Search Results (420)

Background/Objectives: The management of moderate-to-severe psoriasis in patients with a recent history of internal malignancy is a clinical challenge, as systemic immunosuppressive therapies are often avoided because of concerns about cancer recurrence. While Psoralen and Ultraviolet A (PUVA) photochemotherapy remains a valuable non-immunosuppressive alternative, regional variations in therapeutic response are not well-characterized in this population. This study aimed to evaluate total and segmental Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) responses to PUVA in patients with chronic plaque psoriasis and recent internal organ malignancy. Methods: This prospective, single-center, real-world cohort study enrolled 20 adults with moderate-to-severe chronic plaque psoriasis and a recent (<5 years) diagnosis of internal organ malignancy in complete remission. Participants received oral PUVA three times weekly for up to 30 sessions. Primary and secondary outcomes included changes in total PASI, segmental PASI (head/neck, trunk, upper limbs, and lower limbs), and Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) at baseline, completion of therapy, and 6 months post-treatment. Results: PUVA led to a significant reduction in mean total PASI from 18.6 ± 3.2 at baseline to 5.7 ± 6.0 at treatment completion (69% reduction; p < 0.001). However, regional responses differed significantly: the head and neck improved the most (80.4%), followed by the trunk (72.2%) and upper limbs (72.3%), while the lower limbs showed the weakest response (59.5%; p < 0.001). At baseline, trunk contributed the most to total PASI (38%), while post-treatment, lower-limb lesions accounted for approximately 47% of the remaining total disease burden, showing the highest contribution to total PASI of all body regions. At 6 months, the lower limbs remained the most affected area, with significantly lower improvement (52.9%) compared to other regions. Mean DLQI also improved significantly from 17.2 ± 2.8 to 5.6 ± 2.6 (p < 0.001). Conclusions: PUVA is an effective and safe treatment for patients with psoriasis and a recent history of malignancy. Nevertheless, lower-limb psoriasis is relatively recalcitrant and contributes disproportionately to residual disease burden and relapse. These findings support the use of regional PASI assessment to guide individualized management and clinical expectations in this complex patient group. Full article

A structurally simple three-layer optical absorber is proposed and systematically investigated, consisting of a continuous Ti ground plane, a SiO₂ dielectric spacer, and a Ti tetrahedral nanostructure. The absorber is constructed on a periodic square unit cell, where the lateral dimension directly determines the base width and sidewall inclination angle of the tetrahedral structure, thereby enabling effective modulation of the optical response. Full-wave electromagnetic simulations performed using COMSOL Multiphysics (version 6.0) are employed to evaluate the influence of geometric parameters on broadband absorption behavior. The optimized structure achieves a near-unity absorptivity of 0.9999 at 200 nm and maintains an effective absorption bandwidth (absorptivity > 0.9) spanning 200–3000 nm, covering the ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared spectral regions. Parametric analysis reveals that the tetrahedral height primarily governs long-wavelength extension through enhanced optical path length, graded-index transition, and improved electromagnetic field confinement, while the unit cell width strongly influences impedance matching and localized field localization. In contrast, the Ti ground layer thickness exhibits minimal influence once it exceeds the optical skin depth, confirming its primary role as a transmission-blocking reflective substrate. Impedance retrieval analysis shows that the real part of the normalized impedance remains close to unity and the imaginary part approaches zero over most of the operating range, demonstrating that the ultrabroadband absorption behavior is dominated by effective impedance matching rather than isolated narrowband resonances. Furthermore, electric and magnetic field distribution analyses reveal that electromagnetic energy dissipation is concentrated near the tetrahedral apex and metal–dielectric interfaces, indicating the coexistence of localized plasmonic modes, cavity-assisted absorption, and multi-scale optical confinement. Full article

The ionosphere is the ionized region of the atmosphere, extending roughly from 60 km to 1000 km in altitude. During flares, the near-Earth space is subjected to high-energy X-ray and EUV (extreme ultraviolet radiation) radiation, which also impacts the ionosphere. The changes in the ionospheric parameters measured by ionosondes, namely the f_min (minimum frequency) and foF2 (F2-layer ordinary-mode critical frequency) values, were examined during solar flares that occurred in geomagnetically quiet conditions (Dst (Disturbance Storm Time index) > −40 nT, Kp (planetary K-index) < 4). The necessary data were obtained by manually evaluating ionograms recorded by the Czech DPS4D ionosonde at Pruhonice (PQ052). The degree of variation was compared to quiet reference days, allowing for the determination of the deviations in the required values (df_min, dfoF2). The time series of the deviations were investigated. Furthermore, the relationship between the deviations and a “geoeffectiveness” parameter of the solar flare was also examined. The X-ray flux, the solar zenith angle of the station at the time of the event, and the position of the flare on the solar disk were also taken into account for the determination of the “geoeffectiveness” parameter. A positive correlation was observed between df_min and the geoeffectiveness parameter of the flare, which was more significant than the correlation between the dfoF2 and the geoeffectiveness parameter. Full article

To reveal the long-term anti-aging mechanisms of rubber–plastic elastomer-modified asphalt in complex service environments and overcome the inherent defects of single polymer modifiers—namely their susceptibility to degradation or phase separation—this study prepared styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS), low Mooney rubber (LMMR), and low-density polyethylene (LDPE)-modified asphalts. Simultaneously, an LMMR-LDPE rubber–plastic thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) was fabricated utilizing twin-screw extrusion technology and subsequently used to prepare a composite-modified asphalt. Three aging protocols were simulated: short-term thermo-oxidative aging (RTFOT), long-term pressure aging (PAV), and ultraviolet light aging (UV). A multi-scale quantitative characterization was conducted using a dynamic shear rheometer, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy to evaluate the rutting factor, carbonyl index, and surface microroughness of each system before and after aging. The experimental results indicate that the coupled effect of long-term stress and thermal oxidation causes the most severe damage to the colloidal structure of modified asphalt. Conventional SBS-modified asphalt, due to its abundance of unsaturated double bonds, exhibits a sharp increase in the carbonyl index and aging index of the rutting factor after aging, making it highly susceptible to oxidative chain scission. Although LDPE-modified asphalt possesses chemical inertness, it is prone to crystalline phase separation under aging conditions, resulting in a microroughness distortion rate of up to 86.36%. In contrast, the LMMR-LDPE composite system, leveraging the high chemical stability of the saturated aliphatic carbon chain and the flexibility-enhancing and crystallization-inhibiting effects of LMMR, effectively reduces active oxidation sites and improves interfacial compatibility. This composite system exhibits the lowest carbonyl increment and rheological attenuation under all aging conditions, while effectively inhibiting the free migration and agglomeration of macromolecular components. The LMMR-LDPE composite modification technology effectively overcomes the inherent drawbacks of single polymers, such as susceptibility to degradation or segregation, demonstrating excellent long-term macroscopic rheological stability and microscopic phase morphology anti-aging capability. The present findings provide laboratory-scale mechanistic support for the design of durable rubber–plastic-modified asphalt systems, while further pilot-scale, economic, and field validation is still required before practical engineering application can be fully assessed. Full article

The dielectric response provides an integral description of polarization mechanisms across frequency ranges and constitutes a key physical basis for understanding ferroelectric behavior. Here, we systematically investigate the broadband dielectric response of Group-II metal oxide (BeO, MgO, CaO, ZnO, and CdO) monolayers using first-principles calculation. In the low-frequency regime, ionic polarization governs the dielectric response. A distinctive feature is the LO–TO degeneracy at the Γ point accompanied by a V-shaped nonanalytic LO phonon dispersion. d-state hybridization increases with the metal atomic number, resulting in higher Born effective charge, which works together with phonon softening, reduced mass and unit cell area to significantly strengthen the ionic dielectric contribution. The quasiparticle band gap decreases with the metal atomic number, driving redshifts of the dielectric function and wide band optical response from the deep-ultraviolet to the near-infrared. Particularly, CdO exhibits the strongest electronic polarization, with an optical dielectric constant of 2.68 and a static refractive index of 1.64. This work establishes a complete dielectric spectrum from ionic to electronic polarization, providing theoretical guidance for polarization engineering and design of two-dimensional ferroelectric devices. Full article

Manganese dioxide (MnO₂) modified biochar catalysts derived from biomass and waste polymer feedstocks were synthesized and evaluated as heterogeneous Fenton-like catalysts for solar-driven degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) in aqueous systems. Biochars produced from maple wood and plastic waste (high-density polyethylene) provided porous carbon matrices with oxygen-rich surface functionalities that enabled effective MnO₂ loading and catalytic activity. Photocatalytic experiments conducted under real sunlight using a solar-collector reactor demonstrated faster RhB degradation compared to a conventional ultraviolet (UV) system, confirming the advantage of solar-driven operation. Complete RhB removal was achieved at initial concentrations of 100–300 ppm, whereas higher dye concentrations (500 ppm) exceeded the catalytic capacity within the tested reaction time. Kinetic analysis revealed catalyst-dependent reaction behaviors, indicating that degradation pathways were strongly influenced by the biopolymer-derived carbon structure and MnO₂ dispersion. Degradation efficiency was correlated with solar irradiance and reactor temperature, with higher UV index conditions enhancing catalytic performance. Reusability tests showed that the catalysts remained active over multiple cycles, although gradual decreases in reaction rates and catalyst recovery were observed. These results demonstrate the potential of biopolymer-derived carbon materials as effective solar-driven catalysts for wastewater treatment applications. Full article

Mg-doped ZnO (Zn_1−xMg_xO, x = 0.00–0.05) thin films were successfully grown on glass substrates with a c-axis orientation at 600 °C using the sol–gel dip-coating technique. The structural features, defect-related photoluminescence, and optical constants of the films were systematically investigated as a function of Mg concentration. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns confirmed a single-phase hexagonal wurtzite structure with a preferential (₀₀₂) orientation for all compositions, indicating the successful substitution of Mg²⁺ ions into the ZnO lattice. The crystallite size (D₀₀₂) was found to vary between 28.49 and 41.18 nm, while microstrain and stress exhibited non-monotonic behavior depending on Mg content. This behavior reveals a transition from compressive to tensile stress due to lattice distortion and defect formation. Photoluminescence (PL) spectra showed a dominant near-band-edge (NBE) ultraviolet emission, along with broad visible emissions extending from violet to red. Optical constants were accurately extracted using a double-facet-coated substrate (DFCS) model, combined with nonlinear curve fitting using the Nelder–Mead optimization algorithm. The films showed a strong absorption edge at about 370 nm and exceptional optical transparency (≈60–80%) in the visible spectrum. The systematic blue shift in the extinction coefficient with increasing Mg content confirms bandgap engineering in Zn_1−xMg_xO thin films. The refractive index dispersion was successfully modeled using the Cauchy relation, demonstrating composition-dependent tunable optical properties. Depending on the Mg content, the optical bandgap values ranged from approximately 3.265 to 3.315 eV. The band-edge states and optical constants are strongly affected by the combined effects of defect development, Mg-induced lattice distortion, and changes in optical dispersion. These results indicate that sol–gel-derived Mg-doped ZnO thin films with composition-dependent stress states, defect states, and tunable optical properties are promising candidates for UV photodetectors, optical coatings, and transparent optoelectronic devices. Full article

Both the 27-day and the 11-year solar cycles of extreme ultraviolet radiation (EUV) influence the Earth’s middle atmosphere. The influences of solar cycles on geopotential height (or pressure) are analysed by using the Aura Microwave Limb Sounder (Aura/MLS) observations from 2004 to 2021. Composite analysis shows that the mesospheric 27-day variation in the global mean geopotential height is correlated with the 27-day variation of solar radio flux (F10.7 cm index), which is a proxy of solar EUV. The maximum of the geopotential height has a phase lag of 4 days with respect to the maximum of EUV. The 11-year solar cycle has a sensitivity of 492 m/100 sfu in global mean geopotential height at about 94 km high. Similarly, the influences of solar cycles on the global means of middle atmospheric temperature, ozone, and water vapour are derived and discussed. Full article

Background: Prenatal vitamin D exposure has been proposed as a potential determinant of immune development and subsequent allergic disease risk in offspring; however, long-term cohort data remain inconsistent. Methods: We analyzed data from the KLOTHO birth cohort, including 98 adolescents with available allergic outcome assessment. A maternal–neonatal sub-cohort of mother–child pairs with available maternal and neonatal serum total 25-hydroxyvitamin D₃ [25(OH)D] measurements at delivery was used for vitamin D analyses. Allergic outcomes included asthma, allergic rhinitis, and eczema in offspring. Associations were evaluated using descriptive statistics, Spearman correlation analyses, and logistic regression models. Results: Maternal 25(OH)D concentrations were not significantly associated with asthma (ρ = 0.075, p = 0.652), allergic rhinitis (ρ = 0.100, p = 0.556), or eczema (ρ = 0.131, p = 0.426). In crude logistic regression models, vitamin D concentrations were not associated with asthma (odds ratio (OR) per 10 nmol/L: 1.07, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.78–1.48, p = 0.67), allergic rhinitis (OR: 1.05, 95% CI: 0.76–1.45, p = 0.77), or eczema (OR: 1.17, 95% CI: 0.86–1.60, p = 0.31). Adjusted models including maternal age, pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI), season of delivery, and ultraviolet exposure yielded similar non-significant findings, although analyses were limited by a reduced complete-case sample size. Conclusions: In this prospective cohort with follow-up into early adolescence, vitamin D status at delivery was not associated with asthma, allergic rhinitis, or eczema in offspring. These findings support a lack of statistically significant association; however, potential non-linear relationships should be interpreted cautiously, given the modest sample size. Full article

Colloidal crystals are periodic arrays of monodisperse particles that exhibit optical stopbands, which can be experimentally observed as a Bragg reflection characterized by a specific Bragg wavelength and width. Precise control of these characteristic parameters is essential for applications in structural color materials, sensors, and tunable photonic crystals. Although the Bragg reflection wavelength can be widely tuned by adjusting the lattice spacing via changes in particle size and concentration, controlling the width over a wide range—such as through expansion—is challenging because it is intrinsically determined by the refractive index contrast between the colloidal particles and their surrounding medium. In this study, the Bragg reflection width of non-close-packed colloidal crystals immobilized in an elastomer film was successfully expanded by adjusting the photoinitiator concentration and ultraviolet light intensity for photopolymerization. Expansion was attributed to the superposition of Bragg reflections at different wavelengths, resulting from spatial variations in the lattice spacings of the non-close-packed colloidal crystals formed during photopolymerization. Owing to the solvent-free and highly flexible nature of the elastomer-immobilized, non-close-packed colloidal crystal film, the Bragg reflection wavelength was readily tuned by mechanical compression while maintaining the expanded Bragg reflection width, thereby advancing the practical applications of structural color materials. Full article

Porphyra suborbiculata exhibits strong heat tolerance and has considerable commercial potential under rising sea temperatures; however, its bioactive components remain insufficiently explored. In this study, a heat-tolerant new strain of P. suborbiculata (PS-M4), cultivated by the College of Fisheries, was used as the experimental material. Polysaccharides were extracted using an ultrasound-assisted composite enzymatic method, and extraction conditions were optimized through single-factor experiments and response surface methodology, yielding a maximum extraction yield of 12.45 ± 0.09%. Crude polysaccharides were further purified using a purification apparatus, yielding two fractions, designated PSP-I and PSP-II. Preliminary structural characterization showed that PSP-I possessed a weight-average molecular weight (Mw) of 26.149 kDa, a number-average molecular weight (Mn) of 11.267 kDa, and a polydispersity index of 2.321. Monosaccharide composition analysis indicated that PSP-I was predominantly composed of galactose. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) revealed typical polysaccharide functional groups, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis revealed a porous lamellar morphology. In vitro cell-based assays demonstrated that PSP-I significantly alleviated ultraviolet B (UVB)-induced damage in HaCaT cells by reducing intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, enhancing antioxidant enzyme activities, inhibiting apoptosis, and downregulating the expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). These results suggest that PSP-I has potential as a functional ingredient for mitigating UVB-induced skin damage. Full article

Heterogeneous photocatalysis increasingly requires rapid polymer degradation tests relevant to aqueous conditions. In this study, a multi-technique approach was developed to monitor the early-stage photo-oxidation of polyethylene (PE) and polystyrene (PS) microplastics in an aqueous ZnO–TiO₂ suspension under combined ultraviolet A and ultraviolet B (UV-A/B) irradiation. The changes were analyzed by ATR-FTIR and Raman spectroscopy, DSC, and gravimetric measurements. For PE, the carbonyl index increased from 0.0189 to 0.1350 after 12 h, mass loss reached 16.98%, and crystallinity decreased from 32.05% to 25.36% after 8 h. The Raman spectra of PE showed band broadening and intensity redistribution, indicating increasing structural disorder. In contrast, PS showed weaker Raman changes, while FTIR revealed a non-monotonic carbonyl-index response, and DSC showed a 2.2 °C increase in Tg after 12 h. Gravimetric analysis also showed measurable mass loss in PS, reaching 18.62% after 12 h. The results demonstrate that the combined use of ATR-FTIR, Raman, DSC, and gravimetry enables reliable distinction between early oxidation, surface modification, and material erosion in photocatalytically treated microplastics. Full article

To meet the requirements of quantitative elemental analysis in the ultraviolet (UV) spectrum, a UV single-photon imaging system was developed, integrating a digital micromirror device (DMD) and a single photon-counting imaging detector, enabling high sensitivity, high resolution, and a wide dynamic range. However, intrinsic geometric distortion poses a significant challenge to accurate spectral calibration. A hybrid correction framework is proposed, cascading polynomial coarse correction with multilayer perceptron (MLP) fine regression, improving calibration accuracy. The method utilizes a full-field dot-array mask projected by the DMD to acquire distortion-reference image pairs. The polynomial model rapidly captures the dominant high-order distortion, while a lightweight MLP performs non-parametric fine regression of residual displacements, achieving a mean error of 0.84 pixels. This approach reduces the root mean square (RMS) error to 1.01 pixels, outperforming traditional direct linear transformation (5.35 pixels) and pure polynomial models (1.33 pixels), while the nonlinearity index decreases from 0.35° to 0.05°. In addition, the method demonstrates stable performance across multi-scale checkerboard patterns ranging from 128 to 280 pixels, with RMS errors remaining around the 1-pixel level. These results validate the high-precision distortion suppression and robust cross-scale performance of the proposed framework. By leveraging DMD-generated patterns for self-calibration, this method eliminates the need for external targets, offering a scalable solution for high-end spectrometer calibration. Full article

Severe browning often occurs in Multivitamin Iron Oral Solution during storage, which directly leads to the decline of product quality. To clarify the main mechanism of browning in this preparation, the contents of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) and carbohydrates, as well as the relevant characteristic parameters such as color and fluorescence, were determined at different storage times in this study. Subsequently, four reaction models, namely sucrose-lysine, sucrose-citric acid, sucrose-niacin, and sucrose-folic acid, were constructed according to the formulation of the preparation to systematically investigate the effects of each system on browning. The results showed that the sucrose-lysine model was the main color-forming reaction system of the preparation. Citric acid could significantly promote the hydrolysis of sucrose to produce two reducing sugars, glucose and fructose, which not only provided sufficient substrates for the Maillard reaction (MR), but also led to the massive accumulation of 5-HMF. Further analysis revealed that heating temperature and heating time were significantly positively correlated with the contents of 5-HMF, browning index (BI), color density (CD), and reducing sugars in the solution, while significantly negatively correlated with sucrose content (p < 0.05). Two fractions, P1 and P2, were isolated by Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography. Among them, P1 with a molecular weight of 61,660 Da was identified as the key fluorescent color-forming component, whose ultraviolet and fluorescence characteristics were basically consistent with those of Multivitamin Iron Oral Solution. Ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS) analysis confirmed that P1 contained characteristic fragments of conjugated unsaturated structure, which was the key chromophore responsible for its fluorescence properties. In summary, this study explored the main browning mechanism of Multivitamin Iron Oral Solution. It was found that after citric acid catalyzed the hydrolysis of sucrose, the generated reducing sugars underwent Maillard reaction with lysine to produce fluorescent color-forming substances, and heat treatment significantly aggravated the browning process. The results of this study not only provide a solid theoretical basis for optimizing the preparation process and improving the storage stability of Multivitamin Iron Oral Solution, but also offer an important reference for the research on the browning mechanism and stability of other sugar-containing liquid preparations. Full article

Objectives: While the previous literature has established that meteorological conditions are associated with COVID-19 mortality fluctuations, the relative effect of each of these highly correlated factors remains unclear. This study aims to conduct a comparative analysis to determine which of three main meteorological variables—Ambient Temperature, Ultraviolet (UV) Index, and Sunlight Duration—have the strongest negative association with COVID-19 mortality. The objective is to quantify and rank their impact over a 7-to-21-day biological exposure window. Methods: We conducted retrospective spatiotemporal analyses in the form of panel Poisson Distributed Lag Models (PDLMs) regression using daily data from 21 January 2020 to 10 January 2023, spanning 129 distinct geographical regions worldwide. To ensure a direct and fair comparison of effect sizes, all meteorological and environmental variables were Z-score standardized. We estimated three independent PDLMs—each focusing separately on UV Index, Ambient Temperature, and Sunlight Duration—with lags ranging from 7 to 21 days. These models controlled for overarching time trends and utilized a categorical variable to account for Region Fixed Effects modeling time-invariant regional health and socioeconomic determinants (e.g., obesity, age demographics, healthcare capacity). Furthermore, distributed lags of daily PM2.5 (air pollution) and relative humidity were explicitly included in each model as dynamic confounders. Results: The comparison of PDLM results reveals that the UV Index has the strongest negative association with COVID-19 mortality. A one standard deviation increase in the UV Index corresponds to a massive, highly significant cumulative reduction in deaths observed 1 to 3 weeks later (p < 0.001). Sunlight Duration is the second-strongest protective meteorological factor, whereas Ambient Temperature has the weakest effect. The distributed lags of particulate matter (PM2.5) and relative humidity were found to be statistically insignificant when modeled alongside the meteorological variables. Conclusions: After standardizing variables and controlling for dynamic environmental confounders like air pollution and humidity, the study findings provide robust empirical evidence that meteorological conditions have a strong significant association with COVID-19 mortality fluctuation with a temporal delay, overcoming the confounding effects of merely dry or clear-air conditions. Full article