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Conjugated ladder polymers (cLPs) are polymers consisting of continuous fused aromatic rings with π conjugation along their backbone. This unique structure imparts cLPs with exceptional thermal, mechanical, and electrochemical stability, as well as notable optical and electrical properties due to their rigid, planar structures. Since the seminal work on the synthesis of high-molecular-weight, solution-processable poly(benzimidazobenzophenanthrolinedione) in 1969 by F. E. Arnold and R. L. Van Deusen, many cLPs have been developed for a variety of applications. This review focuses on both the synthesis and applications of cLPs for energy harvesting and storage devices, organic optoelectronics, and organic transistors. The former includes several facile synthetic methods, postsynthetic treatments, various characterization, and postprocessing of cLPs, focusing on film fabrication. The latter focuses on numerous applications, including organic thermoelectrics for energy harvesting, battery electrodes and organic supercapacitors for energy storage, and organic optoelectronics, including organic light-emitting diodes, organic photovoltaics, organic electrochromics, and organic photodetectors. It also covers organic transistors like organic field-effect transistors and organic electrochemical transistors. The review concludes with potential challenges and outlooks on cLPs in many organic electronics areas, offering a comprehensive perspective on their future development and potential.

Xylanase is one of the hydrolytic enzymes with a broad industrial application in several industries. Bioethanol can be synthesised from lignocellulosic biomass by using xylanase and other hydrolytic enzymes. A filamentous fungus, which is Aspergillus niger produces xylanase under submerged fermentation when oil palm empty fruit brunches were used as carbon sources. This study aimed to optimize the operating conditions (medium pH and incubation temperature) of xylanase production process using the OFAT analysis technique. From the data obtained, the highest xylanase production was 0.508 U/mL at pH 5.0 and 0.524 U/mL at an incubation temperature of 32°C, respectively. S. cerevisiae yeast was added into the fermentation supernatant for bioethanol fermentation. The concentration of bioethanol produced by xylanase enzyme from A. niger at optimum operating condition was 15.54±0.47 g/L. This study proved that A. niger is one of the filamentous fungi which show the potential of hydrolysing lignocellulosic material to carbon sources and subsequently to bioethanol production.

Post harvest loss is one of the factors causing the reduction in the amount of food available for the future. This research is to study the change of the weight, visual, sensory and total soluble solid of the butterhead lettuce with IoT storage chamber with different treatments (i.e T1, T2, and T3). At the final day of storage period, there are no significant differences on weight loss between T2 and T3, and between T1 and T2. The visual quality of the butterhead lettuce significantly decreased during the storage period. The overall acceptability and sweetness of T1 are the highest; T3 has the better aroma and texture; the appearance was not significantly different among all the treatments. For the total soluble solid, the content for all treatments were significantly increased when the storage period progressed. T1 is the most recommended treatment as it had extended one week of storage period and able to retain better sweet taste and appearance compared to the other treatments.

Background: Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) gain-of-function (GOF) disease presents with lymphoproliferation, autoimmunity, and failure to thrive. Although Janus kinase inhibitors have alleviated symptoms, their effects on disease pathogenesis remain unclear., Objective: We prospectively investigated the clinical, immunologic, and transcriptomic responses of 4 patients with STAT3 GOF under long-term ruxolitinib treatment., Methods: We conducted clinical and immunologic evaluations at baseline and after ruxolitinib treatment at 3, 8, 12, and more than 12 months. Our assessments included measurement of levels of circulating T follicular helper cells, regulatory T cells, and cytokines, as well as proliferation assays. Furthermore, we investigated the transcriptomic changes with treatment and conducted T-cell receptor sequencing., Results: Ruxolitinib achieved substantial control over the clinical manifestations. Posttreatment evaluations demonstrated a notable increase in naive CD4 + and CD8 + T-cell populations, alongside a significant reduction in effector memory T-cell levels. Additionally, there was a decrease in levels of circulating T follicular helper cells and double-negative T cells. Regulatory T-cell percentages and their canonical markers, which were already reduced before treatment, declined further with ruxolitinib. The treatment did not alter the production of IL-4, IL-17A, IL-10, and IFN-γ cytokines by the CD4 +  T cells. Importantly, ruxolitinib effectively normalized the previously dysregulated transcriptome profile in PBMCs, bringing it closer to that of healthy controls. This normalization was most striking in the downregulation of STAT3-targeted genes, interferon-related genes, myeloid cell activation, and cytotoxic effector CD8 + T-cell genes, with effects persisting for up to 12 months. Self-reactive T-cell indices based on T-cell receptor repertoire analysis revealed potential autoreactive cell clones in the patient samples., Conclusion: Ruxolitinib reversed cellular and transcriptomic signatures, enhancing our understanding of the disease's pathophysiology and highlighting essential immunologic markers for precise monitoring., Competing Interests: Disclosure statement Supported by the Marmara University Scientific Research Project Coordination Unit (grant ADT-2022-10661 [to S.B.]) and the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (grant 121S667 [to B.E.]). Disclosure of potential conflict of interest: The authors declare that they have no relevant conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)