problem solving

A metallacrown-type ionophore, 2,3-pyridinediolate-bridged (3,5-dimethylanisole)ruthenium trinuclear complex, has a high extraction selectivity for Li+ , but the extraction reaction is very slow. To solve this problem, the effect of temperature on the rapidity and equilibrium of the extraction of Li+ and Na+ as picrates from water to toluene with the metallacrown was investigated in this study. While the extraction of Li+ requires 6 h of shaking for equilibration at 25 °C, the distribution ratio becomes nearly constant after 4 h and 2 h of shaking at 37 °C and 50 °C, respectively...

A dual-mode (colorimetric/fluorescence) nanoenzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (NLISA) was developed based on Au-Cu nanocubes generating Prussian blue nanoparticles (PBNPs). It is expected that this method can be used to detect the residues of sulfonamides in the field, and solve the problem of long analysis time and high cost of the traditional method. Sulfadimethoxine (SDM) was selected as the proof-of-concept target analyte. The Au-Cu nanocubes were linked to the aptamer by amide interaction, and the Au-Cu nanocubes, SDM and antibody were immobilized on a 96-well plate using the sandwich method...

Chimeric Antigen Receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapy has revolutionized cancer treatment, but its application to solid tumors is limited. CAR-T cells have poor incapability of entering, surviving, proliferating, and finally exerting function in the tumor microenvironment. This review summarizes the main strategies related to enhancing the infiltration, efficacy, antigen recognition, and production of CAR-T in solid tumors. Additional applications of CAR-γδ T and macrophages are also discussed. We believe CAR-T will be a milestone in treating solid tumors once these problems are solved...

Two Gram-negative, aerobic, rod-shaped bacterial strains, 7MK25T and 6Y81T , were isolated from forest soil of Dinghushan Biosphere Reserve, Guangdong Province, PR China. Based on the results of 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, strain 7MK25T showed the highest similarity (93.6 %) to Methyloferula stellata AR4T , followed by Bosea thiooxidans DSM 9653T (93.3 %). Strain 6Y81T had the highest similarity of 97.9 % to Lichenibacterium minor RmlP026T , followed by Lichenibacterium ramalinae RmlP001T (97...

In the realm of medicinal chemistry, the primary objective is to swiftly optimize a multitude of chemical properties of a set of compounds to yield a clinical candidate poised for clinical trials. In recent years, two computational techniques, machine learning (ML) and physics-based methods, have evolved substantially and are now frequently incorporated into the medicinal chemist's toolbox to enhance the efficiency of both hit optimization and candidate design. Both computational methods come with their own set of limitations, and they are often used independently of each other...

UNLABELLED: Short tandem repeats (STRs) are the most common genetic markers in forensic and human population genetics due to their high polymorphism, rapid detection, and reliable genotyping. To adapt the rapid growth of forensic DNA database and solve problems in disputed cases, a panel of 23 autosomal STR loci with high discriminating ability was constructed recently. The Tai-Kadai-speaking Gelao is the most ancient indigenous minority in Guizhou province, however, the forensic efficiency and population genetic structure remain poorly explored...

BACKGROUND: With the rapid aging of the population, the health needs of the older adult have increased significantly, resulting in the frequent occurrence of the "social hospitalization" problem, which has led to a rapid increase in hospitalization costs. This study investigates whether the "social hospitalization problem" arising from the long-term care needs can be solved through the implementation of long-term care insurance, thereby improving the overall health of the older adults and controlling the unreasonable increase in hospitalization costs...

Building an investment portfolio is a problem that numerous researchers have addressed for many years. The key goal has always been to balance risk and reward by optimally allocating assets such as stocks, bonds, and cash. In general, the portfolio management process is based on three steps: planning, execution, and feedback, each of which has its objectives and methods to be employed. Starting from Markowitz's mean-variance portfolio theory, different frameworks have been widely accepted, which considerably renewed how asset allocation is being solved...

Rapid and accurate identification of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) species would greatly improve the screening rate for functional LAB. Although many conventional and molecular methods have proven efficient and reliable, LAB identification using these methods has generally been slow and tedious. Single-cell Raman spectroscopy (SCRS) provides the phenotypic profile of a single cell and can be performed by Raman spectroscopy (which directly detects vibrations of chemical bonds through inelastic scattering by a laser light) using an individual live cell...

OBJECTIVE: Self-guided and peer-supported treatments for depression among rural older adults may address some common barriers to treatment. This pilot study compared the effect on depression of peer-supported, self-guided problem-solving therapy (SG-PST) with case management problem-solving therapy (CM-PST) among older adults in rural California. METHODS: Older adults with depression (N=105) received an introductory PST session with a clinician, followed by 11 sessions of CM-PST with a clinician (N=85) or SG-PST with a peer counselor (N=20)...

BACKGROUND: Studies have shown that chemotherapy and radiotherapy can cause premature ovarian failure and loss of fertility in female cancer patients. Ovarian cortex cryopreservation is a good choice to preserve female fertility before cancer treatment. Following the remission of the disease, the thawed ovarian tissue can be transplanted back and restore fertility of the patient. However, there is a risk to reintroduce cancer cells in the body and leads to the recurrence of cancer. Given the low success rate of current in vitro culture techniques for obtaining mature oocytes from primordial follicles, an artificial ovary with primordial follicles may be a good way to solve this problem...

BACKGROUND: Medical school curricula strive to train community-engaged and culturally competent physicians, and many use service learning to instill these values in students. The current standards for medical service learning frameworks have opportunities for improvement, such as encouraging students to have more sustainable and reciprocal impact and to ingrain service learning as a value to carry throughout their careers rather than a one-time experience. PEDS 220: A COVID-19 Elective is a Stanford University course on the frontlines of this shift; it provides timely education on the COVID-19 pandemic, integrating community-oriented public health work to help mitigate its impact...

BACKGROUND: Creativity in nursing education is crucial for developing practical problem-solving skills, and humor is a valuable tool for stress management and fostering a positive learning environment. This study explored the relationship between creativity and humor among nursing students. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 265 convenient undergraduate nursing students aged 20 to 25. The Short Scale of Creative Self (SSCS) and the Multidimensional Sense of Humor Scale (MSHS) were used to measure creativity and various aspects of humor...

Nuclear pore complex (NPC) biogenesis is a still enigmatic example of protein self-assembly. We now introduce several cross-reacting anti-Nup nanobodies for imaging intact nuclear pore complexes from frog to human. We also report a simplified assay that directly tracks postmitotic NPC assembly with added fluorophore-labeled anti-Nup nanobodies. During interphase, NPCs are inserted into a pre-existing nuclear envelope. Monitoring this process is challenging because newly assembled NPCs are indistinguishable from pre-existing ones...

To solve the problems of UAV path planning, such as low search efficiency, uneven path, and inability to adapt to unknown environments, this paper proposes A double-layer optimization A* and dynamic window method for UAV path planning. Firstly, the neighboring node clip-off rule is defined to optimize the node expansion mode of the A* algorithm, and the obstacle coverage model is designed to dynamically adjust the heurizing function of the A* algorithm to improve the path search efficiency. Then, the Bresenham algorithm is adopted for collision detection and critical path nodes are extracted to significantly reduce the number of path turning points...

Geometry scaling of microwave circuits is an essential but challenging task. In particular, the employment of a given passive structure in a different application area often requires re-adjustment of the operating frequencies/bands while maintaining top performance. Achieving this necessitates the utilization of numerical optimization methods. Nonetheless, if the intended frequencies are distant from the ones at the starting point, local search procedures tend to fail, whereas global search algorithms are computationally expensive...

Objective. We present the first fully two-dimensional attenuation imaging technique developed for pulse-echo ultrasound systems. Unlike state-of-the-art techniques, which use line-by-line acquisitions, our method uses steered emissions to constrain attenuation values at each location with multiple crossing wave paths, essential to resolve the spatial variations of this tissue property. Approach. At every location, we compute normalized cross-correlations between the beamformed images that are obtained from emissions at different steering angles...

BACKGROUND: Liver lesions mainly occur inside the liver parenchyma, which are difficult to locate and have complicated relationships with essential vessels. Thus, preoperative planning is crucial for the resection of liver lesions. Accurate segmentation of the hepatic and portal veins (PVs) on computed tomography (CT) images is of great importance for preoperative planning. However, manually labeling the mask of vessels is laborious and time-consuming, and the labeling results of different clinicians are prone to inconsistencies...

Making healthy dietary choices is essential for keeping weight within a normal range. Yet many people struggle with dietary self-control despite good intentions. What distinguishes neural processing in those who succeed or fail to implement healthy eating goals? Does this vary by weight status? To examine these questions, we utilized an analytical framework of gradients that characterize systematic spatial patterns of large-scale neural activity, which have the advantage of considering the entire suite of processes subserving self-control and potential regulatory tactics at the whole-brain level...

Star block copolymers (s-BCPs) have potential applications as novel surfactants or amphiphiles for emulsification, compatibilization, chemical transformations, and separations. s-BCPs have chain architectures where three or more linear diblock copolymer arms comprised of two chemically distinct linear polymers, e.g., solvophobic and solvophilic chains, are covalently joined at one point. The chemical composition of each of the subunit polymer chains comprising the arms, their molecular weights, and the number of arms can be varied to tailor the surface and interfacial activity of these architecturally unique molecules...