[Short term follow-up of femoral neck dynamic cross screw system and threaded cannulated screw in the treatment of vertically unstable femoral neck fractures].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze and compare the clinical effects of femoral neck dynamic cross screw system (FNS) and cannulated screws(CS) in the treatment of vertically unstable femoral neck fractures. METHODS: The clinical data and short-term follow-up results of 40 patients with vertically unstable femoral neck fractures admitted from July 2020 to August 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. According to different internal fixation methods, 40 patients were divided into two groups, 20 cases in FNS group included 11 males and 9 females with a median of 58.5(50.3, 62.5) years old, and 20 in CS group included 9 males and 11 females with a median of 52.0(40.5, 58.0) years old. The operation time, knife edge length, blood loss and treatment cost of two gruops were observed and compared. The postoperative fracture healing and internal fixation were evaluated with X-ray imaging data, and the femoral neck shortening of the affected side was measured. The incidence of thigh irritation, the time of partial weight bearing and full weight bearing, early necrosis of femoral head, reoperation revision and Harris scores were compared between two groups. RESULTS: FNS group was followed up for 18.0(15.0, 19.0) months, CS group for 17.0(15.0, 18.8) months. There was no significant difference in operation time, incision length and blood loss between two groups(P>0.05). The cost of diagnosis and treatment in FNS group was higher than that in CS group(P<0.001). In FNS group, there was no irritation sign of the affected side thigh, while in CS group, there were 6 cases with discomfort or irritation sign of the lateral thigh(P<0.05). The average time of partial weight bearing activity in CS group was later than that in FNS group(P<0.05); However, there was no significant difference in the activity time of complete weight bearing between two groups(P=0.011>0.05). At the last follow-up, the shortened length of the affected femoral neck in CS group was greater than that in FNS group(P<0.05). There was no early necrosis of femoral head and reoperation in both groups. There was no significant difference in Harris score between two groups 12 months after operation(P>0.05). CONCLUSION: FNS treatment of vertically unstable femoral neck fractures can significantly reduce the incidence of lateral thigh irritation sign, and effectively reduce the postoperative shortening rate of vertically unstable femoral neck fractures, which can provide a relatively stable anti rotation force and anti cutting force, so that patients can go to the ground relatively early, which is conducive to the recovery of the affected hip joint function after surgery. It is a new option for the surgical treatment of vertically unstable femoral neck fractures. However, due to the high cost of treatment, In clinical practice, appropriate surgical treatment is selected according to the actual situation.

Na-mediated carbon nitride realizing CO2 photoreduction with selectivity modulation.

The depressed directional separation of photogenerated carriers and weak CO2 adsorption/activation activity are the main factors hampering the development of artificial photosynthesis. Herein, Na ions are embedded in graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) to achieve directional migration of the photogenerated electrons to Na sites, while the electron-rich Na sites enhance CO2 adsorption and activation. Na/g-C3N4 (NaCN) shows improved photocatalytic reduction activity of CO2 to CO and CH4, and under simulated sunlight irradiation, the CO yield of NaCN synthesized by embedding Na at 550°C (NaCN-550) is 371.2 µmol g-1 h-1, which is 58.9 times more than that of the monomer g-C3N4. By means of theoretical calculations and experiments including in situ fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, the mechanism is investigated. This strategy which improves carrier separation and reduces the energy barrier at the same time is important to the development of artificial photosynthesis.

Monophenyl luminescent material with dual-state emission and pH sensitivity for cell imaging.

Dual-state emission (DSE) luminescent materials are a newly discovered category of luminescent materials that exhibit efficient light emission in multiple states, including dilute solutions, highly concentrated solutions, aggregated states and solid states. These materials effectively address the aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ) observed in traditional organic luminescent materials with large conjugated planes, as well as the limitations of aggregation-induced emission (AIE) materials, which typically do not emit light in dilute solutions. The design and development of DSE luminescent materials for organelle imaging applications has attracted considerable interest. In this context, this study presents the design and synthesis of a novel luminescent compound, DMSS-AM, characterised by intramolecular hydrogen bonding and a D-π-A structure. As a monophenyl luminescent material, DMSS-AM exhibits DSE properties with fluorescence quantum yields of 22.1% in solution and 14.0% in the solid state. In particular, it exhibits unique pH-responsive properties, facilitating the targeted detection of lysosomal pH changes. Confocal laser scanning microscopy imaging of cells demonstrated that DSE emitters at both low and high concentrations do not affect image quality for bio-imaging applications. This advance is expected to significantly broaden the applicability of DSE luminescent materials in future applications.

Network Structure of Childhood Trauma, Bodily Disturbances, and Schizotypy in Schizophrenia and Nonclinical Controls.

Background and Hypothesis: Exposure to childhood trauma has been linked to the development of psychosis and bodily self-disturbances, 2 hallmarks of schizophrenia (SZ). Prior work demonstrated that bodily disturbances serve as a bridge between childhood trauma and SZ symptomatology, but the diagnostic specificity of these connections remains unknown. This study uses network analysis to bridge this gap by comparing the interplays between childhood trauma, bodily self-disturbances, and schizotypy in clinical and general populations. Study Design: Networks were constructed to examine the relationships between schizotypy (Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire; SPQ), bodily self-disturbances (Perceptual Aberration Scale; PAS), and childhood trauma (Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, CTQ) in 152 people with SZ and 162 healthy comparison participants (HC). The Fused Graphical Lasso was used to jointly estimate the networks in the 2 groups and the structure and strength of the networks were compared. Node centrality and shortest paths between CTQ, PAS, and schizotypy were examined. Study Results: When comparing SZ and HC, the network of bodily self-disturbances, childhood trauma, and schizotypy were similarly structured, but the network was significantly stronger in SZ than HC. In both groups, bodily self-disturbances were on one of the shortest paths between childhood trauma to schizotypal experiences. Conclusions: Our findings revealed reliable associations between childhood trauma, bodily self-disturbance, and schizotypy, with bodily disturbances acting as a bridge from childhood trauma to schizotypy. The elevated strength of the SZ network indicates a more highly interconnected, and therefore reactive network in which exposure to childhood trauma can more easily activate bodily disturbances and schizotypy.

Umbravirus-like RNA viruses are capable of independent systemic plant infection in the absence of encoded movement proteins.

The signature feature of all plant viruses is the encoding of movement proteins (MPs) that supports the movement of the viral genome into adjacent cells and through the vascular system. The recent discovery of umbravirus-like viruses (ULVs), some of which only encode replication-associated proteins, suggested that they, as with umbraviruses that lack encoded capsid proteins (CPs) and silencing suppressors, would require association with a helper virus to complete an infection cycle. We examined the infection properties of 2 ULVs: citrus yellow vein associated virus 1 (CY1), which only encodes replication proteins, and closely related CY2 from hemp, which encodes an additional protein (ORF5CY2) that was assumed to be an MP. We report that both CY1 and CY2 can independently infect the model plant Nicotiana benthamiana in a phloem-limited fashion when delivered by agroinfiltration. Unlike encoded MPs, ORF5CY2 was dispensable for infection of CY2, but was associated with faster symptom development. Examination of ORF5CY2 revealed features more similar to luteoviruses/poleroviruses/sobemovirus CPs than to 30K class MPs, which all share a similar single jelly-roll domain. In addition, only CY2-infected plants contained virus-like particles (VLPs) associated with CY2 RNA and ORF5CY2. CY1 RNA and a defective (D)-RNA that arises during infection interacted with host protein phloem protein 2 (PP2) in vitro and in vivo, and formed a high molecular weight complex with sap proteins in vitro that was partially resistant to RNase treatment. When CY1 was used as a virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) vector to target PP2 transcripts, CY1 accumulation was reduced in systemic leaves, supporting the usage of PP2 for systemic movement. ULVs are therefore the first plant viruses encoding replication and CPs but no MPs, and whose systemic movement relies on a host MP. This explains the lack of discernable helper viruses in many ULV-infected plants and evokes comparisons with the initial viruses transferred into plants that must have similarly required host proteins for movement.

Ellagic acid inhibits dihydrotestosterone-induced ferroptosis and promotes hair regeneration by activating the wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Androgenic alopecia (AGA) is the most prevalent form of hair loss in clinical practice and affects the physical and psychological well-being of adolescents. Paeonia lactiflora Pallas (PL), which is widely used in traditional Chinese medicine, enhances blood function and promotes hair growth, and ellagic acid (EA), a polyphenol in PL extract, shows strong antioxidant, anti-aging, and anti-inflammatory properties and also plays a role in the treatment of various skin conditions. However, its role and mechanism of action in AGA remain unclear. AIM OF THE STUDY: To determine whether EA can rescue slow hair regeneration by regulating dihydrotestosterone (DHT)-induced ferroptosis in AGA mice and clarify the effect of EA on DHT-induced ferroptosis in dermal papilla cells (DPCs). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Male C57BL/6 mice were used to establish a DHT-induced AGA mouse model, whereas DPCs were used to establish a DHT-induced cellular model. Thereafter, we investigated the therapeutic mechanism of action of EA via immunofluorescence, western blot analysis, immunohistochemistry, electron microscopy, and molecular docking. RESULTS: EA stimulated hair regeneration in mice and reversed DHT-induced increases in iron content, lipid peroxidation, and DHT-induced mitochondrial dysfunction by activating the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway. Further, ß-catenin knockdown suppressed the inhibitory effect of EA on DHT-induced ferroptosis in DPCs. CONCLUSION: EA inhibits DHT-induced ferroptosis and promotes hair regrowth in mice by activating the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway. Thus, it has potential for use as a treatment option for AGA.

Rest-activity rhythm disruption and metabolic health in schizophrenia: a cross-sectional actigraphy study of community-dwelling people living with schizophrenia and non-psychiatric comparison participants.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: People living with schizophrenia (PLWS) have increased physical comorbidities and premature mortality which may be linked to dysregulated rest-activity rhythms (RARs). This study aimed to compare RARs between PLWS and non-psychiatric comparison participants (NCs); examine the relationships of RARs with age, sleep, metabolic and physical health outcomes; and, among PLWS, relationships of RARs with illness-related factors. METHODS: The study sample included 26 PLWS and 36 NCs, assessed with wrist-worn actigraphy to compute RAR variables and general sleep variables. Participants completed assessments for clinical symptoms, physical health, sleep quality, medication use, and assays for fasting glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels. We examined group differences in RAR and sleep variables, relationships of RAR variables with metabolic and physical health measures, and, among PLWS, relationships between RAR variables and illness-related measures. RESULTS: PLWS had significantly shorter active periods, lower relative amplitude, and lower mean activity during their most active 10 hours compared to the NCs (Cohen's d=.79, .58, and .62; respectively). PLWS had poorer sleep quality, greater mean percent sleep, less wake after sleep onset, and higher total sleep time (TST) variability compared to NCs. PLWS had higher rates of antidepressant, anxiolytic, and antipsychotic medication use compared to NCs, which may have impacted sleep quality and objective sleep measures. Across both groups, more fragmented and variable RARs were associated with higher HbA1c levels (ηp2=0.10) and worse physical health (ηp2=0.21). Among PLWS, RARs were correlated with TST (rs=.789, p<0.01) and percent sleep (rs=.509, p<0.05), but not with age, sleep quality, or other illness-related factors. CONCLUSIONS: RARs provide unique information about sleep and activity for PLWS and have the potential for targeted interventions to improve metabolic health and mortality.

Co single atom coupled oxygen vacancy on W18O49 nanowires surface to construct asymmetric active site enhanced peroxymonosulfate activation.

Enhancing the activation of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) is essential for generating more reactive oxygen species in advanced oxidation process (AOPs). Nevertheless, improving PMS adsorption and expediting interfacial electron transfer to enhance reaction kinetics pose significant challenges. Herein, we construct confined W18O49 nanowires with asymmetric active centers containing Co-Vo-W (Vo: oxygen vacancy). The design incorporates surface-rich Vo and single-atom Co, and the resulting material is employed for PMS activation in water purification. By coupling unsaturated coordinated electrons in Vo with low-valence Co single atoms to construct an the "electron fountainhead", the adsorption and activation of PMS are enhanced. This results in the generation of more active free radicals (SO4•-, •OH, •O2-) and non-free radicals (1O2) for the decomposition of micropollutants. Thereinto, the degradation rate of bisphenol A (BPA) by Co-W18O49 is 32.6 times faster that of W18O49 monomer, which is also much higher than those of other transition-metal-doped W18O49 composites. This work is expected to help to elucidate the rational design and efficient PMS activation of catalysts with asymmetric active centers.

A Task-guided, Implicitly-searched and Metainitialized Deep Model for Image Fusion.

Image fusion plays a key role in a variety of multi-sensor-based vision systems, especially for enhancing visual quality and/or extracting aggregated features for perception. However, most existing methods just consider image fusion as an individual task, thus ignoring its underlying relationship with these downstream vision problems. Furthermore, designing proper fusion architectures often requires huge engineering labor. It also lacks mechanisms to improve the flexibility and generalization ability of current fusion approaches. To mitigate these issues, we establish a Task-guided, Implicit-searched and Meta-initialized (TIM) deep model to address the image fusion problem in a challenging real-world scenario. Specifically, we first propose a constrained strategy to incorporate information from downstream tasks to guide the unsupervised learning process of image fusion. Within this framework, we then design an implicit search scheme to automatically discover compact architectures for our fusion model with high efficiency. In addition, a pretext meta initialization technique is introduced to leverage divergence fusion data to support fast adaptation for different kinds of image fusion tasks. Qualitative and quantitative experimental results on different categories of image fusion problems and related downstream tasks (e.g., visual enhancement and semantic understanding) substantiate the flexibility and effectiveness of our TIM.

Ethanol extract of Eclipta prostrata induces multiple myeloma ferroptosis via Keap1/Nrf2/HO-1 axis.

BACKGROUND: Multiple myeloma (MM) is an incurable hematological malignancy with limited therapeutic efficacy. Eclipta prostrata is a traditional Chinese medicinal plant reported to possess antitumor properties. However, the effects of E. prostrata in MM have not been explored. PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to define the mechanism of the ethanol extract of E. prostrata (EEEP) in treating MM and identify its major components. METHODS: The pro-ferroptotic effects of EEEP on cell death, cell proliferation, iron accumulation, lipid peroxidation, and mitochondrial morphology were determined in RPMI-8226 and U266 cells. The expression levels of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4), and 4-hydroxynonenal (4HNE) were detected using western blotting during EEEP-mediated ferroptosis regulation. The RPMI-8226 and U266 xenograft mouse models were used to explore the in vivo anticancer effects of EEEP. Finally, high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole/time-of-flight mass spectrometry system (UPLC-Q/TOF-MS) were used to identify the major constituents of EEEP. RESULTS: EEEP inhibited MM cell growth and induced cell death in vitro and in vivo. By promoting malondialdehyde and Fe2+ accumulation, lipid peroxidation, and GSH suppression, EEEP triggers ferroptosis in MM. Mechanistically, EEEP regulates the Keap1/Nrf2/HO-1 axis and stimulates ferroptosis. EEEP-induced lipid peroxidation and malondialdehyde accumulation were blocked by the Nrf2 activator NK-252. In addition, HPLC and UPLC-Q/TOF-MS analysis elucidated the main components of EEEP, including demethylwedelolactone, wedelolactone, chlorogenic acid and apigenin, which may play important roles in the anti-tumor function of EEEP. CONCLUSION: In summary, EEEP exerts its anti-MM function by inducing MM cell death and inhibiting tumor growth in mice. We also showed that EEEP can induce lipid peroxidation and accumulation of ferrous irons in MM cells both in vivo and in vitro, leading to ferroptosis. In addition, this anti-tumor function may be achieved by the EEEP activation of Keap1/Nrf2/HO-1 axis. This is the first study to reveal that EEEP exerts anti-MM activity through the Keap1/Nrf2/HO-1-dependent ferroptosis regulatory axis, making it a promising candidate for MM treatment.

N-Cadherin Targeted Melanin Nanoparticles Reverse the Endothelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Vascular Endothelial Cells to Potentially Slow the Progression of Atherosclerosis and Cancer.

Endothelial-mesenchymal transition (EndoMT) of vascular endothelial cells has recently been considered as a key player in the early progression of a variety of vascular and nonvascular diseases, including atherosclerosis, cancer, and organ fibrosis. However, current strategies attempting to identify pharmacological inhibitors to block the regulatory pathways of EndoMT suffer from poor selectivity, unwanted side effects, and a heterogeneous response from endothelial cells with different origins. Furthermore, EndoMT inhibitors focus on preventing EndoMT, leaving the endothelial cells that have already undergone EndoMT unresolved. Here, we report the design of a simple but powerful nanoparticle system (i.e., N-cadherin targeted melanin nanoparticles) to convert cytokine-activated, mesenchymal-like endothelial cells back to their original endothelial phenotype. We term this process "Reversed EndoMT" (R-EndoMT). R-EndoMT allows the impaired endothelial barriers to recover their quiescence and intactness, with significantly reduced leukocyte and cancer cell adhesion and transmigration, which could potentially stop atheromatous plaque formation and cancer metastasis in the early stages. R-EndoMT is achieved on different endothelial cell types originating from arteries, veins, and capillaries, independent of activating cytokines. We reveal that N-cadherin targeted melanin nanoparticles reverse EndoMT by downregulating an N-cadherin dependent RhoA activation pathway. Overall, this approach offers a different prospect to treat multiple EndoMT-associated diseases by designing nanoparticles to reverse the phenotypical transition of endothelial cells.

Ge-polymer bridge waveguide for mode-locked laser pulse generation.

A Ge-polymer hybrid waveguide is sandwiched between an indium phosphide (InP) reflective gain chip and a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) to construct a laser system. The hybrid waveguide serves as a bridge between the gain chip and the fiber with tailored mode-field matching at both facets. The 50-nm amorphous Ge (α-Ge) layer shows a nonlinear absorption effect at 1550 nm. The hybrid waveguide is further verified by a femtosecond laser transmission experiment to show the pulse width compression effect. Such waveguide is then integrated inside the laser cavity as a passive saturable absorber to modulate the longitudinal modes for a pulsed output. This polymer-bridged mode-locked laser adopts an InP gain chip for compact assembly and also a FBG with a flexible length to adjust the pulse repetition rate. The mode-locked laser output around the designed 50 MHz repetition rate is demonstrated. The pulse width is measured as 147 ps, and the signal-to-noise ratio is larger than 50 dB. This work introduces a "ternary" mode-locked laser system, taking advantage of discrete photonic components bridged by a polymer-based waveguide. It also proves the feasibility of applying α-Ge films as practical and low-cost saturable absorbers in photonic devices.

Interplay between childhood trauma, bodily self-disturbances, and clinical phenomena in schizophrenia spectrum disorders: A network analysis.

BACKGROUND: Bodily self-disturbances have long been considered central to schizophrenia. Exposure to childhood trauma has been linked to the development of both psychosis and bodily self-disturbances, yet little work has examined the role of bodily self-disturbances in the relationship between childhood trauma and schizophrenia symptomatology. This study uses network analysis to bridge this gap. METHODS: Networks were constructed to examine relationships between schizophrenia symptoms (Positive and Negative Symptom Scale; PANSS), bodily self-disturbances (Perceptual Aberration Scale; PAS), and self-reported exposure to childhood trauma (Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, Short-Form; CTQ-SF) in 152 people with a schizophrenia-spectrum disorder. Shortest path and bridge analyses were conducted to assess the role of bodily self-disturbances in linking childhood trauma to schizophrenia symptomatology. Three networks were constructed: 1) PAS, childhood trauma, and PANSS sub-scale composites (positive, negative, general); 2) PAS, childhood trauma, and positive symptoms, 3) PAS, childhood trauma, and distress symptoms. RESULTS: Shortest path analysis revealed that bodily self-disturbances were on the shortest path between childhood trauma and positive and general symptoms (Network 1), between trauma and hallucinations (Network 2), and between trauma and depression (Network 3). Bodily self-disturbances were also found to serve as a bridge between childhood trauma and positive symptoms of schizophrenia, particularly delusions and hallucinations. CONCLUSIONS: Using a novel, data-driven approach, we showed that bodily self-disturbances play a key role in linking childhood trauma to positive and co-morbid affective symptoms of schizophrenia. Threat experiences (i.e., abuse) specifically relate to bodily self-disturbances and psychotic symptoms.

Semimetallic Bismuthene with Edge-Rich Dangling Bonds: Broad-Spectrum-Driven and Edge-Confined Electron Enhancement Boosting CO2 Hydrogenation Reduction.

Broad-spectrum-driven high-performance artificial photosynthesis is quite challenging. Herein, atomically ultrathin bismuthene with semimetallic properties is designed and demonstrated for broad-spectrum (ultraviolet-visible-near infrared light) (UV-vis-NIR)-driven photocatalytic CO2 hydrogenation. The trap states in the bandgap produced by edge dangling bonds prolong the lifetime of the photogenerated electrons from 90 ps in bulk Bi to 1650 ps in bismuthine, and excited-state electrons are enriched at the edge of bismuthine. The edge dangling bonds of bismuthene as the active sites for adsorption/activation of CO2 increase the hybridization ability of the Bi 6p orbital and O 2p orbital to significantly reduce the catalytic reaction energy barrier and promote the formation of C─H bonds until the generation of CH4. Under λ ≥ 400 nm and λ ≥ 550 nm irradiation, the utilization ratios of photogenerated electron reduction CO2 hydrogenation to CO and CH4 for bismuthene are 58.24 and 300.50 times higher than those of bulk Bi, respectively. Moreover, bismuthene can extend the CO2 hydrogenation reaction to the near-infrared region (λ ≥ 700 nm). This pioneering work employs the single semimetal element as an artificial photosynthetic catalyst to produce a broad spectral response.

Ameliorative Role of Mitochondrial Therapy in Cognitive Function of Vascular Dementia Mice.

BACKGROUND: Mitochondrial dysfunction plays a vital role in the progression of vascular dementia (VaD). We hypothesized that transfer of exogenous mitochondria might be a beneficial strategy for VaD treatment. OBJECTIVE: The study was aimed to investigate the role of mitochondrial therapy in cognitive function of VaD. METHODS: The activity and integrity of isolated mitochondria were detected using MitoTracker and Janus Green B staining assays. After VaD mice were intravenously injected with exogenous mitochondria, Morris water maze and passive avoidance tests were used to detect cognitive function of VaD mice. Haematoxylin and eosin, Nissl, TUNEL, and Golgi staining assays were utilized to measure neuronal and synaptic injury in the hippocampus of VaD mice. Detection kits were performed to detect mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨ), SOD activity and the levels of ATP, ROS, and MDA in the brains of VaD mice. RESULTS: The results showed that isolated mitochondria were intact and active. Mitochondrial therapy could ameliorate cognitive performance of VaD mice. Additionally, mitochondrial administration could attenuate hippocampal neuronal and synaptic injury, improve mitochondrial ΔΨ, ATP level and SOD activity, and reduce ROS and MDA levels in the brains of VaD mice. CONCLUSIONS: The study reports profitable effect of mitochondrial therapy against cognitive impairment of VaD, making mitochondrial treatment become a promising therapeutic strategy for VaD.

Sesamin attenuates UVA-induced keratinocyte injury via inhibiting ASK-1-JNK/p38 MAPK pathways.

BACKGROUND: Ultraviolet (UV) exposure-stimulated reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation in keratinocytes is a crucial factor in skin aging. Phytochemicals have become widely popular for protecting the skin from UV-induced cell injury. Sesamin (SSM) has been shown to play a role in extensive pharmacological activity and exhibit photoprotective effects. AIM: To assess the protective effect of SSM on UVA-irradiated keratinocytes and determine its potential antiphotoaging effect. METHODS: HaCaT keratinocytes pretreated with SSM were exposed to UVA radiation at 8 J/cm2 for 10 min. Cell viability and oxidative stress indicators were evaluated using a cell counting kit-8 and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) assay kits. Apoptosis and intracellular ROS levels were analyzed using annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate/propyridine iodide and dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate staining, respectively. Protein levels of matrix metalloprotein-1 (MMP-1), MMP-9, Bax/Bcl-2, and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway proteins, phospho-apoptosis signal-regulating kinase-1 (p-ASK-1)/ASK-1, phospho-c-Jun N-terminal protein kinase (p-JNK)/JNK, and p-p38/p38 were determined using western blotting. RESULTS: Sesamin showed no cytotoxicity until 160 µmol/L on human keratinocytes. Sesamin pretreatment (20 and 40 µM) reversed the suppressed cell viability, increased LDH release and MDA content, decreased cellular antioxidants GSH and SOD, and elevated intracellular ROS levels, which were induced by UVA irradiation. Additionally, SSM inhibited the expression of Bax, MMP-1, and MMP-9 and stimulated Bcl-2 expression. In terms of the regulatory mechanisms, we demonstrated that SSM inhibits the phosphorylation of ASK-1, JNK, and p38. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that SSM attenuates UVA-induced keratinocyte injury by inhibiting the ASK-1-JNK/p38 MAPK pathways.

Evolving brain and behaviour changes in rats following repetitive subconcussive head impacts.

There is growing concern that repetitive subconcussive head impacts, independent of concussion, alter brain structure and function, and may disproportionately affect the developing brain. Animal studies of repetitive subconcussive head impacts are needed to begin to characterize the pathological basis and mechanisms underlying imaging and functional effects of repetitive subconcussive head impacts seen in humans. Since repetitive subconcussive head impacts have been largely unexplored in animals, we aimed to characterize the evolution of imaging, behavioural and pathological effects of repetitive subconcussive head impacts in awake adolescent rodents. Awake male and female Sprague Dawley rats (postnatal Day 35) received 140 closed-head impacts over the course of a week. Impacted and sham-impacted animals were restrained in a plastic cone, and unrestrained control animals were included to account for effects of restraint and normal development. Animals (n = 43) underwent repeated diffusion tensor imaging prior to and over 1 month following the final impact. A separate cohort (n = 53) was assessed behaviourally for fine motor control, emotional-affective behaviour and memory at acute and chronic time points. Histological and immunohistochemical analyses, which were exploratory in nature due to smaller sample sizes, were completed at 1 month following the final impact. All animals tolerated the protocol with no overt changes in behaviour or stigmata of traumatic brain injury, such as alteration of consciousness, intracranial haemorrhage or skull fracture. We detected longitudinal, sex-dependent diffusion tensor imaging changes (fractional anisotropy and axial diffusivity decline) in corpus callosum and external capsule of repetitive subconcussive head impact animals, which diverged from both sham and control. Compared to sham animals, repetitive subconcussive head impact animals exhibited acute but transient mild motor deficits. Repetitive subconcussive head impact animals also exhibited chronic anxiety and spatial memory impairment that differed from the control animals, but these effects were not different from those seen in the sham condition. We observed trends in the data for thinning of the corpus callosum as well as regions with elevated Iba-1 in the corpus callosum and cerebral white matter among repetitive subconcussive head impact animals. While replication with larger study samples is needed, our findings suggest that subconcussive head impacts cause microstructural tissue changes in the developing rat brain, which are detectable with diffusion tensor imaging, with suggestion of correlates in tissue pathology and behaviour. The results point to potential mechanisms underpinning consequences of subconcussive head impacts that have been described in humans. The congruence of our imaging findings with human subconcussive head impacts suggests that neuroimaging could serve as a translational bridge to advance study of injury mechanisms and development of interventions.

Gliclazide Ameliorates Neuronal Injury by Attenuating Oxidative Stress in D-gal-Induced Senescent Cells and Aging Mice.

Enhancement of oxidative stress and resultant neuronal injury play important roles in initiating cognitive impairment during the aging process. Thus, attenuating oxidative injury is regarded as a profitable therapeutic strategy for age-associated cognitive impairment. Previous studies showed that gliclazide (Gli) had a protective role in neuronal injury from cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. However, whether Gli has a profitable effect on age-associated cognitive impairment remains largely unclear. The present study showed that Gli held the potential to attenuate neuronal apoptosis in D-gal-induced senescent cells and aging mice. Additionally, Gli could alleviate synaptic injury and cognitive function in D-gal-induced aging mice. Further study showed that Gli could attenuate oxidative stress in D-gal-induced senescent cells and aging mice. The p38 MAPK pathway was predicted as the downstream target of Gli retarding oxidative stress using in silico analysis. Further studies revealed that Gli attenuated D-gal-induced phosphorylation of p38 and facilitated Nrf2 nuclear expression, indicating that the anti-oxidative property of Gli may be associated with the p38 MAPK pathway. The study demonstrates that Gli has a beneficial effect on ameliorating D-gal-induced neuronal injury and cognitive impairment, making this compound a promising agent for the prevention and treatment of age-associated cognitive impairment.

Stacking Engineering of Heterojunctions in Half-Metallic Carbon Nitride for Efficient CO2 Photoreduction.

Enhancing charge separation in semiconductor photocatalysts is a major challenge for efficient artificial photosynthesis. Herein, a compact heterojunction is designed by embedding half-metallic C(CN)3 (hm-CN) hydrothermally in BiOBr (BOB) as the backbone. The interface between hm-CN and BOB is seamless and formed by covalent bonding to facilitate the transmission of photoinduced electrons from BOB to hm-CN. The transient photocurrents and electrochemical impedance spectra reveal that the modified composite catalyst exhibits a larger electron transfer rate. The photocatalytic activity of hm-CN/BOB increases significantly as indicated by a CO yield that is about four times higher than that of individual components. Density-functional theory calculations verify that the heterojunction improves electron transport and decreases the reaction energy barrier, thus promoting the overall photocatalytic CO2 conversion efficiency. The half-metal nitride coupled semiconductor heterojunctions might have large potential in artificial photosynthesis and related applications.

Deciphering the 'gut-brain axis' through microbiome diversity.

Incentivised by breakthroughs and data generated by the high-throughput sequencing technology, this paper proposes a distance-based framework to fulfil the emerging needs in elucidating insights from the high-dimensional microbiome data in psychiatric studies. By shifting focus from traditional methods that focus on the observations from each subject to the between-subject attributes that aggregate two or more subjects' entire feature vectors, the described approach revolutionises the conventional prescription for high-dimensional observations via microbiome diversity. To this end, we enrich the classical generalised linear models to articulate the multivariable regression relationship between distance-based variables. We also discuss a robust and computationally feasible semiparametric inference technique. Benefitting from the latest advances in the semiparametric efficiency theory for such attributes, the proposed estimators enjoy robustness and good asymptotic properties that guarantee sensitivity in detecting signals between clinical outcomes and microbiome diversity. It offers a readily implementable and easily interpretable solution for deciphering the gut-brain axis in mental health research.