Dynamic Reversible Full-Color Piezochromic Fluorogens Featuring Through-Space Charge-Transfer Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence and their Application as X-Ray Imaging Scintillators.

Thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) emitters featuring through-space charge transfer (TSCT) can be excellent candidates for piezochromic luminescent (PCL) materials due to their structural dynamics. Spatial donor-acceptor (D-A) stacking arrangements enable the modulation of inter- and intramolecular D-A interactions, as well as spatial charge transfer states, under varying pressure conditions. Herein, we demonstrate an effective approach toward dynamic reversible full-color PCL materials with TSCT-TADF characteristics. Their single crystals exhibit a full-color-gamut PCL process spanning a range of 170 nm. Moreover, the TSCT-TADF-PCL emitters display a unity photoluminescence quantum yield, and show promising application in X-ray scintillator imaging.

Bright Circularly Polarized Mechanoluminescence from 0D Hybrid Manganese Halides.

Hybrid metal halides (HMHs) with efficient circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) have application prospects in many fields, due to their abundant host-guest structures and high photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY). However, CPLs in HMHs are predominantly excited by light or electricity, limiting their use in multivariate environments. It is necessary to explore a novel excitation method to extend the application of chiral HMHs as smart stimuli-responsive optical materials. In this work, an enantiomeric pair of 0D hybrid manganese bromides, [H2(2R,4R)-(+)/(2S,4S)-(-)-2,4-bis(diphenylphosphino)pentane]MnBr4 [(R/S)-1] is presented, which exhibits efficient CPL emissions with near-unity PLQYs and high dissymmetry factors of ± 2.0 × 10-3. Notably, (R/S)-1 compounds exhibit unprecedented and bright circularly polarized mechanoluminescence (CPML) emissions under mechanical stimulation. Moreover, (R/S)-1 possess high mechanical force sensitivities with mechanoluminescence (ML) emissions detectable under 0.1 N force stimulation. Furthermore, this ML emission exhibits an extraordinary antithermal quenching effect in the temperature range of 300-380 K, which is revealed to originate from a thermal activation energy compensation mechanism from trap levels to Mn(II) 4T1 level. Based on their intriguing optical properties, these compounds as chiral force-responsive materials are demonstrated in multilevel confidential information encryption.

Distinct Excitonic Emissions in 2D (C7 H7 N2 )2 PbX4 (X = Cl, Br) under Compression.

Two dimensional (2D) hybrid metal halides (HMHs) usually exhibit free excitonic (FE) emission, and self-trapped excitonic (STE) emission can also be achieved by adopting appropriate halogens and organic cations. Recently, significant efforts have been made to modulate and then clarify the transformation and connection between these two types of excitonic emissions in 2D HMHs. In this study, intriguing pressure-tuned transitions between FE emission and STE emission are observed in 2D (C7 H7 N2 )2 PbCl4 . In contrast, only FE emissions with tunable emission energies are observed in 2D (C7 H7 N2 )2 PbBr4 which possesses a similar structure with (C7 H7 N2 )2 PbCl4 under compression. Such distinct halide-dependent optical responses under pressure are experimentally revealed to arise from the intricate interplay among several factors in these HMHs, including the stiffness of the structure, the Coulomb force between the organic cations and the inorganic octahedra, and the magnitude of inorganic octahedral distortion. These high-pressure optical explorations can unravel the underlying interrelationship between the crystal structure and excitonic emission in 2D HMHs.

Efficacy and safety of electrical acupoint stimulation for postoperative nausea and vomiting: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative nausea and vomiting are typical postsurgical complications. Drug therapy is only partially effective. The goal of our meta-analysis is to systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of electrical acupoint stimulation for postoperative nausea and vomiting and to score the quality of evidence supporting this concept. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and ClinicalTrials.gov were searched from inception to March 19, 2020. RESULTS: Twenty-six studies (2064 patients) were included. Compared with control treatment, electrical acupoint stimulation reduced the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting (RR 0.49, 95% CI 0.41 to 0.57, P < 0.001), postoperative nausea (RR 0.55, 95% CI 0.47 to 0.64, P < 0.001) and postoperative vomiting (RR 0.56, 95% CI 0.45 to 0.70, P < 0.001). Electrical acupoint stimulation also reduced the number of patients requiring antiemetic rescue (RR 0.60, 95% CI 0.43 to 0.85, P = 0.004). No differences in adverse events were observed. Subgroup analysis showed that both electroacupuncture (RR 0.58, 95% CI 0.46 to 0.74, P < 0.001) and transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (RR 0.44, 95% CI 0.34 to 0.58, P < 0.001) had significant effects. Electrical acupoint stimulation was effective whether administered preoperatively (RR 0.40, 95% CI 0.27 to 0.60, P < 0.001), postoperatively (RR 0.59, 95% CI 0.46 to 0.76, P < 0.001), or perioperatively (RR 0.50, 95% CI 0.37 to 0.67, P < 0.001). The quality of evidence was moderate to low. CONCLUSIONS: Electrical acupoint stimulation probably reduce the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting, postoperative nausea, postoperative vomiting, and reduce the number of patients requiring antiemetic rescue, with few adverse events.

[Electroacupuncture improves long-term survival of myocardial infarction mice by promoting myocardial angiogenesis and inhibiting ventricular remodeling].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the mechanism of electroacupuncture (EA) in improving the long-term survival rate of mice after myocardial infarction by promoting angiogenesis and inhibiting ventricular remodeling. METHODS: A total of 102 male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into sham operation, model and EA groups (n=34 /group). The myocardial infarction model was established by permanent ligation of the anterior descending branch of the left coronary artery. Beginning from the 3rd day after ligation, EA (2 Hz/20 Hz) was applied to bilateral "Neiguan" (PC6) and "Ximen" (PC4) for 30 min, once a day for 28 days. The survival rate in 140 d was recorded and the left ventricular ejection fraction (EF) calculated by using echocardiography after the treatment. The left cardiac ventricular tissue was cut into sections to be stained with Masson's trichrome, wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) or α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) immunohistochemistry method, followed by measuring the collagen area in the marginal region of myocardial infarction and calculating the collagen volume fraction (for assessing the severity of myocardial fibrosis), measuring the sectional area of cardiomyocytes (for assessing the degree of myocardial hypertrophy), and ob-serving the newborn blood vessels and calculating the ratio of neovascularization area (for assessing the state of angiogenesis). The expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α protein in the boundary area of myocardial infarction were detected by Western blot. RESULTS: After modeling, the survival rate, EF, and the thickness of the left cardiac ventricle were significantly decreased (P<0.01), whereas the percentage of collagen deposition area, sectional area of cardiomyocyte, percentage of angiogenesis area, and the expression levels of VEGF and HIF-1α proteins were significantly increased (P<0.01) in the model group relevant to the sham operation group. Compared with the model group, the survival rate, EF, the thickness of the left cardiac ventricle, the percentage of angiogenesis area, and the expression levels of VEGF and HIF-1α proteins were significantly increased (P<0.05, P<0.01), while the percentage of collagen deposition area and the sectional area of the cardiomyocyte were considerably decreased in the EA group (P<0.01, P<0.05). CONCLUSION: EA of PC6 and PC4 can significantly improve the cardiac function and long-term survival rate in mice with myocardial infarction, which may be related to its functions in up-regulating the expression of HIF-1α and VEGF to promote angiogenesis and in inhibiting ventricular remodeling.

Design of a Series of Metallic BxNx+1 with Tunable Mechanical Properties.

Here a series of sp2-sp3 BxNx+1 (x = 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) structures was constructed. These structures can be viewed as diamond-like BN blocks connected by single N-N bonds. Elastic constants and phonon dispersion curves confirm that all of the proposed structures are mechanically and dynamically stable. These structures all possess metallicity originating from the conductive channels formed by sp2-hybridized N atoms and adjacent sp3-hybridized B and N atoms. These structures exhibit tunable mechanical properties with a regular change in the sp2/sp3 ratio. The theoretical Vickers hardness increases and the ductility decreases as the number of diamond-like BN blocks increases, gradually approaching those of c-BN. Moreover, the convex hull at ambient pressure and 50 GPa indicates that high pressure is beneficial in the synthesis of these B-N phases. The simulated X-ray diffraction patterns of these structures were also calculated to provide more information for further experiments.

Superhard sp2-sp3 hybridized B2C3N2 with 2D metallicity.

Ternary boron-carbon-nitrogen (B-C-N) compounds are considered to possess hardness comparable to diamond and thermal stability comparable to c-BN. Explorations for desirable B-C-N phases have been continuous. However, the nonconductive properties of most B-C-N compounds narrow the applications of these compounds. Herein, we propose a sp2-sp3 hybridized phase of t-B2C3N2, which consists of diamond-like BC blocks connected with single N-N bonds. Elastic constants and phonon dispersion curves confirm that t-B2C3N2 is mechanically and dynamically stable. The structure processes 2D metallicity in a strong 3D network. Furthermore, hardness and electron-phonon calculations reveal that t-B2C3N2 is superhard and superconductive with a superconducting critical temperature reaching 2.3 K.

[Effect of electroacupuncture pretreatment on differential expression profiles of myocardial long non-coding RNA and mRNA in mice with myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) pretreatment at "Neiguan" (PC6) on expression profiles of myocardial long non-coding RNAs (LncRNAs) and mRNAs in myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (MIRI) mice, so as to explore its mechanisms underlying prevention of MIRI via regulating LncRNA expression. METHODS: C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into sham, model, and EA groups (n=4 in each group). The MIRI model was established by occlusion of the anterior descending branch (ADB) of the left coronary artery for 30 min, followed by reperfusion for 24 h. In the sham group, the ADB was only threaded beneath the artery without ligation. EA was applied to bilateral PC6 for 30 min prior to ischemia induction. Surgery was performed within 30 min at the end of EA stimulation. The expression profiles of differentially expressed LncRNAs and mRNAs in the left ventricular myocardium were analyzed by using LncRNA microarray. RESULTS: There was a significant diffe-rence in the expression pattern of LncRNAs and mRNAs among the sham, model and EA groups. A total of 1 693 LncRNAs and 2 858 mRNAs between the model and sham groups, and 3 859 LncRNAs and 1 343 mRNAs between the EA and model groups were identified to be differentially expressed candidates. According to Venn intersection analysis, LncRNAs with opposite regulative orientations in the model and EA groups were screened and defined as EA-related LncRNAs. LncRNA-mRNA co-expression analysis and Gene Ontology enrichment analysis of the EA-related LncRNAs predicted their roles to regulating post-traumatic stress and repairing of myocardial cells. Meanwhile, the proteins' function encoded by EA-related mRNAs mainly involved post-traumatic stress and inflammatory regulation. CONCLUSION: EA pretreatment at PC6 acupoint can produce extensive regulation on myocardial LncRNAs and mRNAs in MIRI mice, suggesting an involvement of LncRNAs in EA pretreatment induced improvement of MIRI. These results may provide direction and molecular basis for subsequent in-depth studies to reveal the underlying mechanisms of EA pretreatment for MIRI.

Inhibiting of GRASP65 Phosphorylation by DL-3-N-Butylphthalide Protects against Cerebral Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury via ERK Signaling.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to explore the role of DL-3-n-butylphthalide (NBP) in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury (CIRI) mice model. The involvement of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling pathway was also investigated. METHODS: All mice were divided into five groups: sham-operated group, CIRI group, NBP pretreatment group, NBP treatment group, and NBP pretreatment + treatment group. The CIRI mice model was established by the use of the Pulsinelli four-vessel occlusion method. Pretreatment mice received NBP (90 mg/kg/d) three times a day within four days before reperfusion by gavage. Treatment mice received NBP (90 mg/kg/d) three times a day within five days after reperfusion by gavage. We detected the infarction area, the neurological severity, and the superoxide dismutase and malondialdehyde levels. Furthermore, we observed the expressions of GRASP65, phosphorylation of GRASP65 (pGRASP65), ERK, and phosphorylation of ERK (pERK) by the use of Western blotting. RESULTS: The result showed that the ERK pathway was activated in response to CIRI. NBP decreases the expressions of pERK and pGRASP65 following CIRI. Additionally, NBP could decrease MDA and increase SOD level in brain tissues. Decreased infarct volume was also observed in the NBP group. Thereby, NBP inhibited the activation of the ERK pathway induced by CIRI and reduced the GRASP65 phosphorylation. CONCLUSIONS: The current finding suggested that NBP protected the cerebrum from CIRI mediated by inhibiting the ERK signaling pathway and subsequently reducing GRASP65 phosphorylation.

Cortical Bone Trajectory Screw Fixation in the Upper and Middle Thoracic Spine (T1-T8): An Anatomic and Radiographic Assessment.

OBJECTIVE: To assess an alternative method of cortical bone trajectory (CBT) screw placement in the thoracic spine from T1 to T8 and to investigate the proper entry point, screw insertion angle, screw length, and diameter. METHODS: Computed tomography images of 80 patients were used to measure all related parameters. Ten cadaveric spines were studied and 4.5-mm screws were inserted into both sides of the vertebrae. Computed tomography of all vertebrae previously inserted with CBT screws was performed and lateral or medial pedicle wall violation was checked. RESULTS: Of the inserted 160 CBT screws, 41.25% (66/160) penetrated the lateral pedicle wall, and the proportion of medial pedicle wall violation accounted for 0.625% (1/160). Maximal screw length tended to gradually increase from T1 to T8 (from 24.54 mm at T1 to 29.53 mm at T8). Compared with T4 and T5, maximal screw diameters of other thoracic levels were wider, ranging from 4.63 mm at T4 to 5.53 mm at T8. The greatest lateral angle was 8.66° in men and 8.39° in women at T8, whereas the smallest lateral angle was 4.97° in men and 4.67° in women at T1. The cephalad angle ranged from 17.23° at T7 to 31.50° at T1 and it was significantly larger in men at T7 (P < 0.05), T6 and T8 (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Based on the results of this study, we suggest that patients could be placed with 4.5 × 25.0-30.0 mm CBT screws from T1 to T8 through the pedicle or pedicle rib unit.