Magnetic fields promote electrocatalytic CO2 reduction via subtle modulations of magnetic moments and molecular bonding.

Introducing a magnetic-field gradient into an electrically driven chemical reaction is expected to give rise to intriguing research possibilities. In this work, we elaborate on the modes and mechanisms of electrocatalytic activity (from the perspective of alignment of magnetic moments) and selectivity (at the molecular level) for the CO2 reduction reaction in response to external magnetic fields. We establish a positive correlation between magnetic field strengths and apparent current densities. This correlation can be rationalized by the formation of longer-range ordering of magnetic moments and the resulting decrease in the scattering of conduction electrons and charge-transfer resistances as the field strength increases. Furthermore, aided by the magnetic-field-equipped operando infrared spectroscopy, we find that applied magnetic fields are capable of weakening the C-O bond strength of the key intermediate ∗COOH and elongating the C-O bond length, thereby increasing the faradaic efficiency for the electroreduction of CO2 to CO.

Adipose-derived stem cells can alleviate RHDV2 induced acute liver injury in rabbits.

Rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) can cause fatal fulminant hepatitis, which is very similar to human acute liver failure. The aim of this study was to investigate whether adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) could alleviate RHDV2-induced liver injury in rabbits. Twenty 50-day-old rabbits were divided randomly into two groups (RHDV2 group, ADSCs + RHDV2 group). Starting from the 1st day, two groups of rabbits were given 0.5 ml of viral suspensions by subcutaneous injection in the neck. Meanwhile, the ADSCs + RHDV2 group was injected with ADSCs cell suspension (1.5 × 107 cells/ml) via a marginal ear vein, and the RHDV2 group was injected with an equal amount of saline via a marginal ear vein. At the end of the 48 h experiment, the animals were euthanized and gross hepatic changes were observed before liver specimens were collected. Histopathological analysis was performed using hematoxylin-eosin (HE), periodic acid schiff (PAS) and Masson's trichrome staining. For RHDV2 affected rabbits, HE staining demonstrated disorganized hepatic cords, loss of cellular detail, and severe cytoplasmic vacuolation within hepatocytes. Glycogen was not observed with PAS staining, and Masson's Trichrome staining showed increased hepatic collagen deposition. For rabbits treated with ADSCs at the time of inoculation, hepatic pathological changes were significantly less severe, liver glycogen synthesis was increased, and collagen fiber deposition was decreased. For RHDV2 affected rabbits, Tunel and immunofluorescence staining showed that the number of apoptotic cells, TGF-ß, and MMP-9 protein expression increased. And that in the ADSC treated group there was less hepatocyte apoptosis. In addition, RHDV2 induces liver inflammation and promotes the expression of IL-1ß, IL-6, and TNF-α. In rabbits administered ADSCs at time of inoculation, the expression of inflammatory factors in liver tissue decreased significantly. Our experiments show that ADSCs can protect rabbits from liver injury by RHDV2 and reduce the pathological and inflammatory response of liver. However, the specific protective mechanism needs further study.

A ratiometric fluorescent probe with a large Stokes shift for the detection of Hg2+ and its applications in environmental sample and living system analysis.

Toxic mercury ions (Hg2+) can cause serious environmental pollution and accumulate in living organisms via the food chain. Therefore, monitoring Hg2+ is crucial in ensuring the safety of ecosystems and organisms. In this work, a novel ratiometric fluorescent probe CMT (5-(4-(diphenylamino)phenyl)-1-(7-hydroxy-coumarin-3-yl)-4-pentene-1,3-dione) based on coumarin was developed for detecting Hg2+, which displayed obvious fluorescence changes, a low detection limit (2.24 × 10-7 M), good selectivity, and a large Stokes shift (255 nm). The CMT probe could detect Hg2+ in real environmental soil and water samples. Furthermore, the CMT probe enabled the naked-eye detection of Hg2+ using test paper experiments. CMT was also applied for fluorescence imaging in living zebrafish and plants. This work provides a highly efficient tool for monitoring Hg2+ in environmental samples and biological systems.

Copper hexacyanoferrate/carbon sheet combination with high selectivity and capacity for copper removal by pseudocapacitance.

The efficient capture of copper ions (Cu2+) in wastewater has dual significance in pollution control and resource recovery. Prussian blue analog (PBA)-based pseudocapacitive materials with open frameworks and abundant metal sites have attracted considerable attention as capacitive deionization (CDI) electrodes for copper removal. In this study, the efficiency of copper hexacyanoferrate (CuHCF) as CDI electrode for Cu2+ treating was evaluated for the first time upon the successful synthesis of copper hexacyanoferrate/carbon sheet combination (CuHCF/C) by introducing carbon sheet as conductive substrate. CuHCF/C exhibited significant pseudocapacitance and high specific capacitance (52.92 F g-1) through the intercalation, deintercalation, and coupling of Cu+/Cu2+ and Fe2+/Fe3+ redox pairs. At 0.8 an applied voltage and CuSO4 feed liquid concentration of 100 mg L-1, the salt adsorption capacity was 134.47 mg g-1 higher than those of most reported electrodes. Moreover, CuHCF/C demonstrated excellent Cu2+ selectivity in multi-ion coexisting solutions and in actual wastewater experiments. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were employed to elucidate the mechanism. This study not only reveals the essence of Cu2+ deionization by PBAs pseudocapacitance with promising potential applications but also provides a new strategy for selecting efficient CDI electrodes for Cu2+ removal.

Colonisation of Group B Streptococcus and its effects on pregnancy outcomes in pregnant women in Guangzhou, China: a retrospective study.

OBJECTIVES: This study was to investigate the colonisation rate of Group B Streptococcus (GBS) during pregnancy, and to evaluate the influence of GBS colonisation on pregnancy outcomes. DESIGN: A retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Data of 47 380 pregnant women from 2016 to 2022 were collected from the Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Huadu District, Guangzhou City, China. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 15 040 pregnant women were eligible for this study, of which 32 340 were excluded due to non-native pregnant women, in vitro fertilization infants, malformed fetuses, habitual abortion, abortions due to poor reproductive or obstetrical history, artificial insemination, umbilical cord torsion, and other diseases during pregnancy. PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES: The incidence rates of GBS colonisation and premature delivery, fetal distress, premature rupture of membranes (PROM), low birth weight (LBW), abortion and stillbirth. RESULTS: Of the 15 040 pregnant women included in this study, 1445 developed GBS colonisation, with a prevalence of 9.61% (95% CI, 9.15 to 10.09). Advanced maternal age (≥35 years) predisposed women to GBS colonisation, and the occurrence of GBS colonisation varied among different ethnic groups. Our data revealed that fetal distress, PROM and LBW were more common in pregnant women colonised with GBS than in pregnant women not colonised with GBS. The incidence for premature delivery, fetal distress, PROM and LBW in infants of pregnant women colonised with GBS was 41.0% (OR=1.410, 95% CI, 1.134 to 1.753), 282.5% (OR=3.825, 95% CI, 3.185 to 4.593), 14.9% (OR=1.149, 95% CI, 1.005 to 1.313), and 29.7% (OR=1.297, 95% CI, 1.010 to 1.664), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: GBS colonisation was relatively low in pregnant women in Guangzhou. Women of advanced maternal age were more prone to GBS colonisation, and pregnant women colonised with GBS were more predisposed to fetal distress, PROM and LBW.

A deep-learning system to help make the surgical planning of coil embolization for unruptured intracranial aneurysms.

BACKGROUND: Coil embolization is a common method for treating unruptured intracranial aneurysms (UIAs). To effectively perform coil embolization for UIAs, clinicians must undergo extensive training with the assistance of senior physicians over an extended period. This study aimed to establish a deep-learning system for measuring the morphological features of UIAs and help the surgical planning of coil embolization for UIAs. METHODS: Preoperative computational tomography angiography (CTA) data and surgical data from UIA patients receiving coil embolization in our medical institution were retrospectively reviewed. A convolutional neural network (CNN) model was trained on the preoperative CTA data, and the morphological features of UIAs were measured automatically using this CNN model. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was utilized to examine the similarity between the morphologies measured by the CNN model and those determined by experienced clinicians. A deep neural network model to determine the diameter of first coil was further established based on the CNN model within the derivation set (75% of all patients) using neural factorization machines (NFM) model and was validated using a validation set (25% of all patients). The general match ratio (the difference was within ± 1 mm) between the predicted diameter of first coil by model and that used in practical scenario was calculated. RESULTS: One-hundred fifty-three UIA patients were enrolled in this study. The CNN model could diagnose UIAs with an accuracy of 0.97. The performance of this CNN model in measuring the morphological features of UIAs (i.e., size, height, neck diameter, dome diameter, and volume) was comparable to the accuracy of senior clinicians (all ICC > 0.85). The diameter of first coil predicted by the model established based on CNN model and the diameter of first coil used actually exhibited a high general match ratio (0.90) within the derivation set. Moreover, the model performed well in recommending the diameter of first coil within the validation set (general match ratio as 0.91). CONCLUSION: This study presents a deep-learning system which can help to improve surgical planning of coil embolization for UIAs.

Harlequin color change in a premature infant: A case report.

Key Clinical Message: This case of HCC report contributes to the knowledge of HCC in China. In this case, the longer duration of the color change observed in this case compared to previous reports, which will be useful for all medical practitioners. Abstract: Harlequin color change (HCC) is a benign skin color change that lasts for a short time with no obvious physical abnormalities. Its pathogenesis is still unclear. It occurs in newborns, especially premature infants. However, few cases of HCC have been reported in China. Herein, we report a case of HCC. The infant was born at 34 + 4 weeks of gestation and was admitted to the hospital due to metabolic acidosis and neonatal pneumonia after birth. On the third day after birth, there were two red bands with obvious edges along the body centreline, and the erythema characteristics were consistent with those of HCC. The immature hypothalamus of newborns may cause the occurrence of HCC. At the same time, some drugs (midazolam), hypoxemia, and blood sampling may also be associated with HCC during neonatal hospitalization. All doctors should be thoroughly knowledgeable about the clinical characteristics of HCC and avoid using unnecessary drugs during treatment.

One health genomic insights into the host-specific evolution and cross-host transmission of Staphylococcus aureus in animal farm environments, food of animal origin, and humans.

OBJECTIVES: Staphylococcus aureus is an opportunistic pathogen that is considered a high priority for research. However, comparative studies of S. aureus strains from different environments and hosts are still lacking. METHODS: Here, we performed a high-resolution bioinformatics analysis of 576 S. aureus genomes isolated from livestock, farm environments, farm workers, animal-origin food, and humans. RESULTS: The S. aureus isolates showed high diversity in genetic lineages and demonstrated host specialization and multi-host range in the population phylogeny. Recent transmission events, historical divergences, and frequent host switching in specific sequence types (STs) and through the food chain and animal farm mediums were observed. Frequent gene transfer may quickly give rise to new fitness to colonize their host or switch to other hosts, even in isolates with the closest vertical evolutionary history. The large multi-host-shared antibiotic resistance gene (ARG) pool was the major factor shaping antibiotic resistance in S. aureus isolates. We revealed the genetic backgrounds of mec, cfr, and optrA, which could be spread among isolates from different species, hosts, and environments. CONCLUSION: Overall, our findings provide One Health genomic insights into the evolution, transmission, gene content characteristics, and antibiotic resistance profiles of S. aureus from different hosts, suggesting that, despite well-formed host specificity during the evolution of S. aureus, the ever-expanding host range and the cross-hosts/niches transmission (at both the strain and genetic level) may be facilitated by diverse bacterial vehicles (e.g., food chain, farm environments, and workers), which will lead to emerging antibiotic resistance consequences and threaten public health and food safety.

Multiple modulatory roles of serotonin in chronic pain and injury-related anxiety.

Chronic pain is long-lasting pain that often persists during chronic diseases or after recovery from disease or injury. It often causes serious side effects, such as insomnia, anxiety, or depression which negatively impacts the patient's overall quality of life. Serotonin (5-HT) in the central nervous system (CNS) has been recognized as an important neurotransmitter and neuromodulator which regulates various physiological functions, such as pain sensation, cognition, and emotions-especially anxiety and depression. Its widespread and diverse receptors underlie the functional complexity of 5-HT in the CNS. Recent studies found that both chronic pain and anxiety are associated with synaptic plasticity in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), the insular cortex (IC), and the spinal cord. 5-HT exerts multiple modulations of synaptic transmission and plasticity in the ACC and the spinal cord, including activation, inhibition, and biphasic actions. In this review, we will discuss the multiple actions of the 5-HT system in both chronic pain and injury-related anxiety, and the synaptic mechanisms behind them. It is likely that the specific 5-HT receptors would be new promising therapeutic targets for the effective treatment of chronic pain and injury-related anxiety in the future.

Precisely Orientating Atomic Array in One-Dimension Tellurium Microneedles Enhances Intrinsic Piezoelectricity for an Efficient Piezo-Catalytic Sterilization.

Comprehensively understanding the interdependency between the orientated atomic array and intrinsic piezoelectricity in one-dimension (1D) tellurium (Te) crystals will greatly benefit their practical piezo-catalytic applications. Herein, we successfully synthesized the various 1D Te microneedles by precisely orientating the atomic growth orientation by tuning (100)/(110) planes ratios (Te-0.6, Te-0.3, Te-0.4) to reveal the secrets of piezoelectricity. Explicitly, the theoretical simulations and experimental results have solidly validated that the Te-0.6 microneedle grown along the [110] orientation possesses a stronger asymmetric distribution of Te atoms array causing the enhanced dipole moment and in-plane polarization, which boosts a higher transfer and separation efficiency of the electron and hole pairs and a higher piezoelectric potential under the same stress. Additionally, the orientated atomic array along the [110] has p antibonding states with a higher energy level, resulting in a higher CB potential and a broadened band gap. Meanwhile, it also has a much lower barrier toward the valid adsorption of H2O and O2 molecules over other orientations, effectively conducive to the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) for the efficient piezo-catalytic sterilization. Therefore, this study not only broadens the fundamental perspectives in understanding the intrinsic mechanism of piezoelectricity in 1D Te crystals but also provides a candidate 1D Te microneedle for practical piezo-catalytic applications.

Effect of Mineral Element Imbalance on Neutrophil Respiratory Burst Function and Inflammatory and Antioxidant Responses in Sheep.

This study established a model of mineral element homeostatic imbalance and examined the respiratory burst function of peripheral blood neutrophils and inflammatory and antioxidant indicators before and after the imbalance in sheep. The results showed that after an EDTA injection, the number of activated neutrophils in the peripheral blood was significantly higher than that in the control group (p < 0.01). In addition, the serum IL-6 level was significantly increased (p < 0.05) and matrix metalloproteinase 7 (MMP7) was inhibited (p < 0.05), but returned to a normal level one week after the injection. Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 (TIMP1) levels were consistently higher after the injection and significantly higher than in the control group (p < 0.05). CuZn-SOD, TNOS activity, serum creatinine and urea nitrogen levels were significantly higher than before the injection (p < 0.05). Combining the results of previous studies, the EDTA injection altered the metabolism and transcription of peripheral blood neutrophils. These changes enhance the respiratory burst function of neutrophils and alter the status of inflammatory and antioxidant indicators such as IL-6 and CuZn-SOD.

Effects of adipose derived stem cells pretreated with resveratrol on sciatic nerve regeneration in rats.

Adipose derived stem cells (ADSCs) are popular in regenerative medicine due to their easy availability, low immunogenicity and lack of controversy regarding their ethical debate use. Although ADSCs can repair nerve damage, the oxidative microenvironment of damaged tissue can induce apoptosis of transplanted stem cells, which weakens the therapeutic efficacy of ADSCs. Resveratrol (Res) is a type of natural polyphenol compound that regulates the proliferation, senescence and differentiation of stem cells. Therefore, we investigated whether incubation of ADSCs with Res improves their to promote peripheral nerve regeneration. ADSCs were cultured in vitro and treated with H2O2 to establish an apoptosis model. The control, H2O2 and Res groups were set up. The cell survival rate was detected by the CCK-8 method. The TUNEL assay was used to detect the apoptosis of the cells. qRT‒PCR was used to analyze the expression of apoptosis-related mRNA, and the effect of Res on the proliferation of ADSCs was investigated. In vivo, 40 SD rats were randomly divided into the control, model, ADSCs and ADSC + Res groups, with 13 rats in each group. The sciatic nerve injury rat model was established by the clamp method. Gait was observed on Days 7, 14, 21, and 28. Sciatic nerve regeneration was detected on Day 28. Res had no effect on the proliferation of ADSCs, and the TUNEL assay confirmed that Res pretreatment could significantly improve H2O2-induced apoptosis in ADSCs. Compared with the control group, caspase-3, Bax and Bcl-2 expression levels were significantly increased in the H2O2 group. Compared with the H2O2 group caspase-3 and Bax expression levels were significantly decreased, and Bcl-2 expression levels were significantly increased in ADSCs + Res group. At 4 weeks after surgery, the functional index of the sciatic nerve in the ADSCs + Res group was significantly higher than that in the model group. On Day 28, the average density of the sciatic nerve myelin sheath in the ADSCs + Res group was significantly increased compared with that in the model group, and Nissl staining showed that the number of motor neurons in the spinal cord was significant compared with that in the model group. Compared with the control group, the wet weight ratio of gastrocnemius muscle and muscle fiber area in ADSCs + Res group were significantly increased. Res enhanced the ability of ADSCs to promote sciatic nerve regeneration in rats.

The change in the relationship between temperature and respiratory diseases among children in Guangzhou, China.

Temperature is closely associated with respiratory disease (RD) in children, but few studies have examined whether the relationship between ambient temperature and RD in children changed after the COVID-19 epidemic. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between temperature and RD in children after the COVID-19 epidemic in Guangzhou, China. We used a distributed lag nonlinear model to compare the relationship between temperature and RD among children in Guangzhou from 2018 to 2022. The results showed an S-shaped relationship between temperature and RD in the post-COVID-19 period with a reference minimum risk at a temperature of 21 °C and an increasing relative risk (RR) at extremely low temperature (ELT) and extremely high temperature (EHT). The highest RR associated with EHT was 1.935 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.314-2.850) at a lag of 0-14 days. The on-the-day lag effects were found to be strongest at the lag 0 day of EHT with a RR of 1.167 (95% CI: 1.021-1.334). Furthermore, each 1 °C increase in post-COVID-19 temperature increased the risk of RD by 8.2% (95% CI: 1.044-1.121). Our study provides evidence that the relationship between temperature and RD in children in Guangzhou changed after the COVID-19 epidemic, and high temperature is more likely to cause RD in children. Relevant government departments and parents should understand the relationship between temperature and RD in children and develop new preventive measures.

Gastrointestinal pH-Sensitive Pickering Emulsions Stabilized by Zein Nanoparticles Coated with Bioactive Glycyrrhizic Acid for Improving Oral Bioaccessibility of Curcumin.

Pickering emulsions have received considerable attention for their stability and functionality. Environmentally responsive Pickering emulsions could be used as vehicles for oral administration. However, challenges still exist, such as nonbiocompatibility of emulsifier and mismatched response behavior in the gastrointestinal environment. In this study, a strategy was proposed that bioactive saponin glycyrrhizic acid (GA) was used as a pH-responsive substance to functionalize zein nanoparticles, and tannic acid (TA) was used as a primer for cross-linking GA and zein nanoparticles. The Pickering emulsions fabricated by zein/TA/GA nanoparticles (ZTGs) exhibited excellent stability at acid conditions while slowly demulsifying at neutral conditions, which can be further used as an intestine-targeted delivery system. Curcumin was encapsulated into ZTG-stabilized Pickering emulsions, and the encapsulation efficiency results suggested that the presence of GA coating remarkably facilitated the encapsulation of curcumin. An in vitro digestion study suggested that ZTGs provided protection for emulsions from pepsin hydrolysis and exhibited higher free fatty acid release as well as higher bioaccessibility of curcumin during simulated intestine digestion. This study provides an effective strategy to prepare pH-responsive Pickering emulsions for improving the oral bioaccessibility of hydrophobic nutraceuticals.

Filter design and color correction for the X-cube prism 3CCD camera.

For the X-cube prism three-charge-coupled-device (3CCD) camera, the spectra of the designed dichroic films in the X-cube prism shift with changes in the angle of incident light, producing non-uniformity of color on the image plane. We considered the influence of the incident angle on color performance in filter design and directly optimized the thin film to improve color consistency. An optical model was constructed to calculate the distribution of camera spectral sensitivity and independently correct the non-uniform color on the image plane. Results showed that the optimization and correction methods could significantly improve the color performance of the X-cube prism 3CCD camera.

Effects of Nonthermal Radiofrequency Stimulation on Neuronal Activity and Neural Circuit in Mice.

Whether the nonthermal effects of radiofrequency radiation (RFR) exist and how nonthermal RFR acts on the nervous system are unknown. An animal model of spatial memory impairment is established by exposing mice to 2856-MHz RFR in the range of thermal noise (≤1 °C). Glutamate release in the dorsal hippocampus (dHPC) CA1 region is not significantly changed after radiofrequency exposure, whereas dopamine release is reduced. Importantly, RFR enhances glutamatergic CA1 pyramidal neuron calcium activity by nonthermal mechanisms, which recover to the basal level with RFR termination. Furthermore, suppressed dHPC dopamine release induced by radiofrequency exposure is due to decreased density of dopaminergic projections from the locus coeruleus to dHPC, and artificial activation of dopamine axon terminals or D1 receptors in dHPC CA1 improve memory damage in mice exposed to RFR. These findings indicate that nonthermal radiofrequency stimulation modulates ongoing neuronal activity and affects nervous system function at the neural circuit level.

Functional System Based on Glycyrrhizic Acid Supramolecular Hydrogel: Toward Polymorph Control, Stabilization, and Controlled Release.

Developments of a drug delivery system (DDS) based on a natural supramolecular hydrogel have been of wide interest due to its biocompatibility, efficacy, and adjustable performance. However, a simple and efficient design of functional hydrogel DDS based on the templated interplay of gelator and model drug is still a challenge. In this work, natural glycyrrhetinic acid (GA) gel was selected as a carrier to encapsulate the model drug pyrazinamide (PZA). It was found that the carboxyl-amide interaction at the interface of gel-drug achieved polymorph control, stabilization, and pH-responsive release. Powder X-ray diffraction confirmed that the metastable γ form of PZA was obtained from the GA gel. Spectral analysis and molecular dynamics simulation showed that the protonation at the amide-O promoted the discretization of PZA molecules in solution, resulting in the polymorphism. Furthermore, the gel-drug interplay increased the stability of the γ form significantly from 2 days to 3 months by in situ encapsulation in the GA gel. In vitro release study indicated that the GA gel achieved targeted control release of PZA due to the pH-responsiveness property of GA. This work provides a promising option for hydrogel-based DDS design combined with polymorph control and stabilization.

Age-related attenuation of cortical synaptic tagging in the ACC is rescued by BDNF or a TrkB receptor agonist in both sex of mice.

Long-term potentiation (LTP) is a key cellular mechanism for learning and memory, and recent studies in the hippocampus found that LTP was impaired in aged animals. Previous studies of cortical LTP have focused primarily on the homosynaptic plasticity in adult mice, while fewer studies have looked at heterosynaptic plasticity-such as synaptic tagging in aged mice. In the present study, we investigated synaptic tagging in adult and middle-aged mice's anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) using the 64-channel multielectrode dish (MED64) recording system. We found that synaptic tagging was impaired in the ACC of middle-aged male mice as compared to adult mice. Both the network late-phase LTP (L-LTP) and the recruitment of inactive responses were reduced in the ACC of middle-aged male mice. Similar results were found in female middle-aged mice, indicating that there is no gender difference. Furthermore, bath application of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) or systemic treatment with newly developed TrkB receptor agonists R13, was shown to rescue both synaptic tagging, and L-LTP, in middle-aged mice. To determine the distribution of synaptic LTP within the ACC, a new visualization method was developed to map the Spatio-temporal variation of LTP in the ACC. Our results provide strong evidence that cortical potentiation and synaptic tagging show an age-dependent reduction, and point to the TrkB receptor as a potential drug target for the treatment of memory decline.

Photothermal and selective microbial inactivation behaviors of gluconamide-coated IR780 nanoparticles.

Photothermal therapy (PTT) is a promising alternative treatment for bacterial infection. In this study, a photothermal nanoparticle was prepared by encapsulating IR780 into N-octyl-D-gluconamide (GA). The photothermal nanoparticle (IR780-GA NP) was evenly suspended in water with an average particle size of 42.2 nm. After exposure to near-infrared light, the temperature of the IR780-GA NP suspension was increased by around 15 °C within 5 min. This leads to an obvious microbial inactivation effect when it is adsorbed to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA, 2 orders of magnitude reduction of CFU concentration) and Escherichia coli (1.5 orders of magnitude reduction of CFU concentration). Interestingly, Salmonella typhimurium survived after the same treatment. Different strains also showed variations. The hemolysis test showed that IR780-GA NPs had good blood compatibility. In vivo experiments collaborated with the in vitro findings. The IR780-GA NP-triggered photothermal effects killed 63-100% of bacteria in the wound site of mice depending on the IR780-GA NP concentration. Overall, this study provided the fundamental basis of IR780-GA NPs in four aspects: fabrication, photothermal characterization, selective adsorption, and microbial inactivation (in vitro and in vivo). The findings of this study provide a practical approach for the development of mild photothermal therapy which targets specific bacterial strains and treats MRSA infection effectively.

Association between air pollution exposure and gestational diabetes mellitus in pregnant women: a retrospective cohort study.

The global prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is increasing annually, and previous research reports on the relationship between exposure to air pollutants and GDM are not completely consistent. We investigated the association between air pollutant exposure and GDM in pregnant women in a retrospective cohort study in Guangzhou. We found that in the first trimester, exposure to PM2.5 and CO showed a significant association with GDM. In the second trimester, exposure to PM10 was significantly associated with GDM. In the third trimester, exposure to PM2.5, PM10, NO2, SO2, and CO at IQR4 (odds ratio [OR] = 1.271, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.179-1.370; OR = 1.283, 95% CI: 1.191-1.383; OR = 1.230, 95% CI: 1.145-1.322; OR = 1.408, 95% CI: 1.303-1.522; OR = 1.150, 95% CI: 1.067-1.240, respectively) compared with IQR1 was positively associated with GDM. However, exposure to NO2 was negatively associated with GDM in the first and second trimesters, and O3 was negatively associated with GDM in the second and third trimesters. We found that the correlation between air pollutants and GDM in different trimesters of pregnancy was not completely consistent in this retrospective cohort study. During pregnancy, there may be an interaction between air pollutant exposure and other factors, such as pregnant women's age, occupation, anemia status, pregnancy-induced hypertension status, and pregnancy season.