Differential second messenger signaling via dopamine neurons bidirectionally regulates memory retention.

Memory formation and forgetting unnecessary memory must be balanced for adaptive animal behavior. While cyclic AMP (cAMP) signaling via dopamine neurons induces memory formation, here we report that cyclic guanine monophosphate (cGMP) signaling via dopamine neurons launches forgetting of unconsolidated memory in Drosophila. Genetic screening and proteomic analyses showed that neural activation induces the complex formation of a histone H3K9 demethylase, Kdm4B, and a GMP synthetase, Bur, which is necessary and sufficient for forgetting unconsolidated memory. Kdm4B/Bur is activated by phosphorylation through NO-dependent cGMP signaling via dopamine neurons, inducing gene expression, including kek2 encoding a presynaptic protein. Accordingly, Kdm4B/Bur activation induced presynaptic changes. Our data demonstrate a link between cGMP signaling and synapses via gene expression in forgetting, suggesting that the opposing functions of memory are orchestrated by distinct signaling via dopamine neurons, which affects synaptic integrity and thus balances animal behavior.

Sex differences in aberrant functional connectivity of three core networks and subcortical networks in medication-free adolescent-onset major depressive disorder.

Major depressive disorder demonstrated sex differences in prevalence and symptoms, which were more pronounced during adolescence. Yet, research on sex-specific brain network characteristics in adolescent-onset major depressive disorder remains limited. This study investigated sex-specific and nonspecific alterations in resting-state functional connectivity of three core networks (frontoparietal network, salience network, and default mode network) and subcortical networks in adolescent-onset major depressive disorder, using seed-based resting-state functional connectivity in 50 medication-free patients with adolescent-onset major depressive disorder and 56 healthy controls. Irrespective of sex, compared with healthy controls, adolescent-onset major depressive disorder patients showed hypoconnectivity between bilateral hippocampus and right superior temporal gyrus (default mode network). More importantly, we further found that females with adolescent-onset major depressive disorder exhibited hypoconnectivity within the default mode network (medial prefrontal cortex), and between the subcortical regions (i.e. amygdala, striatum, and thalamus) with the default mode network (angular gyrus and posterior cingulate cortex) and the frontoparietal network (dorsal prefrontal cortex), while the opposite patterns of resting-state functional connectivity alterations were observed in males with adolescent-onset major depressive disorder, relative to their sex-matched healthy controls. Moreover, several sex-specific resting-state functional connectivity changes were correlated with age of onset, sleep disturbance, and anxiety in adolescent-onset major depressive disorder with different sex. These findings suggested that these sex-specific resting-state functional connectivity alterations may reflect the differences in brain development or processes related to early illness onset, underscoring the necessity for sex-tailored diagnostic and therapeutic approaches in adolescent-onset major depressive disorder.

Low-Temperature Cross-Linked Hole Transport Layer for High-Performance Blue Quantum-Dot Light-Emitting Diodes.

Quantum-dot light-emitting diodes (QLEDs), a kind of promising optoelectronic device, demonstrate potential superiority in next-generation display technology. Thermal cross-linked hole transport materials (HTMs) have been employed in solution-processed QLEDs due to their excellent thermal stability and solvent resistance, whereas the unbalanced charge injection and high cross-linking temperature of cross-linked HTMs can inhibit the efficiency of QLEDs and limit their application. Herein, a low-temperature cross-linked HTM of 4,4'-bis(3-(((4-vinylbenzyl)oxy)methyl)-9H-carbazol-9-yl)-1,1'-biphenyl (DV-CBP) with a flexible styrene side chain is introduced, which reduces the cross-linking temperature to 150 °C and enhances the hole mobility up to 1.01 × 10-3 cm2 V-1 s-1. More importantly, the maximum external quantum efficiency of 21.35% is successfully obtained on the basis of the DV-CBP as a cross-linked hole transport layer (HTL) for blue QLEDs. The low-temperature cross-linked high-mobility HTL using flexible side chains could be an excellent alternative for future HTL development.

Vaginal extracellular vesicles impair fertility in endometriosis by favoring Th17/Treg imbalance and inhibiting sperm activity.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) play a key role in various diseases. However, their effect on endometriosis (EMs)-associated infertility is poorly understood. We co-cultured EVs from the female vaginal secretions with human sperm and also generated a mouse model of EMs by allogenic transplant to explore the effect of EVs on fertility. EVs from individuals with EMs-associated infertility (E-EVs) significantly inhibited the total motility (26.46% vs. 47.1%), progressive motility (18.78% vs. 41.06%), linear velocity (21.98 vs. 41.91 µm/s) and the acrosome reaction (AR) rate (5% vs. 22.3%) of human sperm in contrast to the control group (PBS). Furthermore, E-EVs dose-dependently decreased the intracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i), a pivotal regulator of sperm function. Conversely, healthy women (H-EVs) increased human sperm motion parameters, the AR rate, and sperm [Ca2+]i. Importantly, the mouse model of EMs confirmed that E-EVs further decreased the conception rate and the mean number of embryo implantations (7.6 ± 3.06 vs. 4.5 ± 3.21) compared with the control mice by inducing the production of inflammatory cytokines leading to a Th17/Treg imbalance. H-EVs could restore impaired fertility by restoring the Th17/Treg balance. We determined the impact of EVs derived from the female genital tract on human sperm function and studied the possible mechanisms by which it affects fertility. Our findings provide a novel rationale to ameliorate EMs-associated infertility.

Single Molecular Nanomedicines Based on Macrocyclic Carrier-Drug Conjugates for Concentration-Independent Encapsulation and Precise Activation of Drugs.

Nanomedicines often rely on noncovalent self-assembly and encapsulation for drug loading and delivery. However, challenges such as reproducibility issues due to the multicomponent nature, off-target activation caused by premature drug release, and complex pharmacokinetics arising from assembly dissociation have hindered their clinical translation. In this study, we introduce an innovative design concept termed single molecular nanomedicine (SMNM) based on macrocyclic carrier-drug conjugates. Through the covalent linkage of two chemotherapy drugs to a hypoxia-cleavable macrocyclic carrier, azocalix[4]arene, we obtained two self-included complexes to serve as SMNMs. The intramolecular inclusion feature of the SMNMs has not only demonstrated comprehensive shielding and protection for the drugs but also effectively prevented off-target drug leakage, thereby significantly reducing their side effects and enhancing their antitumor therapeutic efficacy. Additionally, the attributes of being a single component and molecularly dispersed confer advantages such as ease of preparation and good reproducibility for SMNMs, which is desirable for clinical applications.

Loss of interferon regulatory factor-1 prevents lung fibrosis by upregulation of pon1 expression.

BACKGROUND: Interferon regulatory factor-1 (IRF1) is a transcription factor that plays a significant role in various biological processes, including inflammatory injury, viral infection, cell death, and immune responses, and it has been extensively studied in the context of different lung diseases. However, the mechanism underlying its involvement in lung fibrosis remains largely unknown. METHODS: Wild type (WT) mice, IRF1 global-null mice (Irf1-/-) were subjected to a bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis model to enable examination of the role of IRF1 in lung fibrosis. Proteomic analysis of lung tissue from WT and Irf1-/- mice treated with saline or bleomycin was performed to explore the mechanism of IRF1 in regulating lung fibrosis. RESULTS: In the bleomycin-induced fibrosis mouse model, increased expression of IRF1 was observed. Irf1 knockout mice displayed decreased lung fibrosis relative to WT mice following treatment with bleomycin. The protein expression of fibronectin, as assessed by the Western blot analysis of lung tissues, was downregulated in Irf1-/- mice. We observed a similar reduction in collagen content using hydroxyproline detection. Histologically, there was less collagen deposition in the lungs of Irf1-/- mice compared with WT mice. Proteomics data revealed that IRF1 may be involved in lung fibrosis via the regulation of ferroptosis. We determined that paraoxonase 1(PON1), a poorly characterized protein in lung fibrosis, was upregulated in Irf1-/- mice following exposure to bleomycin. In vitro experiments revealed that IRF1 could regulate the level of GSH and MDA through PON1. We also determined that PON1 levels were lower in the plasma of IPF patients compared with healthy controls. CONCLUSION: Our data highlight the importance of IRF1 in the fibrotic process, and PON1 may be a potential mediator of IRF1 in the progression of lung fibrosis.

Dectin-1 aggravates neutrophil inflammation through caspase-11/4-mediated macrophage pyroptosis in asthma.

BACKGROUND: The pattern recognition receptor Dectin-1 was initially discovered to play a pivotal role in mediating pulmonary antifungal immunity and promoting neutrophil-driven inflammation. Recent studies have revealed that Dectin-1 is overexpressed in asthma, but the specific mechanism remains elusive. Additionally, Dectin-1 has been implicated in promoting pyroptosis, a hallmark of severe asthma airway inflammation. Nevertheless, the involvement of the non-classical pyroptosis signal caspase-11/4 and its upstream regulatory mechanisms in asthma has not been completely explored. METHODS: House dust mite (HDM)-induced mice was treated with Dectin-1 agonist Curdlan, Dectin-1 inhibitor Laminarin, and caspase-11 inhibitor wedelolactone separately. Subsequently, inflammatory cells in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were analyzed. Western blotting was performed to measure the protein expression of caspase-11 and gasdermin D (GSDMD). Cell pyroptosis and the expression of chemokine were detected in vitro. The correlation between Dectin-1 expression, pyroptosis factors and neutrophils in the induced sputum of asthma patients was analyzed. RESULTS: Curdlan appeared to exacerbate neutrophil airway inflammation in asthmatic mice, whereas wedelolactone effectively alleviated airway inflammation aggravated by Curdlan. Moreover, Curdlan enhanced the release of caspase-11 activation fragments and N-terminal fragments of gasdermin D (GSDMD-N) stimulated by HDM both in vivo or in vitro. In mouse alveolar macrophages (MH-S cells), Curdlan/HDM stimulation resulted in vacuolar degeneration and elevated lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release. In addition, there was an upregulation of neutrophil chemokines CXCL1, CXCL3, CXCL5 and their receptor CXCR2, which was suppressed by wedelolactone. In asthma patients, a positive correlation was observed between the expression of Dectin-1 on macrophages and caspase-4 (the human homology of caspase-11), and the proportion of neutrophils in induced sputum. CONCLUSION: Dectin-1 activation in asthma induced caspase-11/4 mediated macrophage pyroptosis, which subsequently stimulated the secretion of chemokines, leading to the exacerbation of airway neutrophil inflammation.

The association of post-embryo transfer SARS-CoV-2 infection with early pregnancy outcomes in in vitro fertilization: a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The influence of SARS-CoV-2 infection after embryo transfer on early pregnancy outcomes in in vitro fertilization or intracytoplasmic sperm injection-embryo transfer treatment remains inadequately understood. This knowledge gap endures despite an abundance of studies investigating the repercussions of preceding SARS-CoV-2 infection on early pregnancy outcomes in spontaneous pregnancies. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the association between SARS-CoV-2 infection within 10 weeks after embryo transfer and early pregnancy outcomes in patients undergoing in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection treatment. STUDY DESIGN: This prospective cohort study was conducted at a single public in vitro fertilization center in China. Female patients aged 20 to 39 years, with a body mass index ranging from 18 to 30 kg/m2, undergoing in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection treatment, were enrolled between September 2022 and December 2022, with follow-up extended until March 2023. The study tracked SARS-CoV-2 infection time (≤14 days, ≤28 days, and ≤10 weeks after embryo transfer), symptoms, vaccination status, the interval between vaccination and embryo transfer, and early pregnancy outcomes, encompassing biochemical pregnancy rate, implantation rate, clinical pregnancy rate, and early miscarriage rate. The study used single-factor analysis and multivariate logistic regression to examine the association between SARS-CoV-2 infection status, along with other relevant factors, and the early pregnancy outcomes. RESULTS: A total of 857 female patients undergoing in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection treatment were analyzed. In the first stage, SARS-CoV-2 infection within 14 days after embryo transfer did not have a significant negative association with the biochemical pregnancy rate (adjusted odds ratio, 0.74; 95% confidence interval, 0.51-1.09). In the second stage, SARS-CoV-2 infection within 28 days after embryo transfer had no significant association with the implantation rate (36.6% in infected vs 44.0% in uninfected group; P=.181). No statistically significant association was found with the clinical pregnancy rate after adjusting for confounding factors (adjusted odds ratio, 0.69; 95% confidence interval, 0.56-1.09). In the third stage, SARS-CoV-2 infection within 10 weeks after embryo transfer had no significant association with the early miscarriage rate (adjusted odds ratio, 0.77; 95% confidence interval, 0.35-1.71). CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that SARS-CoV-2 infection within 10 weeks after embryo transfer may not be negatively associated with the biochemical pregnancy rate, implantation rate, clinical pregnancy rate, and early miscarriage rate in patients undergoing in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection treatment. It is important to note that these findings are specific to the target population of in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection patients aged 20 to 39 years, without previous SARS-CoV-2 infection, and with a body mass index of 18 to 30 kg/m2. This information offers valuable insights, addressing current concerns and providing a clearer understanding of the actual risk associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection after embryo transfer.

Anti-inflammatory bicyclic polyprenylated acylphloroglucinols with diverse architectures including an unprecedented 6/6/6 tricyclic core from Garcinia yunnanensis.

Garciyunnanol A (1), an unprecedented 1,2-seco-bicyclic polyprenylated acylphloroglucinol (BPAP) possessing a unique 6/6/6 tricyclic core, was characterized from Garcinia yunnanensis together with 16 BPAPs, including eight new compounds (garciyunnanols B-I, 2-9). Biogenetically, the bicyclo[3.3.1]nonane-2,4,9-trione moiety of 12 reconstructed the bicyclic δ-lactone core of 2 through Norrish type Ⅰ cleavage and cyclization, followed by a cyclization of two side chains to form an intriguing 6/6/6 tricyclic core of 1. Their structures were elucidated through analysis of spectroscopic data, calculation and comparison of ECD spectra. Bioactivity evaluation manifested that compounds 1, 2, 5, 6 and 14 demonstrated superior inhibition of NO production compared to the positive control dexamethasone. Notably, compound 5 exhibited a dose-dependent inhibitory effect on NO production, with an IC50 value of 0.25 ± 0.87 µM. Furthermore, experiments involving ELISA, Western blotting, and immunofluorescence staining revealed that 5 effectively reduced the secretion of interleukin-1ß in LPS plus nigericin-stimulated THP-1 macrophages by inhibiting the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome.

VNP20009-Abvec-Igκ-MIIP suppresses ovarian cancer progression by modulating Ras/MEK/ERK signaling pathway.

Ovarian cancer poses a significant threat to women's health, with conventional treatment methods encountering numerous limitations, and the emerging engineered bacterial anti-tumor strategies offer newfound hope for ovarian cancer treatment. In this study, we constructed the VNP20009-Abvec-Igκ-MIIP (VM) engineered strain and conducted initial assessments of its in vitro growth performance and the expression capability of migration/invasion inhibitory protein (MIIP). Subsequently, ID8 ovarian cancer cells and mouse cancer models were conducted to investigate the impact of VM on ovarian cancer. Our results revealed that the VM strain demonstrated superior growth performance, successfully invaded ID8 ovarian cancer cells, and expressed MIIP, consequently suppressing cell proliferation and migration. Moreover, VM specifically targeted tumor sites and expressed MIIP which further reduced the tumor volume of ovarian cancer mice (p < 0.01), via the downregulation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), Ras, p-MEK, and p-ERK. The downregulation of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway and the decrease in Bcl-2/Bax levels also indicated VM's apoptotic potency on ovarian cancer cells. In summary, our research demonstrated that VM exhibits promising anti-tumor effects both in vitro and in vivo, underscoring its potential for clinical treatment of ovarian cancer. KEY POINTS: • This study has constructed an engineered strain of Salmonella typhimurium capable of expressing anticancer proteins • The engineered bacteria can target and colonize tumor sites in vivo • VM can inhibit the proliferation, migration, and invasion of ovarian cancer cells.

Negative family and interpersonal relationship are associated with centromedial amygdala functional connectivity alterations in adolescent depression.

The amygdala, known for its functional heterogeneity, plays a critical role in the neural mechanism of adolescent major depressive disorder (aMDD). However, changes in its subregional functional networks in relation to stressful factors remain unclear. We recruited 78 comorbidity-free, medication-naive aMDD patients and 40 matched healthy controls (HC) to explore changes in resting-state functional connectivity (FC) across four amygdala subregions: the centromedial nucleus (CM), the basolateral nucleus (LB), the superficial nucleus (SF), and the amygdalostriatal transition area (Astr). Then, we performed partial correlation analysis to investigate the relationship between amygdala subregional FC and stressful factors as measured by the Chinese Version of Family Environment Scale (FES-CV) and the Adolescent Self-Rated Life Events Scale (ASLEC). Compared to HC, aMDD patients demonstrated significantly decreased functional connectivity between the left CM and left precentral gyrus, as well as between left SF and left precentral gyrus, and between left LB and posterior cingulate gyrus (PCC)/precuneus. In aMDD group, left CM-precentral gyrus FC exhibited negative correlation with interpersonal relationship and punishment, and positive correlation with family cohesion and expressiveness. This study reveals distinct patterns of abnormal functional connectivity among amygdala subregions in aMDD. Our findings suggest that the CM network, in particular, may be involved in stress-related factors in aMDD, which provide a potential target for the prevention and treatment of adolescent depression.

Calixarene-Based Supramolecular Sensor Array for Pesticide Discrimination.

The identification and detection of pesticides is crucial to protecting both the environment and human health. However, it can be challenging to conveniently and rapidly differentiate between different types of pesticides. We developed a supramolecular fluorescent sensor array, in which calixarenes with broad-spectrum encapsulation capacity served as recognition receptors. The sensor array exhibits distinct fluorescence change patterns for seven tested pesticides, encompassing herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides. With a reaction time of just three minutes, the sensor array proves to be a rapid and efficient tool for the discrimination of pesticides. Furthermore, this supramolecular sensing approach can be easily extended to enable real-time and on-site visual detection of varying concentrations of imazalil using a smartphone with a color scanning application. This work not only provides a simple and effective method for pesticide identification and quantification, but also offers a versatile and advantageous platform for the recognition of other analytes in relevant fields.

Age-related changes in the bacterial composition of healthy female facial skin in Beijing area.

OBJECTIVE: Exploring the effects of age on microbial community structure and understanding the effects of chronological ageing as well as sun exposure on microbial community diversity. METHOD: The microbial characteristics of the facial skin of 98 adult women aged 18-70 years were studied using 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and differences based on age and reported sun exposure were assessed. RESULTS: The cheek skin's bacterial diversity and richness increased with age. The relative abundance of Cutibacterium decreased with age, while the relative abundance of Corynebacterium, Anaerococcus, Paracoccus, Micrococcus, Kocuria, Kytococcus, and Chryseobacterium increased. In addition, an increase in Micrococcus and a decrease in Cutibacterium were observed in volunteers with more than 2 h of daily sun exposure compared to volunteers with <2 h of daily sun exposure. Under low-sunlight conditions, Cutibacterium was more prevalent in the youth group, and Corynebacterium, Anaerococcus, and Kytococcus were more prevalent in the older group. CONCLUSION: The diversity and composition of the bacterial community on the cheeks are affected by age and extrinsic factors (sun exposure) may also play a role in this.

OBJECTIF: Étudier les effets de l'âge sur la structure de la communauté microbienne et comprendre les effets du vieillissement chronologique ainsi que de l'exposition au soleil sur la diversité de la communauté microbienne. MÉTHODE: Les caractéristiques microbiennes de la peau du visage de 98 femmes adultes âgées de 18 à 70 ans ont été étudiées à l'aide du séquençage génétique de l'ARNr 16S, et les différences basées sur l'âge et l'exposition au soleil rapportée ont été évaluées. RÉSULTAT: La diversité et la richesse bactériennes de la peau des joues ont augmenté avec l'âge. L'abondance relative de Cutibacterium a diminué avec l'âge, tandis que l'abondance relative de Corynebacterium, Anaerococcus, Paracoccus, Micrococcus, Kocuria, Kytococcus et Chryseobacterium a augmenté. De plus, une augmentation de Micrococcus et une diminution de Cutibacterium ont été observées chez des volontaires ayant été exposés au soleil pendant plus de 2 heures par jour par rapport à des volontaires ayant été exposés au soleil pendant moins de 2 heures par jour. Dans des conditions de faible luminosité, Cutibacterium était plus prévalent dans le bras des personnes jeunes, et Corynebacterium, Anaerococcus et Kytococcus étaient plus prévalents dans le bras des personnes plus âgées. CONCLUSION: La diversité et la composition de la communauté bactérienne sur les joues sont affectées par l'âge et des facteurs extrinsèques (exposition au soleil) peuvent également y jouer un rôle.

Effects of Family Audio Recordings on Depression, Cognitive Function, and Sleep Quality of Individuals With Alzheimer's Disease: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

PURPOSE: To explore the effects of family audio recordings on depression, cognitive function, and sleep quality among individuals with Alzheimer's disease in nursing homes. METHOD: A randomized controlled study design was used, and 107 participants with Alzheimer's disease were stratified and randomly assigned to groups based on Clinical Dementia Rating Scale scores. The control group received usual care and health education, and the experimental group received usual care, health education, and a family audio recording intervention. RESULTS: The experimental group showed significantly lower depression scores compared to the control group post-intervention. A within-group comparison of sleep quality scores in the experimental group was significantly different. At post-intervention, cognitive function scores in the control group significantly decreased compared to before the intervention. CONCLUSION: Family audio recording interventions helped alleviate depression symptoms in individuals with Alzheimer's disease, improved their sleep quality, and delayed the progression of cognitive decline to some extent. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, xx(x), xx-xx.].

Phosphine-catalyzed ring-opening reaction of cyclopropenones with dicarbonyl compounds.

We developed a phosphine-catalyzed ring-opening reaction of cyclopropenones with dicarbonyl compounds as C-nucleophiles, leading to 1,3,3'-tricarbonyl compounds. During this neutral procedure, C-acylation is more dominant than O-acylation. This transition-metal free procedure features mild and neutral reaction conditions with good atom economy. As such, it represents a facile pathway to access 1,3,3'-tricarbonyl derivatives.

Dual-FBG bearing fault probe based on a CNN-LSTM-encoder network.

A centimeter-sized bearing fault probe based on dual-fiber Bragg grating vibration sensing is proposed. The probe can provide multi-carrier heterodyne vibration measurements based on swept source optical coherence tomography technology and the synchrosqueezed wavelet transform method to obtain a wider vibration frequency response range and collect more accurate vibration data. For the sequential characteristics of bearing vibration signals, we propose a convolutional neural network with long short-term memory and transformer encoder. This method is proven in bearing fault classification under variable working conditions, and the accuracy rate reaches 99.65%.

Changes in the skin microbiome during male maturation from 0 to 25 years of age.

BACKGROUND: Skin microorganisms co-develop with the human body and age influences the skin microenvironment and thus the skin bacterial community. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the changes in the skin microbiota during male development. METHODS: High-throughput 16S ribosomal RNA pyrosequencing was utilized to analyze the differences in bacterial composition of the skin in healthy males aged 0-25 years. RESULTS: There were significant differences in facial skin bacterial diversity (Shannon index) and richness (Chao index) among the 4 groups of subjects (p < 0.05). Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, Cutibacterium are dominant in males during growth, and regular changes occur with age after birth. Further analysis of skin bacteria between the 4 groups showed that the bacterial abundance of Cutibacterium acnes and Staphylococcus epidermidis tended to increase with age, and the bacterial abundance of Streptococcus, Rothia mucilaginosa, and Staphylococcus hominis tended to decrease with age. CONCLUSIONS: There are some changes in cheek skin bacterial diversity during male development, and there is a relationship between skin bacterial changes and skin development processes.

Comparison of Surgical Treatment Outcomes of Pediatric Medial Epicondyle Fractures With and Without Elbow Dislocation.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to compare surgical treatment outcomes of pediatric medial epicondyle fractures with and without elbow dislocation. METHODS: A total of 139 patients (75 boys and 64 girls; mean ± SD age, 9.6 ± 3.3 years) who received surgical treatment for medial epicondyle fractures at the Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from January 2012 to December 2018 were included in our study. There were 99 cases that had a medial epicondyle fracture alone (group A) and 40 cases had a concomitant elbow dislocation (group B). Pain, ulnar nerve palsy, and stability of the elbow joint were recorded. Robert's criteria was used to assess elbow function. RESULTS: The prevalence of ulnar nerve palsy was lower in group A compared to group B, both before and after surgery. More patients underwent ulnar nerve transposition in group B than in group A. The incidence of elbow valgus instability was higher in group B than in group A. At the final follow-up, all patients had achieved good radiographic restoration of the elbow joint. Clinical outcomes in group A, according to Robert's criteria, were better than those in group B. CONCLUSIONS: Elbow dislocation was associated with poorer functional outcomes following surgical treatment of medial epicondyle fractures in children. TYPE OF STUDY/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic IV.

Peach DELLA Protein PpeDGYLA Is Not Degraded in the Presence of Active GA and Causes Dwarfism When Overexpressed in Poplar and Arabidopsis.

Controlling the tree size of fruit species such as peach can reduce the amount of labor and input needed for orchard management. The phytohormone gibberellin (GA) positively regulates tree size by inducing degradation of the GA signaling repressor DELLA. The N-terminal DELLA domain in this protein is critical for its GA-dependent interaction with the GA receptor GID1 and the resulting degradation of the DELLA protein, which allows for growth-promoting GA signaling. In this study, a DELLA family member, PpeDGYLA, contains a DELLA domain but has amino acid changes in three conserved motifs (DELLA into DGYLA, LEQLE into LERLE, and TVHYNP into AVLYNP). In the absence or presence of GA3, the PpeDGYLA protein did not interact with PpeGID1c and was stable in 35S-PpeDGYLA peach transgenic callus. The overexpression of PpeDGYLA in both polar and Arabidopsis showed an extremely dwarfed phenotype, and these transgenic plants were insensitive to GA3 treatment. PpeDGYLA could interact with PpeARF6-1 and -2, supposed growth-promoting factors. It is suggested that the changes in the DELLA domain of PpeDGYLA may, to some extent, account for the severe dwarf phenotype of poplar and Arabidopsis transgenic plants. In addition, our study showed that the DELLA family contained three clades (DELLA-like, DELLA, and DGLLA). PpeDGYLA clustered into the DGLLA clade and was expressed in all of the analyzed tissues. These results lay the foundation for the further study of the repression of tree size by PpeDGYLA.

An Antitumor Dual-Responsive Host-Guest Supramolecular Polymer Based on Hypoxia-Cleavable Azocalix[4]arene.

The exploitation of specific guests which can respond to external stimuli is the main approach for the construction of stimuli-responsive supramolecular polymers (SPs) based on host-guest interactions. Most functional guests, however, fail to manifest stimuli-responses. Herein, a hypoxia-responsive dimeric azocalixarene (D-SAC4A) with outstanding hosting properties was used as the macrocyclic building block for the preparation of host stimuli-responsive SPs. Since azocalixarenes can also be compatible with stimuli-responsive guests, an antitumor drug, camptothecin (CPT), was chosen and linked via a disulfide-containing linker to afford a glutathione (GSH)-responsive ditropic guest (D-CPT). A unique dual-responsive SP was obtained by 1 : 1 mixing of D-SAC4A and D-CPT in water, which further assembled into SP nanoparticles (DSPNs). DSPNs displayed outstanding stability against dilution and biological interferants, as well as precise CPT-release under GSH and hypoxia conditions. In vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrated the good biosafety and tumor-suppressive effects of DSPNs.