Identification of endoplasmic reticulum stress genes in human stroke based on bioinformatics and machine learning.

After ischemic stroke (IS), secondary injury is intimately linked to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and body-brain crosstalk. Nonetheless, the underlying mechanism systemic immune disorder mediated ER stress in human IS remains unknown. In this study, 32 candidate ER stress-related genes (ERSRGs) were identified by overlapping MSigDB ER stress pathway genes and DEGs. Three Key ERSRGs (ATF6, DDIT3 and ERP29) were identified using LASSO, random forest, and SVM-RFE. IS patients with different ERSRGs profile were clustered into two groups using consensus clustering and the difference between 2 group was further explored by GSVA. Through immune cell infiltration deconvolution analysis, and middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) mouse scRNA analysis, we found that the expression of 3 key ERSRGs were closely related with peripheral macrophage cell ER stress in IS and this was further confirmed by RT-qPCR experiment. These ERS genes might be helpful to further accurately regulate the central nervous system and systemic immune response through ER stress and have potential application value in clinical practice in IS.

The regulation and its application of the charge decay rate in triboelectric nanogenerator.

The decay rate of charge in the friction layer is one of the key factors affecting the output performance of triboelectric nanogenerators (TENG). Reducing the decay rate of the triboelectric charge can increase the charge-carrying capacity of the friction layer and improve the output current and voltage of the TENG. This makes a friction generator more suitable for discontinuous driving environments. In contrast, increasing the decay rate of the charge in the friction layer can greatly improve the recovery time of the device, although it reduces the output performance of the generator. This is conducive to the application of friction generator in the field of sensors. In this study, polystyrene (PS) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were added to polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) nanofibers to adjust the charge decay time in the friction layer, thereby regulating the output performance of the friction generator and sensor. When the amount of added PS in the PVDF nanofiber reached 20%, the charge density on the friction surface increased by 1.9 times, and the charge decay time decreased by 64 times; when 0.1 wt% CNTs were added in the PVDF nanofiber, the charge decay time increased by more than 10 times. The former is more conducive to improving the power generation performance of the TENG, and the latter significantly improves the stability and repeatability of TENG-based sensors.

Toll-like receptor 4-mediated microglial inflammation exacerbates early white matter injury following experimental subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Neuroinflammation has been reported to be associated with white matter injury (WMI) after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). As the main resident immune cells of the brain, microglia can be activated into proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory phenotypes. Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), expressed on the surface of the microglia, plays a key role in microglial inflammation. However, the relationship between TLR4, microglial polarization, and WMI following SAH remains unclear. In this study, a total of 121 male adult C57BL/6 wild-type (WT) mice, 20 WT mice at postnatal day 1 (P1), and 41 male adult TLR4 gene knockout (TLR4-/-) mice were used to investigate the potential role of TLR4-induced microglial polarization in early WMI after SAH by radiological, histological, microstructural, transcriptional, and cytological evidence. The results indicated that microglial inflammation was associated with myelin loss and axon damage, shown as a decrease in myelin basic protein (MBP), as well as increase in degraded myelin basic protein (dMBP) and amyloid precursor protein (APP). Gene knockout of TLR4 revised microglial polarization toward the anti-inflammatory phenotype and protected the white matter at an early phase after SAH (24 h), as shown through reduction of toxic metabolites, preservation of myelin, reductions in APP accumulation, reductions in white matter T2 hyperintensity, and increases in FA values. Cocultures of microglia and oligodendrocytes, the cells responsible for myelin production and maintenance, were established to further elucidate the relationship between microglial polarization and WMI. In vitro, TLR4 inhibition decreased the expression of microglial MyD88 and phosphorylated NF-κB, thereby inhibiting M1 polarization and mitigating inflammation. Decrease in TLR4 in the microglia increased preservation of neighboring oligodendrocytes. In conclusion, microglial inflammation has dual effects on early WMI after experimental SAH. Future explorations on more clinically relevant methods for modulating neuroinflammation are warranted to combat stroke with both WMI and gray matter destruction.

The potential of PCNA inhibition as a therapeutic strategy in cervical cancer.

Cervical cancers are the fourth most common and most deadly cancer in women worldwide. Despite being a tremendous public health burden, few novel approaches to improve care for these malignancies have been introduced. We discuss the potential for proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) inhibition to address this need as well as the advantages and disadvantages for compounds that can therapeutically inhibit PCNA with a specific focus on cervical cancer.

Directing the Architecture of Surface-Clean Cu2O for CO Electroreduction.

Tailoring the morphology of nanocrystals is a promising way to enhance their catalytic performance. In most previous shape-controlled synthesis strategies, surfactants are inevitable due to their capability to stabilize different facets. However, the adsorbed surfactants block the intrinsic active sites of the nanocrystals, reducing their catalytic performance. For now, strategies to control the morphology without surfactants are still limited but necessary. Herein, a facile surfactant-free synthesis method is developed to regulate the morphology of Cu2O nanocrystals (e.g., solid nanocube, concave nanocube, cubic framework, branching nanocube, branching concave nanocube, and branching cubic framework) to enhance the electrocatalytic performance for the conversion of CO to n-propanol. Specifically, the Cu2O branching cubic framework (BCF-Cu2O), which is difficult to fabricate using previous surfactant-free methods, is fabricated by combining the concentration depletion effect and the oxidation etching process. More significantly, the BCF-Cu2O-derived catalyst (BCF) presents the highest n-propanol current density (-0.85 mA cm-2) at -0.45 V versus the reversible hydrogen electrode (VRHE), which is fivefold higher than that of the surfactant-coated Cu2O nanocube-derived catalyst (SFC, -0.17 mA cm-2). In terms of the n-propanol Faradaic efficiency in CO electroreduction, that of the BCF exhibits a 41% increase at -0.45 VRHE as compared with SFC. The high catalytic activity of the BCF that results from the clean surface and the coexistence of Cu(100) and Cu(110) in the lattice is well-supported by density functional theory calculations. Thus, this work presents an important paradigm for the facile fabrication of surface-clean nanocrystals with an enhanced application performance.

A novel approach on designing ultrahigh burnup metallic TWR fuels: Upsetting the current technological limits.

Abstract: The grand challenge of "net-zero carbon" emission calls for technological breakthroughs in energy production. The traveling wave reactor (TWR) is designed to provide economical and safe nuclear power and solve imminent problems, including limited uranium resources and radiotoxicity burdens from back-end fuel reprocessing/disposal. However, qualification of fuels and materials for TWR remains challenging and it sets an "end of the road" mark on the route of R&D of this technology. In this article, a novel approach is proposed to maneuver reactor operations and utilize high-temperature transients to mitigate the challenges raised by envisioned TWR service environment. Annular U-50Zr fuel and oxidation dispersion strengthened (ODS) steels are proposed to be used instead of the current U-10Zr and HT-9 ferritic/martensitic steels. In addition, irradiation-accelerated transport of Mn and Cr to the cladding surface to form a protective oxide layer as a self-repairing mechanism was discovered and is believed capable of mitigating long-term corrosion. This work represents an attempt to disruptively overcome current technological limits in the TWR fuels. Impact statement: After the Fukushima accident in 2011, the entire nuclear industry calls for a major technological breakthrough that addresses the following three fundamental issues: (1) Reducing spent nuclear fuel reprocessing demands, (2) reducing the probability of a severe accident, and (3) reducing the energy production cost per kilowatt-hour. An inherently safe and ultralong life fast neutron reactor fuel form can be such one stone that kills the three birds. In light of the recent development findings on U-50Zr fuels, we hereby propose a disruptive, conceptual metallic fuel design that can serve the following purposes at the same time: (1) Reaching ultrahigh burnup of above 40% FIMA, (2) possessing strong inherent safety features, and (3) extending current limits on fast neutron irradiation dose to be far beyond 200 dpa. We believe that this technology will be able to bring about revolutionary changes to the nuclear industry by significantly lowering the operational costs as well as improving the reactor system safety to a large extent. Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1557/s43577-022-00420-4.

Circularly Polarized Organic Room Temperature Phosphorescence from Amorphous Copolymers.

Organic optoelectronic functional materials featuring circularly polarized emission and persistent luminescence represent a novel research frontier and show promising applications in data encryption, displays, biological imaging, and so on. Herein, we present a simple and universal approach to achieve circularly polarized organic phosphorescence (CPP) from amorphous copolymers by the incorporation of axial chiral chromophores into polymer chains via radical cross-linked polymerization. Our experimental data reveal that copolymers (R/S)-PBNA exhibit a maximum CPP efficiency of 30.6% and the largest dissymmetric factor of 9.4 × 10-3 and copolymers (R/S)-PNA show the longest lifetime of 0.68 s under ambient conditions. Given the CPP property of these copolymers, their potential applications in multiple information encryption and displays are demonstrated, respectively. These findings not only lay the foundation for the development of amorphous polymers with superior CPP but also expand the outlook of room-temperature phosphorescent materials.

Nucleo-cytoplasmic RNA distribution responsible for maintaining neuroinflammatory microenvironment.

Subcellular localization of transcripts is highly associated with regulation of gene expression, synthesis of protein, and also the development of the human brain cortex. Although many mechanisms are prevalent in the occurrence of neuroinflammation, the mechanisms based on differences in subcellular localization of transcripts have not been explored. To characterize the dynamic profile of nuclear and cytoplasmic transcripts during the progress of haemorrhage-induced neuroinflammation, we isolated nucleo-cytoplasmic RNA fractions of oxyhaemoglobin (oxy-Hb) treated microglia cells and sequenced both fractions. We discovered that cytoplasmic retained genes were the major forces to maintain the neuroinflammatory microenvironment with 10 hub genes and 40 conserved genes were identified. Moreover, antisense RNA Gm44096 and lincRNA Gm47270, which co-expressed with a crowd of inflammatory genes in the cytoplasm, were discovered as regulatory strategies for sustaining the neuroinflammatory microenvironment. Thus, our study provides a new perspective on understanding haemorrhage-induced neuroinflammation and also reveals a mechanism of lncRNA responsible for maintaining the neuroinflammatory microenvironment.

Accelerated complete human skin architecture restoration after wounding by nanogenerator-driven electrostimulation.

BACKGROUND: Electrostimulation (ES) therapy for wound healing is limited in clinical use due to barriers such as cumbersome equipment and intermittent delivery of therapy. METHODS: We adapted a human skin xenograft model that can be used to directly examine the nanogenerator-driven ES (NG-ES) effects on human skin in vivo-an essential translational step toward clinical application of the NG-ES technique for wound healing. RESULTS: We show that NG-ES leads to rapid wound closure with complete restoration of normal skin architecture within 7 days compared to more than 30 days in the literature. NG-ES accelerates the inflammatory phase of wound healing with more rapid resolution of neutrophils and macrophages and enhances wound bed perfusion with more robust neovascularization. CONCLUSION: Our results support the translational evaluation and optimization of the NG-ES technology to deliver convenient, efficient wound healing therapy for use in human wounds.

Self-Assembled Single-Site Nanozyme for Tumor-Specific Amplified Cascade Enzymatic Therapy.

Nanomaterials with enzyme-mimicking activity (nanozymes) show potential for therapeutic interventions. However, it remains a formidable challenge to selectively kill tumor cells through enzymatic reactions, while leaving normal cells unharmed. Herein, we present a new strategy based on a single-site cascade enzymatic reaction for tumor-specific therapy that avoids off-target toxicity to normal tissues. A copper hexacyanoferrate (Cu-HCF) nanozyme with active single-site copper exhibited cascade enzymatic activity within the tumor microenvironment: Tumor-specific glutathione oxidase activity by the Cu-HCF single-site nanozymes (SSNEs) led to the depletion of intracellular glutathione and the conversion of single-site CuII species into CuI for subsequent amplified peroxidase activity through a Fenton-type Harber-Weiss reaction. In this way, abundant highly toxic hydroxyl radicals were generated for tumor cell apoptosis. The results show that SSNEs could amplify the tumor-killing efficacy of reactive oxygen species and suppress tumor growth in vivo.

Integrating Suitable Linkage of Covalent Organic Frameworks into Covalently Bridged Inorganic/Organic Hybrids toward Efficient Photocatalysis.

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are excellent platforms with tailored functionalities in photocatalysis. There are still challenges in increasing the photochemical performance of COFs. Therefore, we designed and prepared a series of COFs for photocatalytic hydrogen generation. Varying different ratios of ß-ketoenamine to imine moieties in the linkages could differ the ordered structure, visible light harvesting, and bandgap. Overall, ß-ketoenamine-linked COFs exhibited much better photocatalytic activity than those COFs having both ß-ketoenamine and imine moieties on account of a nonquenched excited state and more favorable HOMO level in the photoinduced oxidation reaction from the former. Specifically, after in situ growth of ß-ketoenamine-linked COFs onto NH2-Ti3C2Tx MXene via covalent connection, the heterohybrid showed an obvious improvement in photocatalytic H2 evolution because of strong covalent coupling, electrical conductivity, and efficient charge transfer. This integrated linkage evolution and covalent hybridization approach advances the development of COF-based photocatalysts.

Linkage Engineering by Harnessing Supramolecular Interactions to Fabricate 2D Hydrazone-Linked Covalent Organic Framework Platforms toward Advanced Catalysis.

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are an emerging class of crystalline porous polymers with tailor-made structures and functionalities. To facilitate their utilization for advanced applications, it is crucial to develop a systematic approach to control the properties of COFs, including the crystallinity, stability, and functionalities. However, such an integrated design is challenging to achieve. Herein, we report supramolecular strategy-based linkage engineering to fabricate a versatile 2D hydrazone-linked COF platform for the coordination of different transition metal ions. Intra- and intermolecular hydrogen bonding as well as electrostatic interactions in the antiparallel stacking mode were first utilized to obtain two isoreticular COFs, namely COF-DB and COF-DT. On account of suitable nitrogen sites in COF-DB, the further metalation of COF-DB was accomplished upon the complexation with seven divalent transition metal ions M(II) (M = Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Pd, and Cd) under mild conditions. The resultant M/COF-DB exhibited extended π-conjugation, improved crystallinity, enhanced stability, and additional functionalities as compared to the parent COF-DB. Furthermore, the dynamic nature of the coordination bonding in M/COF-DB allows for the easy replacement of metal ions through a postsynthetic exchange. In particular, the coordination mode in Pd/COF-DB endows it with excellent catalytic activity and cyclic stability as a heterogeneous catalyst for the Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction, outperforming its amorphous counterparts and Pd/COF-DT. This strategy provides an opportunity for the construction of 2D COFs with designable functions and opens an avenue to create COFs as multifunctional systems.

Biglycan regulates neuroinflammation by promoting M1 microglial activation in early brain injury after experimental subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Neuroinflammation can be caused by various factors in early brain injury after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). One of the most important features of this process is M1 microglial activation. In turn, the TLR4/NF-κB pathway plays an essential role in activating M1 phenotypic microglia. Biglycan, a small leucine-rich proteoglycan, functions as an endogenous ligand of TLR4 and TLR2 in macrophages. However, the underlying mechanisms associated with microglial activation in stroke pathogenesis are poorly understood. Here, we aimed to identify the role of biglycan in neuroinflammation following SAH. In our study, SAH was induced by endovascular perforation in young male C57BL/6J mice. Lentiviral vector was administered intracerebroventricularly to knock down Biglycan. Post-SAH assessments included neurobehavioral tests, immunofluorescence, western blot, qRT-PCR, Co-IP, flow cytometry, and ELISA. The biglycan level was markedly elevated following SAH in vivo. Of particularly note, knockdown of biglycan significantly improved neurological outcomes. TLR4 was bound with soluble biglycan in vitro. In addition, biglycan down-regulation suppressed the expression of phosphorylated-NF-κB p65 (p-NF-κB) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), as well as the cytokine (TNF-α, IL-1ß, and IL-6) production in vivo and in vitro. Moreover, we detected a decreased expression of CD16/32 and CD86, M1 markers when biglycan was inhibited in vitro. Our work suggests that biglycan can induce neuroinflammation by promoting M1 microglial activation at least in part through TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway after experimental SAH. Targeting biglycan may be a promising strategy for the clinical management of SAH.

Transferred Photothermal to Photodynamic Therapy Based on the Marriage of Ultrathin Titanium Carbide and Up-Conversion Nanoparticles.

In this research, upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) are used as a light conversion carrier, and their deep light source penetrability is closely combined with ultrathin two-dimensional (2D) Ti3C2Tx to explore the application efficiency of the complex in phototherapy. Due to the advantages of 2D Ti3C2Tx with its high absorbance to ultraviolet/visible light, rich atomic defects to load the drugs, and adjustable thinner structure, this 2D material is beneficially applied as the energy donor. UCNPs@Ti3C2Tx with a photothermal conversion efficiency of 20.7% is proven with the ability to generate reactive oxygen species under a 980 nm laser at the cellular level. Importantly, the main photothermal therapy method can be changed to a photodynamic therapy method due to the degradation of Ti3C2Tx to TiO2 under the oxygen-bearing environment. The in vivo experiment was continued to verify that UCNPs@Ti3C2Tx can kill tumor cells and inhibit tumor growth within a certain period. In addition, in vivo treatment with a combination of immunotherapy and phototherapy of UCNPs@ Ti3C2Tx is carried out to achieve stronger tumor inhibition over the prolonged time points.

[Expressions of Th1/Th2 cytokines and autoantibodies in the serum of males with idiopathic oligoasthenozoospermia and their significance].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expressions of Th1/Th2 cytokines and autoantibodies in the serum of the patients with idiopathic oligoasthenozoospermia (IO) and their significance. METHODS: From November 2017 to April 2020, we examined the levels of Th1/Th2 cytokines (IL-2, IL-4, IL-10, IL-21, TNF-α, IFN-γ) and the expressions of AhCGAb, AsAb and AcAb in the serum of 48 infertile men with mild or moderate IO, 48 with severe IO and another 72 males with normal semen parameters by ELISA. We compared the results of detection among the three groups and analyzed them with the logistic regression model. RESULTS: Compared with the normal controls, the patients with mild or moderate IO showed significant increases in the levels of IL-10, IL-21 and IFN-γ and the expressions of AhCGAb, AsAb and AcAb (P < 0.05), and so were those of the severe IO group in the levels of all the six cytokines and the expressions of the three autoantibodies (P < 0.05). The levels of IL-2, IL-4, IL-21 and TNF-α and the expressions of AhCGAb and AsAb were even higher in the patients with severe IO than in those with mild or moderate IO (P < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the increased levels of IL-21/IL-10 (OR = 1.694, 95% CI: 0.319－4.035, P < 0.05) and positive expressions of AhCGAb (OR = 4.357, 95% CI: 1.204－9.426, P < 0.05) and AsAb (OR = 2.135, 95% CI: 1.902－5.429, P < 0.05) were the risk factors for IO. CONCLUSIONS: The levels of the cytokines IL-2, IL-4, IL-10, IL-21, TNF-α and IFN-γ and the expressions of the autoantibodies AhCGAb, AsAb and AoAb are significantly higher in IO patients than in normal healthy males. Quantitative analysis of cytokines and autoantibodies in the serum of IO patients may provide some valuable information for studies of the pathogenesis of male infertility.

Cross-Linked Polyphosphazene Hollow Nanosphere-Derived N/P-Doped Porous Carbon with Single Nonprecious Metal Atoms for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction.

Heteroatom-doped polymers or carbon nanospheres have attracted broad research interest. However, rational synthesis of these nanospheres with controllable properties is still a great challenge. Herein, we develop a template-free approach to construct cross-linked polyphosphazene nanospheres with tunable hollow structures. As comonomers, hexachlorocyclotriphosphazene provides N and P atoms, tannic acid can coordinate with metal ions, and the replaceable third comonomer can endow the materials with various properties. After carbonization, N/P-doped mesoporous carbon nanospheres were obtained with small particle size (≈50 nm) and high surface area (411.60 m2 g-1 ). Structural characterization confirmed uniform dispersion of the single atom transition metal sites (i.e., Co-N2 P2 ) with N and P dual coordination. Electrochemical measurements and theoretical simulations revealed the oxygen reduction reaction performance. This work provides a solution for fabricating diverse heteroatom-containing polymer nanospheres and their derived single metal atom doped carbon catalysts.

[Medication of Compound Amino Acid Capsules for obstructive azoospermia patients undergoing percutaneous epididymal sperm aspiration and intracytoplasmic sperm injection].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of Compound Amino Acid Capsules (CAAC) for obstructive azoospermia (OA) patients undergoing percutaneous epididymal sperm aspiration (PESA) and ICSI. METHODS: We retrospectively studied 134 cycles of PESA-ICSI in OA males, who were divided into a CAAC group (n = 64) and a control group (n = 70), the former, aged (32.1 ± 5.7) years, treated with CAAC for 3 months before PESA-ICSI while the latter, aged (32.3 ± 4.5) years, left untreated. We compared the rates fertilization, cleavage, high-quality embryos and blastocyst formation between the two groups of patients. RESULTS: Compared with the control, the CAAC group achieved significantly higher rates of high-quality embryos (ï¼»67.4 ± 13.8ï¼½% vs ï¼»74.3 ± 12.6ï¼½%, P < 0.05) and blastocyst formation (ï¼»60.3±14.2ï¼½% vs ï¼»66.8±14.6ï¼½%, P < 0.05), but no statistically significant differences were observed between the two groups in the ages of the males and females, number of oocytes retrieved, or the rates of fertilization and cleavage. CONCLUSIONS: Medication of Compound Amino Acid Capsules can effectively improve the rates of high-quality embryos and blastocyst formation in obstructive azoospermia patients undergoing PESA-ICSI.

[Predictive factors for clinical pregnancy in patients with nonmosaic Klinefelter's syndrome undergoing microdissection testicular sperm extraction].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the efficiency of microdissection testicular sperm extraction (micro-TESE) in male patients with nonmosaic Klinefelter's syndrome (NMKS), the outcomes of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) in their wives, and the possible predictors of clinical pregnancy. METHODS: Forty-nine males with NMKS underwent micro-TESE in our hospital from July 2016 to November 2018. We compared the age, reproductive hormone levels, and testis volume of the patients between the sperm-positive and -negative groups. We performed ICSI for the wives of the sperm-positive patients, recorded the numbers of pregnancies and births, compared the age, reproductive hormone levels and number of mature oocytes between the successful and failed ICSI groups, and analyzed the possible predictors of the results of micro-TESE and outcomes of ICSI. RESULTS: The 49 patients were aged (28.20 ± 3.52) years, all diagnosed as with 47,XXY nonmosaicism by karyotype analysis, with a testis volume of (2.95 ± 0.84) ml, a serum FSH content of (42.42 ± 14.37) IU/L, a serum LH level of (22.50 ± 8.64) IU/L, and a serum T level of (6.64 ± 4.13) nmol/L. Sperm were obtained from 32 of the patients, with a sperm retrieval rate (SRR) of 65.31%, and the wives (aged ï¼»26.79 ± 2.97ï¼½ years) of 29 of the sperm-positive males underwent ICSI, achieving a fertilization rate of (48.14 ± 27.33)%, an available embryo rate of (63.71 ± 28.90)%, a pregnancy rate of 48.28% (14/29), and a birth rate of 24.14% (7/29) up to the present time, with 7 cases awaiting delivery. The 2 cases failing to achieve pregnancy were waiting for transplantation of the frozen embryos. Logistic regression analysis showed that the preoperative serum T level of the NMKS patients had a significant predictive value for the pregnancy rate (AUC = 0.832, cut-off value = 5.17 nmol/L, P = 0.015), but not the other factors for either the SRR or the pregnancy rate. CONCLUSIONS: Sperm can be retrieved from over 60% of the NMKS patients undergoing micro-TESE, and some of them can achieve pregnancy and have their own children by ICSI. Moreover, those with a preoperative serum T level of >5.17 nmol/L are very likely to achieve clinical pregnancy after successful sperm retrieval.

[Expression of Translocator Protein in Early Brain Injury After Subarachnoid Hemorrhage in Mice].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the expression of translocator protein (TSPO) in brain tissue within 72 h after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) in mice. METHODS: Forty-four C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into two groups, 17 in the Sham group and 27 in the SAH group. SAH mice model was performed by endovascular perforation as previously described with slight modifications. Sham group mice were performed by the same method but without piercing the blood vessels. Before and 6 h, 24 h, 48 h, 72 h after modeling, the two groups were scored with modified Garcia score for neurological function. At 6 h, 24 h, 48 h, 72 h after modeling, the mice were sacrificed. Sham group mice were sacrificed at 24 h after modeling. The expression of TSPO in brain tissue was evaluated by Western blot, positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) and immunofluorescence staining. Fluorescent double staining was used to assess the relationship of TSPO and microglia. RESULTS: The neurological function scores of the SAH group mice decreased with time and then increased. The expression of TSPO in the brain tissue increased first and then decreased with time, and there was a negative correlation between them (r=-0.615 6, P < 0.01). PET-CT showed that the tracer intake of mouse brain tissue after SAH was higher than that of Sham group, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Immunofluorescence staining showed that TSPO increased in the parietal cortex and basal cortex of the SAH group. And fluorescent double staining suggested that TSPO colocalized with Iba-1 which was a specific marker of microglia. CONCLUSIONS: In the early brain injury after SAH, the expression of TSPO in brain is widely increased, and the expression level increases first and then decreases. TSPO could participate in the activation of microglia and regulate the occurrence and development of brain injury after SAH.

Structural Engineering of Luminogens with High Emission Efficiency Both in Solution and in the Solid State.

Developing molecules with high emission efficiency both in solution and the solid state is still a great challenge, since most organic luminogens are either aggregation-caused quenching or aggregation-induced emission molecules. This dilemma was overcome by integrating planar and distorted structures with long alkyl side chains to achieve DAπAD type emitters. A linear diphenyl-diacetylene core and the charge transfer effect ensure considerable planarity of these molecules in the excited state, allowing strong emission in dilute solution (quantum yield up to 98.2 %). On the other hand, intermolecular interactions of two distorted cyanostilbene units restrict molecular vibration and rotation, and long alkyl chains reduce the quenching effect of the π-π stacking to the excimer, eventually leading to strong emission in the solid state (quantum yield up to 60.7 %).