Impact of patent foramen ovale with left-to-right shunt on atrial fibrillation ablation in young patients.

OBJECTIVE: The CABANA study shows that atrial fibrillation (AF) paitents younger than 65 years benefit more from the AF radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) procedure. The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of inherent patent foramen ovale (PFO) with a Left-to-Right Shunt on the RFCA procedure in young AF patients. METHODS: Based on the presence or absence of inherent PFO, the AF patients were divided into the PFO groups and the non-PFO group. Clinical follow-up was also investigated. RESULTS: A total of 285 AF patients were enrolled. PFO was detected by TEE in 42 patients. The age of patients at initial AF onset was younger in the PFO group than in the non-PFO group (58.3 ± 8.9 vs. 62.3 ± 9.6 years, P = 0.012). There were more AF patients aged <55 years in the PFO group than in the non-PFO group. For the 9 AF patients with PFO who experienced AF recurrence and the left-to-right shunts decreased in size in 5 of the patients aged <65 years. The LAD decreased in those patients. In the PeAF patients, 53/64 patients aged <65 years and 23/40 patients aged older than 65 years were free of AF (82.8 % vs. 57.5 %, respectively; P = 0.005). CONCLUSION: Success is not affected when AF is combined PFO compared with AF without PFO. Young patients have better PeAF RFCA outcomes. AF in young patients with left atria enlargement and a serious AF burden, may lead to reduced EF and render PFO easy to detect.

Relationships between biatrial substrate and recurrence after radiofrequency ablation in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation.

BACKGROUND: Global longitudinal strain (GLS) and atrial voltage are acknowledged markers for worse rhythm outcome after ablation of persistent atrial fibrillation (PeAF). The majority of research efforts have been directed towards the left atrium (LA), with relatively fewer studies focusing on the right atrium (RA). The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the biatrial substrate on the outcome following radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA). METHODS: All patients underwent two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (2D-STE) and high-density mapping (HDM) on LA and RA in preoperative and postoperative stages of RFCA. Atrial substrate was assessed by GLS, average voltage, and low voltage zone (LVZ). RESULTS: This retrospective study enrolled 48 patients. With a follow-up of 385.98 ± 161.78 days, 22.92% (11/48) of all patients had AF recurrence and 63.64% in low strain group. Left atrial-low voltage zone (LA-LVZ) prior to RFCA was 67.52 ± 15.27% and 54.21 ± 20.07%, respectively, in the recurrence group and non-recurrence group. Multivariate regression analysis showed that preoperative LA-GLS (OR 0.047, 95%CI 0.002-0.941, p = .046) was independent predictors of AF recurrence. Biatrial average voltage in preoperative and postoperative stages were positively correlated (preoperative: r = 0.563 p < .001; postoperative: r = 0.464 p = .002). There was no significant difference in the proportion of RA in the recurrence group except the septum in preoperative and postoperative stages. CONCLUSIONS: Low LA-GLS and high LA-LVZ may be predictors of RFCA recurrence in PeAF patients. Biatrial average voltage were positively correlated in preoperative and postoperative stages.

Pulmonary haemorrhage and haemoptysis associated with bevacizumab-related treatment regimens: a retrospective, pharmacovigilance study using the FAERS database.

Background: Bevacizumab (BV) is widely used in routine cancer treatment and clinical therapy in combination with many other agents. This study aims to describe and analyse post-market cases of pulmonary haemorrhage and haemoptysis reported with different BV treatment regimens by mining data from the United States Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) database. Methods: Data were collected from the FAERS database between 2004 Q1 and 2023 Q1. Disproportionality analysis including the reporting odds ratio (ROR) was employed to quantify the signals of disproportionate reporting of pulmonary haemorrhage and haemoptysis adverse events (AEs) associated with BV-related treatment regimens. The demographic characteristics, time to onset and outcomes were further clarified. Results: A total of 55,184 BV-associated reports were extracted from the FAERS database, of which 497 reports related to pulmonary haemorrhage and haemoptysis. Overall, the median onset time of pulmonary haemorrhage and haemoptysis AEs was 43 days (interquartile range (IQR) 15-117 days). In the subgroup analysis, BV plus targeted therapy had the longest median onset time of 90.5 days (IQR 34-178.5 days), while BV plus chemotherapy had the shortest of 40.5 days (IQR 14-90.25). BV plus chemotherapy disproportionately reported the highest percentage of death (148 deaths out of 292 cases, 50.68%). Moreover, the BV-related treatments including four subgroups in our study demonstrated the positive signals with the association of disproportionate reporting of pulmonary haemorrhage and haemoptysis. Notably, BV plus chemotherapy showed a significant higher reporting risk in pulmonary haemorrhage and haemoptysis signals of disproportionate reporting in comparison to BV monotherapy (ROR 5.35 [95% CI, 4.78-6.02] vs. ROR 4.19 [95% CI, 3.56-4.91], p = 0.0147). Conclusion: This study characterized the reporting of pulmonary haemorrhage and haemoptysis, along with the time to onset and demographic characteristics among different BV-related treatment options. It could provide valuable evidence for further studies and clinical practice of BV.

Pd(II) and Cu(III) Complexes of Multiply Fused Pentaphyrin Isomers with Tunable Structures and NIR Absorption.

Fused porphyrinoids have received increasing interest in light of their extended conjugation and unique coordination behavior. On the basis of our previously reported multiply fused pentaphyrin isomers 1 and 2, a novel isomer 3 has been synthesized in this work. 3 possesses a hexacyclic fused moiety with a nearly coplanar CCNN cavity involving an inverted pyrrole, which is slightly different from the CNNN ones of 1 and 2 involving an N-confused pyrrole. 1-3 possess cavities with three depronatable protons and thus they all can generate Cu(III) complexes. However, only 3Cu is stable under ambient conditions. On the other hand, 3 remains intact upon treatment with Pd(II) ions, while 1 and 2 could undergo structural rearrangement to accommodate Pd(II), affording 1Pd and 2Pd accompanied by the formation of a lactone ring and the addition of a methoxy group, respectively. Compared with the free bases, the complexes show distinct aromaticity and more intense near-infrared (NIR) absorption up to ca. 1600, 1170, and 1500 nm, respectively. The results indicate that the subtle modification of the linking modes between the pyrrolic units in the fused pentaphyrinoids is effective in modulating the coordination behavior for synthesizing complexes with tunable aromaticity and NIR absorption.

Mechanistic insights into facilitating reductive elimination from Ni(II) species.

Reductive elimination is a key step in Ni-catalysed cross-couplings, which is often considered to result in new covalent bonds. Due to the weak oxidizing ability of Ni(II) species, reductive eliminations from Ni(II) centers are challenging. A thorough mechanistic understanding of this process could inspire the rational design of Ni-catalysed coupling reactions. In this article, we give an overview of recent advances in the mechanistic study of reductive elimination from Ni(II) species achieved by our group. Three possible models for reductive elimination from Ni(II) species were investigated and discussed, including direct reductive elimination, electron density-controlled reductive elimination, and oxidation-induced reductive elimination. Notably, the direct reductive elimination from Ni(II) species often requires a high activation energy in some cases. In contrast, the electron density-controlled and oxidation-induced reductive elimination pathways can significantly enhance the driving force for reductive elimination, accelerating the formation of new covalent bonds. The intricate reaction mechanisms for each of these pathways are thoroughly discussed and systematically summarized in this paper. These computational studies showcase the characteristics of three models for reductive elimination from Ni(II) species, and we hope that it will spur the development of mechanistic studies of cross-coupling reactions.

Phase I clinical trial of intracerebral injection of lentiviral-ABCD1 for the treatment of cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy.

This was a single-arm, multicenter, open-label phase I trial. Lentiviral vectors (LV) carrying the ABCD1 gene (LV-ABCD1) was directly injected into the brain of patients with childhood cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy (CCALD), and multi-site injection was performed. The injection dose increased from 200 to 1600 µL (vector titer: 1×109 TU/mL), and the average dose per kilogram body weight ranges from 8 to 63.6 µL/kg. The primary endpoint was safety, dose-exploration and immunogenicity and the secondary endpoint was initial evaluation of efficacy and the expression of ABCD1 protein. A total of 7 patients participated in this phase I study and were followed for 1 year. No injection-related serious adverse event or death occurred. Common adverse events associated with the injection were irritability (71%, 5/7) and fever (37.2 â„ƒ-38.5 â„ƒ, 57%, 4/7). Adverse events were mild and self-limited, or resolved within 3 d of symptomatic treatment. The maximal tolerable dose is 1600 µL. In 5 cases (83.3%, 5/6), no lentivirus associated antibodies were detected. The overall survival at 1-year was 100%. The ABCD1 protein expression was detected in neutrophils, monocytes and lymphocytes. This study suggests that the intracerebral injection of LV-ABCD1 for CCALD is safe and can achieve successful LV transduction in vivo; even the maximal dose did not increase the risk of adverse events. Furthermore, the direct LV-ABCD1 injection displayed low immunogenicity. In addition, the effectiveness of intracerebral LV-ABCD1 injection has been preliminarily demonstrated while further investigation is needed. This study has been registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (https://www.chictr.org.cn/, registration number: ChiCTR1900026649).

Iron photocatalysis via Brønsted acid-unlocked ligand-to-metal charge transfer.

Reforming sustainable 3d-metal-based visible light catalytic platforms for inert bulk chemical activation is highly desirable. Herein, we demonstrate the use of a Brønsted acid to unlock robust and practical iron ligand-to-metal charge transfer (LMCT) photocatalysis for the activation of multifarious inert haloalkylcarboxylates (CnXmCOO-, X = F or Cl) to produce CnXm radicals. This process enables the fluoro-polyhaloalkylation of non-activated alkenes by combining easily available Selectfluor as a fluorine source. Valuable alkyl fluorides including potential drug molecules can be easily obtained through this protocol. Mechanistic studies indicate that the real light-harvesting species may derive from the in situ-assembly of Fe3+, CnXmCOO-, H+, and acetonitrile solvent, in which the Brønsted acid indeed increases the efficiency of LMCT between the iron center and CnXmCOO- via hydrogen-bond interactions. We anticipate that this Brønsted acid-unlocked iron LMCT platform would be an intriguing sustainable option to execute the activation of inert compounds.

Making Full Use of TMSCF3: Deoxygenative Trifluoromethylation/Silylation of Amides.

As one of the most powerful trifluoromethylation reagents, (trifluoromethyl)trimethylsilane (TMSCF3) has been widely used for the synthesis of fluorine-containing molecules. However, to the best of our knowledge, the simultaneous incorporation of both TMS- and CF3- groups of this reagent onto the same carbon of the products has not been realized. Herein, we report an unprecedented SmI2/Sm promoted deoxygenative difunctionalization of amides with TMSCF3, in which both silyl and trifluoromethyl groups are incorporated into the final product, yielding α-silyl-α-trifluoromethyl amines with high efficiency. Notably, the silyl group could be further transformed into other functional groups, providing a new method for the synthesis of α-quaternary α-CF3-amines.

Correction: Individual dairy cow identification based on lightweight convolutional neural network.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0260510.].

Hepatitis-related adverse events associated with immune checkpoint inhibitors in cancer patients: an observational, retrospective, pharmacovigilance study using the FAERS database.

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), including anti-PD-1, anti-PD-L1 and anti-CTLA-4 antibodies, have become a standard treatment for multiple cancer types. However, ICIs can induce immune-related adverse events, with hepatitis-related adverse events (HRAEs) being of particular concern. Our objective is to identify and characterize HRAEs that exhibit a significant association with ICIs using real-world data. Methods: In this observational and retrospective pharmacovigilance study, we extracted real-world adverse events reports from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System database spanning from the first quarter of 2004 to the first quarter of 2023. We conducted both Frequentist and Bayesian methodologies in the framework of disproportionality analysis, which included the reporting odds ratios (ROR) and information components (IC) to explore the intricate relationship between ICIs and HRAEs. Results: Through disproportionality analysis, we identified three categories of HRAEs as being significantly related with ICIs, including autoimmune hepatitis (634 cases, ROR 19.34 [95% CI 17.80-21.02]; IC025 2.43), immune-mediated hepatitis (546 cases, ROR 217.24 [189.95-248.45]; IC025 4.75), and hepatitis fulminant (80 cases, ROR 4.56 [3.65-5.70]; IC025 0.49). The median age of patients who report ICI-related HRAEs was 63 years (interquartile range [IQR] 53.8-72), with a fatal outcome observed in 24.9% (313/1,260) of these reports. Cases pertaining to skin cancer, lung cancer, and kidney cancer constituted the majority of these occurrences. Patients treated with anti-PD-1 or anti-PD-L1 antibodies exhibited a higher frequency of immune-mediated hepatitis in comparison to those undergoing anti-CTLA-4 monotherapy, with a ROR of 3.59 (95% CI 1.78-6.18). Moreover, the dual ICI therapy demonstrated higher reporting rates of ICI-related HRAEs compared to ICI monotherapy. Conclusion: Our findings confirm that ICI treatment carries a significant risk of severe HRAEs, in particular autoimmune hepatitis, immune-mediated hepatitis, and hepatitis fulminant. Healthcare providers should exercise heightened vigilance regarding these risks when managing patients receiving ICIs.

Clinical application of a GPU-accelerated monte carlo dose verification for cyberknife M6 with Iris collimator.

PURPOSE: To apply an independent GPU-accelerated Monte Carlo (MC) dose verification for CyberKnife M6 with Iris collimator and evaluate the dose calculation accuracy of RayTracing (TPS-RT) algorithm and Monte Carlo (TPS-MC) algorithm in the Precision treatment planning system (TPS). METHODS: GPU-accelerated MC algorithm (ArcherQA-CK) was integrated into a commercial dose verification system, ArcherQA, to implement the patient-specific quality assurance in the CyberKnife M6 system. 30 clinical cases (10 cases in head, and 10 cases in chest, and 10 cases in abdomen) were collected in this study. For each case, three different dose calculation methods (TPS-MC, TPS-RT and ArcherQA-CK) were implemented based on the same treatment plan and compared with each other. For evaluation, the 3D global gamma analysis and dose parameters of the target volume and organs at risk (OARs) were analyzed comparatively. RESULTS: For gamma pass rates at the criterion of 2%/2 mm, the results were over 98.0% for TPS-MC vs.TPS-RT, TPS-MC vs. ArcherQA-CK and TPS-RT vs. ArcherQA-CK in head cases, 84.9% for TPS-MC vs.TPS-RT, 98.0% for TPS-MC vs. ArcherQA-CK and 83.3% for TPS-RT vs. ArcherQA-CK in chest cases, 98.2% for TPS-MC vs.TPS-RT, 99.4% for TPS-MC vs. ArcherQA-CK and 94.5% for TPS-RT vs. ArcherQA-CK in abdomen cases. For dose parameters of planning target volume (PTV) in chest cases, the deviations of TPS-RT vs. TPS-MC and ArcherQA-CK vs. TPS-MC had significant difference (P < 0.01), and the deviations of TPS-RT vs. TPS-MC and TPS-RT vs. ArcherQA-CK were similar (P > 0.05). ArcherQA-CK had less calculation time compared with TPS-MC (1.66 min vs. 65.11 min). CONCLUSIONS: Our proposed MC dose engine (ArcherQA-CK) has a high degree of consistency with the Precision TPS-MC algorithm, which can quickly identify the calculation errors of TPS-RT algorithm for some chest cases. ArcherQA-CK can provide accurate patient-specific quality assurance in clinical practice.

CVAE-DF: A hybrid deep learning framework for fertilization status detection of pre-incubation duck eggs based on VIS/NIR spectroscopy.

Unfertilized duck eggs not removed prior to incubation will deteriorate quickly, posing a risk of contaminating the normally fertilized duck eggs. Thus, detecting the fertilization status of breeding duck eggs as early as possible is a meaningful and challenging task. Most existing work usually focus on the characteristics of chicken eggs during mid-term hatching. However, little attention has been paid to the detection for duck eggs prior to incubation. In this paper, we present a novel hybrid deep learning detection framework for the fertilization status of pre-incubation duck eggs, termed CVAE-DF, based on visible/near-infrared (VIS/NIR) transmittance spectroscopy. The framework comprises the encoder of a convolutional variational autoencoder (CVAE) and an improved deep forest (DF) model. More specifically, we first collected transmittance spectral data (400-1000 nm) of 255 duck eggs before hatching. The multiplicative scatter correction (MSC) method was then used to eliminate noise and extraneous information of the raw spectral data. Two efficient data augmentation methods were adopted to provide sufficient data. After that, CVAE was applied to extract representative features and reduce the feature dimension for the detection task. Finally, an improved DF model was employed to build the classification model on the enhanced feature set. The CVAE-DF model achieved an overall accuracy of 95.94 % on the test dataset. These experimental results in terms of four metrics demonstrate that our CVAE-DF method outperforms the traditional methods by a significant margin. Furthermore, the results also indicate that CVAE holds great promise as a novel feature extraction method for the VIS/NIR spectral analysis of other agricultural products. It is extremely beneficial to practical engineering.

Opioid Nonadherence Risk Prediction of Patients with Cancer-Related Pain Based on Five Machine Learning Algorithms.

Objectives: Opioid nonadherence represents a significant barrier to cancer pain treatment efficacy. However, there is currently no effective prediction method for opioid adherence in patients with cancer pain. We aimed to develop and validate a machine learning (ML) model and evaluate its feasibility to predict opioid nonadherence in patients with cancer pain. Methods: This was a secondary analysis from a cross-sectional study that included 1195 patients from March 1, 2018, to October 31, 2019. Five ML algorithms, such as logistic regression (LR), random forest, eXtreme Gradient Boosting, multilayer perceptron, and support vector machine, were used to predict opioid nonadherence in patients with cancer pain using 43 demographic and clinical factors as predictors. The predictive effects of the models were compared by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC_ROC), accuracy, precision, sensitivity, specificity, and F1 scores. The value of the best model for clinical application was assessed using decision curve analysis (DCA). Results: The best model obtained in this study, the LR model, had an AUC_ROC of 0.82, accuracy of 0.82, and specificity of 0.71. The DCA showed that clinical interventions for patients at high risk of opioid nonadherence based on the LR model can benefit patients. The strongest predictors for adherence were, in order of importance, beliefs about medicines questionnaire (BMQ)-harm, time since the start of opioid, and BMQ-necessity. Discussion. ML algorithms can be used as an effective means of predicting adherence to opioids in patients with cancer pain, which allows for proactive clinical intervention to optimize cancer pain management. This trial is registered with ChiCTR2000033576.

Chemo-, regio- and stereoselective access to polysubstituted 1,3-dienes via Nickel-catalyzed four-component reactions.

1,2-Difunctionalization of alkynes offers a straightforward approach to access polysubstituted alkenes. However, simultaneous multi-component cascade transformations including difunctionalization of two alkynes with both syn- and anti-selectivity in one catalyst system is undeveloped and proves to be a significant challenge. Herein, we report a Nickel-catalyzed four-component reaction to access polysubstituted 1,3-dienes using two terminal alkynes, aryl boroxines, and perfluoroalkyl iodides, wherein the reaction forms three new C-C bonds in a single vessel and serve as a modular strategy to access polysubstituted 1,3-dienes with excellent chemoselectivity, good regioselectivity and exclusive stereoselectivity. Control experiments reveal the plausible reaction mechanism and DFT calculations explain the cause for the formation of this unusual four-component reaction. Furthermore, we successfully incorporate two biologically active units into 1,2,3,4-tetrasubstituted 1,3-dienes, which greatly increases the diversity of molecular scaffolds and brings more potential values to medicinal chemistry, the synthetic utility of our protocol is further demonstrated by the late-stage transformations.

Identification of lipid metabolism-related gene signature in the bone marrow microenvironment of multiple myelomas through deep analysis of transcriptomic data.

Dysregulated lipid metabolism in the bone marrow microenvironment (BMM) plays a vital role in multiple myeloma (MM) development, progression, and drug resistance. However, the exact mechanism by which lipid metabolism impacts the BMM, promotes tumorigenesis, and triggers drug resistance remains to be fully elucidated.By analyzing the bulk sequencing and single-cell sequencing data of MM patients, we identified lipid metabolism-related genes differential expression significantly associated with MM prognosis, referred to as LMRPgenes. Using a cohort of ten machine learning algorithms and 117 combinations, LMRPgenes predictive models were constructed. Further exploration of the effects of the model risk score (RS) on the survival status, immune status of patients with BMM, and response to immunotherapy was conducted. The study also facilitated the identification of personalized therapeutic strategies targeting specified risk categories within patient cohorts.Analysis of the scRNA-seq data revealed increased lipid metabolism-related gene enrichment scores (LMESs) in erythroblasts and progenitor, malignant, and Tprolif cells but decreased LMESs in lymphocytes. LMESs were also strongly correlated with most of the 50 hallmark pathways within these cell populations. An elevated malignant cell ratio and reduced lymphocytes were observed in the high LMES group. Moreover, the LMRPgenes predictive model, consisting of 14 genes, showed great predictive power. The risk score emerged as an independent indicator of poor outcomes. Inverse relationships between the RS and immune status were noted, and a high RS was associated with impaired immunotherapy responses. Drug sensitivity assays indicated the effectiveness of bortezomib, buparlisib, dinaciclib, staurosporine, rapamycin, and MST-312 in the high-RS group, suggesting their potential for treating patients with high-RS values and poor response to immunotherapy. Ultimately, upon verification via qRT-PCR, we observed a significant upregulation of ACBD6 in NDMM group compared to the control group.Our research enhances the knowledge base regarding the association between lipid metabolism-related genes (LMRGs) and the BMM in MM patients, offering substantive insights into the mechanistic effects of the BMM mediated by LMRGs.

Ethoxyquin attenuates enteric oxidative stress and inflammation by promoting cytokine expressions and symbiotic microbiota in heat-stressed broilers.

Intestinal oxidative stress in broilers is produced by chronic heat stress (HS) and has a negative impact on poultry performance as it induces intestinal inflammation and promotes the invasion of gram-negative bacteria, such as bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Therefore, dietary inclusion of the antioxidant compound, ethoxyquin (EQ), could improve enteric antioxidant capacity, immune responses, and the epithelial barrier, and maintain the symbiotic gut microbiota community. To investigate the effects of EQ supplementation on alleviating enteric oxidative stress in heat-stressed broilers, 200 one-day-old male Ross 308 broilers were randomly assigned to 4 groups (n = 50 chicks/group; n = 10 chicks/replicate) and fed a basal diet supplemented with 0 (CT), 50 (EQ-50), 100 (EQ-100), and 200 (EQ-200) mg EQ/ kg-1 for 5 wk. The chicks were raised in floor pens inside the broiler farm at a temperature and humidity index (THI) of 29 from d 21 to d 35. Growth performance traits, relative organ index, hepatic antioxidant enzymes, serum immunity, total adenylate, and cytokine activities were improved in the EQ-50 group (linear or quadratic P < 0.05), promoting the relative mRNA expression of cytokine gene-related anti-inflammatory and growth factors. A distinct microbial community colonised the gut microbiota in the EQ-50 group, with a high relative abundance of Lactobacillus, Ligilactobacillus, Limosilactobacillus, Pediococcus, Blautia, and Faecalibacterium compared to the other groups. Dietary supplementation with 50 mg EQ/ kg-1 for 5 wk attenuates enteric oxidative stress and intestinal inflammation by enhancing serum immune and cytokine content (IgG, IL-6, and TGF-ß,) and symbiotic microbiota in heat-stressed broilers. EQ promotes the expression of Hsp70, SOD2, GPx 4, IL-6, and IGF-1 cytokine gene-related anti-inflammatory and growth factors in heat-stressed hepatic broilers. Collectively, EQ-50 could be a suitable feed supplement for attenuating enteric oxidative stress and intestinal inflammation, thereby promoting the productivity of heat-stressed broilers.

Three Birds with One Sulfur: Construction of Sulfur-Bridged Porous Organic Polymers for Efficient Gold Adsorption.

Sulfur is a massive byproduct of the petrochemicals industry and hardly employed as a building block for porous organic polymers (POPs). Here, a new family of sulfur-bridged POPs has been prepared via a C-H insertion reaction between sulfur and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Sulfur works as a solvent, external cross-linker, and porogen simultaneously during the polymerization process. The products demonstrate high porosity and maximum surface area of 1050 m2 g-1 with abundant accessible active sites, contributing to the nanometerization of sulfur and significantly enhancing the inherent affinity between heteroatoms toward soft metal ions. Therefore, they exhibit a high absorption capacity for Au(III) of 3287 mg g-1 and excellent absorption selectivity and removal efficiency via a performance evaluation even in real electronic wastewater. This synthetic strategy to prepare high added-value functional POPs with sulfur not only sheds light on designing high-performance gold adsorption materials and emerging POPs, but also promotes a sustainable development protocol.

Systematic Optimization of Universal Real-Time Hypersensitive Fast Detection Method for HBsAg in Serum Based on SERS.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a major cause of liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, with HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) being a crucial marker in the clinical detection of HBV. Due to the significant harm and ease of transmission associated with HBV, HBsAg testing has become an essential part of preoperative assessments, particularly for emergency surgeries where healthcare professionals face exposure risks. Therefore, a timely and accurate detection method for HBsAg is urgently needed. In this study, a surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) sensor with a sandwich structure was developed for HBsAg detection. Leveraging the ultrasensitive and rapid detection capabilities of SERS, this sensor enables quick detection results, significantly reducing waiting times. By systematically optimizing critical factors in the detection process, such as the composition and concentration of the incubation solution as well as the modification conditions and amount of probe particles, the sensitivity of the SERS immune assay system was improved. Ultimately, the sensor achieved a sensitivity of 0.00576 IU/mL within 12 min, surpassing the clinical requirement of 0.05 IU/mL by an order of magnitude. In clinical serum assay validation, the issue of false positives was effectively addressed by adding a blocker. The final sensor demonstrated 100% specificity and sensitivity at the threshold of 0.05 IU/mL. Therefore, this study not only designed an ultrasensitive SERS sensor for detecting HBsAg in actual clinical serum samples but also provided theoretical support for similar systems, filling the knowledge gap in existing literature.

Highly robust supramolecular polymer networks crosslinked by a tiny amount of metallacycles.

Supramolecular polymeric materials have exhibited attractive features such as self-healing, reversibility, and stimuli-responsiveness. However, on account of the weak bonding nature of most noncovalent interactions, it remains a great challenge to construct supramolecular polymeric materials with high robustness. Moreover, high usage of supramolecular units is usually necessary to promote the formation of robust supramolecular polymeric materials, which restrains their applications. Herein, we describe the construction of highly robust supramolecular polymer networks by using only a tiny amount of metallacycles as the supramolecular crosslinkers. A norbornene ring-opening metathesis copolymer with a 120° dipyridine ligand is prepared and self-assembled with a 60° or 120° Pt(II) acceptor to fabricate the metallacycle-crosslinked polymer networks. With only 0.28 mol% or less pendant dipyridine units to form the metallacycle crosslinkers, the mechanical properties of the polymers are significantly enhanced. The tensile strengths, Young's moduli, and toughness of the reinforced polymers reach up to more than 20 MPa, 600 MPa, and 150 MJ/m3, respectively. Controllable destruction and reconstruction of the metallacycle-crosslinked polymer networks are further demonstrated by the sequential addition of tetrabutylammonium bromide and silver triflate, indicative of good stimuli-responsiveness of the networks. These remarkable performances are attributed to the thermodynamically stable, but dynamic metallacycle-based supramolecular coordination complexes that offer strong linkages with good adaptive characteristics.

Novel insights into whey protein among Yak, Yellow Cattle, and Cattle-Yak milk.

This study identified characteristic whey proteins from Zhongdian Yak (ZY), Diqing Yellow Cattle (DYC), and Cattle Yak (CY), revealing insights into their potential functions and released peptides. A total of 118 whey proteins were quantified in milk obtained from the three breeds of cattle, including seven characteristic proteins (IGL@ protein, 40S ribosomal protein S9, calreticulin, etc.) in CY milk and two characteristic proteins (RNA helicase and uncharacterized protein (A0A3Q1LFQ2)) in ZY milk. These characteristic proteins are involved in the phagosome and Fc gamma R-mediated phagocytosis pathways, exhibiting immunoprotective activities, verified through molecular docking. Furthermore, the molecular docking results showed five whey proteins (IGL@ protein, rho GDP-dissociation inhibitor 1, small monomeric GTPase, action-like protein 3, and adenylyl cyclase-associated protein) interacted with TLR4 through multiple hydrogen and hydrophobic bonds. Therefore, these proteins may exert immunomodulatory functions by inhibiting TLR4. Meanwhile, whey proteins produced bioactive peptides, such as antioxidant peptides and ACE inhibitory peptides after simulated gastrointestinal digestion (SGID). The whey proteins and bioactive peptides from CY exhibited more types and activities than the ZY and DYC whey proteins. This study provides a theoretical basis for promoting formula milk powder production.