or the presence of distinct inducing molecular signals represent two of the most efficient mechanisms that restrict intracellular antibiotic accumulation and enable P. aeruginosa to resist multiple antibiotics. Treatment of P. aeruginosa infections is extremely challenging due to the highly inducible mechanism of antibiotic resistance. This review comprehensively summarizes the regulatory networks of the major porin proteins (OprD and OprH) and efflux pumps (MexAB-OprM, MexCD-OprJ, MexEF-OprN, and MexXY) that play critical roles in antibiotic influx and efflux in P. aeruginosa. It also discusses promising therapeutic approaches using safe and efficient adjuvants to enhance the efficacy of conventional antibiotics to combat multidrug-resistant P. aeruginosa by controlling the expression levels of porins and efflux pumps. This review not only highlights the complexity of the regulatory network that induces antibiotic resistance in P. aeruginosa but also provides important therapeutic implications in targeting the inducible mechanism of resistance.

Identification of lethal species in amanita section Phalloideae based on nucleotide signature and specific TaqMan-MGB probe and primer.

Amanita section Phalloideae consists of lethal toxic mushroom species, causing many fatal poisoning incidents worldwide. Molecular techniques of nucleotide signatures and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) detection could be used to develop a specific method for identifying lethal section (sect.) Phalloideae species. A comparison of 38 sequenced and 228 validated sequences from sect. Phalloideae species showed a 17-base pair nucleotide signature and an SNP site between the lethal and non-lethal species. A specific minor groove binder probe was designed based on them. The results indicated that this method exhibited excellent specificity for the lethal subgroup, good detection in samples subjected to simulated gastric digestion (60 min boiling and 120 min digestion), and a 10 pg./µL detection limit. This method enables accurate detection of target species in samples under complex conditions and can provide evidence for poisoning incidents caused by lethal sect. Phalloideae species to assist in targeted treatment strategies.

One-step hydrothermal growth of porous nickel manganese layered double hydroxide nanosheet film towards efficient visible-light modulation.

Electrochromic smart windows have attracted great attention due to their dynamic regulation of the solar spectrum. NiO and MnO2 are typical anodic coloration materials and widely investigated as complementary electrodes with WO3. However, NiO and MnO2 films often cannot be bleached to complete transparency, resulting in low transmittances and low optical modulations in the short-wavelength visible region. Herein, we report a porous nickel manganese layered double hydroxide (NiMn-LDH) nanosheet film directly grown on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) glass using a one-step hydrothermal method, which demonstrates a high transmittance of 80.1% at 550 nm (without deduction of FTO glass). Induced by the double-redox couples of Ni2+/Ni3+ and Mn3+/Mn4+ associated synergistic electrochromic effect, the as-grown NiMn-LDH film electrode exhibits a large optical modulation of 68.5% at 550 nm, and a large solar irradiation modulation of 59.0% in the visible region of 400-800 nm. After annealing at 450 °C for 2 h, the NiMn-LDH film can be transformed into Ni6MnO8 film with a reduced optical modulation of 30.0% at 550 nm. Furthermore, the NiMn-LDH film electrode delivers an areal capacitance of 30.8 mF cm-2 at a current density of 0.1 mA cm-2. These results suggest that the as-prepared NiMn-LDH film electrode is a promising candidate for both electrochromic and energy storage applications.

Suppression of Pseudomonas aeruginosa type III secretion system by a novel calcium-responsive signaling pathway.

Expression of the type III secretion system (T3SS) in Pseudomonas aeruginosa is exquisitely controlled by diverse environmental or host-related signals such as calcium (Ca2+), however, the signal transduction pathways remain largely elusive. In this study, we reported that FleR, the response regulator of the two-component system FleS/FleR, inhibits T3SS gene expression and virulence of P. aeruginosa uncoupled from its cognate histidine kinase FleS. Interestingly, FleR was found to repress T3SS gene expression under Ca2+-rich conditions independently of its DNA-binding domain. FleR activates the elevation of intracellular c-di-GMP contents and FleQ serves as the c-di-GMP effector to repress T3SS gene expression through the Gac/Rsm pathway. Remarkably, we found that AmrZ, a member of the FleR regulon, inhibits T3SS gene expression by directly targeting the promoter of exsCEBA in an expression level-dependent manner. This study revealed an intricate regulatory network that connects P. aeruginosa T3SS gene expression to the Ca2+ signal.

Protocol for generating mouse morula-like cells resembling 8- to 16-cell stage embryo cells.

Generating cell types with properties of embryo cells with full developmental potential is of great biological importance. Here, we present a protocol for generating mouse morula-like cells (MLCs) resembling 8- to 16-cell stage embryo cells. We describe steps for induction, via increasing Stat3 activation, and the isolation of MLCs. We then detail procedures for segregating MLCs into blastocyst cell fates and how to create embryo-like structures from them. This system provides a stem-cell-based embryo model to study early embryo development. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Li et al.1.

Development and validation of an 18F-FDG PET/CT-based radiomics nomogram for predicting the prognosis of patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to develop and validate a nomogram, integrating clinical factors and radiomics features, capable of predicting overall survival (OS) in patients diagnosed with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). METHODS: In this study, we retrospectively analyzed the case data of 130 patients with ESCC who underwent 18F-FDG PET/CT before treatment. Radiomics features associated with OS were screened by univariate Cox regression (p < 0.05). Further selection was performed by applying the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator Cox regression to generate the weighted Radiomics-score (Rad-score). Independent clinical risk factors were obtained by multivariate Cox regression, and a nomogram was constructed by combining Rad-score and independent risk factors. The predictive performance of the model for OS was assessed using the time-dependent receiver operating characteristic curve, concordance index (C-index), calibration curve, and decision curve analysis. RESULTS: Five radiomics features associated with prognosis were finally screened, and a Rad-score was established. Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that surgery and clinical M stage were identified as independent risk factors for OS in ESCC. The combined clinical-radiomics nomogram exhibited C-index values of 0.768 (95% CI: 0.699-0.837) and 0.809 (95% CI: 0.695-0.923) in the training and validation cohorts, respectively. Ultimately, calibration curves and decision curves for the 1-, 2-, and 3-year OS demonstrated the satisfactory prognostic prediction and clinical utility of the nomogram. CONCLUSION: The developed nomogram, leveraging 18F-FDG PET/CT radiomics and clinically independent risk factors, demonstrates a reliable prognostic prediction for patients with ESCC, potentially serving as a valuable tool for guiding and optimizing clinical treatment decisions in the future.

Clinical influencing factors of vital pulp therapy on pulpitis permanent teeth with 2 calcium silicate-based materials: A randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Compared with traditional root canal therapy (RCT), vital pulp therapy (VPT) is a personalized and minimally invasive method for the treatment of pulpitis caused by dental caries. However, there are still no clear guidelines for VPT because high-quality randomized clinical trials are scarce. This prospective cohort study evaluated the clinical efficacy of VPT with the light-curable calcium silicate-based material TheraCal LC (TH) and bioceramic material iRoot BP Plus (BP) in reversible and irreversible pulpitis permanent teeth with carious exposures. METHODS: 115 teeth with reversible or irreversible pulpitis caused by deep care were randomly divided into 2 groups. TheraCal LC and iRoot BP Plus were used for the pulp capping. Direct pulp capping (DPC), partial pulpotomy (PP) and full pulpotomy (FP) were performed based on observation of the exposed pulp. Postoperative discomforts were enquired and recorded via follow-up phone calls. Clinical and radiographic evaluations were performed 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively. RESULTS: The overall clinical success rate in the first year was 90.4% (47/52) in both groups. The TH group required less operating time, showed lower levels of pain, and had shorter pain duration post-operative (P < .001). According to the binary logistic regression model, preoperative pain duration was significantly correlated with the prognosis of VPT (P = .011). CONCLUSION: VPT with TheraCal LC and iRoot BP Plus in pulpitis permanent carious teeth both achieved good clinical outcomes, and TheraCal LC can be easily operated for clinical use. Preoperative pain duration of the affected tooth might have a significant correlation with the prognosis of VPT.

Transition-Metal-Free, Reductive Csp2-Csp3 Bond Constructions via Electrochemically Induced Alkyl Radicals.

Construction of the Csp2-Csp3 bond without the aid of transition metal catalysts has been achieved by coupling the electrogenerated alkyl radicals with electron deficient (hetero)arenes in an undivided cell. Simultaneous cathodic reduction of both unactivated alkyl halides and cyanobenzenes under high potential enables radical-radical cross-coupling to deliver alkylarenes in the absence of transition metals. Depending on the coupling partner, the electrogenerated alkyl radicals can also proceed the Minisci-type reaction with N-heteroarenes without redox agents.

Do Human Assertions Really Adhere Strictly to Norms? The Effect of Threatening Content in Information on Personalized Norm Perception.

Assertion is the use of declarative sentences to convey information, which necessitates meeting the "justified-belief norm" as a prerequisite. However, a significant amount of misinformation that did not meet these conditions was spread during COVID-19, leading to a reintroduction of the assertion norm. One possible hypothesis is that the threatening content of the misinformation influenced the perception of the norm. However, this remains unclear to researchers. Therefore, we conducted two experiments to investigate the effect of threatening content in information on individuals' perceptions of norms. In all the experiments, participants read backstories with and without threatening content, followed by answering assertion questions. It was observed that people do follow a looser assertion norm for information that contains threatening content. Additionally, further exploration revealed that threatening factors also lead individuals to more easily perceive the related content as truth and reduce the probability of being blamed. These two outcomes provide some explanation for the underlying mechanism of threatening factors' influence. The research results further refined the theory of assertion norms, offering a certain basis for information management.

Hybridization chain reaction assisted multicolor immunosensor for sensitively detection of human chorionic gonadotropin.

The level of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) is an important indicator for early pregnancy, pregnancy-related diseases trophoblastic diseases and even cancer diagnosis. Therefore, sensitive detection of HCG has crucial significance in clinical, especially in gynaecology and obstetrics. Herein, a hybridization chain reaction (HCR) assisted multicolor immunosensor have been developed for HCG analysis. The proposed method introduced HCR after the immunoreaction between antibody and HCG protein, and produced long double strand DNA (dsDNA) that contain biotin sites. The streptavidin-horseradish peroxidase was linked on the dsDNA by the interaction between biotin and streptavidin, and can further mediated gold nanobipyramids (Au NBPs) etching. The localized surface plasmon resonance absorption peaks of Au NBPs blue shift and accompanied a vivid color change after etching effect. Based on this color change, HCG could be qualitative and semi-quantitative detected. Because of the introduction of HCR and enzyme amplification technique, the proposed method exhibited high sensitivity with a linear range of 0.1-2000 pg/mL and limit of detection (LOD) of 0.1 pg/mL. Finally, the proposed immunosensor was used to detect clinical serum samples. The results show there are no significant differences between clinical results and the test results by this method, indicating the practicability of the proposed method.

Preparation of Al-doped mesoporous silica spheres (Al-MSSs) for the improvement of mechanical properties and aging resistance of dental resin composites.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to synthesize Al-doped mesoporous silica spheres (Al-MSSs) and evaluate the effect of them as functional fillers on the mechanical properties and aging resistance of dental resin composites. METHODS: Al-MSSs were prepared by a two-step method. The effect of Al-MSSs on the performance of the composites was evaluated using neat resin matrix, commercial composites 3M Z350XT and samples containing mesoporous silica spheres (MSSs) and nonporous silica spheres (NSSs) as control. The neat resin matrix consisted of resin monomer (Bisphenol A glycerolate dimethacrylate/triethylene glycol dimethacrylate, 49.5/49.5, wt%) and photoinitiator (camphor quinone/Ethyl-4-dimethylaminobenzoate, 0.2/0.8, wt%). The mechanical properties (flexural strength, flexural modulus, compressive strength and microhardness) of them were evaluated by a universal testing machine and microhardness tester. The mechanical stabilities of the prepared composites in wet environment were evaluated by immersing them in deionized water at 37 °C. In addition, we evaluated the effect of Al-MSSs on other properties of the dental resin composites such as polymerization shrinkage, degree of conversion, curing depth, contact angle, water sorption and solubility according to ISO 4049: 2019. RESULTS: The synthesized Al-MSSs possessed good dispersibility with an average particle size of about 505 ± 16 nm. The mechanical properties of resin composites gradually increased with the increase of the loading amounts of inorganic fillers. The reinforcing effect of Al-MSSs was similar to that of MSSs and better than that of the NSSs groups at the same filler loading. After aging in deionized water at 37 °C for 30 days, the mechanical properties of all resin composites decreased. However, the decrease percentage of the composites filled with Al-MSSs was significantly lower than the other groups, indicating that the stability of the dental composites in wet environments was significantly improved by the Al-MSSs fillers. Furthermore, Al-MSSs had no obvious influence on the biocompatibility and other properties of dental resins. SIGNIFICANCE: The prepared Al-MSSs could effectively improve the mechanical properties and aging resistance without sacrificing other physic-chemical properties of dental resin composites.