Effects of alfa lipoic acid and coenzyme Q10 treatment on AFB1-induced oxidative, inflammatory, and DNA damages in rats.

Food contamination with Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a worldwide concern that adversely affects animal and human health. The study aimed to evaluate the protective effect of alpha lipoic acid (ALA) and/or co-enzyme Q10 (CQ10) against the harmful effects of AFB1 on the liver and kidneys. Fifty-six mature male Wistar Albino rats (180-200 g) were divided into seven groups, each with eight rats: (1) saline was given as a control, (2) ALA (100 mg/kg bw/day) was given by stomach gavage for fifteen days, and (3) CQ10 (10 mg/kg bw/day) was given by stomach gavage for fifteen days. Group (4) orally given AFB1 (2.5 mg/kg bw) on days 12th and 14th, (5) received AFB1 and ALA, (6) received AFB1 and CQ10, and (7) received AFB1, ALA, and CQ10, as previously described in the ALA, CQ10, and AFB1 groups. After the exposure to AFB1, a significant increase in liver markers (AST, ALT, ALP, and LDH) and renal function tests (BUN and creatinine) was observed compared with the control. ALA and/or CQ10 significantly reduced enzymes of liver and renal functions, as compared with AFB1. AFB1 exposure threw off the balance between oxidants and antioxidants. Still, ALA and/or CQ10 made oxidative stress (MDA, NO, and 8-OHdG) much lower and antioxidant activities (GSH, GSH-Px, SOD, and CAT) much higher. When we used the two together, the activities matched the control levels. Interestingly, this study shows that ALA and CQ10 significantly lowered IL-1ß, IL-6, and TNF-α levels compared to the control values when used together after AFB1 exposure caused robust inflammation. Some CQ10 treatment parameters significantly outperformed those of ALA. ALA and CQ10 together worked better than either one alone to protect against AFB1-induced toxicity in the hepatic and renal parenchyma in terms of reducing inflammation, preventing DNA damage, and fighting free radicals.

Chloroquine: Rapidly withdrawing from first-line treatment of COVID-19.

The COVID-19 outbreak has garnered significant global attention due to its impact on human health. Despite its relatively low fatality rate, the virus affects multiple organ systems, resulting in various symptoms such as palpitations, headaches, muscle pain, and hearing loss among COVID-19 patients and those recovering from the disease. These symptoms impose a substantial physical, psychological, and social burden on affected individuals. On February 15, 2020, the Chinese government advised incorporating antimalarial drugs into the guidelines issued by the National Health Commission of China for preventing, diagnosing, and treating COVID-19 pneumonia. We examine the adverse effects of Chloroquine (CQ) in treating COVID-19 complications to understand why it is no longer the primary treatment for the disease.

Design and synthesis of pyrano[2,3-c]pyrazole-4-aminoquinoline hybrids as effective antimalarial compounds.

In this work, a series of nineteen novel pyrano[2,3-c]pyrazole-4-aminoquinoline hybrids were synthesized as potent antimalarial agents by covalently linking the scaffolds of 4-aminoquinoline and pyrano[2,3-c]pyrazoles via an ethyl linker and characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR). Molecular docking was used to test each hybrid's and standard chloroquine's ability to bind to Plasmodium falciparum lactate dehydrogenase enzyme (PfLDH), an important enzyme in the parasite's glycolytic pathway. The hybrid compounds had a stronger binding affinity than the standard chloroquine (CQ). The schizontical antimalarial test of pyrano[2,3-c]pyrazole-4-aminoquinoline hybrid compound shows that all nineteen hybrid compounds were potent with the IC50 values ranging from 0.0151 to 0.301 µM against the CQ-sensitive 3D7 P. falciparum strain, and were active against the CQ-resistant K1 P. falciparum strain with the IC50 values ranging from 0.01895 to 2.746 µM. All the tested hybrid compounds were less potent than the standard drug chloroquine dipaspate (CQDP) against the CQ-sensitive 3D7 strain. In contrast, nine of the nineteen hybrids (16d, 16g, 16h, 16i, 16l, 16n, 16o, 16r, and 16s) displayed superior antimalarial activity than the CQDP against the CQ-resistant K1 P. falciparum strain. Among all the tested hybrids, 16c against the 3D7 strain and 16h against the K1 strain were the most promising antimalarial agents with 0.0151 and 0.01895 µM of IC50 values, respectively. In addition, the compounds were selective, showing moderate to low cytotoxic activity against a human normal liver WRL68 cell line. The synthesis of pyrano[2,3-c]pyrazole-4-aminoquinoline hybrids introduces new chemical entities that have the potential to exhibit potent antimalarial activity. It could address the ongoing challenge of drug resistance in malaria treatment.

High-frequency monitoring during rainstorm events reveals nitrogen sources and transport in a rural catchment.

Rural areas lacking essential sewage treatment facilities and collection systems often experience eutrophication due to elevated nutrient loads. Understanding nitrogen (N) sources and transport mechanisms in rural catchments is crucial for improving water quality and mitigating downstream export loads, particularly during storm events. To further elucidate the sources, pathways, and transport mechanisms of N from a rural catchment with intensive agricultural activities during storm events, we conducted an analysis of 21 events through continuous sampling over two rainy seasons in a small rural catchment from the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. The results revealed that ammonia-N (NH4+-N) and nitrate-N (NO3--N) exhibited distinct behaviors during rainstorm events, with NO3--N accounting for the primary nitrogen loss, its load being approximately forty times greater than that of NH4+-N. Through examinations of the concentration-discharge (c-Q) relationships, the findings revealed that, particularly in prolonged rainstorms, NH4+-N exhibited source limited pattern (b = -0.13, P < 0.01), while NO3--N displayed transport limited pattern (b = -0.21, P < 0.01). The figure-eight hysteresis pattern was prevalent for both NH4+-N and NO3--N (38.1% and 52.0%, respectively), arising from intricate interactions among diverse sources and pathways. For NO3--N, the hysteresis pattern shifted from clockwise under short-duration rainstorms to counter-clockwise under long-duration rainstorms, whereas hysteresis remained consistently clockwise for NH4+-N. The hysteresis analysis further suggests that the duration of rainstorms modifies hydrological connectivity, thereby influencing the transport processes of N. These insights provide valuable information for the development of targeted management strategies to reduce storm nutrient export in rural catchments.

Cq values as an indicator for COVID-19 outcomes: A study of the correlation between laboratory parameters.

OBJECTIVE: The ongoing outbreak of the respiratory disease coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is currently presenting a major global health threat. This pandemic is unprecedented in recent human history. The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between cycle quantitation (Cq) and laboratory parameters in COVID-19 patients, aiming to determine if Cq levels can provide valuable insights into the COVID-19 disease. METHODS: This study involved 234 participants who were divided into case and control groups. Real-time PCR tests were used to diagnose COVID-19 cases in the study participants. Blood tests, including complete blood count, C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), D-dimer, IgG, and IgM, were also conducted. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 22 software. RESULTS: The findings showed that COVID-19-positive cases had significantly higher levels of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), D-dimer, ESR, CRP, and LDH compared to normal cases. Additionally, the case group had significantly lower lymphocyte and platelet counts. There was a statistically significant positive correlation between Cq levels and lymphocyte count (r = .124, p = .014). Conversely, there was a statistically significant inverse correlation between Cq levels and NLR (r = -.208, p = .017). Furthermore, the evaluation of hematological, inflammatory, and biochemical indexes in COVID-19 patients using the receiver-operating characteristics curve demonstrated statistically appropriate sensitivity and specificity. CONCLUSION: Our outcomes indicated a significant association between Cq levels and PLR, NLR, D-dimer, CRP, and ESR in COVID-19 patients. Consequently, including the report of laboratory parameters alongside Cq values offers a promising prognosis.

Identification of extracellular polymeric substances layer barrier in chloroquine phosphate-disturbed anammox consortia and mechanism dissection on cytotoxic behavior by computational chemistry.

The over-dosing use of chloroquine phosphate (CQ) poses severe threats to human beings and ecosystem due to the high persistence and biotoxicity. The discharge of CQ into wastewater would affect the biomass activity and process stability during the biological processes, e.g., anammox. However, the response mechanism of anammox consortia to CQ remain unknown. In this study, the accurate role of extracellular polymeric substances barrier in attenuating the negative effects of CQ, and the mechanism on cytotoxic behavior were dissected by molecular spectroscopy and computational chemistry. Low concentrations (≤6.0 mg/L) of CQ hardly affected the nitrogen removal performance due to the adaptive evolution of EPS barrier and anammox bacteria. Compact protein of EPS barrier can bind more CQ (0.24 mg) by hydrogen bond and van der Waals force, among which O-H and amide II region respond CQ binding preferentially. Importantly, EPS contributes to the microbiota reshape with selectively enriching Candidatus_Kuenenia for self-protection. Furthermore, the macroscopical cytotoxic behavior was dissected at a molecular level by CQ fate/distribution and computational chemistry, suggesting that the toxicity was ascribed to attack of CQ on functional proteins of anammox bacteria with atom N17 (f-=0.1209) and C2 (f+=0.1034) as the most active electrophilic and nucleophilic sites. This work would shed the light on the fate and risk of non-antibiotics in anammox process.

Assessing health-related quality of life of Chinese population using CQ-11D.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to assess the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of the Chinese population by using the Chinese medicine quality of life-11 dimensions (CQ-11D) questionnaire and to identify factors associated with HRQoL. METHODS: The data was derived from a survey conducted by the Institute of Pharmacoeconomics Evaluation at Beijing University of Chinese Medicine on the quality of life of the Chinese population. The sex and age of respondents were considered through quota sampling. Demographic, socioeconomic, and health indicators were collected using the structured questionnaire. We performed bivariate analyses first to examine the associations between the above factors and the HRQoL of respondents measured by the CQ-11D. Multivariate linear regression and ordinal logistic regression models were established to analyze the factors (demographic, socioeconomic, and health indicators) differences in HRQoL, as well as the risk of each group reporting problems across the 11 dimensions of CQ-11D. RESULTS: From February 2021 to November 2022, a total of 7,604 respondents were involved and 7,498 respondents were included. The sample approximated the general adult Chinese population in terms of age, sex, and district of residence, and each geographic distribution ranged from 9.71 to 25.54%. Of the respondents, 45.84% were male, and 89.82% were Han ethnicity. The mean utility score ranged from 0.796 to 0.921 as age increased. According to the respondents, most health problems were identified in the PL (fatigue) (70.16%) and SM (quality of sleep) (63.63%) dimensions. The CQ-11D index scores varied with the demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of respondents, except for ethnicity (p > 0.05) and income (p > 0.05). The multivariate analysis revealed significant negative associations between health utility scores and various factors. These factors include sex (female), age over 65, belonging to ethnic minorities, rural household registration, being widowed or divorced, having a primary school education or below, being a student or unemployed, having a low income of 0-1,300, engaging in smoking or drinking, limited participation in physical activities, experiencing changes in self-perceived health status compared to the previous year, and having chronic diseases. The odds of respondents reporting problems in 11 dimensions varied among different socio-demographic groups. CONCLUSIONS: This study reports the first Chinese population norms for the CQ-11D derived using a representative sample of the Chinese general population. Self-reported health status measured by the CQ-11D varies among different socio-economic groups. In addition to participation a physical activity and the presence of chronic disease, smoking and drinking also significantly influence HRQoL.

An approach for improvement of the accuracy of cancer gene panel testing.

BACKGROUND: Tissue-based comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) is increasingly being employed for genotype-directed therapies in patients with advanced cancer. However, tissue availability may limit their potential applications. In Japan, the cost of cancer gene panel tests is covered by public insurance for patients diagnosed with advanced solid tumors once in their lifetime. Therefore, it is essential to improve the success rate (reportability) and accuracy of CGP tests. The purpose of this study was to identify the factors associated with efficient and accurate CGP testing using relevant information obtained from real-world data. METHODS: This study included 159 samples analyzed using tumor-only panel FoundationOne® CDx cancer genome profiling (F1CDx) and 85 samples analyzed using matched-pair panel OncoGuide™ NCC Oncopanel system (NCCOP) at St. Marianna University Hospital. Sample characteristics (fixation conditions, storage period, histology, tumor cell ratio, and genomic tumor cell content), CGP performance, and quality control status were evaluated across all 244 tested samples. RESULTS: In 237/244 samples (97.1%), CGP testing results were successfully obtained [F1CDx, 99.4% (158/159) and NCCOP, 92.9% (79/85)]. An increased number of fibroblasts, inflammatory cells, and necrotic tumor cells, long-term storage, and/or prolonged fixation of tissue sections were involved in the unreported results and/or qualified CGP results. In addition, a negative correlation between median insert size values and ΔΔCq was observed in the NCCOP system. CONCLUSION: We identified various factors associated with efficient and accurate CGP testing using relevant information obtained from real-world data, suggesting that thorough selection and preparation of tissue sections could optimize CGP and maximize useful information.

A Versatile Broadband Attached Proton Test Experiment for Routine 13C Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy.

The proposed broadband attached proton test sequence allows the user to easily record 13C nuclear magnetic resonance multiplicity-edited and quaternary-carbon-only spectra. Compared to earlier attached proton test experiments, it preserves both a tolerance for wide ranges of one-bond-coupling constant values and the effective suppression of residual CHn signals in the quaternary-carbon-only spectra. The recording of edited spectra or quaternary-carbon-only spectra is made easy by a single, user-controllable constant. These attributes make the broadband attached proton test experiment attractive for the 13C analysis of small molecules, including spectral editing, particularly in high-throughput analysis laboratories.

Synthesis of Novel Artemisinin, Ciprofloxacin, and Norfloxacin Hybrids with Potent Antiplasmodial Activity.

The synthesis and antiplasmodial evaluation of new hybrids combining the pharmacophore structures of artemisinin, ciprofloxacin or norfloxacin, and 7-chloroquinoline are reported in this study. The first step for all of the syntheses is the obtainment of key piperazine esters intermediates bearing the drugs ciprofloxacin and norfloxacin. Using these platforms, 18 final compounds were synthesized through a multistep procedure with overall yields ranging between 8 and 20%. All compounds were screened for their antiplasmodial activity against the chloroquine-resistant Plasmodium falciparum FcB1 strain. Compounds 20, 21, 22, and 28, bearing an artesunate fragment with ciprofloxacin, exhibited IC50 values in the range of 3.5-5.4 nM and excellent selectivity indices. Among the compounds bearing the artesunate moiety on the norfloxacin, two of them, 23 and 24, afforded IC50 values of 1.5 nM and 1.9 nM, respectively. They also showed excellent selectivity indices. The most potent compounds were also evaluated against the CQ-resistant Dd2 strain of Plasmodium falciparum, demonstrating that those compounds incorporating the artesunate fragment were the most potent. Finally, the combination of artesunate with either ciprofloxacin or norfloxacin moieties in a single molecular entity proved to substantially enhance the activity and selectivity when compared to the administration of the unconjugated counterparts artesunate/ciprofloxacin and artesunate/norfloxacin.

A comparative study of Chinese medicine quality of life assessment scale (CQ-11D) and EQ-5D-5L and SF-6D scales based on Chinese population.

PURPOSE: To measure health-related quality of life in the Chinese population using three universal health utility scales (CQ-11D, EQ-5D-5L, and SF-6D) and to compare the differences in the results obtained by the different scales to provide a reference for future utility on health-related quality of life in the Chinese population. METHODS: According to the Chinese population's distribution area, gender, and age, quota sampling was conducted. Three scales, CQ-11D, EQ-5D-5L, and SF-6D, whose results were self-reported, were collected in succession after collecting respondents' demographic information. The health utility value and floor/ceiling effect were explained. Bland-Altman was used to evaluate the consistency, the intraclass correlation coefficient was used to evaluate the correlation, and the receiver operating characteristic curve was used to evaluate the discriminative validity of the scale. RESULTS: The mean utility values of the CQ-11D, EQ-5D-5L, and SF-6D scales, respectively, were 0.891, 0.927, and 0.841. The floor effect did not appear in any of the three scales, but the ceiling effect did, and the EQ-5D-5L ceiling effect was the most severe. The limits of the agreement interval for CQ-11D versus EQ-5D-5L in the total sample population were (-0.245,0.172); for CQ-11D versus SF-6D, they were (- 0.256,0.354); and for EQ-5D-5L versus SF-6D, they were (-0.199,0.371). The consistency of the three scales is satisfactory overall. In the total population, the intraclass correlation coefficient between CQ-11D and EQ-5D-5L was 0.709, while EQ-5D-5L and SF-6D were 0.0.565 and that between EQ-5D-5L and SF-6D was 0.472. According to the subject operation curve results, the area under the curve for the total sample population of CQ-11D was 0.746, EQ-5D-5L was 0.669, and SF-6D was 0.734. CONCLUSION: The CQ-11D is inferior to the EQ-5D-5L, but superior to the SF-6D. There is a strong correlation between the health utility values of the total population as measured by the three scales and those of the healthy population. The CQ-11D scale is the most sensitive to differences between populations and diseases.

Can simple 'molecular' corrections outperform projector augmented-wave density functional theory in the prediction of 35 Cl electric field gradient tensor parameters for chlorine-containing crystalline systems?

Many-body expansion (MBE) fragment approaches have been applied to accurately compute nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) parameters in crystalline systems. Recent examples demonstrate that electric field gradient (EFG) tensor parameters can be accurately calculated for 14 N and 17 O. A key additional development is the simple molecular correction (SMC) approach, which uses two one-body fragment (i.e., isolated molecule) calculations to adjust NMR parameter values established using 'benchmark' projector augmented-wave (PAW) density functional theory (DFT) values. Here, we apply a SMC using the hybrid PBE0 exchange-correlation (XC) functional to see if this can improve the accuracy of calculated 35 Cl EFG tensor parameters. We selected eight organic and two inorganic crystal structures and considered 15 chlorine sites. We find that this SMC improves the accuracy of computed values for both the 35 Cl quadrupolar coupling constant (CQ ) and the asymmetry parameter ( η Q ) by approximately 30% compared with benchmark PAW DFT values. We also assessed a SMC that offers local improvements not only in terms of the quality of the XC functional but simultaneously in the quality of the description of relativistic effects via the inclusion of spin-orbit effects. As the inorganic systems considered contain heavy atoms bonded to the chlorine atoms, we find further improvements in the accuracy of calculated 35 Cl EFG tensor parameters when both a hybrid functional and spin-orbit effects are included in the SMC. On the contrary, for chlorine-containing organics, the inclusion of spin-orbit relativistic effects using a SMC does not improve the accuracy of computed 35 Cl EFG tensor parameters.

From co-delivery to synergistic anti-inflammatory effect: Studies on chitosan-stabilized Janus emulsions having chloroquine phosphate and flavopiridol in Complete Freund's Adjuvant induced arthritis rat model.

For the first time, the co-delivery of chloroquine phosphate and flavopiridol by intra-articular route was achieved to provide local joint targeting in Complete Freund's Adjuvant-induced arthritis rat model. The presence of paired-bean structure onto the dispersed oil droplets of o/w nanosized emulsions allows efficient entrapment of two drugs (85.86-96.22 %). The dual drug-loaded emulsions displayed a differential in vitro drug release behavior, near normal cell viability in MTT assay, better cell uptake (internalization) and better reducing effect of mean immunofluorescence intensity of inflammatory proteins such as NF-κB and iNOS at in vitro RAW264.7 macrophage cell line. The radiographical study, ELISA test, RT-PCR study and H & E staining also indicated a reduction in joint tissue swelling, IL-6 and TNF-α levels diminution, fold change diminution in the mRNA expressions for NF-κB, IL-1ß, IL-6 and PGE2 and maintenance of near normal histology at bone cartilage interface respectively. The results of metabolomic pathway analysis performed by LC-MS/MS method using the rat blood (plasma) collected from disease control and dual drug-loaded emulsions treatment groups revealed a new follow-up study to understand not only the disease progression but also the formulation therapeutic efficacy assessment.

Electroglottography in Medical Diagnostics of Vocal Tract Pathologies: A Systematic Review.

Electroglottography (EGG) is a technology developed for measuring the vocal fold contact area during human voice production. Although considered subjective and unreliable as a sole diagnostic method, with the correct application of relevant computational methods, it can constitute a most promising non-invasive voice disorder diagnostic tools in a form of a digital vocal tract pathology classifier. The aim of the following study is to gather and evaluate currently existing digital voice quality assessment systems and vocal tract abnormality classification systems that rely on the use of electroglottographic bio-impedance signals. To fully comprehend the findings of this review, first the subject of EGG is introduced. For that, we summarise most relevant existing research on EGG with a particular focus on its application in diagnostics. Then, we move on to the focal point of this work, which is describing and comparing the existing EGG-based digital voice pathology classification systems. With the application of PRISMA model, 13 articles were chosen and analysed in detail. Direct comparison between chosen studies brought us to pivotal conclusions, which have been described in Section 5 of this report. Meanwhile, certain limitations arising from the literature were identified, such as questionable understanding of the nature of EGG bio-impedance signals. The appropriate recommendations for future work were made, including the application of different methods for EGG feature extraction, as well as the need for continuous EGG datasets development containing signals gathered in various conditions and with different equipments.

A systematic review of CQ-resistant Plasmodium vivax malaria infections in India.

INTRODUCTION: Chloroquine (CQ) is the drug of choice for treating uncomplicated Plasmodium vivax (P. vivax) malaria in India. The knowledge about the exact burden of CQ resistance in P. vivax in India is scarce. Therefore, this systematic review aimed to assess the prevalence of CQ resistance in reported P. vivax cases from India. METHODS: PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science, were searched using the search string: 'Malaria AND vivax AND chloroquine AND (resistance OR resistant) AND India'. We systematically reviewed in-vivo and in-vitro drug efficacy studies that investigated the CQ efficacy of P. vivax malaria between January 1995 and December 2022. Those studies where patients were followed up for at least 28 days after initiation of treatment were included. RESULTS: We identified 12 eligible CQ therapeutic efficacy studies involving 2470 patients, Of these 2329 patients were assessed by in-vivo therapeutic efficacy methods and the remaining 141 were assessed by in-vitro methods. CQ resistance was found in 25/1787 (1.39%) patients from in-vivo and in 11/141 (7.8%) patients from in-vitro drug efficacy studies. CONCLUSION: Based on the available studies, the prevalence of CQ resistance in P. vivax was found to be relatively lower in India. However, continued surveillance and monitoring are crucial to identify the emergence of CQ resistance.

Activation of Chaperone-Mediated Autophagy Inhibits the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Function by Degrading This Receptor in Human Lung Epithelial Carcinoma A549 Cells.

The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) is a ligand-activated transcription factor and a substrate protein of a Cullin 4B E3 ligase complex responsible for diverse cellular processes. In the lung, this receptor is responsible for the bioactivation of benzo[a]pyrene during tumorigenesis. Realizing that the AHR function is affected by its expression level, we are interested in the degradation mechanism of AHR in the lung. Here, we have investigated the mechanism responsible for AHR degradation using human lung epithelial A549 cells. We have observed that the AHR protein levels increase in the presence of chloroquine (CQ), an autophagy inhibitor, in a dose-dependent manner. Treatment with 6-aminonicotinamide (6-AN), a chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA) activator, decreases AHR protein levels in a concentration-dependent and time-dependent manner. This decrease suppresses the ligand-dependent activation of the AHR target gene transcription, and can be reversed by CQ but not MG132. Knockdown of lysosome-associated membrane protein 2 (LAMP2), but not autophagy-related 5 (ATG5), suppresses the chloroquine-mediated increase in the AHR protein. AHR is resistant to CMA when its CMA motif is mutated. Suppression of the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in A549 cells is observed when the AHR gene is knocked out or the AHR protein level is reduced by 6-AN. Collectively, we have provided evidence supporting that AHR is continuously undergoing CMA and activation of CMA suppresses the AHR function in A549 cells.

Rapid Pathogen Purge by Photosensitive Arginine-Riboflavin Carbon Dots without Toxicity.

Photo-activatable antipathogenic carbon dots (CDs) were prepared by carbonization of citric acid and arginine (Arg) via 3 min microwave treatment for use in the eradication of common microorganisms. Nitrogen-doped Arg CDs were spherical in shape with a size range of 0.5 to 5 nm. The Arg CDs were modified with fluorescent dyes, such as fluorescein sodium salt (FSS, as Arg-FSS) and riboflavin (RBF, as Arg-RBF), to improve antimicrobial potency by enhancing their application in photodynamic therapy. The modified Arg CDs afforded fluorescence emission properties at 520 nm in the green region in addition to excellent blue fluorescence intensity at 420 nm under 345 nm excitation upon their FSS and RBF conjugation, respectively. Although the cytotoxicity of Arg CDs was decreased for Arg-RBF CDs to 91.2 ± 0.7% cell viability for fibroblasts, the Arg-based CDs could be safely used for intravenous applications at 1000 µg/mL concentration. The Arg CDs showed broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity against common pathogens and the minimum inhibitory concentration of Arg CDs was almost two-fold decreased for the modified forms without UV light. However, faster and more effective antibacterial activity was determined for photosensitive Arg-RBF CDs, with total bacterial eradication upon UV-A light exposure for 30 min.

Valuing Chinese medicine quality of life-11 dimensions (CQ-11D) health states using a discrete choice experiment with survival duration (DCETTO).

OBJECTIVE: To explore generating a health utility value set for the Chinese medicine Quality of life-11 Dimensions (CQ-11D), a utility instrument designed to assess patients' health status while receiving TCM treatment, among the Chinese population. METHODS: The study was designed to recruit at least 2400 respondents across mainland China to complete one-to-one, face-to-face interviews. Respondents completed ten discrete choice experiment with survival duration (DCETTO) tasks during interviews. The conditional logit models were used to generate the health utility value set for the CQ-11D using the DCETTO data. RESULTS: A total of 2,586 respondents were invited to participate in the survey and 2498 valid interviews were completed (a completion rate of 96.60%). The modified conditional logit model with combing logically inconsistent levels was ultimately selected to construct the health utility value set for the CQ-11D instrument. The range of the measurable health utility value was -0.868 ~ 1. CONCLUSION: The study provides the first utility value set for the CQ-11D among the Chinese population. The CQ-11D and corresponding utility value set can be used to measure the health utility values of patients undergoing traditional Chinese medicine interventions, and further facilitate relevant cost-utility analyses. The application of the CQ-11D can support TCM resource allocation in China.

Dynamics of particles and phosphorus in canals of the Lower Everglades, Florida, USA.

Water flow (discharge) can affect water quality by influencing the concentration and transport of waterborne contaminants. The effects of discharge on phosphorus (P) and particle concentrations in managed canals, were described using concentration-discharge (C-Q) relationships, accumulation of suspended and settling particles, and the physicochemical characteristics of these particles and bed sediments. Piecewise regression analysis on C-Q relationships revealed slope inflections that denoted thresholds, where P-behavior changed from low to high discharge. The C-Q relationships generally showed higher concentrations at higher discharges. In three of the four Lower Everglades canals studied, long-term (1995-2019) lower temporal resolution data (daily to weekly) was adequate to describe the influence of discharge on P concentrations. However, in one site, the L-29 Canal, higher temporal resolution data (minutes to hours over weeks), derived from acoustic sensors, was necessary to produce C-Q relationships. In the L-29 Canal, discharge affected the transport, settling, and sediment accrual at distances from the S333 inflow structure. Sediment traps showed higher discharge led to a greater accumulation of suspended particles that were transported and settled farther downstream. Generally, downstream surface sediments in the L-29 Canal had greater organic matter, lower bulk density and higher TP than those of the upstream site, reflecting long-term effects of discharge. Understanding the effects of discharge on particles and associated nutrients, especially at discharge thresholds that lead to concentration increases, can inform the operation of managed canals to reduce contaminant loading to downstream sensitive ecosystems.

High-Throughput Plant Gene Expression Analysis by 384-Format Reverse Transcription-Quantitative PCR for Investigating Plant Iron Homeostasis.

Analysis of plant gene expression is important in determining iron (Fe) homeostasis gene functions during plant development or in response to biotic and abiotic factors. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) has many advantages. It is fast, inexpensive, accurate, and reproducible in any lab. Furthermore, RT-qPCR can be scaled up to study several genes of interest in many biological samples from any organism. We hereby provide a straightforward protocol on RT-qPCR analysis using a 384-well format for large-scale gene expression studies on Fe-regulated responses. The protocol highlights in detail, the steps ranging from choice and design of qPCR analysis, collection of plant material and RNA preparation, cDNA synthesis, set up of qPCR and run, thorough analysis of qPCR run data, and display of multiple gene expression data for convenient interpretation.