Compound Droplet Generation by a Hybrid Microfluidic Device.

Microfluidic technology based on a compound droplet plays an increasingly significant role in different disciplines, such as genetic detection, drug transportation, and cell culture. Low-cost, stable, and rapid methods to produce compound droplets are more and more in demand. In this paper, a hybrid 3D-printed microfluidic device was designed to realize efficient fabrication of multicore compound droplets, where a first oil phase (O1) is cut by a water phase (W) to form pure O1 droplets, and then the W phase containing O1 droplets is cut by a second oil phase (O2) to generate multicore compound droplets. A series of experiments were conducted to determine the influence of the flow rate and viscosity on the formation dynamics of compound droplets. It is found that the number of inner cores is mainly affected by the W and O2 phases, and a W phase with higher viscosity and a higher flow rate is more likely to produce compound droplets with more inner cores. This work provides new insights into the formation dynamics of compound droplets and can contribute to the optimization of emulsion production.

Recommendations for the selection of nucleoside analogues as antihuman herpesvirus drugs: a real-world analysis of reported cases from the FDA adverse event reporting system.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to provide guidance for refining medication protocols, developing alternative strategies, and enhancing protection against herpesvirus infections in personalized clinical settings. METHODS: Adverse drug events (ADEs) data for anti-herpesvirus from the first quarter of 2004 to the fourth quarter of 2022 were collected from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Disproportionality analysis was performed using Reporting Odds Ratio (ROR), Proportional Reporting Ratio (PRR), and Bayesian Confidence Propagation Neural Network (BCPNN) methods for data mining. RESULTS: A total of 18,591, 24,206, 6,150, and 419 reports of ADEs associated with acyclovir (ACV), valacyclovir (VACV), ganciclovir (GCV), and famciclovir (FCV) were screened and extracted from the FAERS. In this study, the report summarized the high frequency and strong correlation of ADEs for the four drugs at the Preferred Term (PT) level. Additionally, the analysis also identified the relationship between ADEs and factors such as age, gender, and severity of outcome at the System Organ Class (SOC) level. CONCLUSION: The safety reports for the four-nucleoside analogue anti-herpesvirus drugs are diverse and interconnected. Dosing for patients with herpesvirus infections should be tailored to their specific conditions and the potential risk of disease.

SUMOylation modification of FTO facilitates oxidative damage response of arsenic by IGF2BP3 in an m6A-dependent manner.

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most common form of internal post-transcriptional methylation observed in eukaryotic mRNAs. The abnormally increased level of m6A within the cells can be catalyzed by specific demethylase fat mass and obesity-associated protein (FTO) and stay in a dynamic and reversible state. However, whether and how FTO regulates oxidative damage via m6A modification remain largely unclear. Herein, by using both in vitro and in vivo models of oxidative damage induced by arsenic, we demonstrated for the first time that exposure to arsenic caused a significant increase in SUMOylation of FTO protein, and FTO SUMOylation at lysine (K)- 216 site promoted the down-regulation of FTO expression in arsenic target organ lung, and therefore, remarkably elevating the oxidative damage via an m6A-dependent pathway by its specific m6A reader insulin-like growth factor-2 mRNA-binding protein-3 (IGF2BP3). Consequently, these findings not only reveal a novel mechanism underlying FTO-mediated oxidative damage from the perspective of m6A, but also imply that regulation of FTO SUMOylation may serve as potential approach for treatment of oxidative damage.

Semaglutide alleviates gut microbiota dysbiosis induced by a high-fat diet.

This study investigated the effects of semaglutide (Sema) on the gut microbiota of obese mice induced with high-fat diet (HFD). Male C57BL/6 J mice aged 6 weeks were enrolled and randomly distributed to four groups, which were provided with a normal control diet (NCD,NCD + Sema) and a 60% proportion of a high-fat diet (HFD,HFD + Sema), respectively. HFD was given for 10 weeks to develop an obesity model and the intervention was lasted for 18 days. The results showed semaglutide significantly reduced body weight gain, areas under the curve (AUC) of glucose tolerance test and insulin resistance test, as well as adipose tissue weight in mice. Semaglutide effectively reduced lipid deposition and lipid droplet formation in the liver of obese mice, and regulated the expression of genes related to abnormal blood glucose regulation. Additionally, semaglutide influenced the composition of gut microbiota, mitigating the microbial dysbiosis induced by a high-fat diet by impacting the diversity of the gut microbiota. After the high-fat diet intervention, certain strains such as Akkermansia, Faecalibaculum, and Allobaculum were significantly decreased, while Lachnospiraceae and Bacteroides were significantly increased. However, the application of semaglutide restored the lost flora and suppressed excessive bacterial abundance. Moreover, semaglutide increased the content of tight junction proteins and repaired the damage to intestinal barrier function caused by the high-fat diet intervention. Furthermore, correlation analysis revealed inverse relationship among Akkermansia levels and weight gain, blood glucose levels, and various obesity indicators. Correlation analysis also showed that Akkermansia level was negatively correlated with weight gain, blood glucose levels and a range of obesity indicators. This phenomenon may explain the anti-obesity effect of semaglutide, which is linked to alterations in gut microbiota, specifically an increase in the abundance of Akkermansia. In summary, our findings indicate that semaglutide has the potential to alleviate gut microbiota dysbiosis, and the gut microbiota may contribute to the obesity-related effects of this drug.

Near-infrared to visible upconversion in Tm3+ and Yb3+ codoped Lu2O3 nanocrystals synthesized by hydrothermal method.

Lutetium oxide nanocrystals codoped with Tm3+ and Yb3+ have been successfully synthesized via adjusting the pH values of the precursor solution in a hydrothermal method followed by a subsequent calcination process. The samples were systematically characterized by X-ray diffraction, field-emission scanning microscopy, Fourier transform infrared transmittance spectroscopy, and upconversion luminescent spectra. The experimental results show that the pH values of the precursor solution have great effects on the structural, morphological, and upconversion luminescent properties of Lu2O3:2%Yb3+, 0.2%Tm3+ nanocrystals. The as-formed lutetium oxide precursors could transform to cubic Lu2O3 with the same morphology and a slight shrinkage in size after a calcination process. The upconversion emission intensity of Lu2O3:2%Yb3+, 0.2%Tm3+ nanocrystals obtained from the precursor solution with pH = 9 is the strongest. The enhancement of the upconversion luminescence is suggested to be the consequence of reducing the number of OH- groups and the enlarged nanocrystals size. Strong blue and weak red emissions from the prepared nanocrystals were observed under 980 nm laser excitation, which were attributed to the 1G4 --> 3H6 and 1G4 --> 3F4 transitions of Tm3+ ion, respectively.

[Preparation of Y2O3:Er3+ by coprecipitation method and influence of initial pH on the luminescent properties].

Samples of Y2O3:1%Er were prepared by coprecipitation method and the pH value of precipitant ammonium bicarbonate was adjusted by ammonia. Results of Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR) and elemental analysis showed that the chemical construction of precursors at pH range of 8.0-9.5 had little change. By X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (XRF) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis, it was found that the pH value of precipitant had a significant impact on the content of erbium in precursor and it can influence particle size as well as its distribution of the products, both of which had important effects on the luminescent properties of the products.

Synthesis and luminescent properties of LuAG : Ce3+ transparent ceramics by solvo-thermal method.

The precursor powders of LuAG : Ce3+ transparent ceramics were synthesized by solvo-thermal method. The crystal structure and morphology of powders were analyzed by means of Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The precursor powders were sintered into transparent ceramics in vacuum and then in nitrogen without any additive. The surface morphology of the transparent unpolished ceramics was characterized using scanning electron microscopy. Some factors that affect the transparency of ceramics were discussed. The UV-Vis fluorescence excitation and emission spectra of LuAG : Ce3+ transparent ceramics were measured. The vacuum ultraviolet spectra of transparent ceramics were investigated using the synchrotron radiation as the excitation source. The excitation mechanism of Ce3+ was discussed at different excitation wavelength.

Near infrared quantum cutting in Yb3+-doped NaY(WO4)2 phosphor with a high quenching concentration.

The near infrared quantum cutting phenomenon has been demonstrated in Yb3+-doped NaY(WO4)2 phosphor. The phosphor shows intense absorptions in the range of 250-330 nm, and intense near infrared emission is obtained via cooperative energy transfer from the host to Yb3+, which involves the emission of two near infrared photons around 1000 nm from an absorbed ultraviolet photon. Decay curves of the host emission around 480 nm have been measured, and the calculated energy transfer efficiency turns out to be as high as 81.6% at 40 mol% Yb3+ doping. Besides, infrared emission intensities increase with increasing Yb3+ concentration until the doping gets larger than 40 mol%. The excellent luminescence properties of the Yb3+-doped NaY(WO4)2 phosphor demonstrate its potential application as a better quantum cutting layer to enhance the energy efficiency of solar cells.