Non-adiabatic conformation distortion charge transfer enables dual emission of thermally activated delayed fluorescence and room temperature phosphorescence.

In this work, we report for the first time that thiophenol-substituted naphthalimide can achieve thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) and room temperature phosphorescence (RTP) simultaneously through non-conjugated flexible connection. Herein, we explain that the enhancement of intersystem crossing (ISC) between the singlet excited state and triplet excited states in NISPh is mainly caused by the non-adiabatic conformation distortion charge transfer (CDCT) of the excited states. More precisely, CDCT results in the conformation matching and energy barrier decrease between the excited states. In addition, the electronic and vibration coupling is further enhanced in NISPh. Our work substantiates a rational design strategy for the development of simple purely organic materials to achieve dual emission of TADF and RTP.

The mediating effect of 24-h time-use behaviors on the relationship between depression and mortality: A compositional mediation analysis for survival outcomes.

BACKGROUND: A compositional mediation model of survival outcomes was established to explore whether 24-h time-use behaviors mediate the relationship between depression and mortality. METHODS: 4137 adults from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES 2005-2006) were followed up to 2019. Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to estimate the total effect of depression on mortality. Compositional data analysis was used to examine the relationship between 24-h time-use compositions and mortality. Furthermore, we constructed a compositional mediation model for survival outcomes to investigate the mediating effect of 24-h time-use behaviors on depression and mortality. RESULTS: Compared with participants without depression, depressive patients had a significantly higher risk of overall mortality (HR = 1.49, 95 % CI: 1.25,1.79), cardiovascular disease -specific mortality (HR =1.89, 95 % CI: (1.37,2.63)) and mortality from causes other than cardiovascular disease or cancer (HR = 1.62, 95 % CI: (1.25,2.08)). Physical activity, especially moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, significantly mediated the relationship between depression and all-cause and CVD-specific mortality. LIMITATIONS: Despite being a cohort study, the exposure and mediatiors were measured at the baseline. Further research is necessary to require a temporal order between the exposure and mediating variables. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that 24-h time-use behaviors link depression to mortality. In particular, increasing the time spent on physical activity can reduce the risk of death in patients with depression. This finding provides potential interventions for reducing the risk of death in patients with depression.

Enhanced control structure design for an industrial off-gas system: Simple reconfigurations benefit the economy.

For control structure design of the industrial off-gas benchmark system, application of the Skogestad's state-of-art design procedure has suggested the scrubber inlet pressure (P si in the roaster) and one of the fan speeds (N fan1 or N_fan2 in the furnace) as the self-optimizing controlled variables CVs. In this study, we stress and advocate the gSOC-plus-BAB approach as an enhanced design toolkit for the classical and systematical design procedure. The gSOC (global self-optimizing control) is able to efficiently solve measurement combinations as CVs with improved economic performances, while the BAB (branch and bound) algorithm serves to fast screen promising measurement subsets for large-scale problems. Using the enhanced design for the off-gas system, our new findings are to control the combination of roaster's ID fan outlet pressures, 0.494P IDfan1+0.506P IDfan2 (setpoint: -257.04 Pa), and the furnace's fan pressure difference, P IDfan1- P IDfan2 (setpoint: 0). Such simple reconfigurations can dramatically reduce the average economic loss by 53.3% for the roaster and even achieve perfect optimal control for the furnace. Both steady state and dynamic evaluations are carried out to validate the reconfigured control structures. © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Obesity as a mediator linking sleep-disordered breathing to both impaired fasting glucose and type 2 diabetes.

PURPOSE: To examine whether or not associations between sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) and impaired fasting glucose and type 2 diabetes are mediated by obesity. METHODS: We used cross-sectional data including participants from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA). SDB, including obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), hypoxia and sleep fragmentation, was evaluated by polysomnography. Further, five obesity measures related to overall obesity and central obesity were assessed. Mediation analysis was conducted to explore the mediating effect of obesity on these relationships between SDB and impaired fasting glucose and type 2 diabetes. RESULTS: Among 1615 participants, OSA and hypoxia, including apnea hypopnea index (AHI) ≥ 15, percent of total sleep time (TST) with SaO2 < 90% (TST90), oxygen desaturation index (ODI), and lowest oxygen saturation (SaO2), were significantly associated with impaired fasting glucose and type 2 diabetes. In addition, mean SaO2 was also associated with impaired fasting glucose. Mediation analysis showed that these relationships were significantly mediated by all five obesity measures, where central obesity had greater mediating effect than overall obesity. Proportion of mediation of obesity ranged from 21.5 to 62.5% for impaired fasting glucose and 25.85 to 71.6% for type 2 diabetes, with substantial differences found in the subgroup analysis by gender or race/ethnicity. The consistency of the mediating effect was demonstrated across multiple measures of SDB, obesity, and glucose metabolism. CONCLUSION: Obesity, especially central obesity, may play a critical role in the pathway where SDB, including OSA and hypoxia, increases the occurrence of impaired fasting glucose and type 2 diabetes. Weight management is important for patients with SDB to prevent type 2 diabetes.

Retraction Notice to: A Novel Mechanism of Doxorubicin Resistance and Tumorigenesis Mediated by MicroRNA-501-5p-Suppressed BLID.

[This retracts the article DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2018.06.011.].

Peer champions responses to nudge-based strategies designed to reduce prolonged sitting behaviour: Lessons learnt and implications from lived experiences of non-compliant participants.

Occupational sedentariness is problematic for office-based workers because of their prolonged sitting periods and the advent of technology which reduces work-based movement. A common workplace strategy to deal with this preventable health risk is to have workers engage in brief movement breaks throughout the workday. To date, the use of interventions underpinned by individual self-regulation has had less than optimal impact on changing workers sedentary work behaviours. An alternative design for workplace interventions is the use of nudge theory. Nudge theory incorporates strategies that are delivered at the point of choice designed to influence individual decision making regarding alternative behaviour options. In this study, desk-based workers were exposed to two nudge strategies which suggested alternative behaviours of regular standing and taking movement breaks during work periods to the default behaviours of prolonged sitting and sedentary work behaviour. A small group of women managers who served as peer champions (n = 6), withdrew early from the study, and then took part in an exit interview to gain an understanding of their experiences of being exposed to the two nudge strategies. Verbatim transcripts were analysed using inductive, reflexive thematic analysis. Two major themes with seven second order themes central to their experiences were extracted: facilitative behaviour and feelings (advocacy, acceptance & facilitative burden) and dysfunctional behaviours and feelings (dysfunctional behaviour & feelings, control, reactance & presenteeism). Participants initially perceived a positive exchange associated with exposure to nudge strategies. Yet, participants' emotional connection to their work roles and behaviour were perceived as a negative exchange. Participants cited numerous maladaptive feelings because of a perception of incongruency with the established work normative behaviour. These findings reveal that nudge strategies of reduced choice and social norms are viable, but perceptions of monitoring can moderate adherence.

Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence Enabled by Reversed Conformational Distortion for Blue Emitters.

In this work, we present for the first time a general strategy via molecular reversed conformational distortion for thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF). A model purely organic compound named BNNIO with a common fluorophore flexibly linked to benzene by an oxygen atom is rationally designed and successfully synthesized. Moreover, the rate constant of reverse intersystem crossing reaches 2.34 × 104 s-1 as determined by transient spectroscopy. As a result, TADF emission of BNNIO is observed with a photoluminescence quantum yield of 90.72% and a lifetime of 84.76 µs at 415 nm. This universal regulation strategy undoubtedly opens a new avenue for the development of novel purely organic blue light-emitting materials.

Evaluating the effects of microparticle addition on mycelial morphology, natural yellow pigments productivity, and key genes regulation in submerged fermentation of Monascus purpureus.

Morphology plays an important role in fungal fermentation and secondary metabolites biosynthesis. One novel technique, microparticle-enhanced cultivation was successfully utilized to control the morphology of Monascus purpureus precisely and enhance the yield of yellow pigments. The production of yellow pigments increased to 554.2 U/ml when 4 g/L 5000 mesh talc added at 24 h. Field emission scanning electron microscope observation indicated that the actual effect depends on the properties of microparticle. Sharp-edged microparticles showed better stimulatory effects than smooth, round-shaped ones. Particle size analysis, scanning electron microscope, and cell integrity evaluation proved obvious morphological changes were induced by talc addition, including smaller mycelial size, rougher hyphae, and decreased cell integrity. Furthermore, the expression levels of MrpigG, MrpigD, MrpigE, and MrpigH were significantly upregulated by the addition of talc. It indicated that the microparticle could not only affect the mycelial morphology, but also influence the expression levels of key genes in biosynthetic pathway of Monascus yellow pigments.

The Road to the Beijing Winter Olympics and Beyond: Opinions and Perspectives on Physiology and Innovation in Winter Sport.

Beijing will host the 2022 Winter Olympics, and China strengthens research on various aspects to allow their athletes to compete successfully in winter sport. Simultaneously, Government-directed initiatives aim to increase public participation in recreational winter sport. These parallel developments allow research to advance knowledge and understanding of the physiological determinants of performance and health related to winter sport. Winter sport athletes often conduct a substantial amount of training with high volumes of low-to-moderate exercise intensity and lower volumes of high-intensity work. Moreover, much of the training occur at low ambient temperatures and winter sport athletes have high risk of developing asthma or asthma-related conditions, such as exercise-induced bronchoconstriction. The high training volumes require optimal nutrition with increased energy and dietary protein requirement to stimulate muscle protein synthesis response in the post-exercise period. Whether higher protein intake is required in the cold should be investigated. Cross-country skiing is performed mostly in Northern hemisphere with a strong cultural heritage and sporting tradition. It is expected that innovative initiatives on recruitment and training during the next few years will target to enhance performance of Chinese athletes in classical endurance-based winter sport. The innovation potential coupled with resourcing and population may be substantial with the potential for China to become a significant winter sport nation. This paper discusses the physiological aspects of endurance training and performance in winter sport highlighting areas where innovation may advance in athletic performance in cold environments. In addition, to ensure sustainable development of snow sport, a quality ski patrol and rescue system is recommended for the safety of increasing mass participation.

A standardized pathological proposal for evaluating microvascular invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma: a multicenter study by LCPGC.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Microvascular invasion (MVI) is a key pathological factor that severely affects the postoperative prognosis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, no MVI classification schemes based on standardized gross sampling protocols of HCC are available at present. METHODS: 119 HCC specimens were sampled at multiple sites (3-, 7-, and 13 points) for the optimum MVI detection rate. 16,144 resected HCCs were graded as M0, M1 or M2 by adopting three-tiered MVI grading (MVI-TTG) scheme based on the seven-point sampling protocol (SPSP). Survival analyses were performed on 2573 patients to explore the advantages of MVI-TTG. RESULTS: The MVI detection rate determined by SPSP was significantly higher than that determined by the 3-point sampling method (34.5% vs. 47.1%, p = 0.048), but was similar to that determined by the 13-point sampling method (47.1% vs. 51.3%, p = 0.517). Among 16,144 resected HCCs, the proportions of M0, M1 and M2 specimens according to SPSP were 53.4%, 26.2% and 20.4%, respectively. Postoperative survival analysis in 2573 HCC patients showed that the 3-year recurrence rates in M0, M1 and M2 MVI groups were 62.5%, 71.6% and 86.1%, respectively (p < 0.001), and the corresponding 3-year overall survival (OS) rates were 94.1%, 87.5% and 67.0%, respectively (p < 0.001). M1 grade was associated with early recurrence, while M2 grade was associated with both early and late recurrence. MVI-TTG had a larger area under the curve and net benefit rate than the two-tiered MVI grading scheme for predicting time to recurrence and OS. CONCLUSIONS: SPSP is a practical method to balance the efficacy of sampling numbers and MVI detection rates. MVI-TTG based on SPSP is a better prognostic predictor than the two-tiered MVI scheme. The combined use of SPSP and MVI-TTG is recommended for the routine pathological diagnosis of HCC.

Expression of BMP7 in cervical cancer and inhibition of epithelial­mesenchymal transition by BMP7 knockdown in HeLa cells.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the expression of bone morphogenetic protein 7 (BMP7) in cervical cancer tissues, the effect of BMP7 on the proliferation, migration and epithelial­mesenchymal transition (EMT) of cervical cancer HeLa cells and the possible mechanism involved. Immunohistochemistry was used to stain the cervical cancer tissues and benign or precancerous lesions. Lentivirus containing BMP7 knockdown was transfected in HeLa cells and western blotting was performed to analyze BMP7 expression. At the same time, the influence of BMP7 knockdown on the expression of phosphorylated (p)­mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 1/5/9 and EMT­related markers [epithelial­cadherin, neural­cadherin, Vimentin, Snail and Slug] was detected. Cell Counting Kit­8 was used to detect cell proliferation. Transwell migration and invasion assays were performed to measure cell invasion and migration. The cell cycle was detected by flow cytometry. Compared with normal cervical epithelial and paracancerous cells, the positive rate of BMP7 expression in cervical cancer tissues was significantly increased. As compared with the control group, the expression of BMP7 was decreased in HeLa cells transfected with lentivirus. The knockdown of BMP7 in cervical cancer HeLa cells inhibited cell proliferation, migration and invasion, resulted in G1 cell cycle arrest and reversed the EMT process. In addition, the expression of p­Smad1/5/9 was significantly decreased in HeLa cells with BMP7 knockdown. BMP7 is expected to be a possible target for the treatment of cervical cancer.

METTL3 serves an oncogenic role in human ovarian cancer cells partially via the AKT signaling pathway.

Methyltransferase-like 3 (METTL3) has been identified as a methyltransferase responsible for N6-methyla-denosine (m6A) modification of mRNA. METTL3 functions in tumorigenesis and tumor development by promoting the translation of oncoproteins; however, the role of METTL3 in ovarian cancer has not been extensively studied. The present study performed immunohistochemistry to detect METTL3 expression levels in 52 samples of ovarian cancer tissue paired with corresponding paracancerous tissue. RNA interference was conducted to downregulate the expression levels of METTL3 in the SKOV3 and OVCAR3 ovarian cancer cell lines. Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR and western blot analysis demonstrated the effects of METTL3 knockdown on mRNA and protein levels, respectively. CCK-8, colony formation, apoptosis and Transwell assays were also performed. The results demonstrated that METTL3 exhibited significantly higher expression levels in ovarian cancer tissues compared with corresponding paracancerous tissue. High METTL3 expression levels were associated with large tumors, lymph node metastasis and high pathological grade. Cell proliferation analysis revealed that METTL3 knockdown reduced the proliferation and clonogenic ability of SKOV3 and OVCAR3 cells. Apoptotic rates were increased in METTL3-silenced ovarian cancer cells, which may have been mediated by the activation of the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway, and METTL3 knockdown reduced cell invasion. METTL3 knockdown downregulated the phosphorylation levels of AKT and the expression of the downstream effector Cyclin D1. These results suggested that METTL3 may serve an oncogenic function in the progression of human ovarian cancer cells partially through the AKT signaling pathway, indicating that METTL3 may be a potentially novel therapeutic target for the treatment of ovarian cancer.

Computed tomography evaluation of extensive intravenous angioleiomyoma: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Uterine angioleiomyoma is a rare variant of leiomyoma, and the main therapy is complete surgery. This study introduces the benefit of three-dimensional computed tomography reconstruction for preoperative preparation. CASE PRESENTATION: A 50-year-old woman presented because of chest distress after activity, with worsening symptoms. After examination, the final diagnosis was uterine angioleiomyoma. The tumour originated in the uterus; grew into the right iliac vein; coursed along the iliac vein, inferior vena cava, and right atrium; and finally invaded the right ventricle. To best complete the surgery, a multidisciplinary surgery was selected. Before the surgery, a three-dimensional computed tomography reconstruction model was created to assess the tumour status, and this model enabled the surgery to be completed successfully. CONCLUSION: Three-dimensional computed tomography reconstruction is of great significance for the preoperative diagnosis of uterine angioleiomyoma and the formulation of surgical treatment plans. Based on its vivid images, surgeons can perform operations more effectively and safely.

Jiao-tai-wan inhibits inflammation of the gut-brain-axis and attenuates cognitive impairment in insomnic rats.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Jiao-tai-wan is a well-known traditional Chinese herbal medicine formula that is used to treat insomnia and systemic inflammation. Studies indicate chronic insomnia might contribute to the prevalence of cognitive impairment. The role of systemic inflammation and intestinal permeability in the progression of neurodegenerative diseases attracts much attention. AIM OF THE STUDY: This study aimed to investigate if Jiao-tai-wan plays a role in promoting the repair of the intestinal epithelial barrier to suppress systemic inflammation and cognitive impairment in sleep-deprived (SD) rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Male obesity-resistant SD rats were partially sleep-deprived for 16 weeks. During the last 8 weeks, they were treated with Jiao-tai-wan. A Morris water maze was used to analyze their cognitive ability. Aß42 and proinflammation cytokines in the cerebrospinal fluid, tissue, or serum were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay or polymerase chain reaction. Intestinal permeability was detected using the fluorescein isothiocyanate-dextran perfusion assay method. Plasma lipopolysaccharide (LPS) levels were detected with Tachypleus Amebocyte Lysate. Western bolt was used in the signaling pathway analysis. RESULTS: Sleep deprivation deteriorated the performance of rats in the Morris water maze and increased the Aß42, caspase3, IL-6, and TNF-α levels in their brains. The intestinal TLR4/NF-κB pathway was activated with an increase in the expression of IL-6 and TNF-α. The expression of tight junction proteins was also decreased in the intestinal tissue. This increased the intestinal permeability and circulation of LPS, LPS binding protein, IL-6, and TNF-α. Treatment with Jiao-tai-wan could partly reverse these changes. CONCLUSION: Jiao-tai-wan has the potential to attenuate systemic inflammation and cognitive impairment in partially sleep-deprived rats. The possible underlying mechanism is by preventing an inflammation trigger being transferred through the gut-brain-axis.

Facile synthesis of highly efficient fluorescent carbon dots for tetracycline detection.

Rampant use of tetracycline in animal feed is a threat to food security, the environment, and human health because of the risk of drug residues. Therefore, it is necessary to establish a sensitive, efficient, and reliable method for qualitative and quantitative detection of tetracycline. In this paper, we synthesized fluorescent carbon dots (FCDs) by thermal cracking of crab shell waste, and obtained a fluorescence quantum yield of 30%. Characterization of the FCDs by transmission electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, ultraviolet visible absorption spectroscopy, and photoluminescence spectroscopy showed that they were fluorescent and evenly distributed with an average size of approximately 10 nm. We designed a sensitive probe for detecting tetracycline using the fluorescence intensity change of the FCDs. This method is sensitive, inexpensive, and environmentally friendly. The concentration of tetracycline was examined by comparing the fluorescence intensities of the FCDs before and after tetracycline addition. The limit of detection for tetracycline was 0.005 mg/L (signal-to-noise ratio = 3), which is promising for method development.

Expression Of BMP7 In Ovarian Cancer And Biological Effect Of BMP7 Knockdown On Ovarian Cancer Cells.

PURPOSE: The aim of our research was to investigate the expression of BMP7 in ovarian cancer (OC) and the biological effect of knocking down BMP7 on ovarian cancer A2780 cells. METHODS: We detected BMP7 expression in ovarian cancer and normal ovarian tissue by immunohistochemistry (IHC). We downregulated BMP7 expression using lentivirus-mediated RNAi and then examined the effects of knocking down BMP7 on the cell growth and invasion, cell cycle and paclitaxel sensitivity of A2780 cells. The mRNA and protein levels were detected by total RNA extraction and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blotting, respectively. Cell proliferation was measured by CCK-8 and colony formation assays. The number of cells in each cell cycle stage and those undergoing apoptosis were measured by flow cytometry. RESULTS: BMP7 expression was significantly higher in the ovarian cancer tissues than it was in the normal ovarian tissues. Knocking down BMP7 in ovarian cancer A2780 cells inhibited cell proliferation, migration and invasion; led to G1 cell cycle arrest; and reversed the epithelial-mesenchymal transformation (EMT) process. In addition, downregulating BMP7 increased the sensitivity of the A2780 cells to paclitaxel. Moreover, BMP7 downregulation resulted in decreased expression of Smad1/5/9, p-Smad1/5/9, ID2 and cyclin D1 protein. CONCLUSION: The results presented here are expected to contribute to the development of possible therapeutic targets for patients with ovarian cancer.

ESIPT Fluorescence Probe Based on Double-Switch Recognition Mechanism for Selective and Rapid Detection of Hydrogen Sulfide in Living Cells.

A novel fluorescence probe, HBTSeSe, was designed and synthesized for the detection of H2S with a double-switch mechanism of a broken diselenide bond followed by thiolysis of ether. Then, 2-(2'-hydroxyphenyl)benzothiazole (HBT) was released as fluorophore, which has large Stokes shift based on the excited state intramolecular proton transfer process. The probe responded selectively and rapidly to H2S, with the fluorescence increased by 47-fold immediately after the addition of H2S. HBTSeSe was able to detect H2S in the cytoplasm, specifically in cell imaging experiments. The results also showed that H2S was produced in the immune response of RAW264.7 cells activated by phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate.

Exosomal transfer of miR-501 confers doxorubicin resistance and tumorigenesis via targeting of BLID in gastric cancer.

Exosomal transfer of oncogenic miRNAs can enhance recipient cell growth, metastasis and chemoresistance. Currently we found that microRNA-501-5p (miR-501) was overexpressed in doxorubicin-resistant gastric cancer (GC) SGC7901/ADR cell-secreted exosomes (ADR Exo) than that in SGC7901 cell-secreted exosomes (7901 Exo). ADR Exo was internalized by SGC7901, and a Cy3-miR-501 mimic was transferred from SGC7901/ADR to SGC7901 via exosomes. ADR Exo conferred doxorubicin resistance, proliferation, migration and invasion abilities to negative control miRNA inhibitor-expressing GC cells, whereas it inhibited apoptosis. MiR-501 knockdown or BH3-like motif-containing protein, cell death inducer (BLID) overexpression could reverse the effects of ADR Exo on recipient cells. SGC7901 cells cocultured with SGC7901/ADR prior to treatment with GW4869 or transfection of a miR-501 inhibitor were sensitive to doxorubicin and exhibited attenuated proliferation, migration and invasion and increased apoptosis. The intratumoral injection of ADR Exo into negative control miRNA inhibitor-expressing SGC7901 cells induced rapid subcutaneous tumor growth and resistance to doxorubicin compared to that of miR-501 knockdown or BLID-overexpressing cells. This effect is possibly achieved by exosomal miR-501-induced downregulation of BLID, subsequent inactivation of caspase-9/-3 and phosphorylation of Akt. Exosomal miR-501 might be a therapeutic target for GC.