Melatonin Mitigates Atrazine-Induced Renal Tubular Epithelial Cell Senescence by Promoting Parkin-Mediated Mitophagy.

The accumulation of senescent cells in kidneys is considered to contribute to age-related diseases and organismal aging. Mitochondria are considered a regulator of cell senescence process. Atrazine as a triazine herbicide poses a threat to renal health by disrupting mitochondrial homeostasis. Melatonin plays a critical role in maintaining mitochondrial homeostasis. The present study aims to explore the mechanism by which melatonin alleviates atrazine-induced renal injury and whether parkin-mediated mitophagy contributes to mitigating cell senescence. The study found that the level of parkin was decreased after atrazine exposure and negatively correlated with senescent markers. Melatonin treatment increased serum melatonin levels and mitigates atrazine-induced renal tubular epithelial cell senescence. Mechanistically, melatonin maintains the integrity of mitochondrial crista structure by increasing the levels of mitochondrial contact site and cristae organizing system, mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM), adenosine triphosphatase family AAA domain-containing protein 3A (ATAD3A), and sorting and assembly machinery 50 (Sam50) to prevent mitochondrial DNA release and subsequent activation of cyclic guanosine 5'-monophosphate-adenosine 5'-monophosphate synthase pathway. Furthermore, melatonin activates Sirtuin 3-superoxide dismutase 2 axis to eliminate the accumulation of reactive oxygen species in the kidney. More importantly, the antisenescence role of melatonin is largely determined by the activation of parkin-dependent mitophagy. These results offer novel insights into measures against cell senescence. Parkin-mediated mitophagy is a promising drug target for alleviating renal tubular epithelial cell senescence.

Proline inhibits postharvest physiological deterioration of cassava by improving antioxidant capacity.

Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz), a crucial global tuber crop, encounters significant economic losses attributed to postharvest physiological deterioration (PPD). The PPD phenomenon in cassava is closely related to the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and amino acids play a pivotal role in regulating signaling pathways and eliminating ROS. In this study, the storage performance of eight cassava varieties were conducted. Cassava cultivar SC5 showed the best storage performance among the eight cassava varieties, but the edible cassava cultivar SC9 performed much worse. Comparative analysis of free amino acids was conducted in eight cassava varieties, revealing changes in proline, aspartic acid, histidine, glutamic acid, threonine, and serine. Exogenous supplementation of these six amino acids was performed to inhibit PPD of SC9. Proline was confirmed as the key amino acid for inhibiting PPD. Treatment with optimal exogenous proline of 5 g/L resulted in a 17.9% decrease in the deterioration rate compared to untreated cassava. Accompanied by a decrease in H2O2 content and an increase in catalase, superoxide dismutase and ascorbate peroxidase activity. Proline treatment proved to be an effective approach to alleviate cell oxidative damage, inhibit PPD in cassava, and prolong shelf life.

Self-sacrificing-induced defect enhances the oxidase-like activity of MnOOH for total antioxidant capacity evaluation.

Nanozymes is a kind of nanomaterials with enzyme catalytic properties. Compared with natural enzymes, nanozymes merge the advantages of both nanomaterials and natural enzymes, which is highly important in applications such as biosensing, clinical diagnosis, and food inspection. In this study, we prepared ß-MnOOH hexagonal nanoflakes with a high oxygen vacancy ratio by utilizing SeO2 as a sacrificial agent. The defect-rich MnOOH hexagonal nanoflakes demonstrated excellent oxidase-like activity, catalyzing the oxidation substrate in the presence of O2, thereby rapidly triggering a color reaction. Consequently, a colorimetric sensing platform was constructed to assess the total antioxidant capacity in commercial beverages. The strategy of introducing defects in situ holds great significance for the synthesis of a series of high-performance metal oxide nanozymes, driving the development of faster and more efficient biosensing and analysis methods.

Oxidized sodium alginate hydrogel-mouse nerve growth factor sustained release system promotes repair of peripheral nerve injury.

In recent years, mouse nerve growth factor (mNGF) has emerged as an important biological regulator to repair peripheral nerve injury, but its systemic application is restricted by low efficiency and large dosage requirement. These limitations prompted us to search for biomaterials that can be locally loaded. Oxidized sodium alginate hydrogel (OSA) exhibits good biocompatibility and physicochemical properties, and can be loaded with drugs to construct a sustained-release system that can act locally on nerve injury. Here, we constructed a sustained-release system of OSA-mouse nerve growth factor (mNGF), and investigated the loading and release of the drug through Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and drug release curves. In vitro and in vivo experiments showed that OSA-mNGF significantly promoted the biological activities of RSC-96 cells and facilitated the recovery from sciatic nerve crush injury in rats. This observation may be attributed to the additive effect of OSA on promoting Schwann cell biological activities or its synergistic effect of cross-activating phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) through extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK) signaling. Although the specific mechanism of OSA action needs to be explored in the future, the current results provide a valuable preliminary research basis for the clinical application of the OSA-mNGF sustained-release system for nerve repair.

Maintaining ideal cardiovascular health is associated with higher serum anti-aging protein klotho in the middle-aged and older populations.

OBJECTIVES: Maintaining ideal cardiovascular health (CVH) is believed to have potential anti-aging benefits. The American Heart Association (AHA) recently updated the "Life's Essential 8 (LE8)" metrics to measure ideal CVH, but its connection with the anti-aging protein klotho is still unclear. We aimed to explore the relationship between ideal cardiovascular health and serum anti-aging protein klotho in a nationally representative US middle-aged and older population. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study. SETTING: The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2007-2016). PARTICIPANTS: A total of 9457 middle-aged and older participants. MEASUREMENTS: Ideal CVH scores and their components were defined according to the guidelines set by the AHA. Serum klotho detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Weighted multivariable linear regression and restricted cubic spline were employed to examine the association between CVH score and klotho. Subgroup analyses were conducted, stratified by age (40-59 and 60-79), sex (Male and Female), race (Mexican American, non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black, and Others) and chronic kidney disease (Yes and No) in fully adjusted models. RESULTS: A total of 9457 middle-aged and older participants were included in this study, with a mean age of 55.27 ± 0.17 years. The mean serum klotho level in the population was 849.33 ± 5.39 pg/mL. After controlling for potential confounders, the LE8 score showed a positive correlation with serum klotho levels (ß: 1.32; 95% CI 0.73, 1.91), and a non-linear dose-response relationship was observed. Furthermore, we also discovered a positive relationship between health behaviors score and health factors score and serum klotho levels (ß: 0.48; 95% CI 0.07, 0.88 and ß: 1.05; 95% CI 0.54, 1.56, respectively), particularly a stronger correlation between health factors and serum klotho. In the subgroup analysis, we observed a significant interaction between LE8 score and sex and race. (P for interaction <0.05). CONCLUSIONS: LE8 and its subscale scores were positively associated with serum klotho levels in the middle-aged and older populations. Promoting the maintenance of ideal CVH can contribute to delaying the aging process.

Soil microbial community are more sensitive to ecological regions than cropping systems in alpine annual grassland of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

Introduction: Modern agriculture emphasizes the design of cropping systems using ecological function and production services to achieve sustainability. The functional characteristics of plants (grasses vs. legumes) affect changes in soil microbial communities that drive agroecosystem services. Information on the relationship between legume-grass mixtures and soil microorganisms in different ecological zones guides decision-making toward eco-friendly and sustainable forage production. However, it is still poorly understood how cropping patterns affect soil microbial diversity in alpine grasslands and whether this effect varies with altitude. Methods: To fill this gap in knowledge, we conducted a field study to investigate the effects of growing oats (Avena sativa L.), forage peas (Pisum sativum L.), common cornflower (Vicia sativa L.), and fava beans (Vicia faba L.) in monocultures and mixtures on the soil microbial communities in three ecological zones of the high alpine zone. Results: We found that the fungal and bacterial community structure differed among the cropping patterns, particularly the community structure of the legume mixed cropping pattern was very different from that of monocropped oats. In all ecological zones, mixed cropping significantly (p < 0.05) increased the α-diversity of the soil bacteria and fungi compared to oat monoculture. The α-diversity of the soil bacteria tended to increase with increasing elevation (MY [2,513 m] < HZ [2,661 m] < GN [3,203 m]), while the opposite was true for fungi (except for the Chao1 index in HZ, which was the lowest). Mixed cropping increased the abundance of soil fungi and bacteria across ecological zones, particularly the relative abundances of Nitrospira, Nitrososphaera, Phytophthora, and Acari. Factors affecting the bacterial community structure included the cropping pattern, the ecological zone, water content, nitrate-nitrogen, nitrate reductase, and soil capacity, whereas factors affecting fungal community structure included the cropping pattern, the ecological zone, water content, pH, microbial biomass nitrogen, and catalase. Discussion: Our study highlights the variation in soil microbial communities among different in alpine ecological regions and their resilience to cropping systems. Our results also underscore that mixed legume planting is a sustainable and effective forage management practice for the Tibetan Plateau.

Increased Cyclic Guanosine Monophosphate and Interleukin-1Beta Is Activated by Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Associated With Heart Failure in Atrial Fibrillation Patients.

Background: This study aimed to identify the association of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (GMP)-adenosine monophosphate (AMP) synthase-stimulator interferon genes (cGAS-STING) pathway with heart failure (HF) in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients. Methods: We prospectively enrolled 106 AF patients without evidence of HF. The serum levels of 2'3'-cyclic GMP-AMP (2'3'-cGAMP) and interleukin (IL)-1ß were measured by enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA). To determine the underlying mechanism, we supplemented the complex I inhibitor rotenone and the specific cGAS inhibitor RU.521 in neonatal rat ventricular cardiomyocytes. Results: During 18-month follow-up, serum concentrations of 2'3'-cGAMP (baseline 51.82 ± 11.34 pg/mL vs. follow-up 124.50 ± 75.83 pg/mL, Ppaired t < 0.01) and IL-1ß (baseline 436.07 ± 165.82 vs. follow-up 632.48 ± 119.25 ng/mL, Ppaired t < 0.01) were substantially upregulated in AF patients with HF as compared with those without HF. Furthermore, serum 2'3'-cGAMP and IL-1ß levels at 18-month follow-up were independently associated with the occurrence of HF in AF patients. Inhibition of cGAS by RU.521 effectively reversed the upregulation of 2'3'-cGAMP and STING phosphorylation induced by mitochondrial dysfunction, accompanied with inhibition of nod-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome, IL-1ß and IL-18 secretion. Conclusions: Induction of mitochondrial dysfunction causes an upregulation of 2'3'-cGAMP and activation of NLRP3 inflammasome through cGAS-STING pathway in cardiomyocytes.

Epidemiology, pathogenesis, immune evasion mechanism and vaccine development of porcine Deltacoronavirus.

Coronaviruses have been identified as pathogens of gastrointestinal and respiratory diseases in humans and various animal species. In recent years, the global spread of new coronaviruses has had profound influences for global public health and economies worldwide. As highly pathogenic zoonotic viruses, coronaviruses have become the focus of current research. Porcine Deltacoronavirus (PDCoV), an enterovirus belonging to the family of coronaviruses, has emerged on a global scale in the past decade and significantly influenced the swine industry. Moreover, PDCoV infects not only pigs but also other species, including humans, chickens and cattles, exhibiting a broad host tropism. This emphasizes the need for in-depth studies on coronaviruses to mitigate their potential threats. In this review, we provided a comprehensive summary of the current studies on PDCoV. We first reviewed the epidemiological investigations on the global prevalence and distribution of PDCoV. Then, we delved into the studies on the pathogenesis of PDCoV to understand the mechanisms how the virus impacts its hosts. Furthermore, we also presented some exploration studies on the immune evasion mechanisms of the virus to enhance the understanding of host-virus interactions. Despite current limitations in vaccine development for PDCoV, we highlighted the inhibitory effects observed with certain substances, which offers a potential direction for future research endeavors. In conclusion, this review summarized the scientific findings in epidemiology, pathogenesis, immune evasion mechanisms and vaccine development of PDCoV. The ongoing exploration of potential vaccine candidates and the insights gained from inhibitory substances have provided a solid foundation for future vaccine development to prevent and control diseases associated with PDCoV.

Mesenchymal stem cells promote ovarian reconstruction in mice.

BACKGROUND: Studies have shown that chemotherapy and radiotherapy can cause premature ovarian failure and loss of fertility in female cancer patients. Ovarian cortex cryopreservation is a good choice to preserve female fertility before cancer treatment. Following the remission of the disease, the thawed ovarian tissue can be transplanted back and restore fertility of the patient. However, there is a risk to reintroduce cancer cells in the body and leads to the recurrence of cancer. Given the low success rate of current in vitro culture techniques for obtaining mature oocytes from primordial follicles, an artificial ovary with primordial follicles may be a good way to solve this problem. METHODS: In the study, we established an artificial ovary model based on the participation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to evaluate the effect of MSCs on follicular development and oocyte maturation. P2.5 mouse ovaries were digested into single cell suspensions and mixed with bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) at a 1:1 ratio. The reconstituted ovarian model was then generated by using phytohemagglutinin. The phenotype and mechanism studies were explored by follicle counting, immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, in vitro maturation (IVM), in vitro fertilization (IVF), real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and Terminal-deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated nick end labeling(TUNEL) assay. RESULTS: Our study found that the addition of BM-MSCs to the reconstituted ovary can enhance the survival of oocytes and promote the growth and development of follicles. After transplanting the reconstituted ovaries under kidney capsules of the recipient mice, we observed normal folliculogenesis and oocyte maturation. Interestingly, we found that BM-MSCs did not contribute to the formation of follicles in ovarian aggregation, nor did they undergo proliferation during follicle growth. Instead, the cells were found to be located around growing follicles in the reconstituted ovary. When theca cells were labeled with CYP17a1, we found some overlapped staining with green fluorescent protein(GFP)-labeled BM-MSCs. The results suggest that BM-MSCs may participate in directing the differentiation of theca layer in the reconstituted ovary. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of BM-MSCs in the artificial ovary was found to promote the survival of ovarian cells, as well as facilitate follicle formation and development. Since the cells didn't proliferate in the reconstituted ovary, this discovery suggests a potential new and safe method for the application of MSCs in clinical fertility preservation by enhancing the success rate of cryo-thawed ovarian tissues after transplantation.

Genome-wide characterization of TCP family and their potential roles in abiotic stress resistance of oat (Avena sativa L.).

The TCP gene family members play multiple functions in plant growth and development and were named after the first three family members found in this family, TB1 (TEOSINTE BRANCHED 1), CYCLOIDEA (CYC), and Proliferating Cell Factor 1/2 (PCF1/2). Nitrogen (N) is a crucial element for forage yield; however, over-application of N fertilizer can increase agricultural production costs and environmental stress. Therefore, the discovery of low N tolerance genes is essential for the genetic improvement of superior oat germplasm and ecological protection. Oat (Avena sativa L.), is one of the world's staple grass forages, but no genome-wide analysis of TCP genes and their roles in low-nitrogen stress has been performed. This study identified the oat TCP gene family members using bioinformatics techniques. It analyzed their phylogeny, gene structure analysis, and expression patterns. The results showed that the AsTCP gene family includes 49 members, and most of the AsTCP-encoded proteins are neutral or acidic proteins; the phylogenetic tree classified the AsTCP gene family members into three subfamilies, and each subfamily has different conserved structural domains and functions. In addition, multiple cis-acting elements were detected in the promoter of the AsTCP genes, which were associated with abiotic stress, light response, and hormone response. The 49 AsTCP genes identified from oat were unevenly distributed on 18 oat chromosomes. The results of real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) showed that the AsTCP genes had different expression levels in various tissues under low nitrogen stress, which indicated that these genes (such as AsTCP01, AsTCP03, AsTCP22, and AsTCP38) played multiple roles in the growth and development of oat. In conclusion, this study analyzed the AsTCP gene family and their potential functions in low nitrogen stress at the genome-wide level, which lays a foundation for further analysis of the functions of AsTCP genes in oat and provides a theoretical basis for the exploration of excellent stress tolerance genes in oat. This study provides an essential basis for future in-depth studies of the TCP gene family in other oat genera and reveals new research ideas to improve gene utilization.

Folate-PEG-PROTAC Micelles for Enhancing Tumor-Specific Targeting Proteolysis In Vivo.

Proteolysis targeting chimeras (PROTACs) technology is rapidly developed as a novel and selective medicinal strategy for the degradation of cellular proteins in cancer therapy. However, the applications of PROTACs as heterobifunctional molecules are largely limited by high molecular weight, low bioavailability, poor permeability, insufficient targeting, and low efficacy in vivo. Herein, self-assembling micelles of FA-PEG-PROTAC are designed for cancer cell selective targeting and reductive-response proteolysis in tumor-bearing mice. FA-PEG-PROTAC is prepared by conjugating folic acid (FA)-PEG with EGFR-targeting PROTAC via a disulfide bond. The FA-PEG-PROTAC micelles, formed by self-assembling, are demonstrated to significantly improve tumor targeting efficacy and exhibit excellent anti-tumor efficacy in the mouse xenograft model compared to the traditional PROTACs. The strategy of applying self-assembled FA-PEG-PROTAC micelles in tumor therapy can not only improve targeted proteolysis efficiency but also broaden applications in the development of PROTAC-based drugs.

Untargeted metabolomics identifies indole-3-propionic acid to relieve Ang II-induced endothelial dysfunction in aortic dissection.

Indole-3-propionic acid (IPA), a gut microbiota-derived metabolite of tryptophan, has been proven to fulfill an essential function in cardiovascular disease (CVD) and nerve regeneration disease. However, the role of IPA in aortic dissection (AD) has not been revealed. We aimed to investigate the role of IPA in the pathogenesis of AD and the underlying mechanisms of IPA in endothelial dysfunction. Untargeted metabolomics has been employed to screen the plasma metabolic profile of AD patients in comparison with healthy individuals. Network pharmacology provides insights into the potential molecular mechanisms underlying IPA. 3-aminopropionitrile fumarate (BAPN) and angiotensin II (Ang II) were administered to induce AD in mice, while human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were employed for in vitro validation of the signaling pathways predicted by network pharmacology. A total of 224 potentially differential plasma metabolites were identified in the AD patients, with 110 up-regulated metabolites and 114 down-regulated metabolites. IPA was the most significantly decreased metabolite involved in tryptophan metabolism. Bcl2, caspase3, and AKT1 were predicted as the target genes of IPA by network pharmacology and molecular docking. IPA suppressed Ang II-induced apoptosis, intracellular ROS generation, inflammation, and endothelial tight junction (TJ) loss. Animal experiments demonstrated that administration of IPA alleviated the occurrence and severity of AD in mice. Taken together, we identified a previously unexplored association between tryptophan metabolite IPA and AD, providing a novel perspective on the underlying mechanism through which IPA mitigates endothelial dysfunction to protect against AD.

Review on mechanism and remediation strategies of dissolved oxygen abnormal in surface water.

Dissolved oxygen (DO) is an important index to evaluate the quality of surface water environments. In recent years, anomalies in DO level have emerged as a major contributor to the decline of surface water quality. These anomalies have triggered several ecological and environmental challenges such as biodiversity loss, the degradation of water environmental quality, intensification of eutrophication, and an exacerbation of the greenhouse effect. Understanding the mechanisms underlying DO anomalies and devising targeted remediation strategies holds paramount importance in the scientific pursuit of water pollution control and aquatic ecosystem restoration. We explored and summarized the fluctuations and abnormal mechanism of DO concentration in surface water, focusing on factors like oxygen solubility, reoxygenation rates, and oxygen consumption by water bodies. We compiled a range of approaches for addressing DO anomalies, including pollution source management, artificial oxygenation, and the reconfiguration of aquatic ecosystems. Ultimately, we underscored the emerging significance of monitoring and regulating DO level in surface waters. Future research in this realm should encompass the establishment of distinct quality standards for surface water, the development of a comprehensive real-time spatial monitoring system for DO levels across watersheds, and the formulation of standardized procedures and technical norms.

Comparison of Locking Plate Alone and Locking Plate Combined with 3D Printed Polymethylmethacrylate Augmentation in Treating Proximal Humerus Fractures in the Elderly.

BACKGROUND: Locking plates are widely used in open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) for proximal humeral fracture (PHF). However, the optimal surgical treatment of unstable, displaced PHF in elderly patients remains controversial. This study aimed to compare the radiological and clinical outcomes of surgical treatment of PHF in the elderly with locking plate (LP) alone and locking plate combined with 3D printed polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) prosthesis augmentation (LP-PA). METHODS: From May 2015 to April 2021, a total of 97 patients aged ≥ 60 years with acute unstable PHF who underwent osteosynthesis with either LP (46 patients) or LP-PA (51 patients) were retrospectively analyzed. For the LP-PA group, a customized proximal humeral prosthesis made of PMMA cement was intra-operatively fabricated by a three-dimensional (3D) printed prototype mold for the humeral medial support. Radiological outcomes were analyzed by measuring the value of neck-shaft angle (NSA) and humeral head height (HHH). The clinical outcomes were evaluated using Constant-Murley Score (CMS), Disabilities of the Arm Shoulder and Hand (DASH) score, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score, and the shoulder range of motion (ROM). Pain was measured using a visual analogue scale (VAS). RESULTS: At the one-year follow-up, all fractures healed radiologically and clinically. The mean changes of NSA and HHH over the follow-up period were markedly smaller in the LP-PA group (3.8 ± 0.9° and 1.7 ± 0.3 mm) than those in the LP group (9.7 ± 2.1° and 3.2 ± 0.6 mm, both P < 0.0001). The LP-PA group also presented lower DASH score (17.1 ± 3.6), higher ASES score (89.5 ± 11.2) and better ROM in forward elevation (142 ± 26°) and external rotation (59 ± 11°) compared to the LP group (28.9 ± 4.8 for DASH score, P < 0.0001; 82.3 ± 9.0 for ASES score, P < 0.001; 129 ± 21° for forward elevation, P = 0.008; and 52 ± 9° for external rotation, P = 0.001). There was no significant difference in overall complication rate between the two groups, although the complication rate of screw perforation was higher in the LP-PA group (P = 0.172). CONCLUSIONS: For PHF in elderly patients, the combination of LP fixation and PMMA prosthesis augmentation effectively improved humeral head support and reduction maintenance, providing satisfactory outcomes both radiologically and clinically. This technique also reduced the incidence of screw perforation associated with plate fixation alone, making it a reasonable option to ensure satisfactory clinical outcomes.

Role of Type VI secretion system in pathogenic remodeling of host gut microbiota during Aeromonas veronii infection.

Intestinal microbial disturbance is a direct cause of host disease. The bacterial Type VI secretion system (T6SS) often plays a crucial role in the fitness of pathogenic bacteria by delivering toxic effectors into target cells. However, its impact on the gut microbiota and host pathogenesis is poorly understood. To address this question, we characterized a new T6SS in the pathogenic Aeromonas veronii C4. First, we validated the secretion function of the core machinery of A. veronii C4 T6SS. Second, we found that the pathogenesis and colonization of A. veronii C4 is largely dependent on its T6SS. The effector secretion activity of A. veronii C4 T6SS not only provides an advantage in competition among bacteria in vitro, but also contributes to occupation of an ecological niche in the nutritionally deficient and anaerobic environment of the host intestine. Metagenomic analysis showed that the T6SS directly inhibits or eliminates symbiotic strains from the intestine, resulting in dysregulated gut microbiome homeostasis. In addition, we identified three unknown effectors, Tse1, Tse2, and Tse3, in the T6SS, which contribute to T6SS-mediated bacterial competition and pathogenesis by impairing targeted cell integrity. Our findings highlight that T6SS can remodel the host gut microbiota by intricate interplay between T6SS-mediated bacterial competition and altered host immune responses, which synergistically promote pathogenesis of A. veronii C4. Therefore, this newly characterized T6SS could represent a general interaction mechanism between the host and pathogen, and may offer a potential therapeutic target for controlling bacterial pathogens.

Achieving Efficient Dark Blue Room-Temperature Phosphorescence with Ultra-Wide Range Tunable-Lifetime.

Tunable-lifetime room-temperature phosphorescence (RTP) materials have been widely studied due to their broad applications. However, only few reports have achieved wide-range lifetime modulation. In this work, ultra-wide range tunable-lifetime efficient dark blue RTP materials were realized by doping methyl benzoate derivatives into polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) matrix. The phosphorescence lifetimes of the doped films can be increased from 32.8 ms to 1925.8 ms. Such wide range of phosphorescence lifetime modulation is extremely rare in current reports. Moreover, the phosphorescence emission of the methyl 4-hydroxybenzoate-doped film is located in the dark blue region and the phosphorescence quantum yield reaches as high as 15.4 %, which broadens their applications in organic optoelectronic information. Further studies demonstrated that the reason for the tunable lifetime was that the magnitude of the electron-donating ability of the substituent group modulates the HOMO-LUMO and singlet-triplet energy gap of methyl benzoate derivatives, as well as the ability to non-covalent interactions with PVA. Moreover, the potential applications of luminescent displays and optical anti-counterfeiting of these high-performance dark blue RTP materials have been conducted.

Twofold rigidity activates ultralong organic high-temperature phosphorescence.

A strategy is pioneered for achieving high-temperature phosphorescence using planar rigid molecules as guests and rigid polymers as host matrix. The planar rigid configuration can resist the thermal vibration of the guest at high temperatures, and the rigidity of the matrix further enhances the high-temperature resistance of the guest. The doped materials exhibit an afterglow of 40 s at 293 K, 20 s at 373 K, 6 s at 413 K, and a 1 s afterglow at 433 K. The experimental results indicate that as the rotational ability of the groups connected to the guests gradually increases, the high-temperature phosphorescence performance of the doped materials gradually decreases. In addition, utilizing the property of doped materials that can emit phosphorescence at high temperatures and in high smoke, the attempt is made to use organic phosphorescence materials to identify rescue workers and trapped personnel in fires.

Patterns of antibiotic administration in Chinese neonates: results from a multi-center, point prevalence survey.

OBJECTIVES: In this study, we describe the patterns of antibiotic prescription for neonates based on World Health Organization's (WHO) Essential Medicines List Access, Watch, and Reserve (AWaRe), and the Management of Antibiotic Classification (MAC) Guidelines in China. METHODS: One-day point-prevalence surveys (PPS) on antimicrobial prescriptions were conducted on behalf of hospitalized neonates in China from September 1 and November 30, annually from 2017 to 2019. RESULTS: Data was collected for a total of 2674 neonatal patients from 15 hospitals in 9 provinces across China of which 1520 were newborns who received at least one antibiotic agent. A total of 1943 antibiotic prescriptions were included in the analysis. The most commonly prescribed antibiotic was meropenem (11.8%). The most common reason for prescribing antibiotic to neonates was pneumonia (44.2%). There were 419 (21.6%), 1343 (69.1%) and 6 (0.3%) antibiotic prescriptions in the Access, Watch and Reserve groups, respectively. According to MAC Guidelines in China, there were 1090 (56.1%) antibiotic agents in the Restricted and 414 (21.3%) in the Special group. CONCLUSION: Broad-spectrum antibiotics included in the Watch and Special groups were likely to be overused in Chinese neonates.

Value of serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor and glial fibrillary acidic protein for detecting depression in patients with Helicobacter pylori infection.

OBJECTIVE: Infection with helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is associated with depression, and depression can affect the outcome of H. pylori treatment. This study aimed to evaluate the value of serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) for predicting depression in H. pylori-positive patients. METHOD: A total of 82H. pylori-positive and 82H. pylori-negative patients were recruited for this study. All patients underwent neuropsychological and gastrointestinal assessments and blood sampling. BDNF and GFAP levels were measured in serum. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) model was used to determine a composite marker. RESULTS: H. pylori-positive patients showed significantly increased serum GFAP levels and significantly decreased serum BDNF levels compared to H. pylori-negative patients. Among H. pylori-positive patients, serum levels of gastrin 17 (G-17), pepsinogen (PG) I/PGII, BDNF, and GFAP, as well as Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale (GSRS) scores, were significantly correlated with Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD-24) overall scores and factor scores. Interactions between serum BDNF/GFAP and gastrointestinal serum indices or GSRS scores were significantly associated with HAMD-24 scores in H. pylori-positive patients. The LASSO model indicated that the combination of serum BDNF, GFAP, and G-17 and GSRS scores could identify H. pylori-positive patients with depression with an area under the curve of 0.879. CONCLUSION: Circulating changes in BDNF and GFAP were associated with the occurrence of depression in H. pylori-positive patients. A composite marker including neural and gastrointestinal function-related indices may be of value for identifying depression among H. pylori-positive patients.