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Nickel-coated carbon fibers (NCFs) were fabricated by electroless plating. Sufficient activation sites were vital to deposit a continuous and uniform coating layer. The reaction mechanism and the effect of catalyzation time on the quality of the plating layer were especially discussed. The morphology and coating thickness of the NCFs, particle-size and phosphorus content in the coating layer, formation of the Ni^sub 3^P phase, and its evolution with annealing temperature were examined by field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]

CdSe/ZnS nanocrystals (NCs) and Tetraphenyl Porphyrin (TPP) are mixed uniformly to prepare CdSe/ZnS NCs/TPP complex. TPP can quench the fluorescent signal of CdSe/ZnS NCs. UV-Vis absorption spectra and fluorescence spectra are employed to analysis the energy transfer. The mechanism of energy transfer is the FÖrster resonance energy transfer from CdSe/ZnS to TPP.

The interaction of p-benzoquinone and proline has been studied for many years, but there is much controversy about the product of the interaction. The Resonance Raman spectroscopy produced in liquid core Teflon optical fiber and the UV absorption spectroscopy are applied to investigate the interaction of p-benzoquinone and proline. The experimental results indicate that the pH value of the mixed solutions has crucial effect on the product of the interaction. Varying the pH value leads to three different products: charge-transfer complex, benzosemiquinone radical anion and substituted quinone. The mechanism of the formation of benzosemiquinone radical anion under the condition of strong alkaline has been discussed. And we also develop the continuous variation method for determining the composition of the charge-transfer complex. The study not only clarifies the controversy on the product of the interaction, but also applies the resonance Raman spectroscopy in liquid core optical fibers on detecting amino acids with p-benzoquinone.

The steady-state and time-resolved luminescent properties of CdSe/CdS core/shell quantum dots are discussed. A combination of UV-Visible absorption spectroscopy photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy and up-conversion luminescence is employed to analyze the optical characters. Near IR laser (800nm) excitation causes a blue shift of the emission peak compared to 400 nm laser excitation. It is found that up-conversion luminescence is composed of a photoinduced trapping and a band edge excitonic state. The blue shift of the emission peak is caused by the relative change in luminescence intensity between excitonic and trapping states.

High quality CaF2: Yb, Er @ mesoporous SiO2 core-shell nanoparticles were prepared by coating silica shell onto solvothermal synthesized CaF2: Yb, Er nanoparticles through reverse microemulsion and liquid crystal template processes. The phase identification, morphology and upconversion luminescence properties of CaF2: Yb, Er @SiO2 core-shell nanoparticles were investigated in detail. The results show that CaF2: Yb, Er nanocrystals are of cubic structure and SiO2 shell is mesoporous. The core-shell structure has little effect on the upconversion properties of CaF2: Yb, Er nanoparticles. And the nanocomposites with upconversion luminescent CaF2: Yb, Er nanocrystals core and a mesoporous silica shell are potential photocontrollable drug vehicles.

CdSe/ZnO core/shell semiconductor nanocrystals which show high luminescence quantum yield have been synthesized through a simple routine without the use of any pyrophoric organometallic precursors. Transmission electron microscope image demonstrates the shape, monodispersity, average size, size distribution and core-shell structure of CdSe/ZnO nanocrystals. We use a combination of X-ray diffraction, UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy and photoluminescence to analyze the core/shell nanocrystals and determine their chemical composition, optical character and internal structure.

Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) is an important enzyme that is associated with many human diseases, so the quantitative detection of ALP is vital from a clinical perspective. Nevertheless, most fluorescent assays for monitoring ALP depend on aggregation-induced quenching (ACQ), single-signal modulation, or a “signal off” mode, which suffer from poor sensitivity, a “false positive” problem, and low signal output. In this work, we utilized the electrostatically driven self-assembly of glutathione-capped gold nanoclusters (GSH-AuNCs, which show aggregation-induced emission, AIE) and amino-modified silicon nanoparticles (SiNPs) to create a hybrid probe (SiNPs@GSH-AuNCs). This nanohybrid probe showed emission from the SiNPs at around 470 nm as well as aggregation-induced emission enhancement (AIEE) of the GSH-AuNCs at 580 nm. The AIEE of the GSH-AuNCs was quenched in the presence of KMnO4, but the AIEE was recovered by adding ascorbic acid as an oxidation–reduction reaction occurred between KMnO4 and the ascorbic acid. The fluorescence of the SiNPs remained constant whether the AIEE was quenched or not, meaning that the fluorescence of the SiNPs could be used as an internal reference. In a typical enzymatic reaction, ascorbic acid 2-phosphate is hydrolyzed by ALP to produce ascorbic acid. Therefore, the hybrid probe was shown to allow the ratiometric detection of ALP, with a linear range of 0.5–10 U L−1 and a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.23 U L−1. Finally, the proposed analytical strategy was successfully applied to detect ALP in human serum samples and to determine the concentration of an ALP inhibitor.

This study aims to integrate the data on the effects of a pre-established medical care program on hospitalized older adults with chronic heart failure (CHF). A comprehensive systematic review incorporating mixed research methodologies was undertaken. Quality assessment was conducted using the Critical Appraisal Tool developed by Joanna Briggs Institute, adhering to the PRISMA guidelines for studies. Where appropriate, data were synthesized and aggregated for meta-analysis or meta-aggregation. A total of 2,825 articles were found, of which 11 met the inclusion criteria. Meta-analysis showed that the implementation of advance care planning (ACP) can significantly increase the willingness and proportion of patients with CHF to choose and receive hospice services during their end-of-life phase. Meta-aggregation showed that the ACP intervention has a positive impact on participants, promotes their knowledge and understanding, and makes them share their decision-making with their families. ACP is a promising and feasible intervention that can help older adults with CHF accurately understand ACP and express their wishes timely. This study provides insights and empirical evidence to improve ACP, and valuable guidance and reference for future clinical practice. https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/, PROSPERO, identifier: CRD42024580814.

Herein, the self-assembly of 1-dodecanethiol-capped Cu nanoclusters (DT-Cu NCs) is obtained by annealing of dibenzyl ether solution of nanoclusters. These aggregates are composed of small clusters and emit a high level of aggregation-induced emission (AIE) in water. Based on the quenching effect of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) on DT-Cu NCs, a fluorescence strategy is developed to monitor α-glucosidase (α-Glu) activity and screen its inhibitors from Chinese herbal medicines. 4-Nitrophenyl-α-D-glucopyranoside (NGP) is selected as the substrate, which is further hydrolyzed to yield 4-NP through the catalysis of α-Glu. The quenching efficiency is positively correlated to the concentration of α-Glu. Furthermore, the inhibitory effects of the extracts from four Chinese herbal medicines (i.e., the rind of Punica granatum L., Momordica grosvenorii Swingle., Crataegus pinnatifida Bge., and Lycium barbarum L.) on the α-Glu activity have been studied. The IC50 values of extracts from the rind of Punica granatum L. and Momordica grosvenorii Swingle are 0.23 and 0.37 g/L, respectively, so they show obvious inhibitory effects on α-Glu. The extracts of Crataegus pinnatifida Bge. and Lycium barbarum L. exhibit relatively weak inhibitory effects. Hence, the proposed strategy can be applicable for screening α-Glu inhibitors from Chinese herbal medicines. Last but not the least, by immobilizing DT-Cu NCs into agarose hydrogels in polyethylene tubes, a visual device is fabricated to screen α-Glu inhibitors with high throughput and sensitivity.

Accumulating evidence suggests that regulatory B cells (Bregs) play important roles in inhibiting the immune response in tumors. Programmed death 1 (PD-1) and programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) are important molecules that maintain the balance of the immune response and immune tolerance. This study aims to evaluate the soluble form of PD-L1 and its function in inducing the differentiation of B lymphocytes, investigate the relationship between soluble PD-L1 (sPD-L1) and B-cell subsets, and explore the antitumor activity of T lymphocytes after PD-L1 blockade in coculture systems. In an effort to explore the role of sPD-L1 in human breast cancer etiology, we examined the levels of sPD-L1 and interleukin-10 (IL-10) in the serum of breast tumor patients and the proportions of B cells, PD-1 + B cells, Bregs, and PD-1 + Bregs in the peripheral blood of patients with breast tumors and assessed their relationship among sPD-L1, IL-10, and B-cell subsets. The levels of sPD-L1 and IL-10 in serum were found to be significantly higher in invasive breast cancer (IBCa) patients than in breast fibroadenoma (FIBma) patients. Meanwhile, the proportions and absolute numbers of Bregs and PD-1 + Bregs in the peripheral blood of IBCa patients were significantly higher than those of FIBma patients. Notably, they were the highest in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) among other subtypes of IBCa. Positive correlations of sPD-L1 and IL-10, IL-10 and PD-1 + Bregs, and also sPD-L1 and PD-1 + Bregs were observed in IBCa. We further demonstrated that sPD-L1 could induce Breg differentiation, IL-10 secretion, and IL-10 mRNA expression in a dose-dependent manner in vitro . Finally, the induction of regulatory T cells (T regs ) by Bregs was further shown to suppress the antitumor response and that PD-L1 blockade therapies could promote the apoptosis of tumor cells. Together, these results indicated that sPD-L1 could mediate the differentiation of Bregs, expand CD4 + T regs and weaken the antitumor activity of CD4 + T cells. PD-L1/PD-1 blockade therapies might be a powerful therapeutic strategy for IBCa patients, particularly for TNBC patients with high level of PD-1 + Bregs.