Search

The redox activities of polyaniline (PANI) are hindered by the instability of pernigraniline salt (PS) state which degrades into oligo‐aniline. In this work, the use of protic additives is examined to mitigate capacity fading and increase utilization of PANI in nonaqueous electrolytes. The protic additive propylene glycol, with its hydrogen‐bonding capabilities, stabilizes the PS PANI and promotes reversible redox reactions, facilitating high capacity and an extended cycle lifetime for applications in metal ion supercapacitors. The use of this protic nonaqueous electrolyte in a PANI–zinc device results in an energy density of 255 Wh kg−1 at a power density of 1.8 kW kg−1 and a robust cycle lifetime of 3,850 charge/discharge cycles. The PANI at a high current density of 6.5 mA cm−2 reaches a capacity of 257 mAh g−1, equivalent to 87% of the its theoretical capacity, showcasing the effectiveness of the protic additive in improving both capacity and cycle life in electrochemical supercapacitors.

Background Mammographic breast density has been suggested to play a role as a mediator between the risk factors for breast cancer (BC) and BC risk. We investigated the extent to which never breastfeeding is a risk factor for BC and how this risk is further mediated by increased mammographic breast density. Methods This retrospective cohort study included 4 136 723 women aged ≥40 years who underwent mammographic screening between 2009 and 2010 and were followed up until 31 December 2020. Breastfeeding information was obtained by using a self-administered questionnaire. Mammographic breast density was extracted from national BC screening results, which were assessed by trained radiologists and categorized into dense and fatty breasts. We estimated the hazard ratios (HRs) and the proportion of the associations between breastfeeding and BC risk mediated by breast density. Results The HR of never breastfeeding on BC risk was 1.34 (95% CI, 1.32–1.37) when adjusted for only parity, body mass index and smoking status, which were selected as covariates through a directed acyclic graph and 1.21 (95% CI, 1.19–1.23) when breast density was additionally adjusted. The proportion of the association between never breastfeeding and BC risk mediated by breast density in total, pre- and post-menopausal women was 35.48%, 17.86% and 24.0%, respectively (all P  <   0.001). The HR of never breastfeeding on BC risk was 1.10 (95% CI, 1.08–1.12) when adjusted for nine known breast cancer risk factors and 1.09 (95% CI, 1.07–1.12) when breast density was additionally adjusted. The proportion of the association between never breastfeeding and BC risk mediated by breast density in the total, pre- and post-menopausal women was 7.50%, 3.71% and 12.21%, respectively (all P  <   0.001). Conclusions Our findings suggest that the association between never breastfeeding and BC risk may be mediated by breast density. However, the HR and proportion of medications varied according to the adjusted covariates, highlighting that variables for adjustment should be selected based on directed acyclic graphs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Idiopathic male infertility is characterized by increased mortality or reduced motility and vitality of sperm. There are several reports on probiotics in the male reproductive tract, but the effects of these probiotics on sperm motility remain to be elucidated. In this study, we investigated the impact and mechanism of probiotics on the vitality and motility of mouse sperm. We collected mature sperm from the caudal vas deferens of mice and prepared three probiotics donated by HEM Pharma Inc.: Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus, Limosilactobacillus fermentum, and Lacticaseibacillus paracasei. We analyzed the vitality and motility of sperm according to the concentration and duration of probiotic treatment. The probiotics increased the motility and vitality of sperm. Specifically, they enhanced sperm motility by 30–40% compared with untreated sperms. The probiotics enhanced mitochondrial activity in sperm through specific factors like AMPK and SIRT1. All three probiotics enhanced the activities of mitochondrial function-related proteins in sperm. In conclusion, we found that the probiotics improved the vitality and motility of mouse sperm and increased mitochondrial function in mature sperm. These findings suggest that probiotics can be utilized to enhance sperm motility and treat male infertility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: When a body is discovered at a crime or murder scene, it is crucial to examine the body and estimate its postmortem interval (PMI). Accurate estimation of PMI is vital for identifying suspects and providing clues to resolve the case. MicroRNAs (miRNAs or miRs) are small non-coding RNAs that remain relatively stable in the cell nucleus even after death-related changes occur. Objective: This study developed a molecular beacon probe for mmu-miR-133a-5p and assessed its use in mouse muscle tissue at temperatures of 4 °C and 21 °C to estimate the PMI. Methods: A total of 36 healthy adult male BALB/c mice were divided into 9 PMI time points (0, 2, 6, 8, and 10 days) with 3 mice per time point, and they were exposed to 4 °C and 21 °C. Next, the expression pattern of mmu-miR-133a in the skeletal muscle tissue over a 10-day PMI period was analyzed using the developed molecular beacon probe. Results: The molecular beacon (MB) probe was designed for optimal thermodynamic stability with a hairpin structure that opened in the presence of mmu-miR-133a-5p, thus separating the fluorophore from the quencher and resulting in a strong fluorescence signal at 495 nm. Fluorescence intensity increased with mmu-miR-133a-5p concentration from 1 ng/μL to 1000 ng/μL and exhibited a strong correlation (R2 = 0.9966) and a detection limit of 1 ng/μL. Subsequently, the expression level of mmu-miR-133a-5p was observed to be stable in mouse skeletal muscle tissue at both 4 °C and 21 °C. Conclusions: This user-friendly assay can complete measurements in just 30 min after RNA extraction and is suitable for point-of-care testing, and it possesses the potential to improve existing complex and time-consuming methods for PMI estimation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]