Enhancing Circularly Polarized Luminescence in Quantum Dots through Chiral Coordination-Mediated Growth at the Liquid/Liquid Interface.

Here, we develop a novel methodology for synthesizing chiral CdSe@ZnS quantum dots (QDs) with enhanced circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) by incorporating l-/d-histidine (l-/d-His) ligands during ZnS shell growth at the water/oil interface. The resulting chiral QDs exhibit exceptional absolute photoluminescence quantum yield of up to 67.2%, surpassing the reported limits of 40.0% for chiral inorganic QDs, along with absorption dissymmetry factor (|gabs|) and luminescence dissymmetry factor (|glum|) values of 10-2, exceeding the range of 10-5-10-3 and 10-4-10-2, respectively. Detailed investigations of the synthetic pathway reveal that the interface, as a binary synthetic environment, facilitates the coordinated ligand exchange and shell growth mediated by chiral His-Zn2+ coordination complexes, leading to a maximum fluorescent brightness and chiroptical activities. The growth process, regulated by the His-Zn2+ coordination complex, not only reduces trap states on the CdSe surface, thereby enhancing the fluorescence intensity, but also significantly promotes the orbital hybridization between QDs and chiral ligands, effectively overcoming the shielding effect of the wide bandgap shell and imparting pronounced chirality. The proposed growth pathway elucidates the origin of chirality and provides insights into the regulation of the CPL intensity in chiral QDs. Furthermore, the application of CPL QDs in multilevel anticounterfeiting systems overcomes the limitations of replication in achiral fluorescence materials and enhances the system's resistance to counterfeiting, thus opening new opportunities for chiral QDs in optical anticounterfeiting and intelligent information encryption.

Aptamer-Gated Ion Channel for Ultrasensitive Mucin 1 Detection.

Detection of cancer markers is important for early diagnosis and timely treatment of cancer. In this study, we fabricated a tailorable gold nanofilm-anodized aluminum oxide (Au-AAO) ion channel through nanoparticle self-assembly and proposed a highly sensitive and selective Mucin 1 (MUC1) detection method. By engineering the optimal layers of the Au-AAO ion channel and encoding the aptamer between the interlayers, a highly controllable ion rectification phenomenon was observed. From this, the relationship between the rectification ratio (RR) and the concentration of MUC1 was established and the highly sensitive detection of MUC1 is achieved. We found that the aptamer-modified Au-AAO ion channel has a good linear range within the MUC1 concentration of 1-104 fg mL-1 and the limit of detection (LOD) was as low as 0.0364 fg mL-1 (0.0025 aM). Thus, this research opens a new horizon for fabricating multi-functional ion channels as well as developing ultrasensitive detection technologies.

Human Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy Mitigates Interstitial Cystitis by Inhibiting Mast Cells.

BACKGROUND Interstitial cystitis (IC) is a recurrent and chronic inflammatory disease that compromises patients' quality of life. Effective treatments for IC are limited. This study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic potency of human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (UC-MSCs) in an IC-induced rat model and investigate the potential molecular mechanism in a mast cell model (rat basophilic leukemia cells, RBL-2H3) in treating IC in a coculture system. MATERIAL AND METHODS The rat model of IC was induced by cyclophosphamide (CYP). Rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: sham, IC+PBS, and IC+MSC. In the coculture system, RBL-2H3 cells were sensitized overnight to Compound 48/80 (C48/80), cocultured with UC-MSCs for 3 days, and collected for subsequent experiments. RBL-2H3 cells were randomly divided into 3 groups: sham, C48, and UC-MSCs (C48+MSC). RESULTS The UC-MSCs marked by thymidine analog 5-ethynyl-2-deoxyuridine (EdU) were transplanted in the treatment group, and were densely distributed in the bladder. Accordingly, the conscious cystometry was measured and the bladder tissues were harvested. Compared with the sham group, the treated IC rats exhibited shorter bladder voiding intervals (307±35 vs 217±37 s; P<0.01), more integral epithelia, and less collagen fiber aggregation, infiltration and degranulation of mast cells, and inflammatory cytokines in the bladder tissue. In the coculture system, compared with the C48 group, the UC-MSC-treated RBL-2H3 cells had suppressed degranulation. CONCLUSIONS UC-MSCs treatment showed a promising therapeutic effect on treating IC in vivo and in vitro. UC-MSCs inhibit mast cell degranulation in IC and could be a potential therapeutic target to ameliorate inflammation in IC.

Chiral Self-Assembled Film from Semiconductor Nanorods with Ultra-Strong Circularly Polarized Luminescence.

Chiroptical nanomaterials have generated significant levels of interest for generating strong circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) signals. We used the Langmuir-Schaeffer technique to generate the continuous and compact assembly of CdSe/CdS chiral film. We assembled achiral CdSe/CdS nanorods by controlling the number of layers and angles between different layers. This allowed us to tailor chiroptical properties to achieve high CPL signals. The chiral film was symmetrical and had the highest circular dichroism (CD) response and CPL signals with ten layers (RH (right-handed)-/LH (left-handed)-5 + 5 layers) and a 45° inter-angle. Specifically, RH-5+5 of the chiral film exhibited 1431 mdeg of CD activity and strong CPL signals with a dissymmetry factor (glum) of 0.0997. The helical stacked crystal plates with linear birefringence resulted in strong circular birefringence, as determined by the Reusch model. Electromagnetic simulations indicated that such remarkable optical activity was attributed to the birefringence and dichroism of the well-aligned CdSe/CdS nanorod layers in the chiral films. Under right/left circular polarized (RCP/LCP) light excitation, the well aligned semiconductor nanorods exhibited differences in the coupling efficiencies to RCP and LCP light. Our CdSe/CdS chiral films, which exhibit ultra-strong CPL activity, will provide a novel strategy for the fabrication of chiroptical devices.

Tailored Chiral Copper Selenide Nanochannels for Ultrasensitive Enantioselective Recognition and Detection.

We constructed a tailorable membrane channel system consisting of penicillamine molecules intercalated in copper selenide nanoparticles (Cu2-x Se NPs), which exhibited circular dichroism (CD) bands in the near infrared region (CD, 800-1600 nm) with a maximum intensity of 164.5 mdeg at 1440 nm. The chiral ligand hybridized to the surface of achiral Cu2-x Se NPs by breaking the intrinsic symmetry of Cu2-x Se NPs and further large-scale assembly induced strong optical activity. The fabricated multilayer chiral membrane achieved an increased rectification ratio (RR) up to 114. The integration of penicillamine allowed for high enantioselective recognition against naproxen,which displayed high sensitivity with a limit of detection (LOD) as low as 0.027 nM.

The Self-Retaining Barbed Suture for Parenchymal Repair in Laparoscopic Partial Nephrectomy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objectives. The warm ischemia time (WIT) is key to successful laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (LPN). The aim of this study was to perform a meta-analysis comparing the self-retaining barbed suture (SRBS) with a non-SRBS for parenchymal repair during LPN. Methods. A systematic search of PubMed, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library was performed up to March 2018. Inclusion criteria for this study were randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational comparative studies assessing the SRBS and non-SRBS for parenchymal repair during LPN. Outcomes of interest included WIT, complications, overall operative time, estimated blood loss, length of hospital stay, and change of renal function. Results. One RCT and 7 retrospective studies were identified, which included a total of 461 cases. Compared with the non-SRBS, use of the SRBS for parenchymal repair during LPN was associated with shorter WIT (P < .00001), shorter overall operative time (P < .00001), lower estimated blood loss (P = .02), and better renal function preservation (P = .001). There was no significant difference between the SRBS and non-SRBS with regard to complications (P = .08) and length of hospital stay (P = .25). Conclusions. The SRBS for parenchymal repair during LPN can significantly shorten the WIT and overall operative time, decrease blood loss, and preserve renal function.

Self-Assembled Gold Arrays That Allow Rectification by Nanoscale Selectivity.

The deposition of a monolayer nanoarray on the surface of a micrometer-thick substrate is demonstrated, producing rectification characteristics at the nanoscale. The experimental results show that the heterogeneity of the structure and the charge density are the two key factors affecting rectification, which was confirmed with molecular dynamic (MD) and finite element simulations. Moreover, by altering the asymmetric electrolyte environment, the fabricated heterogeneous membrane can be used in energy conversion. This study provides insights into the mechanism underlying the generation of rectification and related factors, providing a theoretical basis for the characteristics of rectification.

Endoplasmic reticulum stress induced LOX-1+ CD15+ polymorphonuclear myeloid-derived suppressor cells in hepatocellular carcinoma.

A recent study indicated that Lectin-type oxidized LDL receptor-1 (LOX-1) was a distinct surface marker for human polymorphisms myeloid-derived suppressor cells (PMN-MDSC). The present study was aimed to investigate the existence LOX-1 PMN-MDSC in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. One hundred and twenty-seven HCC patients, 10 patients with mild active chronic hepatitis B, 10 liver cirrhosis due to hepatitis B, 10 liver dysplastic node with hepatitis B and 50 health control were included. LOX-1+  CD15+ PMN-MDSC were significantly elevated in HCC patients compared with healthy control and patients with benign diseases. LOX-1+  CD15+ PMN-MDSC in circulation were positively associated with those in HCC tissues. LOX-1+  CD15+ PMN-MDSCs significantly reduced proliferation and IFN-γ production of T cells with a dosage dependent manner with LOX-1-  CD15+ PMNs reached negative results. The suppression on T cell proliferation and IFN-γ production was reversed by ROS inhibitor and Arginase inhibitor. ROS level and activity of arginase of LOX-1 + CD15+ PMN were higher in LOX-1+  CD15+ PMN-MDSCs than LOX-1-  CD15+ PMNs, as well as the expression of the NADPH oxidase NOX2 and arginase I. RNA sequence revealed that LOX-1+ CD15+ PMN-MDSCs displayed significantly higher expression of spliced X-box -binding protein 1 (sXBP1), an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress marker. ER stress inducer induced LOX-1 expression and suppressive function for CD15+ PMN from health donor. For HCC patients, LOX-1+  CD15+ PMN-MDSCs were positively related to overall survival. Above all, LOX-1+  CD15+ PMN-MDSC were elevated in HCC patients and suppressed T cell proliferation through ROS/Arg I pathway induced by ER stress. They presented positive association with the prognosis of HCC patients.

Chiral Shell Core-Satellite Nanostructures for Ultrasensitive Detection of Mycotoxin.

Herein, the design of a DNA-based chiral biosensor is described utilizing the self-assembly of shell core-gold (Au) satellite nanostructures for the detection of mycotoxin, ochratoxin A (OTA). The assembly of core-satellite nanostructures based on OTA-aptamer binding exhibits a strong chiral signal with an intense circular dichroism (CD) peak. The integrity of the assembly of core-satellite nanostructures is limited to some extent in the presence of different levels of OTA. Correspondingly, the chiral intensity of assembly is weakened with increasing OTA concentrations, allowing quantitative determination of the target. The developed chiral sensor shows an excellent linear relationship between the CD signal and concentrations of OTA in the range of 0.1-5 pg mL-1 with a limit of detection as low as 0.037 pg mL-1 . The effectiveness of the biosensor in a sample of red wine is verified and a good recovery rate is obtained. These results suggest that the strategy has great potential for practical application.

A strategy of novel molecular hydrogen-producing antioxidative auxiliary system improves virus production in cell bioreactor.

In the increasing demand for virus vaccines, large-scale production of safe, efficient, and economical viral antigens has become a significant challenge. High-cell-density manufacturing processes are the most commonly used to produce vaccine antigens and protein drugs. However, the cellular stress response in large-scale cell culture may directly affect host cell growth and metabolism, reducing antigen production and increasing production costs. This study provided a novel strategy of the antioxidant auxiliary system (AAS) to supply molecular hydrogen (H2) into the cell culture media via proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolysis. Integrated with a high-density cell bioreactor, the AAS aims to alleviate cellular stress response and increase viral vaccine production. In the results, the AAS stably maintained H2 concentration in media even in the high-air exposure tiding cell bioreactor. H2 treatment was shown safe to cell culture and effectively alleviated oxidative stress. In two established virus cultures models, bovine epidemic fever virus (BEFV) and porcine circovirus virus type 2 (PCV-2), were employed to verify the efficacy of AAS. The virus yield was increased by 3.7 and 2.5 folds in BEFV and PCV-2 respectively. In conclusion, the AAS-connected bioreactor effectively alleviated cellular oxidative stress and enhanced virus production in high-density cell culture.

Transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation reduces postoperative patients' length of stay and hospitalization costs: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) on length of stay (LOS) and hospitalization costs in postoperative inpatients. METHODS: Two researchers collectively searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, China Network Knowledge Infrastructure and Wanfang Database. The search time was set from the beginning to April 25, 2023, to identify randomized controlled trials articles that met the criteria. Statistical analyses were performed using the Stata software (version 16.0). The risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool, and publication bias was evaluated using a funnel plot and Egger's test. The quality of evidence was assessed according to the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation approach. RESULTS: Thirty-four randomized controlled trials were included. The main results showed that TEAS reduced hospitalization costs (standardized mean difference (SMD)=-1.92; 95% confidence interval (CI) -3.40, -0.43), LOS (SMD=-1.00; 95% CI -1.30, -0.70) and postoperative LOS (SMD=-0.70; 95% CI -0.91, -0.49) in postoperative patients. Subgroup analyses further revealed that TEAS was effective in reducing both the overall and postoperative LOS in patients undergoing multiple surgical procedures. It is worth noting that the observed heterogeneity in the results may be attributed to variations in surgical procedures, stimulation frequencies, and stimulation points utilized in different trials. CONCLUSIONS: TEAS can help postoperative patients reduce their LOS and hospitalization cost. However, considering the bias identified and heterogeneity, the results of this review should be interpreted with caution.

Water Plays Multifunctional Roles in the Intervening Formation of Secondary Organic Aerosols in Ozonolysis of Limonene: A Valence Photoelectron Spectroscopy and Density Functional Theory Study.

Although water may affect aqueous aerosol chemistry, how it intervenes in the formation of secondary organic aerosols (SOAs) at the molecular level remains elusive. Ozonolysis of limonene is one of the most important sources of indoor SOAs. Here, we report the valence electronic properties of limonene aerosols and SOAs derived from limonene ozonolysis (Lim-SOAs) via aerosol vacuum ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy, with a focus on the effects of water on Lim-SOAs. The first vertical ionization energy of limonene aerosols is measured to be 8.79 ± 0.07 eV. While water significantly increases the total photoelectron yield of Lim-SOAs, three photoelectron features attributable to Lim-SOAs each exhibit distinct dependence on the fraction of water in aerosols, implying that different formation pathways and molecular origins are involved in the formation of Lim-SOAs. Combined with density functional theory calculation and mass spectrometry measurements, this study reveals that water, particularly the water dimer, enhances the formation of Lim-SOAs by altering the ozonolysis energetics and pathways by intervening in its Criegee chemistry, acting as both a catalyst and a reactant. The atmospheric implication is discussed.

Formation reaction mechanism and infrared spectra of anti-trans-methacrolein oxide and its associated precursor and adduct radicals.

Methacrolein oxide (MACRO) is an important carbonyl oxide produced in ozonolysis of isoprene, the most abundantly-emitted non-methane hydrocarbon in the atmosphere. We employed a step-scan Fourier-transform infrared spectrometer to investigate the source reaction of MACRO in laboratories. Upon UV irradiation of precursor CH2IC(CH3)CHI (1), the CH2C(CH3)CHI radical (2) was detected, confirming the fission of the allylic C‒I bond rather than the vinylic C‒I bond. Upon UV irradiation of (1) and O2 near 21 Torr, anti-trans-MACRO (3a) was observed to have an intense OO-stretching band near 917 cm-1, much greater than those of syn-CH3CHOO and (CH3)2COO, supporting a stronger O‒O bond in MACRO because of resonance stabilization. At increased pressure (86‒346 Torr), both reaction adducts CH2C(CH3)CHIOO (4) and (CHI)C(CH3)CH2OO (5) radicals were observed, indicating that O2 can add to either carbon of the delocalized propenyl radical moiety of (2). The yield of MACRO is significantly smaller than other carbonyl oxides.

A Ferroptosis-Related Gene Signature for Predicting Survival and Immunotherapy Effect in Renal Cancer.

Background: Most recently, no efficient prognostic indictor is present for kidney cancer. Thus, we aimed to build and validate a new prognostic gene signature for renal cancer patients using the Cancer Genomic Atlas (TCGA). Methods: A "time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (tROC)" curve was generated, and a log-rank test was performed to assess the performance of the biomarker in training and validation. A "ferroptosis-related gene signature" was developed. In different training and validations sets, tROC and log-rank test were used to validate the biomarker's performance. Results: In the training set with a P value less than 0.01 and the validation set, the "gene signature" was significantly correlated with survival. Eventually, it was found that the ferroptosis-related gene signature was directly correlated with immune score and the score of tumor mutation, suggesting its role in predicting response to immunotherapy. Conclusion: We developed and validated a "ferroptosis-related gene signature" that can be sued for patients with kidney cancer. It can also assist in facilitating the plan for treatment and risk stratification.

Magnetic Field Tuning Ionic Current Generated by Chiromagnetic Nanofilms.

The realization of chiral magnetic effect by macroscopically manipulating quantum states of chiral matter under the magnetic field makes a future for information transmission, memory storage, magnetic cooling materials etc., while the microscopic tiny signal differences of at the interface electrons are laborious to be discerned. Here, chiromagnetic iron oxide (Fe3O4) nanofilms were successfully prepared by modulating the magnetic and electrical transition dipoles and combined with confined ion transport, enabling magnetic field-tunable ionic currents with markedly ∼7.91-fold higher for l-tartaric acid (TA)-modified Fe3O4 nanofilms than that by d-TA. The apparent amplification results from the charge redistribution at the ferromagnetic-organic interface under the influence of the chiral magnetic effect, resulting in a significant potential difference across the nanofilms that drive ion transport in the confined environment. This strategy, on the one hand, makes it possible to efficiently characterize the electronic microimbalance state in chiral substances induced by the magnetic field and, on the other hand realizes the discrimination and highly sensitive quantitative detection of chiral drug enantiomers, which give insights for the in-depth understanding of chiral magnetic effects and efficient enantiomeric recognition.

Polarization-sensitive optoionic membranes from chiral plasmonic nanoparticles.

Optoelectronic effects differentiating absorption of right and left circularly polarized photons in thin films of chiral materials are typically prohibitively small for their direct photocurrent observation. Chiral metasurfaces increase the electronic sensitivity to circular polarization, but their out-of-plane architecture entails manufacturing and performance trade-offs. Here, we show that nanoporous thin films of chiral nanoparticles enable high sensitivity to circular polarization due to light-induced polarization-dependent ion accumulation at nanoparticle interfaces. Self-assembled multilayers of gold nanoparticles modified with L-phenylalanine generate a photocurrent under right-handed circularly polarized light as high as 2.41 times higher than under left-handed circularly polarized light. The strong plasmonic coupling between the multiple nanoparticles producing planar chiroplasmonic modes facilitates the ejection of electrons, whose entrapment at the membrane-electrolyte interface is promoted by a thick layer of enantiopure phenylalanine. Demonstrated detection of light ellipticity with equal sensitivity at all incident angles mimics phenomenological aspects of polarization vision in marine animals. The simplicity of self-assembly and sensitivity of polarization detection found in optoionic membranes opens the door to a family of miniaturized fluidic devices for chiral photonics.

Signature Panel of 11 Methylated mRNAs and 3 Methylated lncRNAs for Prediction of Recurrence-Free Survival in Prostate Cancer Patients.

BACKGROUND: Radical prostatectomy is the main treatment for prostate cancer (PCa), a common cancer type among men. Recurrence frequently occurs in a proportion of patients. Therefore, there is a great need to early screen those patients to specifically schedule adjuvant therapy to improve the recurrence-free survival (RFS) rate. This study aims to develop a biomarker to predict RFS for patients with PCa based on the data of methylation, an important heritable contributor to carcinogenesis. METHODS: Methylation expression data of PCa patients were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), Gene Expression Omnibus database (GSE26126), and the European Bioinformatics Institute (E-MTAB-6131). The stable co-methylation modules were identified by weighted gene co-expression network analysis. The genes in modules were overlapped with differentially methylated RNAs (DMRs) screened by MetaDE package in three datasets, which were used to screen the prognostic genes using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator analyses. The prognostic performance of the prognostic signature was assessed by survival curve analysis. RESULTS: Five co-methylation modules were considered preserved in three datasets. A total of 192 genes in these 5 modules were overlapped with 985 DMRs, from which a signature panel of 11 methylated messenger RNAs and 3 methylated long non-coding RNAs was identified. This signature panel could independently predict the 5-year RFS of PCa patients, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.969 for the training TCGA dataset and 0.811 for the testing E-MTAB-6131 dataset, both of which were higher than the predictive accuracy of Gleason score (AUC = 0.689). Also, the patients with the same Gleason score (6-7 or 8-10) could be further divided into the high-risk group and the low-risk group. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that our prognostic model may be a promising biomarker for clinical prediction of RFS in PCa patients.

Malignant priapism as the initial presentation induced by the metastasis of renal clear cell carcinoma after radical nephrectomy.

The priapism secondary to the tumor metastasis to penis is rare. We described a case of a patient with priapism caused by the metastasis of renal cell carcinoma after radical nephrectomy. The previous reported cases found in the literature were reviewed. The pathophysiology, diagnosis, management and prognosis were discussed. Renal cell carcinoma metastasis to penis usually represents a more advanced stage of disease and carries a poor prognosis. The therapy is only palliative.

Genome-wide identification of the tea plant bHLH transcription factor family and discovery of candidate regulators of trichome formation.

Leaf trichomes play vital roles in plant resistance and the quality of tea. Basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors (TFs) play an important role in regulating plant development and growth. In this study, a total of 134 CsbHLH proteins were identified in the Camellia sinensis var. sinensis (CSS) genome. They were divided into 17 subgroups according to the Arabidopsis thaliana classification. Phylogenetic tree analysis indicated that members of subgroups IIIc-I and IIIc-II might be associated with trichome formation. The expression patterns of CsbHLH116, CsbHLH133, CsbHLH060, CsbHLH028, CsbHLH024, CsbHLH112 and CsbHLH053 from clusters 1, 3 and 5 were similar to the trichome distribution in tea plants. CsbHLH024 and CsbHLH133 were located in the cell nucleus and possessed transcriptional activation ability. They could interact with CsTTG1, which is a regulator of tea trichome formation. This study provides useful information for further research on the function of CsbHLHs in trichome formation.