Theoretical Validation of Non-Noble Cu Sites Integrated on SnO2 Nanoflowers for Enhanced Gas Sensing of Ethanethiol at Room Temperature.

Ethanethiol (EtSH), being highly toxic, flammable, and explosive, poses significant risks to human health and safety and is capable of causing fires and explosions. Room-temperature detection using chemiresistive gas sensors is essential for managing these risks. However, the gas-sensing performance of conventional metal-oxide sensing materials may be limited by their weak interaction with EtSH at room temperature. Herein, SnO2 nanoflowers assembled with non-noble Cu-site-enriched porous nanosheets were designed and prepared by an in situ self-template pyrolysis synthesis strategy to enable highly sensitive and selective room-temperature detection of EtSH. By regulating the number of non-noble Cu sites, these nanoflowers achieved efficient EtSH sensing with a Ra/Rg value of 11.0 at 50 ppb, ensuring high selectivity, reproducibility, and stability at room temperature. Moreover, a comparative analysis of the room-temperature gas-sensing performance of SnO2 nanoflowers with non-noble Fe- or Ni-site-enriched nanosheets highlights the benefits of non-noble Cu sites for EtSH detection. Density functional theory (DFT) analysis reveals that non-noble Cu sites have a unique affinity for EtSH, offering preferential binding over other gases and explaining the outstanding sensing performance of non-noble Cu-site-enriched nanosheet-assembled SnO2 nanoflowers. The structural and interface engineering of the sensing materials presented in this work provides a promising approach for offering efficient and durable gas sensors operable at room temperature.

Effect of Ordinary Portland Cement on Mechanical Properties and Microstructures of Metakaolin-Based Geopolymers.

Geopolymers have been considered a sustainable alternative to ordinary Portland cement (CEM I) for its lower embodied carbon and ability to make use of industrial by-products. Additionally, its excellent engineering properties of high strength, low permeability, good chemical resistance, and excellent fire resistance also strike a chord in the minds of researchers. The goal of this study is to clarify the effect of calcium sources on the mechanical properties and microstructures of the geopolymers. CEM I was chosen as the sole calcium source, while metakaolin was used as the source material. Five distinct geopolymers were prepared, having various ratio of CEM I: 0%, 5%, 10%, 20%, and 30%. The alkali-activator was a mixture of 12 M sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and sodium silicate (Na2SiO3), utilizing compressive strength and flexural strength to evaluate the changes of the geopolymers' mechanical properties. SEM, XRD, and FTIR were used to examine microscopic features, evaluate internal morphology, and analyze changes in components of the geopolymers containing different amounts of CEM I. The experimental results indicated that the optimal incorporation of CEM I was 5%. Under this dosage, the compressive strength and flexural strength of the geopolymers can reach 71.1 MPa and 6.75 MPa, respectively. With the incorporation of CEM I, the heat released by cement hydration can accelerate the geopolymerization reaction between silica-alumina materials and alkaline solutions. Additionally, the coexistence of N-A-S-H gel from components of an aluminosilicate mix and C-S-H gel from the CEM I promoted a more densified microstructure of the geopolymers and improved the geopolymer's strength. However, as the amount of CEM I in the mixture increased, the geopolymer matrix was unable to provide enough water for the CEM I to hydrate, which prevented excessive CEM I from forming hydration products, weakening the workability of the matrix and eventually hindering the development of geopolymer strength.

Dental implant restoration for dentition defects improves clinical efficacy, masticatory function and patient comfort.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to demonstrate if dental implant restoration can improve the clinical efficacy, masticatory function and comfort in patients with dentition defects. METHODS: The clinical data of 90 patients with single tooth loss treated in Yuyao People's Hospital of Zhejiang Province from May 2018 to May 2020 were analyzed retrospectively. The patients were enrolled and divided into two groups. The control group (CG; n=45) was intervened by traditional fixed partial denture (FPD) restoration, and the observation group (OG; n=45) was treated with dental implant restoration. The clinical efficacy was evaluated, and amelioration of tooth-related indexes and clinical indicators 2 years after treatment were observed. The improvement of masticatory function and comfort scores were compared. The adverse reactions during treatment were recorded, and patients' satisfaction with the treatment was calculated. Logistic regression was performed to assess the independent risk factors for inefficacy of the treatments. RESULTS: After treatment, the OG presented with lower gingival index, plaque index and sulcus bleeding index.

Systematically Deciphering the Pharmacological Mechanism of Fructus Aurantii via Network Pharmacology.

Fructus Aurantii (FA) is a traditional herbal medicine that has been widely used for thousands of years in China and possesses a variety of pharmacological effects. However, the active ingredients in FA and the potential mechanisms of its therapeutic effects have not been fully explored. Here, we applied a network pharmacology approach to explore the potential mechanisms of FA. We identified 5 active compounds from FA and a total of 209 potential targets to construct a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network. Prostaglandin G/H synthase 2 (PTGS2), heat shock protein 90 (HSP90), cell division protein kinase 6 (CDK6), caspase 3 (CASP3), apoptosis regulator Bcl-2 (Bcl-2), and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP9) were identified as key targets of FA in the treatment of multiple diseases. Gene ontology (GO) enrichment demonstrated that FA was highly related to transcription initiation from RNA polymerase II promoter, DNA-templated transcription, positive regulation of transcription, regulation of apoptosis process, and regulation of cell proliferation. Various signaling pathways involved in the treatment of FA were identified, including pathways in cancer and pathways specifically related to prostate cancer, colorectal cancer, PI3K-Akt, apoptosis, and non-small-cell lung cancer. TP53, AKT1, caspase 3, MAPK3, PTGS2, and BAX/BCL2 were related key targets in the identified enriched pathways and the PPI network. In addition, our molecular docking results showed that the bioactive compounds in FA can tightly bind to most target proteins. This article reveals via network pharmacology research the possible mechanism(s) by which FA exerts its activities in the treatment of various diseases and lays a foundation for further experiments and the development of a rational clinical application of FA.

Association between DEFB1 polymorphisms and periodontitis: a meta-analysis.

Previous studies showed that DEFB1 gene polymorphisms may impact the development and progression of periodontitis; nevertheless, inconsistent conclusions were described. This study meta-analytically explored the association between periodontitis the DEFB1 gene polymorphisms and periodontitis. We searched PubMed, Embase, Springer and Cochrane Library for the relevant case-control studies of periodontitis up to February 13th, 2019. Two reviewers selected studies according to the predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) was used to assess the quality of studies, and the combined effect size was calculated using R 3.12 software. A total of 9 studies involving 4113 patients and 2373 controls were included. Meta-analysis of DEFB1-G1654A gene polymorphisms showed that there were significant differences in model A vs. G (OR = 3.7876, 95%CI = 2.9051-4.9382, P < 0.001), AA vs. GG (OR = 4.6743, 95%CI = 3.0900-7.0710, P < 0.001), AA vs.GG + AG (OR = 3.5131, 95%CI = 2.4496-5.0384, P < 0.001), AA + AG vs. GG (OR = 4.3087, 95%CI = 2.8827-6.4402, P < 0.001) and AG vs. GG (OR = 3.0639, 95%CI = 1.6804-5.5863, P = 0.003). However, no significant differences were found between DEFB1 rs11362, rs1799946 and rs1800972 and periodontitis. Sensitivity analysis implied that our results were robust and no publication bias was noticed. Our meta-analysis showed that the DEFB1-G1654A polymorphism may be a genetic susceptibility factor for periodontitis.