Biodistribution and Biotoxicity Assessment of Fluorescent Conjugated Polymer Dots.

Conjugated polymer dots (Pdots) have shown potential in the biomedical fields due to their optical properties and customizable design. However, the limited research on the biotoxicity of Pdots hinders their further application and translation. Lipophilic Pdots are prone to adsorbing specific proteins, leading to targeted tissue accumulation. Therefore, lipophilic fluorescent Pdots (Bare-Pdots) are synthesized using the conjugated polymer poly[2-methoxy-5-(2'-ethylhexyloxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene] (MEH-PPV) to systematically evaluate their biodistribution and biotoxicity in stem cells, zebrafish embryos, and mice. It is observed that Bare-Pdots are readily internalized by cells and adhered to the embryonic chorion. Additionally, Bare-Pdots exhibit a distinct distribution in brown adipose tissue and heart, closely associated with phagocytosis of capillary endothelial cells involved in lipid metabolism. Notably, injection of Bare-Pdots at 5 mg kg-1 results in dysfunction of brown adipose tissue and an increased risk of obesity 90 days post-injection. Furthermore, hydrophilic COOH-Pdots and NH2-Pdots with reduced lipophilicity are synthesized using amphiphilic ligands. NH2-Pdots show similar distribution but lower biotoxicity compared to Bare-Pdots. Nevertheless, injection of COOH-Pdots at 5 mg kg-1 causes a decrease in white blood cells and renal tubular damage. These findings provide valuable insights for optimizing dosage to ensure the safe use of Pdots in preclinical applications.

In Situ Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy on Organic Mixed Ionic-Electronic Conductors: Tracking Dynamic Doping in Light-Emitting Electrochemical Cells.

In the domain of organic mixed ionic-electronic conductors (OMIECs), simultaneous transport and coupling of ionic and electronic charges are crucial for the function of electrochemical devices in organic electronics. Understanding conduction mechanisms and chemical reactions in operational devices is pivotal for performance enhancement and is necessary for the informed and systematic development of more promising materials. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is a potent tool for monitoring electrochemical evolution and dynamic doping in operational devices, offering enhanced sensitivity to subtle spectral changes. We demonstrate the utility of SERS for in situ tracking of doping in OMIECs in an organic light-emitting electrochemical cell (LEC) containing a conjugated polymer (poly[2-methoxy-5-(2-ethylhexyloxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene]; MEH-PPV), a molecular anion (lithium triflate), and an electrolyte network (poly(ethylene oxide); PEO). SERS enhancement is achieved via an interleaved layer of gold particles formed by spontaneous breakup of a deposited thin gold film. The results successfully highlight the ability of SERS to unveil time-resolved MEH-PPV doping and polaron formation, elucidating the effects of triflate ion transfer in the operating device and validating the electrochemical doping model in LECs.

Evaluation and clinical implications of interactions between compound Danshen dropping pill and warfarin associated with the epoxide hydrolase gene.

Introduction: In clinical practice, warfarin is often combined with Compound Danshen dripping pill (CDDP) for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. However, warfarin has a narrow therapeutic index, wide interindividual variability (genetic and non-genetic factors), and is susceptible to drug-drug interactions. Our previous study indicated that CDDP might interact with warfarin in individuals with the epoxide hydrolase gene (EPHX1; single-nucleotide polymorphism: rs2292566) A/A subtype. We sought to clarify the interaction between CDDP and warfarin associated with EPHX1 in a comprehensive and accurate manner. Methods: Here, EPHX1 A and EPHX1 G cell lines were established. Expression of microsomal epoxide hydrolase (mEH), vitamin K epoxide reductase (VKOR), and vitamin K-dependent clotting factors (FII, FVII, FIX, FX) was measured by western blotting upon incubation with CDDP and warfarin. mEH activity was evaluated by measuring the transformation of epoxyeicosatrienoic acids into dihydroxyeicosatrienoic acids. Then, healthy volunteers (HVs) with the EPHX1 A/A genotype were recruited and administered warfarin and CDDP to investigate the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of warfarin. Results: CDDP combined with warfarin could decrease expression of mEH and VKOR, and increase protein expression of FII, FVII, FIX, and FX, in EPHX1 A cells. CDDP could slightly influence the pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics of warfarin in HVs with the EPHX1 A/A genotype. Discussion: Rational combination of CDDP and warfarin was safe with no risk of bleeding, but the therapeutic management is also needed. The clinical study is posted in the China Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR190002434).

SynthEye: Investigating the Impact of Synthetic Data on Artificial Intelligence-assisted Gene Diagnosis of Inherited Retinal Disease.

Purpose: Rare disease diagnosis is challenging in medical image-based artificial intelligence due to a natural class imbalance in datasets, leading to biased prediction models. Inherited retinal diseases (IRDs) are a research domain that particularly faces this issue. This study investigates the applicability of synthetic data in improving artificial intelligence-enabled diagnosis of IRDs using generative adversarial networks (GANs). Design: Diagnostic study of gene-labeled fundus autofluorescence (FAF) IRD images using deep learning. Participants: Moorfields Eye Hospital (MEH) dataset of 15 692 FAF images obtained from 1800 patients with confirmed genetic diagnosis of 1 of 36 IRD genes. Methods: A StyleGAN2 model is trained on the IRD dataset to generate 512 × 512 resolution images. Convolutional neural networks are trained for classification using different synthetically augmented datasets, including real IRD images plus 1800 and 3600 synthetic images, and a fully rebalanced dataset. We also perform an experiment with only synthetic data. All models are compared against a baseline convolutional neural network trained only on real data. Main Outcome Measures: We evaluated synthetic data quality using a Visual Turing Test conducted with 4 ophthalmologists from MEH. Synthetic and real images were compared using feature space visualization, similarity analysis to detect memorized images, and Blind/Referenceless Image Spatial Quality Evaluator (BRISQUE) score for no-reference-based quality evaluation. Convolutional neural network diagnostic performance was determined on a held-out test set using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) and Cohen's Kappa (κ). Results: An average true recognition rate of 63% and fake recognition rate of 47% was obtained from the Visual Turing Test. Thus, a considerable proportion of the synthetic images were classified as real by clinical experts. Similarity analysis showed that the synthetic images were not copies of the real images, indicating that copied real images, meaning the GAN was able to generalize. However, BRISQUE score analysis indicated that synthetic images were of significantly lower quality overall than real images (P < 0.05). Comparing the rebalanced model (RB) with the baseline (R), no significant change in the average AUROC and κ was found (R-AUROC = 0.86[0.85-88], RB-AUROC = 0.88[0.86-0.89], R-k = 0.51[0.49-0.53], and RB-k = 0.52[0.50-0.54]). The synthetic data trained model (S) achieved similar performance as the baseline (S-AUROC = 0.86[0.85-87], S-k = 0.48[0.46-0.50]). Conclusions: Synthetic generation of realistic IRD FAF images is feasible. Synthetic data augmentation does not deliver improvements in classification performance. However, synthetic data alone deliver a similar performance as real data, and hence may be useful as a proxy to real data. Financial Disclosure(s): Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found after the references.

[The pathogenic role of uterine erythropoietin in a case of myomatous erythrocytosis syndrome]. / Egy myomás erythrocytosis esetrol és a méh eredetu erythropoetin fiziopatológiájáról.

We report the case of a 50-year-old woman with severe erythrocytosis and uterine leiomyoma. The suspicion of myomatous erythrocytosis syndrome was supported by erythropoietin level higher than expected. After the supravaginal hysterectomy, the patient's red cell parameters normalized and the erythropoietin level markedly decreased. The authors are discussing the physiology of uterine erythropoietin, the evaluation and differential diagnostic value of erythropoietin investigations. Orv Hetil. 2022; 163(52): 2088-2092.

Conjugated Polymers-Based Ternary Hybrid toward Unique Photophysical Properties.

The improvement of optical and optoelectronic properties of the individual poly [2-methoxy-5- (2-ethylhexyloxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene] (MEH-PPV), poly[2-methoxy-5-(3,7-dimethyl-octyloxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene]-End capped with Dimethyl phenyl (OC1C10-PPV-DMP), and poly (9,9'-di- n -octylfluorenyl-2,7-diyl) (F8) was revealed by blending them in ternary hybrid with optimal ratio (F8/2 wt.% MEH-PPV/2 wt.% OC1C10-PPV-DMP). All individual and optimal ternary solutions were prepared via the solution-blending method followed by depositing them onto glass and ITO substrates using spin-coating technique. The semi-crystalline phase of the ternary hybrid and the strong mixing between the conjugated polymers were evidenced by observing the X-ray diffraction patterns that related to F8 into the hybrid diffractogram. The optical and optoelectronic properties of all prepared thin films were investigated in terms of absorption and emission spectra, Commission International d'Eclairage (CIE) coordinates, and current-voltage (I-V) characterizations. Emission peaks at the entire range of visible spectrum can be revealed from the ternary hybrid of the three individual conjugated polymers, producing white emission as evidenced from the emission spectrum and CIE coordinates of the hybrid. Among all fabricated organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) devices, the ternary hybrid-based-OLED revealed the best performance in terms of current and turn-on voltage.

Cross-sectional study of female pelvic floor dysfunction in a Hungarian population / Noi kismedencei funkciózavarok keresztmetszeti vizsgálata magyarországi populáción.

Összefoglaló. Bevezetés és célkituzés: A noi kismedencei funkciózavarok változatos tünetekkel jelentkezhetnek, és jelentosen befolyásolják az érintettek életminoségét. Vizsgálatunk célja volt felmérni a medencefenék-diszfunkciós tüneteket és azok hatását az egyén életminoségére. Módszer: Vizsgálatunkba 203 not vontunk be. Az adatgyujtést két kérdoív, egy általunk összeállított és az Australian Pelvic Floor Questionnaire segítségével végeztük. Az adatok statisztikai elemzéséhez SPSS 20.0 rendszert használtunk. Spearman-korrelációt, khi-négyzet-próbát, Mann-Whitney-féle U-tesztet, Kruskal-Wallis-próbát és többváltozós lineáris regressziót alkalmaztunk. A szignifikanciaszintet p≤0,05 határnál állapítottuk meg. Eredmények: A hólyagdiszfunkciók gyakorisága (56,2%) szignifikáns kapcsolatot mutatott az életkor növekedésével (p<0,001), az obesitassal (p<0,001), a szülésszámmal és -móddal (p<0,001; p<0,001), az episiotomiával (p<0,001) és a prolapsusmutétekkel (p = 0,010). A süllyedéses kismedencei kórképek gyakorisága (27,1%) szignifikáns kapcsolatot mutatott az életkor növekedésével (p = 0,002), a szülésszámmal és -móddal (p<0,001; p<0,001) és a korábbi episiotomiával (p<0,001). Az analis incontinentia gyakorisága (58,9%) a magasabb testtömegindexszel (p = 0,029) volt szignifikáns kapcsolatban. Szexuális diszfunkciót (53,2%) allergia és tüdobetegségek (p = 0,048) jelenlétével kapcsolatban találtunk. A többes diszfunkció elofordulási gyakorisága az életkor növekedésével (p<0,001), az obesitassal (p = 0,043), a korábbi hysterectomiával (p = 0,046) és prolapsusmutétekkel (p<0,001) mutatott szignifikáns kapcsolatot. Minden diszfunkció esetén kimutatható volt az életminoség-romlás (hólyagfunkciók: p<0,001; bél- és székletürítési funkciók: p<0,001, hüvelyfali süllyedés: p<0,001, szexuális funkciók: p<0,001). Következtetés: Az általunk vizsgált noi populációban nagy arányban találtunk kismedencei funkciózavarokat, melyek kedvezotlen hatással voltak az érintettek életminoségére. Orv Hetil. 2021; 162(43): 1724-1731. INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD) can cause several complaints in women and has an adverse effect on the quality of life (Qol). The aim of our study was to evaluate the prevalence of pelvic floor dysfunction and its effect on Qol. METHOD: 203 women were included. We used two questionnaires, a self-constructed and the Australian Pelvic Floor Questionnaire. Statistical analysis was performed by SPSS 20.0. Spearman's correlation, chi-square, Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis tests and multivariate linear regression were used. Statistical significance was set at p≤0.05. RESULTS: There was a significant association between the prevalence of urinary incontinence (56.2%) and age (p<0.001), obesity (p<0.001), number and mode of deliveries (p<0.001; p<0.001), episiotomy (p<0.001) and pelvic organ prolapse (POP) surgery (p = 0.010); between the occurrence of POP (27.1%) and age (p = 0.002), the number and mode of deliveries (p<0.001; p<0.001) and episiotomy (p<0.001); between the prevalence of anal incontinence (58.9%) and obesity (p = 0.029); between sexual dysfunction (SD) (53.2%) and respiratory disease and allergy (p = 0.048). Multiple PFD was significantly associated with age (p<0.001), obesity (p = 0.043), hysterectomy (p = 0.046) and POP surgery (p = 0.010). There was a significant difference between women having more severe PFD than milder complaints regarding Qol (bladder p<0.001; bowel p<0.001; SD p<0.001 and POP p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Pelvic floor dysfunction was common in our study population and had a great adverse effect on Qol. Orv Hetil. 2021; 162(43): 1724-1731.

Focal Epithelial Hyperplasia.

Focal epithelial hyperplasia (FEH) or Heck's disease is a rare, benign, oral condition that is associated with infection by human papillomavirus type 13, 32 or both. The whiteish to mucosal-colored, soft, papular or nodular elevated lesions in the oral cavity are normally asymptomatic but can grow to a size or at a location where treatment is needed. The diagnosis is often based on clinical presentation and histopathology, and the HPV genotype can be determined using PCR utilizing specific primers or DNA sequencing. While FEH was reported to often affect several members of the same family and exist primarily among indigenous populations around the world, the number of reported cases within the European region is increasing. This contemporary review summarizes the main findings in relation to HPV genotypes, impact of superinfection exclusion and vaccination, transmission, diagnosis, geographical and ethnical distribution, comorbidities and treatment of FEH with an emphasis on including the most recent case reports within the field. Furthermore, we describe for the first time a FEH lesion infected with the low-risk HPV90.

Regulation of cardiovascular biology by microsomal epoxide hydrolase.

Microsomal epoxide hydrolase/epoxide hydrolase 1 (mEH/EPHX1) works in conjunction with cytochromes P450 to metabolize a variety of compounds, including xenobiotics, pharmaceuticals and endogenous lipids. mEH has been most widely studied for its role in metabolism of xenobiotic and pharmaceutical compounds where it converts hydrophobic and reactive epoxides to hydrophilic diols that are more readily excreted. Inhibition or genetic disruption of mEH can be deleterious in the face of many industrial, environmental or pharmaceutical exposures and EPHX1 polymorphisms are associated with the development of exposure-related cancers. The role of mEH in endogenous epoxy-fatty acid (EpFA) metabolism has been less well studied. In vitro, mEH metabolizes most EpFAs at a far slower rate than soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) and has thus been generally considered to exert a minor role in EpFA metabolism in vivo. Indeed, sEH inhibitors or sEH-deficiency increase EpFA levels and are protective in animal models of cardiovascular disease. Recently, however, mEH was found to have a previously unrecognized and substantial role in EpFA metabolism in vivo. While few studies have examined the role of mEH in cardiovascular homeostasis, there is now substantial evidence that mEH can regulate cardiovascular function through regulation of EpFA metabolism. The discovery of a prominent role for mEH in epoxyeicosatrienoic acid (EET) metabolism, in particular, suggests that additional studies on the role of mEH in cardiovascular biology are warranted.

Innovative Organic MEH-PPV Heterojunction Device Made by USP and PVD.

An Al/p-Si/poly[2-methoxy-5-(2-ethylhexoxy)-p-phenylenevinylene] (MEH-PPV)/Ag organic heterojunction has been prepared using homemade ultrasonic spray pyrolysis (USP) equipment for deposition of the organic thin film and physical vapor deposition (PVD) for the metallic contacts. The organic layer produced on glass was analyzed by optical and morphological methods. The bandgap of the organic thin film was found to be ~ 2.03 eV with a thickness of around 140 nm, using ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) characterization, respectively. The amorphous nature of the MEH-PPV polymer was confirmed by its x-ray diffraction pattern. To determine the electrical parameters, the heterojunction based on MEH-PPV was characterized by current-voltage (I-V) and capacitance-voltage (C-V) measurements in the dark at room temperature. The ideality factor and barrier height of the organic heterojunction were found to be 3.6 eV and 0.56 eV to 0.59 eV, respectively, with an average series resistance of 94.39 Ω, based on the I-V characteristics. The barrier height was also calculated based on the capacitance-voltage measurements, yielding slightly different results due to the applied frequencies of 10 kHz ( ϕ B = 0.50 ) and 1 MHz ( ϕ B = 0.74 ) , respectively.

Effect of the ZnO nanorods and nanotubes on the electrical and optical characteristics of organic and perovskite LEDs.

The ZnO nanostructure-based Organic LEDs and Perovskite LEDs, due to their suitable electrical and optical properties can utilize in the optoelectronic industry. A combination of the ZnO nanorods and nanotubes with various types of polymers or hybrid perovskites leads to better waveguide and transportation of carriers. Therefore, more efficient LEDs are offered to the industry. In this research, four devices, including ZnO nanorod (nanotube)/ MEH-PPV (CH3NH3PbI3) LEDs, are simulated by SIVACO TCAD software. To deeper understand the impact of applying nanorod and nanotube in hybrid heterostructures, the ab-initio study has been investigated and the electronic structure, density of state, absorption coefficient and dielectric function of these nanostructures have been scrutinized. Subsequently, the obtained data has been utilized in the Silvaco simulation part, and characteristics such as current-voltage curve, light power-voltage curve, electroluminescence (EL) spectra, and radiative recombination rate of four devices have been investigated. By employing the combination of the perovskite layer and ZnO nanotube, the turn-on voltage of simulated devices has been deceased from 13.7 V to 1.1 V. Moreover, a drastic increment in UV emission from devices based on ZnO nanotube can be seen, which stems from occurring the whispering gallery mode and low defects of nanotubes compared to nanorod. A red-shift causing by the reduction of the bandgap of nanostructures can be observed in EL spectra, too.

The Multifaceted Role of Epoxide Hydrolases in Human Health and Disease.

Epoxide hydrolases (EHs) are key enzymes involved in the detoxification of xenobiotics and biotransformation of endogenous epoxides. They catalyze the hydrolysis of highly reactive epoxides to less reactive diols. EHs thereby orchestrate crucial signaling pathways for cell homeostasis. The EH family comprises 5 proteins and 2 candidate members, for which the corresponding genes are not yet identified. Although the first EHs were identified more than 30 years ago, the full spectrum of their substrates and associated biological functions remain partly unknown. The two best-known EHs are EPHX1 and EPHX2. Their wide expression pattern and multiple functions led to the development of specific inhibitors. This review summarizes the most important points regarding the current knowledge on this protein family and highlights the particularities of each EH. These different enzymes can be distinguished by their expression pattern, spectrum of associated substrates, sub-cellular localization, and enzymatic characteristics. We also reevaluated the pathogenicity of previously reported variants in genes that encode EHs and are involved in multiple disorders, in light of large datasets that were made available due to the broad development of next generation sequencing. Although association studies underline the pleiotropic and crucial role of EHs, no data on high-effect variants are confirmed to date.

Standardized measurement in uterine ultrasonography / Standardizált mérési technika a méh ultrahang-diagnosztikájában.

Összefoglaló. Bevezetés: Jelenleg a méh méretének pontos megítélése meglehetosen szubjektív, az azt leíró ultrahangleletek igen nagy eltérést mutatnak. Számos klinikai szituációban azonban nagyon fontos az eltérések méretének, elhelyezkedésének, meghatározott anatómiai pontokhoz való viszonyának pontos leírása. Célkituzés: Célunk egy egységes mérési módszer kifejlesztése, mellyel sorvezetot adunk a vizsgálók kezébe, így csökkentve az egyéni variabilitásból adódó eltéréseket. A standardizált adatok lehetoséget adnak a szisztematikus gyujtésre, azok egységes feldolgozására, rendszerbe foglalására, tudományos értékelésére, segítséget nyújtva a mindennapi klinikai gyakorlatban és kutatásokban. Módszer: A méh általunk végzett ultrahangvizsgálatait, valamint a nemzetközi tanulmányokat alapul véve kívánunk javaslatot tenni egy egységes mérési módszer kialakítására, mellyel egyértelmu, pontos, reprodukálható adatokat kaphatunk a méhrol. Eredmények: Létrehoztunk egy standardizált paraméterekkel rendelkezo mérési eljárást Uteromap néven, melyet alkalmazva objektív méretadatokat kaphatunk a méh ultrahangvizsgálata során. Külön figyelmet fordítottunk arra, hogy az általunk létrehozni kívánt standardizált mérési eljárás alkalmas legyen minden általános, valamint speciális esetben is. A kipróbálás során a legelso 253 páciens adatait elemeztük retrospektív módon. Eredményeink szerint az idosebb életkor megnövekedett méhmagassággal és nagyobb hátsó falvastagsággal korrelált. Következtetés: Arra a következtetésre jutottunk, hogy standardizált mérési módszerünk alkalmazásával a méhrol és elváltozásairól sokkal pontosabb, objektívebb és egységesebb adatokat nyerhetünk anélkül, hogy a vizsgálathoz szükséges ido szignifikánsan hosszabb lenne. Munkánk folytatásaként minél több vizsgáló bevonásával szeretnénk a standardizált módszert a mindennapi gyakorlatra kiterjeszteni, a felmerülo igények, javaslatok alapján fejleszteni és létrehozni egy nemzetközileg elfogadott, standardizált mérési eljárást, mellyel az ultrahangvizsgálatok minoségét növelhetnénk, azzal a végso céllal, hogy javítsuk a betegek biztonságát és az ellátás eredményességét. Orv Hetil. 2020; 161(48): 2029-2036. INTRODUCTION: Currently, the accurate assessment of the size of the uterus is rather subjective as the related ultrasound findings show an immense difference. However, in several clinical situations it is crucial to accurately describe the size and location of abnormalities and their relationship to specific anatomical positions. OBJECTIVE: We aim to develop a unified measurement method that can serve as a guide for the examiners, thus reducing variances due to individual variability. Standardized data provide an opportunity for systematic collection, unified processing, systematization, and scientific evaluation, assisting in everyday clinical practice and research. METHOD: Based on our ultrasound examinations and the international studies, we propose a unified measurement method that can provide precise, accurate and reproducible data on the uterus. RESULTS: We have established a measurement procedure with standardized parameters called Uteromap, which obtained objective size data during the ultrasound examination of the uterus. Special attention was given to creating a standardized measurement procedure suitable for general and special cases, too. According to our results, older age was correlated with increased uterine height and greater posterior wall thickness. During the trial, the data of the first 253 patients were analyzed retrospectively. CONCLUSION: We concluded that our standardized measurement method could obtain more accurate, objective, and consistent data about the uterus and its lesions without significantly increasing the time of the examination. Continuing our work, we would like to extend the standardized method to everyday practice, develop and create an internationally accepted standardized measurement procedure based on the emerging needs and recommendations, with the ultimate aim of improving patient safety and effectiveness of care. Orv Hetil. 2020; 161(48): 2029-2036.

Effect of Thermal Annealing on Conformation of MEH-PPV Chains in Polymer Matrix: Coexistence of H- and J-Aggregates.

In diluted solid solution using poly(2-methoxy-5-(2-ethylhexyloxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene) (MEH-PPV) and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) or polystyrene (PS), both aggregated and extended conformations could be formed according to the weight ratio. Aggregated conformation in as-cast MEH-PPV/PMMA film presented a J-aggregate-like photoluminescence (PL) emission. After annealing at 160 °C, its PL showed characteristics of both J- and H-aggregates at the same time; however, extended conformation showed an oligomer-like emission, which was not sensitive to either measurement temperature or annealing temperature. Thus, the conformation transition between aggregated and extended is unlikely to happen in MEH-PPV/PMMA blends during thermal annealing. On the contrary, in MEH-PPV/PS blends, extended conformation dominated in as-cast film with oligomer-like emissions; after annealing at 160 °C, both J- and H- aggregate-like PL emissions were observed, indicating the conformation transitioned from extended to aggregated. Therefore, our work may suggest a new method to manipulate photophysical properties of conjugated polymers by combining appropriate host matrix and thermal annealing processes.

Effect of Donor-Acceptor Concentration Ratios on Non-Radiative Energy Transfer in Zero-Dimensional Cs4PbBr6 Perovskite/MEH-PPV Nanocomposite Thin Films.

Composite materials with different concentration ratios of a hybrid of zero-dimensional (0-D) Cs4PbBr6 perovskite, which acts as a donor (D), and poly[2-methoxy-5-(2-ethylhexyloxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene] (MEH-PPV), which acts as an acceptor (A), were successfully prepared via a solution blending method prior to being deposited onto glass substrates by a spin-coating technique. The influence of acceptor content on the structural, optical, and energy transfer properties of the donor was investigated. The perovskite nanocrystals formed thin films without any chemical interactions within a matrix of MEH-PPV in the blend. The possibility of dipole-dipole (non-radiative) energy transfer from the 0-D Cs4PbBr6 to the MEH-PPV was proven. The energy transfer parameters such as Ro (critical distance of the energy transfer), kapp (apparent quenching constant), ∅DA (quantum yield of D in the presence of A), τDA (lifetime of D in the presence of A), PDA (probability of energy transfer), η (efficiency of energy transfer), RDA (energy transfer radius), kET (energy transfer rate constant), TDR (total decay rate), Ao (critical concentration of A), and Aπ (conjugation length) were calculated based on the absorption and emission measurements.

Protein kinase Cδ mediates methamphetamine-induced dopaminergic neurotoxicity in mice via activation of microsomal epoxide hydrolase.

We previously demonstrated that activation of protein kinase Cδ (PKCδ) is critical for methamphetamine (MA)-induced dopaminergic toxicity. It was recognized that microsomal epoxide hydrolase (mEH) also induces dopaminergic neurotoxicity. It was demonstrated that inhibition of PKC modulates the expression of mEH. We investigated whether MA-induced PKCδ activation requires mEH induction in mice. MA treatment (8 mg/kg, i.p., × 4; 2 h interval) significantly enhanced the level of phosphorylated PKCδ in the striatum of wild type (WT) mice. Subsequently, treatment with MA resulted in significant increases in the expression of cleaved PKCδ and mEH. Treatment with MA resulted in enhanced interaction between PKCδ and mEH. PKCδ knockout mice exhibited significant attenuation of the enhanced mEH expression induced by MA. MA-induced hyperthermia, oxidative stress, proapoptotic potentials, and dopaminergic impairments were attenuated by PKCδ knockout or mEH knockout in mice. However, treating mEH knockout in mice with PKCδ inhibitor, rottlerin did not show any additive beneficial effects, indicating that mEH is a critical mediator of neurotoxic potential of PKCδ. Our results suggest that MA-induced PKCδ activation requires mEH induction as a downstream signaling pathway and that the modulation of the PKCδ and mEH interaction is important for the pharmacological intervention against MA-induced dopaminergic neurotoxicity.

Microemulsion-based hydrogels for enhancing epidermal/dermal deposition of topically administered 20(S)-protopanaxadiol: in vitro and in vivo evaluation studies.

BACKGROUND: 20(S)-Protopanaxadiol (20S-PPD) is a fully deglycosylated ginsenoside metabolite and has potent dermal antiaging activity. However, because of its low aqueous solubility and large molecular size, a suitable formulation strategy is required to improve its solubility and skin permeability, thereby enhancing its skin deposition. Thus, we optimized microemulsion (ME)-based hydrogel (MEH) formulations for the topical delivery of 20S-PPD. METHODS: MEs and MEHs were formulated and evaluated for their particle size distribution, morphology, drug loading capacity, and stability. Then, the deposition profiles of the selected 20S-PPD-loaded MEH formulation were studied using a hairless mouse skin model and Strat-M membrane as an artificial skin model. RESULTS: A Carbopol-based MEH system of 20S-PPD was successfully prepared with a mean droplet size of 110 nm and narrow size distribution. The formulation was stable for 56 d, and its viscosity was high enough for its topical application. It significantly enhanced the in vitro and in vivo skin deposition of 20S-PPD with no influence on its systemic absorption in hairless mice. Notably, it was found that the Strat-M membrane provided skin deposition data well correlated to those obtained from the in vitro and in vivo mouse skin studies on 20S-PPD (correlation coefficient r 2 = 0.929‒0.947). CONCLUSION: The MEH formulation developed in this study could serve as an effective topical delivery system for poorly soluble ginsenosides and their deglycosylated metabolites, including 20S-PPD.

Nanostructured Light-Emitting Polymer Thin Films and Devices Fabricated by the Environment-Friendly Push-Coating Technique.

Push-coating is a green and extremely low-cost process in which only few microliters of conjugated polymer solutions are used to produce thin films using capillary forces. Here, we adapt this fabrication technique to replicate self-assembled nanoporous structures on green and red light-emitting conjugated polymer thin films. These films display ring-like photoluminescence and are successfully integrated into polymer light-emitting devices as emitting layers. At low applied voltages, the green-emitting devices exhibit electroluminescence (EL) from hexagonally arranged nanopixel arrays resulting from a stronger electric field in the thinner areas inside the pores. By gradually increasing the voltage up to 10 V, the emission extends to the areas around the pores. At voltages higher than 10 V, a nonreversible nanopixel to nanoring-like switching of the EL can be observed. After filling the pores with a second blue-emitting conjugated polymer, voltage-dependent reversible color tuning of the EL is achieved in the nanostructured light-emitting bilayers.

Food for thought: Exploring how people think and talk about food online.

This exploratory study examined the ways in which people communicate about food online by analyzing food-related conversations on Reddit, a social news networking site. The Meaning Extraction Helper (MEH) was used to analyze 2 corpora and define central themes related to online food talk. In light of these themes, the researchers discuss socio-cultural components shaping the food conversations in our society in general as well as healthy versus unhealthy communities, and provided specific directions for future empirical research.

Influence of SiO2/TiO2 Nanocomposite on the Optoelectronic Properties of PFO/MEH-PPV-Based OLED Devices.

The influence of SiO2/TiO2 nanocomposites on the performance of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) based on poly(9,9'-di-n-octylfluorenyl-2,7-diyl) (PFO) and various amounts of poly(2-methoxy-5-(2-ethyl-hexyloxy)-1,4-phenylene-vinylene) (MEH-PPV) was investigated. Prior to the fabrication of the OLEDs on indium-tin oxide (ITO) substrates, the hybrids of PFO/MEH-PPV, in the presence and absence of the SiO2/TiO2 nanocomposites, were prepared via the solution blending technique. Improvement of the performances of the devices in the presence of the SiO2/TiO2 nanocomposites was detected. The existence of the SiO2/TiO2 nanocomposites led to better charge carrier injection and, thus, a significant reduction in the turn-on voltage of the devices. The enhancement of MEH-PPV electroluminescence peaks in the hybrids in the presence of SiO2/TiO2 nanocomposites is not only a result of the Förster resonance energy transfer, but also of hole-electron recombination, which is of greater significance. Moreover, the existence of the SiO2/TiO2 nanocomposites led to a shift of the CIE chromaticity coordinates of the devices.