Psychological interventions to pregnancy-related complications in patients with post-traumatic stress disorder: a scoping review.

OBJECTIVE: This scoping review sought to investigate the association between pregnancy-related complications and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among postpartum women, then summarize effective psychological interventions for pregnancy-related PTSD or sub-PTSD. METHOD: Publications in English and Chinese were searched in PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, ISI Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and WanFang databases using the subject headings of "Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic", "Pregnant Women", and "psychotherapy". To ensure that as many relevant studies are incorporated as possible, free terms such as prenatal, postnatal, perinatal and gestation were also used. Intervention studies and related cases published by July 1st, 2023, were also searched. RESULTS: Twenty-one articles (including 3,901 mothers) were included in this review. Evidence showed that typical psychological interventions exhibited great effect, and family support programs, peer support, online yoga, and music therapy were also effective in reducing risk and improving the psychological well-being of the studied population. CONCLUSION: Fetal abnormalities, miscarriage, premature birth, infants with low birth weights, hypertension, pre-eclampsia, HELLP syndrome, and hyperemesis gravidarum are associated with an increased risk of PTSD. Moreover, high-risk pregnant women may benefit from psychological interventions such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). It may also be feasible and well-accepted for music therapy and exposure therapy to lessen the intensity of PTSD in mothers.

LncRNA SNHG1 promotes sepsis-induced myocardial injury by inhibiting Bcl-2 expression via DNMT1.

Myocardial injury is a frequently occurring complication of sepsis. This study aims to investigate the molecular mechanism of long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) small nucleolar RNA host gene 1 (SNHG1)-mediated DNA methyltransferase 1/B-cell lymphoma-2 (DNMT1/Bcl-2) axis in sepsis-induced myocardial injury. Mice and HL-1 cells were treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to establish animal and cellular models simulating sepsis and inflammation. LncRNA SNHG1 was screened out as a differentially expressed lncRNA in sepsis samples through microarray profiling, and the upregulated expression of lncRNA SNHG1 was confirmed in myocardial tissues of LPS-induced septic mice and HL-1 cells. Further experiments suggested that silencing of lncRNA SNHG1 reduced the inflammation and apoptotic rate of LPS-induced HL-1 cells. LncRNA SNHG1 inhibited Bcl-2 expression by recruiting DNMT1 to Bcl-2 promoter region to cause methylation. Inhibition of Bcl-2 promoter methylation reduced the inflammation and apoptotic rate of LPS-induced HL-1 cells. In vivo experiments substantiated that lncRNA SNHG1 silencing alleviated sepsis-induced myocardial injury in mice. Taken together, lncRNA SNHG1 promotes LPS-induced myocardial injury in septic mice by downregulating Bcl-2 through DNMT1-mediated Bcl-2 methylation.

MALAT1 shuttled by extracellular vesicles promotes M1 polarization of macrophages to induce acute pancreatitis via miR-181a-5p/HMGB1 axis.

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a serious condition carrying a mortality of 25-40%. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have reported to exert potential functions in cell-to-cell communication in diseases such as pancreatitis. Thus, we aimed at investigating the mechanisms by which EV-encapsulated metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript-1 (MALAT1) might mediate the M1 polarization of macrophages in AP. Expression patterns of MALAT1, microRNA-181a-5p (miR-181a-5p) and high-mobility group box 1 protein (HMGB1) in serum of AP patients were determined. EVs were isolated from serum and pancreatic cells. The binding affinity among miR-181a-5p, MALAT1 and HMGB1 was identified. AP cells were co-cultured with EVs from caerulein-treated MPC-83 cells to determine the levels of M1/2 polarization markers and TLR4, NF-κB and IKBa. Finally, AP mouse models were established to study the effects of EV-encapsulated MALAT1 on the M1 polarization of macrophages in AP in vivo. MALAT1 was transferred into MPC-83 cells via EVs, which promoted M1 polarization of macrophages in AP. MALAT1 competitively bound to miR-181a-5p, which targeted HMGB1. Moreover, MALAT1 activated the TLR4 signalling pathway by regulating HMGB1. EV-encapsulated MALAT1 competitively bound to miR-181a-5p to upregulate the levels of IL-6 and TNF-α by regulating HMGB1 via activation of the TLR4 signalling pathway, thereby inducing M1 polarization of macrophages in AP. In vivo experimental results also confirmed that MALAT1 shuttled by EVs promoted M1 polarization of macrophages in AP via the miR-181a-5p/HMGB1/TLR4 axis. Overall, EV-loaded MALAT1 facilitated M1 polarization of macrophages in AP via miR-181a-5p/HMGB1/TLR4, highlighting a potential target for treating AP.

Long noncoding RNA LINC00657 induced by SP1 contributes to the non-small cell lung cancer progression through targeting miR-26b-5p/COMMD8 axis.

Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a kind of lung cancer with high incidence and poor outcomes all over the world. Studies have validated that the upregulation of long noncoding RNA LINC00657 is related to several cancers. Nevertheless, the underlying regulatory mechanism of LINC00657 in NSCLC has not been well elucidated. In the present study, quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) revealed that LINC00657 level was apparently elevated in NSCLC cells. Loss-of function assays demonstrated that LINC00657 silence retarded cell proliferation and migration in NSCLC cells. Moreover, the chromatin immunoprecipitation result identified the transcription factor SP1 could bind with LINC00657 promoter, and RT-qPCR proved SP1 positively regulated LINC00657 expression in NSCLC cells. In addition, the mechanistic investigations unveiled that LINC00657 was an endogenous sponge of miR-26b-5p and therefore boosted the expression of copper metabolism MURR1 domain-containing 8 (COMMD8), one of the targets of miR-26b-5p. Besides, miR-26b-5p could negatively regulate LINC00657 or COMMD8 in NSCLC cells. With the application of rescue assays, we uncovered that overexpression of COMMD8 partly mitigated the impairment of LINC00657 repression on NSCLC cell proliferation and migration. Together, our study illustrated that SP1-stimulated LINC00657 promoted NSCLC progression through targeting miR-26b-5p/COMMD8 axis, offering a novel potential therapeutic target for NSCLC.

Delivery of Platinum(IV) Prodrugs via Bi2Te3 Nanoparticles for Photothermal-Chemotherapy and Photothermal/Photoacoustic Imaging.

Combinational administration of photothermal therapy (PTT) and chemotherapy (CT) shows great potential in improving the efficiency of tumor treatment. Herein, we designed a novel nanocomposite Pt@Bi2Te3 composed of bismuth telluride (Bi2Te3) nanoparticles and platinum(IV) prodrugs (Pt) for PTT-CT combination therapy. The obtained Bi2Te3 was synthesized by a simple solvothermal method and modified by polyethylene glycol, which exhibited excellent photothermal (PT) efficiency and stability and could also serve as a bimodal bioimaging contrast agent in PT and photoacoustic (PA) imaging. In vitro experiment results showed that the nanocomposite Pt@Bi2Te3 could effectively increase the uptake of platinum in cancer cells, which could kill tumor cells through the combined effect of PTT and CT. Furthermore, combination therapy of cancer in vivo was achieved with obvious tumor-growth inhibition without inducing observed side effects. We revealed the great potential of Bi2Te3 nanocomposites in increasing therapeutic efficiency by PTT-CT therapy and PA-PT imaging.

Development of a Highly Water-Soluble Lycopene Cyclodextrin Ternary Formulation by the Integrated Experimental and Modeling Techniques.

Lycopene, the aliphatic hydrocarbon carotenoid with abundant bioactivities, has instability, extremely poor water solubility, and low oral bioavailability. The study aimed to develop a highly water-soluble and practical lycopene formulation to improve the oral bioavailability and efficiency of lycopene. Environment-friendly hot-melt extrusion (HME) technique was applied to fabricate lycopene-cyclodextrin-polyethylene glycol 6000 (PEG 6000) ternary systems, which possessed highly aqueous solubility (897.665 µg mL-1), almost 32-fold higher than that of the reported lycopene binary inclusion (27.1 ± 3.2 µg mL-1). The dissolution rate was significantly accelerated compared to pure lycopene. The molecular mechanism was further investigated by the integrated experimental and modeling tools. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulation revealed lycopene molecule was wrapped within the aggregates of hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HP-ß-CD) and PEG 6000 through extensive hydrogen bond interactions, which was experimentally validated by DSC, XRD, and FTIR spectrum analysis. The third component PEG 6000 facilitated the process of HME and augmented hydrogen bond interactions with HP-ß-CD. Moreover, lycopene inclusions exhibited significant antitumor activity via inhibiting cell proliferation and inducing apoptosis. The pharmacokinetic studies showed the relative bioavailability of lycopene ternary preparation was up to 313.08% and the Cmax was 4.9-fold higher than that of the marketed tablet. In conclusion, the lycopene cyclodextrin ternary formulation developed by the modified HME techniques is suitable for industrial production, while PEG 6000 plays a vital part in the multicomponent systems to increase solubility, dissolution rate, and oral bioavailability of lycopene. The combination of experimental and computational tools is able to benefit the development of multicomponent formulations accurately and effectively.

Rapid detection of PAH gene mutations in Chinese people.

BACKGROUND: Phenylketonuria (PKU) is an autosomal recessive genetic disease, caused by the phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) deficiency in the metabolic pathway, which prevents phenylalanine from being converted into tyrosine, leading to a large amount of phenylalanine discharged from the urine. Therefore, it is necessary to establish a simple, fast, accurate and reliable PKU molecular diagnostic method for clinical diagnosis. METHODS: We established a novel diagnostic method by combining a single-tube multiplex PCR technique with molecular hybridization technique. The method was verified by DNA sequencing technology. The established new technology successfully detected 9 common PAH gene mutations in the Chinese population. RESULTS: Double-blind analysis indicated that the diagnostic accuracy and specificity of the PKU sample were all 100%. Frequencies of single mutation R111X, R176X, Ex6-96A, R241C, R243Q, R252Q, Y356X, V399 V and R413P genotypes were 8, 0.5, 16.5, 1.5, 27, 4.5, 13, 10.5, 8.5% respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The established method of combing single-tube multiplex PCR with molecular hybridization technology can accurately and rapidly detect PAH gene mutations in Chinese and is suitable for screening of large PKU populations with clinical samples.

MicroRNA-103 confers the resistance to long-treatment of adriamycin to human leukemia cells by regulation of COP1.

Adriamycin (ADR) is an anti-cancer drug which offers improvement in survival for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients. However, the drug resistance is almost inevitable. Increasing evidences suggested that microRNAs (miRNAs) were associated with cancer chemo-resistance. Here, we aimed to explore the possible mechanism of miR-103 affected resistance to ADR in AML cells. Different concentrations of ADR were used to induce K562 and KASUMI-1 cells, and miR-103 mimic, inhibitor were transfected into K562 and KASUMI-1 cells. Cell viability and proliferation were determined by trypan blue staining and MTT assays for evaluating K562 and KASUMI-1 cells drug resistance. The relationship of miR-103 and COP1, Trib1, and C/EBPα were analyzed by qRT-PCR and Western blot. Cell proliferation, viability were detected again. Besides, the expressions of main factors of cell cycle and PI3K/AKT signal pathway were analyzed by Western blot. Results showed that ADR inhibited cell viability and proliferation in K562 and KASUMI-1 cells. However, K562 and KASUMI-1 cells appeared drug resistance for 50 passages at 0.8 µM of ADR. In addition, miR-103 expression was up-regulated in ADR-resistant K562 cells (K562/ADR) and overexpression of miR-103 increased K562 cells drug resistance via promoting cell viability and cell cycle-related factors expressions. COP1 was positively regulated by miR-103, suppression of miR-103 recovered K562/ADR cells drug resistance by regulation of COP1, Trib1, and C/EBPα. Besides, miR-103 blocked PI3K/AKT signal pathway by regulation of COP1. These data indicated that miR-103 was up-regulated in drug resistant cells and it may regulate ADR-resistance by regulation of COP1 in AML cells.

[Study on the Micro-FTIR Spectra of the Euhedral Faceted Polycrystalline Diamonds (EFPCDs) from Western Yangtze Craton and Its Geological Significance].

The results of Micro-FTIR spectra analysis of the euhedral faceted polycrystalline diamonds (EFPCDs) from the Western Yangtze Craton show that the EFPCDs are mostly IaAB type, the concentration of nitrogen.varies greatly from 25. 70- 358.35 µg x g(-1). Different nitrogen content distributes in different diamond grains or position in same sample. The C Center was not found in the samples and the conversion from A center to B center is incomplete, in the meanwhile, B% value concentrated in 40%. Thus, polycrystalline diamonds are not formed in the stage of nucleation but gathered together after formation of the individual diamond grains during the residence time in the mantle. And its formation environment is. more complex than the euhedral faceted polycrystalline diamonds from Mengyin kimberlite, the Eastern of North China Craton. The diamonds extremely possibly originated in the deep mantle from 160 to 180 km, reaching the depth of the core of the Yangtze Craton, at the same time it is close to the bottom of the lithosphere. The C-H bond of sp2 hybridization are conducive to the formation of platelets in diamonds. Meanwhile, its concentrations are generally higher than the C-H bond of sp3 hybridization in the samples.

A study on the spatial distribution characteristics and driving factors of traditional villages in the southeast coast of China: A case study of Puxian, Fujian.

Traditional villages are the common historical and cultural heritage of all mankind. With the intensification of urbanization, the continuation of traditional villages and the inheritance of historical and cultural heritage are facing risks. The research on the driving factors affecting the spatial distribution characteristics, heterogeneity and human land interaction of traditional villages provides a new idea for the protection of traditional villages. This study takes 137 traditional villages in Puxian area, a typical cultural area in the southeast coast, as the research object, analyzes the spatial distribution pattern of traditional villages by using spatial analysis method, and selects 13 factors to analyze the main driving forces and interaction mechanisms through geographical detectors. The results show that: (1) Puxian traditional villages are clustered and distributed, and the distribution among counties is uneven, mainly in the state of "one cluster and many scattered points" with more coastal areas and less mountainous areas. (2) Puxian traditional villages are mainly affected by many factors such as nature, space, society and culture. They are more densely distributed in areas with rich cultural heritage, fertile land, flat terrain, suitable climate, close to water systems, developed transportation, backward economy and dense population. (3) Cultural factors are the primary factors affecting the spatial distribution of traditional villages, the order of driving factors' explanatory power is: intangible cultural heritage (0.5160) > protected cultural relic units (0.3591) > distance from railway (0.3255) > night light remote sensing (0.3179) > elevation (0.3012) > population density (0.2671) > slope (0.2032) > soil type (0.1804) > precipitation (0.1750) > temperature (0.1744) > land use (0.1492) > distance from river (0.0691)>distance from highway (0.0530). The interaction of intangible cultural heritage, protected cultural relic units and distance from the railway is the dominant factor for the spatial differentiation of traditional villages. Among them, the interaction of intangible cultural heritage∩distance from the railway is the strongest, and the q-value is 0.79, which proves that the interpretation ability of the two factor model is much higher than that of the single factor model. The results of this study reflect that traditional villages and nature, space, society and culture are interdependent, so the protection of traditional villages should be adapted to local conditions.

Synergistic effect of surfactant and 1,10-decanedithiol as corrosion inhibitor for zinc anode in alkaline electrolyte of zinc-air batteries.

The self-discharge by corrosion of zinc-air batteries (ZABs) will result in the reduced coulombic efficiency and lower energy efficiency. The additives in electrolyte should not only inhibit the occurrence of self-corrosion during battery dormancy, but also achieve a stable cycle of adsorption-desorption during battery operation, improving the durability of discharge cycles. But the former requires strong binding between additives and zinc to form a dense protective film, while the latter requires easy desorption of additives and zinc without affecting discharge power, which is contradictory to balance. In this study, a dynamic combination of additives and zinc, as well as a design of multi-channel strategy for the corresponding protective layer, have been proposed to solve the issues of self-corrosion and discharge cycle stability. Specifically, the surfactant (octylphenol polyoxyethylene ether phosphate (OP-10P)) and 1,10-decanedithiol (DD) have been selected as the combined anti-corrosion additives in ZABs with concentrated alkaline solution. The synergistic inhibition mechanism and the stabilization mechanism in zinc-air full cells have been studied systematically. The results indicated that the combined inhibitors inhibited the self-corrosion of Zn efficiently in the dormancy, and the inhibition efficiency reached 99.9 % at the optimized proportion. OP-10P achieve the preferential adsorption on the zinc surface, and then the chelates of DD with Zn2+ deposit on the outer layer to form the protective film with fine hydrophobic performance. The stability of ZABs in discharge and charging cycles has been improved owing to the multilayer adsorption film on zinc surface, which retains ion transport channels with the homogeneously pores to weaken the dendrites and side reactions during galvanostatic cycles. A probable model on zinc surface was established to discuss the actual working mechanism.

Prevalence and risk factors of antenatal depression in the first trimester: A real-world cross-sectional study in a developed district in South China.

BACKGROUND: Antenatal depression may result in adverse outcomes for both the mother and the offspring. However, few studies have focused on the screening of pregnant women at a higher risk for antenatal depression in the first trimester. The present study aimed to assess the effect of lifestyle and family relationships on antenatal depression in the first trimester in a large Chinese population. METHODS: Cross-sectional population data were obtained from a real-world cross-sectional survey conducted in Shenzhen, China from 2020 to 2024. The data on sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle, and family relationships were obtained using self-reported questionnaires. Antenatal depression was assessed using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), with a score of ≥13 indicating the presence of probable antenatal depression. A binary logistic regression model was used to identify the risk factors of antenatal depression. RESULTS: A total of 42,363 pregnant women in the first trimester were recruited in the cross-sectional survey, among whom 3107 (7.3 %) had probable antenatal depression. We found (1) age < 25 years, (2) low or moderate economic status, (3) smoking, (4) partner smoking, (5) alcohol use, (6) lack of physical exercise, (7) poor or moderate living environment, (8) low or moderate marital happiness, and (9) never talking about problems were associated with antenatal depression. However, level of education, employment status, partner alcohol use, and living alone were not significantly related to antenatal depression in the first trimester. LIMITATIONS: The cross-sectional design and the use of self-report measures must be considered while interpreting the results. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggested that the prevalence of antenatal depression in the first trimester was 7.3 %. Public health prevention efforts aimed at reducing the prevalence of antenatal depression are recommended. Early identification of women at a higher risk in early pregnancy is necessary for preventing antenatal depression and improving quality of life.

[Analysis of X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy and plasma mass spectrometry of the Guidong granite body and its implications to granite evolution].

The Guidong composite granite body (CGB) located in the north Guangdong Province consists of numerous rock bodies formed respectively in the early and late Jurassic and early Cretaceous. Analysis of the granites of different period with X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy and plasma mass spectrometry indicates: (1) From the top of a granite body downwards, the felsic components of rock decrease, while the mafic and sigmaREE, LREE/HREE, (La/Yb)N, as well as delta Eu value increase, suggesting the material differentiation in the in-situ melting of crustal rocks and crystallisation of magma; (2) From old to young of the different period granite-massifs in the Guidong CGB, the felsic compositions totally decrease, and the mafic components, sigmaEE, LREE/HREE, (La/Yb)N, and delta Eu value increase as well, implying multiple crustal melting (remelting) events in the Mesozoic in this area; and (3) Primitive mantle-normalized spider diagram for trace elements of Guidong CGB suggests high maturity of the crust involved in the in-situ melting.

[Experimental study of the red-bed pigment with diffuse reflectance spectroscopy].

Red pigment of continental red-bed is known originating from the fine-particle hematite in the rocks. Advance of researches on the origin of continental red-bed demonstrates that the red pigment of red-bed originated from its diagenetic but not depositional process. The high diagenetic temperature causes the dehydration of iron hydrate to form hematite, generating the red pigment. For examining the above hypothesis, the authors of this paper designed an experiment to approach the reddening process, i.e. formation of the red pigment of continental red-bed. Black ooze sampled from the Holocene sediments of the Pearl River Delta was heated in different ways. The diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) of those heated ooze samples were detected with Perkin-Elmer Lamdba 950 ultraviolet/visible/near-infrared spectrophotometer, and moreover, red-values of the samples were calculated for determining their coloring levels. Iron in black ooze sediment is predominantly in the form of goethite. Experimental results verified that initial dehydration-temperature of goethite is about 150 degrees C, either enhancing temperature or prolonging heating time is accompanied with decreasing goethite and increasing hematite, and a positive relationship exists between red-value of samples and peak-height of hematite. The experimental results strongly support the idea of thermal origin of continental red-bed.

CIRCTDRD9 CONTRIBUTES TO SEPSIS-INDUCED ACUTE LUNG INJURY BY ENHANCING THE EXPRESSION OF RAB10 VIA DIRECTLY BINDING TO MIR-223-3P.

ABSTRACT: Background: The dysregulation of circular RNAs (circRNAs) is involved in various human diseases, including sepsis-induced acute lung injury (ALI). We aimed to investigate the role of circTDRD9 in the development of sepsis-induced ALI. Methods: Cell models of sepsis-induced ALI were established by treating A549 cells with LPS. The expression of circTDRD9, miR-223-3p, and RAB10 mRNA was measured by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). The levels of inflammatory factors were measured by ELISA. Oxidative stress-related indicators were monitored by using commercial detection kits. The expression of fibrosis-related proteins was detected by Western blot assay. Cell proliferation was assessed by EdU assay. The predicted binding relationship between miR-223-3p and circTDRD9 or RAB10 was verified by dual-luciferase reporter assay, RIP assay or pull-down assay. Results: CircTDRD9 was highly expressed in LPS-treated A549 cells. CircTDRD9 downregulation prevented LPS-induced inflammation, oxidative stress, cell proliferation inhibition, and cell fibrosis in A549 cells, whereas these effects were reversed by the inhibition of miR-223-3p, a target of circTDRD9. In addition, RAB10 was verified as a target of miR-223-3p, and RAB10 overexpression recovered LPS-induced inflammation, oxidative stress, cell proliferation inhibition, and cell fibrosis in A549 cells that were ameliorated by miR-223-3p restoration. Importantly, circTDRD9 positively regulated RAB10 expression by binding to miR-223-3p. Conclusion: CircTDRD9 overexpression was closely associated with LPS-induced ALI. CircTDRD9 contributed to LPS-induced ALI partly by upregulating RAB10 via binding to miR-223-3p.

Porous CoSe2 nanosheet arrays derived from zeolitic imidazolate frameworks on Ni foam for asymmetric supercapacitors.

Porous CoSe2 nanosheets are prepared on nickel foam by the hydrothermal method using Se powder as the selenium source and a zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF-67) as the template. The impact of hydrothermal temperature on the morphological structure and electrochemical performance of the CoSe2 materials is investigated by characterization with HRTEM, SEM, XRD, and so on, and CV and GCD electrochemical tests. The results show that the CoSe2-180 electrode material exhibits excellent electrochemical performance, and its unique nanosheet array structure can provide a highly active surface, large superficial area and fast ion transport channels. This is mainly attributed to the fact that the reaction at different hydrothermal temperatures can provide different nanosheet structures. An ordered array structure is most clearly observed at a hydrothermal temperature of 180 °C. In addition, the incorporated ZIF-67 backbone provides a pathway for rapid electron transfer and accommodates the volume expansion of the selenide during charge-discharge processes. Due to the distinct porous structure, the CoSe2-180 electrode shows a high specific capacity of 269.4 mA h g-1 at 1 A g-1 and a distinguished retention rate of 83.7% at 20 A g-1. After 5000 cycles, the specific capacity can be maintained at 83.4% of the initial value. Moreover, the asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) device is assembled with CoSe2-180 as the positive electrode. It displays favorable electrochemical performance with the maximum specific energy of 45.6 W h kg-1 at a specific power of 800.8 W kg-1 and an original capacitance retention rate of 81.5% after 5000 cycles.

Antimicrobial Step-Down Therapy versus Conventional Antimicrobial Therapy in the Treatment of Patients with Sepsis.

Objective: This study was to evaluate the efficacy of antimicrobial step-down therapy versus conventional antimicrobial therapy in the treatment of patients with sepsis. Methods: Between September 2020 and September 2021, 65 patients with sepsis treated in the intensive care unit (ICU) of our hospital were recruited and assigned at a ratio of 1 : 1 to receive either conventional antimicrobial therapy (sulbactam plus cefoperazone) (control group) or antimicrobial step-down therapy (imipenem/cilastatin) (observation group). The results of drug sensitivity tests and clinical effects were evaluated comprehensively after 3-5 d of treatment, downgraded, and upgraded, or maintenance treatment was administered for 10 d. Outcome measures included clinical and laboratory indices and treatment efficacy. Results: Antimicrobial step-down therapy resulted in a significantly higher efficacy and lower levels of white blood cell (WBC) count and C-reactive protein (CRP) versus conventional antimicrobial therapy (P < 0.05). The patients given antimicrobial step-down therapy showed a significantly shorter duration of antimicrobial drug administration, temperature recovery, time of respiratory support, and ICU stays versus conventional antimicrobial therapy (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Antimicrobial step-down therapy contributes to the mitigation of inflammatory responses in patients with sepsis and shortens the duration of antimicrobial drug use and ICU stay versus conventional antimicrobial therapy. The reliability of the conclusions can be further increased if multicenter and large sample clinical observations can be conducted, which is the direction of endeavor for future clinical studies.

Molecularly Imprinted Polymers with Enzymatic Properties Reduce Cytokine Release Syndrome.

A core-shell molecularly imprinted polymer nanoparticle with biological enzyme functional characteristics was developed by oxidative polymerization of template protein and polydopamine on the surface of protease-copper phosphate hybrid nanoflowers by molecular imprinting technology and enzyme immobilization technology. The obtained molecularly imprinted polymer showed specific binding characteristics with the template protein. It recognized and enriched the target molecules through the surface molecularly imprinted sites of the shell structure. In addition, the bound target molecules were further degraded into fragments by nanozymes with biological enzyme characteristics in the core. In this study, molecular imprinting technology and biotechnology were combined to obtain bifunctional molecularly imprinted polymer nanoparticles that can not only enrich template molecules but also degrade them into fragments. Herein, we selected interleukin 6 (IL-6), the target molecule of cytokine release syndrome (CRS), as a template molecule, and reported a molecularly imprinted polymer with degrading enzyme properties that can rapidly reduce IL-6 levels in vivo, including a molecularly imprinted layer that can recognize and bind IL-6 and nanozymes that can degrade IL-6 and deactivate it. It is used to clear the excessive secretion of IL-6 in CRS and reduce the level of IL-6 in the body to achieve the purpose of adjuvant treatment of CRS.

Solvothermal synthesis of poly(acrylic acid) decorated magnetic molybdenum disulfide nanosheets for highly-efficient adsorption of cationic dyes from aqueous solutions.

Herein we report solvothermal synthesis of poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) decorated magnetic molybdenum disulfide nanosheets (MMoS2/PAA) for highly efficient adsorption of three cationic dyes of basic fuchsin (BF), methylene blue (MB), and crystal violet (CV) from aqueous solutions. The synthesized MMoS2/PAA was characterized by several techniques including transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM), and dynamic light scattering (DLS). Due to the strong electrostatic interaction between cationic dyes and the anionic nanosheet surface, the obtained MMoS2/PAA showed ultrafast adsorption of BF, MB and CV within 2 min with high adsorption capacities of 886.1, 709.0, and 633.6 mg g-1, respectively, much higher than those materials reported recently. PAA molecules bound on the nanosheets played a crucial role in significantly enhancing the dye adsorption. The adsorption kinetics and isotherms of three dyes onto the MMoS2/PAA were well described by the pseudo-second-order kinetic and the Langmuir models. Moreover, the MMoS2/PAA also exhibited high removal efficiencies for various mixed-dye solutions. Besides, such a functional nanomaterial could be effectively recovered from dye solutions under an external magnetic field and reused for dye adsorption without compromising on its performance indicating it can serve as an excellent adsorbent for effective removal of a variety of cationic organic pollutants from industrial effluents.

Tumor Microenvironment-Responsive Theranostic Nanoplatform for Guided Molecular Dynamic/Photodynamic Synergistic Therapy.

The integration of reactive oxygen species (ROS)-involved molecular dynamic therapy (MDT) and photodynamic therapy (PDT) holds great promise for enhanced anticancer effects. Herein, we report a biodegradable tumor microenvironment-responsive nanoplatform composed of sinoporphyrin sodium (SPS) photosensitizer-loaded zinc peroxide nanoparticles (SPS@ZnO2 NPs), which can enhance the action of ROS through the production of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and singlet oxygen (1O2) for MDT and PDT, respectively, and the depletion of glutathione (GSH). Under these conditions, SPS@ZnO2 NPs show excellent MDT/PDT synergistic therapeutic effects. We demonstrate that the SPS@ZnO2 NPs quickly degrade to H2O2 and endogenous Zn2+ in an acidic tumor environment and produce toxic 1O2 with 630 nm laser irradiation both in vitro and in vivo. Anticancer mechanistic studies show that excessive production of ROS damages lysosomes and mitochondria and induces cellular apoptosis. We show that SPS@ZnO2 NPs increase the uptake and penetration depth of photosensitizers in cells. In addition, the fluorescence of SPS is a powerful diagnostic tool for the treatment of tumors. The depletion of intracellular GSH through H2O2 production and the release of cathepsin B enhance the effectiveness of PDT. This theranostic nanoplatform provides a new avenue for tumor microenvironment-responsive and ROS-involved therapeutic strategies with synergistic enhancement of antitumor activity.