Search Results (11,512)

Background: Rapid and high-throughput diagnostic methods are essential for controlling the spread of infectious diseases, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) strips provide a cost-effective and user-friendly platform for point-of-care testing. However, the sensitivity of conventional LFIA kits is often limited by the performance of their detection probes. This study reports a highly sensitive LFIA strip for detecting the SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid (NP) protein using platinum-decorated poly(2-vinylpyridine) nanoparticles (Pt-P2VPs) as probes. Methods: Monoclonal antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 NP were conjugated with Pt-P2VPs and incorporated into LFIA strips. The test line was coated with anti–SARS-CoV-2 NP monoclonal antibody, and the control line with goat anti-mouse IgG. Recombinant proteins, viral strains, and nasopharyngeal swab specimens from patients were used to evaluate assay performance, with reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) as the reference standard. Diagnostic accuracy was assessed using nonparametric statistical tests. Results: Pt-P2VP-based LFIA strips enabled sensitive detection of recombinant NP and inactivated SARS-CoV-2, with minimal cross-reactivity. In 200 clinical specimens (100 PCR-negative and 100 PCR-positive), the assay achieved 74% sensitivity and 100% specificity, with strong correlation to viral RNA load. Compared with conventional LFIA kits, Pt-P2VP strips demonstrated superior sensitivity at lower viral loads. Conclusions: Pt-P2VPs represent a promising probe material for enhancing LFIA performance and may facilitate the development of rapid, sensitive, and scalable immunoassays for infectious disease diagnostics in biomedical applications. Full article

This paper introduces the concept of P-curvature inheritance in generalized recurrent Finsler spaces and establishes various types of curvature inheritance tensors in such spaces. We prove that the fundamental function of the Finsler space is given by $F=\sqrt{{\displaystyle \frac{y^i{y}^r{\delta }_r^k{g}_{ik}}{n}}}$. Moreover, we infer that the Lie derivative of the curvature scalar R is equal to the Lie derivative of the curvature scalar K, and the Lie derivative of the recurrence vector field ${\mu }_m$ vanishes. Additionally, we establish new mathematical formulas for the scalar function $\alpha \left(x\right)$ and the scalar form of the metric tensor $g_{ij}$ that admit P-curvature inheritance. A tensor $\left({\delta }_l^k{P}_{kh}^i\right)$ and the R-Ricci tensor possess an inheritance property in the generalized $\mathfrak{B}P$-recurrent Finsler space. In the same vein, we obtain conditions under which the Lie derivative and the Berwald covariant derivative of the curvature scalar P commute. Finally, we provide practical examples that illustrate the understanding of the obtained results. Full article

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is an aggressive malignancy characterized by high invasiveness and poor prognosis. This study investigated the anticancer mechanisms of eupatilin, a pharmacologically active flavonoid derived from Artemisia species, in human OSCC YD-10B cells. Eupatilin significantly reduced cell viability in a dose-dependent manner, with an IC₅₀ of approximately 50 μM. Flow cytometric analysis revealed G0/G1 phase arrest accompanied by downregulation of Cyclin D1 and CDK2, and upregulation of p21. Annexin V/Propidium Iodide staining and Western blotting confirmed apoptosis induction through activation of Bax, cleaved caspase-3/9, and poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) cleavage, alongside suppression of Bcl-2. Furthermore, eupatilin markedly decreased both the mRNA expression and enzymatic activities of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP)-2 and MMP-9, indicating its potential to inhibit cancer cell invasion. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that eupatilin exerts potent antiproliferative and anti-invasive effects on OSCC cells via cell-cycle modulation and mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis. This study provides the first evidence of eupatilin’s therapeutic potential against OSCC, suggesting its promise as a natural compound for the development of safer and more effective treatments for oral cancer. Full article

A LaFeO₃/Bi₄Ti₃O₁₂ heterojunction photocatalyst composite was constructed for the removal of tetracycline (TC). The structure, morphology, and elemental composition of the composite were systematically characterized using tools such as XRD, SEM, and XPS. The results from characterization jointly verified the successful construction of a LaFeO₃/Bi₄Ti₃O₁₂ heterojunction. UV–vis DRS analysis further revealed a narrowing of the optical bandgap from 3.29 eV to 2.24 eV, which enhanced visible-light absorption. Characterization via XPS identified the presence of Fe²⁺/Fe³⁺ mixed valence states, while bismuth predominantly existed in the stable Bi³⁺ state. Under simulated sunlight (300 W xenon lamp) irradiation, the photocatalytic performance of LaFeO₃/Bi₄Ti₃O₁₂ was systematically evaluated. The results demonstrated that the LaFeO₃/Bi₄Ti₃O₁₂ composite achieved a removal efficiency of 95% for TC within 120 min, with a reaction rate constant of 0.023 min⁻¹. The construction of heterojunction greatly increased not only the removal efficiency but also the reaction rate. For instance, the first-order reaction rate constants of LaFeO₃/Bi₄Ti₃O₁₂ were 3.8 and 4.7 times higher than those of pure LaFeO₃ and Bi₄Ti₃O₁₂. TC removal by the composite was affected by dosage, initial TC concentration, and pH of the water. The composite exhibited the best performance at a dosage of 1.6 g/L with a pH around 7–8 and an initial TC concentration less than 20 mg/L. Anions such as Cl⁻ and NO₃⁻ had minimal impact on its photocatalytic activity, whereas H₂PO₄⁻, humic acid, showed inhibitory effects. Free radical trapping experiments further confirmed that holes (h⁺) and hydroxyl radicals (·OH) were the primary active species in the process. Full article

This paper presents a novel low-power, high-quality factor, and wide-tunable CMOS active inductor based on the gyrator-C configuration. The G_m-boosting technique is employed to reduce power consumption and noise while enhancing the transconductance. The inclusion of a feedback resistor further improves the quality factor. The designed active inductor operates up to 4.1 GHz, offers a wide inductance tuning range from 4.5 nH to 215 nH, consumes only 1.82 mW at 1.8 V supply, and occupies a compact area of 0.0006 mm². The input-referred current noise is as low as $27\mathrm{p}\mathrm{A}\sqrt{\mathrm{H}\mathrm{z}}$. This study aims to provide an effective solution to the large area requirements of traditional passive inductors, while simultaneously improving key performance parameters with minimal compromise by introducing a novel active inductor design. The proposed design also exhibits superior performance in key specifications compared with existing active inductor implementations. For demonstration purposes, the active inductor is incorporated into a broadband RF amplifier, achieving near-ideal behavior across the 0.8–2.1 GHz. Corner and Monte Carlo analyses, along with temperature sweep and stability analyses, were carried out to validate the reliability and robustness of the proposed design. Results confirm the effectiveness of the G_m-boosted active inductor for high-performance RF applications, making it a promising candidate for 5G and beyond future wireless communication systems. Full article

Lycopene is a naturally potent lipophilic antioxidant, which limits its bioavailability for absorption during intestinal digestion. Therefore, this study utilized a self-emulsifying delivery system (SEDS) to enhance the solubility and bioavailability of lycopene and investigated the effects of nonionic surfactant mixtures at varying hydrophilic–lipophilic balance (HLB) values and surfactant-to-oil ratios (SORs) on SEDS using oleic acid (OA), medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), and sunflower oil (SO) as oil matrices. The resulting water-in-oil-in-water emulsions exhibited droplet sizes (181.70 to 572.27 nm), polydispersity indices (0.29 to 0.86), and ζ-potentials (−22.90 to −53.70 mV), with stability varying according to the type of oil and formulation parameters. Antioxidant activities of SO-based SEDS were higher compared to MCT-based and OA-based ones due to lycopene loading increase. In vitro simulated intestinal digestion revealed differences in lipolysis kinetics, with MCT-based lycopene-loaded SEDS exhibiting enhanced cumulative release and bioaccessibility in the duodenal (1.1–2.1 mEq/g) and jejunal (1.6–2.2 mEq/g) segments. This study revealed a comprehensive strategy encompassing lycopene extracts, SEDS preparation, quality indices, lipolysis dynamics, and proximal intestine solubilization amounts that successfully enhanced lycopene bioavailability. Optimized MCT-based lycopene-loaded SEDS with high HLB (10.72) and SOR (1.00) enhanced hydrophobic bioactive delivery efficiency, offering a novel low-energy strategy for developing functional supplements. Full article

Background: Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is one of the most common and debilitating complications of diabetes mellitus, for which current therapies do not prevent nerve degeneration. Chitosan, a biocompatible polysaccharide with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and lipid-lowering properties, may exert direct neuroprotective effects. This study evaluated the impact of oral administration of chitosan on peripheral nerve function and structure in a murine model of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes. Methods: Male C57BL/6 mice were divided into three groups: Sham, untreated diabetics (T1DM) and diabetics treated with chitosan (150 mg/kg/day, 12 weeks). Metabolic, behavioral (Open Field), nociceptive (Von Frey, Tail-Flick), electrophysiological (compound motor action potential—CMAP) and histological (intraepidermal nerve fiber density—IENF) parameters were analyzed. Results: Chitosan did not significantly modify blood glucose (p = 0.3366), but showed favorable metabolic effects, reducing LDL cholesterol in T1DM+Chitosan vs. T1DM mice (43.75 ± 5.62 mg/dL vs. 82.75 ± 7.65 mg/dL, p < 0.0001) as well as triglycerides (103.5 ± 12.8 mg/dL vs. 175.5 ± 22.8 mg/dL, p < 0.0001). In nociceptive tests, chitosan ameliorated thermal hyperalgesia (Tail-Flick: T1DM 1.25 ± 0.19 s vs. T1DM+Chitosan 1.54 ± 0.16 s; p = 0.0188) and mechanical allodynia (Von Frey: T1DM 0.16 ± 0.07 g vs. T1DM+Chitosan 0.38 ± 0.15 g, p = 0.0103). Electrodiagnostically, chitosan improved CMAP amplitude (T1DM 5.756 ± 0.706 mV vs. T1DM + Chitosan 6.756 ± 0.760 mV, p = 0.0409) and reduced CMAP duration (3.161 ± 0.217 ms vs. 2.900 ± 0.080 ms, p = 0.0273). Histologically, IENF density significantly increased in the treated group (0.01991 ± 0.00246 vs. 0.01512 ± 0.00253 in T1DM; p = 0.0200). Conclusions: Oral administration of chitosan confers functional and structural neuroprotection in STZ-induced diabetic neuropathy despite persistent hyperglycemia. Full article

Textile dye effluents, particularly cationic dyes, pose a major environmental challenge, demanding efficient and sustainable adsorbent materials to remove harmful synthetic dyes. In this study, a reference thiourea–formaldehyde (TU/FA) composite and a series of thiourea–poly(acrylic acid)–formaldehyde (TU/PAA/FA) composites were synthesized and systematically characterized. The composites were prepared by varying the volume of poly(acrylic acid) PAA (from 1 to 7.5 mL) to assess how PAA incorporation influences morphology, crystallinity, surface chemistry, charge, and thermal stability. Analytical techniques including SEM, XRD, FT-IR, particle size distribution, zeta potential, and TGA/DTG revealed that increasing PAA content induced more porous and amorphous microstructures, intensified carbonyl absorption, reduced particle size (optimal at 2.5–5 mL PAA), and shifted the zeta potential from near-neutral to highly negative values (−37 to −41 mV). From TU/PAA/FA composite analysis, it was depicted that the TU/PAA-5/FA material has the better characteristics as a potential cationic dye absorbent. Thus, the adsorption performance of this composite toward crystal violet dye was subsequently investigated and compared to the reference material thiourea–formaldehyde (TU/FA). The TU/PAA-5/FA material exhibited the highest capacity (145 mg/g), nearly twice that of TU/FA (74 mg/g), due to the higher density of carboxylic groups facilitating electrostatic attraction. Adsorption was pH-dependent, maximized at pH 6, and decreased with temperature, confirming an exothermic process. Kinetic data followed a pseudo-second-order model (R² = 0.99), implying chemisorption as the rate-limiting step, while Langmuir isotherms (R² > 0.97) indicated monolayer adsorption. Thermodynamic analysis (ΔH° < 0, ΔS° < 0, ΔG° > 0) further supported an exothermic, non-spontaneous mechanism. Overall, the TU/PAA-5/FA composite combines enhanced structural stability with high adsorption efficiency, highlighting its potential as a promising, low-cost material for the removal of cationic dyes from textile effluents. Full article

Background/Objectives: Breast cancer diagnosis based on histopathological examination remains the most reliable and widely accepted approach in clinical practice, despite being time-consuming and prone to inter-observer variability. While deep learning methods have achieved high accuracy in medical image classification, their cross-site generalization remains limited due to differences in staining protocols and image acquisition. This study aims to evaluate and compare three clinically relevant adaptation strategies to improve model robustness under domain shift. Methods: The ResNet50V2 model, pretrained on ImageNet and further fine-tuned on the Kaggle Breast Histopathology Images dataset, was subsequently adapted to the BreaKHis dataset under three clinically relevant transfer strategies: (i) threshold calibration without retraining (site calibration), (ii) head-only fine-tuning (light FT), and (iii) full fine-tuning (full FT). Experiments were performed on an internal balanced dataset and on the public BreaKHis dataset using strict patient-level splitting to avoid data leakage. Evaluation metrics included accuracy, precision, recall, F1-score, ROC-AUC, and PR-AUC, computed per magnification level (40×, 100×, 200×, 400×). Results: Full fine-tuning consistently yielded the highest performance across all magnifications, reaching up to 0.983 ROC-AUC and 0.980 sensitivity at 400×. At 40× and 100×, the model correctly identified over 90% of malignant cases, with ROC-AUC values of 0.9500 and 0.9332, respectively. Head-only fine-tuning led to moderate gains (e.g., sensitivity up to 0.859 at 200×), while threshold calibration showed limited improvements (ROC-AUC ranging between 0.60–0.73). Grad-CAM analysis revealed more stable and focused attention maps after full fine-tuning, though they did not always align with diagnostically relevant regions. Conclusions: Our findings confirm that full fine-tuning is essential for robust cross-site deployment of histopathology AI systems, particularly at high magnifications. Lighter strategies such as threshold calibration or head-only fine-tuning may serve as practical alternatives in resource-constrained environments where retraining is not feasible. Full article

Background/Objectives: Low-pH treatment of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) is commonly employed to inactivate enveloped viruses following Protein A capture chromatography. However, this treatment can sometimes induce conformational changes and aggregation in pH-sensitive proteins. This study investigates the stabilizing effects of four compendial excipients—mannitol, sorbitol, trehalose, and sucrose—on aggregation, as well as on the conformational and colloidal stability of pembrolizumab (IgG₄) and denosumab (IgG₂) in the context of low-pH viral inactivation (VI) operations. Methods: Following Protein A chromatography, pembrolizumab and denosumab were subjected to low-pH incubation and neutralization to mimic the conditions encountered in the VI step. Excipients (10% w/v) were added to the eluate, and aggregation was assessed post-neutralization. Effects on conformational stability (measured by thermal unfolding) and colloidal stability (via diffusion interaction parameter K_D) were investigated. Additionally, the impact of excipients on the dynamic binding capacity of the cation-exchange (CIEX) column was evaluated. Results: All tested excipients significantly reduced aggregation of both mAbs during low-pH incubation. For instance, mannitol reduced aggregation by sixfold in pembrolizumab and by threefold in denosumab. These additives enhanced conformational stability, as evidenced by the increased melting temperatures (Tm), with a pronounced stabilizing effect on the CH2 domain at low pH. Furthermore, the presence of sugars and polyols was associated with higher K_D values, indicating improved colloidal stability under acidic conditions. Importantly, adding these sugars or polyols did not impact the dynamic binding capacity of the CIEX column used in subsequent processing. Conclusions: This study offers valuable insights and supports the rational use of polyols and sugars for stabilizing mAbs during the low-pH VI step. Full article

The growing demand for precision diagnostics in cystic fibrosis and other genetic disorders, such as cancers, is driving the need for sequencing platforms that combine analytical robustness, scalability, and cost-efficiency. In this study, we performed a direct comparison between two leading Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) platforms, MiSeq (Illumina, CA, USA) and DNBSEQ-G99RS (MGI Tech Co., Shenzhen, China), using a CE-IVD-certified CFTR panel (Devyser AB), selected for its complexity and variant spectrum, including SNVs, CNVs, and intronic polymorphisms. A total of 47 genomic DNA samples from routine clinical activity were analyzed on both platforms. Illumina sequencing covered all CFTR variants using standard workflows, while MGI data were generated from residual diagnostic DNA, with informed consent. Sequencing data were processed using Amplicon Suite v3.7.0 for variant calling, annotation, and ACMG classification. Quality control metrics and platform-specific parameters were also evaluated. Both platforms demonstrated complete concordance in variant detection, including SNVs, CNVs, and complex alleles (e.g., Poly-T/TG). Illumina exhibited slightly superior basecalling quality and allelic frequency uniformity, while MGI achieved higher sequencing depth (mean ~2793×) and demultiplexing efficiency. No false positives, false negatives, or discordant HGVS annotations were observed. The use of full-gene CFTR sequencing enabled granular and technically rigorous cross-platform validation. These findings confirm the analytical equivalence of Illumina and MGI for diagnostic genotyping. Moreover, MGI’s greater data output and flow cell capacity may offer tangible advantages in high-throughput settings, including somatic applications such as liquid biopsy and molecular oncology workflows. Full article

Gly m 4, a soybean PR-10 allergen, is known to trigger systemic allergic reactions. However, the intrinsic sensitizing potential of the allergen remains unclear. Adjuvant-free murine models of sensitization to Gly m 4 might help to investigate mechanisms of a soy allergy and establish relevant in vivo platforms for developing novel allergen-specific immunotherapy strategies. BALB/c mice were sensitized to Gly m 4 via intraperitoneal (i.p.), subcutaneous (s.c.), or intranasal (i.n.) routes, with or without adjuvant (alum or lipopolysaccharide (LPS)). In order to assess sensitization, we evaluated levels of allergen-specific IgE, IgG1, IgG2a, systemic anaphylaxis, rat basophil (RBL) degranulation, and cytokine/chemokine profiles in mouse sera. I.n. exposure with or without LPS proved to be ineffective and did not elicit sensitization. I.p. and s.c. routes of sensitization with and without alum induced a Th2-skewed response, which was demonstrated by high levels of IgE and IgG1, systemic anaphylaxis, and IgE-mediated degranulation of RBL cells. Adjuvant-free i.p. administration led to a shift in cytokine production, with reduced levels of proinflammatory (IL-1α/IL-6) cytokines and increased levels of Th2-associated (IL-13/GM-CSF) ones. Thus, adjuvant-free murine models validated the intrinsic sensitizing capacity of Gly m 4. Moreover, Gly m 4 demonstrated similar immunogenic profiles to Bet v 1 in alum-based models. It is the first evidence that soybean Gly m 4 can induce in vivo allergic sensitization in mice without adjuvants, particularly via i.p. and s.c. routes. Established adjuvant-free murine models offer a relevant tool for studying soy allergy and developing targeted immunotherapy. Full article

Background/Objectives: Genomic profiling guides treatment in metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer (mNSCLC), yet country-level data from Türkiye remain limited. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed consecutive patients with mNSCLC diagnosed between January 2018 and March 2025 across tertiary centers in all seven regions. Variables included demographics, smoking, histology, testing modality (single-gene vs. next-generation sequencing [NGS]), targetable genomic alterations (TGAs) and co-mutations, and programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) tumor proportion score. Results: Among 1023 patients (mean age 64 years; 76.4% male), tobacco exposure was frequent (mean 42.1 pack-years); 16.9% were never-smokers. NGS use increased over time, exceeding 90% by 2025. TGAs were detected in 28.3% (EGFR 16.0%, ALK 5.0%, KRAS G12C 2.6%, BRAF V600E 3.2%; ROS1, MET exon 14, HER2, NTRK ≤ 2.5%; no RET). EGFR alterations occurred in 19% of non-squamous carcinomas and 6% of squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs), suggesting an intermediate East–West pattern. Among NGS-tested samples, TP53 was the most frequent co-mutation (33.1%), followed by alterations in CDKN2A, PIK3CA, FGFR, STK11, and KEAP1. Conclusions: In this large, multicenter Turkish real-world cohort, the TGA spectrum broadly mirrors global patterns while revealing local nuances; EGFR mutations were more frequent than expected in SCC, and nationwide NGS adoption is accelerating. Limitations include retrospective design, non-centralized PD-L1 testing, and missing data. Prospective, standardized studies integrating outcomes and resistance mechanisms are warranted to refine regional precision oncology. Full article

To address the bottleneck of insufficient broadband sound insulation performance of traditional sound insulation materials at the subwavelength scale, this paper designs a composite subwavelength sound insulation unit (size: 20 mm × 20 mm × 5 mm) composed of Ti₃C₂T_x MXene, and PZT-5H piezoelectric ceramics, and porous aluminum alloy. Based on the electromagnetic-structural-acoustic multi-physics field coupling theory, the regulation laws of external electric field intensity and effect of MXene layer number on sound insulation performance are systematically investigated via numerical simulation, and the sound insulation enhancement mechanism dominated by dielectric tunability is clarified. The results show that the dielectric constant of MXene increases monotonically with the external electric field intensity, and the optimal regulation sensitivity is achieved when the layer number N = 3; when the electric field intensity increases from 0 V to 500 V, the equivalent density of the system increases from 1.25 g/cm³ to 1.87 g/cm³, the acoustic impedance increases from 3.42 × 10⁶ Pa·s/m³ to 5.13 × 10⁶ Pa·s/m³, the average transmission loss TL in the 200–600 Hz frequency band is increased by 2 dB compared with the state without electric field, and the sound pressure on the transmission side is reduced by 3.56% at 400 Hz; the vibration displacement of PZT decreases from 0.0055 mm to nearly 0 mm with the increase in electric field, and the electric field energy density increases from 0 J/m³ to 7.47056 × 10³ J/m³, verifying the core mechanism of converting electromagnetic energy into structural damping through dielectric loss. This study supplements parameter sensitivity analysis and literature benchmark comparison to compensate for the lack of experimental data, confirming the stability and rationality of the simulation results. The established cross-field coupling framework of “dielectric regulation–density optimization–impedance matching–sound insulation enhancement” fills the theoretical gap of the coupling mechanism of MXene in the field of subwavelength sound insulation, and provides new theoretical and technical pathways for the design of broadband active sound insulation materials in the 200–1000 Hz frequency range. Full article

This study aimed to extract rice bran oil rich in γ-oryzanol from white (WB) and parboiled rice bran (PB) using ultrasound as a pre-treatment to supercritical fluid extraction (US + SFE), supercritical fluid extraction (SFE), and conventional solvent extraction. PB oil exhibited superior quality compared to WB, with low free fatty acid (FFA) levels and higher γ-oryzanol content. PB oil extracted by US + SFE achieved a yield of 18.2 ± 0.4%, γ-oryzanol content of 1.53 ± 0.19 g 100 g⁻¹, and low FFA content (0.27 ± 0.01%), showing improved oil quality compared to SFE (yield 13.5 ± 0.3%, γ-oryzanol 1.13 ± 0.08%, FFA 0.55 ± 0.01%) and conventional extraction (yield 25.0 ± 1.3%, γ-oryzanol 2.03 ± 0.04%, FFA 1.12 ± 0.01%). The US + SFE oil also showed lower peroxide value (1.7 mEq kg⁻¹) and preserved fatty acid profiles containing palmitic, oleic, and linoleic acids. US induced structural disruption in bran, enhancing oil release. Additionally, chitosan–gelatin nanoemulsions were developed to protect the extracted oil. Formulations exhibited droplet sizes of 119–352 nm, polydispersity indices below 0.3, and zeta potentials from –12.4 to 38.8 mV. Gelatin-based nanoemulsions maintained FFAs at 0.56 ± 0.2% and peroxide values at 4.71 ± 0.2 mEq kg⁻¹ over 90 days, demonstrating superior oxidative stability. These results highlight the potential of US and SFE combined with nanostructured delivery systems to valorize agro-industrial byproducts and develop stable, functional ingredients and drug carrier systems. Full article