Study on pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution of deoxypodophyllotoxin and its metabolites in tumour-bearing mice.

To study the pharmacokinetics of deoxypodophyllotoxin and its metabolites in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) bearing mice.Using the established LC-MS/MS method for simultaneous determination of deoxypodophyllotoxin and its three main metabolites (M1, M2 and M7) in biological samples, the concentrations of deoxypodophyllotoxin and its metabolites in plasma, tumour and major tissues of tumour-bearing mice were investigated after 6.25 and 25 mg/kg intravenous administration of deoxypodophyllotoxin.The exposure results of drug concentration showed that after intravenous injection of 6.25 and 25 mg/kg of DPT into tumour-bearing mice, the AUC ratio of DPT in tumour tissue to DPT in plasma was 4.23 and 3.80, respectively. While, the AUC ratio of metabolite M2 in tumour tissue to M2 in plasma was 0.82 and 0.76, respectively.Deoxypodophyllotoxin had higher affinity with tumour tissues than plasma, while its metabolite M2 had less affinity with tumour tissues than deoxypodophyllotoxin, but the exposure level of M2 in plasma was higher than that of deoxypodophyllotoxin. Deoxypodophyllotoxin was widely distributed in tumour-bearing mice. After intravenous injection of 25 mg/kg deoxypodophyllotoxin, the concentration of deoxypodophyllotoxin in other tissues except liver and muscle was relatively high, especially in lung, fat and reproductive organs.

BN-Embedded Cycloarenes: One-Pot Borylation Synthesis, Photoelectric Properties, and Application in Perovskite Solar Cells.

Incorporating heteroatoms, such as nitrogen, oxygen, and/or sulfur atoms, into cycloarenes can effectively regulate their molecular geometries and (opto)electronic properties. However, the rarity of cycloarenes and heterocycloarenes limits the further exploitation of their applications. Herein, we designed and synthesized the first examples of boron and nitrogen (BN)-doped cycloarenes (BN-C1 and BN-C2) via one-pot intramolecular electrophilic borylation of imine-based macrocycles. BN-C2 adopts a bowl-shaped conformation, while BN-C1 possesses a planar geometry. Accordingly, the solubility of BN-C2 was significantly improved by replacing two hexagons in BN-C1 with two N-pentagons, due to the creation of distortions away from planarity. Various experiments and theoretical calculations were carried out for heterocycloarenes BN-C1 and BN-C2, demonstrating that the incorporated BN bonds diminish the aromaticity of 1,2-azaborine units and their adjacent benzenoid rings but preserve the dominant aromatic properties of pristine kekulene. Importantly, when two additional electron-rich nitrogen atoms were introduced, the highest occupied molecular orbital energy level of BN-C2 was elaborately lifted compared with that of BN-C1. As a result, the energy-level alignment of BN-C2 with the work function of the anode and the perovskite layer was suitable. Therefore, for the first time, heterocycloarene (BN-C2) was explored as a hole-transporting layer in inverted perovskite solar cell devices, in which the power conversion efficiency reached 14.4%.

Full recovery after prolonged resuscitation in a pediatric patient due to fulminant myocarditis: a case report with three-year follow-up.

BACKGROUND: Fulminant myocarditis (FM) is a common life-threatening disease in pediatric patients, which can result in sudden cardiac arrest (CA). Whether prolonged cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is beneficial to FM induced CA is unknown. CASE PRESENTATION: We reported the case of an 8-year-old child with FM. At 14:49 of the day after admission, the ECG monitoring indicated ventricular flutter. The patient was immediately given continuous external cardiac compression. Electric cardioversion (energy 30J) and electric defibrillation (energy 50 J, 100 J, 100 J) were given. Continuous chest compression was conducted until extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) successfully placed at 19:30 P.M. The total duration of CPR was 291 min. Nine days later, the ECMO was removed; and 29 days later, the patient was discharged from hospital. In the three years of follow-up, the boy showed a full recovery without neurological sequela. At present, his daily activities have returned to normal and his academic performance at school is excellent. CONCLUSIONS: Prolonged CPR can be used in FM induced in-hospital CA in pediatric patients, especially during preparation for ECMO after the failure of standard resuscitation measures.

Degree centrality and voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity in children with nocturnal enuresis: A functional MRI study.

AIM: To determine the characteristics of brain development in children with nocturnal enuresis, we investigated the intensity of functional connectivity both among the nodes in the brain network and between the two hemispheres of the brain. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-three children with nocturnal enuresis (NE) and an equal number of normal children were examined using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans. Data analysis was done via the degree centrality (DC) and voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity (VMHC) approaches. Moreover, we compared the children's psychological status by utilizing the self-concept scale. RESULTS: In four areas of the brain, the the DC values of the NE group were obviously lower than that of the normal controls. These four areas were the posterior cerebellar lobe, anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), medial frontal gyrus, and superior left temporal gyrus (P < 0.05, after correction). We also found two brain areas where the VMHC values of the NE group were obviously lower than that of the normal controls. The two groups were the cerebellar lobe and the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) [P < 0.05, after correction]. A psychological comparison between the children with NE and that in the normal group on the self-concept scale was also performed. The scores of the children with NE were lower than normal controls regarding behavior, appearance and property, anxiety, gregariousness, happiness, and satisfaction (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide evidence of the deficit of urination control in children with NE. Furthermore, through the methods of DC and VMHC, which are based on functional connectivity, it was also possible to explain why children with NE often have the concomitant symptoms of attention, control, and memory problems. The analysis of the self-concept scale suggests that children with NE lack self-confidence.

Circulating LncRNAs as Novel, Non-Invasive Biomarkers for Prenatal Detection of Fetal Congenital Heart Defects.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the clinical value of circulating long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) as biomarkers to predict fetal congenital heart defects (CHD) in pregnant women. METHODS: Differential expression of lncRNAs isolated from the plasma of pregnant women with typical fetal CHD or healthy controls was analyzed by microarray. Gene ontology (GO), pathway and network analysis were performed to study the function of the lncRNAs. Differentially expressed lncRNAs were validated in plasma samples from 62 pregnant women with typical CHD and 62 matched controls by RT-PCR. The sensitivity and specificity of each lncRNA in the diagnosis of fetal CHD was determined by ROC curve analysis. RESULTS: Microarray analysis identified 3694 up-regulated and 3919 down-regulated (fold change ≥2.0) lncRNAs. The top ten significantly differentially expressed, CHD-associated lncRNAs were validated by RT-PCR. Five significantly up-regulated or down-regulated lncRNAs were identified: ENST00000436681, ENST00000422826, AA584040, AA709223 and BX478947 with the AUC of ROC curves calculated as 0.892, 0.817, 0.755, 0.882 and 0.886, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Specific lncRNAs aberrantly expressed in the plasma of pregnant women with typical fetal CHD may play a key role in the development of CHD and may be used as novel biomarkers for prenatal diagnosis of fetal CHD.

[Intensity of functional connection between bilateral hemispheres of children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder by functional magnetic resonance imaging].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the neural mechanisms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) through analyzing the intensity of functional connection between bilateral hemispheres of children with ADHD by resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). METHODS: The approach of voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity (VMHC) was employed to analyze 31 school-age and 31 ADHD children by rs-fMRI scans. RESULTS: Positively activated brain regions were visualized when comparing ADHD and normal children, suggesting that ADHD children's VMHC scores were higher in bilateral frontal lobe (t = 5.81), bilateral occipital lobe (t = 5.82) and bilateral cerebellar posterior lobe (t = 6.17). Statistically significant differences existed between two groups (FDR correction, Q<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The increased intensity of functional connection between bilateral prefrontal lobes in children with ADHD reflects attention disorder and leads to a decline of working memory . The strengthening of bilateral occipital lobes slows down memory process. And the increased intensity of cerebellar connections may damage neural circuits and aggravate ADHD symptoms.

Effect of SCN1Aand SCN2A gene polymorphisms on the efficacy of valproic acid treatment in Chinese children with epilepsy.

OBJECTIVE: Epilepsy patients exhibit considerable differences in their response to sodium valproate (VPA) therapy, a phenomenon that might be attributed to individual genetic variances. The role of genetic variations, specifically in sodium channels encoded by SCN1A and SCN2A genes, in influencing the effectiveness of VPA in treating epilepsy is still debated. This research focuses on examining the impact of these genetic polymorphisms on the efficacy of VPA therapy among pediatric epilepsy patients in China. METHODS: Five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), including SCN1A (rs10188577, rs2298771, rs3812718) and SCN2A (rs2304016, rs17183814), were genotyped in 233 epilepsy patients undergoing VPA therapy. The associations between genotypes and the antiepileptic effects of VPA were assessed, with 128 patients categorized as VPA responders and 105 as VPA non-responders. RESULTS: In the context of VPA monotherapy, SCN1A rs2298771 and SCN2A rs17183814 were found to be significantly associated with VPA response (P< 0.05). CONCLUSION: Our study suggests the findings of this investigation indicate that the polymorphisms SCN1A rs2298771 and SCN2A rs17183814 could potentially act as predictive biomarkers for the responsiveness to VPA among Chinese epilepsy patients.

[Altered patterns of functional connectivity of posterior cingulate cortex on resting-state magnetic resonance imaging in children with attention-deficit or hyperactivity disorder].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the pathophysiological changes in the functional connectivity of posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) with other brain regions in children with attention-deficit or hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) on resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging(fMRI) and explore the neural mechanisms of ADHD at the point of relationships between brain regions. METHODS: Thirty children with ADHD from the Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from June 2008 to April 2010 and another 30 age-and-gender-matched controls from a normal primary school over the same period underwent resting-state fMRI scans. And blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) signal was acquired to calculate the functional connectivity of PCC with other brain regions controls. Significant differences of connectivity between groups were analyzed with REST software. RESULTS: The pattern of functional connectivity of PCC for the ADHD group was similar to that of the control group. Significant positive functional connectivity with PCC was observed in the default mode of network (DMN) while negative functional connectivity was present in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate, parietal cortex and basal ganglia(all P < 0.05, corrected). Compared to the controls, the ADHD group exhibited decreased positive connectivity with PCC in bilateral medial prefrontal cortex (0.07 ± 0.20 vs 0.33 ± 0.23, t = -5.47), right posterior cingulate gyrus(0.25 ± 0.28 vs 0.48 ± 0.30, t = -3.44), right inferior temporal gyrus (-0.05 ± 0.19 vs 0.22 ± 0.22, t = -4.61) and cerebellar posterior lobe (-0.04 ± 0.21 vs 0.17 ± 0.16, t = -3.99), while decreased negative functional connectivity with PCC was observed in left insula (-0.10 ± 0.26 vs -0.30 ± 0.19, t = 3.71), right inferior parietal lobule (0.02 ± 0.18 vs -0.23 ± 0.17, t = 5.20), left postcentral gyrus (0.08 ± 0.26 vs -0.17 ± 0.25, t = 4.06), left superior temporal gyrus (-0.04 ± 0.25 vs -0.27 ± 0.17, t = 4.27), right superior temporal gyrus (-0.08 ± 0.25 vs -0.31 ± 0.21, t = 3.80) and left fusiform gyrus (-0.01 ± 0.25 vs -0.18 ± 0.17, t = 3.57)(all P < 0.05, corrected). CONCLUSIONS: The connectivity of DMN between brain regions is abnormal in ADHD group. And the strengthen of negative relationship between DMN and task activated network becomes reduced. It is surmised that the decreased internal synchronization of default network and disrupted balance between DMN and prefrontal-parietal attentional networks may be important neural mechanisms of ADHD.

The study of functional connectivity of attention cognitive impairment in children with nocturnal enuresis.

We aimed to explore the brain functional connectivity mechanism of attention cognitive impairment in children with nocturnal enuresis (NE). Children with NE often show attention cognitive deficit, but its brain mechanism remains unclear. Most previous studies have only focused on a single brain region, without involving the association among brain regions. In this study, 26 NE and 26 normal children were selected. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and integrated visual and auditory continuous performance test (IVA-CPT) were performed. The 12 key brain regions of the dorsal attention network (DAN), default mode network (DMN) and ventral attention network (VAN) were selected as areas of interest, and 66 groups of functional connectivity (FC) were analysed among these 12 brain regions. The correlation between FC and IVA-CPT in the two groups was analysed. The FC values showed that the groups with significant differences between NE and normal children were lFEF-aMPFC, rFEF-lIFG, rFEF-rIPS and lAG-VFC (P < 0.05), and the FC value of lAG-VFC was positively correlated with the Full-Scale Attention Quotient (FAQ). Our results showed that attention deficit in children with NE was associated with all three networks and was relative to the FC among the three attention networks. DAN was the brain network most related to attention cognition in children with NE, and most of the brain regions with abnormal connectivity in NE were related to the prefrontal lobe. The lAG was also an important brain region in attention impairment in NE.

The Effect of Optimized Ultrafiltration on Perioperative Pulmonary Function During Cardiopulmonary Bypass in Infants Under 10 kg.

Objective: This study aims to investigate the effect of optimized ultrafiltration on perioperative electrolytes, acid-base balance, and pulmonary function during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) in infants with low body weight (under 10 kg), using traditional balanced ultrafiltration and modified ultrafiltration. Methods: A total of 30 children who underwent surgical correction for congenital heart disease in Changzhou Children's Hospital between January 2018 and December 2019 were randomly divided into two groups. In the treatment group, ultrafiltration pre-treatment was carried out with blood-containing priming fluid prior to CPB. Balanced ultrafiltration was performed during the operation, and optimized and modified ultrafiltration were conducted before closing and extubation. In the control group, traditional balanced ultrafiltration was used during the operation, and a modified ultrafiltration combination was used before closing and extubation. Indexes such as blood gas analysis and electrolytes were measured perioperatively, and pulmonary function was observed. Results: No deaths were reported in either group. The ventilator-assisted breathing time was shorter in the treatment group than in the control group (P < 0.05). The indexes of the treatment group were closer than those of the control group to the optimal physiological values. The concentrations of potassium ion (K+), lactate (Lac), and blood glucose (Glu) decreased, and there was significant difference between the two groups (P < 0.05) at the end of CPB. Hemoglobin (Hb) and hematocrit (HCT) in the treatment group increased (P < 0.01). Alveolar-arterial differences for oxygen (A-aDO2) and respiratory index (RI) increased significantly in both groups after operation. Children in the treatment group began to recover lung function earlier than children in the control group. Both A-aDO2 and RI were lower in the treatment group than in the control group at each time point after operation (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Optimizing and modifying the traditional ultrafiltration combination method can effectively shorten the ultrafiltration time, reduce the adverse impacts of the ultrafiltration technique, and improve the lung function of infants after operation.

Chrysene-Based Azahelicene π-Linker of D-π-D-Type Hole-Transporting Materials for Perovskite Solar Cells.

Chrysene is a readily available material for exploring new polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). In this study, two chrysene based azahelicenes, nine-membered BA7 and ten-membered DA6, are constructed by intermolecular oxidative annulation of 6-aminochrysene and intramolecular annulation of N6 ,N12 -bis(1-chloronaphthalen-2-yl)chrysene-6,12-diamine, respectively. The hexylated BA7 and DA6 and their brominated products were undoubtedly characterized by single crystal XRD. Subsequent amination with bis(9-methyl-9H-carbazol-3-yl)amine (BMCA) electron donor afforded D-π-D-type semiconductors BA7-BMCA and DA6-BMCA with beneficial properties to act as hole transport materials for perovskite solar cell. Compared with 19.4 % champion power conversion efficiency (PCE) of BA7-BMCA based device, a higher PCE of 20.2 % for DA6-BMCA counterpart may be attributed to its S-shaped double helicene-like linker with extended π-conjugated system.

The Cognitive Characteristics of PNE Children with Different Genders: A Resting-State fMRI Study.

OBJECTIVES: To study the brain mechanism and behavioral performance of cognitive functional differences between children with primary nocturnal enuresis (PNE) of different genders by resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) and attention behavior research. METHODS: All the children participating the test were 5-11 years old including 32 PNE children (15 boys and 17 girls) and 35 normal children (16 boys and 19 girls). They respectively went through MRI scan and the data were analyzed by the method of amplitude of low frequency fluctuation (ALFF). Then continuous performance test (CPT) was done and the correct number and reaction time were recorded. The between-group variance was analyzed by two sample t-test. RESULTS: 1. fMRI: There were no obviously different brain regions of ALFF between normal boys and girls. The brain regions which had obvious differences of ALFF between PNE boys and girls were right middle frontal gyrus, left inferior parietal lobule and right posterior cerbellar lobe. And the group of PNE boys were higher than PNE girls on all the three regions (P < 0.05). 2. CPT: The reaction time of PNE and normal boys was both lower than those of girls, but there were no obvious differences on the correct number. CONCLUSION: This study found that girls with PNE performed more obvious damages on attention, executive function and working memory than boys which might be related to the fact that girls were more likely to suffer from confidence impairment due to enuresis leading to cognitive dysfunctions. The method of ALFF based on resting-state fMRI provided a new approach for studying the cognitive characteristics of PNE children.

The brain mechanism of awakening dysfunction in children with primary nocturnal enuresis based on PVT-NAc neural pathway: a resting-state fMRI study.

Primary nocturnal enuresis (PNE) affects children's physical and mental health with a high rate. However, its neural mechanism is still unclear. Studies have found that the paraventricular thalamus (PVT) is among the key brain regions implicated with awakening regulation and its control of the transition between sleep and wakening is dependent on signaling through the PVT-nucleus accumbens (NAc) pathway. So this study analyzed the function of brain regions and their connectivity of PVT and NAc. A total of twenty-six PNE and typically developing (TD) children were involved in the study and the methods of amplitude of low frequency fluctuation (ALFF), degree centrality (DC) and functional connectivity (FC) based on resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) were used to analyze the brain functions. Results showed that there was no statistical significant difference in ALFF and DC between PNE and TD children in bilateral PVT and NAc. And there was statistical significant difference of the comparison of the FC of left PVT (lPVT) and left NAc (lNAc) between PNE and TD children. Meanwhile, there was negative correlation between awakening score and the FC of rPVT and lNAc, and no obvious correlation between awakening score and the FC of lPVT and lNAc in PNE children. Meanwhile, there was both negative correlation between awakening score and the FC of lPVT, rPTV and lNAc in TD children. Therefore, the FC between rPVT and lNAc was more reliable in assessing the degree of awakening ability in PNE children. This finding could help establish the evaluation index of PNE.

Amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation of resting-state fMRI in primary nocturnal enuresis and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and nocturnal enuresis (NE) have similar symptoms, for example, inattention and dysfunction of working memory. We investigate disorder-specific abnormal activity by using the simple resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (RS-fMRI) metric amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF). About 18 ADHD, NE, and typically developing children were examined by RS-fMRI and the child behavior checklist (CBCL) test. One-way ANOVA were used to compare the ALFF values of the three groups and post hoc was done. We conducted Pearson correlation analysis on the results of the three groups' scales with ALFF values at the discrepant brain areas after then. Significant group effect was found in the bilateral medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC), left inferior temporal gyrus (ITG), left middle temporal gyrus (MTG), cerebellum anterior lobe (CAL), and left inferior parietal lobule (IPL). There was no shared abnormal region for ADHD and NE. Specially, ADHD showed increased ALFF in the bilateral MPFC, left ITG, and CAL and showed decreased ALFF in the left MTG. The children with NE showed increased ALFF in the left IPL. This study reveals the brain mechanism of cognitive changes on ADHD and NE, which provides neuroimaging basis for behavioral differences among different diseases.

Unraveling the Structure-Property Relationship of Molecular Hole-Transporting Materials for Perovskite Solar Cells.

Clarifying the structural basis and microscopic mechanism lying behind electronic properties of molecular semiconductors is of paramount importance in further material design to enhance the performance of perovskite solar cells. In this paper, three conjugated quasilinear segments of 9,9-dimethyl-9H-fluorene, 9,9-dimethyl-2,7-diphenyl-9H-fluorene, and 2,6-diphenyldithieno[3,2-b:2',3'-d]thiophene are end-capped with two bis(4-methoxyphenyl)amino groups for structurally simple molecular semiconductors Z1, Z2, and Z3, which crystallize in the monoclinic P21/n, triclinic P1̅, and monoclinic C2/c space groups, respectively. The modes and energies of intermolecular noncovalent interactions in various closely packed dimers extracted from single crystals are computed based on the quantum theory of atoms in molecules and energy decomposition analysis. Transfer integrals, reorganization energies, and center-of-mass distances in these dimers as well as band structures of single crystals are also calculated to define the theoretical limit of hole transport and microscopic transport pictures. Joint X-ray diffraction and space-charge-limiting current measurements on solution-deposited films suggest the dominant role of crystallinity in thin-film hole mobility. Photoelectron spectroscopy and photoluminescence measurements show that an enhanced interfacial interaction between the perovskite and Z3 could attenuate the adverse impact of reducing the energetic driving force of hole extraction. Our comparative studies show that the molecular semiconductor Z3 with a properly aligned highest occupied molecular orbital energy level and a high thin-film mobility can be employed for efficient perovskite solar cells, achieving a good power conversion efficiency of 20.84%, which is even higher than that of 20.42% for the spiro-OMeTAD control.

Degree centrality of key brain regions of attention networks in children with primary nocturnal enuresis: A resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging study.

Primary nocturnal enuresis (PNE) is always associated with attention impairment, some of which even could develop to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The mechanism of attention impairment is not clear, especially lacking of objective indicators of neuroimaging. The aim of this study is to explore the possible functional imaging mechanism of impaired attention in PNE children. A total of 26 PNE children and 26 age-matched normal controls were recruited. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) was performed on these children. Degree centrality (DC) of key brain regions of DAN (lFEF, rFEF, lIFG, rIFG, lIPS, rIPS), VAN (TPJ, VFC) and DMN (PCC, aMPFC, lAG, rAG) were calculated and compared between PNE and normal children. And the correlations between DC values and attention behavioral results were measured. Compared with normal controls, PNE children exhibited lower DC value in the right frontal eye field (rFEF), left inferior parietal sulcus (lIPS), right inferior parietal sulcus (rIPS), temporal parietal junction (TPJ) and left angular gyrus (lAG). The correct number of continuous performance test (CPT) in the PNE group was significantly lower than the normal controls and there was no significant difference in the reaction time between the two groups. The correlation between DC values and attention behavioral results in PNE showed that the DC values of PCC and lAG were negatively correlated with the correct number. This work indicates that the damage of the key brain regions of DAN, VAN and DMN might be the possible functional imaging mechanism of impaired attention in children with PNE.

Chrysophanol alleviates myocardial injury in diabetic db/db mice by regulating the SIRT1/HMGB1/NF-κB signaling pathway.

Myocardial injury induced by diabetes has become an increasing health problem. Chrysophanol (CHR) has been widely studied as a potential treatment for many diseases due to its anti-inflammatory effects, but has not been investigated in regard to diabetes-induced myocardial injury. The present study evaluated the myocardial protective effects of CHR in C57BL/KsJ-db/db diabetic mice. C57BL/KsJ-db/db and C57BLKS/J mice were treated with vehicle, metformin (100 mg/kg/day) or CHR (50 or 100 mg/kg/day) for 28 days. An oral glucose tolerance test was performed to detect blood glucose levels. Blood lipids, triglycerides, total cholesterol, myocardial function-associated enzymes, namely creatine kinase (CK) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and insulin levels were analyzed. TNF-α, interleukin (IL)-1ß and IL-6 inflammatory cytokine levels in serum and myocardial tissues were determined by ELISA. Expression of silent information regulator l (SIRT1) and high mobility group box 1/NF-κB pathway-associated proteins in myocardial tissues were measured by western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry. CHR treatment at both concentrations markedly decreased blood lipid and serum insulin levels, and inhibited the myocardial enzymes CK and LDH. CHR also significantly ameliorated the cardiac pathological changes in diabetic mice. The inflammatory cytokine levels that were increased in C57BL/KsJ-db/db diabetic mice were downregulated by CHR treatment. CHR also increased SIRT1 protein expression and inhibited activation of the HMGB1/NF-κB pathway. In conclusion, the present study indicates that CHR effectively protected against diabetic myocardial injury via regulation of SIRT1 and the HMGB1/NF-κB signaling pathway.

Functional network connectivity changes in children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: A resting-state fMRI study.

The study aimed to investigate the pathologic mechanism of functional brain regions in attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) patients through making comparisons of normal and ADHD children from the perspective of the network nodes of brain network and the intensity of functional connection between bilateral of hemispheres by resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Thirty-five ADHD and forty-two children were examined by resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans. Data analysis was done via the degree centrality (DC) and voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity (VMHC) approaches. Compared with healthy subjects, the ADHD group exhibited significantly decreased DC values in the right posterior cingulate gyrus, left medial superior frontal gyrus, right inferior parietal gyrus, right middle frontal gyrus, left superior frontal gyrus and right superior frontal gyrus. Children with ADHD also exhibited some areas with increased DC values compared with healthy children. These regions included the cerebellar anterior lobe, right middle occipital cortex, left middle cingulate gyrus and right middle cingulate gyrus. VMHC analysis all revealed positive activation in a range of brain regions when comparing ADHD and normal children, suggesting that the VMHC scores of children with ADHD were higher in the bilateral superior frontal lobe, bilateral middle occipital lobe, and bilateral cerebellar anterior lobes. This work provides a new approach for examining the neural mechanisms underlying ADHD, demonstrating that the DC and VMHC methods enabled more comprehensive analysis that can be cross-checked.

Resting-state network complexity and magnitude changes in neonates with severe hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy.

Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging has revealed disrupted brain network connectivity in adults and teenagers with cerebral palsy. However, the specific brain networks implicated in neonatal cases remain poorly understood. In this study, we recruited 14 term-born infants with mild hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy and 14 term-born infants with severe hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy from Changzhou Children's Hospital, China. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data showed efficient small-world organization in whole-brain networks in both the mild and severe hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy groups. However, compared with the mild hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy group, the severe hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy group exhibited decreased local efficiency and a low clustering coefficient. The distribution of hub regions in the functional networks had fewer nodes in the severe hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy group compared with the mild hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy group. Moreover, nodal efficiency was reduced in the left rolandic operculum, left supramarginal gyrus, bilateral superior temporal gyrus, and right middle temporal gyrus. These results suggest that the topological structure of the resting state functional network in children with severe hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy is clearly distinct from that in children with mild hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, and may be associated with impaired language, motion, and cognition. These data indicate that it may be possible to make early predictions regarding brain development in children with severe hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, enabling early interventions targeting brain function. This study was approved by the Regional Ethics Review Boards of the Changzhou Children's Hospital (approval No. 2013-001) on January 31, 2013. Informed consent was obtained from the family members of the children. The trial was registered with the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (registration number: ChiCTR1800016409) and the protocol version is 1.0.

2H-Dinaphthopentacene: A Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Core for Metal-Free Organic Sensitizers in Efficient Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells.

Continuous studies on the use of a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon as the central block of an organic photosensitizer have brought forth a new opportunity toward efficiency enhancement of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs). In this paper, a nonacyclic aromatic hydrocarbon 9,19-dihydrodinaphtho[3,2,1-de:3',2',1'-op]pentacene, tethered with four 4-hexylphenyl solubilizing groups is reported. The novel chromophore 9,9-19-19-tetrakis(4-hexylphenyl)-9,19-dihydrodinaphtho[3,2,1-de:3',2',1'-op]pentacene is further functionalized with diarylamines and 4-(7-ethynylbenzo[c][1,2,5]thiadiazol-4-yl)benzoic acid to produce two donor-acceptor (D-A) organic photosensitizers, achieving good power conversion efficiencies up to 10.2% in DSCs.