Semaglutide ameliorates pressure overload-induced cardiac hypertrophy by improving cardiac mitophagy to suppress the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome.

Pathological cardiac hypertrophy is an important cause of heart failure(HF). Recent studies reveal that glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP1R) agonists can improve mortality and left ventricular ejection fraction in the patients with type 2 diabetes and HF. The present study aims to investigate whether semaglutide, a long-acting GLP1R agonist, can ameliorate cardiac hypertrophy induced by pressure overload, and explore the potential mechanism. The rats were performed transverse aortic constriction (TAC) to mimic pressure overload model. The rats were divided into four groups including Sham, TAC, TAC + semaglutide, and TAC + semaglutide + HCQ (hydroxychloroquine, an inhibitor of mitophagy). The rats in each experimental group received their respective interventions for 4 weeks. The parameters of left ventricular hypertrophy(LVH) were measured by echocardiography, Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining, western-blot and immunohistochemistry (IHC), respectively. The changes of mitophagy were reflected by detecting cytochrome c oxidase subunit II (COXII), LC3II/LC3I, mitochondria, and autophagosomes. Meanwhile, NLRP3, Caspase-1, and interleukin-18 were detected to evaluate the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome in each group. The results suggest that LVH, impaired mitophagy, and activation of NLRP3 inflammasome were present in TAC rats. Semaglutide significantly reduced LVH, improve mitophagy, and down-regulated NLRP3 inflammatory signal pathway in TAC rats. However, the reversed effect of semaglutide on cardiac hypertrophy was abolished by HCQ, which restored the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome suppressed by improved mitophagy. In conclusion, semaglutide ameliorates the cardiac hypertrophy by improving cardiac mitophagy to suppress the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome. Semaglutide may be a novel potential option for intervention of cardiac hypertrophy induced by pressure overload.

Quantitative analysis of three ingredients in Salvia miltiorrhiza by near infrared spectroscopy combined with hybrid variable selection strategy.

Rosmarinic acid (RA), Tanshinone IIA (Tan IIA), and Salvianolic acid B (Sal B) are crucial compounds found in Salvia miltiorrhiza. Quickly predicting these components can aid in ensuring the quality of S. miltiorrhiza. Spectral preprocessing and variable selection are essential processes in quantitative analysis using near infrared spectroscopy (NIR). A novel hybrid variable selection approach utilizing iVISSA was employed in this study to enhance the quantitative measurement of RA, Tan IIA, and Sal B contents in S. miltiorrhiza. The spectra underwent 108 preprocessing approaches, with the optimal method being determined as orthogonal signal correction (OSC). iVISSA was utilized to identify the intervals (feature bands) that were most pertinent to the target chemical. Various methods such as bootstrapping soft shrinkage (BOSS), competitive adaptive reweighted sampling (CARS), genetic algorithm (GA), variable combination population analysis (VCPA), successive projections algorithm (SPA), iteratively variable subset optimization (IVSO), and iteratively retained informative variables (IRIV) were used to identify significant feature variables. PLSR models were created for comparison using the given variables. The results fully demonstrated that iVISSA-SPA calibration model had the best comprehensive performance for Tan IIA, and iVISSA-BOSS had the best comprehensive performance for RA and Sal B, and correlation coefficients of cross-validation (R2cv), root mean square errors of cross-validation (RMSECV), correlation coefficients of prediction (R2p), and root mean square errors of prediction (RMSEP) were 0.9970, 0.0054, 0.9990 and 0.0033, 0.9992, 0.0016, 0.9961 and 0.0034, 0.9998, 0.0138, 0.9875 and 0.1090, respectively. The results suggest that NIR spectroscopy, along with PLSR and a hybrid variable selection method using iVISSA, can be a valuable tool for quickly quantifying RA, Sal B, and Tan IIA in S. miltiorrhiza.

Efficacy of catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation in heart failure: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

The study aims to evaluate whether rhythm control by catheter ablation is superior to medical therapy for the patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and heart failure (HF). The literatures were searched by using PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, and Web of Science databases up to 12 October 2023. The randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing rhythm control using catheter ablation vs. medical therapy in AF patients with HF were pooled. The primary outcomes included all-cause mortality, HF re-hospitalization, and stroke, and the secondary outcomes included left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), atrial tachyarrythmia recurrence, quality of life (Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire score, MLHFQ score), 6 min walking distance (6MWD), the level of N-terminal B-type natriuretic peptide precursor (NT-proBNP), and adverse events. Nine RCTs involving in 2293 patients met the inclusion criteria. Compared with medical therapy, catheter ablation reduced all-cause mortality [10.07% (121/1201) vs. 15.26% (175/1147), risk ratio (RR):0.60, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.48-0.74, P < 0.00001, I2 = 0%] and the rate of HF re-hospitalization (RR: 0.65, P = 0.02, 95% CI: 0.45 to 0.94, I2 = 74%), but had no obvious difference in incidence of stroke (RR: 0.67, P = 0.27, 95% CI: 0.32 to 1.38, I2 = 0%). Catheter ablation enhanced LVEF [mean difference (MD), 6.26%, P < 0.00001, I2 = 89%], reduced AT recurrence (RR: 0.37, P < 0.00001, 95% CI: 0.26 to 0.52, I2 = 89%), improved the quality of life (MLHFQ score) (MD: -6.83, P = 0.003, I2 = 67%), elevated 6MWD (MD: 15.92, P = 0.006, I2 = 76%), and diminished the level NT-proBNP (MD: -44.19, P < 0.00001, I2 = 75%), but had no significant difference in adverse events [25.81% (310/1201) vs. 30.25% (347/1147), RR: 0.81, 95% CI: 0.65-1.01, P = 0.06, I2 = 55%]. Catheter ablation as rhythm control strategy substantially enhances the survival rate, reduces HF re-hospitalization, increases the rate of sinus rhythm maintenance, improves the left ventricular function and the quality of life for AF patients with HF, and has similar safety, compared with medical therapy. The rhythm control by catheter ablation may be a better strategy for the AF patients with HF.

Hydrogel-mediated tumor T cell infiltration and immune evasion to reinforce cancer immunotherapy.

Cancer immunotherapy has received increasing attention in tumor therapy. However, insufficient infiltration of T cells and over-expressed PD-L1 checkpoint in tumor cells severely impede cancer immunotherapy. Here, an injectable hydrogel was designed to reinforce T cell infiltration and inactivate PD-L1 for powerful cancer immunotherapy. The hydrogel was created by sodium alginate (SA) as the gelator, where linagliptin particles and BMS-202 particles were present in hydrogel micropores. After gelation in the tumor site, the linagliptin powerfully suppressed chemokine CXCL10 degradation, enabling the introduced CXCL10 to realize sustainable chemotaxis towards strong T cell infiltration. Meanwhile, the BMS-202 inactivated PD-L1 of tumor cells, thereby eliminating the PD-L1-governed immune evasion. Therefore, the hydrogel in combination with CXCL10 demonstrated powerful cancer immunotherapy against primary and distant tumors, along with efficient inhibition of lung metastasis. Our study not only offers a potent platform against tumors, but also provides a conceptually new approach to reinforce cancer immunotherapy.

Research Progress on the Effects of Support and Support Modification on the FTO Reaction Performance of Fe-Based Catalysts.

In recent years, the non-petroleum production of light olefins has been the research focus of Fischer-Tropsch olefin synthesis (FTO). Iron-based catalysts have attracted much attention because of their low price, high catalytic activity, and wide temperature range. In this paper, traditional modification, hydrophobic modification, and amphiphobic modification of the catalyst are summarized and analyzed. It was found that traditional modification (changing the pore size and surface pH of the catalyst) will reduce the dispersion of Fe, change the active center of the catalyst, and improve the selectivity of light olefins (for example, SiO2: 32%). However, compared with functional methods, these traditional methods lead to poor stability and high carbon dioxide selectivity (for example, SiO2: 34%). Hydrophobic modification can inhibit the adsorption and retention of water molecules on the catalyst and reduce the local water pressure near the iron species in the nuclear layer, thus inhibiting the further formation of CO2 (for example, SiO2: 5%) of the WGSR. Amphiphobic modification can not only inhibit the WGSR, but also reduce the steric hindrance of the catalyst, increase the diffusion rate of olefins, and inhibit the reabsorption of olefins. Follow-up research should focus on these issues.

Calcitriol reverses age-related hypertension via downregulating renal AP1/AT1R pathway through regulating mitochondrial function.

BACKGROUND: The vitamin D level in the blood is associated with the incidence of hypertension. The present study investigated whether or not calcitriol, an active form of vitamin D, reverses age-related hypertension. METHODS: Young (3-month-old) and aged (12-month-old) C57BL/6 male mice were administered with or without calcitriol at 150 ng/kg per day by oral gavage for 8 weeks. Blood pressure was measured by tail-cuff plethysmography and telemetry, and superoxide production in renal tissue was assessed by fluorescence imaging, and the protein expression of AP1/AT1R signaling pathway was examined by Western blot. RESULTS: We showed that 24-hour renal sodium excretion was impaired and blood pressure was increased in aged mice, which was related to the enhancement of renal AT1R expression and function. In addition, the expression of transcription factor AP1 (a dimer of c-Fos and c-Jun) and the binding of AP1 to the AT1R promoter region was significantly enhanced, accompanied by decreased nuclear translocation of Nrf2, abnormal mitochondrial function including decreased ATP production, NAD+/NADH ratio and mtDNA copy numbers, and increased reactive oxygen species. Calcitriol increased 24-hour urinary sodium excretion and reduced blood pressure in aged mice. Mechanically, calcitriol increased the nuclear translocation of Nrf2, improved mitochondrial function, reduced AP1 binding ability to AT1R promoter, which reversed enhanced AT1R expression and function, and lowered blood pressure in aged mice. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicated that calcitriol reversed age-related hypertension via downregulating renal AP1/AT1R pathway through regulating mitochondrial function. Thus, calcitriol may be a valuable therapeutic strategy for age-related hypertension.

Potential correlation of oral flora with pemphigus vulgaris - A case control study.

Background/purpose: Oral flora is related to various immune-related diseases. Herein we explored the characteristics of oral flora in patients with pemphigus vulgaris (PV) and analyzed the correlation between oral flora and PV. Materials and methods: Twenty-two untreated patients with PV and 12 healthy controls (HC) were included in this case-control study. The characteristics of salivary microbiome were assessed by high-throughput sequencing using the 16S rRNA Illumina MiSeq approach, and differences between the PV and HC groups were determined. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database was applied to screen key metabolic pathways and preliminarily explore potential mechanisms underlying PV occurrence and development. Results: The abundance of oral flora in the PV group was significantly lower than that in the HC group, and there were characteristic changes. The relative abundance of Prevotella and Agrobacterium in the PV group was significantly higher than that in the HC group (P < 0.05) and that of Neisseria, Lautropia, and Fusobacterium was significantly lower (P < 0.05). There was a linear correlation between Prevotella and serum Dsg3 level in PV. KEGG pathway analyses indicated significant differences in nine metabolic pathways between the PV and HC groups (P < 0.05), namely carbohydrate metabolism, digestive system, neurodegenerative disease, glycan biosynthesis and metabolism, drug resistance: antimicrobial, infectious disease: viral, circulatory system, excretory system, and nervous system. Conclusion: The oral flora of patients with PV presented characteristic changes, and several metabolic pathways were affected, including N-glycan biosynthesis and metabolism. Prevotella spp. appear to require the most attention in PV. We believe that oral flora dysbacteriosis contributes to PV occurrence and development.

Ultrafast and Scalable Fabrication of Coordination Polymer Films on Network Substrates via Thermal Current-Induced Dewetting.

Coordination polymers are among the most favored active materials by researchers due to their broad application prospects. However, most of them are usually difficult to directly process into applicable devices because of their unsatisfied processability. One process of great concern for researchers is the in situ preparation of the coordination polymer on the applicable substrate, especially for the favored network substrates with good mechanical properties and 3D porous structure, which could provide obvious convenience and facilitation in the application process. Herein, we present an ultrafast and scalable thermal current-induced dewetting strategy to obtain uniform coordination polymer film in situ on network substrates, which could enable unprecedented convenience to obtain directly usable coordination polymer composites such as practical catalytic electrodes with excellent electrocatalytic performance. The proposed thermal current-induced dewetting method provides a highly adaptable and efficient practical production approach to integrate coordination polymer materials with network substrates and also provides new inspiration for understanding and applying the dewetting process on complex 3D network substrates.

Enhancing supercapacitor performance using nanosheet-covered nanotube structures Co3S4/Ni0.96S@CNTs with carbon nanotubes as conductive substrates.

Transition metal sulfides have broad application prospects as supercapacitor electrode materials. However, their poor structural stability and conductivity hinder improvements in their electrochemical performance. Therefore, the introduction of highly conductive carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as sulfide growth substrates is considered to improve the microstructure and electrochemical performance of electrode materials. In this study, a highly conductive CNT solution was sprayed onto a nickel foam current collector, and Co3S4/Ni0.96S was successfully constructed on a CNT conductive substrate using a combination of hydrothermal and electrochemical deposition methods, forming a unique nanosheet-covered nanotube structure Co3S4/Ni0.96S@CNTs. The addition of an appropriate concentration of CNTs can not only serve as a substrate for the growth of Co3S4/Ni0.96S, but also effectively maintain the overall nanosheet structure. Thus, the Co3S4/Ni0.96S@CNTs (2-CSNS@CNTs) have a stable structure and a wide range of electrochemical reaction sites, ensuring excellent conductivity and cycling stability. The electrode material 2-CSNS@CNTs exhibited a specific capacity of 1427.05 C g-1 at 1 A g-1. Additionally, the asymmetric supercapacitor 2-CSNS@CNTs exhibited a high energy density of 53.76 W h kg-1 at 800 W kg-1 and a capacity retention rate of 68.5% at 10 A g-1 after 1000 cycles.

PILRA is associated with immune cells infiltration in atrial fibrillation based on bioinformatics and experiment validation.

Background and aims: inflammation plays an important role in atrial fibrillation (AF). In this study, we investigated the significance of immune cell infiltration in AF and identified the potential Hub genes involved in the regulation of immune cell infiltration in AF. Methods: we obtained AF datasets from the GEO database and analyzed them for obtaining differentially expressed genes (DEGs) by R software. Then, we performed GO, KEGG, and GSEA enrichment analyses of DEGs. The Hub genes of AF were determined by least absolute shrinkage selection operator (LASSO) regression analysis and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). Their validation was verified by using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) in the AF rat model. Finally, we used a single sample GSEA (ssGSEA) to analyze immune cell infiltration and its relationship with hub genes. Results: We obtained 298 DGEs from the heatmap and found that DGEs were closely related to inflammation, immunity, and cytokine interactions by enrichment analyses. We obtained 10 co-expression modules by WGCNA. Among them, the module including CLEC4A, COTL1, EVI2B, FCER1G, GAPT, HCST, NCF2, PILRA, TLR8, and TYROBP had the highest correlation with AF. Four Hub genes (PILRA, NCF2, EVI2B, GAPT) were obtained further by LASSO analysis. The results suggested that the expression level of PILRA was significantly elevated in the rats with AF by qPCR, compared to the rats without AF. The results revealed that the infiltration of neutrophils, macrophages, monocytes, mast cells, immature B cells, myeloid-derived suppressor cell (MDSC), dendritic cell, and T cells and their partial subpopulations were closely related to AF by ssGSEA analysis, and PILRA was positively correlated with immature B cell, monocyte, macrophage, mast cell, dendritic cell, and T cells and their partial subpopulations by Spearman correlation analysis. Conclusions: PILRA was closely related to multiple types of immune cell infiltration, which may be associated with AF. PILRA may be a novel target of intervention for AF.

A cycle-durable hollow nanoneedle structure with a nanosheet as a conductive substrate CoS1.097/Ni9S8@RGO to enhance supercapacitor performance.

Metal sulfides are promising supercapacitor electrode materials with a large theoretical capacity and rich operability. However, its unsatisfactory cycle stability and rate performance are tough problems to be solved. Therefore, the preparation of metal sulfide-based electrode materials with a stable structure, long cycle life, and high-rate performance is an effective strategy to solve these problems. Herein, metal sulfides were first crystallized into crosslinked nanosheet and nanotube structures, which ensure abundant active sites for redox reactions. Then, the further modification of the prepared material by spraying graphene was carried out, which, as demonstrated by combining experimental data and physical characterization, leads to a more complete hollow structure, enlarged electrochemical reaction sites, and reduced electrolyte transport distance, thus improving the charge transfer kinetics. In the early stage of the charge-discharge cycle test, the electrode material undergoes a self-activation process, which transforms the electrode material from one equilibrium state to a new equilibrium state. Therefore, 2-CSNS@RGO electrode capacitance was 1650.13 C g-1 at 1 A g-1 with remarkable cycling of 3000 cycles at 10 A g-1, and it retains 186.1% capacity of the initial value. An asymmetric supercapacitor (2-CSNS@RGO//AC) was prepared by coupling 2-CSNS@RGO as the positive electrode and activated carbon (AC) as the negative electrode. 2-CSNS@RGO//AC has an energy density of 88 W h kg-1 at a power density of 0.8 kW kg-1, and the capacity retention rate is 131.6% after 30 000 cycles at 10 A g-1.

A photodynamic-mediated glutamine metabolic intervention nanodrug for triple negative breast cancer therapy.

"Glutamine addiction" is a unique feature of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), which has a higher demand for glutamine and is more susceptible to glutamine depletion. Glutamine can be hydrolyzed to glutamate by glutaminase (GLS) for synthesis of glutathione (GSH), which is an important downstream of glutamine metabolic pathways in accelerating TNBC proliferation. Consequently, glutamine metabolic intervention suggests potential therapeutic effects against TNBC. However, the effects of GLS inhibitors are hindered by glutamine resistance and their own instability and insolubility. Therefore, it is of great interest to harmonize glutamine metabolic intervention for an amplified TNBC therapy. Unfortunately, such nanoplatform has not been realized. Herein, we reported a self-assembly nanoplatform (BCH NPs) with a core of the GLS inhibitor Bis-2-(5-phenylacetamido-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-yl) ethyl sulfide (BPTES) and photosensitizer Chlorin e6 (Ce6) and a shell of human serum albumin (HSA), enabling effective harmonization of glutamine metabolic intervention for TNBC therapy. BPTES inhibited the activity of GLS to block the glutamine metabolic pathways, thereby inhibiting the production of GSH to amplify the photodynamic effect of Ce6. While Ce6 not only directly killed tumor cells by producing excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS), but also deplete GSH to destroy redox balance, thus enhancing the effects of BPTES when glutamine resistance occurred. BCH NPs effectively eradicated TNBC tumor and suppressed tumor metastasis with favorable biocompatibility. Our work provides a new insight for photodynamic-mediated glutamine metabolic intervention against TNBC.

Constructing Biomass-Based Ultrahigh-Rate Performance SnOy @C/SiOx Anode for LIBs via Disproportionation Effect.

To break the stereotype that silica can only be reduced via a magnesiothermic and aluminothermic method at low-temperature condition, the novel strategy for converting silica to SiOx using disproportionation effect of SnO generated via low-temperature pyrolysis coreduction reaction between SnO2 and rice husk is proposed, without any raw materials waste and environmental hazards. After the low-temperature pyrolysis reaction, SnOy @C/SiOx composites with unique structure (Sn/SnO2 dispersed on the surface and within pores of biochar as well as SiOx residing in the interior) are obtained due to the exclusive biological properties of rice husk. Such unique structural features render SnOy @C/SiOx composites with an excellent talent for repairing the damaged structure and the highly electrochemical storage ability (530.8 mAh g-1 at 10 A g-1 after 7500 cycles). Furthermore, assembled LiFePO4 ||SnOy -50@C/SiOx full cell displays a high discharge capacity of 463.7 mAh g-1 after 100 cycles at 0.2 A g-1 . The Li+ transport mechanism is revealed by density functional theory calculations. This work provides references and ideas for green, efficient, and high-value to reduce SiO2 , especially in biomass, which also avoids the waste of raw materials in the production process, and becomes an essential step in sustainable development.

Identification of Six microRNAs as Potential Biomarkers for Pemphigus Vulgaris: From Diagnosis to Pathogenesis.

BACKGROUND: Pemphigus vulgaris (PV) is a potentially fatal autoimmune bullous disease. The role of microRNA (miRNA, miR) in the diagnosis and pathogenesis of PV remains unknown. This study aims to provide potential miRNA biomarkers for PV diagnosis and therapy options. METHODS: Serum samples were obtained from 22 PV patients, 15 mucous membrane pemphigoid (MMP) patients, and 10 normal controls (NC). Total RNA was extracted from the serum samples, and 12 selected miRNAs were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Bioinformatic analyses including target gene prediction and enrichment analysis were performed. RESULTS: Twelve miRNAs were increased in the serum of the PV group compared with the NC group, in which six miRNAs had good efficacy to diagnose PV from MMP with the area under the receiver operator characteristic curves of 0.970 to 0.988. A series test for the combination of miR-584-5p and miR-155-5p reached the sensitivity and specificity of 95.5% and 100%. Bioinformatic analysis revealed target gene enrichment in the cell adhesion pathways, immune-relating pathways, and P38 mitogen-activated protein kinases signaling pathway. CONCLUSION: The study provides new insights and targets of miRNAs for the precise diagnosis and the exploration of pathogenesis for PV, which may serve as a reference for further research into autoimmune bullous diseases.

Design of Growth Trend Map of Children and Adolescents Based on Bone Age.

Accurate height prediction has important reference significance for the development of children and adolescents and the selection of athletes. The current mainstream height prediction methods include the B-P (Bayley-Pinneau) method and the TW2 (Tanner-Whitehouse) method. A large number of documents show that the B-P method and the TW2 method have relatively large deviations in the lifelong height prediction results of Chinese children and adolescents. Based on the data collected by the Chinese Adolescent Students' Physical Fitness and Growth and Development Health Project in Zhejiang's primary and secondary schools, this paper proposes a graph of height growth trends based on bone age. The height map of age has more reference value. Aiming at the feasibility of the height data in the statistical results, the interpolation prediction method is used to verify the data, and the height growth trend graph is drawn through the method of fitting. Validation results with actual data show that the average error of the lifetime height prediction of the height growth trend map proposed in this paper is 2.1 cm, which is 1.4 cm lower than the 3.5 cm error predicted by the B-P method and 0.4 cm lower than the 2.5 cm error predicted by the TW2 method.

Allergic contact stomatitis due to desensitizing toothpastes.

Toothpastes are one of the most common personal care products among people of all ages. The various toothpaste types and their complex ingredients could cause irritation or allergic reactions. Allergic contact stomatitis has been often seen in clinical practice; however, desensitizing toothpastes as a trigger are often unrecognized. Here, we report three cases of allergic contact stomatitis due to stannous chloride-containing desensitizing toothpastes. General dentists and other professionals should pay more attention to the safety and adverse effects of toothpastes.

Design and Characterization of HY-038 Solid Dispersions via Spray Drying Technology: In Vitro and In Vivo Evaluations.

The aim of this study was to prepare HY-038 solid dispersions (SDs) with single carrier at high drug loading and then forming a tablet to enhance solubility, dissolution, and bioavailability via spray drying technology. At the same time, we hope to develop a more convenient in vitro method to predict the absorption behavior of different formulations in vivo. Different solid dispersions, varying in drug/polymer ratios, were prepared. Infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, scanning electron microscope, and X-ray diffraction were used to perform solid-state characterizations of the pure drug and SDs. Contact angle of water, dissolution in pH = 6.8 phosphate buffer, and in vivo absorption in dogs were studied. As a result, solid-state characterization demonstrated the transformation of the crystalline HY-038 to an amorphous state in the solid dispersions, and the in vivo exposure followed with the trend of the dissolution curve combined with contact angle. Compared with the prototype formulation, the Cmax and AUC0-∞ of optimized formulation SD2 (HY-038-HPMCAS 3:1) increased by about 5 ~ 9 times at the same dose. More importantly, the SD2 formulation showed approximately linear increases in Cmax and AUC0-∞ as the dose increased from 50 to 100 mg, while the prototype formulation reached absorption saturation at 50 mg. SD2 (HY-038-HPMCAS 3:1) was selected as the best formulation for the downstream development.

Synthesis of amorphous FeNiCo trimetallic hybrid electrode from ZIF precursors for efficient oxygen evolution reaction.

Development of non-noble multi-metallic electrocatalyst with high oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity via a simple and low-cost method is of great importance for improving the efficiency of water electro-chemical splitting. Herein, a solution impregnation strategy was proposed to synthesize novel FeNi-doped Co-ZIF-L trimetallic hybrid electrocatalyst using Co-ZIF-L as sacrificial templates and Fe and Ni ions as etchants and dopants. This synthetic strategy could be realized via the etching-coprecipitation mechanism to obtain an amorphous hybrid containing multi-metal hydroxides. The as-prepared electrocatalyst loaded on Ni foam displays a low overpotential of 245 mV at 10 mA·cm-2, a small Tafel slope of 54.9 mV·dec-1, and excellent stability at least 12 h in the OER process. The facile and efficient synthetic strategy presents a new entry for the fabrication of ZIFs-derived multi-metallic electrocatalysts for OER electrocatalysis.

Direct immunofluorescence analysis of oral Tzanck smears for pemphigus vulgaris: A diagnostic test.

BACKGROUND: Pemphigus vulgaris (PV) is a rare and potentially fatal autoimmune blistering disease. Direct immunofluorescence (DIF) and histopathological analysis are crucial methods for PV diagnosis, but oral tissue biopsy is difficult to perform because of the fragile characteristics of the oral mucosa. However, no well-designed diagnostic studies addressing the validity of DIF analysis of oral Tzanck smears for the diagnosis of PV exist. We aimed to design a diagnostic test based on DIF analysis combined with oral Tzanck smears and evaluate its diagnostic accuracy for PV. METHODS: We enrolled 81 patients with oral erosive lesions, of whom 41 patients had PV and 40 were non-PV controls. Oral Tzanck smears were obtained from oral mucosal lesions and observed under a fluorescence microscope after fixing and fluorescence staining. The diagnostic efficacy indexes including sensitivity, specificity, predictive value, Youden index, diagnostic odds ratio, and likelihood ratio were calculated. RESULTS: Of the 41 PV patients, 36 showed DIF-positive findings for oral Tzanck smears, and all 36 DIF-positive PV patients showed IgG and/or C3 deposition, with seven also showing IgA and/or IgM positivity. None of the non-PV controls showed DIF positivity. The sensitivity and specificity of DIF analysis with oral Tzanck smears were 87.80% and 100%, respectively. The area under the receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC) was 0.939, with the test demonstrating significantly high diagnostic efficacy. CONCLUSION: DIF analysis of oral Tzanck smears is a minimally invasive and easy-to-operate technique that can assist the rapid and accurate diagnosis of PV in dental clinic.

Nanoparticles-mediated emerging approaches for effective treatment of ischemic stroke.

Ischemic stroke leads to high disability and mortality. The limited delivery efficiency of most therapeutic substances is a major challenge for effective treatment of ischemic stroke. Inspired by the prominent merit of nanoscale particles in brain targeting and blood-brain barrier (BBB) penetration, various functional nanoparticles have been designed as promising drug delivery platforms that are expected to improve the therapeutic effect of ischemic stroke. Based on the complex pathological mechanisms of ischemic stroke, this review outline and summarize the rationally designed nanoparticles-mediated emerging approaches for effective treatment of ischemic stroke, including recanalization therapy, neuroprotection therapy, and combination therapy. On this bases, the potentials and challenges of nanoparticles in the treatment of ischemic stroke are revealed, and new thoughts and perspectives are proposed for the design of feasible nanoparticles for effective treatment of ischemic stroke.