A novel Bi12O17Cl2/GO/Co3O4 Z-type heterojunction photocatalyst with ZIF-67 derivative modified for highly efficient degradation of antibiotics under visible light.

Levofloxacin (LVX) is difficult to be naturally degraded by microorganisms in water, and its residues in water will pose significant risks to human health and ecological environment. In this study, Bi12O17Cl2 was used as the main body, Bi12O17Cl2/GO/Co3O4 composite photocatalyst was prepared by pyrolysis of zeolitic imidazolate framework-67 (ZIF-67) combined with in-situ precipitation method and used to degrade LVX. A sequence of characterizations shows that addition of Co3O4 and graphene oxide (GO) increases the visible light response range, improves the separation efficiency of photogenerated electrons and holes (e--h+) of photocatalyst, and thus improves the degradation efficiency of LVX. Under the optimal reaction conditions, the LVX degradation rate of Bi12O17Cl2/1.5GO/7.5Co3O4 can reach 91.2 % at 120 min, and its reaction rate constant is the largest (0.0151 min-1), which is 2.17, 13.14 and 1.53 times that of Bi12O17Cl2, Co3O4 and Bi12O17Cl2/7.5Co3O4, respectively, showing better photocatalytic performance. Simultaneously, the recycling stability of Bi12O17Cl2/1.5GO/7.5Co3O4 was also verified. The capture experiments and electron EPR test results showed that superoxide radicals (•O2-) and photogenerated holes (h+) were the primary active substances in the reaction process. Finally, combined with HPLC-MS results, the photocatalytic degradation pathway of LVX was derived. This work will provide a theoretical basis for the design of Metal Organic Frameworks (MOFs)-derivative modified Bi12O17Cl2-based photocatalysts.

Rational design of Ag-doped MnFe2O4/HNTs for peroxidase-mimicking activity and colorimetric sensing of uric acid in human serum.

Mimicking enzyme have significantly advanced sensing assays by replicating native enzyme functions, yet achieving both high catalytic activity and easy recyclability remains a challenge. In this study, Ag-doped MnFe2O4/halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) were rationally designed as a novel nanozyme by depositing in-situ Ag and MnFe2O4 nanoparticles onto HNTs. The resulting nanocomposite exhibited excellent peroxidase-like activity along with magnetic properties. Leveraging these features, a highly efficient and sensitive colorimetric system for detecting uric acid (UA) was developed. The Ag-doped MnFe2O4/HNTs catalyzed the oxidation of 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine in the presence of H2O2, causing a color change from colorless to blue. The system showed a linear absorbance response to UA concentrations ranging from 1 to 20 µM, with a detection limit of 59 nM. Mechanistic studies revealed that reactive oxygen species intermediates (1O2) were generated through the decomposition of H2O2, leading to peroxidase-like activity in the Ag-doped MnFe2O4/HNTs. The assay was successfully applied to detect UA in human serum with recoveries over 99.68 %. This study indicates the successful application of Ag-doped MnFe2O4/HNTs for colorimetric UA detection in human serum. This research introduces a novel approach for designing recyclable, high-performance mimicking enzyme and establishes an effective colorimetric sensing platform for UA detection in human serum.

Bisphenol H exposure disrupts Leydig cell function in adult rats via oxidative stress-mediated m6A modifications: Implications for reproductive toxicity.

Bisphenol H (BPH) has emerged as a potential alternative to bisphenol A (BPA), which has been curtailed for use due to concerns over its reproductive and endocrine toxicity. This study investigates whether BPH exerts antiandrogenic effects by impairing Leydig cell function, a critical component in testosterone production. We administered orally BPH to adult male rats at doses of 0, 1, 10, and 100 mg/kg/day for 7 days. Notably, BPH treatment resulted in a dose-dependent reduction in testicular testosterone levels, with significant decreases observed at ≥ 1 mg/kg/day. Additionally, BPH affected the expression of key genes involved in steroidogenesis and cholesterol metabolism, including Nr5a1, Nr3c4, Lhcgr, Scarb1, and Star, at higher doses (10 and/or 100 mg/kg/day). The study also revealed alterations in antioxidant gene expression (Sod2 and Cat) and modulation of m6A-related genes (Ythdf1-3 and Foxo3) and their proteins. Through MeRIP-qPCR analysis, we identified increased m6A modifications in Scarb1 and Star genes following BPH exposure. In vitro experiments with primary Leydig cells confirmed that BPH enhanced oxidative stress and diminished testosterone production, which were partially mitigated by antioxidant vitamin E supplementation and Ythdf3 knockdown. Meanwhile, simultaneous administration of BPH and vitamin E to primary Leydig cells partially counteracted BPH-induced alterations in the Ythdf3 expression. Our findings underscore a novel mechanism by which BPH disrupts Leydig cell function through the oxidative stress-m6A modification-autophagy pathway, raising concerns about its potential reproductive toxicity.

Inhibition of human and rat placental 3ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases by bisphenol A analogues depends on their hydrophobicity: In silico docking analysis.

Bisphenol A (BPA) and its analogues are widely used industrial chemicals. Placental 3ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases (3ß-HSDs) catalyse the conversion of pregnenolone to progesterone. However, the potency of BPA analogues in inhibiting 3ß-HSDs activity remains unclear. We investigated the inhibitory effect of 10 BPA analogues on 3ß-HSDs activity using an in vitro assay and performed the structure-activity relationship and in silico docking analysis. BPH was the most potent inhibitor of human 3ß-HSD1, with an IC50 value of 0.95 µM. BPFL, BPG, DABPA, BPAP, BPZ, DMBPA, and BPB also inhibited human 3ß-HSD1 activity, albeit with lower potency. BPG was the most potent inhibitor of rat 3ß-HSD4, with an IC50 value of 1.14 µM. BPAP, BPFL, BPG, BPH, BPZ, DABPA, and DMBPA are mixed inhibitors of human 3ß-HSD1 and they significantly inhibited human JAr cells to secrete progesterone. The LogP values were inversely correlated with the inhibitory effects. Docking analysis showed that most BPA analogues bind to steroid-binding site of both 3ß-HSDs. A pharmacophore containing hydrogen bond donor and hydrophobic region was generated for predicting the inhibitory strength of BPA analogues. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that some BPA analogues are potent inhibitors of 3ß-HSDs and lipophilicity determines the inhibitory potency.

Genetic-Dependent Brain Signatures of Resilience: Interactions among Childhood Abuse, Genetic Risks and Brain Function.

Resilience to emotional disorders is critical for adolescent mental health, especially following childhood abuse. Yet, brain signatures of resilience remain undetermined due to the differential susceptibility of the brain's emotion processing system to environmental stresses. Analyzing brain's responses to angry faces in a longitudinally large-scale adolescent cohort (IMAGEN), we identified two functional networks related to the orbitofrontal and occipital regions as candidate brain signatures of resilience. In girls, but not boys, higher activation in the orbitofrontal-related network was associated with fewer emotional symptoms following childhood abuse, but only when the polygenic burden for depression was high. This finding defined a genetic-dependent brain (GDB) signature of resilience. Notably, this GDB signature predicted subsequent emotional disorders in late adolescence, extending into early adulthood and generalizable to another independent prospective cohort (ABCD). Our findings underscore the genetic modulation of resilience-brain connections, laying the foundation for enhancing adolescent mental health through resilience promotion.

Bibliometric analysis of electroencephalogram research in Parkinson's disease from 2004 to 2023.

Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a prevalent neurodegenerative disorder affecting millions globally. It encompasses both motor and non-motor symptoms, with a notable impact on patients' quality of life. Electroencephalogram (EEG) is a non-invasive tool that is increasingly utilized to investigate neural mechanisms in PD, identify early diagnostic markers, and assess therapeutic responses. Methods: The data were sourced from the Science Citation Index Expanded within the Web of Science Core Collection database, focusing on publications related to EEG research in PD from 2004 to 2023. A comprehensive bibliometric analysis was conducted using CiteSpace and VOSviewer software. The analysis began with an evaluation of the selected publications, identifying leading countries, institutions, authors, and journals, as well as co-cited references, to summarize the current state of EEG research in PD. Keywords are employed to identify research topics that are currently of interest in this field through the analysis of high-frequency keyword co-occurrence and cluster analysis. Finally, burst keywords were identified to uncover emerging trends and research frontiers in the field, highlighting shifts in interest and identifying future research directions. Results: A total of 1,559 publications on EEG research in PD were identified. The United States, Germany, and England have made notable contributions to the field. The University of London is the leading institution in terms of publication output, with the University of California closely following. The most prolific authors are Brown P, Fuhr P, and Stam C In terms of total citations and per-article citations, Stam C has the highest number of citations, while Brown P has the highest H-index. In terms of the total number of publications, Clinical Neurophysiology is the leading journal, while Brain is the most highly cited. The most frequently cited articles pertain to software toolboxes for EEG analysis, neural oscillations, and PD pathophysiology. Through analyzing the keywords, four research hotspots were identified: research on the neural oscillations and connectivity, research on the innovations in EEG Analysis, impact of therapies on EEG, and research on cognitive and emotional assessments. Conclusion: This bibliometric analysis demonstrates a growing global interest in EEG research in PD. The investigation of neural oscillations and connectivity remains a primary focus of research. The application of machine learning, deep learning, and task analysis techniques offers promising avenues for future research in EEG and PD, suggesting the potential for advancements in this field. This study offers valuable insights into the major research trends, influential contributors, and evolving themes in this field, providing a roadmap for future exploration.

A bibliometric analysis of transcranial alternating current stimulation.

Background: Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) can apply currents of varying intensity to the scalp, modulating cortical excitability and brain activity. tACS is a relatively new neuromodulation intervention that is now widely used in clinical practice. Many papers related to tACS have been published in various journals. However, there are no articles that objectively and directly introduce the development trend and research hotspots of tACS. Therefore, the aim of this study is to use CiteSpace to visually analyze the recent tACS-related publications, systematically and in detail summarize the current research hotspots and trends in this field, and provide valuable information for future tACS-related research. Material and methods: The database Web of Science Core Collection Science Citation Index Expanded was used and searched from build to 4 August 2023. Using the CiteSpace to analyze the authors, institutions, countries, keywords, co-cited authors, journals, and references. Results: A total of 677 papers were obtained. From 2008 to 2023, the number of publications shows an increasing trend, albeit with some fluctuations. The most productive country in this field was Germany. The institution with the highest number of publications is Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg (n = 50). According to Bradford's law, 7 journals are considered core journals in the field. Herrmann, CS was the author with the most publications (n = 40), while Antal, A was the author with the highest number of co-citations (n = 391) and betweenness centrality (n = 0.16). Disease, neural mechanisms of the brain and electric stimulation are the major research areas in the field. The effect of tACS in different diseases, multi-site stimulation, combined treatment and evaluation are the future research hotspots and trends. Conclusion: tACS has research value and research potential, and more and more researchers are paying attention to it. The findings of this bibliometric study provide the current status and trends in the clinical research of tACS and may help researchers to identify hotspots s and explore new research directions in this field.

The SINA1-BSD1 Module Regulates Vegetative Growth Involving Gibberellin Biosynthesis in Tomato.

In plants, vegetative growth is controlled by synergistic and/or antagonistic effects of many regulatory factors. Here, the authors demonstrate that the ubiquitin ligase seven in absentia1 (SINA1) mammalian BTF2-like transcription factors, Drosophila synapse-associated proteins, and yeast DOS2-like proteins (BSD1) function as a regulatory module to control vegetative growth in tomato via regulation of the production of plant growth hormone gibberellin (GA). SINA1 negatively regulates the protein level of BSD1 through ubiquitin-proteasome-mediated degradation, and the transgenic tomato over-expressing SINA1 (SINA1-OX) resembles the dwarfism phenotype of the BSD1-knockout (BSD1-KO) tomato plant. BSD1 directly activates expression of the BSD1-regulated gene 1 (BRG1) via binding to a novel core BBS (standing for BSD1 binding site) binding motif in the BRG1 promoter. Knockout of BRG1 (BRG1-KO) in tomato also results in a dwarfism phenotype, suggesting BRG1 plays a positive role in vegetative growth as BSD1 does. Significantly, GA contents are attenuated in transgenic SINA1-OX, BSD1-KO, and BRG1-KO plants exhibiting dwarfism phenotype and exogenous application of bioactive GA3 restores their vegetative growth. Moreover, BRG1 is required for the expression of multiple GA biosynthesis genes and BSD1 activates three GA biosynthesis genes promoting GA production. Thus, this study suggests that the SINA1-BSD1 module controls vegetative growth via direct and indirect regulation of GA biosynthesis in tomato.

Exposure to organophosphate esters and early menopause: A population-based cross-sectional study.

Organophosphate esters (OPEs), increasingly used as new flame retardants and plasticizers in various products, have been found to have reproductive toxicity with overt endocrine disruption potential, yet the relationship between OPEs and early menopause remains unexplored. In the present study, we included 2429 women who participated in the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data (2011-2020) and had data of five urinary OPE metabolite levels and information of menopause characteristics, to investigate the associations of OPEs exposure with premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) and age of menopause. Multivariable adjusted linear and logistic regression were used to assess the associations of urinary OPE metabolites with age of menopause and POI, respectively. Quantile g computation (QGC) models were used to assess the relative contribution of individual metabolites to associations of OPE metabolites mixture. After adjusting for covariates, urinary bis(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (BCEP) concentration was inversely associated with menopause age (ß = - 0.21; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.41, - 0.002). Higher urinary BCEP level (>median) was associated with earlier age at menopause (ß = -1.14, 95% CI: 1.83, - 0.46), and elevated odds of having POI (OR = 1.93; 95% CI: 1.02, 3.66). These associations were robust to the further adjustment of cardiometabolic diseases and related traits (e.g., body mass index). Further QGC analyses confirmed that BCEP was the dominant metabolite contributing most to the associations of OPEs mixture with age of menopause (weight = 49.5%) and POI (weight = 75.1%). No significant associations were found for the other four OPE metabolites. In this cross-sectional study, urinary BCEP level was associated with earlier menopause and increased odds of POI, highlighting the potential negative impacts of this chemical and its parent compound tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate on ovarian function. Further studies are required to validate our findings and reveal potential underlying mechanisms.

Effects of mono- or di-fluoro-substitution on spin crossover behavior in a pair of Schiff base-like FeII-coordination polymers.

Spin crossover (SCO) has long been a hot topic in the field of molecular magnetism owing to its unique bistability character. Rational control of thermal hysteresis and transition temperature (T1/2) is crucial for their practical applications, which rely on precise manipulation of the substituents of SCO coordinating ligands and molecular packing interactions. In this study, we designed two different bridging ligands (2-FDPB: 4,4'-(2-fluoro-1,4-phenylene)dipyridine; 2,3-FDPB: 4,4'-(2,3-difluoro-1,4-phenylene)dipyridine) featuring one and two fluoro substitution on the central benzene ring and applied a Schiff base-like equatorial tetradentate ligand {diethyl(E,E)-2,2'-[4,5-difluoro-1,2-phenyl-bis(iminomethylidyne)]bis(3-oxobutanoate)-(2-)-N,N',O3,O3'} (H2L) to coordinate with the FeII ion. Two FeII-coordination chain polymers [FeII(L)(2,3-FDPB)]·0.25CH2Cl2 (1) and [FeII(L)(2-FDPB)]·0.5CH3OH (2) were obtained. 1 crystallizes in the monoclinic P21/n space group with only one FeII center, while 2 crystallizes in the triclinic P1̄ space group with two independent FeII centers. Unlike the identical 2D layer stacking in 1, 2 exhibited alternating stacking of the extending 2D layers and meshed chains. Magnetic measurements revealed the typical thermally induced spin crossover behavior (SCO): 1 exhibited a 41 K-wide thermal hysteresis with transition temperatures of T1/2↑ = 245 K and T1/2↓ = 204 K, while 2 showed a higher transition temperature (T1/2 = 330 K) with no thermal hysteresis. Magneto-structural correlation studies suggest that the electron-withdrawing effect present in the fluoro substituents does not have a significant impact on the SCO behaviors. Despite the fluoro substituents having a similar atomic radius of hydrogen atoms, variations in the number of these substituents can alter the crystallization behavior of these complexes, which in turn affects the solvents, molecular stacking patterns, and intermolecular interactions, ultimately influencing the SCO behaviors.

High-Visible Light Response AgNbO3/Bi2MoO6/PANI Double Z-Scheme Heterojunction Photocatalytic Degradation of Antibiotics.

In this study, a novel AgNbO3/Bi2MoO6/PANI double Z-scheme heterojunction photocatalyst was created via a solvothermal method, and the method investigates its photocatalytic degradation performance toward norfloxacin (NOR) and other antibiotics. When the content of AgNbO3 is 5 wt % and the content of PANI is 1 wt %, the rate of degradation of AgNbO3/Bi2MoO6/PANI on NOR under visible light is 95.56%, the rate of removal of total organic carbon is ∼57.45%, and its pseudo-first-order reaction rate constant is 0.01878 min-1, which surpasses those of AgNbO3, Bi2MoO6, and AgNbO3/Bi2MoO6 by factors of 14.22, 2.46, and 1.35, respectively. At the same time, the AgNbO3/Bi2MoO6/PANI photocatalyst still showed good stability after three cycles. The results demonstrated that the augmented photocatalytic performance of AgNbO3/Bi2MoO6/PANI can be attributed to the formation of a double Z-scheme heterojunction and the incorporation of PANI with excellent conductivity, resulting in the higher efficiency of migration of charge carriers while retaining strong redox ability. This work affords a high-efficiency and environmentally friendly reference for the development of a Bi2MoO6-based heterojunction photocatalyst and its application in the purification of antibiotics in water.

Relationship between infant gastrointestinal microorganisms and maternal microbiome within 6 months of delivery.

To investigate the association between the microbiota in mothers and gut microbiota in infants from 0 to 6 months, the microbiotas in infant feces, maternal feces, and breast milk were determined by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The contribution of each maternal microbiome to the infant was assessed using fast expectation-maximization for microbial source tracking calculations. The levels of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) in the feces of infants were also determined using gas chromatography and IDK-sIgA ELISA to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the infant gut microbiome. The results of this study showed that in addition to Firmicutes (E1) and Bifidobacterium (E2), the dominant microorganisms of the intestinal microbiota of infants aged 0-6 months include Proteobacteria, which is different from previous findings. Acetic acid, the most abundant SCFA in the infant gut, was positively correlated with Megasphaera (P < 0.01), whereas sIgA was positively correlated with Bacteroides (P < 0.05) and negatively correlated with Klebsiella and Clostridium_XVIII (P < 0.05). The maternal gut microbiota contributed more to the infant gut microbiota (43.58% ± 11.13%) than the breast milk microbiota, and significant differences were observed in the contribution of the maternal microbiota to the infant gut microbiota based on the delivery mode and feeding practices. In summary, we emphasize the key role of maternal gut health in the establishment and succession of infant gut microbiota.IMPORTANCEThis study aims to delineate the microbial connections between mothers and infants, leveraging the fast expectation-maximization for microbial source tracking methodology to quantify the contribution of maternal microbiota to the constitution of the infant's gut microbiome. Concurrently, it examines the correlations between the infant gut microbiota and two distinctive biomolecules, namely short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA). The findings indicate that the maternal gut microbiota exerts a greater influence on the infant's gut microbial composition than does the microbiota present in breast milk. Infants born via vaginal delivery and receiving mixed feeding display gut microbiota profiles more similar to their mothers'. Notably, the SCFA acetate displays positive associations with beneficial bacteria and inverse relationships with potentially harmful ones within the infant's gut. Meanwhile, sIgA positively correlates with Bacteroides species and negatively with potentially pathogenic bacteria. By delving into the transmission dynamics of maternal-infant microbiota, exploring the impacts of metabolic byproducts within the infant's gut, and scrutinizing how contextual factors such as birthing method and feeding practices affect the correlation between maternal and infant microbiota, this research endeavors to establish practical strategies for optimizing early-life gut health management in infants. Such insights promise to inform targeted interventions that foster healthier microbial development during the critical first 6 months of life.

Females have lower salivary flow than males, before and after radiation therapy for head/neck cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To compare salivary flow rates between females and males, before and after radiation therapy (RT) for head and neck cancer (HNC). METHODS: Prospective observational multicenter cohort study (OraRad). Stimulated whole salivary flow was measured before RT and at 6 and 18 months after RT. RESULTS: Mean (95% confidence interval) salivary flow in g/min before RT was 0.81 (0.71, 0.90) in females (n = 107) and 1.20 (1.15, 1.25) in males (n = 391) (p < 0.001); at 6 months was 0.34 (0.24, 0.44) in females and 0.50 (0.44, 0.55) in males (p = 0.01); at 18 months was 0.49 (0.38, 0.59) in females and 0.70 (0.64, 0.75) in males (p < 0.001). Median nadir salivary flow after RT was 0.22 in females and 0.35 in males (p < 0.001). A lower nadir salivary flow in females, but not males, was associated with an increased risk for tooth failure (p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Females with HNC have lower stimulated whole salivary flow than males, before and after RT. Low salivary flow after RT may be a risk factor for tooth failure among females. The lower pre-RT salivary flow rates in females, combined with prior literature in other populations, indicates that, in general, females have lower stimulated salivary flow than males.

Label-free investigation of infected acute pyelonephritis tissue by FTIR microspectroscopy with unsupervised and supervised analytical methods.

Acute pyelonephritis (AP) is a severe urinary tract infection (UTI) syndrome with a large population of patients worldwide. Current approaches to confirming AP are limited to urinalysis, radiological imaging methods and histological assessment. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) microspectroscopy is a promising label-free modality that can offer information about both morphological and molecular pathologic alterations from biological tissues. Here, FTIR microspectroscopy serves to investigate renal biological histology of a rat model with AP and classify normal cortex, normal medulla and infected acute pyelonephritis tissues. The spectra were experimentally collected by FTIR with an infrared Globar source through raster scanning procedure. Unsupervised analysis methods, including integrating, clustering and principal component analysis (PCA) were performed on such spectra data to form infrared histological maps of entire kidney section. In comparison to Hematoxylin & Eosin-stained results of the adjacent tissue sections, these infrared maps were proved to enable the differentiation of the renal tissue types. The results of both integration and clustering indicated that the concentration of amide II decreases in the infected acute pyelonephritis tissues, with an increased presence of nucleic acids and lipids. By means of PCA, the infected tissue was linearly separated from normal ones by plotting confident ellipses with the score values of the first and second principal components. Moreover, supervised analysis was performed based on the supported vector machines (SVM). Normal cortex, normal medulla and infected acute pyelonephritis tissues were classified by SVM models with the best accuracy of 96.11% in testing dataset. In addition, these analytical methods were further employed on synchrotron-based FTIR spectra data and successfully form high-resolution infrared histological maps of glomerulus and necrotic cell mass. This work demonstrates that FTIR microspectroscopy will be a powerful manner to investigate AP tissue and differentiate infected tissue from normal tissue in a renal infected model system.

Drop to Gate Nasal Drops Attenuates Sepsis-Induced Cognitive Dysfunction.

Nasal administration can bypass the blood-brain barrier and directly deliver drugs to the brain, providing a non-invasive route for central nervous system (CNS) diseases. Inspired by the appearance that a gate can block the outside world and the characteristics of the sol-gel transition can form a "gate" in the nasal cavity, a Drop to Gate nasal drop (DGND) is designed to set a gate in nose, which achieves protecting role from the influence of nasal environment. The DGND demonstrates the efficiency and application prospect of delivering drugs to the brain through the N-to-B. The effective concentration of single administration is increased through the hydrophobic interaction between C8-GelMA and SRT1720 (SA), and then cross-linked under UV to form nanogel, which can respond to MMP in the inflammatory microenvironment of sepsis-induced cognitive dysfunction. Finally, the SA/nanogel is compounded into the thermogel, which can respond to the nasal cavity temperature to form DGND in situ, increasing the residence time and delivery efficiency of drugs in the nasal cavity. In vitro, the DGND alleviates lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-induced BV2 inflammation. In vivo, DGND effectively targets the nasal mucosa and deliver drugs to the brain, which activate Sirt1 to alleviate inflammation mediated by microglia and improve cognitive dysfunction in sepsis mice.

Evaluation of cutout factors with small and narrow fields using various dosimetry detectors in electron beam keloid radiotherapy.

BACKGROUND: The inherent problems in the existence of electron equilibrium and steep dose fall-off pose difficulties for small- and narrow-field dosimetry. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the cutout factors for keloid electron radiotherapy using various dosimetry detectors for small and narrow fields. METHOD: The measurements were performed in a solid water phantom with nine different cutout shapes. Five dosimetry detectors were used in the study: pinpoint 3D ionization chamber, Farmer chamber, semiflex chamber, Classic Markus parallel plate chamber, and EBT3 film. RESULTS: The results demonstrated good agreement between the semiflex and pinpoint chambers. Furthermore, there was no difference between the Farmer and pinpoint chambers for large cutouts. For the EBT3 film, half of the cases had differences greater than 1%, and the maximum discrepancy compared with the reference chamber was greater than 2% for the narrow field. CONCLUSION: The parallel plate, semiflex chamber and EBT3 film are suitable dosimeters that are comparable with pinpoint 3D chambers in small and narrow electron fields. Notably, a semiflex chamber could be an alternative option to a pinpoint 3D chamber for cutout widths≥3 cm. It is very important to perform patient-specific cutout factor calibration with an appropriate dosimeter for keloid radiotherapy.

Regulating the activity of GABAergic neurons in the ventral pallidum alters the general anesthesia effect of propofol.

The full mechanism of action of propofol, a commonly administered intravenous anesthetic drug in clinical practice, remains elusive. The focus of this study was the role of GABAergic neurons which are the main neuron group in the ventral pallidum (VP) closely associated with anesthetic effects in propofol anesthesia. The activity of VP GABAergic neurons following propofol anesthesia in Vgat-Cre mice was observed via detecting c-Fos immunoreactivity by immunofluorescence and western blotting. Subsequently, chemogenetic techniques were employed in Vgat-Cre mice to regulate the activity of VP GABAergic neurons. The role of VP GABAergic neurons in generating the effects of general anesthesia induced by intravenous propofol was further explored through behavioral tests of the righting reflex. The results revealed that c-Fos expression in VP GABAergic neurons in Vgat-Cre mice dramatically decreased after propofol injection. Further studies demonstrated that chemogenetic activation of VP GABAergic neurons during propofol anesthesia shortened the duration of anesthesia and promoted wakefulness. Conversely, the inhibition of VP GABAergic neurons extended the duration of anesthesia and facilitated the effects of anesthesia. The results obtained in this study suggested that regulating the activity of GABAergic neurons in the ventral pallidum altered the effect of propofol on general anesthesia.

Analysis of Alterations in Intestinal Flora in Chinese Elderly with Cardiovascular Disease and Its Association with Trimethylamine.

To investigate the changes in the intestinal flora in the Chinese elderly with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and its correlation with the metabolism of trimethylamine (TMA), the intestinal flora composition of elderly individuals with CVD and healthy elderly individuals was analyzed using 16S rRNA sequencing, the TMA levels in the feces of elderly were detected using headspace-gas chromatography (HS-GC), and four kinds of characterized TMA-producing intestinal bacteria in the elderly were quantified using real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). The results showed that Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Verrucomicrobia are the dominant microorganisms of the intestinal flora in the Chinese elderly. And there were significant differences in the intestinal bacteria composition between healthy elderly individuals and those with CVD, accompanied by a notable difference in the TMA content. The richness and diversity of the intestinal flora in the elderly with CVD were higher than those in the healthy elderly. Correlation analysis indicated that certain significantly different intestinal flora were associated with the TMA levels. Our findings showed a significant difference in TMA-producing intestinal flora between healthy elderly individuals and those with CVD. The TMA levels were found to be positively and significantly correlated with Klebsiella pneumoniae, suggesting that this bacterium is closely linked to the production of TMA in the elderly gut. This may have implications for the development and progression of CVD in the elderly population.