Unraveling wheat's response to salt stress during early growth stages through transcriptomic analysis and co-expression network profiling.

BACKGROUND: Soil salinization is one of the vital factors threatening the world's food security. To reveal the biological mechanism of response to salt stress in wheat, this study was conducted to resolve the transcription level difference to salt stress between CM6005 (salt-tolerant) and KN9204 (salt-sensitive) at the germination and seedling stage. RESULTS: To investigate the molecular mechanism underlying salt tolerance in wheat, we conducted comprehensive transcriptome analyses at the seedling and germination stages. Two wheat cultivars, CM6005 (salt-tolerant) and KN9204 (salt-sensitive) were subjected to salt treatment, resulting in a total of 24 transcriptomes. Through expression-network analysis, we identified 17 modules, 16 and 13 of which highly correlate with salt tolerance-related phenotypes in the germination and seedling stages, respectively. Moreover, we identified candidate Hub genes associated with specific modules and explored their regulatory relationships using co-expression data. Enrichment analysis revealed specific enrichment of gibberellin-related terms and pathways in CM6005, highlighting the potential importance of gibberellin regulation in enhancing salt tolerance. In contrast, KN9204 exhibited specific enrichment in glutathione-related terms and activities, suggesting the involvement of glutathione-mediated antioxidant mechanisms in conferring resistance to salt stress. Additionally, glucose transport was found to be a fundamental mechanism for salt tolerance during wheat seedling and germination stages, indicating its potential universality in wheat. Wheat plants improve their resilience and productivity by utilizing adaptive mechanisms like adjusting osmotic balance, bolstering antioxidant defenses, accumulating compatible solutes, altering root morphology, and regulating hormones, enabling them to better withstand extended periods of salt stress. CONCLUSION: Through utilizing transcriptome-level analysis employing WGCNA, we have revealed a potential regulatory mechanism that governs the response to salt stress and recovery in wheat cultivars. Furthermore, we have identified key candidate central genes that play a crucial role in this mechanism. These central genes are likely to be vital components within the gene expression network associated with salt tolerance. The findings of this study strongly support the molecular breeding of salt-tolerant wheat, particularly by utilizing the genetic advancements based on CM6005 and KN9204.

Post-translational modifications in diabetic cardiomyopathy.

The increasing attention towards diabetic cardiomyopathy as a distinctive complication of diabetes mellitus has highlighted the need for standardized diagnostic criteria and targeted treatment approaches in clinical practice. Ongoing research is gradually unravelling the pathogenesis of diabetic cardiomyopathy, with a particular emphasis on investigating various post-translational modifications. These modifications dynamically regulate protein function in response to changes in the internal and external environment, and their disturbance of homeostasis holds significant relevance for the development of chronic ailments. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the common post-translational modifications involved in the initiation and progression of diabetic cardiomyopathy, including O-GlcNAcylation, phosphorylation, methylation, acetylation and ubiquitination. Additionally, the review discusses drug development strategies for targeting key post-translational modification targets, such as agonists, inhibitors and PROTAC (proteolysis targeting chimaera) technology that targets E3 ubiquitin ligases.

Interlayer sp3 Bonds and Chirality at Bilayer Graphene Oxide/Calcium Silicate Hydrate Abnormally Enhance Its Interlayer Stress Transfer.

Graphene oxide (GO) is an ideal reinforcing material with super design capability, which can achieve the combination of strength and toughness. However, the actual effect of GO is far below the theoretical prediction. This is mainly due to the weak interface between the nanofiller and the matrix. In this paper, a controllable method for improving interlayer stress transfer of double-layer graphene oxide/C-S-H (D-GO-CSH)-layered nanostructures is proposed by using interlayer sp3 bond and chirality. The results show that, compared with the control group, the normalized shear stress and normalized pull-out energy of the OH-sp3 model are increased by 44.93 and 49.25%, respectively, while those of the OO-sp3 model are increased by 32.26 and 31.03%, respectively. The interlayer sp3 bonds lead to a great enhancement (more than 3 times) in normalized interlayer stress transfer of D-GO-CSH-layered nanostructures while exerting a little opposite effect (about 5%). The improvement effects induced by the interlayer sp3 bonds are also strongly dependent on their distributions and the chirality of GO. According to the fracture mechanic theory and molecular dynamics results, the strain energy percentage difference (bond length and bond angle) of the zigzag-cen model is 34.8% lower than that of the control group model, which proves that the interlayer sp3 bonds have a remarkably positive effect on the interlayer stress transfer of D-GO-CSH-layered nanostructures. This provides a new way to further improve the interlayer stress transfer, pull-out energy, and interlayer shear stress of D-GO-CSH-layered nanostructures.

Cathepsin D Attenuates the Proliferation of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells Induced by the AGE/RAGE Pathway by Suppressing the ERK Signal.

BACKGROUND: In this study, we aimed to clarify the role and mechanism by which Cathepsin D (CTSD) mediates the advanced glycation end products (AGEs)-induced proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). METHODS: We conducted a Western blotting assay and co-immunoprecipitation assay to detect the expression of target proteins and the interaction between different proteins. Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay and 5- ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) were used to evaluate the proliferation. RESULTS: AGEs significantly promoted phenotypic switching and proliferation of VSMCs in a concentration-dependent manner. This effect of AGEs was accompanied by inhibition of CTSD. Both the proliferation of VSMCs and inhibition of CTSD induced by AGEs could be attenuated by the specific inhibitor of the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE), FPS-ZM1. Overexpression of CTSD significantly alleviated these effects of AGEs on VSMCs. The mechanism of CTSD action in VSMCs was also explored. Overexpression of CTSD reduced the activation of p-ERK caused by AGEs. By contrast, the knockdown of CTSD, elicited using a plasmid containing short hairpin RNA (shRNA) against CTSD, further increased the activation of p-ERK compared to AGEs alone. Additionally, co-immunoprecipitation studies revealed an endogenous interaction between CTSD, a protease, and p-ERK, its potential substrate. CONCLUSION: It has been demonstrated that CTSD downregulates the level of phosphorylated ERK by degrading its target, and this interaction plays a critical role in the proliferation of VSMCs induced by the AGE/RAGE axis. These results provide a novel insight into the prevention and treatment of vascular complications in diabetes.

Neuroprotective Effects of Activin A against Cerebral Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury in Mice by Enhancing Nrf2 Expression to Attenuate Neuronal Ferroptosis.

Activin A (Act A) is a member of the transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß) superfamily and can protect against ischemic cerebral injury. Ferroptosis, a newly discovered type of programmed cell death, contributes to the pathogenesis of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury (CIRI). However, little is known on whether Act A can modulate neuronal ferroptosis to protect against CIRI in a mouse model of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) and an HT22 cell model of oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R). The results indicated that Act A treatment relieved CIRI by improving neurological deficits and reducing the infarct volume in mice. MCAO stimulated iron accumulation and malondialdehyde formation and upregulated ACSL4 expression but downregulated GPX4 expression, a hallmark of ferroptosis in the brain of mice. Treatment with Act A significantly mitigated MCAO-triggered ferroptosis in the brain of mice. Furthermore, Act A treatment enhanced the MCAO-upregulated nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) expression in the brains of mice. Similar results were observed in HT22 cells following OGD/R and pretreatment with Act A. The neuronal protective effect of Act A in HT22 cells was attenuated by treatment with ML385, an Nrf2 inhibitor. To conclude, Act A attenuated CIRI by enhancing Nrf2 expression and inhibiting neuronal ferroptosis.

Self-Powered Flexible Ultraviolet Photodetectors Based on CuI/a-ZTO Heterojunction Processed at Room Temperature.

For traditional wide-bandgap semiconductor materials, a high-temperature process is unavoidable for improving crystallization quality, so the substrate of the device is greatly limited. In this work, zinc-tin oxide (a-ZTO) amorphous oxide processed by the pulsed laser deposition method was utilized as the n-type layer, which exhibits considerable electron mobility and optical transparency, and can be deposited at room temperature. At the same time, by combining p-type CuI grown by the thermal evaporation method, a vertically structured ultraviolet photodetector based on CuI/ZTO heterojunction was obtained. The detector demonstrates self-powered properties, with an on-off ratio exceeding 104, and rapid response with a rise time of 2.36 ms and a fall time of 1.49 ms. Also, the photodetector shows long-term stability with 92% retention after 5000 s cyclic lighting and maintains reproducible response in frequency dependence measurement. Furthermore, the flexible photodetector on poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) substrates was constructed, exhibiting fast response and durability in the bending state. This is the first time that the heterostructure based on CuI has been applied in the flexible photodetector. The excellent results indicate that the combination of amorphous oxide and CuI has the potential for ultraviolet photodetectors, and will broaden the application range of high-performance flexible/transparent optoelectronic devices in the future.

Subgenome-biased expression and functional diversification of a Na+/H+ antiporter homoeologs in salt tolerance of polyploid wheat.

Common wheat (Triticum aestivum, BBAADD) is an allohexaploid species combines the D genome from Ae. tauschii and with the AB genomes from tetraploid wheat (Triticum turgidum). Compared with tetraploid wheat, hexaploid wheat has wide-ranging adaptability to environmental adversity such as salt stress. However, little is known about the molecular basis underlying this trait. The plasma membrane Na+/H+ transporter Salt Overly Sensitive 1 (SOS1) is a key determinant of salt tolerance in plants. Here we show that the upregulation of TaSOS1 expression is positively correlated with salt tolerance variation in polyploid wheat. Furthermore, both transcriptional analysis and GUS staining on transgenic plants indicated TaSOS1-A and TaSOS1-B exhibited higher basal expression in roots and leaves in normal conditions and further up-regulated under salt stress; while TaSOS1-D showed markedly lower expression in roots and leaves under normal conditions, but significant up-regulated in roots but not leaves under salt stress. Moreover, transgenic studies in Arabidopsis demonstrate that three TaSOS1 homoeologs display different contribution to salt tolerance and TaSOS1-D plays the prominent role in salt stress. Our findings provide insights into the subgenomic homoeologs variation potential to broad adaptability of natural polyploidy wheat, which might effective for genetic improvement of salinity tolerance in wheat and other crops.

Evaluation of Salt Tolerance Mechanism and Study on Salt Tolerance Relationship of Different Salt-Tolerant Wheat Varieties.

The physiological and biochemical indexes of different salt-tolerant wheat cultivars under salt stress are affected to different degrees. The changes in physiological and biochemical indexes in salt-tolerant wheat varieties are moderate, while salt-sensitive wheat varieties have bigger changes. In this article, through comprehensive utilization of germination and seedling indoor test morphological indexes, physiological and biochemical index, and output index, combined with the evaluation mechanism of wheat's salt resistance, different salt tolerance types in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River in Shandong province were studied; a collection of 100 wheat varieties and 11 wheat varieties planted over a large area were classified into three groups: strong salt resistance, medium salt resistance, and weak salt resistance. Comparative analysis of different wheat varieties' salt resistance evaluation mechanism was performed, as well as the analysis of the germination rate of wheat varieties, coleoptile growth situation, emergence rate, protect wheat seeding rate, tillering rate, seedling height, root length, seedling dry weight, wet weight, number of leaves, plant growth situation, agronomic characters of the Na+/K+ ratio, and other physiological and biochemical indexes such as salt resistance index. The evaluation mechanism of salt tolerance and the relationship of salt tolerance of different wheat varieties were obtained. The results showed that there were significant differences in salt tolerance among the 100 wheat varieties at the germination stage. Among them, three varieties, YM (Yangmai) 25, YM (Yangmai) 24, and EM (Emai) 25, had the strongest salt tolerance at the germination stage, reaching the level of the salt tolerance variety DK 961, and the salt tolerance was in the first level, while NM 17, NM 23, and other 21 varieties reached the level of the salt tolerance. These 24 varieties with strong salt tolerance at the germination stage can be used to screen the salt tolerance of wheat planted in the saline soil of Jiangsu coastal beach.

Genome-Wide Analysis of the Soybean TIFY Family and Identification of GmTIFY10e and GmTIFY10g Response to Salt Stress.

TIFY proteins play crucial roles in plant abiotic and biotic stress responses. Our transcriptome data revealed several TIFY family genes with significantly upregulated expression under drought, salt, and ABA treatments. However, the functions of the GmTIFY family genes are still unknown in abiotic stresses. We identified 38 GmTIFY genes and found that TIFY10 homologous genes have the most duplication events, higher selection pressure, and more obvious response to abiotic stresses compared with other homologous genes. Expression pattern analysis showed that GmTIFY10e and GmTIFY10g genes were significantly induced by salt stress. Under salt stress, GmTIFY10e and GmTIFY10g transgenic Arabidopsis plants showed higher root lengths and fresh weights and had significantly better growth than the wild type (WT). In addition, overexpression of GmTIFY10e and GmTIFY10g genes in soybean improved salt tolerance by increasing the PRO, POD, and CAT contents and decreasing the MDA content; on the contrary, RNA interference plants showed sensitivity to salt stress. Overexpression of GmTIFY10e and GmTIFY10g in Arabidopsis and soybean could improve the salt tolerance of plants, while the RNAi of GmTIFY10e and GmTIFY10g significantly increased sensitivity to salt stress in soybean. Further analysis demonstrated that GmTIFY10e and GmTIFY10g genes changed the expression levels of genes related to the ABA signal pathway, including GmSnRK2, GmPP2C, GmMYC2, GmCAT1, and GmPOD. This study provides a basis for comprehensive analysis of the role of soybean TIFY genes in stress response in the future.

Full-Length Transcriptome Analysis of the Halophyte Nitraria sibirica Pall.

BACKGROUND: Nitraria sibirica Pall. is one of the pioneer tree species in saline-alkali areas due to its extreme salt tolerance. However, the lack of information on its genome limits the further exploration of the molecular mechanisms in N. sibirica under salt stress. METHODS: In this study, we used single-molecule real-time (SMRT) technology based on the PacBio Iso-Seq platform to obtain transcriptome data from N. sibirica under salt treatment for the first time, which is helpful for our in-depth analysis of the salt tolerance and molecular characteristics of N. sibirica. RESULTS: Our results suggested that a total of 234,508 circular consensus sequences (CCSs) with a mean read length of 2121 bp were obtained from the 19.26 Gb raw data. Furthermore, based on transcript cluster analysis, 93,713 consensus isoforms were obtained, including 92,116 high-quality isoforms. After removing redundant sequences, 49,240 non-redundant transcripts were obtained from high-quality isoforms. A total of 37,261 SSRs, 1816 LncRNAs and 47,314 CDSs, of which 40,160 carried complete ORFs, were obtained. Based on our transcriptome data, we also analyzed the coding genes of H+-PPase, and the results of both bioinformatics and functional analyses indicated that the gene prediction via full-length transcripts obtained by SMRT technology is reliable and effective. In summary, our research data obtained by SMRT technology provides more reliable and accurate information for the further analysis of the regulatory network and molecular mechanism of N. sibirica under salt stress.

Platelet P2Y12 Inhibitor in the Treatment and Prevention of Migraine: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

There have been speculation and research linking migraine with abnormalities of platelet aggregation and activation. The role of the P2Y12 platelet inhibitor in the treatment of migraine has not been established. We aim to evaluate the efficacy of the platelet P2Y12 inhibitor in the treatment of migraine and prevention of new-onset migraine headache (MHA) following transcatheter atrial septal defect closure (ASDC). We searched the PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases for relevant studies. The primary outcomes were the headache responder rate and the rate of new-onset migraine attacks following ASDC. Four studies for a total of 262 migraine patients with or without patent foramen ovale (PFO) and three studies involving 539 patients with antiplatelet treatment in the prevention of new-onset migraine following ASDC were included. The pooled responder rate of the P2Y12 inhibitor for migraine was 0.64 (95% CI: 0.43 to 0.81). For patients who underwent ASDC, the use of antiplatelet regimens including the P2Y12 inhibitor, compared with regimens excluding P2Y12 inhibitor, resulted in a lower rate of new-onset migraine (OR: 0.41, 95% CI: 0.22 to 0.77, P = 0.005). We concluded that the P2Y12 platelet inhibitor may have a primary prophylactic role in migraine patients with or without PFO and prevent new-onset MHA after ASDC. The responsiveness of the P2Y12 inhibitor could help select candidates who would benefit from PFO closure. It warrants further large-scale research to explore the role of the P2Y12 inhibitor, particularly in a proportion of migraine patients.

Comparison of the prevalence and nature of potentially inappropriate medication use in geriatric outpatients between tertiary and community healthcare settings: a multicenter cross-sectional study.

Background Geriatric outpatients with polypharmacy have a high risk of potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) use. Aim To identify differences in both prevalence and patterns of PIMs and drug-related problems (DRPs) in older outpatients who visited the tertiary hospitals (THs) and community health centers (CHCs) and analyze associated factors. Method A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted in five THs and five CHCs from September 2018 to November 2019 in Beijing, China. Data were collected from outpatients aged ≥ 65 years with chronic diseases and polypharmacy. PIMs were evaluated using the 2015 and 2019 Beers Criteria and the Screening Tool of Older Persons' Prescriptions (STOPP) criteria. DRPs were classified using the Helper-Strand DRP Classification. The prevalence and types of PIMs and DRPs were compared, and relevant factors were analyzed. Results The prevalence of PIMs based on the 2015 Beers Criteria was higher in patients from the THs, while PIMs based on the 2019 Beers Criteria did not show a significant difference. PIM prevalence based on STOPP Criteria and DRPs was higher in patients from CHCs. Visiting CHCs was an independent factor of PIMs based on the 2015 Beers Criteria (OR 0.774, 95% CI 0.604-0.992) and the STOPP Criteria (OR 2.427, 95% CI 1.883-3.128), and DRPs (OR 3.612, 95% CI 2.682-4.865). Conclusion Differences in PIM and DRP might be due to the patients and settings. Specific measures to improve the appropriateness of medications in both settings should be used.

Genome-Wide Analysis of DEAD-box RNA Helicase Family in Wheat (Triticum aestivum) and Functional Identification of TaDEAD-box57 in Abiotic Stress Responses.

DEAD-box RNA helicases constitute the largest subfamily of RNA helicase superfamily 2 (SF2), and play crucial roles in plant growth, development, and abiotic stress responses. Wheat is one of the most important cereal crops in worldwide, and abiotic stresses greatly restrict its production. So far, the DEAD-box RNA helicase family has yet to be characterized in wheat. Here, we performed a comprehensive genome-wide analysis of the DEAD-box RNA helicase family in wheat, including phylogenetic relationships, chromosomal distribution, duplication events, and protein motifs. A total of 141 TaDEAD-box genes were identified and found to be unevenly distributed across all 21 chromosomes. Whole genome/segmental duplication was identified as the likely main driving factor for expansion of the TaDEAD-box family. Expression patterns of the 141 TaDEAD-box genes were compared across different tissues and under abiotic stresses to identify genes to be important in growth or stress responses. TaDEAD-box57-3B was significantly up-regulated under multiple abiotic stresses, and was therefore selected for further analysis. TaDEAD-box57-3B was localized to the cytoplasm and plasma membrane. Ectopic expression of TaDEAD-box57-3B in Arabidopsis improved tolerance to drought and salt stress as measured by germination rates, root lengths, fresh weights, and survival rates. Transgenic lines also showed higher levels of proline and chlorophyll and lower levels of malonaldehyde (MDA) than WT plants in response to drought or salt stress. In response to cold stress, the transgenic lines showed significantly better growth and higher survival rates than WT plants. These results indicate that TaDEAD-box57-3B may increase tolerance to drought, salt, and cold stress in transgenic plants through regulating the degree of membrane lipid peroxidation. This study provides new insights for understanding evolution and function in the TaDEAD-box gene family.

Intravenous sodium valproate for acute migraine in the emergency department: A meta-analysis.

The role of intravenous sodium valproate (iVPA) in acute migraine attack has not been completely established. The aim of this updated review was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of iVPA in patients with acute migraine in the emergency department. We searched the PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases for relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The primary outcome was improvement of headache intensity and headache relief. The need for rescue therapy, recurrence of headache, and number of adverse events was also assessed. Seven double-blinded RCTs involving 682 patients were analyzed. Overall, patients receiving iVPA had less improvement of headache intensity (SMD: -0.39, 95% CI: -0.73 to -0.06, P = .02) and lower rate of headache relief (OR: 0.51, 95% CI: 0.33 to 0.77, P = .002) than those receiving other active comparators. In addition, iVPA increased the odds of rescue therapy compared with other active drugs (OR: 3.76; 95% CI: 1.96 to 7.20, P < .0001). Subgroup analysis showed that iVPA was comparable to dexamethasone, with similar improvement of headache intensity, and recurrence of headache. For migraine without aura, we found no significant difference in headache intensity improvement when iVPA was compared with active comparators (SMD: -0.00, 95% CI: -0.54 to 0.54, P = 1.00). iVPA was inferior to the studied comparators and was comparable to dexamethasone for aborting migraine attack. Based on the available evidence, iVPA may be a reasonable alternative or salvage therapy. In particular, iVPA might be a promising agent for migraine with aura and migraine status.

Facile synthesis of graphitic carbon nitride via copolymerization of melamine and TCNQ for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution.

Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) has been regarded as an intriguing photocatalyst applying to hydrogen generation but suffering rapid recombination of photoinduced electron-hole pairs and insufficient absorption under visible light. We developed a novel one-pot thermal copolymerization method of melamine as a precursor and 7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ) as a comonomer to synthesize modified g-C3N4 (abbreviated as X% TCNQ) for the first time, aiming to directly incorporate TCNQ molecular into carbon nitride skeleton for the substitution of low-electronegative carbon for high-electronegative nitride atom. Results revealed that the as-prepared photocatalysts by copolymerization of melamine with TCNQ retained the original framework of g-C3N4, and dramatically altered the electronic and optical properties of carbon nitride. Various measurements confirmed that as-synthesized samples exhibited larger specific surface areas, faster photogenerated charge transfer and broader optical absorption by decreasing the π-deficiency and extending the π-conjugated system, thus facilitating the photocatalytic activity. Specifically, the 0.3% TCNQ exhibited as high as seven times than the pristine g-C3N4 on photocatalytic H2 generation and kept its photoactivity for five circles. This work highlights a feasible approach of chemical protocols for the molecular design to synthesize functional carbon nitride photocatalysts by copolymerizing appropriate g-C3N4 precursor and comonomers.

Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors for the prevention of migraine and vestibular migraine: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The role of serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) in migraine prophylaxis has not been completely established. Current treatments for vestibular migraine (VM) are based on scarce evidence. We aimed to perform an updated review focusing on the efficacy and tolerability of SNRIs for migraine and VM prevention. METHODS: We searched the PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases for relevant studies. The primary outcome was migraine frequency. In the case of VM, the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) scores and Vertigo Severity Scores (VSSs) were extracted. RESULTS: Six randomized controlled trials involving 418 patients were analyzed. Patients receiving SNRIs had fewer migraine days than those receiving a placebo (standardized mean difference -0.38, 95% CI -0.76 to -0.01, p=0.04). The effects of SNRIs and other active drugs were comparable. In patients with VM, venlafaxine had a significant advantage over other active drugs in decreasing the VSS (weighted mean difference (MD) -1.45, 95% CI -2.11 to -0.78, p<0.0001) and the emotional domain score of the DHI (MD -2.64, 95% CI -4.97 to -0.31, p=0.03). We found no significant difference in the rate of withdrawals due to any reason or withdrawals due to side effects between SNRIs and active drugs and between SNRIs and a placebo. CONCLUSIONS: SNRIs were clinically safe and effective for migraine and VM prophylaxis, were better than a placebo, and not inferior to other active drugs. SNRIs may be a preferable choice for patients with VM with psychiatric disorders.

Mechanical Thrombectomy for Posterior Circulation Occlusion: A Comparison of Outcomes with the Anterior Circulation Occlusion - A Meta-Analysis.

AIM: There is no randomized controlled trial to compare the effectiveness and safety of mechanical thrombectomy (MT) to intravenous thrombolysis in patients with posterior circulation occlusion (PCO). Hence, we firstly performed a meta-analysis to investigate the outcomes of MT in PCO and then compared these outcomes to anterior circulation occlusion (ACO) to provide fundamental data to further studies. METHODS: We searched the PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library from dates of inception to June 2019 for relevant studies. Outcomes including functional independence at 90 days, successful recanalization, mortality, symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH), and futile recanalization were extracted. RESULTS: Seven studies involving 474 patients with PCO thrombectomy were analyzed. There was a lower rate of functional independence at 90 days and a higher rate of mortality after thrombectomy in PCO versus ACO (odds ratios (OR) 0.72; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.57-0.90; OR 2.03; 95% CI 1.30-3.18). Recanalization rates were comparable (OR 1.01; 95% CI 0.62-1.65), but a higher futile recanalization rate was found in basilar artery occlusion (BAO) (OR 1.75; 95% CI 1.30-2.37). There was a lower rate of sICH in MT for patients with PCO versus ACO (OR 0.54; 95% CI 0.29-0.99). CONCLUSIONS: We found that the outcomes of MT for patients with PCO were poorer than with ACO. On the other hand, MT appears to have lower rates of sICH and to increase successful recanalization. Given the high recanalization rate, MT may serve as an adjunct to standard treatment. The key point to improve outcomes is recognizing reliable factors associated with futile recanalization and optimizing the results of MT. But in view of the different characteristics of posterior circulation stroke and anterior circulation stroke, the results are far from robust.

A nine-fold enhancement of visible-light photocatalytic hydrogen production of g-C3N4 with TCNQ by forming a conjugated structure.

Photocatalytic hydrogen evolution by water splitting has become a very effective way to solve the energy crisis. For use in that process, graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) has drawn much attention for its response in the visible region. However, its insufficient sunlight absorption efficiency and easy recombination of photoinduced carriers restrict its photocatalytic activity. Herein, we demonstrate a two-step liquid ultrasonic method in water to synthesize a series of tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ)-C3N4 photocatalysts aiming to form a conjugated structure by 7,7,8,8-TCNQ. g-C3N4 was treated with APTES firstly on its surface in order to give a better interface contact with TCNQ. Benefiting from the conjugation effect between TCNQ and g-C3N4, the separation and transport efficiency of photogenerated carriers were significantly improved. Besides, introducing TCNQ also broadened the absorption region. Both of these points lead to the enhancement of photocatalytic H2 production rate, with the optimized 5% TCNQ-C3N4 giving a rate nearly 9.48 times that of pure g-C3N4. Also, 5% TCNQ-C3N4 (U) was prepared with unmodified g-C3N4, which exhibited a rate only 6.87 times that of pure g-C3N4, thus validating the necessity of surface modification. Our work reveals that the rational conjugated structure could modulate the electrical and optical properties of g-C3N4, yielding an improvement of photocatalytic activities.