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To improve the signal-to-noise ratio of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy, an enhancement combining planar mirror constraint and temperature control is reported. Theoretical analysis of planar mirror constraint and temperature control reveals that the interaction of the two mechanisms further enhances the spectral response. The spectral intensities and signal-to-noise ratios of samples with and without the enhancements were compared. The results showed that the enhancement factors for Cd, Fe, Al, and Pb were 2.50, 2.78, 2.66, and 2.47, respectively. The corresponding signal-to-noise ratio enhancement factors were 1.83, 2.11, 1.98, and 1.91. The coefficients of determination R2 for Cd and Pb were 0.912 and 0.962 without enhancement but were 0.969 and 0.990 with the dual mechanism. The limits of detection for Cd and Pb were 74.6 mg/kg and 62.3 mg/kg without enhancement but were 58.4 mg/kg and 46.7 mg/kg with the dual mechanism. This study shows that the enhancement with planar mirror constraint and temperature control improved the signal-to-noise ratio and accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To analyze the efficacy and safety of radiofrequency ablation (RFA), microwave ablation (MWA) and laser ablation (LA) in T1N0M0 papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) patients by evaluating data on several outcomes on a large scale. Literature searches were conducted in PUBMED, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library for studies of thermal ablation (TA) for treating T1N0M0 PTC. Data on the volume reduction rate (VRR) at the 12-month follow-up and final follow-up, complete disappearance rate, local recurrence rate, lymph node metastasis rate, and complication rate of RFA, MWA and LA were evaluated separately. RFA effects were compared between T1aN0M0 and T1bN0M0 patients. A total of 36 eligible studies were included. RFA presented superior efficacy than MWA in 12-month VRR. At the final follow-up, the difference was slight in subgroups, showing a significant reduction. The complete disappearance rate of LA (93.00%) was higher than that of RFA (81.00%) and MWA (71.00%). Additionally, the local recurrence rate pooled proportions of MWA and RFA were both 2.00%, lower than that of the LA group (3.00%). There was no event of distant metastasis. The lymph node metastasis rates were similar, as RFA (1.00%) had the lowest. For minor complication rates, the pooled proportions of RFA (3.00%) were smaller than those of LA (6.00%) and MWA (13.00%). T1aN0M0 lesions presented with better outcomes than T1bN0M0 lesions. RFA, MWA and LA were reliable in curing PTC, and RFA presented advantages in most outcomes. T1aN0M0 patients may experience fewer side effects than T1bN0M0 patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fungi have been identified as a prolific source of structurally unique secondary metabolites, many of which display promising biological and pharmacological properties. This review provides an overview of the structures of new natural products derived from fungi and their biological activities along with the research strategies, which focuses on literature published in the representative journals in 2023. In this review, a total of 553 natural products including 219 polyketides, 145 terpenoids, 35 steroids, 106 alkaloids, and 48 peptides are presented. By summarising the latest findings, this review aims to provide a guide and inspire further innovation in the fields of the discovery of fungal natural products and pharmaceutical development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monitoring terrestrial water storage anomalies (TWSA) is essential for better understanding the influences of climatic variability on hydrological cycles. Here we use Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE)/GRACE Follow-on satellite data and meteorological observations to analyse the inter-annual trends of TWSA across the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) during 2003–2020 and investigate the relationships between climatic variability and annual changes in TWSA. Results indicate that TWSA across the QTP generally decreased, at a rate of −0.5 ± 1.4 mm/year during 2003–2020, which mainly arises from the coupled effects of Potential evapotranspiration (PET) and precipitation. In terms of the effects of climatic variability, annual changes in TWSA show a negative correlation coefficient (r = −0.76) with PET, which is greater than that with precipitation (r = 0.67). The cross-wavelet transformation analysis revealed that the evolution of TWSA across the QTP is closely associated with the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation. Our conclusions can help decision makers to formulate appropriate policies for the assessment and management of water resources over the QTP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of new carbohydrate-based sulphonamide derivatives were designed, synthesised by employing the so-call 'sugar-tail' approach. The compounds were evaluated in vitro against a panel of CAs. Compared to their parent compound p-sulfamoylbenzoic acid, these compounds showed nearly 100-fold improvement in their binding affinities against hCA II in vitro. All of compounds showed great water solubility and the pH value of their water solutions of compounds is 7.0. Such properties are advantageous to make them much less irritating to the eye when applied topical glaucomatous drugs, compared to the relatively highly acidic dorzolamide preparations (pH 5.5). Notably, compounds 7d, 7 g, 7 h demonstrated to topically lower intraocular pressure (IOP) in glaucomatous animals better than brinzolamide when applied as a 1% solution directly into the eye. Low cytotoxicity on human cornea epithelial cell was observed in the tested concentrations by the MTT assay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arsenic trioxide (ATO) exhibits substantial clinical efficacy in the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). Here, we investigated whether ATO exerts its efficacy by affecting regulatory T (Treg) cells. We determined whether ATO treatment influenced the amount and function of purified Treg cells. We also examined the effect of ATO treatment on Treg cells from APL patients. ATO treatment induced apoptosis in purified Treg cells and dampened the inhibition of effector T (Teff) cells proliferation and the secretion of cytokine by Treg cells. Treg cell levels in the peripheral blood and serum IL-10 levels were dramatically decreased in APL patients after single ATO treatment. In summary, our results show that ATO decreases the amount and inhibits the function of Treg cells, thereby enhancing Teff cell function and overall anti-tumor immunity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]