Tailoring chelating sites in two-dimensional covalent organic framework nanosheets for enhanced uranium capture.

In this study, we intricately designed and synthesized two isoreticular two-dimensional covalent organic framework nanosheets, namely TAPA-COF-1 and TAPA-COF-2, distinguished by their unique spatial arrangement of hydroxyl groups. These precisely engineered nanosheets were employed as a tailored platform for the selective capture of uranium, due to their tunable chelating sites and characteristic sheet-like morphology. Notably, TAPA-COF-1, featuring -hydroxyl groups, demonstrated a significantly enhanced adsorption capacity for uranium capture originating from the additional oriented adjacent phenolic hydroxyl chelating sites in comparison to TAPA-COF-2 with -hydroxyl groups, which was proved by theoretical calculation.

Evaluating the Spatiotemporal Characteristics of Agricultural Eco-Efficiency Alongside China's Carbon Neutrality Targets.

Agriculture has the dual effect of contributing to both carbon emissions and sequestration, and thus plays a critical role in mitigating global climate change and achieving carbon neutrality. Agricultural eco-efficiency (AEE) is an important measurement through which we can assess the efforts toward reduced emissions and increased sequestration. The purpose of this study was to understand the relationship between China's target of carbon neutrality and AEE through an evaluative model, so as to improve AEE and ultimately achieve sustainable agricultural development.

Near-Infrared Photothermally Enhanced Photo-Oxygenation for Inhibition of Amyloid-β Aggregation Based on RVG-Conjugated Porphyrinic Metal-Organic Framework and Indocyanine Green Nanoplatform.

Amyloid aggregation is associated with many neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). The current technologies using phototherapy for amyloid inhibition are usually photodynamic approaches based on evidence that reactive oxygen species can inhibit Aβ aggregation. Herein, we report a novel combinational photothermally assisted photo-oxygenation treatment based on a nano-platform of the brain-targeting peptide RVG conjugated with the 2D porphyrinic PCN-222 metal-organic framework and indocyanine green (PCN-222@ICG@RVG) with enhanced photo-inhibition in Alzheimer's Aβ aggregation.

Identification of Sparse Volterra Systems: An Almost Orthogonal Matching Pursuit Approach.

This paper considers identification of sparse Volterra systems. A method based on the almost orthogonal matching pursuit (AOMP) is proposed. The AOMP algorithm allows one to estimate one non-zero coefficient at a time until all non-zero coefficients are found without losing the optimality and the sparsity, thus avoiding the curse of dimensionality often encountered in Volterra system identification.

Persistence of Excitation for Identifying Switched Linear Systems.

This paper investigates the uniqueness of parameters via persistence of excitation for switched linear systems. The main contribution is a much weaker sufficient condition on the regressors to be persistently exciting that guarantees the uniqueness of the parameter sets and also provides new insights in understanding the relation among different subsystems. It is found that for uniquely determining the parameters of switched linear systems, the needed minimum number of samples derived from our sufficient condition is much smaller than that reported in the literature.

Immune-related gene expression signatures in colorectal cancer.

The immune system is crucial in regulating colorectal cancer (CRC) tumorigenesis. Identification of immune-related transcriptomic signatures derived from the peripheral blood of patients with CRC would provide insights into CRC pathogenesis, and suggest novel clues to potential immunotherapy strategies for the disease. The present study collected blood samples from 59 patients with CRC and 62 healthy control patients and performed whole blood gene expression profiling using microarray hybridization.

Use of peripheral blood transcriptomic biomarkers to distinguish high-grade cervical squamous intraepithelial lesions from low-grade lesions.

It is crucial to classify cervical lesions into high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSILs) and low-grade SILs (LSILs), as LSILs are conservatively treated by observation, based on an expectation of natural regression, whereas HSILs usually require electrosurgical excision. In the present study, peripheral blood gene expression profiles were analyzed to identify transcriptomic biomarkers distinguishing HSILs from LSILs. A total of 102 blood samples were collected from women with cervical SILs (66 HSIL and 36 LSIL) for microarray hybridization.

Peripheral blood transcriptome identifies high-risk benign and malignant breast lesions.

Background: Peripheral blood transcriptome profiling is a potentially important tool for disease detection. We utilize this technique in a case-control study to identify candidate transcriptomic biomarkers able to differentiate women with breast lesions from normal controls.

Methods: Whole blood samples were collected from 50 women with high-risk breast lesions, 57 with breast cancers and 44 controls (151 samples).

Porphyrinic Metal-Organic Framework Nanorod-Based Dual-Modal Nanoprobe for Sensing and Bioimaging of Phosphate.

Herein, a dual-modal fluorescent/colorimetric "Signal-On" nanoprobe based on PCN-222 nanorods (NRs) toward phosphate was proposed for the first time. Due to the high affinity of the zirconium node in PCN-222 NRs for phosphate, the structure collapse of PCN-222 NRs was triggered by phosphate, resulting in the release of the tetrakis(4-carboxyphenyl)porphyrin (TCPP) ligand from PCN-222 NRs as well as the enhancement of fluorescence and absorbance signals. The PCN-222 NR-based nanoprobe could be employed for phosphate detection over a wide concentration range with a detection limit down to 23 nM.

An ultrasensitive and selective fluorescent nanosensor based on porphyrinic metal-organic framework nanoparticles for Cu detection.

Detecting trace amounts of copper ions (Cu2+) is of high importance since copper is an essential element in the environment and the human body. Despite the recent advances in Cu2+ detection, the current approaches still suffer from insensitivity and lack of in situ detection in living cells. In the present work, a fluorescent nanosensor based on porphyrinic metal-organic framework nanoparticles (MOF-525 NPs) is proposed for sensitive and selective monitoring of Cu2+ in aqueous solution and living cells.

Blood-based dynamic genomic signature for obsessive-compulsive disorder.

No biologically based diagnostic criteria are in clinical use today for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), schizophrenia, and major depressive disorder (MDD), which are defined with reference to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual clinical symptoms alone. However, these disorders cannot always be well distinguished on clinical grounds and may also be comorbid. A biological blood-based dynamic genomic signature that can differentiate among OCD, MDD, and schizophrenia would therefore be of great utility.

Porphyrinic Metal-Organic Framework PCN-224 Nanoparticles for Near-Infrared-Induced Attenuation of Aggregation and Neurotoxicity of Alzheimer's Amyloid-β Peptide.

The aberrant aggregation of amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) in the brain has been considered as the major pathological hallmark of Alzheimer's diseases (AD). Inhibition of Aβ aggregation is considered as an attractive therapeutic intervention for alleviating amyloid-associated neurotoxicity. Here, we report the near-infrared light (NIR)-induced suppression of Aβ aggregation and reduction of Aβ-induced cytotoxicity via porphyrinic metal-organic framework (MOF) PCN-224 nanoparticles.

Gene expression signature for detection of gastric cancer in peripheral blood.

Gastric cancer (stomach cancer) is the fifth most common malignancy and the third leading cause of cancer-associated mortality worldwide. Identifying gastric cancer patients at an early and curable stage of the disease is essential if mortality rates for this disease are to decrease. A non-invasive blood-based test that is an indicator of gastric cancer risk would likely be of benefit in identifying gastric cancer patients at an early stage, and such a test may enhance clinical decision making.

A graphene quantum dot@FeO@SiO based nanoprobe for drug delivery sensing and dual-modal fluorescence and MRI imaging in cancer cells.

A novel graphene quantum dot (GQD)@FeO@SiO based nanoprobe was reported for targeted drug delivery, sensing, dual-modal imaging and therapy. Carboxyl-terminated GQD (C-GQD) was firstly conjugated with FeO@SiO and then functionalized with cancer targeting molecule folic acid (FA). DOX drug molecules were then loaded on GQD surface of FeO@SiO@GQD-FA nanoprobe via pi-pi stacking, which resulted in FeO@SiO@GQD-FA/DOX conjugates based on a FRET mechanism with GQD as donor molecules and DOX as acceptor molecules.

Capillary electrophoresis coupled with in-column fiber-optic laser-induced fluorescence detection for the rapid separation of neodymium.

In this study, in-column fiber-optic (ICFO) laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) detection technique is coupled with capillary electrophoresis (CE) for the rapid separation of neodymium for the first time. The effects of buffer concentration, buffer pH, and separation voltage on the CE behaviors, including electrophoretic efficiency and detection sensitivity, are investigated in detail. Under the optimal condition determined in this study (15 mM borate buffer, pH 10.

Facile Fabrication of Mn2O3 Nanoparticle-Assembled Hierarchical Hollow Spheres and Their Sensing for Hydrogen Peroxide.

In the present work, we described the facile hydrothermal fabrication of Mn2O3 nanoparticle-assembled hierarchical hollow spheres and their application for the electrochemical determination of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The composition and morphology of the as-prepared samples were well characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Because of the electrochemical responses toward H2O2, a novel nonenzymatic electrochemical sensor for the H2O2 determination based on Mn2O3 hollow spheres modified glassy carbon electrode was proposed.

Blood-based biomarkers used to predict disease activity in Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

Background: Identifying specific genes that are differentially expressed during inflammatory bowel disease flares may help stratify disease activity. The aim of this study was to identify panels of genes to be able to distinguish disease activity in Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC).

Methods: Patients were grouped into categories based on disease and severity determined by histological grading.

Mining the Dynamic Genome: A Method for Identifying Multiple Disease Signatures Using Quantitative RNA Expression Analysis of a Single Blood Sample.

Background: Blood has advantages over tissue samples as a diagnostic tool, and blood mRNA transcriptomics is an exciting research field. To realize the full potential of blood transcriptomic investigations requires improved methods for gene expression measurement and data interpretation able to detect biological signatures within the "noisy" variability of whole blood.

Methods: We demonstrate collection tube bias compensation during the process of identifying a liver cancer-specific gene signature.

Detection of rare point mutation via allele-specific amplification in emulsion PCR.

It is essential to analyze rare mutations in many fields of biomedical research. However, the detection of rare mutations is usually failed due to the interference of predominant wild-type DNA surrounded. Herein we describe a sensitive and facile method of detecting rare point mutation on the basis of allele-specific amplification in emulsion PCR.

Facile synthesis of functionalizated carbon nanospheres for determination of Cu2+.

In this research, quantities of carbon nanospheres (CNSs) were prepared with a convenient and low cost method at atmospheric pressure and functionalized with the xanthate group in a simple way. The materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectra (FT-IR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). In addition, the carbon nanospheres (CNSs) xanthate was applied to fabricate a modified carbon paste electrode (CPE) for the selective and sensitive determination of Cu(2+).

Anodic electrogenerated chemiluminescence behavior of graphite-like carbon nitride and its sensing for rutin.

In this paper, the anodic electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) behavior of graphite-like carbon nitride (g-C3N4) is studied using cyclic voltammetry with triethanolamine (TEA) as a coreactant. The possible anodic ECL response mechanism of the g-C3N4/TEA system is proposed. Furthermore, it is observed that the anodic ECL signal can be quenched efficiently in the presence of rutin, on the basis of which a facile anodic ECL senor for the determination of rutin is developed.

Electrochemiluminescent assay for detection of extremely rare mutations based on ligase reaction and bead enrichment.

The detection of rare mutations is particularly essential in many areas of biomedical research. Here, we report an ultrasensitive method to detect extremely rare point mutations based on electrochemiluminescent assay. The point mutation among large excess wild-type alleles is exclusively amplified through ligase detection reaction.

Increased circulating myostatin in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

The changes of plasma myostatin levels in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) and their clinical correlation were investigated. We recruited 43 T2D patients and 20 age-matched healthy subjects. Plasma myostatin, lipid and glucose, and serum insulin were determined.