Pseudohalide-Based Ionic Liquids: Advancing Crystallization Kinetics and Optoelectronic Properties in All-Inorganic Perovskite Solar Cells.

This study delves into the innovative approach of enhancing the efficiency and stability of all-inorganic perovskite solar cells (I-PSCs) through the strategic incorporation of thiocyanate (SCN-) ions via pseudohalide-based ionic liquid (IL) configurations. This straightforward methodology has exhibited captivating advancements in the kinetics of crystallization as well as the optoelectronic characteristics of the resulting perovskite films. These developments hold the promise of enhancing not only the quality and uniformity of the films but also aspects such as band alignment and the efficacy of charge transfer mechanisms. Calculation results corroborate that the incorporation of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium thiocyanate (BmimSCN) led to a significant redistribution of electron state density and enhanced electron-donating properties, indicating a substantial electron transfer between the perovskite material and the IL. Notably, the engineered devices demonstrate a remarkable efficiency surpassing 15%, a substantial enhancement attributed to the synergistic effects of the SCN- ion. Additionally, this approach offers inherent stability benefits, thereby addressing a significant challenge in I-PSC technology. This IL maintains >90% of the initial efficiency after 600 h, while the control device decreased to <20% of its initial value after only 100 h. 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium iodide (BmimI) is also employed to further investigate the effects of SCN- ions on device performance.

Association of Klotho with Neuropsychiatric Disorder: A Meta-Analysis.

Neuropsychiatric disorders are mainly concerned with the behavioural, emotional and cognition symptoms that may be due to disturbed cerebral functions or extracerebral disease. Klotho protein is an antiaging protein that is mostly associated with cognitive changes in these disorders and thus this meta-analysis is conducted in order to find Klotho proteins association with these disorders. We searched related topics in pubmed, by using the key word i.e. Klotho and related disorder from neuropsychiatry e.g. Klotho levels and schizophrenia, Klotho levels and parkinsonism etc. Total 82 studies were found till 9th February 2021 after extensive search and 10 studies were selected for further analysis. The meta-analysis of studies was performed using the Random effect model. The forest plot represented each study in the meta-analysis, so as to make the comparison of SMD value across studies. The meta-analysis outcome demonstrated that overall schizophrenia had higher klotho levels as compared with bipolar disorder, psychosocial stress, parkinsonism, multiple sclerosis, depression, Alzheimer's disease, and healthy controls, followed by MS. The meta-analysis also found that bipolar disorder and Alzheimer's disease were associated with low klotho levels as compared to schizophrenia. The results indicate a significant association of the klotho levels and schizophrenia. Further studies are needed to characterize the potential biological roles of klotho levels in psychiatric disorders.

Male infertility and Perfluoroalkyl and poly-fluoroalkyl substances: Evidence for alterations in phosphorylation of proteins and fertility-related functional attributes in bull spermatozoa.

BACKGROUND: Perfluoroalkyl and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are pervasive environmental pollutants and emerging risk factors for reproductive health. Although epidemiological evidence supports the link between these substances and male infertility, their specific effects on male fertility remain poorly understood. OBJECTIVES: Investigate the effect of perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), the most prevalent and prominent PFAS, on bull sperm protein phosphorylation, a post-translational modification process governing sperm functionality and fertility. METHODS: We exposed bull sperm to PFOS at 10 µM (average population level) and 100 µM (high-exposure level), and analyzed global proteome and phosphoproteome profile by TMT labeling and NanoLC-MS/MS. We also measured sperm fertility functions by flow cytometry. RESULTS: PFOS at 10 µM altered sperm proteins linked to spermatogenesis and chromatin condensation, while at 100 µM, PFOS affected proteins associated with motility and fertility. We detected 299 phosphopeptides from 116 proteins, with 45 exhibiting differential expression between control and PFOS groups. PFOS dysregulated phosphorylation of key proteins (ACRBP, PRKAR2A, RAB2B, SPAG8, TUBB4B, ZPBP, and C2CD6) involved in sperm capacitation, acrosome reaction, sperm-egg interaction, and fertilization. PFOS also affected phosphorylation of other proteins (AQP7, HSBP9, IL4I1, PRKAR1A, and CCT8L2) related to sperm stress resistance and cryotolerance. Notably, 4 proteins (PRM1, ACRBP, TSSK1B, and CFAP45) exhibited differential regulation at both the proteomic and phosphoproteomic levels. Flow cytometric analysis confirmed that PFOS increased protein phosphorylation in sperm as well as reduced sperm motility, viability, calcium, and membrane potential and increased mitochondrial ROS in a dose-dependent manner. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that PFOS exposure adversely impacts phosphorylation of proteins critical for bull sperm function and fertilization. Moreover, the concentration of PFOS influences the severity of these effects. The comprehensive bull sperm phosphoproteomics data from this study can help us understand the molecular mechanisms of environmental exposure-related male infertility.

H2S Donor GYY4137 Mitigates sFlt-1-Induced Hypertension and Vascular Dysfunction in Pregnant Rats.

BACKGROUND: Gestational hypertension, often associated with elevated soluble Fms-related receptor tyrosine kinase 1 (sFlt-1), poses significant risks to both maternal and fetal health. Hydrogen sulfide (H2S), a gasotransmitter, has demonstrated blood pressure-lowering effects in hypertensive animals and humans. However, its role in pregnancy-induced hypertension remains unclear. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the impact of GYY4137, a slow-release H2S donor, on sFlt-1-induced hypertension in pregnant rats and examine the underlying mechanisms. METHODS: Pregnant rats were administered sFlt-1 (6 µg/kg/day, intravenously) or vehicle from gestation day (GD) 12 to 20. A subset of these groups received GYY4137 (an H2S donor, 50 mg/kg/day, subcutaneously) from GD 16 to 20. Serum H2S levels, mean arterial blood pressure (CODA tail-cuff), uterine artery blood flow (ultrasonography), vascular reactivity to vasopressors and endothelial-dependent relaxation (myography), endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) protein expression in uterine arteries (Western blotting) were assessed. In addition, maternal weight gain, as well as fetal and placental weights, were measured. RESULTS: Elevated sFlt-1 reduced both maternal weight gain and serum H2S levels. GYY4137 treatment restored both weight gain and H2S levels in sFlt-1 dams. sFlt-1 increased mean arterial pressure and decreased uterine artery blood flow in pregnant rats. However, treatment with GYY4137 normalized blood pressure and restored uterine blood flow in sFlt-1 dams. sFlt-1 dams exhibited heightened vasoconstriction to phenylephrine and GYY4137 significantly mitigated the exaggerated vascular contraction. Notably, sFlt-1 impaired endothelium-dependent relaxation, while GYY4137 attenuated this impairment by upregulating eNOS protein levels and enhancing vasorelaxation in uterine arteries. GYY4137 mitigated sFlt-1-induced fetal growth restriction. CONCLUSION: sFlt-1 mediated hypertension is associated with decreased H2S levels. Replenishing H2S with the donor GYY4137 mitigates hypertension and improves vascular function and fetal growth outcomes. This suggests modulation of H2S could offer a novel therapeutic strategy for managing gestational hypertension and adverse fetal effects.

Systemic sclerosis (positive anti-Ro 52 and anti-centromere antibodies) in a patient after COVID-19 infection: a rare case report.

Introduction and importance: The SARS-CoV-2 is the source of COVID-19, a respiratory disease. It typically manifests as restricted pulmonary symptoms, but autoimmune dysfunction might occasionally show up. A COVID-19 infection may cause a multi-system connective tissue disease known as systemic sclerosis (SSc). In patients who recovered from COVID-19, autoimmunity may have multiple underlying causes. Case presentation: The authors report the case of a 68-year-old female who, 1 month after contracting COVID-19, complained of dyspnoea and muscle exhaustion. The patient was treated for post-COVID syndrome. She developed symptoms of chronic dyspnoea, pale fingers, pursed lips, trouble chewing and swallowing, and muscle weakness after 7 weeks. A chest high-resolution computerised tomography (HRCT) scan suggested interstitial lung disease. Clinical characteristics and an autoantibody profile containing anti-Ro 52 and anti-centromere antibodies pointed towards SSc. She was treated with azathioprine and prednisolone at a reduced dosage, and she is now stable with monthly follow-ups. Clinical discussion: COVID-19 might induce cytokine storms and immunological dysregulation, ultimately culminating in autoimmune manifestations. Several autoantibodies are observed in autoimmune illnesses in post-COVID-19 infection patients. Our situation is distinct because SSc following a COVID-19 infection is not commonly seen as an autoimmune illness. Conclusion: The number of patients with rare autoimmune diseases, like SSc, following COVID-19 has been rising. Therefore, we should consider the possibility of autoimmune disease when looking into a patient who presents strangely or has developed new symptoms after COVID and should contact the patient's management immediately.

Effects of metformin on cancers in experimental and clinical studies: Focusing on autophagy and AMPK/mTOR signaling pathways.

Metformin (MET) is a preferred drug for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Recent studies show that apart from its blood glucose-lowering effects, it also inhibits the development of various tumours, by inducing autophagy. Various studies have confirmed the inhibitory effects of MET on cancer cell lines' propagation, migration, and invasion. The objective of the study was to comprehensively review the potential of MET as an anticancer agent, particularly focusing on its ability to induce autophagy and inhibit the development and progression of various tumors. The study aimed to explore the inhibitory effects of MET on cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, and its impact on key signaling pathways such as adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK), mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), and PI3K. This review noted that MET exerts its anticancer effects by regulating key signalling pathways such as phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), LC3-I and LC3-II, Beclin-1, p53, and the autophagy-related gene (ATG), inhibiting the mTOR protein, downregulating the expression of p62/SQSTM1, and blockage of the cell cycle at the G0/G1. Moreover, MET can stimulate autophagy through pathways associated with the 5' AMPK, thereby inhibiting he development and progression of various human cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma, prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer, osteosarcoma, myeloma, and non-small cell lung cancer. In summary, this detailed review provides a framework for further investigations that may appraise the autophagy-induced anticancer potential of MET and its repurposing for cancer treatment.

Dopamine-Functionalized, Red Carbon Quantum Dots for In Vivo Bioimaging, Cancer Therapeutics, and Neuronal Differentiation.

One of the crucial requirements of quantum dots for biological applications is their surface modification for very specific and enhanced biological recognition and uptake. Toward this end, we present the green synthesis of bright, red-emitting carbon quantum dots derived from mango leaf extract (mQDs). These mQDs are conjugated electrostatically with dopamine to form mQDs-dopamine (mQDs:DOPA) bioconjugates. Bright-red fluorescence of mQDs was used for bioimaging and uptake in cancerous and noncancerous cell lines, tissues, and in vivo models like zebrafish. mQDs exhibited the highest uptake in brain tissue compared to the heart, kidney, and liver. mQD:DOPA conjugates killed breast cancer cells and increased uptake in epithelial RPE-1 cells and zebrafish. Additionally, mQDs:DOPA promoted neuronal differentiation of SH-SY5Y cells to differentiated neurons. Both mQDs and mQDs:DOPA exhibited the potential for higher collective cell migrations, implicating their future potential as next-generation tools for advanced biological and biomedical applications.

SpatialPrompt: spatially aware scalable and accurate tool for spot deconvolution and domain identification in spatial transcriptomics.

Efficiently mapping of cell types in situ remains a major challenge in spatial transcriptomics. Most spot deconvolution tools ignore spatial coordinate information and perform extremely slow on large datasets. Here, we introduce SpatialPrompt, a spatially aware and scalable tool for spot deconvolution and domain identification. SpatialPrompt integrates gene expression, spatial location, and single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) dataset as reference to accurately infer cell-type proportions of spatial spots. SpatialPrompt uses non-negative ridge regression and graph neural network to efficiently capture local microenvironment information. Our extensive benchmarking analysis on Visium, Slide-seq, and MERFISH datasets demonstrated superior performance of SpatialPrompt over 15 existing tools. On mouse hippocampus dataset, SpatialPrompt achieves spot deconvolution and domain identification within 2 minutes for 50,000 spots. Overall, domain identification using SpatialPrompt was 44 to 150 times faster than existing methods. We build a database housing 40 plus curated scRNA-seq datasets for seamless integration with SpatialPrompt for spot deconvolution.

Lung microbiome in lung cancer: A new horizon in cancer study.

Lung cancer (LC) is the second most prevalent cancer worldwide and a leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Recent technological advancements have revealed that the lung microbiome, previously thought to be sterile, is host to various microorganisms. The association between the lung microbiome and LC initiation, progression, and metastasis is complex and contradictory. However, disruption in the homeostasis of microbiome compositions correlated with the increased risk of LC. This review summarises current knowledge on the most recent developments and trends in lung cancer-related microbiota or microbial components. This manuscript aims to provide information on this rapidly evolving field while giving context to the general role of the lung microbiome in LC. In addition, this review briefly discussed the causative association of lung microbiome with LC. We will review the mechanisms of how lung microbiota influences carcinogenesis, focusing on microbiota dysbiosis. Moreover, we will also discuss the host-microbiome interaction as host-microbiota plays a crucial role in stimulating and regulating the immune response. Finally, we provide information on the diagnostic role of the microbiome in LC. It aims to offer an overview of the lung microbiome as a predictive and diagnostic biomarker in LC.

Molecularly Engineered Multifunctional Bridging Layer Derived from Dithiafulavene Capped Spiroxanthene for Stable and Efficient Perovskite Solar Cells.

This study introduces a novel approach centered around the design and synthesis of an interfacial passivating layer in perovskite solar cells (PSCs). This architectural innovation is realized through the development of a specialized material, termed dithiafulvene end-capped Spiro[fluorene-9,9'-xanthene], denoted by the acronym AF32. In this design architecture, dithiafulvene is thoughtfully attached to the spiroxanthene fluorene core with phenothiazine as the spacer unit, possessing multiple alkyl chains. AF32 passivates interfacial defects by coordinating the sulfur constituents of the phenothiazine and dithiafulvene frameworks to the uncoordinated Pb2+ cations on the surface of the perovskite film, and the alkyl chains construct a hydrophobic environment, preventing moisture from entering the hydrophilic perovskite layer and improving the long-term stability of PSCs. Furthermore, this conductive interlayer facilitates hole transport in PSCs due to its well-aligned molecular orbital levels. Such improvements translated into an enhanced power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 22.6% for the device employing 1.5 mg/mL AF32, and it maintained 85% of its initial PCE after more than 1800 h under ambient conditions [illumination and 45 ± 5% relative humidity (RH)]. This study not only marks progress in photovoltaic technology but also expands our understanding of manipulating interfacial properties for optimized device performance and stability.

Peribacillus frigoritolerans T7-IITJ, a potential biofertilizer, induces plant growth-promoting genes of Arabidopsis thaliana.

AIMS: This study aimed to isolate plant growth and drought tolerance-promoting bacteria from the nutrient-poor rhizosphere soil of Thar desert plants and unravel their molecular mechanisms of plant growth promotion. METHODS AND RESULTS: Among our rhizobacterial isolates, Enterobacter cloacae C1P-IITJ, Kalamiella piersonii J4-IITJ, and Peribacillus frigoritolerans T7-IITJ, significantly enhanced root and shoot growth (4-5-fold) in Arabidopsis thaliana under PEG-induced drought stress. Whole genome sequencing and biochemical analyses of the non-pathogenic bacterium T7-IITJ revealed its plant growth-promoting traits, viz., solubilization of phosphate (40-73 µg/ml), iron (24 ± 0.58 mm halo on chrome azurol S media), and nitrate (1.58 ± 0.01 µg/ml nitrite), along with production of exopolysaccharides (125 ± 20 µg/ml) and auxin-like compounds (42.6 ± 0.05 µg/ml). Transcriptome analysis of A. thaliana inoculated with T7-IITJ and exposure to drought revealed the induction of 445 plant genes (log2fold-change > 1, FDR < 0.05) for photosynthesis, auxin and jasmonate signalling, nutrient uptake, redox homeostasis, and secondary metabolite biosynthesis pathways related to beneficial bacteria-plant interaction, but repression of 503 genes (log2fold-change < -1) including many stress-responsive genes. T7-IITJ enhanced proline 2.5-fold, chlorophyll 2.5-2.8-fold, iron 2-fold, phosphate 1.6-fold, and nitrogen 4-fold, and reduced reactive oxygen species 2-4.7-fold in plant tissues under drought. T7-IITJ also improved the germination and seedling growth of Tephrosia purpurea, Triticum aestivum, and Setaria italica under drought and inhibited the growth of two plant pathogenic fungi, Fusarium oxysporum, and Rhizoctonia solani. CONCLUSIONS: P. frigoritolerans T7-IITJ is a potent biofertilizer that regulates plant genes to promote growth and drought tolerance.

Stem Rot of Pearl Millet Prevalence, Symptomatology, Disease Cycle, Disease Rating Scale and Pathogen Characterization in Pearl Millet-Klebsiella Pathosystem.

The oldest and most extensively cultivated form of millet, known as pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br. Syn. Pennisetum americanum (L.) Leeke), is raised over 312.00 lakh hectares in Asian and African countries. India is regarded as the significant hotspot for pearl millet diversity. In the Indian state of Haryana, where pearl millet is grown, a new and catastrophic bacterial disease known as stem rot of pearl millet spurred by the bacterium Klebsiella aerogenes (formerly Enterobacter) was first observed during fall 2018. The disease appears in form of small to long streaks on leaves, lesions on stem, and slimy rot appearance of stem. The associated bacterium showed close resemblance to Klebsiella aerogenes that was confirmed by a molecular evaluation based on 16S rDNA and gyrA gene nucleotide sequences. The isolates were also identified to be Klebsiella aerogenes based on biochemical assays, where Klebsiella isolates differed in D-trehalose and succinate alkalisation tests. During fall 2021-2023, the disease has spread all the pearl millet-growing districts of the state, extending up to 70% disease incidence in the affected fields. The disease is causing considering grain as well as fodder losses. The proposed scale, consisting of six levels (0-5), is developed where scores 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 have been categorized as highly resistant, resistant, moderately resistant, moderately susceptible, susceptible, and highly susceptible disease reaction, respectively. The disease cycle, survival of pathogen, and possible losses have also been studied to understand other features of the disease.

The colibactin-producing Escherichia coli alters the tumor microenvironment to immunosuppressive lipid overload facilitating colorectal cancer progression and chemoresistance.

Intratumoral bacteria flexibly contribute to cellular and molecular tumor heterogeneity for supporting cancer recurrence through poorly understood mechanisms. Using spatial metabolomic profiling technologies and 16SrRNA sequencing, we herein report that right-sided colorectal tumors are predominantly populated with Colibactin-producing Escherichia coli (CoPEC) that are locally establishing a high-glycerophospholipid microenvironment with lowered immunogenicity. It coincided with a reduced infiltration of CD8+ T lymphocytes that produce the cytotoxic cytokines IFN-γ where invading bacteria have been geolocated. Mechanistically, the accumulation of lipid droplets in infected cancer cells relied on the production of colibactin as a measure to limit genotoxic stress to some extent. Such heightened phosphatidylcholine remodeling by the enzyme of the Land's cycle supplied CoPEC-infected cancer cells with sufficient energy for sustaining cell survival in response to chemotherapies. This accords with the lowered overall survival of colorectal patients at stage III-IV who were colonized by CoPEC when compared to patients at stage I-II. Accordingly, the sensitivity of CoPEC-infected cancer cells to chemotherapies was restored upon treatment with an acyl-CoA synthetase inhibitor. By contrast, such metabolic dysregulation leading to chemoresistance was not observed in human colon cancer cells that were infected with the mutant strain that did not produce colibactin (11G5∆ClbQ). This work revealed that CoPEC locally supports an energy trade-off lipid overload within tumors for lowering tumor immunogenicity. This may pave the way for improving chemoresistance and subsequently outcome of CRC patients who are colonized by CoPEC.

A comprehensive DNA barcoding of Indian freshwater fishes of the Indus River system, Beas.

The Beas River is one of the important rivers of the Indus River system located in Himachal Pradesh, India, that harbors a diverse range of freshwater fish species. The present study employed COI gene to investigate the ichthyofaunal diversity of river Beas. Through the sequencing of 203 specimens from Beas River, we identified 43 species, belonging to 31 genera, 16 families, and 10 orders. To analyze the genetic divergence and phylogeny of identified species, 485 sequences of Indian origin were retrieved from BOLD, resulting in a dataset of 688 sequences. Our findings consistently revealed a hierarchical increase in the mean K2P genetic divergence within species (0.80%), genus (9.06%), and families (15.35%). Automated Barcode Gap discovery, Neighbour Joining, and Bayesian inference consensus tree methodologies were employed to determine the putative species and their phylogeny, successfully delimiting most of the species with only a few exceptions. The results unveiled six species exhibiting high intra-species divergence (> 2%), suggesting the presence of sibling species and falsely identified sequences on online databases. The present study established the first DNA barcoding-based inventory of freshwater fish species in the Beas River providing comprehensive insights into economically exploited endangered and vulnerable species. In order to ensure the sustainable use of aquatic resources in the Beas River, we recommend the implementation of species measures to protect biodiversity and genetic resources.

In silico characterization of five novel disease-resistance proteins in Oryza sativa sp. japonica against bacterial leaf blight and rice blast diseases.

In the current study, gene network analysis revealed five novel disease-resistance proteins against bacterial leaf blight (BB) and rice blast (RB) diseases caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) and Magnaporthe oryzae (M. oryzae), respectively. In silico modeling, refinement, and model quality assessment were performed to predict the best structures of these five proteins and submitted to ModelArchive for future use. An in-silico annotation indicated that the five proteins functioned in signal transduction pathways as kinases, phospholipases, transcription factors, and DNA-modifying enzymes. The proteins were localized in the nucleus and plasma membrane. Phylogenetic analysis showed the evolutionary relation of the five proteins with disease-resistance proteins (XA21, OsTRX1, PLD, and HKD-motif-containing proteins). This indicates similar disease-resistant properties between five unknown proteins and their evolutionary-related proteins. Furthermore, gene expression profiling of these proteins using public microarray data showed their differential expression under Xoo and M. oryzae infection. This study provides an insight into developing disease-resistant rice varieties by predicting novel candidate resistance proteins, which will assist rice breeders in improving crop yield to address future food security through molecular breeding and biotechnology. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-023-03893-5.

A comprehensive review on therapeutic potentials of photobiomodulation for neurodegenerative disorders.

A series of experimental trials over the past two centuries has put forth Photobiomodulation (PBM) as a treatment modality that utilizes colored lights for various conditions. While in its cradle, PBM was used for treating simple conditions such as burns and wounds, advancements in recent years have extended the use of PBM for treating complex neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs). PBM has exhibited the potential to curb several symptoms and signs associated with NDDs. While several of the currently used therapeutics cause adverse side effects alongside being highly invasive, PBM on the contrary, seems to be broad-acting, less toxic, and non-invasive. Despite being projected as an ideal therapeutic for NDDs, PBM still isn't considered a mainstream treatment modality due to some of the challenges and knowledge gaps associated with it. Here, we review the advantages of PBM summarized above with an emphasis on the common mechanisms that underlie major NDDs and how PBM helps tackle them. We also discuss important questions such as whether PBM should be considered a mainstay treatment modality for these conditions and if PBM's properties can be harnessed to develop prophylactic therapies for high-risk individuals and also highlight important animal studies that underscore the importance of PBM and the challenges associated with it. Overall, this review is intended to bring the major advances made in the field to the spotlight alongside addressing the practicalities and caveats to develop PBM as a major therapeutic for NDDs.

Gestational intermittent hypoxia induces endothelial dysfunction and hypertension in pregnant rats: role of endothelin type B receptor†.

Obstructive sleep apnea is a recognized risk factor for gestational hypertension, yet the exact mechanism behind this association remains unclear. Here, we tested the hypothesis that intermittent hypoxia, a hallmark of obstructive sleep apnea, induces gestational hypertension through perturbed endothelin-1 signaling. Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to normoxia (control), mild intermittent hypoxia (10.5% O2), or severe intermittent hypoxia (6.5% O2) from gestational days 10-21. Blood pressure was monitored. Plasma was collected and mesenteric arteries were isolated for myograph and protein analyses. The mild and severe intermittent hypoxia groups demonstrated elevated blood pressure, reduced plasma nitrate/nitrite, and unchanged endothelin-1 levels compared to the control group. Western blot analysis revealed decreased expression of endothelin type B receptor and phosphorylated endothelial nitric oxide synthase, while the levels of endothelin type A receptor and total endothelial nitric oxide synthase remained unchanged following intermittent hypoxia exposure. The contractile responses to potassium chloride, phenylephrine, and endothelin-1 were unaffected in endothelium-denuded arteries from mild and severe intermittent hypoxia rats. However, mild and severe intermittent hypoxia rats exhibited impaired endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation responses to endothelin type B receptor agonist IRL-1620 and acetylcholine compared to controls. Endothelium denudation abolished IRL-1620-induced vasorelaxation, supporting the involvement of endothelium in endothelin type B receptor-mediated relaxation. Treatment with IRL-1620 during intermittent hypoxia exposure significantly attenuated intermittent hypoxia-induced hypertension in pregnant rats. This was associated with elevated circulating nitrate/nitrite levels, enhanced endothelin type B receptor expression, increased endothelial nitric oxide synthase activation, and improved vasodilation responses. Our data suggested that intermittent hypoxia exposure during gestation increases blood pressure in pregnant rats by suppressing endothelin type B receptor-mediated signaling, providing a molecular mechanism linking intermittent hypoxia and gestational hypertension.

Gene expression profiling and protein-protein network analysis revealed prognostic hub biomarkers linking cancer risk in type 2 diabetic patients.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and cancer are highly prevalent diseases imposing major health burden globally. Several epidemiological studies indicate increased susceptibility to cancer in T2DM patients. However, genetic factors linking T2DM with cancer have been poorly studied. In this study, we followed computational approaches using the raw gene expression data of peripheral blood mononuclear cells of T2DM and cancer patients available in the gene expression omnibus (GEO) database. Our analysis identified shared differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in T2DM and three common cancer types, namely, pancreatic cancer (PC), liver cancer (LC), and breast cancer (BC). The functional and pathway enrichment analysis of identified common DEGs highlighted the involvement of critical biological pathways, including cell cycle events, immune system processes, cell morphogenesis, gene expression, and metabolism. We retrieved the protein-protein interaction network for the top DEGs to deduce molecular-level interactions. The network analysis found 7, 6, and 5 common hub genes in T2DM vs. PC, T2DM vs. LC, and T2DM vs. BC comparisons, respectively. Overall, our analysis identified important genetic markers potentially able to predict the chances of PC, LC, and BC onset in T2DM patients.

Improved Efficiency and Stability in 1,5-Diaminonaphthalene Iodide-Passivated 2D/3D Perovskite Solar Cells.

Engineering multidimensional two-dimensional/three-dimensional (2D/3D) perovskite interfaces as light harvesters has recently emerged as a potential strategy to obtain a higher photovoltaic performance in perovskite solar cells (PSCs) with enhanced environmental stability. In this study, we utilized the 1,5-diammonium naphthalene iodide (NDAI) bulky organic spacer for interface modification in 3D perovskites for passivating the anionic iodide/uncoordinated Pb2+ vacancies as well as facilitating charge carrier transfer by improving the energy band alignment at the perovskite/HTL interface. Consequently, the NDAI-treated 2D/3D PSCs showed an enhanced open-circuit voltage and fill factor with a remarkable power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 21.48%. In addition, 2D/3D perovskite devices without encapsulation exhibit a 77% retention of their initial output after 1000 h of aging under 50 ± 5% relative humidity. Furthermore, even after 200 h of storage in 85 °C thermal stress, the devices maintain 60% of their initial PCE. The defect passivation and interface modification mechanism were studied in detail by UV vis absorption, photoluminescence spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS), solid-state NMR, space-charge-limited current (SCLC) mobility measurement, and impedance spectroscopy. This study provides a promising path for perovskite surface modification in slowing their degradation against external stimuli, providing a future direction for increasing the perovskite device efficiency and durability.