A Nickel Anchored Covalent Organic Framework as Unimolecular Metallaphotocatalyst for Visible Light Driver C-P Bond Coupling Reaction.

The urgent need to develop a sustainable and environmentally friendly method for synthesizing organophosphine compounds is underscored by their extensive applications in organic synthesis, coordination chemistry, medicinal chemistry, and photoelectric materials. Metalated covalent organic frameworks (MCOFs), which seamlessly integrate the inherent photo properties of COF with the catalytic capabilities of metal ions, offer an optimal material for efficient transformation of organics sustainably. In this study, we introduce a simple COF with nickel anchorages (Bpy-COF-NiCl2 ) as a unimolecular metallaphotocatalytic system for effective C-P bond formation. This heterogeneous photocatalyst exhibits superior catalytic performance, achieving yields of up to 95 %, and demonstrates broad substrate tolerance and functional group reactivity. Notably, the metallaphotocatalytic system has demonstrated the capability to process aryl bromides to produce the desired product, a feat not previously reported. Finally, the production and reusability test at the gram scale attests to its superior practicality for designing future organic cross-coupling reactions.

Management of esophageal cancer in patients with a right aortic arch or double aortic arch: a case series of 34 cases.

BACKGROUND: Few cases describing patients with a right aortic arch (RAA) or double aortic arch (DAA) and esophageal cancer (EC) have been reported. METHODS: We analyzed RAA and DAA cases treated with esophagectomy in our center's database and reported in English-language studies until April 1, 2023. Our study assessed the malformation characteristics and surgical details of EC patients with RAA and DAA. RESULTS: We extracted data of 24 EC patients with RAAs and 10 EC patients with DAAs. In both groups, the patients were more likely to be Japanese and male, to have squamous cell carcinoma and to have tumors located in the upper thoracic esophagus or middle thoracic esophagus. Left thoracotomy was commonly applied for RAA patients. For DAA patients, the proportions of left-sided and right-sided approaches were similar. Esophagectomy under video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) in RAA or DAA patients had been performed on a routine basis in recent years. There were two anastomotic leakages in each group. Specifically, Kommerell diverticulum rupture occurred in 1 RAA patient; gastric tube dilation occurred in 1 DAA patient; and recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) injury occurred in 2 RAA patients. The postoperative course was uneventful for most patients in both cohorts. CONCLUSIONS: Esophageal carcinoma is rarely seen in patients with an RAA or DAA. To adequately dissect superior mediastinal LNs, an auxiliary incision (such as sternotomy), the left door open method or a preceding cervical procedure should be used appropriately. Esophagectomy, whether via thoracotomy or thoracoscopic surgery, can be performed safely for both RAA and DAA.

Lifestyle factors associated with episodic memory in middle-aged and older adults: evidence from a 9-year longitudinal study.

BACKGROUND: Episodic memory naturally deteriorates with age, and its deficits are widely recognized as the most significant feature and the most sensitive indicator of cognitive decline. It has been suggested that adopting a healthy lifestyle can play a protective role in preserving episodic memory. This study aimed to systematically examine the relationship between lifestyle factors (social activities, leisure activities, physical activities, internet use, smoking, alcohol drinking, and sleep quality) and episodic memory in middle-aged and older adults. METHODS: The current study included 10,392 participants from the Chinese Health and Retirement Longitudinal Survey. A linear mixed model was used to explore the associations between lifestyle factors and episodic memory performance and the age- and sex-specific effects of the association. RESULTS: Low-frequency alcohol drinking, higher engagement in social, leisure, and physical activities, increased internet use, and improved sleep quality were associated with better episodic memory performance in middle-aged and older adults. Stratified analyses demonstrated that internet use significantly correlated with episodic memory performance in middle-aged adults but not in older adults. On the other hand, sleep quality showed a significant association with episodic memory performance in women but not in men. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the association between various lifestyle factors and episodic memory performance, with variations observed based on age and sex. Adopting healthy lifestyle factors can have positive effects on episodic memory in middle-aged adults, emphasizing the importance of adhering to healthy lifestyles from middle age onwards to counteract episodic memory decline.

Two Undescribed Germacrane-Type Sesquiterpenoids from Salvia cavaleriei var. simplicifolia Stib. and Their Anti-Alzheimer's Disease Activity.

Two undescribed germacrane-type sesquiterpenoids, salcasins A (1) and B (2), together with three known compounds (3-5) were isolated and identified from the whole plant of Salvia cavaleriei var. simplicifolia Stib. The structures of the undescribed compounds were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic methods, such as HR-ESI-MS, 1D and 2D NMR data. The relative configurations of 1 and 2 were established by analyzing their NOESY spectra as well as by 13C NMR calculations with DP4+ probability analyses. The absolute configurations of 1 and 2 were determined by comparing experimental and calculated ECD spectra. Furthermore, the in vivo anti-Alzheimer's disease activities of 1-5 were evaluated using Caenorhabditis elegans AD pathological model. Among all isolated compounds, salcasin A (1) significantly delayed AD-like symptoms of worm paralysis, which may be a potential anti-AD candidate agent.

Identification of RimR2 as a positive pathway-specific regulator of rimocidin biosynthesis in Streptomyces rimosus M527.

BACKGROUND: Streoptomyces rimosus M527 is a producer of the polyene macrolide rimocidin which shows activity against various plant pathogenic fungi. Notably, the regulatory mechanisms underlying rimocidin biosynthesis are yet to be elucidated. RESULTS: In this study, using domain structure and amino acid alignment and phylogenetic tree construction, rimR2, which located in the rimocidin biosynthetic gene cluster, was first found and identified as a larger ATP-binding regulators of the LuxR family (LAL) subfamily regulator. The rimR2 deletion and complementation assays were conducted to explore its role. Mutant M527-ΔrimR2 lost its ability to produce rimocidin. Complementation of M527-ΔrimR2 restored rimocidin production. The five recombinant strains, M527-ER, M527-KR, M527-21R, M527-57R, and M527-NR, were constructed by overexpressing rimR2 gene using the promoters permE*, kasOp*, SPL21, SPL57, and its native promoter, respectively, to improve rimocidin production. M527-KR, M527-NR, and M527-ER exhibited 81.8%, 68.1%, and 54.5% more rimocidin production, respectively, than the wild-type (WT) strain, while recombinant strains M527-21R and M527-57R exhibited no obvious differences in rimocidin production compared with the WT strain. RT-PCR assays revealed that the transcriptional levels of the rim genes were consistent with the changes in rimocidin production in the recombinant strains. Using electrophoretic mobility shift assays, we confirmed that RimR2 can bind to the promoter regions of rimA and rimC. CONCLUSION: A LAL regulator RimR2 was identified as a positive specific-pathway regulator of rimocidin biosynthesis in M527. RimR2 regulates the rimocidin biosynthesis by influencing the transcriptional levels of rim genes and binding to the promoter regions of rimA and rimC.

Development of highly accurate digital PCR method and reference material for monkeypox virus detection.

Human monkeypox has attracted attention recently. Monkeypox virus (MPXV) keeps evolving as it spreading around the world rapidly, which may threaten the health of more and more people. Here, we have developed a high order reference method based on digital PCR (dPCR) for MPXV detection, of which the limits of quantification (LoQ) and detection (LoD) are 38 and 6 copies/reaction, respectively. Pseudovirus reference materials (RM) containing the conserved F3L gene has been developed, and the homogeneity assessment showed that the RM was homogeneous. The reference value with its expanded uncertainty determined by the established dPCR is (2.74 ± 0.46) × 103 copies/µL. Six different MPXV test kits were accessed by the RM. Four out of six test kits cannot reach their claimed LoDs. The poor analytical sensitivity might cause false-negative results, which lead to incorrect diagnosis and treatment. The establishment of a high order reference method of dPCR and pseudovirus RM is very useful for improving the accuracy and reliability of MPXV detection.

Progress in Photocurable 3D Printing of Photosensitive Polyurethane: A Review.

In recent years, as a class of advanced additive manufacturing (AM) technology, photocurable 3D printing has gained increasing attention. Based on its outstanding printing efficiency and molding accuracy, it is employed in various fields, such as industrial manufacturing, biomedical, soft robotics, electronic sensors. Photocurable 3D printing is a molding technology based on the principle of area-selective curing of photopolymerization reaction. At present, the main printing material suitable for this technology is the photosensitive resin, a composite mixture consisting of a photosensitive prepolymer, reactive monomer, photoinitiator, and other additives. As the technique research deepens and its application gets more developed, the design of printing materials suitable for different applications is becoming the hotspot. Specifically, these materials not only can be photocured but also have excellent properties, such as elasticity, tear resistance, fatigue resistance. Photosensitive polyurethanes can endow photocured resin with desirable performance due to their unique molecular structure including the inherent alternating soft and hard segments, and microphase separation. For this reason, this review summarizes and comments on the research and application progress of photocurable 3D printing of photosensitive polyurethanes, analyzing the advantages and shortcomings of this technology, also offering an outlook on this rapid development direction.

Clinicopathological Characteristics and Outcomes of Immunoglobulin A Nephropathy with Different Types of Dyslipidemia: A Retrospective Single-Center Study.

INTRODUCTION: Immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) is one of the most common glomerulonephritic diseases in the world. Several lines of evidence have suggested that dyslipidemia is related to the disease progression and prognosis of IgAN. However, the study is scarce on the clinicopathological characteristics and outcomes of IgAN with dyslipidemia. METHODS: This study retrospectively analyzed 234 patients with biopsy-proven idiopathic IgAN at the Department of Nephrology, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, between January 2015 and June 2021. The participants were divided into dyslipidemia (n = 119) and non-dyslipidemia (n = 115), and the dyslipidemia group was also divided into the following 4 groups: hypertriglyceridemia group, hypercholesterolemia group, mixed hyperlipidemia group, and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol group. The estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was estimated by the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) equation. RESULTS: The prevalence of dyslipidemia in IgAN patients in our center was 50.9% (119/234). The patients with dyslipidemia presented with higher systolic blood pressure (BP), diastolic BP, serum creatinine, uric acid, hemoglobin, proteinuria, and eGFR (p < 0.05). Proportions of males, hypertension, and chronic kidney disease stage 2∼5 were also higher in the dyslipidemia group (p < 0.05). Similarly, the pathological characteristics performed were worse in the dyslipidemia group. Most dyslipidemia patients had a higher percentage of mesangial hypercellularity (M1) and tubular atrophy/interstitial fibrosis (T1∼2) in the Oxford Classification's scoring system (p < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that male gender (odds ratio [OR] = 2.397, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.051-5.469, p = 0.038) and proteinuria (OR = 1.000, 95% CI: 1.000-1.001, p = 0.035) were possible risk factors for dyslipidemia. A total of 13 patients (13.8%) in the dyslipidemia group had an endpoint event, of which 6 patients (6.4%) had a ≥50% decrease in eGFR from baseline and 7 patients (7.4%) reached the end-stage renal disease stage. Kaplan-Meier survival curve analysis showed that patients in the dyslipidemia group had a worse outcome than those in the non-dyslipidemia group (log-rank test, p = 0.048). CONCLUSIONS: IgAN patients with dyslipidemia presented more severe clinicopathological characteristics. Male gender and proteinuria are significantly associated with the occurrence of dyslipidemia in IgAN patients. Patients in the dyslipidemia group had a worse prognosis than those in the non-dyslipidemia group, which may be essential for the disease management of IgAN and help identify the high-risk patients.

Ethyl caffeate attefnuates Aß-induced toxicity in Caenorhabditis elegans AD models via the insulin/insulin-like growth factor-1 signaling pathway.

The pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD), a multifactorial progressive neurodegenerative disease associated with aging, is unclear. Ethyl caffeate is a plant polyphenol that has been reported to have neuroprotective effects, but the mechanisms by which it acts are unclear. In this study, for the first time, we investigated the molecular mechanism of its anti-AD properties using the Caernorhabditis elegans model. The results of our experiments showed that ethyl caffeate delayed the paralysis symptoms of CL4176 to a different extent and reduced the exogenous 5-hydroxytryptophan-induced paralysis phenotype. Further studies revealed that ethyl caffeate lowered Aß plaques and depressed the expression of Aß monomers and oligomers, but did not influence the mRNA levels of Aß. Moreover, it was able to bring paraquat-induced ROS levels down to near-standard conditions. Real-time quantitative PCR experiment showed a significant upregulation of the transcript abundance of daf-16, skn-1 and hsf-1, key factors associated with the insulin/insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) signaling pathway (IIS), and their downstream genes sod-3, gst-4 and hsp-16.2. It was further shown that ethyl caffeate activated the translocation of DAF-16 and SKN-1 from the cytoplasm to the nucleus and enhanced the expression of sod-3::GFP, gst-4::GFP and hsp-16.2::GFP in transgenic nematodes. This meant that the protection against Aß toxicity by ethyl caffeate may be partly through the IIS signaling pathway. In addition, ethyl caffeate suppressed the aggregation of polyglutamine proteins in AM141, which indicated a potential protective effect against neurodegenerative diseases based on abnormal folding and aggregation of amyloid proteins. Taken together, ethyl caffeate is expected to develop as a potential drug for the management of AD.

Effect of α-methyl on the performance of photocurable 3D printing polyurethane materials.

For photosensitive polyurethane systems, reactive diluents are indispensable components whose main role is to reduce the viscosity of the polyurethane prepolymer to meet the requirements of the photocurable 3D printing technology for high fluidity of the precursor solution. Generally, the reactive diluent would be involved in the photocuring reaction, which in turn has a remarkable impact on the mechanical, reaction kinetics, and thermodynamic characteristics of the photosensitive polyurethane system. However, this feature is usually neglected in the study of photosensitive urethane acrylate (PUA) systems, so there is a considerable necessity to investigate the mechanism of active diluents in the photocured reaction of PUA systems. In this work, the effects of α-methyl groups along the chains of diluent molecules on the photoreaction kinetics, photocurable 3D printing, mechanical and mechanical properties, and thermodynamic characteristics of PUAs were investigated employing hydroxyethyl methacrylate and hydroxyethyl acrylate as active diluents, respectively. The relationship between chemical structure and kinetics of PUA systems was also elucidated by using dynamic mechanical analysis tests. The results demonstrated that the α-methyl group blocks the migration of reactive radicals, reduces the efficiency of the photoreaction, and causes an increase in the rigidity and strength of the molecular chain. This study not only revealed the effect of α-methyl on the kinetic mechanical and thermal performance of PUA systems but also paves the way for the development of a new class of photosensitive PUA materials used for the photocurable 3D printing technology.

Tri-Lock Bone Preservation Stem Versus Conventional Corail Stem in Primary Total Hip Arthroplasty via Direct Anterior Approach: A Short-Term, Retrospective, Comparative Study.

BACKGROUND he present study was performed to evaluate the clinical efficacy of Tri-Lock bone preservation stems vs conventional Corail stems in primary total hip arthroplasty via direct anterior approach. MATERIAL AND METHODS In this retrospective analysis, patients receiving THA via DAA in a single-center hospital from January 2019 to March 2020 were assessed for eligibility and assigned to either a Tri-Lock BPS group or a Corail group based on the use of prostheses. Outcome measures for the efficiency evaluation of the 2 prostheses included perioperative outcomes, imaging results, Harris Hip Score, Western Ontario and McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index, and visual analog scale scores at 3, 6, 12, and 24 months postoperatively. RESULTS A total of 204 patients were included, including 98 patients (98 hips) in the Tri-Lock BPS group and 106 patients (106 hips) in the Corail group. Patients receiving Tri-Lock BPS exhibited better pain relief than those with Coral stems. Tri-Lock BPS had a higher safety profile vs Corail stems by significantly reducing the risk of complications (P=0.004). A markedly increased HHS score (84.42±16.27 vs 78.61±12.78, P=0.002) and a lower WOMAC score (25.08±15.39 vs 32.14±11.56, P=0.001) at 3 months postoperatively were observed in patients with Tri-Lock BPS vs those with Corail stems, indicating better restoration of hip function using Tri-Lock BPS. CONCLUSIONS During total hip arthroplasty via DAA, Tri-Lock BPS causes a smaller surgical wound, reduces the operative time and intraoperative bleeding, and produces less soft-tissue damage vs Corail stems, providing great benefits in femoral prosthesis placement.

Effectiveness of Needle Aspiration versus Surgical Excision for Symptomatic Synovial Cysts of the Hip: A Single-Center, Retrospective Study.

BACKGROUND This study was performed to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of needle aspiration vs surgical excision for symptomatic synovial cysts of the hip. MATERIAL AND METHODS This retrospective study analyzed the clinical data of patients diagnosed with synovial cysts of the hip and treated in a single-center hospital from January 2012 to April 2022. Patients receiving needle aspiration were assigned to group A and those treated with surgery were assigned to group B. Demographic characteristics, etiology, symptoms, cyst location, postoperative complications and recurrence, Harris Hip Score (HHS) and Visual Analog Scale of Pain (VAS) scores before treatment and at 3, 6, and 12 months after treatment were recorded to assess hip function in both groups. RESULTS This study recruited 44 patients, with 18 patients in group A and 26 in group B, and the 2 arms were well-balanced in terms of baseline patient profiles. Needle aspiration resulted in significantly better pain mitigation for patients at 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h after treatment vs surgical interventions (P<0.05). Needle joint aspiration resulted in significantly better function restoration of the hip joint than surgery at 3 months after treatment, as evidenced by the lower HHS score of 85.31±13.16 in group A vs 78.51±11.66 in group B (P=0.002). Surgery was associated with a significantly lower incidence of disease relapse (0.00%) vs needle aspiration (27.7%) (P=0.004). CONCLUSIONS Needle aspiration in the treatment of symptomatic synovial cysts of the hip causes less damage to the soft tissue and leads to faster recovery in the short term than surgical resection. Surgical resection has a lower recurrence rate and better long-term efficacy.

Efficacy of Direct Anterior Approach Versus Posterior Lateral Approach for Total Hip Replacement in Patients with Parkinson's Disease.

BACKGROUND The present study was performed to evaluate the efficacy of direct anterior approach (DAA) versus posterolateral approach (PLA) for total hip arthroplasty (THA) in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). The aim of the study was to compare the speed of recovery of hip function and postoperative complications between the 2 approaches. MATERIAL AND METHODS The study included 285 Parkinson's patients who underwent THA; 209 eligible patients were recruited for analysis as per the inclusion criteria and assigned into DAA group (n=90) and PLA group (n=119) according to the surgical approach. Postoperative Harris Hip Score (HHS), Western Ontario and McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), and Forgotten joint score (FJS) were collected to assess hip function. RESULTS The DAA had a statistically lower incidence of postoperative complications than the PLA, particularly the rate of postoperative dislocation. Perioperative outcomes showed a longer operative time in the DAA than in the PLA group and more intraoperative blood loss in the DAA than in the PLA group. At 3 months postoperatively, the HHS and WOMAC scores in the DAA group showed significantly higher scores compared to the PLA group versus the DAA group. However, these differences disappeared at 6 months postoperatively and the FJS in the DAA group had a statistically higher score compared to the PLA group. CONCLUSIONS In patients with Parkinson's disease complicated with hip disease, the DAA approach exhibited a lower rate of dislocation than the PLA approach and had faster recovery of hip function.

Comparison of Outcomes Following Total Hip Arthroplasty Between Patients Diagnosed with Association Research Circulation Osseous (ARCO) Stage III and Stage IV Osteonecrosis of the Femoral Head: A Retrospective Study of 302 Patients.

BACKGROUND This retrospective study from a single center aimed to compare outcomes following total hip arthroplasty (THA) in 302 patients diagnosed with Association Research Circulation Osseous (ARCO) stage III and stage IV osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH). MATERIAL AND METHODS The study included 302 patients who underwent THA for ONFH between January 2018 and September 2021. Patient groups included ARCO stage III (n=145) and ARCO stage IV (n=157). Outcomes measured included duration of disease, operative time, intraoperative blood volume, postoperative length of hospital stay, pain measured by the visual analog scale (VAS) score, Harris hip score (HHS), and forgotten joint score (FJS). RESULTS Patients with ARCO stage III ONFH had a significantly shorter operative time (P=0.009), shorter length of hospital stay (P=0.021), and reduced volume of intraoperative bleeding (P=0.021) compared with patients with ARCO stage IV ONFH. There were no significant differences in disease duration (P=0.310), postoperative complications (P=0.07), preoperative (P=0.086, P=0.156) and postoperative (P=0.062, P=0.173) HHS and VAS scores, respectively. Patients with stage III ONFH reported significantly higher FJS scores at 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year after THA. CONCLUSIONS Patients who underwent hip arthroplasty for ARCO stage III femoral head necrosis experienced shorter operative time and hospital stay, less intraoperative bleeding, and better restoration of hip function than those with ARCO stage IV. Moreover, stage III patients were more prone to "forget" their hip arthroplasty experience within 1 year of surgery.

The indications for core decompression surgery in patients with ARCO stage I-II osteonecrosis of the femoral head: a new, comprehensive prediction system.

BACKGROUND: Core decompression (CD) is considered the most popular treatment method for patients with Association Research Circulation Osseous (ARCO) stage I-II osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH). However, the definitive indication for CD is currently not well established. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study. Patients who were diagnosed with ARCO stage I-II ONFH and who underwent CD were included. According to the prognosis, the patients were divided into two groups: collapse of the femoral head after CD and noncollapse of the femoral head. Independent risk factors for the failure of CD treatment were identified. Subsequently, a new scoring system that included all these risk factors was built to help estimate the individual risk of CD failure in patients who were planning to undergo CD. RESULTS: The study included 1537 hips after decompression surgery. The overall failure rate of CD surgery was 52.44%. Seven independent prognostic factors for failed CD surgery were identified, such as male sex (HR = 75.449; 95% confidence interval (CI), 42.863-132.807), Aetiology (Idiopathic HR = 2.762; 95% CI, 2.016-3.788, Steroid-induced HR = 2.543; 95% CI, 1.852-3.685), if the patient had a seated occupation (HR = 3.937; 95% CI, 2.712-5.716), age (HR = 1.045; 95% CI, 1.032-1.058), haemoglobin level (HR = 0.909; 95% CI, 0.897-0.922), disease duration (HR = 1.217; 95% CI, 1.169-1.267) and the combined necrosis angle (HR = 1.025; 95% CI, 1.022-1.028). The final scoring system included these seven risk factors, and the area under the curve of this scoring system was 0.935 (95% confidential interval = 0.922-0.948). CONCLUSION: This new scoring system might provide evidence-based medical proof for determining whether a patient with ARCO stage I - II ONFH might benefit from CD surgery. This scoring system is crucial for making clinical decisions. Consequently, this scoring system is recommended before CD surgery, which could help determine the potential prognosis of patients.

Establishment of Digital PCR Method and Reference Material for Adenoviruses 40 and 41.

Coinfection with human adenovirus (HAdV) and SARS-CoV-2 has been associated with acute hepatitis in children with unknown etiology. Similar cases have been reported in many countries, and HAdV 40 and HAdV 41 have been identified. The quantification method is established based on digital PCR (dPCR) for HAdV 40/41, which is more convenient for low-concentration virus detection. The limit of detections of HAdV 40/41 dPCR were 4 and 5 copies/µL. Pseudovirus reference material (RM) that contains the highly conserved HEXON gene was developed and quantified with the dPCR method. The assigned values with expanded uncertainty were (1.43 ± 0.35) × 103 copies/µL for HAdV 40 RM and (1.21 ± 0.28) × 103 copies/µL for HAdV 41 RM. The values could be reproduced on multiple platforms. The dPCR method and pseudovirus RMs contribute to the improved accuracy of HAdV 40/41 detection, which is crucial for clinical diagnosis.

Implantable Aptamer-Graphene Microtransistors for Real-Time Monitoring of Neurochemical Release in Vivo.

The real-time monitoring of neurochemical release in vivo plays a critical role in understanding the biochemical process of the complex nervous system. Current technologies for such applications, including microdialysis and fast-scan cyclic voltammetry, suffer from limited spatiotemporal resolution or poor selectivity. Here, we report a soft implantable aptamer-graphene microtransistor probe for real-time monitoring of neurochemical release. As a demonstration, we show the monitoring of dopamine with nearly cellular-scale spatial resolution, high selectivity (dopamine sensor >19-fold over norepinephrine), and picomolar sensitivity, simultaneously. Systematic benchtop evaluations, ex vivo experiments, and in vivo studies in mice models highlight the key features and demonstrate the capability of capturing the dopamine release dynamics evoked by pharmacological stimulation, suggesting the potential applications in basic neuroscience studies and studying neurological disease-related processes. The developed system can be easily adapted for monitoring other neurochemicals and drugs by simply replacing the aptamers functionalized on the graphene microtransistors.

Constructing Interconnected Microporous Structures in Carbon by Homogeneous Activation as a Sustainable Electrode Material for High-Performance Supercapacitors.

Microporous carbon attracts attention as an electrode material for supercapacitors. However, a large number of deep and distorted mesoporous and macroporous structures are usually created by non-uniform etching, resulting in underutilized internal space. Homogeneous activation has been considered by researchers as a necessary condition for the formation of interconnected microporous structures in carbon materials. Herein, a simple strategy of hydrothermal introduction of defects followed by homogeneous activation for the preparation of microporous carbon was developed for the synthesis of electrode materials for high-performance supercapacitors. The optimized sample with defect-enriched microporous structure and large specific surface area has a specific capacity of 315 F g-1 (1 A g-1) in KOH solution, and the assembled symmetric supercapacitor achieves a high energy density of 7.3 Wh kg-1 at a power density of 250 W kg-1. This work is interesting because it not only demonstrates that rational design of electrode materials is important to boost the performance of supercapacitors, but also provides inspiration for the design of efficient supercapacitors in the future.

Transposon-based identification of genes involved in the rimocidin biosynthesis in Streptomyces rimosus M527.

The transposon mutagenesis strategy has been employed to generate random insertion mutants and analyze the correlation between genes and secondary metabolites in the genus Streptomyces. In this study, our primary objective was to identify an unknown gene involved in rimocidin biosynthesis and elucidate its role in rimocidin production in Streptomyces rimosus M527. To achieve this, we established a random mutant library of S. rimosus M527 using a Tn5 transposon-mediated random mutagenesis strategy. Among the 137 isolated mutants, M527-G10 and M527-W5 exhibited the most significant variations in antagonistic activity against the plant pathogenic fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cucumerinum. Specifically, M527-G10 displayed a 72.93% reduction, while M527-W5 showed a 49.8% increase in rimocidin production compared to the wild-type (WT) strain S. rimosus M527. Subsequently, we employed a plasmid rescue strategy to identify the insertion loci of the transposon in the genomes of mutants M527-G10 and M527-W5, revealing a response regulator transcription factor (rrt) and a hypothetical protein (hyp), respectively. The roles of rrt and hyp in rimocidin biosynthesis were determined through gene deletion, overexpression in the WT strain, and complemented expression in the transposon mutants. Notably, the gene-deletion mutants M527-ΔRRT and M527-ΔHYP exhibited similar behavior in rimocidin production compared to the corresponding transposon mutants M527-G10 and M527-W5, suggesting that transposon insertions in genes rrt and hyp led to alterations in rimocidin production. Furthermore, both gene deletion and overexpression of rrt and hyp had no discernible effects on cell growth. These results reveal that genes rrt and hyp have positive and negative impacts on rimocidin production in S. rimosus M527, respectively.

Multiplexed Monitoring of Neurochemicals via Electrografting-Enabled Site-Selective Functionalization of Aptamers on Field-Effect Transistors.

Neurochemical corelease has received much attention in understanding brain activity and cognition. Despite many attempts, the multiplexed monitoring of coreleased neurochemicals with spatiotemporal precision and minimal crosstalk using existing methods remains challenging. Here, we report a soft neural probe for multiplexed neurochemical monitoring via the electrografting-assisted site-selective functionalization of aptamers on graphene field-effect transistors (G-FETs). The neural probes possess excellent flexibility, ultralight mass (28 mg), and a nearly cellular-scale dimension of 50 µm × 50 µm for each G-FET. As a demonstration, we show that G-FETs with electrochemically grafted molecular linkers (-COOH or -NH2) and specific aptamers can be used to monitor serotonin and dopamine with high sensitivity (limit of detection: 10 pM) and selectivity (dopamine sensor >22-fold over norepinephrine; serotonin sensor >17-fold over dopamine). In addition, we demonstrate the feasibility of the simultaneous monitoring of dopamine and serotonin in a single neural probe with minimal crosstalk and interferences in phosphate-buffered saline, artificial cerebrospinal fluid, and harvested mouse brain tissues. The stability studies show that multiplexed neural probes maintain the capability for simultaneously monitoring dopamine and serotonin with minimal crosstalk after incubating in rat cerebrospinal fluid for 96 h, although a reduced sensor response at high concentrations is observed. Ex vivo studies in harvested mice brains suggest potential applications in monitoring the evoked release of dopamine and serotonin. The developed multiplexed detection methodology can also be adapted for monitoring other neurochemicals, such as metabolites and neuropeptides, by simply replacing the aptamers functionalized on the G-FETs.