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Bacterial contamination is a major public health concern on a global scale. Treatment resistance in bacterial infections is becoming a significant problem that requires solutions. We were interested in obtaining new polymeric functionalized compounds with antibacterial properties. Three components (polymeric amine, aldehyde, and phosphite) were used in the paper in a modified “one-pot” Kabachnik–Fields reaction, in tetrahydrofuran at 60 °C, to create the N-C-P skeleton in aminophosphonate groups. Two copolymers were thus prepared starting from an acrylonitriledivinylbenzene (AN-15%DVB) copolymer containing pendant primary amine groups modified by grafting aminophosphonate groups, i.e., aminobenzylphosphonate (Bz-DVB-AN) and aminoethylphosphonate (Et-DVB-AN). The two copolymers were characterized by FT-IR spectroscopy, SEM-EDX, TGA, and antibacterial properties. It was shown that the novel products have antibacterial qualities against S. aureus and E. coli bacteria. The sample with the strongest antibacterial activity was Et-DVB-AN. We assessed how well the Weibull model and the first-order kinetic model represent the inactivation of microbial cells in our samples. The main advantage of the new antibacterial agents developed in this work is their easy recovery, which helps to avoid environmental contamination.

This research article examines the CO[sub.2] laser cutting performance of Fused Filament Fabricated Acrylonitrile Styrene Acrylate (ASA) thermoplastics by analyzing the influence of plate thickness, laser power, and cutting speed on four quality characteristics: surface roughness (Ra), top kerf width (Top KW), bottom kerf width (Bottom KW), and bottom heat-affected zone (Bottom HAZ). Forty-five experiments were conducted using five thickness levels, three power levels, and three cutting speeds. To model and predict these outputs, seven machine learning approaches were employed: Autoencoder, Autoencoder–Gated Recurrent Unit, Autoencoder–Long Short-Term Memory, Random Forest, Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), Support Vector Regression, and Linear Regression. Among them, XGBoost yielded the highest accuracy across all performance metrics. Analysis of Variance results revealed that Ra is mainly affected by plate thickness, Bottom KW by cutting speed, and Bottom HAZ by power, while Top KW is influenced by all three parameters. The study proposes an effective prediction framework using multi-output modeling and hybrid deep learning, offering a data-driven foundation for process optimization. The findings are expected to support intelligent manufacturing systems for real-time quality prediction and adaptive laser post-processing of engineering-grade thermoplastics such as ASA. This integrative approach also enables a deeper understanding of nonlinear dependencies in laser–material interactions.

Cobalt(II) chloride (CoCl[sub.2]) being in the vicinity of polyimide chains entails modifications in terms of the molecular dynamics, which are mainly governed by the possible presence of amic acid residual groups, by the transition-metal-type characteristics of cobalt and by the CoCl[sub.2] content. Polyimide was synthesized using poly(amic acid) according to the reaction of 2,2′-bis(3,4-dicarboxylphenyl)hexafluoropropane dianhydride (6FDA) with 3,3′-dimethyl-4,4′-diaminodiphenylmethane (MMDA) in N,N-dimethylacetamide. CoCl[sub.2] was added before the thermal imidization of the poly(amic acid). An experimental approach was designed to establish the interaction between the polyimide and CoCl[sub.2] and whether the interaction depends on the quantity of the salt. Evidence for the existence of residual amic acid groups was obtained using second derivative Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and with the help of 2D correlation spectroscopy (2D-COS). Moreover, FTIR, along with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), revealed the interaction between the polymer and CoCl[sub.2], primarily in the form of Co(II)-N coordinated bonds. Nevertheless, the coordination of cobalt with suitable atoms from the amic acid groups is not precluded. The results of dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) featured a specific relaxation assigned to the presence of CoCl[sub.2] in the polymeric film and demonstrated that its (non)reinforcing effect depends on its content in the polyimide.

In this paper, epoxy-functionalized AES resins (GAES resins) were prepared by high-temperature solution polymerization, and FTIR spectrograms demonstrated the successful grafting of styrene (St), acrylonitrile (AN), and glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) onto ethylene/propylene/diene mischpolymer (EPDM) rubbers. The influences of reaction conditions, i.e. the content of initiator and chain transfer agent, EPDM and GMA on the grafting ratio, composition of free copolymers, molecular weights and polymer dispersity index (PDI) of GAES resins were detaily investigated. The influence of GMA content on the thermal stabilities of GAES resins was also discussed. Experimental results showed that under the optimized experimental conditions, the highest grafting ratio of GAES resins reached to 39.2% and the grafting efficiency was 35.3%. Under the same reaction conditions, the molecular weights of free copolymers reached to 70,000 g mol.sup.-1. The initiator had no obvious influence on the composition of free copolymers, but the component of GMA in free copolymers increased gradually with increasing content of EPDM. Thermogravimetry (TG) analysis results indicated that the incorporation of GMA decreased the thermal stabilities of GAES resins.

In this study, a series of (Z)- and (E)-2-substituted-3-ferrocene-acrylonitrile derivatives were synthesized, characterized, and evaluated in vitro for their anticancer and anti-migration properties. The compounds were synthesized via the Knoevenagel condensation of the appropriate benzyl cyanide or benzoyl acetonitrile with ferrocenecarboxaldehyde 1, producing isolated yields of 99 to 23%. The structures of the compounds were analyzed using IR, 1H NMR, 13C1H NMR, GC-MS, and UV/Vis spectroscopic methods. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis of representative compounds 21, 27, and 29 demonstrated that the geometry of the double bond was that of the (Z)-isomer. For representative compound 33, the geometry of the double bond was that of the (E)-isomer. Additionally, the electrochemistry of the compounds was investigated using cyclic voltammetry. The cytotoxic and anti-migratory effects of these compounds were evaluated in the MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lines, providing insight into the structure–activity relationships. Preliminary investigations of their anticancer activity revealed that several compounds exhibit moderate antiproliferative effects on cancer cell lines, with GI50 values ranging from 23 to 44 μM for the MCF-7 cell line and from 9 to 41 μM for the MDA-MB-231 cell line. Moreover, compound (Z)-25 inhibited 13% of the migration activity of the metastatic MDA-MB-231 cell line.

Achieving robust cancer-specific lethality is the ultimate clinical goal. Here, we identify a compound with dual-inhibitory properties, named a131, that selectively kills cancer cells, while protecting normal cells. Through an unbiased CETSA screen, we identify the PIP4K lipid kinases as the target of a131. Ablation of the PIP4Ks generates a phenocopy of the pharmacological effects of PIP4K inhibition by a131. Notably, PIP4Ks inhibition by a131 causes reversible growth arrest in normal cells by transcriptionally upregulating PIK3IP1 , a suppressor of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway. Strikingly, Ras activation overrides a131-induced PIK3IP1 upregulation and activates the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway. Consequently, Ras-transformed cells override a131-induced growth arrest and enter mitosis where a131’s ability to de-cluster supernumerary centrosomes in cancer cells eliminates Ras-activated cells through mitotic catastrophe. Our discovery of drugs with a dual-inhibitory mechanism provides a unique pharmacological strategy against cancer and evidence of cross-activation between the Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK and PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathways via a Ras˧PIK3IP1˧PI3K signaling network. The Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK and PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathways are essential for cancer cell survival. Here, the authors describes a molecule a131 with dual-inhibitory properties, which targets PI5P4K and mitosis, and it is involved in Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK and PI3K/Akt/mTOR crosstalk, thereby causing reversible growth arrest in normal cells and cell death of tumor cells.

Associations between acrylonitrile exposure and lung cancer were also observed in other studies, including a large case-control study.3 For bladder cancer, there was a positive exposure–response relationship for mortality based on categories of participants' individual average exposure in the pooled cohort study2 and imprecise associations in the other cohorts; thus, chance, bias, and confounding could not be reasonably ruled out. Talc is a high-production-volume mineral used in plastics, ceramics, paint, paper, roofing materials, rubber products, animal feed, food, fertilisers, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. Orally ingested talc is excreted shortly after dosing, and no or negligible intestinal absorption or translocation to other organs has been observed. Since Volume 93, more consistent positive associations for ever-use versus never-use have been reported in pooled cohort studies and case-control studies, including evidence of an exposure–response relationship with frequency or duration of use.9,10 However, bias from differential exposure misclassification could not be excluded based on a bias analysis conducted by the Working Group and confounding by asbestos contamination of the talc also could not be ruled out. The rationale for “sufficient” evidence included the unusual tumour types reported by this study (ie, bilateral malignant pheochromocytomas); and that tumours were observed in both sexes in a study conducted under Good Laboratory Practice.11 Talc induces chronic inflammation; in experimental systems in vivo, consistent and coherent evidence was observed in various tissues following different routes and exposures of up to 2 years.11 Talc alters cell proliferation, cell death, or nutrient supply; talc promoted anchorage-independent growth in human primary and immortalised ovarian epithelial cells.

Melanoma accounts for 1.7% of global cancer diagnoses and is the fifth most common cancer in the US. Melanoma incidence is rising in developed, predominantly fair-skinned countries, growing over 320% in the US since 1975. However, US mortality has fallen almost 30% over the past decade with the approval of 10 new targeted or immunotherapy agents since 2011. Mutations in the signaling-protein BRAF, present in half of cases, are targeted with oral BRAF/MEK inhibitor combinations, while checkpoint inhibitors are used to restore immunosurveillance likely inactivated by UV radiation. Although the overall 5-year survival has risen to 93.3% in the US, survival for stage IV disease remains only 29.8%. Melanoma is most common in white, older men, with an average age of diagnosis of 65. Outdoor UV exposure without protection is the main risk factor, although indoor tanning beds, immunosuppression, family history and rare congenital diseases, moles, and obesity contribute to the disease. Primary prevention initiatives in Australia implemented since 1988, such as education on sun-protection, have increased sun-screen usage and curbed melanoma incidence, which peaked in Australia in 2005. In the US, melanoma incidence is not projected to peak until 2022–2026. Fewer than 40% of Americans report practicing adequate protection (sun avoidance from 10 a.m.–4 p.m. and regular application of broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF > 30). A 2-4-fold return on investment is predicted for a US sun-protection education initiative. Lesion-directed skin screening programs, especially for those at risk, have also cost-efficiently reduced melanoma mortality.

Recently, a compound derived from recent scientific advances named 34 has emerged as the focus of this research, the aim of which is to explore its potential impact on solid tumor cell lines. Using a combination of bioinformatics and biological assays, this study conducted an in-depth investigation of the effects of 34. The results of this study have substantial implications for cancer research and treatment. 34 has shown remarkable efficacy in inhibiting the growth of several cancer cell lines, including those representing prostate carcinoma (PC3) and cervical carcinoma (HeLa). The high sensitivity of these cells, indicated by low IC50 values, underscores its potential as a promising chemotherapeutic agent. In addition, 34 has revealed the ability to induce cell cycle arrest, particularly in the G2/M phase, a phenomenon with critical implications for tumor initiation and growth. By interfering with DNA replication in cancer cells, 34 has shown the capacity to trigger cell death, offering a new avenue for cancer treatment. In addition, computational analyses have identified key genes affected by 34 treatment, suggesting potential therapeutic targets. These genes are involved in critical biological processes, including cell cycle regulation, DNA replication and microtubule dynamics, all of which are central to cancer development and progression. In conclusion, this study highlights the different mechanisms of 34 that inhibit cancer cell growth and alter the cell cycle. These promising results suggest the potential for more effective and less toxic anticancer therapies. Further in vivo validation and exploration of combination therapies are critical to improve cancer treatment outcomes.

In this study, Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) with three different ratios of 30%, 50%, and 70% is used to enhance the shape memory and mechanical properties of Polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG). Additionally, morphology, printability, and dynamic thermomechanical analysis are also examined. The thermal test results show that PETG‐ABS compounds have two transition temperatures in the range of 80 and 110 °C, which are related to the components. By changing the weight percentage of PETG from 30 to 70%, three morphologies of matrix‐droplet, sea‐island, and combination of co‐continuous and matrix‐droplet are observed. The results of the mechanical properties show an increase in strength with the increase of ABS, which can be justified due to the higher strength of ABS compared to PETG. The highest tensile strength of 32.48 MPa and 15.16% elongation is obtained for PETG‐ABS(30‐70) and PETG‐ABS(70‐30), respectively. Due to the better shape memory performance of PETG, PETG‐ABS(50‐50) and PETG‐ABS(70‐30) have complete shape recovery, and with the increase of PETG, the shape recovery rate also increased. This diversity in morphology, mechanical properties, and shape memory effect is one of the goals of this research which is well fulfilled. This paper presents 3D and 4D printing of novel PETG‐ABS blends with three different ratios. Additionally, morphology, printability, and dynamic thermomechanical analysis are evaluated. The results indicate the achievement of a wide range of mechanical properties (25.98–32.48 MPa in tensile strength), shape memory effect (100% shape recovery), and morphology (matrix‐droplet, sea‐island, and combination of co‐continuous and matrix‐droplet).