A PVDF-based colorimetric sensor array for noninvasive detection of multiple disease-related volatile organic compounds.

Detection of human-generated volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is a new pathway for assessing health. Herein, a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)-based colorimetric sensor array was designed for detecting disease-related VOCs (DVOCs) within 15 min, using a complex of Cu metal-organic framework, graphene aerogel, and dyes as response materials. Fingermaps derived from 28 DVOCs were obtained for further data processing. Pattern recognition was successfully employed in the correct discrimination of 28 DVOCs in low (10 µM), medium (100 µM), and high (300 µM) concentrations. Importantly, the sensor array also presented excellent discrimination ability and application potential when detecting VOCs produced by human cancer and normal cells. In general, VOC acquisition is noninvasive and harmless, and the PVDF-based sensor arrays are simple and visual. Such advantages expand their further application potential.

Downregulation of CCL22 and mutated NOTCH1 in tongue and mouth floor squamous cell carcinoma results in decreased Th2 cell recruitment and expression, predicting poor clinical outcome.

OBJECTIVE: Tongue and mouth floor squamous cell carcinoma (T/MF SCC) exhibits a high rate of local recurrence and cervical lymph node metastasis. The effect of the tumor microenvironment on T/MF SCC remains unclear. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Transcriptome and somatic mutation data of patients with T/MF SCC were obtained from HNSC projects of the Cancer Genome Atlas. Immune infiltration quantification in early- (clinical stage I-II) and advanced-stage (clinical stage III-IV) T/MF SCC was performed using single sample Gene Set Enrichment Analysis and MCPcounter. Differentially expressed gene data were filtered, and their function was assessed through Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analyses. Kaplan-Meier survival curve analysis and Cox regression model were conducted to evaluate the survival of patients with the CCL22 signature. Maftools was used to present the overview of somatic mutations. RESULTS: In T/MF SCC, T helper (Th)2 cell counts were significantly increased in patients with early-stage disease compared to those with advanced-stage disease. Expression of the Th2 cell-related chemokine, CCL22, was downregulated in patients with advanced-stage T/MF SCC. Univariate and multivariate Cox analyses revealed that CCL22 was a good prognostic factor in T/MF SCC. A nomogram based on the expression of CCL22 was constructed to serve as a prognostic indicator for T/MF SCC. NOTCH1 mutations were found at a higher rate in patients with advanced-stage T/MF SCC than in those with early-stage T/MF SCC, resulting in the inhibition of the activation of the NOTCH1-Th2 cell differentiation pathway. The expression levels of CCL22, GATA-3, and IL4 were higher in patients with early-stage T/MF SCC than in those with advanced-stage T/MF SCC. CONCLUSION: In T/MF SCC, high expression of CCL22 may promote the recruitment of Th2 cells and help predict a better survival. Mutations in NOTCH1 inhibit the differentiation of Th2 cells, facilitating tumor progression through a decrease in Th2 cell recruitment and differentiation.

A comprehensive study of the colloidal properties, biocompatibility, and synergistic antioxidant actions of Antarctic krill phospholipids.

Excipient selection is crucial to address the oxidation and solubility challenges of bioactive substances, impacting their safety and efficacy. AKPL, a novel ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) esterified phospholipid derived from Antarctic krill, demonstrates unique antioxidant capabilities and synergistic effects. It exhibits pronounced surface activity and electronegativity at physiological pH, as evidenced by a critical micelle concentration (CMC) of 0.15 g/L and ζ-potential of -49.9 mV. In aqueous environments, AKPL self-assembles into liposomal structures, offering high biocompatibility and promoting cell proliferation. Its polyunsaturated bond-rich structure provides additional oxidation sites, imparting antioxidant properties superior to other phospholipids like DSPC and DOPC. Additionally, AKPL augments the efficacy of lipophilic antioxidants, such as alpha-tocopherol and curcumin, in aqueous media through both intermolecular and intramolecular interactions. In sum, AKPL emerges as an innovative unsaturated phospholipid, offering new strategies for encapsulating and delivering oxygen-sensitive agents.

Research Progress on Lignocellulosic Biomass Degradation Catalyzed by Enzymatic Nanomaterials.

Lignocellulose biomass (LCB) has extensive applications in many fields such as bioenergy, food, medicines, and raw materials for producing value-added products. One of the keys to efficient utilization of LCB is to obtain directly available oligo- and monomers (e. g., glucose). With the characteristics of easy recovery and separation, high efficiency, economy, and environmental protection, immobilized enzymes have been developed as heterogeneous catalysts to degrade LCB effectively. In this review, applications and mechanisms of LCB-degrading enzymes are discussed, and the nanomaterials and methods used to immobilize enzymes are also discussed. Finally, the research progress of lignocellulose biodegradation catalyzed by nano-enzymes was discussed.

Preparation and In Vitro Evaluation of a Nano Ultrasound Contrast Agent Targeting Pancreatic Cancer.

To prepare a nano-sized ultrasound contrast agent that specifically targets pancreatic cancer cells and to evaluate its targeting effect In Vitro. PLGA-PEG-NHS was synthesized using PLGA, NHS, and PEG and detected using 1H-NMR. PLGA-PEG-NHS and PFOB were used to prepare PLGA nano contrast agent coated with PFOB by emulsification and volatilization, and then a hedgehog antibody was conjugated. The morphology of the nano contrast agent was observed using a transmission electron microscope, and its particle size and potential were measured using the dynamic light scattering method. The entrapment and drug loading efficiency of the nano contrast agent was measured using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The In Vitro release characteristics of the nano contrast agent was measured using the dialysis method. Human pancreatic cancer cell lines SW1990 and CFPAC1 were cultured in medium containing the nano contrast agent. The targeting ability of the nano contrast agent was qualitatively and quantitatively verified using fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry. The average particle size of the targeted ultrasound contrast agent was 198.9 nm, zeta potential was -31.8 mv, entrapment rate was 63.7±3.9%, drug loading efficiency was 14.3±0.9%, and drug release was 85.3% in 48 h. In Vitro cell experiments showed that the targeted ultrasound contrast agent strongly bound to SW1990 cells with high expression of hedgehog antigen, but no specific binding was detected in CFPAC-1 cells which lack the hedgehog antigen. The nano ultrasound contrast agent prepared by emulsification and volatilization method can be potentially used for the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.

[Expression of ZmPIP1 subgroup genes in maize roots under water shortage].

To investigate the role of ZmPIP1-1 and ZmPIP1-2 in water uptake of roots and drought resistance of crops, semi-quantitative PCR was used to examine the expression of ZmPIP1-1 and ZmPIP1-2 in root systems of different maize genotypes under water deficit. These genotypes showed different resistance to water shortage under field conditions. The reference gene to target genes was tubulin. Maize seedlings were grown by hydroponics in a growth chamber. Water deficit was imposed on the seedlings with PEG-6000. The result showed that ZmPIP1-1 was up-regulated under water deficit in root systems of plants of the filial generation 'Hudan 4' and the mother line 'Tiansi', which were resistant to water shortage, but there was no noticeable up-regulation of ZmPIP1-1 in the root systems of the father line '803', which was sensitive to water deprivation. The result also showed that the extent of up-regulation was positively correlated with drought resistance of maize (Fig.3). On the other hand, the expression of ZmPIP1-1 showed different degrees of tendency after different duration of water stress in the root systems of the maize seedlings of different genotypes. The result showed that ZmPIP1-2 was identically expressed in three different species of maize and under different water conditions. The results support the theory that the intercellular water transport contributes to increased water uptake in root systems under water deficit by up-regulating the number of some kinds of aquaporins. The increases amount of transcripts of aquaporins is positively correlated to drought resistance of plant varieties. But not all kinds of number of aquaporins is up-regulated during water shortage, some kinds of aquaporins are identically expressed under water deficit conditions and well watered conditions.

Overoxidized polyimidazole/graphene oxide copolymer modified electrode for the simultaneous determination of ascorbic acid, dopamine, uric acid, guanine and adenine.

In the present work, a novel strategy based on overoxidized polyimidazole (PImox) and graphene oxide (GO) copolymer modified electrode was proposed for the simultaneous determination of ascorbic acid (AA), dopamine (DA), uric acid (UA), guanine (G) and adenine (A). The copolymer was characterized by the scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Due to the synergistic effects between PImox and GO, the proposed electrode exhibited excellent electrochemical catalytic activities and high selectivity and sensitivity toward the oxidation of AA, DA, UA, G and A. The peak separations between AA and DA, AA and UA, UA and G, and G and A were 140 mV, 200 mV, 380 mV and 300 mV, respectively. The linear response ranges for AA, DA, UA, G and A were 75-2275 µM, 12-278 µM, 3.6-249.6 µM, 3.3-103.3 µM and 9.6-215 µM, respectively, and corresponding detection limits were 18 µM, 0.63 µM, 0.59 µM, 0.48 µM and 1.28 µM.

Preparation, characterization and application of organic-inorganic hybrid caffeine imprinted monolith.

The present work aims to synthesize an organic-inorganic hybrid caffeine imprinted monolith using one-step method. The synthesis conditions such as the type of inorganic precursor and porogenic solvent, the molar ratios of the monomer and cross-linker, the volume ratio of the inorganic alcoholysate and organic part were optimized. The morphology of the monolith was studied by scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectra. The imprinted factor of the monolith for caffeine reached 3.02. A simple, rapid and sensitive method for the determination of caffeine in children's milk using the organic-inorganic hybrid caffeine imprinted polymer monolith microextraction combined with high-performance liquid chromatography-photodiodes array detector was developed. Several parameters affecting the sample pretreatment were investigated, including the type, flow rate and volume of eluent, the flow rate and volume of sample solution. The assay exhibited a linear dynamic range of 8-500µgL(-1) with the correlation coefficient above 0.9987. Lower limits of detection (LOD, at S/N=3) and quantification (LOQ, at S/N=10) in children's milk samples were 2.7 and 8µgL(-1). Recoveries of caffeine from spiked children's milk ranged from 85 to 104% with relative standard deviations of less than 8.9%.

Immobilizing Cr3+ with SO3H-functionalized solid polymeric ionic liquids as efficient and reusable catalysts for selective transformation of carbohydrates into 5-hydroxymethylfurfural.

A series of functional polymeric ionic liquids (FPILs) were prepared by coupling of SO3H-functionalized polymeric ionic liquids with different counterpart anions containing or excluding CrCl3·6H2O, and characterized by SEM, FT-IR, XRD, NH3-TPD, TG, melting point, ICP-AES, and TEM. The catalytic activity of the prepared solid FPILs was investigated for the conversion of biomass including fructose, glucose and cellulose into 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) with the presence of DMSO-mediated solvents, successively producing moderate to excellent yields of HMF under atmospheric pressure. The FPILs catalysts developed in this study present improved performance on fructose-to-HMF conversion over other solid catalysts, such as functional ionic liquids supported by silica, metal oxides and strong acid ion exchange resin catalysts, and can be very easily recycled at least five times without significant loss of activity. In addition, a kinetic analysis was carried out to illustrate the formation of HMF.

[Use of recombinant human beta-defensin-3 to evaluate the effect of adhesion of Candida albicans on the surface of soft lining material].

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effectiveness of recombinant human beta-defensin-3 (rHBD3) on reduction of Candida albicans from the surface of soft lining materials. METHODS: Specimens made of soft lining materials, which had been contaminated with C. albicans, were immersed in 25 µg/mL rHBD3 and 5.25% sodium hypochlorite (a positive control) for 5, 10, 30 and 60 min. The results were analyzed statistically with SPSS 10.0 software package. Confocal laser scanning microscopy(CLSM) of biofilm-associated C. albicans were treated with rHBD3 in different times. RESULTS: The results confirmed that an immersion time of 30 min or higher yielded a good disinfection effect, both for the experimental group and the positive control. A large number of pathogenic bacteria were killed and the cells were stained red by SYTO9/PI after 30 min. CONCLUSIONS: It is possible that soft lining materials immersed in rHBD3 solution that possesses antifungal activity may be clinically protective.

Towards the development of a portable sensor based on a molecularly imprinted membrane for the rapid determination of salbutamol in pig urine.

A new type of conductometric probe based on a molecularly imprinted membrane (MIM) for the detection of salbutamol has been designed and fabricated. The probe consists of two parallel screen-printed electrodes (SPE). One of the SPEs was coated with a molecularly imprinted membrane using salbutamol as the template, and the other was modified with a non-molecularly imprinted membrane (N-MIM). Measurements of salbutamol were conducted after the conductometric probe had been connected to a commercial portable conductometer. Multi-sample or successive detections could be easily accomplished by replacing the one-off SPE coated with the salbutamol molecularly imprinted membrane with a new one. The conductometric response of the sensor to the concentration of salbutamol displayed a linear correlation over a range from 50 to 280 nM, with a detection limit of 13.5 nM. The recoveries reached 92.1-98.3% based on pig urine samples. In addition, the sensor based on this new type of probe demonstrated high sensitivity and selectivity for salbutamol.

[Experimental study of periosteal osteoblasts adhesion to artificial bone scaffolds based on rapid prototype].

OBJECTIVE: To study the biocompatibility of bone engineering scaffolds designed and fabricated by CAD and Rapid Prototyping techniques. METHODS: Infant rat calvarias osteoblasts were isolated and expanded in vitro and the cells (2nd passage) were seeded onto scaffolds with porosity 80%, 90%, 95% at a density of 2.06 x 10(9)/L. Cell adhesion number and morphology were measured with SEM after 4 days, 10 days co-culture. RESULTS: (1) The osteoblasts' adhesion amounts increased with culture time in three porosity group (P < 0.05), but the increase were different among three groups, 80% group was 0.35 x 10(5), 90% group was 2.84 x 10(5); (2) Through SEM observations, it showed that osteoblasts adhered to all scaffolds well. CONCLUSION: The scaffolds designed and fabricated by CAD and rapid prototyping own a good cellular biocompatibility. The results suggest the feasibility of using such scaffold fabricating method for bone tissue engineering research and clinical therapy.