Highly Wavelength-Selective Self-Powered Solar-Blind Ultraviolet Photodetector Based on Colloidal Aluminum Nitride Quantum Dots.

Colloidal quantum dots are semiconductor nanocrystals endowed with unique optoelectronic properties. A major challenge to the field is the lack of methods for synthesizing quantum dots exhibit strong photo-response in the deep-ultraviolet (DUV) band. Here, a facile solution-processed method is presented for synthesizing ultrawide bandgap aluminium nitride quantum dots (AlN QDs) showing distinguished UV-B photoluminescence. Combined with the strong optical response in solar blind band, a solution-processed, self-powered AlN-QDs/ß-Ga2O3 solar-blind photodetector is demonstrated. The photodetector is characterized with a high responsivity of 1.6 mA W-1 under 0 V bias and specific detectivity 7.60 × 10-11 Jones under 5 V bias voltage with good solar blind selectivity. Given the solution-processed capability of the devices and extraordinary properties of AlN QDs, this study anticipates the utilization of AlN QDs will open up unique opportunities for cost-effective industrial production of high-performance DUV optoelectronics for large-scale applications.

Evaluation of Effectiveness of Atorvastatin in Treating Chronic Subdural Hematoma not Requiring Surgery: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) is a chronic space-occupying lesion formed by blood accumulation between the arachnoid membrane and the dura mater. Atorvastatin is of increasing clinical interest for CSDH. We performed a meta-analysis of published randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and used objective data as the primary outcomes to provide an evidence-based analysis of the efficacy of atorvastatin for CSDH treatment. Databases of MEDLINE (via PubMed), EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Cqvip database (CQVIP), and Wanfang database were systematically searched for RCTs reporting the use of atorvastatin for CSDH treatment. Odds ratio (OR), standard mean difference (SMD), and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used as summary statistics. I-square (I2) test was performed to assess the impact of study heterogeneity on the results of the meta-analysis. Nine relevant RCTs with 611 patients were identified for inclusion in this meta-analysis. Compared to controls, atorvastatin treatment had a significantly higher effectiveness (OR: 7.41, 95% CI: 3.32-16.52, P < 0.00001, I2 = 0%), lower hematoma volume (SMD: -0.46. 95% CI: -0.71 to -0.20, P = 0.0005, I2 = 0%), higher activities of daily living-Barthel Index (ADL-BI) (SMD: 2.07, 95% CI: 1.06-3.09, P < 0.0001, I2 = 92%), and smaller Chinese stroke scale (CSS) (SMD: -1.10, 95% CI: -1.72 to -0.48, P = 0.0005, I2 = 57%). In view of these findings, we conclude that the outcomes of experimental group are superior to the control group with respect to effectiveness, hematoma volume, ADL-BI, and CSS based on nine RCTs with 611 patients. Atorvastatin is beneficial to CSDH patients without surgery.

Fucoidan alleviates doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity by inhibiting ferroptosis via Nrf2/GPX4 pathway.

Doxorubicin (Dox), a chemotherapeutic agent frequently used to treat cancer, elicits cardiotoxicity, a condition referred to as Dox-induced cardiotoxicity (DIC), and ferroptosis plays a contributory role in its pathophysiology. Fucoidan, a polysaccharide with various biological activities and safety profile, has potential therapeutic and pharmaceutical applications. This study aimed to investigate the protective effects and underlying mechanisms of fucoidan in DIC. Echocardiography, biomarkers of cardiomyocyte injury, serum creatine kinase, creatine kinase isoenzyme and lactate dehydrogenase, as well as histological staining results, revealed that fucoidan significantly reduced myocardial damage and improved cardiac function in DIC mice. Transmission electron microscopy; levels of lipid reactive oxygen species, glutathione, and malondialdehyde; ferroptosis-related markers; and regulatory factors such as glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4), transferrin receptor protein-1, ferritin heavy chain-1, heme oxygenase-1 in the heart tissue were measured to explore the effect of fucoidan on Dox-induced ferroptosis. These results suggested that fucoidan could inhibit cardiomyocyte ferroptosis caused by Dox. In vitro experiments revealed that silencing nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) in cardiomyocytes reduced the inhibitory effect of fucoidan on ferroptosis. Hence, fucoidan has the potential to ameliorate DIC by inhibiting ferroptosis via the Nrf2/GPX4 pathway.

The ZmWAKL-ZmWIK-ZmBLK1-ZmRBOH4 module provides quantitative resistance to gray leaf spot in maize.

Gray leaf spot (GLS), caused by the fungal pathogens Cercospora zeae-maydis and Cercospora zeina, is a major foliar disease of maize worldwide (Zea mays L.). Here we demonstrate that ZmWAKL encoding cell-wall-associated receptor kinase-like protein is the causative gene at the major quantitative disease resistance locus against GLS. The ZmWAKLY protein, encoded by the resistance allele, can self-associate and interact with a leucine-rich repeat immune-related kinase ZmWIK on the plasma membrane. The ZmWAKLY/ZmWIK receptor complex interacts with and phosphorylates the receptor-like cytoplasmic kinase (RLCK) ZmBLK1, which in turn phosphorylates its downstream NADPH oxidase ZmRBOH4. Upon pathogen infection, ZmWAKLY phosphorylation activity is transiently increased, initiating immune signaling from ZmWAKLY, ZmWIK, ZmBLK1 to ZmRBOH4, ultimately triggering a reactive oxygen species burst. Our study thus uncovers the role of the maize ZmWAKL-ZmWIK-ZmBLK1-ZmRBOH4 receptor/signaling/executor module in perceiving the pathogen invasion, transducing immune signals, activating defense responses and conferring increased resistance to GLS.