Recent progress on charge transfer engineering in reticular framework for efficient electrochemiluminescence.

Electrochemiluminescence (ECL) is a luminescence production technique triggered by electrochemistry, which has emerged as a powerful analytical technique in bioanalysis and clinical diagnosis. During ECL, charge transfer (CT) is an important process between electrochemical excitation and luminescent emission, and dramatically affects the efficiency of exciton generation, playing a pivotal role in the light-emitting properties of nanomaterials. Reticular framework materials with intramolecular/intermolecular interactions offer a promising platform for regulating CT pathways and enhancing luminescence efficiency. Deciphering the role of intramolecular/intermolecular CT processes in reticular framework materials allows for the targeted design and synthesis of emitters with precisely controlled CT properties. This sheds light on the microscopic mechanisms of electro-optical conversion in ECL, propelling advancements in their efficiency and breakthrough applications. This mini-review focuses on recent advancements in engineering CT within reticular frameworks to boost ECL efficiency. We summarized strategies including intra-reticular charge transfer, CT between the metal and ligands, and CT between guest molecules and frameworks within reticular frameworks, which holds promise for developing next-generation ECL devices with enhanced sensitivity and light emission.

Supramolecular assembly-induced electrochemiluminescence enhancement of gold nanoclusters for hemoglobin detection.

Gold nanoclusters (Au NCs) with excellent optical properties and biocompatibility have become one of the most promising electrochemiluminescence (ECL) emitters. However, the low efficiency and poor stability of Au NCs restrict their applications in ECL. Herein, by supramolecular assembly of L-arginine (Arg) and 4-hydroxy-2-mercapto-6-methylpyrimidine (MTU) on the surface of Au NCs, Arg/MTU-Au NCs with enhanced ECL efficiency and stability were prepared. Compared with the MTU-stabilized Au NCs (MTU-Au NCs), the ECL efficiency of Arg/MTU-Au NCs increased by 24.8 times. As a proof-of-concept, a sensitive biosensing platform was constructed for sensitive detection of hemoglobin (Hb) in urine using Arg/MTU-Au NCs as ECL emitters. The proposed ECL detection platform provides a feasible strategy for the detection of biomarkers in urine and has broad application prospects in disease screening and clinical marker detection.

Identification of biomarkers associated with diagnosis of postmenopausal osteoporosis patients based on bioinformatics and machine learning.

Background: Accumulating evidence suggests that postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMOP) is a common chronic systemic metabolic bone disease, but its specific molecular pathogenesis remains unclear. This study aimed to identify novel genetic diagnostic markers for PMOP. Methods: In this paper, we combined three GEO datasets to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and performed functional enrichment analysis of PMOP-related differential genes. Key genes were analyzed using two machine learning algorithms, namely, LASSO and the Gaussian mixture model, and candidate biomarkers were found after taking the intersection. After further ceRNA network construction, methylation analysis, and immune infiltration analysis, ACACB and WWP1 were finally selected as diagnostic markers. Twenty-four clinical samples were collected, and the expression levels of biomarkers in PMOP were detected by qPCR. Results: We identified 34 differential genes in PMOP. DEG enrichment was mainly related to amino acid synthesis, inflammatory response, and apoptosis. The ceRNA network construction found that XIST-hsa-miR-15a-5p/hsa-miR-15b-5p/hsa-miR-497-5p and hsa-miR-195-5p-WWP1/ACACB may be RNA regulatory pathways regulating PMOP disease progression. ACACB and WWP1 were identified as diagnostic genes for PMOP, and validated in datasets and clinical sample experiments. In addition, these two genes were also significantly associated with immune cells, such as T, B, and NK cells. Conclusion: Overall, we identified two vital diagnostic genes responsible for PMOP. The results may help provide potential immunotherapeutic targets for PMOP.

Significance of Immune-Related Genes in the Diagnosis and Classification of Intervertebral Disc Degeneration.

Background: With the extensive development of intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) research, IDD has been found to be a complex disease associated with immune-related gene (IRGs) changes. Nonetheless, the roles of IRGs in IDD are unclear. Methods: In our study, 11 IRGs were chosen using differential analysis between nondisc degeneration and degenerative patients from the GEO database. Then, we utilized a random forest (RF) model to screen six candidate IRGs to predict the risk of IDD. A nomogram was developed on the basis of six candidate IRGs, and DCA showed that patients could benefit from the nomogram. Based on the selected significant IRGs, a consensus clustering approach was used to differentiate disc degeneration patients into two immune patterns (immune cluster A and B). The PCA algorithm was constructed to compute immune scores for every sample, to quantify immune patterns. The immune scores of immune cluster B patients were higher than those of immune cluster A. Results: Through differential expression analysis between healthy and IDD samples, 11 significant IRGs (CTSS, S100Z, STAT3, KLRK1, FPR1, C5AR2, RLN1, IFGR2, IL2RB, IL17RA, and IL6R) were recognized through significant IRGs. The "Reverse Cumulative Distribution of Residual" and "Boxplots of Residual" indicate that the RF model has minimal residuals. The majority of samples in the model have relatively small residuals, demonstrating that the model is better. Besides, the nomogram model was constructed based on importance and the IRGs with importance scores greater than 2 (FPR1, RLN1, S100Z, IFNGR2, KLRK1, and CTSS). The nomogram model revealed that decision-making based on an established model might be beneficial for IDD patients, and the predictive power of the nomogram model was significant. In addition, we identified two different immune cluster patterns (immune cluster A and immune cluster B) based on the 11 IRGs. We found that immune cluster A had significantly higher levels of MDSC, neutrophil, plasmacytoid dendritic cell, and type 17 T helper cell expression than immune cluster B. And we calculated the score for each sample to quantify the gene patterns. The patients in immune cluster B or gene cluster B had higher immune scores than those in immune cluster A or gene cluster A. Conclusion: In conclusion, IRGs play an extremely significant role in the occurrence of IDD. Our study of immune patterns may guide the strategies of prevention and treatment for IDD in the future.

NO2 retrievals from NOAA-20 OMPS: Algorithm, evaluation, and observations of drastic changes during COVID-19.

We present the first NO2 measurements from the Nadir Mapper of Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite (OMPS) instrument aboard the NOAA-20 satellite. NOAA-20 OMPS was launched in November 2017, with a nadir resolution of 17 × 13 km2 similar to the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI). The retrieval of NOAA-20 NO2 vertical columns were achieved through the Direct Vertical Column Fitting (DVCF) algorithm, which was uniquely designed and successfully used to retrieve NO2 from OMPS aboard Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (SNPP) spacecraft, predecessor to NOAA-20. Observations from NOAA-20 reveal a 20-40% decline in regional tropospheric NO2 in January-April 2020 due to COVID-19 lockdown, consistent with the findings from other satellite observations. The NO2 retrievals are preliminarily validated against ground-based Pandora spectrometer measurements over the New York City area as well as other U.S. Pandora locations. It shows OMPS total columns tend to be lower in polluted urban regions and higher in clean areas/episodes associated with relatively small NO2 total columns, but generally the agreement is within ±2.5 × 1015 molecules/cm2. Comparisons of stratospheric NO2 columns exhibit the excellent agreement between OMPS and OMI, validating OMPS capability in capturing the stratospheric background accurately. These results demonstrate the high sensitivity of OMPS to tropospheric NO2 and highlight its potential use for extending the long-term global NO2 record.

Health Risks and Musculoskeletal Problems of Elite Mobile Esports Players: a Cross-Sectional Descriptive Study.

BACKGROUND: Mobile-gaming athletes sit in the same posture for prolonged periods, contributing to significant health risks. This study investigated the health profiles, fatigue, pain and complaints, and musculoskeletal problems of full-time mobile-gaming athletes. METHODS: A total of 50 elite mobile-gaming athletes were involved in this study. They were the starting lineup players from all ten professional teams competing in a top-tier multiplayer online battle arena tournament. A survey was conducted to evaluate their fatigue patterns, pain levels, and complaints. A descriptive analysis was conducted to evaluate the athletes' health profiles [body mass index (BMI), fat ratio], fatigue, number of complaints, and musculoskeletal problems. The associations of career duration with BMI, fat ratio, and the total number of confirmed injuries were then determined using Spearman's rank correlation test. RESULTS: A total of 46% and 44% of the participants felt tired frequently and occasionally, while 34% and 58% experienced eyestrain frequently and occasionally, respectively. More than 30% of the participants reported headache and rhinitis. A longer esports career duration was associated with a reduction in BMI (r = -0.272, p = 0.056). Career duration had no significant association with smoking habits (p = 0.666), alcohol habits (p = 0.655), coffee habits (p = 0.946), rounds of games for which the player could maintain concentration (p = 0.253), ease of eyestrain (p = 0.569), tiredness (p = 0.510), dizziness (p = 0.071), or leg numbness (p = 0.318). CONCLUSION: The findings of this study stress the significance of esports injuries and indicate preventive measures for both athletes and recreational players.

Capsaicin Protects Against Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Acute Lung Injury Through the HMGB1/NF-κB and PI3K/AKT/mTOR Pathways.

PURPOSE: Capsaicin (8-methyl-N-geranyl-6-nonamide; CAP) is an alkaloid isolated from chili peppers, which has complex pharmacological properties, including beneficial effects against various diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of CAP in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute lung injury (ALI), and the possible underlying mechanisms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: ALI was induced by intranasal administration of LPS (0.5 mg/kg), and CAP (1 mg/kg) injected intraperitoneally 3 days before exposure to LPS. Then, the histopathological changes were evaluated by hematoxylin and eosin staining. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and qPCR were used to detect pro-inflammatory cytokines in serum and lung tissue. The expressions of HMGB1/NF-κB, PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathways and apoptosis-associated molecules were determined by Western blot and/or qPCR. In addition, the lung cell apoptosis was analyzed by TUNEL staining, and the expression and location of cleaved caspase-3 were detected by immunofluorescence analysis. RESULTS: CAP pretreatment significantly protected mice from LPS-induced ALI, with reduced lung wet/dry weight ratio, lung histological damage, myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, malondialdehyde (MDA) content and pro-inflammatory cytokine levels, and significant increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. In addition, CAP pretreatment significantly inhibited the high-mobility group protein B1 (HMGB1) expression, nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) activation, and the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. Furthermore, mice pre-treated with CAP exhibited reduced apoptosis of lung tissues, with associated down-regulation of caspase-3, cleaved caspase-3, and BAX expression, and up-regulation of BCL-2. CONCLUSION: Our data demonstrate that CAP can protect against LPS-induced ALI by inhibiting oxidative stress, inflammatory responses and apoptosis through down-regulation of the HMGB1/NF-κB and PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathways.

[Comparison of hidden blood loss between minimally invasive percutaneous locking plate fixation and intramedullary nail fixation in the treatment of tibial shaft fracture].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze and compare the hidden blood loss of minimally invasive percutaneous plate osteosynthesis(MIPPO) combined with locking plate fixation and intramedullary nail fixation in the treatment of tibial shaft fracture. METHODS: One hundred and ninety-one cases of tibial shaft fracture treated from January 2017 to January 2019 were analyzed retrospectively. The patients were all treated with closed reduction and divided into two groups:group A (110 cases) and group B (81 cases). In group A, 78 males and 32 females were treated with MIPPO combined with locking plate. The age ranged from 19 to 74 (45.32±11.79) years old. According to AO classification, 42cases were type 42-A, 45 were type 42-B and 23 were type 42-C fractures. Group B was treated with intramedullary nail, including 65 males and 16 females, aged 19 to 84 (45.44± 14.32) years old. According to AO classification, there were 39 cases of type 42-A, 29 cases of type 42-B and 13 cases of type 42-C. The operation time, intraoperative blood loss and hidden blood loss were observed and compared between the two groups. RESULTS: On the first day, the hidden blood loss was (155.27±47.89) ml in group A and (160.43±131.42) ml in group B, the difference was statistically significant (P<0.001);on the third day, the hidden blood loss was (102.70±94.79) ml in group A and (338.23±85.24) ml in group B, the difference was statistically significant (P<0.001). There was no significant difference between the two groups in gender, age, height, weight, fracture type and preoperative Hct (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: In the treatment of tibial shaft fracture with intramedullary nail, there is obvious hidden blood loss, which is much higher than expected.

Sodium butyrate alleviates LPS-induced acute lung injury in mice via inhibiting HMGB1 release.

Sodium butyrate (SB) is a short chain 4-carbon fatty acid salt naturally exists in animal fats. Previous studies have proven that sodium butyrate has many beneficial functions such as anti-tumor and anti-inflammatory actions. In the current study we investigated the effect and possible mechanism of sodium butyrate in LPS-induced acute lung injury (ALI). ALI was induced by intratracheal administration of LPS (10 mg/kg) in male BALB/c mice. Sodium butyrate (500 mg/kg) was administered intraperitoneally 30 min prior to LPS exposure. We found that sodium butyrate significantly protected animals from LPS-induced ALI as evidenced by decreased the lung wet to dry weight ratio, total cells, neutrophils, macrophages, myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, and lung histological damage compared to vehicle control. Sodium butyrate pretreatment markedly inhibited the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6). Furthermore, sodium butyrate pretreatment dramatically suppressed HMGB1 release and NF-κ B activation. Together, these results suggest that sodium butyrate pretreatment protects mice from LPS-induced acute lung injury, possibly through the modulation of HMGB1 and inflammatory responses.