Material Engineering Strategies for Efficient Hydrogen Evolution Reaction Catalysts.

Water electrolysis, a key enabler of hydrogen energy production, presents significant potential as a strategy for achieving net-zero emissions. However, the widespread deployment of water electrolysis is currently limited by the high-cost and scarce noble metal electrocatalysts in hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Given this challenge, design and synthesis of cost-effective and high-performance alternative catalysts have become a research focus, which necessitates insightful understandings of HER fundamentals and material engineering strategies. Distinct from typical reviews that concentrate only on the summary of recent catalyst materials, this review article shifts focus to material engineering strategies for developing efficient HER catalysts. In-depth analysis of key material design approaches for HER catalysts, such as doping, vacancy defect creation, phase engineering, and metal-support engineering, are illustrated along with typical research cases. A special emphasis is placed on designing noble metal-free catalysts with a brief discussion on recent advancements in electrocatalytic water-splitting technology. The article also delves into important descriptors, reliable evaluation parameters and characterization techniques, aiming to link the fundamental mechanisms of HER with its catalytic performance. In conclusion, it explores future trends in HER catalysts by integrating theoretical, experimental and industrial perspectives, while acknowledging the challenges that remain.

Activation of the sigma-1 receptor ameliorates neuronal ferroptosis via IRE1α after spinal cord injury.

Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) is a debilitating disease associated with a significant economic burden owing to its high level of disability; however, current treatment options have only limited efficacy. Past research has shown that iron-dependent programmed cell death, also known as ferroptosis, plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of SCI. The sigma-1 receptor (Sig-1R) is widely distributed in the central nervous system, and has been implicated in the pathophysiology of several neurological and psychiatric disorders. Several in vivo and ex vivo studies have shown that Sig-1R activation exerts unique neuroprotective effects. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. To date, no study has yet demonstrated the association between Sig-1R activation and ferroptosis in patients with SCI. However, the present study found that Sig-1R activation effectively promoted the recovery of motor function in mice after spinal cord injury, attenuated neuronal apoptosis, reduced the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and iron accumulation, and inhibited ferroptosis in spinal cord tissues following SCI in mice. Ferroptosis and IRE1α were significantly upregulated after spinal cord injury, while sigma-1 receptor agonists were able to facilitate this result through the elimination of inositol-requiring enzyme-1 alpha (IRE1α)-mediated neuronal ferroptosis. Therefore, sigma-1 receptor activation could attenuate ferroptosis after SCI by reducing IRE1α and improving functional recovery after SCI, potentially representing a new therapeutic strategy for treating SCI.

Understanding secondary particles in a regional site of Yangtze River Delta: Insights from mass spectrometric measurement.

Submicron particulate matter (PM1) poses significant risks to health risks and global climate. In this study, secondary organic aerosols (SOA) and inorganic compositions were examined for their physicochemical characteristics and evolution using high-resolution aerosol instruments in Changzhou over one-month period. The results showed that transport accompanied by regional static conditions leaded to the occurrence of heavy pollution. In addition, regional generation and local emissions also leaded to the occurrence of light and moderate pollution during the observation period in Changzhou. Organic aerosols (OA) and nitrate (NO3-) accounted for 45 % and 23 % of PM1, respectively. The increase in PM1 was dominated by the contribution of NO3- and OA. SOA was dominance in OA (63 % with 40 % MO-OOA), which was higher than primary organic aerosols (POA). Besides, photochemical reactions and the high oxidizing nature of the urban atmosphere promoted the production of OA, especially MO-OOA in Changzhou. Our results highlight that secondary particles contribute significantly to PM pollution in Changzhou, underlining the importance of controlling emissions of gaseous precursors, especially under high oxidation conditions.

Semimetallic state transition in Two-Dimensional carbon nitride covalent networks and enhanced electrocatalytic activity for nitrate to ammonia conversion.

Single-atom catalysts (SACs), due to their maximum atomic utilization rate, show tremendous potential for application in the electrocatalytic synthesis of ammonia from nitrate. Yet, the development of superior supports that preserve the high selectivity, activity, and stability of SACs remains an imperative challenge. In this work, based on first-principles calculations and tight-binding (TB) model analysis, a new two-dimensional (2D) carbon nitride monolayer, C7N6, is proposed. The C7N6 structure exhibits a strong covalent network, with dynamical, thermal, and mechanical stability. Surprisingly, the structural transition from C9N4 to C7N6 corresponds to a semimetallic state transition. Further symmetry analysis unveils that the Dirac states in C7N6 are protected by space-time inversion symmetry, and the physical origin of the Dirac cone was confirmed using the TB model. Additionally, a non-zero Z2 invariant and significant topological edge states demonstrate its topologically nontrivial nature. Considering the excellent structural and topological properties of C7N6, a three-step screening strategy is designed to identify eligible SACs for electrochemical nitrate reduction reaction (NO3RR), and Ti@C7N6 is identified as possessing the best activity, with the last proton-electron coupling step *NH2→*NH3 being the potential-determining step (PDS), for which the limiting potential is 0.48 V. Moreover, a free energy diagram shows that the *NOH reaction pathway is energetically preferred on Ti@C7N6, and ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) calculations at 500 K confirm its good thermal stability. Our study not only provides excellent CN-based support material but also offers theoretical guidance for constructing highly active and selective SACs for nitrate reduction.

Missense mutation (C667F) in murine ß-dystroglycan causes embryonic lethality, myopathy and blood-brain barrier destabilization.

Dystroglycan (DG) is an extracellular matrix receptor consisting of an α- and a ß-DG subunit encoded by the DAG1 gene. The homozygous mutation (c.2006G>T, p.Cys669Phe) in ß-DG causes Muscle-Eye-Brain disease with multicystic leukodystrophy in humans. In a mouse model of this primary dystroglycanopathy, approximately two-thirds of homozygous embryos fail to develop to term. Mutant mice that are born undergo a normal postnatal development but show a late-onset myopathy with partially penetrant histopathological changes and an impaired performance on an activity wheel. Their brains and eyes are structurally normal, but the localization of mutant ß-DG is altered in the glial perivascular endfeet resulting in a perturbed protein composition of the blood-brain and blood-retina barrier. In addition, α- and ß-DG protein levels are significantly reduced in muscle and brain of mutant mice. Due to the partially penetrant developmental phenotype of the C669F-ß-DG mice, they represent a novel and highly valuable mouse model to study the molecular effects of ß-DG functional alterations both during embryogenesis and in mature muscle, brain and eye, and to gain insight into the pathogenesis of primary dystroglycanopathies.

Designing asymmetrical TMN4 sites via phosphorus or sulfur dual coordination as high-performance electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reaction.

The development ofhighly efficient oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysts based on more cost-effective and earth-abundant elements is of great significance and still faces a huge challenge. In this work, a series of transition metal (TM)embedding a newly-defined monolayer carbon nitride phase is theoretically profiled and constructed as a catalytic platform for OER studies. Typically, a four-step screening strategy was proposed to rapidly identified high performance candidates and the coordination structure and catalytic performance relationship was thoroughly analyzed. Moreover, the eliminating criterion was established to condenses valid range based on the Gibbs free energy of OH*. Our results reveal that the as-constructed 2FeCN/P exhibits superior activity toward OER with an ultralow overpotential of 0.25 V, at the same time, the established 3FeCN/S configuration performed well as abifunctional OER/ORR electrocatalysis with extremely low overpotential ηOER/ηORR of 0.26/0.48 V. Overall, this work provides an effective framework for screening advanced OER catalysts, which can also be extended to other complex multistep catalytic reactions.

Strong mechanical anisotropy and an anisotropic Dirac state in 2D C5N3.

Two-dimensional (2D) carbon nitride materials have emerged as a versatile platform for the design of high-performance nanoelectronics, but strong anisotropy in 2D carbon nitrides has rarely been reported. In this work, a 2D carbon nitride with strong anisotropy composed of tetra-, penta-, and hexa-rings (named as TPH-C5N3) is proposed. This TPH-C5N3 exhibits both dynamical and mechanical stability. Furthermore, it also showcases remarkable thermal stability, reaching up to 2300 K, as evidenced by AIMD simulations conducted in an NVT environment utilizing the Nosé-Hoover thermostat. Significantly, TPH-C5N3 demonstrates high anisotropic ratios in its mechanical properties, positioning it as the frontrunner in the current carbon nitride systems. In addition, a Dirac cone with an anisotropic ratio of 55.8% and Fermi velocity of 7.26 × 105 m s-1 is revealed in TPH-C5N3. The nontrivial topological properties of TPH-C5N3 are demonstrated by a non-zero Z2 invariant and topologically protected edge states. Our study offers theoretical insights into an anisotropic 2D carbon nitride material, laying the groundwork for its design and synthesis.

Regional scale terrace mapping in fragmented mountainous areas using multi-source remote sensing data and sample purification strategy.

As a stepped cross section of farmland built along the contour lines, terrace is widely distributed on hill-slopes. It changes the original surface slope and runoff coefficient, reduces soil nutrient loss, and has become the most important soil erosion control measure in China. Accurate terrace mapping at regional scale is crucial for soil conservation, agriculture sustainability and ecological planning. Due to the influence of cloudy and rainy weather, poor data availability makes it difficult to identify terrace distribution only using optical remote sensing images in mountainous areas. In this study, we incorporated multi-spectral optical and SAR data, features of terrain, texture and time sequence information, and proposed a pixel-based supervised classification method based on sample purification strategy to obtain a 10 m resolution terraced map in a plateau mountainous region. With 610 terrace/non-terrace validation sample data, 10-fold cross-validation was used to test the classification results. For identified terrace, the values of Overall Accuracy (OA), Producer's Accuracy (PA) and User's Accuracy (UA) stay stable above 90 %, the F1 score and Kappa coefficient show the smallest fluctuation and is stable in the range of 0.90-0.93 and 0.81-0.87, respectively. The accuracy evaluation of grid units show that the uncertainty of the terrace distribution is mainly concentrated in the north and south of the study area. Slope cultivated land, low-slope terrace and non-agricultural vegetation are easily mixed due to the heterogeneity of terrace features and the spectrum similarity among these land types. It should be noted that the features of time series and texture play a key role in the terrace recognition process, rather than terrain factors, which is different from previous studies. The sample purification strategy proposed provides a more reliable regional scale terrace distribution map compared to the existing product, and is potentially transferable to other mountainous areas as a robust approach for rapid identification of terrace.

Chronic pain exacerbates memory impairment and pathology of Aß and tau by upregulating IL-1ß and p-65 signaling in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease.

BACKGROUND: Chronic pain is linked to cognitive impairment; however, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In the present study, we examined these mechanisms in a well-established mouse model of Alzheimer's disease (AD). METHODS: Neuropathic pain was modeled in 5-month-old transgenic APPswe/PS1dE9 (APP/PS1) mice by partial ligation of the sciatic nerve on the left side, and chronic inflammatory pain was modeled in another group of APP/PS1 mice by injecting them with complete Freund's adjuvant on the plantar surface of the left hind paw. Six weeks after molding, the animals were tested to assess pain threshold (von Frey filament), learning, memory (novel object recognition, Morris water maze, Y-maze, and passive avoidance), and depression-like symptoms (sucrose preference, tail suspension, and forced swimming). After behavioral testing, mice were sacrificed and the levels of p65, amyloid-ß (residues 1-42) and phospho-tau in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex were assayed using western blotting, while interleukin (IL)-1ß levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: Animals subjected to either type of chronic pain showed lower pain thresholds, more severe deficits in learning and memory, and stronger depression-like symptoms than the corresponding control animals. Either type of chronic pain was associated with upregulation of p65, amyloid-ß (1-42), and IL-1ß in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex, as well as higher levels of phosphorylated tau. CONCLUSIONS: Chronic pain may exacerbate cognitive deficits and depression-like symptoms in APP/PS1 mice by worsening pathology related to amyloid-ß and tau and by upregulating signaling involving IL-1ß and p65.

Contribution of platelets to disruption of the blood-brain barrier during arterial baroreflex dysfunction.

BACKGROUND: Arterial baroreflex dysfunction, like many other central nervous system disorders, involves disruption of the blood-brain barrier, but what causes such disruption in ABR dysfunction is unclear. Here we explored the potential role of platelets in this disruption. METHODS: ABR dysfunction was induced in rats using sinoaortic denervation, and the effects on integrity of the blood-brain barrier were explored based on leakage of Evans blue or FITC-dextran, while the effects on expression of CD40L in platelets and of key proteins in microvascular endothelial cells were explored using immunohistochemistry, western blotting and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Similar experiments were carried out in rat brain microvascular endothelial cell line, which we exposed to platelets taken from rats with ABR dysfunction. RESULTS: Sinoaortic denervation permeabilized the blood-brain barrier and downregulated zonula occludens-1 and occludin in rat brain, while upregulating expression of CD40L on the surface of platelets and stimulating platelet aggregation. Similar effects of permeabilization and downregulation were observed in healthy rats that received platelets from animals with ABR dysfunction, and in rat brain microvascular endothelial cells, but only in the presence of lipopolysaccharide. These effects were associated with activation of NF-κB signaling and upregulation of matrix metalloprotease-9. These effects of platelets from animals with ABR dysfunction were partially blocked by neutralizing antibody against CD40L or the platelet inhibitor clopidogrel. CONCLUSION: During ABR dysfunction, platelets may disrupt the blood-brain barrier when CD40L on their surface activates NF-kB signaling within cerebral microvascular endothelial cells, leading to upregulation of matrix metalloprotease-9. Our findings imply that targeting CD40L may be effective against cerebral diseases involving ABR dysfunction.

Three­dimensional finite element analysis: Anatomical splint fixation for Colles fractures.

With the rapid development of digital research in clinical orthopedics, the efficacy and safety of splint fixation can be better evaluated through biomechanical analysis based on a three-dimensional (3D) finite element model. It is essential to address the current gap in understanding the biomechanical implications of anatomical splint fixation for Colles fractures. By employing advanced 3D finite element analysis, the present study aimed to provide a comprehensive evaluation, offering valuable insights that can contribute to enhancing the effectiveness of anatomical splint fixation in the clinical management of Colles fractures. The 3D finite element models of the forearm and hand were constructed using Mimics 15.0 according to data from computed tomography of a patient with a Colles fracture. After the validity of the model was verified, the corresponding material properties of the models were adjusted to simulate a Colles fracture. Subsequently, the reduction functions, such as radial inclination and ulnar deviation, of the simulated fracture were completed and the mechanical changes of the tissues surrounding the fracture were calculated. Anatomical splints were then placed on the surfaces of the 3D finite element models of Colles fractures at various positions to analyze the changes in the stress cloud diagram, such as for the soft tissue and anatomical splints. In the present study, the constructed 3D finite element models were accurate and valid. The maximum stress of the anatomical splints and soft tissues was 2.346 and 0.106 MPa in pronation, 1.780 and 0.069 MPa in median rotation and 3.045 and 0.057 MPa in supination, respectively. Splint stress reached the highest level in supination and soft tissue stress achieved the highest level in pronation. The peak of splint stress occurred during supination, which contrasts to the peak of soft tissue stress observed in pronation, suggesting splint fixation median rotation can effectively avoid compression of the local soft tissue.

Enhanced OER catalytic activity of single metal atoms supported by the pentagonal NiN2 monolayer: insight from density functional theory calculations.

Two-dimensional material-supported single metal atom catalysts have been extensively studied and proved effective in electrocatalytic reactions in recent years. In this work, we systematically investigate the OER catalytic properties of single metal atoms supported by the NiN2 monolayer. Several typical transition metals with high single atom catalytic activity, such as Fe, Co, Ru, Rh, Pd, Ir, and Pt, were selected as catalytic active sites. The energy calculations show that transition metal atoms (Fe, Co, Ru, Rh, Pd, Ir, and Pt) are easily embedded in the NiN2 monolayer with Ni vacancies due to the negative binding energy. The calculated OER overpotentials of Fe, Co, Ru, Rh, Pd, Ir and Pt embedded NiN2 monolayers are 0.92 V, 0.47 V, 1.13 V, 0.66 V, 1.25 V, 0.28 V, and 0.94 V, respectively. Compared to the 0.57 V OER overpotential of typical OER noble metal catalysts IrO2, Co@NiN2 and Ir@NiN2 exhibit high OER catalytic activity due to lower overpotential, especially for Ir@NiN2. The high catalytic activity of the Ir embedded NiN2 monolayer can be explained well by the d-band center model. It is found that the adsorption strength of the embedded TM atoms with intermediates follows a linear relationship with their d-band centers. Besides, the overpotential of the Ir embedded NiN2 monolayer can be further reduced to 0.24 V under -2% biaxial strain. Such findings are expected to be employed in more two-dimensional material-supported single metal atom catalyzed reactions.

Quality assessment and Q-markers discovery in Citri Sarcodactylis Fructus by integrating serum pharmacochemistry and network pharmacology.

INTRODUCTION: Citri Sarcodactylis Fructus (CSF), a common fruit and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), has been hindered in its further development and research owing to the lack of comprehensive and specific quality evaluation standards. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to establish clear TCM quality standards related to the therapeutic mechanisms of CSF and to provide a basis for subsequent research and development. METHODS: Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with hybrid quadrupole-orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-orbitrap HRMS) technology was used to comprehensively identify CSF components and explore their absorbance levels in rat serum. Network pharmacology research methods were employed to investigate the potential mechanisms of action of the identified components in the treatment of major clinical diseases. Subsequently, a combination of HPLC chromatographic fingerprinting for qualitative analysis and multi-index content determination was used to evaluate the detectability of the identified quality markers (Q-markers). RESULTS: Twenty-six prototype components were tentatively characterized in rat serum. Network pharmacology analysis showed six effective components, namely 7-hydroxycoumarin, isoscopoletin, diosmin, hesperidin, 5,7-dimethoxycoumarin, and bergapten, which played important roles in the treatment of chronic gastritis, functional dyspepsia, peptic ulcer, and depression and were preliminarily identified as Q-markers. The results of content determination in 15 batches of CSF indicated significant differences in the content of medicinal materials from different origins. However, compared with the preliminarily determined Q-markers, all six components could be measured and were determined as Q-markers of CSF. CONCLUSION: The chemical Q-markers obtained in this study could be used for effective quality control of CSF.

The role of Tetraspanins in digestive system tumor development: update and emerging evidence.

Digestive system malignancies, including cancers of the esophagus, pancreas, stomach, liver, and colorectum, are the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide due to their high morbidity and poor prognosis. The lack of effective early diagnosis methods is a significant factor contributing to the poor prognosis for these malignancies. Tetraspanins (Tspans) are a superfamily of 4-transmembrane proteins (TM4SF), classified as low-molecular-weight glycoproteins, with 33 Tspan family members identified in humans to date. They interact with other membrane proteins or TM4SF members to form a functional platform on the cytoplasmic membrane called Tspan-enriched microdomain and serve multiple functions including cell adhesion, migration, propagation and signal transduction. In this review, we summarize the various roles of Tspans in the progression of digestive system tumors and the underlying molecular mechanisms in recent years. Generally, the expression of CD9, CD151, Tspan1, Tspan5, Tspan8, Tspan12, Tspan15, and Tspan31 are upregulated, facilitating the migration and invasion of digestive system cancer cells. Conversely, Tspan7, CD82, CD63, Tspan7, and Tspan9 are downregulated, suppressing digestive system tumor cell metastasis. Furthermore, the connection between Tspans and the metastasis of malignant bone tumors is reviewed. We also summarize the potential role of Tspans as novel immunotherapy targets and as an approach to overcome drug resistance. Finally, we discuss the potential clinical value and therapeutic targets of Tspans in the treatments of digestive system malignancies and provide some guidance for future research.

Capture of CO2 during the Electrolysis Process and Its Utilization in Supercapacitor Materials.

With climate change and environmental issues, the emissions of CO2 and its greenhouse effect have become a focal point. At present, the utilization of CO2 includes its synthesis into chemicals and fuels such as methane, methanol, and CO. CO2 utilization can be achieved through carbon capture and storage technologies, which involve capturing CO2 from industrial emissions and storing it to reduce the CO2 concentration in the atmosphere. However, these CO2 capture and utilization technologies still face challenges, such as technical immaturity and high costs. One of the CO2 capture and utilization technologies is the production of energy storage materials. In this study, CO2 captured by molten salt was used as the carbon source, and TiO2 nanotube arrays were used as precursors. Titanium carbide nanotube arrays(TiC-NTAs)with high specific surface area and high conductivity were prepared by electrolysis. Afterward, the electrochemical energy storage performance of TiC in different electrolytes was tested. The results show that reducing the ionic radius of the electrolyte is conducive to increasing the area-specific capacitance of the device and that the degradation of the cycle life of the quasi-solid supercapacitor may be caused by an increase in the internal resistance due to the loss of water from the electrolyte. This study provides a reference value for the low-temperature synthesis of nanometal carbides and the selection of electrolytes.

Association of consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages with elevated blood pressure among college students in Yunnan Province, China.

OBJECTIVE: Although some studies have examined the association between eating behaviour and elevated blood pressure (EBP) in adolescents, current data on the association between sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) and EBP in adolescents in Yunnan Province, China, are lacking. SETTING: Cluster sampling was used to survey freshmen at a college in Kunming, Yunnan Province, from November to December. Data on SSB consumption were collected using an FFQ measuring height, weight and blood pressure. A logistic regression model was used to analyse the association between SSB consumption and EBP, encompassing prehypertension and hypertension with sex-specific analyses. PARTICIPANTS: The analysis included 4781 college students. RESULTS: Elevated systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were detected in 35·10 % (1678/4781) and 39·34 % (1881/4781) of patients, respectively. After adjusting for confounding variables, tea beverage consumption was associated with elevated SBP (OR = 1·24, 95 % CI: 1·03, 1·49, P = 0·024), and carbonated beverage (OR = 1·23, 95 % CI: 1·04, 1·45, P = 0·019) and milk beverage (OR = 0·81, 95 % CI: 0·69, 0·95, P = 0·010) consumption was associated with elevated DBP in college students. Moreover, fruit beverage (OR = 1·32, 95 % CI: 1·00, 1·75, P = 0·048) and milk beverage consumption (OR = 0·69, 95 % CI: 0·52, 0·93, P = 0·014) was associated with elevated DBP in males. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicated that fruit and milk beverage consumption was associated with elevated DBP in males, and no association was observed with EBP in females.

Anthriscus sylvestris: An overview on Bioactive Compounds and Anticancer Mechanisms from a Traditional Medicinal Plant to Modern Investigation.

Anthriscus sylvestris (L.) Hoffm. Gen. is a biennial or perennial herb commonly found in China. It has a long history of use in traditional Chinese medicine to treat various ailments such as cough, gastric disorders, spleen deficiency, and limb weakness. Recently, its potential as an anticancer agent has gained considerable attention and has been the subject of extensive research focusing on extract efficacy, identification of active compounds, and proposed molecular mechanisms. Nevertheless, further high-quality research is still required to fully evaluate its potential as an anticancer drug. This review aims to comprehensively summarize the anticancer properties exhibited by the active components found in Anthriscus sylvestris. We conducted a comprehensive search, collation, and analysis of published articles on anticancer activity and active compounds of A. sylvestris using various databases that include, but are not limited to, PubMed, Web of Science, Science Direct and Google Scholar. The primary chemical composition of A. sylvestris consists of phenylpropanoids, flavonoids, steroids, fatty acids, and organic acids, showcasing an array of pharmacological activities like anticancer, antioxidant, anti-aging, and immunoregulatory properties. Thus, this review highlights the active compounds isolated from A. sylvestris extracts, which provide potential leads for the development of novel anticancer drugs and a better understanding of the plant's pharmacological effects, particularly its anticancer mechanism of action.

Tumour Growth Mechanisms Determine Effectiveness of Adaptive Therapy in Glandular Tumours.

In cancer treatment, adaptive therapy holds promise for delaying the onset of recurrence through regulating the competition between drug-sensitive and drug-resistant cells. Adaptive therapy has been studied in well-mixed models assuming free mixing of all cells and spatial models considering the interactions of single cells with their immediate adjacent cells. Both models do not reflect the spatial structure in glandular tumours where intra-gland cellular interaction is high, while inter-gland interaction is limited. Here, we use mathematical modelling to study the effects of adaptive therapy on glandular tumours that expand using either glandular fission or invasive growth. A two-dimensional, lattice-based model of sites containing sensitive and resistant cells within individual glands is developed to study the evolution of glandular tumour cells under continuous and adaptive therapies. We found that although both growth models benefit from adaptive therapy's ability to prevent recurrence, invasive growth benefits more from it than fission growth. This difference is due to the migration of daughter cells into neighboring glands that is absent in fission but present in invasive growth. The migration resulted in greater mixing of cells, enhancing competition induced by adaptive therapy. By varying the initial spatial spread and location of the resistant cells within the tumour, we found that modifying the conditions within the resistant cells containing glands affect both fission and invasive growth. However, modifying the conditions surrounding these glands affect invasive growth only. Our work reveals the interplay between growth mechanism and tumour topology in modulating the effectiveness of cancer therapy.

SERS detection of triazole pesticide residues on vegetables and fruits using Au decahedral nanoparticles.

Triazole pesticides are widely used in modern agricultural practices to improve agricultural production quality. Simultaneously, unreasonable and standardized use of triazole pesticides could induce a series of potential diseases of humans. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy has attracted enormous research attention because of its label-free and fingerprint detection capability to noninvasively trace extremely low concentration analytes. To the best of our knowledge, there is a lack of systematic comparison regarding the Raman spectral information of triazole pesticides in existing literatures. In this work, we successfully captured the characteristic peaks of six different triazole pesticides individually and simultaneously using Au decahedral nanoparticles. The proposed method exhibited remarkable detection sensitivity, a wide dynamic range, and the capability for in-situ detection of multiple pesticide residues on bean, apple, and vegetable surfaces with satisfactory recovery rates. Therefore, our proposed SERS platform have great applications in agricultural products safety, environmental monitoring and other fields.

Sleep disturbances are associated with anxiety, depression, and decreased quality of life in patients with coronary heart disease.

BACKGROUND: Studies have shown that sleep disorders are closely related to anxiety and depression, and the quality of life (QoL) of patients with sleep disorders is generally poor. AIM: To examine the occurrence of sleep disorders in people with coronary heart disease (CHD) and their relationships with QoL, depression, and anxiety. METHODS: As per the sleep condition, 240 CHD individuals were separated into two groups: non-sleep disorder group (n = 128) and sleep disorder group (n = 112). The self-rating anxiety scale (SAS), self-rating depression scale (SDS), and World Health Organization criteria for the Quality of Life Brief scale (WHOQOL-BREF) scores of the two groups were compared. Logistic regression method was used to analyze the independent risk factors of CHD patients with sleep disorders. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was employed to develop the risk prediction model. The association among the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, SAS, and SDS was examined using Spearman's correlation analysis. RESULTS: The incidence of sleep disorder was 46.67% in 240 patients. The scores of SAS and SDS in the sleep disorder group were higher than those in the non-sleep disorder group, and the WHOQOL-BREF scores were lower than those in the non-sleep disorder group (P < 0.05). The risk prediction model of sleep disturbances in CHD patients was constructed using the outcomes of multivariate logistic regression analysis, P = 1/[1 + e (-2.160 + 0.989 × (female) + 0.001 × (new rural cooperative medical insurance) + 2.219 × (anxiety) + 2.157 × depression)]. The results of a Spearman's correlation study revealed that sleep quality was strongly adversely connected with the physiological field, psychological field, and social relation scores in QoL, and was considerably positively correlated with SAS and SDS (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: A multivariate logistic regression model can better predict the occurrence of sleep disorders in CHD patients. Sleep disorders in CHD patients are significantly correlated with QoL, depression, and anxiety.