Search Results (37)

Ternary metal chalcogenide quantum dots (QDs), such as CuInS₂, have attracted significant attention due to their lower toxicity compared to binary counterparts containing cadmium or lead, making them promising candidates for biomedical imaging and solar energy applications. The surfactant choice is critical for controlling nanocrystal nucleation, growth kinetics, and functionalization. This directly affects the toxicity and applications of QDs. In this work, we report a synthesis protocol for PVP-capped CuInS₂ QDs in an aqueous solution. Using density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we predicted the coordination patterns of PVP on the CuInS₂ QDs surface, providing insights into the stabilization mechanism. The synthesized QDs were characterized using TEM, XRD, XPS, and FTIR to assess their morphology, chemical composition, and surface chemistry. The QDs exhibited dual photoluminescence (PL) maxima at 550 nm and 680 nm, attributed to defect-related emissions, making them suitable for cell imaging applications. Cytotoxicity studies and cell imaging experiments demonstrate the excellent biocompatibility and effective staining capabilities of the PVP-capped CuInS₂ QDs, highlighting their potential as fluorescent probes for long-term, multicolor cell imaging including two-photon microscopy. Full article

Backgrounds: The rapid initiation of highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) can control HIV-1 viremia and stabilize the long-term health of people living with HIV-1 (PLWH). Despite this, individuals who are diagnosed late and exhibit poor therapeutic efficacy still pose a great challenge to global HIV management. To address this, we conducted comprehensive multiparametric immune profiling and analyzed its association with disease progression and therapeutic efficacy. Methods: Multicolor flow cytometry was used to characterize the circulating immune cell composition and cellular phenotypes in 40 treatment-naive individuals (16 chronic, 24 newly diagnosed), 26 HAART-treated individuals, and 18 healthy controls. Comparative analyses of T cell subsets, immune activation markers, and viral load signatures were performed, followed by network construction. We carried out principal component analysis and displayed the data by dimensionality reduction. Results: Persistent immune activation, dysregulated regulatory immunity, and aberrant memory differentiation markers were identified in T cells of HIV-1-infected individuals and were associated with disease progression. Additionally, HAART-treated patients which did not fully restore CD4 T cells exhibited higher levels of activated markers, suggesting possible biomarkers of therapeutic efficacy. Conclusions: This study describes changes in immune cell profiles throughout HIV-1 disease progression and explores suitable laboratory predictors for future clinical and therapeutic settings by monitoring pathological immune cell events. Full article

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) presents significant treatment challenges due to its desmoplastic reaction, which impedes therapeutic effectiveness, highlighting the need for advanced vitro models to better mimic the complex tumor environment. The current three-dimensional co-culture models of fibroblasts and endothelial cells are lacking, which presents a challenge for performing more comprehensive in vitro research. Our study developed triple co-culture spheroid models using MiaPaCa-2 and BxPC-3 cancer cell lines, with RLT-PSC and hPSC21 pancreatic stellate cell lines and the endothelial cell line HMEC-1. These models were assessed through growth assays, multicolor flow cytometry to optimize cell ratios, cell viability assays to evaluate drug responses, and a tube formation assay with a spheroid-conditioned medium to examine angiogenesis. Our triple co-culture spheroids effectively replicate the PDAC microenvironment, showing significant variations in drug responses influenced by cellular composition, density, and spatial arrangement. The tube formation assay showcased the potential of our models to quantitatively assess a treatment-induced angiogenic response. These cost-effective triple-co-culture in vitro spheroid models provide vital insights into the PDAC microenvironment, significantly improving the quality of the in vitro evaluation of treatment responses. Full article

Elymus sibiricus, valued for its perennial nature, broad adaptability, strong cold tolerance, and high economic value in forage production, plays a crucial role in combating grassland degradation, desertification, and salinization. Using morphological and cytogenetic methods, this study evaluated the cold tolerance, post-harvest regeneration capacity, and perennial characteristics of the E. sibiricus accession 20HSC-Z9 in the Harbin region of China from 2020 to 2023. This accession exhibited a germination rate of over 90% and a 100% green-up rate, with purple coleoptiles indicating its strong cold tolerance. Over the three growing seasons, 20HSC-Z9 maintained stable green-up and regeneration rates, confirming its perennial nature. Morphologically, 20HSC-Z9 had an average tiller count ranging from 56 to 74, similar to that of the control accession 20HSC-ES, and its plant height was significantly lower than that of 20HSC-IWG. Furthermore, 20HSC-Z9 produced over 100 grains per spike, with a seed setting rate exceeding 90%, and a thousand-grain weight comparable to that of 20HSC-IWG. The grain protein content of 20HSC-Z9 reached a maximum of 21.19%, greater than that of the control accessions (15.6% and 18.5%). Chromosome composition analysis, using sequential multicolor genomic in situ hybridization and multicolor fluorescence in situ hybridization, confirmed the StStHH genomic constitution of 20HSC-Z9 and revealed translocations between the St and H subgenome chromosomes. These results suggest that 20HSC-Z9 has significant potential as a new perennial forage grass germplasm for cold regions, suitable for further domestication and breeding efforts. Full article

The immune system likely plays a key role in Parkinson’s disease (PD) pathophysiology. Thus, we investigated whether immune cell compositions are already altered in healthy individuals at high genetic risk for PD. We quantified 92 immune cell subtypes in the blood of 442 individuals using multicolor flow cytometry. Polygenic risk scores (PGS) for PD were calculated based on genome-wide significant SNPs (n = 87) from a large genome-wide association study (n = 1,530,403). Linear regression analyses did not reveal significant associations between PGS and any immune cell subtype (FDR = 0.05). Nominally significant associations were observed for NKG2C+ B cells (p = 0.026) in the overall sample. Older participants at increased genetic PD risk also showed a higher proportion of myeloid dendritic cells (p = 0.019) and CD27+CD4+ memory T cells (p = 0.043). Several immune cells were nominally statistically associated in women only. These findings suggest that major alterations of immune cells only occur later in the progression of PD. Full article

The dermoscopic rainbow pattern (RP), also known as polychromatic pattern, is characterized by a multicolored appearance, resulting from the dispersion of polarized light as it penetrates various tissue components. Its separation into different wavelengths occurs according to the physics principles of scattering, absorption, and interference of light, creating the optical effect of RP. Even though the RP is regarded as a highly specific dermoscopic indicator of Kaposi’s sarcoma, in the medical literature, it has also been documented as an atypical dermoscopic finding of other non-Kaposi skin entities. We aim to present two distinct cases—a pigmented basal cell carcinoma (pBCC) and an aneurysmatic dermatofibroma—that exhibited RP in dermoscopy and to conduct a thorough review of skin conditions that display RP, revealing any predisposing factors that could increase the likelihood of its occurrence in certain lesions. We identified 33 case reports and large-scale studies with diverse entities characterized by the presence of RP, including skin cancers (Merkel cell carcinoma, BCC, melanoma, etc.), adnexal tumors, special types of nevi (blue, deep penetrating), vascular lesions (acroangiodermatitis, strawberry angioma, angiokeratoma, aneurismatic dermatofibromas, etc.), granulation tissue, hypertrophic scars and fibrous lesions, skin infections (sporotrichosis and cutaneous leishmaniasis), and inflammatory dermatoses (lichen simplex and stasis dermatitis). According to our results, the majority of the lesions exhibiting the RP were located on the extremities. Identified precipitating factors included the nodular shape, lesion composition and vascularization, skin pigmentation, and lesions’ depth and thickness. These parameters lead to increased scattering and interference of light, producing a spectrum of colors that resemble a rainbow. Full article

With the growth of the Myanmar spinel market in recent years, spinels of colors other than red, including gray spinels, have gained increasing popularity. In this study, we performed conventional gemological, spectroscopic, and chemical analyses on the less commonly studied gray, red, pink, and purple spinels from Mogok in Myanmar to investigate their chemical composition and color mechanisms. The Raman and FTIR spectral analyses indicated that the samples contained oxides of Mg-Al end-members and that the spectral peak positions of different colors were essentially the same. According to the major, minor, and trace elements of samples determined via EPMA and LA-ICP-MS, the purple and gray samples had the most prominent Fe contents, the red spinels had the highest Cr contents, and the pink samples had high V+Cr contents, with a certain amount of Fe. The UV–visible spectra indicated that the absorption spectrum of the gray samples was predominantly influenced by the Fe_tot content, particularly Fe²⁺. The color rendering of the purple spinels was also intimately associated with Fe. The absorption spectrum of the gray spinels was weaker but more concentrated at 458 nm than that of the purple varieties. Cr³⁺ and V³⁺ in the red spinels produced broad bands near 400 nm and 540 nm, respectively, while light pink spinels exhibited Cr³⁺ and V³⁺ absorption spectra but featured an additional absorption band at 460 nm due to Fe. This study complements other research on the coloration mechanisms of multi-color spinels from Mogok, especially gray spinels. Full article

A strategy centered on dynamically tunable excited-state proton transfer (ESPT) processes is proposed for the design and synthesis of luminescent compounds. An emitter based on guanidine-substituted 1,8-naphthalimide (R-1) with ESPT characteristics has been meticulously engineered. Upon incorporation into poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) matrices, the tunable ESPT process, transitioning between blue and yellow-green emission within the composite film, can be precisely controlled through irradiation in different pH environments. Moreover, the luminescence of the R-1/PMMA composite film exhibits variations in response to environmental changes, and demonstrates excellent fatigue resistance. Exploiting this characteristic, information such as “2020” can be encoded, and this encoded information automatically manifests in response to fluctuations in external pH. Specifically, employing a designated method is essential for accurately deciphering the information. The pH-dependent nature of this feature imparts a higher level of security to the material and offers new insights into information encryption. Full article

Excitation wavelength controllable lanthanide upconversion allows for real-time manipulation of luminescent color in a composition-fixed material, which has been proven to be conducive to a variety of applications, such as optical anti-counterfeiting and information security. However, current available materials highly rely on the elaborate core–shell structure in order to ensure efficient excitation-dependent energy transfer routes. Herein, multicolor upconversion luminescence in response to both near-infrared I and near-infrared II (NIR-I and NIR-II) excitations is realized in a novel but simple NaYGeO₄:Yb³⁺/Er³⁺ phosphor. The remarkably enhanced red emission ratio under 1532 nm excitation, compared with that under 980 nm excitation, could be attributed to the Yb³⁺-mediated cross-relaxation energy transfers. Moreover, multi-wavelength excitable temperature-dependent (295–823 K) upconversion luminescence realizes a ratiometric thermometry relying on the thermally coupled levels (TCLs) of Er³⁺. Detailed investigations demonstrate that changing excitation wavelength makes little difference for the performances of TCL-based ratiometric thermometry of NaYGeO₄:Yb³⁺/Er³⁺. These findings gain more insights to manipulate cross-relaxations for excitation controllable upconversion in single activator doped materials and benefit the cognition of the effect of excitation wavelength on ratiometric luminescence thermometry. Full article

Rare earth and transition metal ion-doped CaZnOS has garnered significant attention for its exceptional mechanoluminescence (ML) performance under mild mechanical stimuli and its capability for multicolor emissions. Since powdered phosphors are not directly usable, they require encapsulation within with polymers to create stable structures. This study investigates Mn²⁺-doped CaZnOS (CaZnOS:Mn²⁺) as the ML phosphor, optimizing its performance by varying the Mn²⁺ content, resulting in bright orange-red emissions from the d-d transitions of the Mn²⁺ activator. A quantum efficiency of 59.08% was achieved through the self-sensitization of the matrix lattice and energy transfer to the Mn²⁺ luminescent centers. The enhancement in ML due to Mn²⁺ doping is attributed to the reduced trap depth and increased trap concentration. Encapsulation with four polymers—PDMS, PU, SIL, and RTV-2—was explored to further optimize ML performance. Among these, PDMS provides the best ML output and sensitivity, owing to its slightly cross-linked structure and good triboelectric properties. The optimized CaZnOS:0.03Mn²⁺/PDMS composite, featuring excellent flexibility and recoverability, shows great potential for applications in anti-counterfeiting encryption, stress sensors, and wearable devices. Full article

Inorganic CsPbX₃ (X = Cl, Br, I) perovskite quantum dots (PQDs) have attracted widespread attention due to their excellent optical properties and extensive application prospects. However, their inherent structural instability significantly hinders their practical application despite their outstanding optical performance. To enhance stability, an in situ electrospinning strategy was used to synthesize CsPbX₃/polyacrylonitrile composite nanofibers. By optimizing process parameters (e.g., halide ratio, electrospinning voltage, and heat treatment temperature), all-inorganic CsPbX₃ PQDs have been successfully grown in a polyacrylonitrile (PAN) matrix. During the electrospinning process, the rapid solidification of electrospun fibers not only effectively constrained the formation of large-sized PQDs but also provided effective physical protection for PQDs, resulting in the improvement in the water stability of PQDs by minimizing external environmental interference. Even after storage in water for over 100 days, the PQDs maintained approximately 93.5% of their photoluminescence intensity. Through the adjustment of halogen elements, the as-obtained composite nanofibers exhibited color-tunable luminescence in the visible light region, and based on this, a series of multicolor anti-counterfeiting patterns were fabricated. Additionally, benefiting from the excellent water stability and optical performance, the CsPbBr₃/PAN composite film was combined with red-emitting K₂SiF₆:Mn⁴⁺ (KSF) on a blue LED (460 nm), producing a stable and efficient WLED device with a color temperature of around 6000 K and CIE coordinates of (0.318, 0.322). These results provide a general approach to synthesizing PQDs/polymer nanocomposites with excellent water stability and multicolor emission, thereby promoting their practical applications in multifunctional optoelectronic devices and advanced anti-counterfeiting. Full article

Using multi-color flow cytometry analysis, we studied the immunophenotypical differences between leukemic cells from patients with AML/MDS and hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) from patients in complete remission (CR) following their successful treatment. The panel of markers included CD34, CD38, CD45RA, CD123 as representatives for a hierarchical hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell (HSPC) classification as well as programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1). Rather than restricting the evaluation on a 2- or 3-dimensional analysis, we applied a t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding (t-SNE) approach to obtain deeper insight and segregation between leukemic cells and normal HPSCs. For that purpose, we created a t-SNE map, which resulted in the visualization of 27 cell clusters based on their similarity concerning the composition and intensity of antigen expression. Two of these clusters were “leukemia-related” containing a great proportion of CD34⁺/CD38⁻ hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) or CD34⁺ cells with a strong co-expression of CD45RA/CD123, respectively. CD34⁺ cells within the latter cluster were also highly positive for PD-L1 reflecting their immunosuppressive capacity. Beyond this proof of principle study, the inclusion of additional markers will be helpful to refine the differentiation between normal HSPCs and leukemic cells, particularly in the context of minimal disease detection and antigen-targeted therapeutic interventions. Furthermore, we suggest a protocol for the assignment of new cell ensembles in quantitative terms, via a numerical value, the Pearson coefficient, based on a similarity comparison of the t-SNE pattern with a reference. Full article

Efficient control over lanthanide luminescence by regulating excitations offers a real-time and reversible luminescence-managing strategy, which is of great importance and highly desirable for various applications, including multicolor display and information encryption. Herein, we studied the crystal structure, luminescence properties, and mechanisms of undoped and Tb³⁺/Eu³⁺-doped CaZrO₃ in detail. The intrinsic purple-blue luminescence from host CaZrO₃ and the introduced green/red luminescence from guest dopants Tb³⁺/Eu³⁺ were found to have different excitation mechanisms and, therefore, different excitation wavelength ranges. This enables the regulation of luminescent color through controlling the excitation wavelengths of Tb³⁺/Eu³⁺-doped CaZrO₃. Furthermore, preliminary applications for information encryption with these materials were demonstrated using portable UV lamps of 254 and 302 nm. This study not only promotes the development of multicolor luminescence regulation in fixed-composition materials, but also advances the practical applications of lanthanide luminescent materials in visually readable, high-level anti-counterfeiting and information encryption. Full article

Bubaline alphaherpesvirus-1 (BuAHV-1) and Bovine alphaherpesvirus-1 (BoAHV-1) are respiratory viruses that can cause an infection known as “Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis” (IBR) in both water buffalo and bovine species. As the main disease control strategy, vaccination can protect animals from clinical disease through the development of specific humoral and cell-mediated immune responses. In the present study, the time-related circulatory kinetics of hematological profile and bubaline monocyte subsets have been investigated in vaccinated buffalo calves after challenge infections with BuAHV-1. Thirteen buffalo calves were selected and grouped into the VAX-1 group, which received an IBR-live-attenuated gE-/tk-deleted marker vaccine; the VAX-2 group, which received an IBR-inactivated gE-deleted marker vaccine; the CNT group, which remained an unvaccinated control. Fifty-five days after the first vaccination, the animals were infected with 5 × 10^5.00 TCID₅₀/mL of wild-type BuAHV-1 strain via the intranasal route. Whole blood samples were collected at 0, 2, 4, 7, 10, 15, 30, and 63 days post-challenge (PCDs) for the analysis of hematological profiles and the enumeration of monocyte subsets via flow cytometry. The analysis of leukocyte compositions revealed that neutrophils were the main leukocyte population, with a relative increase during the acute infection. On the other hand, a general decrease in the proportion of lymphocytes was observed early in the post-infection, both for the VAX-1 and VAX-2 groups, while in the CNT group, the decrease was observed later at +30 and +63 PCDs. An overall infection-induced increase in blood total monocytes was observed in all groups. The rise was especially marked in the animals vaccinated with an IBR-live-attenuated gE-/tK-deleted marker vaccine (VAX-1 group). A multicolor flow cytometry panel was used to identify the bubaline monocyte subpopulations (classical = cM; intermediate = intM; and non-classical = ncM) and to investigate their variations during BuAHV-1 infection. Our results showed an early increase in cMs followed by a second wave of intMs. This increase was observed mainly after stimulation with live-attenuated viruses in the VAX-1 group compared with the animals vaccinated with the inactivated vaccine or the non-vaccinated animal group. In summary, the present study characterized, for the first time, the hematological profile and distribution of blood monocyte subsets in vaccinated and non-vaccinated water buffalo in response to experimental infection with BuAHV-1. Although not experimentally proven, our results support the hypothesis of a linear developmental relationship between monocyte subsets. Full article

The use of materials for computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) has been rapidly increasing in daily practice. However, one of the main issues regarding modern CAD/CAM materials is their aging in the oral environment, which may lead to significant changes in their overall properties. The aim of this study was to compare the flexural strength, water sorption, cross-link density (softening ratio%), surface roughness, and SEM analysis of three modern CAD/CAM “multicolor” composites. Grandio (Grandio disc multicolor—VOCO GmbH, Cuxhaven, Germany), Shofu (Shofu Block HC—Shofu Inc., Kyoto, Japan), and Vita (Vita Enamic multiColor—Vita Zahnfabrik, Bad Sackingen, Germany) were tested in this study. They were prepared in stick-shaped specimens and submitted to different tests after several aging protocols, such as thermocycling and mechanical cycle loading challenge. Further disc-shaped specimens were also created and tested for water sorption, cross-link density, surface roughness, and SEM ultramorphology, before and after storage in an ethanol-based solution. For flexural strength and ultimate tensile strength, Grandio showed the greatest values both at baseline and after aging (p < 0.05). Grandio and Vita Enamic presented the highest modulus of elasticity and the lowest water sorption (p < 0.05). A significant reduction (p < 0.05) in microhardness after ethanol storage (softening ratio%) was observed especially in Shofu. Grandio had the lowest roughness parameters compared to the other tested CAD/CAM materials, while ethanol storage significantly increased the Ra and RSm values in Shofu (p < 0.05). Despite the comparable modulus of elasticity of Vita and Grandio, this latter showed greater flexural strength and ultimate tensile strength both at baseline and after aging. Hence, Grandio and Vita Enamic may be employed for the anterior teeth and for those restorations requiring load-bearing capacity. Conversely, aging seems to affect several properties of Shofu, so its use for permanent restorations should be well-pondered based on the clinical situation. Full article