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Taxanes, such as docetaxel (DTX), are pivotal in cancer therapy, showcasing remarkable efficacy against various cancers, like breast, lung, and ovarian malignancies. However, DTX's efficacy is hindered by poor target specificity and significant adverse effects. Formulations containing DTX often include polysorbate 80 and ethanol, exacerbating reactions like hypersensitivity and neurological disorders. Nanotechnology offers a promising avenue to address these challenges, aiming to enhance DTX's targeted delivery and solubility. Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN), notably biodegradable periodic organosilane (BPMO), have emerged as promising carriers due to their stability, biocompatibility, and drug-loading capacity. BPMO's intracellular biodegradability reduces the risk of toxic accumulation. Compared to conventional MSN, BPMO particles exhibit superior characteristics, including size, surface area, and DTX loading ability. Moreover, cell line studies suggest BPMO's potential to mitigate DTX-associated adverse effects. These findings highlight BPMO nanoparticles' potential in improving DTX delivery, solubility, and reducing adverse effects, underscoring their significance in cancer therapy.

Abstract Weather causes extremes in photovoltaic and wind power production. Here we present a comprehensive climatology of anomalies in photovoltaic and wind power production associated with weather patterns in Europe considering the 2019 and potential 2050 installations, and hourly to ten-day events. To that end, we performed kilometer-scale numerical simulations of hourly power production for 23 years and paired the output with a weather classification which allows a detailed assessment of weather-driven spatio-temporal production anomalies. Our results highlight the dependency of low-power production events on the installed capacities and the event duration. South-shifted Westerlies (Anticyclonic South-Easterlies) are associated with the lowest hourly (ten-day) extremes for the 2050 (both) installations. Regional power production anomalies can differ from the ones in the European mean. Our findings suggest that weather patterns can serve as indicators for expected photovoltaic and wind power production anomalies and may be useful for early warnings in the energy sector.

Zr-based metal-organic frameworks (Zr-MOFs) are emerging as potential adsorbents for removing nitrogen contaminants in fuel and wastewater. Functionalized Zr-MOFs exhibited superior indole (IND) adsorption capacity than the original MOF, but the activity of the multiple adsorption sites has not been discussed. Through experiment measurement and Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations, this research investigated the IND adsorption mechanism at various sites on Zr-BDC-NH2 and Zr-BDC-NO2. Based on the adsorption isotherm, the adhesion of IND with Zr-MOFs was determined via the Freundlich model. DFT results suggest that the IND adsorption occurred at highly active sites such as O-linker, μ3-O-cluster, N-amine, and O-nitro via hydrogen and π-hydrogen bonds. Furthermore, the binding energy at each adsorption site in Zr-BDC-NH2 is higher than in Zr-BDC-NO2. In addition to the hydrogen acceptor bond, the π-hydrogen bond has also been analyzed through the electron density difference.

Abstract The EU Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) has produced an operational climate service, called C3S Energy, designed to enable the energy industry and policymakers to assess the impacts of climate variability and climate change on the energy sector in Europe. The C3S Energy service covers different time horizons, for the past 40 years and the future. It provides time series of electricity demand and supply from wind, solar photovoltaic and hydropower, and can be used for recent trends analysis, seasonal outlooks or the assessment of climate change impacts on energy mixes in the long term. This article introduces this service and the resulting dataset, with a focus on the design and validation of the energy conversion models, based on ENTSO‐E energy data and the ERA5 climate reanalysis. Flexibility and coherence across all countries have been preferred upon models' accuracy. However, the comparison with ENTSO‐E data shows that the models provide plausible energy indicators and, in particular, allow comparing climate variability effects on power demand and generation in a harmonized manner all over Europe.

In the age of big data, a memory with cross-bar array architecture is urgently required to facilitate high-density data storage. To eliminate the sneak path current of integrated circuits, threshold switching-based selectors have been utilized simultaneously with resistive switching memories. In this study, the successful absorption of uric acid (UA) into a UiO-66 matrix was realized at room temperature without any disruption of the host crystalline structure. Fourier transform infrared and Raman spectra revealed the presence of UA based on the interaction of its carbonyl group with the UiO-66 matrix, whereas the diffraction peaks in the X-ray diffraction spectra of the (111) and (200) index planes were slightly shifted to the lower 2θ values, demonstrating the interaction of the UA on the system is occupy porous cages and free volume structures. The occupation of UA in the porous volume of the framework has been estimated by the significant vanishing of surface area from 1299 to 950 cm3 g−1 as well as the almost dismission of UiO-66 porous cages of 12.5 Å by BET analysis. The electronic transitions from linkers to metals and intramolecular between nearest linkers of UA absorbed UiO-66 were heavily reduced via the evidence from photoluminescence spectroscopy. These changes in structural and electronic density lead to the change in the electrical conduction mechanism, operating voltage, and resistive switching characteristics from memory switching to threshold switching corresponding to Ag/UiO-66–PVA/Ag and Ag/UA@UiO-66–PVA/Ag device, respectively. The reduction and vanish of porous cages and free volume restrict the formation management of silver conducting filaments through the UA@UiO-66–PVA matrix. This study provides a new approach to controlling the conversion switching behavior between memory and threshold in metal–organic framework materials for high-density cross-bar architecture.

Nanoscale metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have appeared as potential materials in biomedical and sensing applications. In this work, a nano Zn-BDC-NH2 encoded MOF was effectively synthesized using the co-surfactants strategy and characterized for the curcumin adsorption. The analysis of the synthesized MOF by using characterization techniques, including XRD, SEM, N2 isotherm sorption, TGA, and FT-IR revealed that the nanomaterial exhibited similar structure structural and other physical properties to the original framework, but its particle size was very small of about 50 nm. As a result of the curcumin (CUR) adsorption investigation, the nanomaterial showed a high adsorption capacity on Zn-BDC-NH2 up to 179.36 mg·g−1 and faster adsorption in comparison with reported adsorbents. The results suggest that the nano Zn-BDC-NH2 MOF can be considered as a promising material for bio-applications.

This paper shows both experimental and in-depth theoretical studies (including simulations and analytical solutions) on a microfluidic platform to optimize its design and use for 3D multicellular co-culture applications, e.g., creating a tissue-on-chip model for investigating diseases such as pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). A tissue microfluidic chip usually has more than two channels to seed cells and supply media. These channels are often separated by barriers made of micro-posts. The optimization for the structures of these micro-posts and their spacing distances is not considered previously, especially for the aspects of rapid and cost-efficient fabrication toward scaling up and commercialization. Our experimental and theoretical (COMSOL simulations and analytical solutions) results showed the followings: (i) The cell seeding was performed successfully for this platform when the pressure drops across the two posts were significantly larger than those across the channel width. The circular posts can be used in the position of hexagonal or other shapes. (ii) In this work, circular posts are fabricated and used for the first time. They offer an excellent barrier effect, i.e., prevent the liquid and gel from migrating from one channel to another. (iii) As for rapid and cost-efficient production, our computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) simulation confirms that circular-post fabrication is much easier and more rapid than hexagonal posts when utilizing micro-machining techniques, e.g., micro-milling for creating the master mold, i.e., the shim for polymer injection molding. The findings open up a possibility for rapid, cost-efficient, large-scale fabrication of the tissue chips using micro-milling instead of expensive clean-room (soft) lithography techniques, hence enhancing the production of biochips via thermoplastic polymer injection molding and realizing commercialization.

Abstract The purpose of this research was to identify if Sirt3 plays a role in marrow adipogenesis and adipokines secretion, especially adiponectin using bone marrow‐derived stroma (ST2) cell model. Sirt3 overexpression leads to a significant increase in adipogenesis compared to controls. The induction of adipogenesis by Sirt3 is associated with increased gene expression of adipocyte markers as well as adiponectin/adipokines. In sharp contrast, the inhibition of Sirt3 exhibited significantly decreased adipogenesis, adipocyte markers, and adiponectin/adipokines compared to the controls. Interestingly, perilipin 1 (Plin 1) expression was decreased in Sirt3 induction but increased in Sirt3 inhibition. One hundred and fifteen mitochondrial acetylated peptides from 67 mitochondrial proteins had lower levels of acetylation in adipocytes induced by Sirt3 overexpression (Sirt3OE) compared to the control. Of the 67 proteins less enriched in acetylation, 22 acetylated proteins were decreased by more than twofold. These proteins are considered potential Sirt3 substrates in adipogenesis. In conclusion, Sirt3 has a novel, important role in modulating adipogenesis and adiponectin/adipokine expression. The connection axis among Sirt3‐adipogenesis‐adipokines was linked to its substrates by mass spectrometry analysis. These findings contribute to the efforts of revealing Sirt3 functions and Sirt3 usage as a potential target for treatment of metabolic homeostasis and diseases including type 2 diabetes.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a disease that progress over time and is defined as an increase in pulmonary arterial pressure and pulmonary vascular resistance that frequently leads to right-ventricular (RV) failure and death. Epigenetic modifications comprising DNA methylation, histone remodeling, and noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) have been established to govern chromatin structure and transcriptional responses in various cell types during disease development. However, dysregulation of these epigenetic mechanisms has not yet been explored in detail in the pathology of pulmonary arterial hypertension and its progression with vascular remodeling and right-heart failure (RHF). Targeting epigenetic regulators including histone methylation, acetylation, or miRNAs offers many possible candidates for drug discovery and will no doubt be a tempting area to explore for PAH therapies. This review focuses on studies in epigenetic mechanisms including the writers, the readers, and the erasers of epigenetic marks and targeting epigenetic regulators or modifiers for treatment of PAH and its complications described as RHF. Data analyses from experimental cell models and animal induced PAH models have demonstrated that significant changes in the expression levels of multiple epigenetics modifiers such as HDMs, HDACs, sirtuins (Sirt1 and Sirt3), and BRD4 correlate strongly with proliferation, apoptosis, inflammation, and fibrosis linked to the pathological vascular remodeling during PAH development. The reversible characteristics of protein methylation and acetylation can be applied for exploring small-molecule modulators such as valproic acid (HDAC inhibitor) or resveratrol (Sirt1 activator) in different preclinical models for treatment of diseases including PAH and RHF. This review also presents to the readers the application of microfluidic devices to study sex differences in PAH pathophysiology, as well as for epigenetic analysis.

Here we describe a method for the isolation of PCR-ready genomic DNA from various zebrafish tissues that is based on a previously published murine protocol. The DNA solutions are of sufficient quality to allow PCR detection of transgenes from all commonly used zebrafish tissues. In sperm, transgene amplification was successful even when diluted 1000-fold, allowing easy identification of transgenic founders. Given its speed and low cost, we anticipate that the adoption of this method will streamline DNA isolation for zebrafish research.

Epidemiological studies show that high circulating levels of adiponectin are associated with low bone mineral density. The effect of adiponectin on skeletal homeostasis, on osteoblasts in particular, remains controversial. We investigated this issue using mice with adipocyte-specific over-expression of adiponectin (AdTg). MicroCT and histomorphometric analysis revealed decreases (15%) in fractional bone volume in AdTg mice at the proximal tibia with no changes at the distal femur. Cortical bone thickness at mid-shafts of the tibia and at the tibiofibular junction was reduced (3-4%) in AdTg mice. Dynamic histomorphometry at the proximal tibia in AdTg mice revealed inhibition of bone formation. AdTg mice had increased numbers of adipocytes in close proximity to trabecular bone in the tibia, associated with increased adiponectin levels in tibial marrow. Treatment of BMSCs with adiponectin after initiation of osteoblastic differentiation resulted in reduced mineralized colony formation and reduced expression of mRNA of osteoblastic genes, osterix (70%), Runx2 (52%), alkaline phosphatase (72%), Col1 (74%), and osteocalcin (81%). Adiponectin treatment of differentiating osteoblasts increased expression of the osteoblast genes PPARγ (32%) and C/ebpα (55%) and increased adipocyte colony formation. These data suggest a model in which locally produced adiponectin plays a negative role in regulating skeletal homeostasis through inhibition of bone formation and by promoting an adipogenic phenotype.

This study investigated CuO and ZnO nanoparticles and CuO/ZnO nanocomposites in a friendly environment with a low-cost and renewable biosynthesis method. This approach involved using Boehmeria nivea leaf extract to facilitate the growth and formation of nanocomposites with performance-enhancing phytochemicals released during the co-precipitation process. All nanoparticles/nanocomposites explored the microstructure, morphology, and point defects using FTIR, XRD, SEM, and PL characterization techniques. The synthesized CuO and ZnO nanoparticles and CuO/ZnO nanocomposites were evaluated for their antibacterial ability against both bacteria Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). Combining different copper and zinc salt ratios creates different arrangements and morphologies between the CuO sheets and the spherical ZnO nanoparticles. The heterojunction of CuO/ZnO samples enhances the antibacterial effects of nanocomposites compared to pure CuO and ZnO nanoparticles. The maximum antibacterial performance was achieved at 250 ppm against E. coli and 500 ppm against S. aureus in CuO50/ZnO50 nanocomposites. This study shows that a green synthesis of CuO/ZnO nanocomposites promises great potential for environmental treatment and biochemical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intensity modulation/direct detection (IM/DD) remains to be the preferred optical transmission scheme for short-range applications for its simplicity of application, inexpensiveness, and small footprint. However, the impairments of low-cost device and fiber chromatic dispersion lead to the limitation of system performance when the data rate rises to 100 Gbps or higher. In this paper, we demonstrated that an equalizer using neural networks can effectively improve the transmission performance of high-speed IM/DD systems. An optimization of a long short-term memory (LSTM) structure in terms of network depth and distribution of neurons in hidden layers leads to an enhancement of the overall performance of the 50 Gbaud PAM4 communications. Furthermore, the results for a system using a LSTM-based equalizer give the better outcome than the traditional feed-forward equalizer (FFE) or artificial neural network (ANN)-based equalizer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Every year, millions of tons of plastic waste are dumped into the ocean from estuaries. The process of accumulating and converting plastic into microplastics (MPs) in this dynamic system has not received as much attention compared to the open-ocean region. Therefore, this study aimed at evaluating the seasonal variation in microplastic (MP) content at the Can Gio estuary, Vietnam, during the rainy and dry seasons of 2021 and 2022. Water, sediment, and biological samples were collected at four sites. MP contents ranged from 0.00134 ± 0.00043 to 0.00095 ± 0.00014 items/L in water surface samples, from 4.22 ± 0.46 to 2.44 ± 0.46 items/L in water column samples, and from 200 ± 13.68 to 90 ± 13.68 items/kg in sediment samples. There was an interactive effect of seasonal fluctuation and the complex flow regime on the MP content. MP bioaccumulation in Saccostrea and Periophthalmodon schlosseri was 1.5 – 1.8 and 0.2 – 0.52 items/individual, respectively. The main MP shapes were fibers and fragments. The composition mainly consisted of polypropylene (45.45%), polyethylene (18.18%), polystyrene (9.09%) and other plastics (27.28%). The source of MPs can be projected from the macro-plastic stream accumulated at the sampling sites. This study found the presence of MPs in both seasons of the year, and the accumulation of MPs in this dynamic region is closely correlated with hydrological properties of the estuary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background In diagnosing chronic orthopedic implant infections culture of sonicate represents a supplement to tissue cultures. However, the extent to which biofilm forms on implant surfaces and the degree of dislodgement of bacteria by sonication remains unclear. In this in vivo study using a low bacterial inoculum, we aimed to determine whether a variable effect of sonication could be observed in a standardized in vivo model. Materials and Methods Seven Wistar rats underwent surgery with intramuscular implantation of two bone xenograft implants, each containing two steel plates. The grafts were inoculated with approximately 500 colony forming units (CFU) of Staphylococcus epidermidis ATCC 35984. After 20 days the rats were sacrificed, and the steel plates were removed from the bone grafts. Epifluorescence microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to visualize biofilm formation and dislodgement on the plate surfaces. In addition to cultures of sonicate, a quantitative S. epidermidis specific PCR was developed for enumeration of bacteria. Results A chronic, low-grade implant infection was successfully established, with all animals remaining in good health. All infected bone graft implants yielded abundant growth of S. epidermidis, with a median of 3.25 (1.6–4.6) × 10⁷ CFU per/graft. We were unable to distinguish infected plates from negative controls using epifluorescence microscopy. On infected plates small colonies of staphylococci were identified by SEM. The number of bacteria detected in the sonicate was low with 500 (100–2400) CFU/plate and 475 (140–1821) copies/plate by qPCR. The difference in area covered by fluorescent material before and after sonication was 10.1 (5.7–12.3) %, p = 0.018. Conclusion Despite the pronounced infection in the surrounding tissue, only few bacteria were detected on the surface of the steel implants. This is evident from the minimal findings by SEM before sonication, as well as the very low CFU counts and DNA copies in the sonicate. Sonication did not show variable effectiveness, indicating it is a valuable addition to, but not a replacement for biopsy cultures in cases of implant-associated infections with low-virulence microorganisms.

Vertebro-vertebral arteriovenous fistula (VV-AVF) is an uncommon vascular disorder characterized by an abnormal direct connection between the extracranial vertebral artery (VA), as well as the first and second branches of subclavian arteries, and the draining veins of the paravertebral venous plexus. Endovascular occlusion or surgical ligation of the high-flow arteriovenous fistula is the main goal of treatment for VV-AVF, but there are no guidelines for the best treatment to date. Endovascular treatment is the primary treatment procedure due to its safety, effectiveness, and simplicity. We reported a rare clinical case of the endovascular approach used for occlusion of VV-AVF. A 52-year-old female patient with no history of trauma was presented with right neck pain for a month. Diagnostic angiography demonstrated a high-flow VV-AVF at C3-C4 level. After endovascular occlusion with detachable-balloon embolization, the fistula was completely obliterated. To our knowledge, endovascular occlusion for VV-AVF patients is safe and effective. Detachable balloon embolization can be considered a well-tolerated treatment.

Recommender systems aim to recommend items to users by taking into account their probable interests. This study focuses on creating a model that utilizes multiple sources of information about users and items by employing a multimodality approach. The study addresses the task of how to gather information from different sources (modalities) and transform them into a uniform format, resulting in a multi-modal feature description for users and items. This work also aims to transform and represent the features extracted from different modalities so that the information is in a compatible format for integration and contains important, useful information for the prediction model. To achieve this goal, we propose a novel multi-modal recommendation model, which involves extracting latent features of users and items from a utility matrix using matrix factorization techniques. Various transformation techniques are utilized to extract features from other sources of information such as user reviews, item descriptions, and item categories. We also proposed the use of Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Feature Selection techniques to reduce the data dimension and extract important features as well as remove noisy features to increase the accuracy of the model. We conducted several different experimental models based on different subsets of modalities on the MovieLens and Amazon sub-category datasets. According to the experimental results, the proposed model significantly enhances the accuracy of recommendations when compared to SVD, which is acknowledged as one of the most effective models for recommender systems. Specifically, the proposed model reduces the RMSE by a range of 4.8% to 21.43% and increases the Precision by a range of 2.07% to 26.49% for the Amazon datasets. Similarly, for the MovieLens dataset, the proposed model reduces the RMSE by 45.61% and increases the Precision by 14.06%. Additionally, the experimental results on both datasets demonstrate that combining information from multiple modalities in the proposed model leads to superior outcomes compared to relying on a single type of information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]