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Combining the unique advantages of two-dimensional transition metal carbon/nitrogen compounds (MXene) and the excellent surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) performance of noble metal materials, MXene/Ag NPs films were proposed as nanocarriers for SERS-traceable drug delivery. The films were prepared by two-step self-assembly on positively charged silicon wafers using virtue of the high evaporation of ethyl acetate, the Marangoni effect, and an oil/water/oil three-phase system. With 4-mercaptobenzoic acid (4-MBA) as the probe molecule, the SERS detection limit was 10−8 M and had shown a good linear relationship in the range of 10−8–10−3 M. Simultaneously, the film had good uniformity, repeatability, and stability. When Ti3C2Tx/Ag NPs films were used as nanocarriers, the anticancer drug doxorubicin (DOX) was loaded onto the surface through 4-MBA, and the tracking and monitoring were realized by SERS. The addition of glutathione (GSH) triggered the thiol exchange reaction, resulting in the shedding of 4-MBA from the surface of the film, which indirectly achieved the efficient release of DOX. Furthermore, the loading of DOX and the drug release effect triggered by GSH maintained a certain stability in serum, which provided a potential possibility for the subsequent loading and release of drugs by films with three-dimensional structures as scaffolds in biological therapy. Self-assembled MXene/Ag NPs film nanocarriers for SERS-traceable drug delivery and GSH-triggered high-efficiency drug release [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to identify associations between PAX9 mutations and clinical features of non-syndromic tooth agenesis patients. Materials and methods: Non-syndromic tooth agenesis patients were found to have mutations by whole exome sequencing (WES). Additionally, conservation analysis and three-dimensional structure prediction were also applied to identify mutated proteins. Results: Eight non-syndromic tooth agenesis probands were identified with PAX9 mutations (c.C112T; C.131_134del; c.G151A; c.189delG; c.305delT; c.C365A; c.394delG; c.A679C). All of the probands were missing more than six teeth (oligodontia). The mutations (c.131_134del,p.R44fs; c.189delG,p.T63fs; c.305delT,p.I102fs and c.394delG,p.G123fs) caused premature termination of the PAX9 protein. The c.C112T(p.R38X) mutation created a truncated protein. Bioinformatic prediction demonstrated that the three missense mutations change the PAX9 structure suggesting the corresponding functional impairments. Conclusions: We reported that eight mutations of PAX9 caused non-syndromic tooth agenesis and analyzed the relationship between PAX9 mutations and non-syndromic tooth agenesis. Clinical relevance: Our study revealed that PAX9 mutations might be the mutations most associated with non-syndromic tooth agenesis in humans, which greatly broadened the mutation spectrum of PAX9-related non-syndromic tooth agenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The homeostasis and imbalance of glutathione (GSH), an important antioxidant in organisms, are one of the key signals that reflect the health of organisms. In this paper, a novel SERS sensing platform based on Ag film@Si that self-assembled using silver nanospheres was proposed, which was used for the highly sensitive and selective detection of GSH. With the aid of an oil/water/oil three-phase system, the nano-silver film was self-assembled and finally deposited on silicon wafers. The heterobifunctional crosslinking agent N-succinimidyl-3-(2-pyridyldithio)propionate (SPDP), which contains pyridine rings and disulfide bonds, was involved in the exchange reaction between the sulfhydryl groups and disulfide bonds. With the addition of GSH, the breakage of disulfide bonds was promoted, thereby enhancing the SERS signal of SPDP. GSH can be detected sensitively by detecting the changes in the SPDP signal. The detection limit of GSH is 10 nM, and the method is still highly stable when the external environment is serum or other more complex environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Conversion of biomass and waste oils to alkanes for the production of aviation fuel is attracting increasing research interests since it can provide sustainable energies from renewable resources to substitute the fossil fuels. In this process, the deoxygenation of fatty acids to alkanes is the key reaction. However, previous methods of fatty acids deoxygenation require gaseous hydrogen, noble metal catalyst and/or organic solvent, which are adverse to the sustainable development. In this work, a novel and simple method of deoxygenation of fatty acids to alkanes is proposed by using a commercial nickel (Ni) powder as the catalyst without any pre-treatment and water as both environmental-friendly solvent and sustainable hydrogen source. The hydrogen in situ generated from water exhibited a much higher activity than gaseous hydrogen for the deoxygenation of fatty acids, and an alkane yield of 90% was successfully achieved. The Ni catalyst is stable and still maintains high activity after recycles. This proposed process is simple, economical, sustainable and environmental-friendly, thus is promising for the practical application. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • A highly-efficient way to deoxygenation of fatty acids with hydrogen from water. • Requires neither noble metal catalysts nor gaseous hydrogen. • Water acts as both reaction medium and hydrogen source for fatty acids deoxygenation. • Non-precious Ni catalyst shows excellent activity and stability. • In situ formed H 2 exhibits high activity for the fatty acids deoxygenation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite recent advances in chemotherapy and surgical resection, the 5-year survival rate of esophageal cancer still remains at the low level. Therefore, it is very important to discover a new agent to improve the life expectancy of patients with esophageal cancer. Dihydroartemisinin (DHA), a semisynthetic derivative of artemisinin, has recently exhibited promising anticancer activity against various cancer cells. But so far, the specific mechanism remains unclear. We have previously demonstrated that DHA reduced viability of esophageal cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner in vitro and induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Here, we extended our study to further observe the efficacy of DHA on esophageal cancer cells in vivo. In the present study, for the first time, we found that DHA significantly inhibits cell proliferation in xenografted tumor compared with the control. The mechanism was that DHA induced cell apoptosis in both human esophageal cancer cell lines Eca109 and Ec9706 in vivo in a dose-dependent manner. The results suggested that DHA was a promising agent against esophageal cancer in the clinical treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we give an overview of recent advances in the production of formic acid, as a hydrogen carrier, from CO 2 and water by using the earth-abundant metal of Fe as the reductant under hydrothermal conditions, which mainly includes: 1) hydrogen production from water with Fe; 2) reduction of HCO 3 – to formic acid in the presence and absence of catalysts; 3) proposed reaction mechanisms. The novel options under this study are mainly the use of water as a hydrogen source with metal Fe as a reductant, and the formed Fe x O y as an auto-catalyst. Such a process possesses several benefits: (i) water acts not only as a hydrogen source but also as an environmentally benign solvent; (ii) there are no hydrogen requirements, including pumps or storage, because hydrogen is derived from water and reacts with CO 2 in situ ; (iii) no exotic catalysts or harsh reagents are used; and (iv) the method is simple and highly efficient. This technology can provide a one-step, sustainable and highly efficient way to reduce CO 2 into formic acid using the hydrogen directly from water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The study aimed to explore the influence of Chinese culture and customs on the beliefs and health‐related behaviours of Chinese women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Methods: This descriptive qualitative study conducted semi‐structured interviews with 15 Chinese women between November 2022 and January 2023. The interview data were analysed using thematic analysis. Results: Three major themes are found: (1) beliefs in health, (2) beliefs in illness and GDM and (3) beliefs in health‐related behaviours. They worried about the negative effects of GDM on the infant and family, so they actively sought medical advice to maintain health. However, it is challenging for them to balance adhering to healthcare professionals' advice and avoiding practical difficulties in the impact of the Chinese sociocultural context. Conclusion: This study emphasizes the influence of Chinese culture and customs on the beliefs and health‐related behaviours of women with GDM. Healthcare providers should recognize the influence of Chinese culture, customs and beliefs on women with GDM and their families, in order to provide individualized education to help them maintain health‐related behaviours. Summary statement: What is already known about this topic? The prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is increasing in China and affects 14.8% of pregnant women.Some personal beliefs about illness and health can lead to inadequate self‐care behaviours and thus failure to achieve optimal self‐management and health goals.Factors of Chinese sociocultural content and Chinese traditional culture and customs may have different influences on Chinese married women's beliefs in health, illness and health‐related behaviours. What this paper adds? Influenced by Chinese culture and customs, Chinese women's perspectives on gestational diabetes are bidirectional. They fear the negative effects of the disease on infants' and families' health and actively seek help, while some try to balance following professional advice and practical difficulties, such as diet control and self‐glucose monitoring.The low‐risk self‐management awareness, lack of adequate healthcare knowledge, and self‐care practice in Chinese women with GDM are one of the factors that lead to practical difficulties in GDM management.Understanding the impact of traditional Chinese culture and customs on the beliefs and health‐related behaviours of women with GDM, well‐trained healthcare professionals can disseminate personalized health education to individuals, families and communities to improve GDM management in these women. The implications of this paper: Health providers need to constantly update the GDM guidelines with Chinese cultural characteristics based on the cultural acceptance and customs of Chinese women with GDM in order to offer them individualized care and scientific advice.The findings of this study could act as a clinical resource for health professionals to investigate the impact of differences in culture and customs across countries or regions on individual beliefs and health‐related behaviours in different populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A dual-mode SPRi/SERS biosensor adopts a sandwich strategy based on the ployA-DNA capture probe/target miRNAs/AuNPs to achieve multiple throughput and high sensitivity for three typical cervical cancer markers miRNA21, miRNA124 and miRNA143 detection. [Display omitted] • SPRi/SERS dual-mode biosensor was developed on the same gold chip. • A sandwich structure was built to improve the sensitivity of SPRi and SERS signals. • High sensitivity and multi-throughput detection of three typical cervical cancer markers were achieved. • The dual-signal output method provides more accurate target detection and reduces false positives. MicroRNA (miRNA) has broad application prospects in the early detection of various cancers. In this work, a SPRi/SERS dual-mode biosensor was developed on the same gold chip by AuNPs as the reinforcing medium. High throughput and sensitivity detection of three typical cervical cancer markers miRNA21, miRNA124 and miRNA143 were achieved based on the sandwich structure of polyA blocks-DNA capture probe/target miRNA/AuNPs-assistant probe or SERS nanoprobes. AuNPs greatly improved the SPR response due to mass increase and more sensitive refractive index changes. Meanwhile, due to the LSPR effect of AuNPs, the signal of SERS nanoprobe can be amplified. The miRNAs were detected in serum to verify its practicality. SPRi achieved detection of three miRNAs simultaneously. LODs were 6.3 fM, 5.3 fM and 4.6 fM, respectively, and wide dynamic response range of 500 pM-10 nM. While SERS assay ensured high sensitivity with LODs as low as 1 fM, 0.8 fM and 1.2 fM, respectively, and with the recoveries in the range of 90.0 %-100.2 %. The redundant detection signals of the two modes can provide more reliable data to prevent false positive or false negative detection, and have great application prospects in detection of cancer-related nucleic acids in early stage of disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, an ultra-sensitive, AuNPs beacons-enhanced plasma sensor for detecting three isoforms of PML/RARA fusion gene was developed. The detection and classification of three subtypes of PML/RARA genomic fragments is of significance for the prediction, risk stratification and precise drug administration in acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). Over here, SPRi sensor applied freezing method to immobilize the probe, thus the time required for probe immobilization to be reduced from the commonly used 24 h incubation to 2 h, which greatly improves the detection efficiency. The nanoparticle-enhanced sandwich structure selected for signal amplification was constructed by a one-step method, and the nanoparticle plasma approach combining coupling and mass effects holds greater potential for signal amplification. In this system, the AuNPs beacons-enhanced SPRi established by reducing the distance between the AuNPs and the bare gold chip to improve the "coupling" effect has proved to be two orders of magnitude higher in the detection limit compared with the conventional method. The enhanced SPRi sensor is used to detect PML/RARA L isoforms, the detection limit is down to 15.57 fM with a wide linear range from 40fM to 100 pM. Furthermore, it has been proved that three isoforms of APL related fusion genes can be quantified in the high-throughput SPRi sensor while showing satisfactory specificity. Herein, the detection sensor in this paper presents a simple, time-saving, high-sensitive and high-throughput approach for the detection of fusion genes, and presents a rapid paradigm that can be easily generalized for APL diagnosis. An ultra-sensitive, AuNPs beacons-enhanced surface plasmon resonance imaging sensor for rapid and high-throughput detection of three isoforms of PML/RARA fusion gene related to acute promyelocytic leukemia was developed [Display omitted] • A rapid, high-throughput SPRi-based strategy was proposed for detection of fusion gene isoforms. • Two-hour freezing method was used to fix probes. • For ultra-sensitive detection of PML/RARA, sandwich structures were constructed using DNA-AuNPs by a one-step method. • By combining of "mass" and "coupling" effects about AuNPs, the detection low limit is reduced to 15.57 fM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]