For hazardous gas monitoring and non-invasive diagnosis of diabetes using breath analysis, porous foams assembled by Co3O4 nanoparticles were designed as sensing electrode materials to fabricate efficient yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ)-based acetone sensors. The sensitivity of the sensors was improved by varying the sintering temperature to regulate the morphology. Compared to other materials sintered at different temperatures, the porous Co3O4 nanofoams sintered at 800 °C exhibited the highest electrochemical catalytic activity during the electrochemical test. The response of the corresponding Co3O4-based sensor to 10 ppm acetone was -77.2 mV and it exhibited fast response and recovery times. Moreover, the fabricated sensor achieved a low detection limit of 0.05 ppm and a high sensitivity of -56 mV/decade in the acetone concentration range of 1-20 ppm. The sensor also exhibited excellent repeatability, acceptable selectivity, good O2/humidity resistance, and long-term stability during continuous measurements for over 30 days. Moreover, the fabricated sensor was used to determine the acetone concentration in the exhaled breaths of patients with diabetic ketosis. The results indicated that it could distinguish between healthy individuals and patients with diabetic ketosis, thereby proving its abilities to diagnose and monitor diabetic ketosis. Based on its excellent sensitivity and exhaled breath measurement results, the developed sensor has broad application prospects.

Rare earth (RE)-doped CaS phosphors have been widely used as light-emitting components in various fields. Nevertheless, the application of nanosized CaS particles is still significantly limited by their poor water resistance and weak luminescence. Herein, a lattice-matching strategy is developed by growing an inert shell of cubic NaYF4 phase on the CaS luminescent core. Due to their similarity in crystal structure, a uniform core-shell heterostructure (CaS:Ce3+@NaYF4) can be obtained, which effectively protects the CaS:Ce3+ core from degradation in aqueous environment and enhances its luminescence intensity. As a proof of concept, a label-free aptasensor is further constructed by combining core-shell CaS:Ce3+@NaYF4 and Au nanoparticles (AuNPs) for the ultrasensitive detection of kanamycin antibiotics. Based on the efficient FRET process, the detection linear range of kanamycin spans from 100 to 1000 nM with a detection limit of 7.8 nM. Besides, the aptasensor shows excellent selectivity towards kanamycin antibiotics, and has been successfully applied to the detection of kanamycin spiked in tap water and milk samples, demonstrating its high potential for sensing applications.

Fluorescence-based LB (liquid biopsy) offers a rapid means of detecting cancer non-invasively. However, the widespread issue of sample loss during purification steps will diminish the accuracy of detection results. Therefore, in this study, we introduce a magnetic lanthanide sensor (MLS) designed for sensitive detection of the characteristic protein, epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM), on epithelial tumor exosomes. By leveraging the inherent multi-peak emission and time-resolved properties of the sole-component lanthanide element, combined with the self-ratiometric strategy, MLS can overcome limitations imposed by manual operation and/or sample complexity, thereby providing more stable and reliable output results. Specifically, terbium-doped NaYF4 nanoparticles (NaYF4:Tb) and deformable aptamers terminated with BHQ1 were sequentially introduced onto superparamagnetic silica-decorated Fe3O4 nanoparticles. Prior to target binding, emission from NaYF4:Tb at 543 nm was partially quenched due to the fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) from NaYF4:Tb to BHQ1. Upon target binding, changes in the secondary structure of aptamers led to the fluorescence intensity increasing since the deconfinement of distance-dependent FRET effect. The characteristic emission of NaYF4:Tb at 543 nm was then utilized as the detection signal (I1), while the less changed emission at 583 nm served as the reference signal (I2), further reporting the self-ratiometric values of I1 and I2 (I1/I2) to illustrate the epithelial cancerous features of exosomes while ignoring possible sample loss. Consequently, over a wide range of exosome concentrations (2.28 × 102-2.28 × 108 particles per mL), the I1/I2 ratio exhibited a linear increase with exosome concentration [Y(I1/I2) = 0.166 lg (Nexosomes) + 3.0269, R2 = 0.9915], achieving a theoretical detection limit as low as 24 particles per mL. Additionally, MLS effectively distinguished epithelial cancer samples from healthy samples, showcasing significant potential for clinical diagnosis.

While microbial technologies, which are considered to be environmentally friendly, have great potential for the recovery of rare earth elements (REEs) from mining wastewater, their applications have been restricted due to a lack of efficient biosorbents. In this study, a strain of Pseudomonas psychrotolerans isolated from yttrium-enriched mine soil was used to recover yttrium (Y(III)) from rare-earth mining wastewater. At an initial Y(III) dose of 50 mg L-1, the amount of Y(III) adsorbed by P. psychrotolerans reached 99.9 % after 24 h. Various characterization techniques revealed that P. psychrotolerans adsorbed Y(III) mainly through complexation of oxygen-containing functional groups and electrostatic interactions. A high level of adsorption efficiency (>99.9 %) was maintained after five consecutive adsorption/desorption cycles, indicating that P. psychrotolerans was highly reusable. While the efficiency of adsorbing Y(III) by P. psychrotolerans decreased (34.4 %) in actual rare earth mining wastewater, selectivity toward other REEs (≤ 18.4 %) was still observed. Consequently, this study provides a promising green, environmentally friendly and sustainable microbial approach for the selective recovery of REEs from rare earth wastewater.

The effect of the active element yttrium and its content on the oxidation behavior of GH4169 Ni-based superalloy at extreme temperature was studied by isothermal oxidation experiments. The results show that the oxide scale of GH4169 alloy presents a multi-layer structure, in which the continuous and dense Cr2O3 oxide layer is located in the subouter layer (II layer) and the continuous Nb-rich layer is in the subinner layer (III layer). These layers can inhibit the diffusion of oxygen and alloying elements, preventing the further oxidation of the alloy. The appropriate addition of yttrium can promote the selective oxidation of Cr element, reduce the thickness of the oxide scale and the oxidation rate of the alloy, inhibit the formation of voids at the interface of the oxide scale/alloy matrix, improve the resistance of the alloy to spalling as well as the adhesion of the oxide scale, and improve the high-temperature oxidation resistance of the alloy. Of those tested, the alloy containing 0.04 wt.%Y has the lowest oxidation weight gain, the slowest oxidation rate, and less oxide scale spalling. Based on this, the effect of yttrium on the high-temperature oxidation behavior of GH4169 Ni-based superalloy and its mechanism were revealed.

The quantification of microalgae cells is crucial for the treatment of ships\' ballast water. However, achieving rapid detection of microalgae cells remains a substantial challenge. Here, we develop a new method for rapid and effective detection of microalgae concentration by utilizing upconversion nanoprobes (UCNPs) of NaYF4:Er3+,Tm3+. Three ligands, carboxylated methoxypolyethylene glycols with 5000 and 2000 molecular weights (mPEG-COOH-5, mPEG-COOH-2) and D-gluconic acid sodium salt (DGAS), were used to convert hydrophobic UCNPs into a hydrophilic state through modification. The results show that the mPEG-COOH-5 modified UCNPs present the highest stability in an aqueous solution. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) measurements reveal the presence of a significant number of -COOH functional groups on UCNPs after the mPEG-COOH-5 modification. These -COOH groups enhance the hydrophilicity and biocompatibility of UCNPs. The soluble UCNPs were directly mixed with microalgae, and the upconversion luminescence (UCL) spectra of the UCNPs were recorded immediately after thorough shaking. This greatly reduces the measurement time and could realize rapid onboard detection. In this sensing procedure, the UCNPs with red UCL functioned as energy donors, while microalgae with red absorption served as an energy acceptor. The UCL gradually diminishes with an increase in microalgae concentration based on the inner filter effect, thus establishing a relationship between UCL and microalgae concentration. The accuracy of the detection is further validated through the traditional microscope counting method. These findings pave the way for a novel rapid strategy to assess microalgae concentration using UCNPs.

Dual/multimodal imaging strategies are increasingly recognized for their potential to provide comprehensive diagnostic insights in cancer imaging by harnessing complementary data. This study presents an innovative probe that capitalizes on the synergistic benefits of afterglow luminescence and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), effectively eliminating autofluorescence interference and delivering a superior signal-to-noise ratio. Additionally, it facilitates deep tissue penetration and enables noninvasive imaging. Despite the advantages, only a limited number of probes have demonstrated the capability to simultaneously enhance afterglow luminescence and achieve high-resolution MRI and afterglow imaging. Herein, we introduce a cutting-edge imaging platform based on semiconducting polymer nanoparticles (PFODBT) integrated with NaYF4@NaGdF4 (Y@Gd@PFO-SPNs), which can directly amplify afterglow luminescence and generate MRI and afterglow signals in tumor tissues. The proposed mechanism involves lanthanide nanoparticles producing singlet oxygen (1O2) upon white light irradiation, which subsequently oxidizes PFODBT, thereby intensifying afterglow luminescence. This innovative platform paves the way for the development of high signal-to-background ratio imaging modalities, promising noninvasive diagnostics for cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the content of rare earth elements(REs)in blood and hair of residents in a RE mining area in Northwest Hubei, and evaluate the impact of REs on the health status of local residents.
METHODS: A total of 191 residents from the core area of RE mining areas and 186 residents from non RE mining areas, aged 20-69, were selected. The content of REs in the blood and hair of the survey subjects was measured using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, and compared with existing literature values. At the same time, blood tests and questionnaire surveys will be conducted on the health status of residents to examine whether human RE enrichment can lead to endemic diseases.
RESULTS: The average total content of REs in the blood of residents in the mining area was 60.22 ng/mL, which was 3.35 times that of the control area; The average total content of REs in hair was 1197.91 ng/g, which was 6.32 times higher than the control area. As age increasing, the abundance of REs in the blood and hair of both men and women in mining areas increased. The proportion of Yttrium and Scandium in the blood and hair were much higher than that in the soil. Compared to hair, Yttrium and Scandium were more easily enriched in the blood. There was no significant difference in the probability of fatty liver, hepatitis B, hypoglycemia, hypotension, hypertension and heart disease and the average life span between residents in RE mining areas and those in the control area.
CONCLUSIONS: The high daily average dietary intake of REs in residents leads to a relatively large accumulation of REs in human blood and hair, but no significant and substantial human health damage has been found at present.

BACKGROUND: The impact of different coloring liquid shades and dipping times on the color, transparency, and flexural strength of monolithic zirconia ceramics is unclear.
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this in vitro study was to evaluate the effects of different coloring liquid shades (A2, 3M2, and 5M2) and dipping times (no dipping, 30 seconds, 60 seconds, and 90 seconds) on the color difference (ΔE00), relative translucency parameter (ΔRTP00), and 3-point flexural strength (σ) of monolithic zirconia ceramics.
METHODS: Yttria-stabilized zirconia (3Y-TZP, 3 mol%) was cut into Ø16×1.2-mm plates (n=10) and 25×4×1.2-mm bars (n=15), which were colored using 3 shades of coloring liquid at 4 dipping times. Color coordinates were measured on a gray background by using a digital spectrophotometer with an integrating sphere attachment. The color and translucency differences were evaluated using 50:50% perceptibility (PT00 and TPT00) and acceptability (AT00 and TAT00) thresholds. The 3-point flexural strengths of the bar-shaped specimens were measured using a universal testing machine and analyzed using the Weibull distribution to calculate the Weibull modulus (m) and characteristic fracture strength (σ0). The data were analyzed with the 2-way ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis, and LSD post hoc tests (α=.05).
RESULTS: Both shade and dipping time significantly affected the color and translucency of monolithic zirconia (P<.001). The ΔE00 was above the PT00 for all groups, with only 3M2-90 and A2-60 being below the AT00. The main cause of color differences was the difference in lightness. Only A2 showed ΔRTP00 below the TPT00 (A2-30 (ΔRTP00=0.26), A2-60 (ΔRTP00=0.29), and A2-90 (ΔRTP00=0.46)). All experimental groups showed translucency differences below TAT00. In addition, only the dipping time had a significant effect on the flexural strength of zirconia (P<.001).
CONCLUSIONS: The optical properties of monolithic zirconia ceramics were affected by the shade and dipping time of the coloring liquid. The mismatch in lightness was the main reason for the color difference. The dipping time affects the flexural strength of monolithic zirconia, whereas the shade of the coloring liquid did not seem to influence flexural strength.

A 62-year-old female patient presented with no improvement in vision 10 days after undergoing cataract extraction in the right eye. The unaided visual acuity in the right eye was 0.1, and examination with a slit lamp revealed the presence of the intraocular lens with an increased gap between the intraocular lens and the posterior capsule. Anterior segment optical coherence tomography showed a distance of 3.236 mm between the posterior capsule and the posterior surface of the intraocular lens. Based on the medical history, ocular examination, and auxiliary examinations, a diagnosis of right eye capsular blockage syndrome was made. Nd:YAG laser capsulotomy was performed at the anterior capsule outside the optical zone of the intraocular lens. One week later, the posterior capsule adhered to the posterior surface of the intraocular lens, and there was a significant improvement in vision compared to before the procedure.
62岁女性患者因右眼白内障摘除术后视力无改善10 d就诊。右眼裸眼视力0.1，裂隙灯显微镜下可见人工晶状体在位，人工晶状体与后囊膜间距增宽。眼前节相干光层析成像术检查可见晶状体后囊膜与人工晶状体后表面间距为3.236 mm。结合病史、眼部检查及辅助检查诊断为右眼囊袋阻滞综合征。于人工晶状体光学区以外的前囊膜处行掺钕钇铝石榴石激光造孔治疗，1周后后囊膜与人工晶状体后表面贴附，视力较前明显提高。.