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Self-healing polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) has garnered significant attention due to its potential applications across various fields. In this study, a functionalized modification of PDMS containing di-aminos was initially conducted using 2,6-pyridinedicarbonyl chloride to synthesize pyridine-PDMS (Py-PDMS). Subsequently, rare earth metal europium ions (Eu3+) were incorporated into Py-PDMS. Due to the coordination interaction between Eu3+ and organic ligands, a coordination cross-linking network was created within the Py-PDMS matrix, resulting in the fabrication of Eu3+-Py-PDMS elastomer. At a molar ratio of Eu3+ to ligands of 1:1, the tensile strength of Eu3+-Py-PDMS reached 1.4 MPa, with a fracture elongation of 824%. Due to the dynamic reversibility of coordination bonds, Eu3+-Py-PDMS with a metal-to-ligand molar ratio of 1:2 exhibited varying self-healing efficiencies at different temperatures. Notably, after 4 h of repair at 60 °C, its self-healing efficiency reached nearly 100%. Furthermore, the gas barrier properties of Eu3+-Py-PDMS with a molar ratio of 1:1 was improved compared with that of Eu3+-Py-PDMS with a molar ratio of 1:1. This study provides an effective strategy for the design and fabrication of PDMS with high mechanical strength, high gas barrier properties, and exceptional self-healing efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The feasibility of UV-C treatment was studied for extending the shelf-life of oyster mushrooms. Oyster mushrooms were treated with 4.0 kJ/m 2 ultraviolet-C (UV-C) radiation before packaging with LDPE pouches, stored at 4 °C for 15 days. During storage, color, tissue electrolyte leakage, soluble solid content, soluble protein, methane dicarboxylic aldehyde (MDA), phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL), catalase (CAT), total viable counts, lactobacillus, yeast & mold counts and overall quality of oyster mushrooms were measured. Oyster mushrooms treated with UV-C resulted in slower changes in color, soluble solid content, soluble protein, exhibited higher CAT,PAL activities and overall quality, lower tissue electrolyte leakage and MDA content compared to untreated oyster mushrooms. Besides, oyster mushrooms treated with UV-C also show a high potential ability for surface decontamination of oyster mushrooms. Results show that UV-C treatment could be useful to extend the shelf life of oyster mushrooms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a candidate for susceptibility locus of Panic disorder (PD). However, the findings about the role of the BDNF Val66Met variant in PD were not consistent. Till now, the relationship between BDNF Val66Met polymorphism and anxiety-related traits in PD patients has been rarely explored. This study aimed to explore the relationship among BDNF Val66Met polymorphism, plasma BDNF level and anxiety-related trait in Chinese PD patients., Method: This multi-center study included 116 PD patients and 99 health controls. We detected single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of BDNF rs6265 (Val66Met) and BDNF plasma level in the two groups. In addition, PD patients were administered the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Panic Disorder Severity Scale-Chinese Version (PDSS-CV) and Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAMA-14). Quantitative comparison of the differences of BDNF concentration among subjects with different genotypes and association between BDNF Val66Met genotype and trait anxiety were performed., Results: There were no significant differences in the genotype frequency ( p = 0.79) or allele frequency ( p = 0.88) between PD patients and health controls. BDNF plasma levels of PD patients were significantly lower than those in control group ( p = 0.003). BDNF plasma levels of the Met/Met genotype were significantly lower than those of Val/Met genotype in PD patients ( p = 0.033). PD patients carried Met/Met genotype showed significantly higher scores in STAI trait compared to those carried Val/Val genotype ( p = 0.045) and Val/Met genotype ( p = 0.018). STAI trait scores of PD patients with agoraphobia were significantly higher than those of patients without agoraphobia ( p < 0.05). The ANCOVA showed that the dependent variable STAI trait score was significantly affected by factor "genotype" (Val/Val, Val/Met, Met/Met, p = 0.029), and covariate "agoraphobia" ( p = 0.008). In this model, 11.5% of the variance of the STAI trait score was explained by the BDNF genotype. Contrast analysis showed STAI trait scores of Met/Met subjects were significantly higher than those of Val/Met ( p = 0.018) and Val/Val individuals ( p = 0.045)., Conclusion: We found that anxiety trait was associated with the BDNF polymorphism in PD patients. BDNF Met/Met genotype may decrease plasma BDNF level and increase trait anxiety in panic disorder., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Chu, Sun, Jia, Li, Gao, Zhang and Li.)