SLEAP: A deep learning system for multi-animal pose tracking.

The desire to understand how the brain generates and patterns behavior has driven rapid methodological innovation in tools to quantify natural animal behavior. While advances in deep learning and computer vision have enabled markerless pose estimation in individual animals, extending these to multiple animals presents unique challenges for studies of social behaviors or animals in their natural environments. Here we present Social LEAP Estimates Animal Poses (SLEAP), a machine learning system for multi-animal pose tracking. This system enables versatile workflows for data labeling, model training and inference on previously unseen data. SLEAP features an accessible graphical user interface, a standardized data model, a reproducible configuration system, over 30 model architectures, two approaches to part grouping and two approaches to identity tracking. We applied SLEAP to seven datasets across flies, bees, mice and gerbils to systematically evaluate each approach and architecture, and we compare it with other existing approaches. SLEAP achieves greater accuracy and speeds of more than 800 frames per second, with latencies of less than 3.5 ms at full 1,024 × 1,024 image resolution. This makes SLEAP usable for real-time applications, which we demonstrate by controlling the behavior of one animal on the basis of the tracking and detection of social interactions with another animal.

Room-Temperature Strong Coupling of Few-Exciton in a Monolayer WS2 with Plasmon and Dispersion Deviation.

Engineering room-temperature strong coupling of few-exciton in transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) with plasmons promises to construct compact and high-performance quantum optical devices. But it remains unimplemented due to their in-plane excitons. Here, we demonstrate the strong coupling of few-exciton within 10 in monolayer WS2 with the plasmonic mode with a large tangential component of the electric field tightly trapped around the sharp corners of an Au@Ag nanocuboid, the fewest number of excitons observed in the TMDC family so far. Furthermore, we for the first time report a significant deviation with a relative difference of up to 100.6% between the spectrum and eigenlevel splitting dispersions, which increases with decreasing coupling strength. It is also shown that the coupling strength obtained by the conventional concept of both being equal to the measured spectrum splitting is markedly overestimated. Our work enriches the understanding of strong light-matter interactions at room temperature.

Towards artificial intelligence to multi-omics characterization of tumor heterogeneity in esophageal cancer.

Esophageal cancer is a unique and complex heterogeneous malignancy, with substantial tumor heterogeneity: at the cellular levels, tumors are composed of tumor and stromal cellular components; at the genetic levels, they comprise genetically distinct tumor clones; at the phenotypic levels, cells in distinct microenvironmental niches acquire diverse phenotypic features. This heterogeneity affects almost every process of esophageal cancer progression from onset to metastases and recurrence, etc. Intertumoral and intratumoral heterogeneity are major obstacles in the treatment of esophageal cancer, but also offer the potential to manipulate the heterogeneity themselves as a new therapeutic strategy. The high-dimensional, multi-faceted characterization of genomics, epigenomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabonomics, etc. of esophageal cancer has opened novel horizons for dissecting tumor heterogeneity. Artificial intelligence especially machine learning and deep learning algorithms, are able to make decisive interpretations of data from multi-omics layers. To date, artificial intelligence has emerged as a promising computational tool for analyzing and dissecting esophageal patient-specific multi-omics data. This review provides a comprehensive review of tumor heterogeneity from a multi-omics perspective. Especially, we discuss the novel techniques single-cell sequencing and spatial transcriptomics, which have revolutionized our understanding of the cell compositions of esophageal cancer and allowed us to determine novel cell types. We focus on the latest advances in artificial intelligence in integrating multi-omics data of esophageal cancer. Artificial intelligence-based multi-omics data integration computational tools exert a key role in tumor heterogeneity assessment, which will potentially boost the development of precision oncology in esophageal cancer.

Colorectal cancer cells with high metastatic potential drive metastasis by transmitting exosomal miR-20a-3p through modulating NF1/MAPK pathway.

Cancer cells exhibit heterogenous metastatic potential, and high metastatic subclones can enhance metastatic potential of low metastatic subclones by transmitting some factors. Exosomal miRNAs play a pivotal role in the crosstalk of heterogenous metastatic subclones. This study discovered that miR-20a-3p was upregulated in colorectal adenocarcinoma (CRA), correlated with metastasis, and potentially served as a prognostic indicator for CRA. miR-20a-3p could promote the proliferation, migration and invasion of CRA cells. Interestingly, high metastatic CRA cells could promote malignant phenotypes of low metastatic CRA cells by transmitting exosomal miR-20a-3p. Mechanically, miR-20a-3p could inhibit NF1, thereby activate the RAS-mediated mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) signaling pathway to drive the metastasis of CRA. In summary, our study provided the evidence that colorectal cancer cells with high metastatic potential drive metastasis by transmitting exosomal miR-20a-3p through modulating NF1/MAPK pathway.

A Bioinspired Copper-Pair Catalyst in Metal-Organic Frameworks for Molecular Dioxygen Activation and Aerobic Oxidative C-N Coupling.

Open Cu sites were loaded to the UiO-67 metal-organic framework (MOF) skeleton by introduction of flexible Cu-binding pyridylmethylamine (pyma) side chains to the biphenyldicarboxylate linkers. Distance between Cu centers in the MOF pores was tuned by controlling the density of metal-binding side chains. "Interacted" Cu-pair or "isolated" monomeric Cu sites were achieved with high and low (pyma)Cu side chain loading, respectively. Spectroscopic and theoretical studies indicate that "interacted" Cu pairs can effectively bind and activate molecular dioxygen to form Cu2O2 clusters, which showed high catalytic activity for aerobic oxidative C-N coupling. On the contrary, MOF catalyst bearing isolated monomeric Cu sites only showed modest catalytic activity. Enhancement in catalytic performance for the Cu-pair catalyst is attributed to the remote synergistic effect of the paired Cu site, which binds molecular dioxygen and cleaves the O═O bond in a collaborative manner. This work demonstrates that noncovalently interacted metal-pair sites can effectively activate inert small molecules and promote heterogeneous catalytic processes.

Pathogenomics for accurate diagnosis, treatment, prognosis of oncology: a cutting edge overview.

The capability to gather heterogeneous data, alongside the increasing power of artificial intelligence to examine it, leading a revolution in harnessing multimodal data in the life sciences. However, most approaches are limited to unimodal data, leaving integrated approaches across modalities relatively underdeveloped in computational pathology. Pathogenomics, as an invasive method to integrate advanced molecular diagnostics from genomic data, morphological information from histopathological imaging, and codified clinical data enable the discovery of new multimodal cancer biomarkers to propel the field of precision oncology in the coming decade. In this perspective, we offer our opinions on synthesizing complementary modalities of data with emerging multimodal artificial intelligence methods in pathogenomics. It includes correlation between the pathological and genomic profile of cancer, fusion of histology, and genomics profile of cancer. We also present challenges, opportunities, and avenues for future work.

Samarium-Oxo/Hydroxy Cluster: A Solar Photocatalyst for Chemoselective Aerobic Oxidation of Thiols for Disulfide Synthesis.

Oxidation contributes as a secondary driver of the prevailing carbon emission in the chemical industries. To address this issue, photocatalytic aerobic oxidation has emerged as a promising alternative. However, the challenge of achieving satisfactory chemoselectivity and effective use of solar light has hindered progress in this area. In this context, the present study introduces a novel homogeneous photocatalyst, [Sm6O(OH)8(H2O)24]I8(H2O)8 cluster (Sm-OC), via a unique auxiliary ligand-free oxidative hydrolysis. Using Sm-OC as catalyst, a solar photocatalyzed aerobic oxidation of thiols has been developed for the synthesis of valuable disulfides. Remarkably, this catalyst manifested a significant turnover number ≥2000 under tested conditions. Sm-OC-catalyzed aerobic oxidation showcased remarkable chemoselectivity. In thiol oxidations, despite the vulnerability of disulfides toward overoxidation, overoxidized byproducts or oxidation of nontarget functional groups was not detected across all 28 tested substrates. This investigation presents the first application of a lanthanide-oxo/hydroxy cluster in photocatalysis.

CoCl2-Induced hypoxia promotes hPDLSCs osteogenic differentiation through AKT/mTOR/4EBP-1/HIF-1α signaling and facilitates the repair of alveolar bone defects.

Bone defects are characterized by a hypoxic environment, which affects bone tissue repair. However, the role of hypoxia in the repair of alveolar bone defects remains unclear. Human periodontal ligament stem cells (hPDLSCs) are high-quality seed cells for repairing alveolar bone defects, whose behavior changes under hypoxia. However, their mechanism of action is not known and needs to be elucidated. We hypothesized that hypoxia might be beneficial to alveolar bone defect repair and the osteogenic differentiation of hPDLSCs. To test this hypothesis, cobalt chloride (CoCl2) was used to create a hypoxic environment, both in vitro and in vivo. In vitro study, the best osteogenic effect was observed after 48 h of hypoxia in hPDLSCs, and the AKT/mammalian target of rapamycin/eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4e-binding protein 1 (AKT/mTOR/4EBP-1) signaling pathway was significantly upregulated. Inhibition of the AKT/mTOR/4EBP-1 signaling pathway decreased the osteogenic ability of hPDLSCs under hypoxia and hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF-1α) expression. The inhibition of HIF-1α also decreased the osteogenic capacity of hPDLSCs under hypoxia without significantly affecting the level of phosphorylation of AKT/mTOR/4EBP-1. In vitro study, Micro-CT and tissue staining results show better bone regeneration in hypoxic group than control group. These results suggested that hypoxia promoted alveolar bone defect repair and osteogenic differentiation of hPDLSCs, probably through AKT/mTOR/4EBP-1/HIF-1α signaling. These findings provided important insights into the regulatory mechanism of hypoxia in hPDLSCs and elucidated the effect of hypoxia on the healing of alveolar bone defects. This study highlighted the importance of physiological oxygen conditions for tissue engineering.

Persistent high sepsis-induced coagulopathy and sequential organ failure assessment scores can predict the 28-day mortality of patients with sepsis: A prospective study.

BACKGROUND: The performance of the sepsis-induced coagulopathy (SIC) and sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) scores in predicting the prognoses of patients with sepsis has been validated. This study aimed to investigate the time course of SIC and SOFA scores and their association with outcomes in patients with sepsis. METHODS: This prospective study enrolled 209 patients with sepsis admitted to the emergency department. The SIC and SOFA scores of the patients were assessed on days 1, 2, and 4. Patients were categorized into survivor or non-survivor groups based on their 28-day survival. We conducted a generalized estimating equation analysis to evaluate the time course of SIC and SOFA scores and the corresponding differences between the two groups. The predictive value of SIC and SOFA scores at different time points for sepsis prognosis was evaluated. RESULTS: In the non-survivor group, SIC and SOFA scores gradually increased during the first 4 days (P < 0.05). In the survivor group, the SIC and SOFA scores on day 2 were significantly higher than those on day 1 (P < 0.05); however, they decreased on day 4, dropping below the levels observed on day 1 (P < 0.05). The non-survivors showed higher SIC scores on days 2 (P < 0.05) and 4 (P < 0.001) than the survivors, whereas no significant differences were found between the two groups on day 1 (P > 0.05). The performance of SIC scores on day 4 for predicting mortality was more accurate than that on day 2, with areas under the curve of 0.749 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.674-0.823), and 0.601 (95% CI: 0.524-0.679), respectively. The SIC scores demonstrated comparable predictive accuracy for 28-day mortality to the SOFA scores on days 2 and 4. Cox proportional hazards models indicated that SIC on day 4 (hazard ratio [HR] = 3.736; 95% CI: 2.025-6.891) was an independent risk factor for 28-day mortality. CONCLUSIONS: The time course of SIC and SOFA scores differed between surviving and non-surviving patients with sepsis, and persistent high SIC and SOFA scores can predict 28-day mortality.

Modified pedicle subtraction osteotomy for osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures: a retrospective study of 104 patients.

BACKGROUND: Osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCF) caused by osteoporosis is a common clinical fracture type. There are many surgical treatment options for OVCF, but there is a lack of comparison among different options. Therefore, we counted a total of 104 cases of OVCF operations with different surgical plans, followed up the patients, and compared the surgical outcome indications before, after and during the follow-up. METHOD: 104 patients who underwent posterior osteotomy (Modified PSO, SPO, PSO, VCR) and kyphosis correction surgery at our hospital between April 2006 and August 2021 with a minimum follow-up period of 24 months were included. All cases were injuries induced by a fall incurred while standing or lifting heavy objects without high-energy trauma. The mean CT value was 71 HU, which was below 110 HU, indicating severe osteoporosis. The indications for surgery included gait disturbance due to severe pain with pseudarthrosis, increased kyphotic angle, and progressive neurological symptoms. Pre- and postoperative CL, TLK, TK, PrTK, TKmax, GK, LL, PI, SS, PT, SVA, TPA, were investigated radiologically. Additionally, We evaluated estimated blood loss, surgical time and perioperative symptom. RESULT: The results show, after operation, TLK (37.32 ± 10.61° vs. 11.01 ± 8.06°, P < 0.001), TK (35.42 ± 17.64° vs. 25.62 ± 12.24°, P < 0.001), TKmax (49.71 ± 16.32° vs. 24.12 ± 13.34°, P < 0.001), SVA (44.91 ± 48.67 vs. 23.52 ± 30.21, P = 0.013), CL (20.23 ± 13.21° vs. 11.45 ± 9.85°, P = 0.024) and TPA (27.44 ± 12.76° vs. 13.91 ± 9.24°, P = 0.009) were improved significantly in modified Pedicle subtraction osteotomy (mPSO) after operation. During follow-up, TLK (37.32 ± 10.61° vs. 13.88 ± 10.02°, P < 0.001) and TKmax (49.71 ± 16.32° vs. 24.12 ± 13.34°, P < 0.001) were improved significantly in Modified PSO group. In additon, estimated blood loss (790.0 ± 552.2 ml vs. 987.0 ± 638.5 ml, P = 0.038), time of operation (244.1 ± 63.0 min vs. 292.4 ± 87.6 min, P = 0.025) were favorable in Modified PSO group compared to control group. CONCLUSION: To conclude, mPSO could acquire a favorable degree of kyphosis correction as well as fewer follow-up complications. Compared with other surgical methods, it also has the advantages of less surgical trauma and shorter operation time. It can be an effective solution for the treatment of OVCF.

Clinical Relevance of the Variability of the Infraorbital Arterial Anatomy Evaluated by Three-Dimensional Computed Tomography.

BACKGROUND: Knowledge of the anatomy of the infraorbital artery (IOA) is crucial for the rejuvenation of the anterior medial aspect of the midface; however, studies adequately describing the anatomy of the IOA branches are lacking, and their connection with the ophthalmic artery branches remains unclear. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to elucidate the anatomical characteristics of the IOA in its deployment within the lower eyelid using three-dimensional (3D) technology, thereby offering an anatomical foundation for clinical surgical procedures. METHODS: An analysis was conducted on computed tomography scans of 132 cadaveric head sides post-contrast injection, utilizing the Mimics software for reconstruction. The study focused on examining the anastomosis of the IOA, its principal branches, and the branches emanating from the ophthalmic artery. RESULTS: The prevalence of type I IOA was observed at 38.6% (51/132), while Type II IOA was found in 61.4% (81/132) of cases. A 7.6% incidence (10/132) of IOA directly anastomosing with the angular artery was noted. The presence of palpebral branches (PIOA) was identified in 57.6% (76/132) of instances. In the lower eyelid, four distinct distribution patterns of IOA were discerned: The likelihood of Type I PIOA was 5.3%, whereas for Types IIA, IIB, and IIC PIOA, the probabilities were 8.3%, 32.6%, and 11.4%, respectively. The occurrence of the orbital branch of IOA was recorded at 41.7% (55/132). CONCLUSIONS: 3D technology can map IOA variants and identify the deployment patterns of IOA branches in the lower eyelid vascular vesicles at high resolution as a guide in clinical practice. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE IV: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

The Safety of Injections in the Infraorbital Region.

BACKGROUND:  Infraorbital filler injection is a commonly used minimally invasive cosmetic procedure on the face, which can cause vascular complications. OBJECTIVE:  In this study, we aimed to explore the anatomical structure of the infraorbital vasculature and to establish an accurate protocol for infraorbital filler injection. METHODS:  The vascular structure of the infraorbital region was evaluated in 84 hemifacial specimens using computed tomography. Four segments (P1-P4) and five sections (C1-C5) were considered. We recorded the number of identified arteries in each slice and at each location and the number of deep arteries. Furthermore, we also measured the infraorbital artery (IOA) distribution. RESULTS:  At P1-P4, the lowest number of arteries was detected in segment P4, with a 317/1727 (18.4%) and 65/338 (2.3%) probability of total and deep arterial identification, respectively. The probabilities of encountering an identified artery at the five designated locations (C1-C5) were 277/1727 (16%), 318/1727 (18.4%), 410/1727 (23.7%), 397/1727 (23%), and 325/1727 (18.8%), respectively. The probability of an IOA being identified at C2 was 68/84 (81%). CONCLUSION:  We described an effective filler injection technique in the infraorbital region to minimize the associated risks. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE IV: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

Cell type- and region-specific translatomes in an MPTP mouse model of Parkinson's disease.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the most common neurodegenerative movement disorder, characterized by the progressive loss of nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons (DANs), involving the dysregulation of both neurons and glial cells. Cell type- and region-specific gene expression profiles can provide an effective source for revealing the mechanisms of PD. In this study, we adopted the RiboTag approach to obtain cell type (DAN, microglia, astrocytes)- and brain region (substantia nigra, caudate-putamen)-specific translatomes at an early stage in an MPTP-induced mouse model of PD. Through DAN-specific translatome analysis, the glycosphingolipid biosynthetic process was identified as a significantly downregulated pathway in the MPTP-treated mice. ST8Sia6, a key downregulated gene related to glycosphingolipid biosynthesis, was confirmed to be downregulated in nigral DANs from postmortem brains of patients with PD. Specific expression of ST8Sia6 in DANs exerts anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects in MPTP-treated mice. Through cell type (microglia vs. astrocyte) and brain region (substantia nigra vs. caudate-putamen) comparisons, nigral microglia showed the most intense immune responses. Microglia and astrocytes in the substantia nigra showed similar levels of activation in interferon-related pathways and interferon gamma (IFNG) was identified as the top upstream regulator in both cell types. This work highlights that the glycosphingolipid metabolism pathway in the DAN is involved in neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration in an MPTP mouse model of PD and provides a new data source for elucidating the pathogenesis of PD.

Highly Efficient Single-Exciton Strong Coupling with Plasmons by Lowering Critical Interaction Strength at an Exceptional Point.

The single-exciton strong coupling with the localized plasmon mode (LPM) at room temperature is highly desirable for exploiting quantum technology. However, its realization has been a very low probability event due to the harsh critical conditions, severely compromising its application. Here, we present a highly efficient approach for achieving such a strong coupling by reducing the critical interaction strength at the exceptional point based upon the damping inhibition and matching of the coupled system, instead of enhancing the coupling strength to overcome the system's large damping. Experimentally, we compress the LPM's damping linewidth from about 45 nm to about 14 nm using a leaky Fabry-Perot cavity, a good match to the excitonic linewidth of about 10 nm. This method dramatically relaxes the harsh requirement in mode volume by more than an order of magnitude and allows a maximum direction angle of the exciton dipole relative to the mode field of up to around 71.9°, significantly improving the success rate of achieving the single-exciton strong coupling with LPMs from about 1% to about 80%.

Exfoliation of a Two-Dimensional Metal-Organic Framework for Enhanced Photocatalytic CO2 Reduction.

A two-dimensional metal-organic framework, FICN-12, was constructed from tris[4-(1H-pyrazole-4-yl)phenyl]amine (H3TPPA) ligands and Ni2 secondary building units. The triphenylamine moiety in the H3TPPA ligand readily absorbs UV-visible photons and sensitizes the Ni center to drive photocatalytic CO2 reduction. FICN-12 can be exfoliated into monolayer and few-layer nanosheets with a "top-down" approach, which exposes more catalytic sites and increases its catalytic activity. As a result, the nanosheets (FICN-12-MONs) showed photocatalytic CO and CH4 production rates of 121.15 and 12.17 µmol/g/h, respectively, nearly 1.4 times higher than those of bulk FICN-12.

Circulating mid-regional proadrenomedullin is a predictor of mortality in patients with COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Although there is increasing understanding of the changes in the laboratory parameters of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the correlation between circulating Mid-regional Proadrenomedullin (MR-proADM) and mortality of patients with COVID-19 is not fully understood. In this study, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the prognostic value of MR-proADM in patients with COVID-19. METHODS: The PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Wanfang, SinoMed and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) databases were searched from 1 January 2020 to 20 March 2022 for relevant literature. The Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies (QUADAS-2) was used to assess quality bias, STATA was employed to pool the effect size by a random effects model, and potential publication bias and sensitivity analyses were performed. RESULTS: 14 studies comprising 1822 patients with COVID-19 met the inclusion criteria, there were 1145 (62.8%) males and 677 (31.2%) females, and the mean age was 63.8 ± 16.1 years. The concentration of MR-proADM was compared between the survivors and non-survivors in 9 studies and the difference was significant (P < 0.01), I2 = 46%. The combined sensitivity was 0.86 [0.73-0.92], and the combined specificity was 0.78 [0.68-0.86]. We drew the summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) curve and calculated the area under curve (AUC) = 0.90 [0.87-0.92]. An increase of 1 nmol/L of MR-proADM was independently associated with a more than threefold increase in mortality (odds ratio (OR) 3.03, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.26-4.06, I2 = 0.0%, P = 0.633). The predictive value of MR-proADM for mortality was better than many other biomarkers. CONCLUSION: MR-proADM had a very good predictive value for the poor prognosis of COVID-19 patients. Increased levels of MR-proADM were independently associated with mortality in COVID-19 patients and may allow a better risk stratification.

Erector spinae muscle-based nomogram for predicting in-hospital mortality among older patients with severe community-acquired pneumonia.

BACKGROUND: No multivariable model incorporating erector spinae muscle (ESM) has been developed to predict clinical outcomes in older patients with severe community-acquired pneumonia (SCAP). This study aimed to construct a nomogram based on ESM to predict in-hospital mortality in patients with SCAP. METHODS: Patients aged ≥ 65 years with SCAP were enrolled in this prospective observational study. Least absolute selection and shrinkage operator and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to identify risk factors for in-hospital mortality. A nomogram prediction model was constructed. The predictive performance was evaluated using the concordance index (C-index), calibration curve, net reclassification improvement (NRI), integrated discrimination improvement (IDI), and decision curve analysis. RESULTS: A total of 490 patients were included, and the in-hospital mortality rate was 36.1%. The nomogram included the following independent risk factors: mean arterial pressure, peripheral capillary oxygen saturation, Glasgow Coma Scale score (GCS), lactate, lactate dehydrogenase, blood urea nitrogen levels, and ESM cross-sectional area. Incorporating ESM into the base model with other risk factors significantly improved the C-index from 0.803 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.761-0.845) to 0.836 (95% CI, 0.798-0.873), and these improvements were confirmed by category-free NRI and IDI. The ESM-based nomogram demonstrated a high level of discrimination, good calibration, and overall net benefits for predicting in-hospital mortality compared with the combination of confusion, urea, respiratory rate, blood pressure, and age ≥ 65 years (CURB-65), Pneumonia Severity Index (PSI), Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHEII), and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA). CONCLUSIONS: The proposed ESM-based nomogram for predicting in-hospital mortality among older patients with SCAP may help physicians to promptly identify patients prone to adverse outcomes. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study was registered at www.chictr.org.cn (registration number Chi CTR-2300070377).

Room-Temperature Strong Coupling Between a Single Quantum Dot and a Single Plasmonic Nanoparticle.

A single quantum dot (QD) strongly coupled with a plasmonic nanoparticle yields a promising qubit for scalable solid-state quantum information processing at room temperature. However, realizing such a strong coupling remains challenging due to the difficulty of spatial overlap of the QD excitons with the plasmonic electric fields (EFs). Here, by using a transmission electron microscope we demonstrate for the first time that this overlap can be realized by integrating a deterministic single QD with a single Au nanorod. When a wedge nanogap cavity consisting of them and the substrate is constructed, the plasmonic EFs can be more effectively "dragged" and highly confined in the QD's nanoshell where the excitons mainly reside. With these advantages, we observed the largest spectral Rabi splitting (reported so far) of ∼234 meV for a single QD strong coupling with plasmons. Our work opens a pathway to the massive construction of room-temperature strong coupling solid qubits.

Reductive Deuteration of Acyl Chlorides for the Synthesis of α,α-Dideuterio Alcohols Using SmI2 and D2O.

The synthesis of α,α-dideuterio alcohols has been achieved via single electron transfer reductive deuteration of acyl chlorides using SmI2 and D2O. This method is distinguished by its remarkable functional group tolerance and exquisite deuterium incorporation, which has also been applied to the synthesis of valuable deuterated agrochemicals and their building blocks.

Promoted CD4+ T cell-derived IFN-γ/IL-10 by photobiomodulation therapy modulates neurogenesis to ameliorate cognitive deficits in APP/PS1 and 3xTg-AD mice.

BACKGROUND: The immune system has been implicated in synaptic plasticity, inflammation, and the progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, there were few studies on improving the niche microenvironment of neural stem cells (NSCs) in the brain of AD to promote adult hippocampal neurogenesis (AHN) by regulating the function of non-parenchymal immune cells. METHODS: The lymph nodes of amyloid precursor protein/presenilin 1 (APP/PS1) and 3xTg (APP/PS1/tau) mouse models of AD were treated with photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) for 10 J/cm2 per day for 1 month (10 min for each day), T lymphocytes isolated from these two AD models were treated with PBMT for 2 J/cm2 (5 min for each time). The NSCs isolated from hippocampus of these two AD models at E14, and the cells were co-cultivated with PBMT-treated T lymphocyte conditioned medium for NSCs differentiation. RESULTS: Our results showed that PBMT treatment could promote AHN and reverse cognitive deficits in AD mouse model. The expression of interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) was upregulated in the brain of these two AD models after PBMT treated, which was induced by the activation of Janus kinase 2 (JAK2)-mediated signal transducer and activator of transcription 4 (STAT4)/STAT5 signaling pathway in CD4+ T cells. In addition, elevated CD4+ T cell levels and upregulated transforming growth factor-ß1 (TGFß1)/insulin-like growth factors-1 (IGF-1)/brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) protein expression levels were also detected in the brain. More importantly, co-cultivated the PBMT-treated T lymphocyte conditioned medium with NSCs derived from these two AD models was shown to promote NSCs differentiation, which was reflected in the upregulation of both neuronal class-III ß-tubulin (Tuj1) and postsynaptic density protein 95 (PSD95), but the effects of PBMT was blocked by reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenger or JAK2 inhibitor. CONCLUSION: Our research suggests that PBMT exerts a beneficial neurogenesis modulatory effect through activating the JAK2/STAT4/STAT5 signaling pathway to promote the expression of IFN-γ/IL-10 in non-parenchymal CD4+ T cells, induction of improvement of brain microenvironmental conditions and alleviation of cognitive deficits in APP/PS1 and 3xTg-AD mouse models.