Simultaneous determination of trace marine lipophilic and hydrophilic phycotoxins in various environmental and biota matrices.

An efficient and sensitivity approach, which combines solid-phase extraction or ultrasonic extraction for pretreatment, followed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, has been established to simultaneously determine eight lipophilic phycotoxins and one hydrophilic phycotoxin in seawater, sediment and biota samples. The recoveries and matrix effects of target analytes were in the range of 61.6-117.3 %, 55.7-121.3 %, 57.5-139.9 % and 82.6 %-95.0 %, 85.8-106.8 %, 80.7 %-103.3 % in seawater, sediment, and biota samples, respectively. This established method revealed that seven, six and six phycotoxins were respectively detected in the Beibu Gulf, with concentrations ranging from 0.14 ng/L (okadaic acid, OA) to 26.83 ng/L (domoic acid, DA) in seawater, 0.04 ng/g (gymnodimine-A, GYM-A) to 2.75 ng/g (DA) in sediment and 0.01 ng/g (GYM-A) to 2.64 ng/g (domoic acid) in biota samples. These results suggest that the presented method is applicable for the simultaneous determination of trace marine lipophilic and hydrophilic phycotoxins in real samples.

Uptake, translocation, and metabolism of organophosphate esters (OPEs) in plants and health perspective for human: A review.

Plant uptake, accumulation, and transformation of organophosphate esters (OPEs) play vital roles in their geochemical cycles and exposure risks. Here we reviewed the recent research advances in OPEs in plants. The mean OPE concentrations based on dry/wet/lipid weight varied in 4.80-3,620/0.287-26.8/12,000-315,000 ng g-1 in field plants, and generally showed positive correlations with those in plant habitats. OPEs with short-chain substituents and high hydrophilicity, particularly the commonly used chlorinated OPEs, showed dominance in most plant samples, whereas some tree barks, fruits, seeds, and roots demonstrated dominance of hydrophobic OPEs. Both hydrophilic and hydrophobic OPEs can enter plants via root and foliar uptake, and the former pathway is mainly passively mediated by various membrane proteins. After entry, different OPEs undergo diverse subcellular distributions and acropetal/basipetal/intergenerational translocations, depending on their physicochemical properties. Hydrophilic OPEs mainly exist in cell sap and show strong transferability, hydrophobic OPEs demonstrate dominant distributions in cell wall and limited migrations owing to the interception of Casparian strips and cell wall. Additionally, plant species, transpiration capacity, growth stages, commensal microorganisms, and habitats also affect OPE uptake and transfer in plants. OPE metabolites derived from various Phase I transformations and Phase II conjugations are increasingly identified in plants, and hydrolysis and hydroxylation are the most common metabolic processes. The metabolisms and products of OPEs are closely associated with their structures and degradation resistance and plant species. In contrast, plant-derived food consumption contributes considerably to the total dietary intakes of OPEs by human, particularly the cereals, and merits specifical attention. Based on the current research limitations, we proposed the research perspectives regarding OPEs in plants, with the emphases on their behavior and fate in field plants, interactions with plant-related microorganisms, multiple uptake pathways and mechanisms, and comprehensive screening analysis and risk evaluation.

High-efficiency reinforcement learning with hybrid architecture photonic integrated circuit.

Reinforcement learning (RL) stands as one of the three fundamental paradigms within machine learning and has made a substantial leap to build general-purpose learning systems. However, using traditional electrical computers to simulate agent-environment interactions in RL models consumes tremendous computing resources, posing a significant challenge to the efficiency of RL. Here, we propose a universal framework that utilizes a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) to simulate the interactions in RL for improving the algorithm efficiency. High parallelism and precision on-chip optical interaction calculations are implemented with the assistance of link calibration in the hybrid architecture PIC. By introducing similarity information into the reward function of the RL model, PIC-RL successfully accomplishes perovskite materials synthesis task within a 3472-dimensional state space, resulting in a notable 56% improvement in efficiency. Our results validate the effectiveness of simulating RL algorithm interactions on the PIC platform, highlighting its potential to boost computing power in large-scale and sophisticated RL tasks.

Global Burden of Lung Cancer Attributable to Household Fine Particulate Matter Pollution in 204 Countries and Territories, 1990 to 2019.

INTRODUCTION: Household particulate matter (PM) air pollution is substantially associated with lung cancer. Nevertheless, the global burden of lung cancer attributable to household PM2.5 is still uncertain. METHODS: In this study, data from the Global Burden and Disease Study 2019 are used to thoroughly assess the burden of lung cancer associated with household PM2.5. RESULTS: The number of deaths and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) attributable to household PM2.5 was found to be 0.08 million and 1.94 million, respectively in 2019. Nevertheless, the burden of lung cancer attributable to household PM2.5 decreased from 1990 to 2019. At the sociodemographic index (SDI) district level, the middle SDI region had the most number of lung cancer deaths and DALYs attributable to household PM2.5. Moreover, the burden of lung cancer was mainly distributed in low-SDI regions, such as Sub-Saharan Africa. Conversely, in high-SDI regions, the age-standardized mortality rate and age-standardized DALY rate of lung cancer attributable to household PM2.5 exhibit the most rapid declines. The burden of lung cancer attributable to household PM2.5 is heavier for men than for women. The sex difference is more obvious in the elderly. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of lung cancer attributable to household PM2.5 has exhibited a declining trend from 1990 to 2019 owing to a concurrent decline in household PM2.5 exposure.

Uptake mechanism, translocation, and transformation of organophosphate esters in water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes): A hydroponic study.

Owing to their dominant wastewater origin, bioavailability, and toxicity, the occurrence and behavior of organophosphate esters (OPEs) in aquatic systems have attracted considerable attention over the past two decades. Aquatic plants can accumulate and metabolize OPEs in water, thereby playing an important role in their behavior and fate in waterbodies. However, their uptake, translocation and transformation mechanisms in plants remain incompletely characterized. We investigated the accumulation and transformation of OPEs in water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) through a series of hydroponic experiments using three representative OPEs, tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP), tris(2-butoxyethyl) phosphate (TBEP), and triphenyl phosphate (TPP). These OPEs can not only be adsorbed onto and enter plant roots via passive diffusion pathways, which are facilitated by anion channels and/or aquaporins, but also can return to the solution when concentration gradients exist. After entry, hydrophilic TCEP showed a dominant distribution in the cell sap, strong acropetal transportability, and rapid translocation rate, whereas hydrophobic TPP was mostly retained in the root cell wall and therefore demonstrated weak acropetal transportability; TBEP with moderate hydrophilicity remained in the middle. All these OPEs can be transformed into diesters, which presented higher proportions in the cell sap and therefore have stronger acropetal transferability than their parent OPEs. TCEP exhibits the lowest biodegradability, followed by TPP and TBEP. These OPEs exerted apparent effects on plant growth, photosynthesis, and the diversity and composition of the rhizosphere microbial community.

Morphology and ASAP analysis of the important zoonotic nematode parasite Baylisascaris procyonis (Stefahski and Zarnowski, 1951), with molecular phylogenetic relationships of Baylisascaris species (Nematoda: Ascaridida).

Species of Baylisascaris (Nematoda: Ascarididae) are of great veterinary and zoonotic significance, owing to cause Baylisascariosis or Baylisascariasis in wildlife, captive animals and humans. However, the phylogenetic relationships of the current 10 Baylisascaris species remain unclear. Moreover, our current knowledge of the detailed morphology and morphometrics of the important zoonotic species B. procyonis is still insufficient. The taxonomical status of B. procyonis and B. columnaris remains under debate. In the present study, the detailed morphology of B. procyonis was studied using light and scanning electron microscopy based on newly collected specimens from the raccoon Procyon lotor (Linnaeus) in China. The results of the ASAP analysis and Bayesian inference (BI) using the 28S, ITS, cox1 and cox2 genetic markers did not support that B. procyonis and B. columnaris represent two distinct species. Integrative morphological and molecular assessment challenged the validity of B. procyonis, and suggested that B. procyonis seems to represent a synonym of B. columnaris. Molecular phylogenetic results indicated that the species of Baylisascaris were grouped into 4 clades according to their host specificity. The present study provided new insights into the taxonomic status of B. procyonis and preliminarily clarified the phylogenetic relationships of Baylisascaris species.

Solvent- and pH-Stable Eu(III)-Based Metal-Organic Framework with Phosphate-Ratio Fluorescence Sensing and Significant Proton Conduction.

Lanthanide-based metal-organic frameworks show good potential for applications due to their unique structures and functional properties. A highly thermally and acid-base stable Eu-MOF was synthesized by a solvothermal method with the molecular formula {[(CH3)2NH2]2[Eu2(NDDP)2(H2O)2]·H2O}n (Eu-MOF, H4NDDP = 5,5'-(naphthalene-2,6-diyl)diisophthalic acid). Eu-MOF takes a three-dimensional (4,4,8)-connected topology. The water molecules involved in the coordination, free water molecules, and [(CH3)2NH2]+ cations in the pore can be used as proton carriers. The proton conductivity attains 1.25 × 10-4 S cm-1 at room temperature and 2.42 × 10-3 S cm-1 at 70 °C and 98% relative humidity. Combined with the dual-emission properties from the ligands and Eu(III) ions enables Eu-MOF to be used as a ratiometric fluorescent sensor for phosphate efficiently and rapidly, with a limit of detection of 0.12 µM in the Tris-HCl buffer solution. These results provide a new approach for the construction of MOFs with high proton conductivity and a ratiometric fluorescence response.

Elevational patterns of seed plants and the driving mechanisms in the Himalaya.

The Himalaya is an important biodiversity hotspot on earth, which is of great significance to study the elevational gradients in plant diversity and its influencing factors for further revealing the formation of biodiversity and conservation. In this study, we measured the elevational range of 11886 seed plant species and different growth-forms (7918 herbaceous species, 2587 shrub species, and 1388 tree species) in the Himalaya. Using the optimal fitted regression models, we found that species richness and phylogenetic diversity of seed plants in the Himalaya mainly showed unimodal curves with the increases of elevation. The species richness and phylogenetic diversity of all species, trees, shrubs and herbaceous species reached the maximum value at the elevation of about 2000, 1000, 1600 and 3000 m, respectively. The results of partial regression and hierarchical partitioning analysis showed that climate and topography together drove the elevational gradient in plant diversity. Among these, mean annual temperature and annual precipitation contributed greatly to the elevational pattern, while surface area ratio and topographic heterogeneity had little influence. Compared with all species and herbaceous species, the elevational gradients of trees and shrubs plants were affected to a greater extent by the interaction between climate and topography.

Health burden of unbalanced fatty acids intake from 1990 to 2019: A global analysis.

BACKGROUND: Unbalanced fatty acids intake is associated with a range of health outcomes; however, the impact on human health remains unclear globally. We aim to provide a comprehensive assessment of the health effect of unbalanced fatty acids intake on a global scale. METHODS: We analyzed the trends of summary exposure value (SEV) and the attributable burden of unbalanced fatty acids intake, including diet low in polyunsaturated fatty acids (low PUFAs), diet low in seafood omega-3 fatty acids (low seafood-(ω-3)-PUFAs), and diet high in trans fatty acids (high TFAs) from 1990 to 2019 using data from Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. FINDINGS: The global fatty acids intake was far from the optimal level. High-income North America had the highest SEV of diet of high TFAs, while less-developed regions located in Saharan Africa had the highest SEVs of low PUFAs and low seafood-(ω-3)-PUFAs. The attributable burden was unequally distributed to less-developed regions. Males had lower SEVs but higher attributable burden than females and this gender gap was particularly pronounced before the age of 59. The young population had a higher SEV of diet of low PUFAs, comparable SEV of low seafood-(ω-3)-PUFAs but lower SEV of high TFAs than the elderly population. CONCLUSIONS: This study underpinned the high prevalence of unbalanced fatty acids intake worldwide and provided evidence-based guidance for identifying at-risk populations and developing effective strategies to improve fatty acids intake in the future. FUNDING: The study was funded by Shanxi Province "136" Revitalization Medical Project Construction Funds and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities.

Clinical evaluation of a multitarget fecal immunochemical test-sDNA test for colorectal cancer screening in a high-risk population: a prospective, multicenter clinical study.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a major malignancy threatening the health of people in China and screening could be effective for preventing the occurrence and reducing the mortality of CRC. We conducted a multicenter, prospective clinical study which recruited 4,245 high-risk CRC individuals defined as having positive risk-adapted scores or fecal immunochemical test (FIT) results, to evaluate the clinical performance of the multitarget fecal immunochemical and stool DNA (FIT-sDNA) test for CRC screening. Each participant was asked to provide a stool sample prior to bowel preparation, and FIT-sDNA test and FIT were performed independently of colonoscopy. We found that 186 (4.4%) were confirmed to have CRC, and 375 (8.8%) had advanced precancerous neoplasia among the high CRC risk individuals. The sensitivity of detecting CRC for FIT-sDNA test was 91.9% (95% CI, 86.8-95.3), compared with 62.4% (95% CI, 54.9-69.3) for FIT (P < 0.001). The sensitivity for detecting advanced precancerous neoplasia was 63.5% (95% CI, 58.3-68.3) for FIT-sDNA test, compared with 30.9% (95% CI, 26.3-35.6) for FIT (P < 0.001). Multitarget FIT-sDNA test detected more colorectal advanced neoplasia than FIT. Overall, these findings indicated that in areas with limited colonoscopy resources, FIT-sDNA test could be a promising further risk triaging modality to select patients for colonoscopy in CRC screening.

Occurrence and carcinogenic potential of airborne PBDD/Fs and PCDD/Fs around a large-scale municipal solid waste incinerator: A long-term passive air sampling study.

Municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI) not only is deemed one of the uppermost sources of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins/furans (PCDD/Fs), but also produces substantial amount of polybrominated dibenzo-p-dioxins/furans (PBDD/Fs) owing to the existence of brominated flame retardants (BFRs) in the waste. So far, however, PBDD/Fs in the vicinal environments of MSWI and their associated risks remain rarely studied. Based on a one-year passive air sampling (PAS) scheme, we investigated airborne PBDD/Fs and PCDD/Fs around a large-scale MSWI that has been operated for multi-years. Both the concentrations of PBDD/Fs and PCDD/Fs showed spatially decreasing trends with the distance away from the MSWI, confirming the influence of the MSWI on the dioxin levels in its ambient air. But its influence on PBDD/Fs was less because PBDD/Fs exhibit lower volatility and therefore lower gaseous concentrations than PCDD/Fs. Compared to the existing global data of airborne PCDD/Fs and PBDD/Fs, our data of the MSWI vicinity were at medium levels, despite PAS samples only represent the concentrations of gaseous dioxins in theory. The seasonal data suggest that meteorological conditions exerted apparent influences over the concentrations and sources of airborne dioxins around the MSWI. As for PCDD/Fs, the MSWI was diagnosed as their uppermost source, followed by local traffic and volatilization/deposition. Whereas the top three PBDD/F sources were related to PBDEs, bromophenol/bromobenzene, and traffic vehicles, respectively. The bioassay-derived TEQs based on the aryl hydrocarbon receptor activation of airborne dioxins around the MSWI were one or two orders of magnitudes higher than their concentration-based TEQs, and the corresponding carcinogenic risks at some MSWI-vicinal sites exceeded the acceptable threshold proposed by the U. S. EPA (10-6 âˆ¼ 10-4) and deserve continuous attention.

Stable Europium(III) Metal-Organic Framework Demonstrating High Proton Conductivity and Fluorescence Detection of Tetracyclines.

A europium(III) metal-organic framework (MOF), namely, {[[(CH3)2NH2]3Eu2(DTTP-2OH)2(HCOO)(H2O)]·4H2O}n (Eu-MOF, H4DTTP-2OH = 2',5'-dihydroxy-[1,1':4',1″-terphenyl]-3,3″,5,5″-tetracarboxylic acid) has been assembled through solvothermal method. The Eu-MOF is a three-dimensional (3D) (4,4,8)-connected topological framework with binuclear Eu(III) clusters as secondary building units, in which a richly ordered hydrogen bonding network formed among the free H2O molecules, dimethylamine cations, and phenolic hydroxyl groups provides a potential pathway for proton conduction. The proton conductivity reaches the category of superionic conductors (σ > 10-4 S cm-1) at room temperature with a maximum conductivity of 1.91 × 10-3 S cm-1 at 60 °C and 98% RH. Moreover, it also can be used as a fluorescence sensor in aqueous solution with detection limits of 0.14 µM for tetracycline, 0.13 µM for oxytetracycline and 0.11 µM for doxycycline. These results pave new methods for constructing MOFs with high proton conductivity and responsive fluorescence.

Synthesis and Structure of an Aqueous Stable Europium-Based Metal-Organic Framework with Ratiometric Fluorescence Sensing for Phosphate and Luminescence Quenching for Salicylaldehyde.

An aqueous stable europium-based metal-organic framework with properties of ratiometric fluorescence sensing, namely, {[(CH3)2NH2][Eu(TCPB)(H2O)2]·DMF}n (Eu-MOF; H4TCPB = 1,2,4,5-tetrakis(4-carboxyphenyl)-benzene), was synthesized under solvothermal conditions and structurally characterized. Crystal structure analysis shows that Eu-MOF is a three-dimensional porous crystal, in which the EuIII ion is an eight-coordinate square inverse prism with eight oxygen atoms. Fluorescence measurements show that Eu-MOF exhibits characteristic emission of the EuIII ion and ligand. Eu-MOF displays good selectivity and sensitivity as a ratiometric fluorescence sensor for phosphate anions with a low detection limit in Tris-HCl buffer solution. Furthermore, Eu-MOF also has a good ability to identify salicylaldehyde through fluorescence quenching with a detection limit of 0.095 ppm. Therefore, it is an excellent fluorescent sensing material for phosphate and organic salicylaldehyde.

Trends and risk factors of global incidence, mortality, and disability of genitourinary cancers from 1990 to 2019: Systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019.

Background: The incidence of kidney, bladder, and prostate cancer ranked ninth, sixth, and third in male cancers respectively, meanwhile, the incidence of testicular cancer also increased gradually in the past 30 years. Objective: To study and present estimates of the incidence, mortality, and disability of kidney, bladder, prostate, and testicular cancer by location and age from 1990 to 2019 and reveal the mortality risk factors of them. Materials: The Global Burden of Diseases Study 2019 was used to obtain data for this research. The prediction of cancer mortality and incidence was based on mortality-to-incidence ratios (MIRs). The MIR data was processed by logistic regression and adjusted by Gaussian process regression. The association between the socio-demographic index and the incidence or disease burden was determined by Spearman's rank order correlation. Results: Globally in 2019, there were 371,700 kidney cancer cases with an age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR) of 4.6 per 100,000, 524,300 bladder cancer cases, with an ASIR of 6.5 per 100,000, 1,410,500 prostate cancer cases with an ASIR of 4.6 per 100,000 and 109,300 testicular cancer incident cases with an ASIR of 1.4 per 100,000, the ASIR of these four cancers increased by 29.1, 4, 22, and 45.5% respectively. The incidence rate of the four cancers and the burden of kidney cancer were positively correlated with the socio-demographic index (SDI), regions with a higher SDI faced more of a burden attributable to these four cancers. High body-mass index has surpassed smoking to be the leading risk factor in the past thirty years for kidney cancer mortality. Smoking remained the leading risk factor for cancer-related mortality for bladder cancer and prostate cancer and the only risk factor for prostate cancer. However, the contribution of high fasting plasma glucose to bladder cancer mortality has been increasing. Conclusion: The incidence of bladder, kidney, prostate, and testicular cancer is ever-increasing. High-income regions face a greater burden attributable to the four cancers. In addition to smoking, metabolic risk factors may need more attention.

Mass spectrometry-based metabolomic signatures of coral bleaching under thermal stress.

Coral bleaching caused by climate change has resulted in large-scale coral reef decline worldwide. However, the knowledge of physiological response mechanisms of scleractinian corals under high-temperature stress is still challenging. Here, untargeted mass spectrometry-based metabolomics combining with Global Natural Product Social Molecular Networking (GNPS) was utilized to investigate the physiological response of the coral species Pavona decussata under thermal stress. A wide variety of metabolites (including lipids, fatty acids, amino acids, peptides, osmolytes) were identified as the potential biomarkers and subjected to metabolic pathway enrichment analysis. We discovered that, in the thermal-stressed P. decussata coral holobiont, (1) numerous metabolites in classes of lipids and amino acids significantly decreased, indicating an enhanced lipid hydrolysis and aminolysis that contributed to up-regulation in gluconeogenesis to meet energy demand for basic survival; (2) pantothenate and panthenol, two essential intermediates in tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, were up-regulated, implying enhanced efficiency in energy production; (3) small peptides (e.g., Glu-Leu and Glu-Glu-Glu-Glu) and lyso-platelet-activating factor (lysoPAF) possibly implicated a strengthened coral immune response; (4) the down-regulation of betaine and trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), known as osmolyte compounds for maintaining holobiont homeostasis, might be the result of disruption of coral holobiont.

Stable terbium metal-organic framework with turn-on and blue-shift fluorescence sensing for acidic amino acids (L-aspartate and L-glutamine) and cations (Al3+ and Ga3+).

A terbium-based metal-organic framework, namely {[Tb2(ADIP)(H2ADIP)(HCOOH)(H2O)2]·2DMF·2H2O}n (Tb-MOF, H4ADIP = 5,5'-(anthracene-9,10-diyl) diisophthalic acid), was synthesized and characterized. The single-crystal structure analysis shows that the Tb-MOF crystallizes in the C2/C space group in the monoclinic system and its asymmetric unit contains two TbIII ions, one ADIP4-, one H2ADIP2-, one coordinating formic acid and two coordination water molecules. Tb-MOF has a three-dimensional porous structure with a porosity of 41.5%. Tb-MOF is a highly selective and sensitive fluorescence turn-on and blue-shift sensor for L-aspartate (Asp), L-glutamine (Glu), Al3+ and Ga3+with detection limits of 0.25, 0.23, 0.069 and 0.079 µM, respectively. Experimental studies and theoretical calculations show that the sensing process is mainly attributed to the energy transfer and the absorbance caused enhancement (ACE) mechanism. Therefore, Tb-MOF is a good multi-response fluorescence sensor for acidic amino acids and Al3+, Ga3+cations.

Facile Preparation of PET/PA6 Bicomponent Microfilament Fabrics with Tunable Porosity for Comfortable Medical Protective Clothing.

Medical protective materials have broadly drawn attention due to their ability to stop the spread of infectious diseases and protect the safety of medical staff. However, creating medical protective materials that combine excellent liquid shielding performance and outstanding mechanical properties with high breathability is still a challenging task. Herein, a polyester/polyamide 6 (PET/PA6) bicomponent microfilament fabric with tunable porosity for comfortable medical protective clothing was prepared via dip-coating technology and an easy and effective thermal-belt bonding process. The dip coating of the C6-based fluorocarbon polymer endowed the samples with excellent hydrophobicity (alcohol contact angles, 130-128°); meanwhile, by adjusting the temperature and pressure of the thermal-belt bonding process, the porosity of the samples was adapted in the range of 64.19-88.64%. Furthermore, benefitting tunable porosity and surface hydrophobicity, the samples also demonstrated an excellent softness score (24.3-34.5), agreeable air permeability (46.3-27.8 mm/s), and high hydrostatic pressure (1176-4130 Pa). Significantly, the created textiles successfully filter aerosol from the air and display highly tensile strength. These excellent comprehensive performances indicate that the prepared PET/PA6 bicomponent microfilament fabrics would be an attractive choice for medical protective apparel.

Facile Preparation of Hydrophobic PLA/PBE Micro-Nanofiber Fabrics via the Melt-Blown Process for High-Efficacy Oil/Water Separation.

Polylactic acid (PLA) micro-nanofiber fabrics with a large specific surface area and excellent biodegradability are commonly used in oil/water separation; however, challenges remain due to their poor mechanical properties. Herein, a thermoplastic polylactic acid/propylene-based elastomer (PLA/PBE) polymer was prepared by blending PLA with PBE. Then, PLA/PBE micro-nanofiber fabrics were successfully prepared using a melt-blown process. The results show that the PLA/PBE micro-nanofiber fabric has a three-dimensional porous structure, improving the thermal stability and fluidity of the PLA/PBE blended polymers. The PLA/PBE micro-nanofiber fabric demonstrated a significantly reduced average fiber diameter and an enhanced breaking strength. Moreover, the water contact angle of the prepared samples is 134°, which suggests a hydrophobic capacity. The oil absorption rate of the fabric can reach 10.34, demonstrating excellent oil/water separation performance. The successful preparation of PLA/PBE micro-nanofiber fabrics using our new method paves the way for the large-scale production of promising candidates for high-efficacy oil/water separation applications.

Stable Lanthanide Metal-Organic Frameworks with Ratiometric Fluorescence Sensing for Amino Acids and Tunable Proton Conduction and Magnetic Properties.

Four new isostructural lanthanide metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), namely {[Ln(DMTP-DC)1.5(H2O)3]·DMF}n [H2DMTP-DC = 2',5'-dimethoxytriphenyl-4,4″-dicarboxylic acid; LnIII = EuIII (1), GdIII (2), TbIII (3), and DyIII (4)], have been synthesized and characterized. Single-crystal structure analysis reveals that 1-4 are three-dimensional Ln-MOFs with rich H-bonding of coordinated H2O molecules in the network channels. The X-ray diffraction patterns indicate that Ln-MOF 1 displays good stabilities in organic solvents and aqueous solutions with distinct pH values. Both 1 and 3 show characteristic emission of LnIII ions. Ln-MOF 1 can be used as a ratiometric fluorescence sensor for arginine and lysine in aqueous solution, and the detection limits are 24.38 µM for arginine and 9.31 µM for lysine. All 1-4 show proton conductivity related to relative humidity (RH) and temperature, and the maximum conductivity values of 1-4 at 55 °C and 100% RH are 9.94 × 10-5, 1.62 × 10-4, 1.71 × 10-4, and 2.67 × 10-4 S·cm-1, respectively. The value of σ increases with the decrease in ionic radius, indicating that the radius of the LnIII ions can regulate the proton conductivity of these MOFs. Additionally, 2 exhibits a significant magnetocaloric effect (MCE) with a magnetic entropy change (-ΔSm) of 18.86 J kg-1 K-1 for ΔH = 7 T at 2 K, and 4 shows weak field-induced slow relaxation of magnetization. The coexistence of good fluorescence sensing capability, attractive proton conductivity, and relatively large MCE in Ln-MOFs is rare, and thus, 1-4 are potentially multifunctional MOF materials.

Clinical Applications of Liquid Biopsy in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common malignant tumor with high mortality and poor prognosis in the world. The low rate of early diagnosis, as well as the high risk of postoperative metastasis and recurrence, led to the poor clinical prognosis of HCC patients. Currently, it mainly depends on serum markers, imaging examination, and tissue biopsy to diagnose and determine the recurrence and metastasis of HCC after treatments. Nevertheless, the accuracy and sensitivity of serum markers and imaging for early HCC diagnosis are suboptimal. Tissue biopsy, containing limited tissue samples, is insufficient to reveal comprehensive tumor biology information and is inappropriate to monitor dynamic tumor progression due to its invasiveness. Thus, low invasive diagnostic methods and novel biomarkers with high sensitivity and reliability must be found to improve HCC detection and prediction. As a non-invasive, dynamic, and repeatable detection method, "liquid biopsy", has attracted much attention to early diagnosis and monitoring of treatment response, which promotes the progress of precision medicine. This review summarizes the clinical applications of liquid biopsy in HCC, including circulating tumor cells (CTCs), circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), and exosome in early diagnosis, prognostic evaluation, disease monitoring, and guiding personalized treatment.