The association between sarcopenia and incident of depressive symptoms: a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Epidemiological studies have shown that sarcopenia was associated with depression among older adults. However, most of these investigations used a cross-sectional design, limiting the ability to establish a causal relation, the present study examined whether sarcopenia was associated with incident depressive symptoms. METHODS: This is a prospective cohort study with participants from the Western China Health and Aging Trends (WCHAT) study. Participants could complete anthropometric measurements and questionnaires were included. The exposure was sarcopenia, defined according to the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia in 2019, the outcome was depressive symptoms, evaluated by GDS-15. We excluded depression and depressive symptoms at baseline and calculated the risk of incident depressive symptoms during the follow-up year. RESULTS: A total of 2612 participants (mean age of 62.14 ± 8.08 years) were included, of which 493 with sarcopenia. 78 (15.82%) participants with sarcopenia had onset depressive symptoms within the next year. After multivariable adjustment, sarcopenia increased the risk of depressive symptoms (RR = 1.651, 95%CI = 1.087-2.507, P = 0.0187) in overall participants. Such relationship still exists in gender and sarcopenia severity subgroups. Low muscle mass increased the risk of depressive symptoms (RR = 1.600, 95%CI = 1.150-2.228, P = 0.0053), but low muscle strength had no effect (RR = 1.250, 95%CI = 0.946-1.653, P = 0.117). CONCLUSIONS: Sarcopenia is an independent risk factor for depressive symptoms, Precautions to early detect and targeted intervene for sarcopenia should continue to be employed in adult with sarcopenia to achieve early prevention for depression and reduce the incidence of adverse clinical outcomes.

Antioxidant System and Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in Cataracts.

The primary underlying contributor for cataract, a leading cause of vision impairment and blindness worldwide, is oxidative stress. Oxidative stress triggers protein damage, cell apoptosis, and subsequent cataract formation. The nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) serves as a principal redox transcriptional factor in the lens, offering a line of defense against oxidative stress. In response to oxidative challenges, Nrf2 dissociates from its inhibitor, Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1), moves to the nucleus, and binds to the antioxidant response element (ARE) to activate the Nrf2-dependent antioxidant system. In parallel, oxidative stress also induces endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS). Reactive oxygen species (ROS), generated during oxidative stress, can directly damage proteins, causing them to misfold. Initially, the unfolded protein response (UPR) activates to mitigate excessive misfolded proteins. Yet, under persistent or severe stress, the failure to rectify protein misfolding leads to an accumulation of these aberrant proteins, pushing the UPR towards an apoptotic pathway, further contributing to cataractogenesis. Importantly, there is a dynamic interaction between the Nrf2 antioxidant system and the ERS/UPR mechanism in the lens. This interplay, where ERS/UPR can modulate Nrf2 expression and vice versa, holds potential therapeutic implications for cataract prevention and treatment. This review explores the intricate crosstalk between these systems, aiming to illuminate strategies for future advancements in cataract prevention and intervention. The Nrf2-dependent antioxidant system communicates and cross-talks with the ERS/UPR pathway. Both mechanisms are proposed to play pivotal roles in the onset of cataract formation.

Climate change mitigation potential of Louisiana's coastal area: Current estimates and future projections.

Coastal habitats can play an important role in climate change mitigation. As Louisiana implements its climate action plan and the restoration and risk-reduction projects outlined in its 2017 Louisiana Coastal Master Plan, it is critical to consider potential greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes in coastal habitats. This study estimated the potential climate mitigation role of existing, converted, and restored coastal habitats for years 2005, 2020, 2025, 2030, and 2050, which align with the Governor of Louisiana's GHG reduction targets. An analytical framework was developed that considered (1) available scientific data on net ecosystem carbon balance fluxes per habitat and (2) habitat areas projected from modeling efforts used for the 2017 Louisiana Coastal Master Plan to estimate the net GHG flux of coastal area. The coastal area was estimated as net GHG sinks of -38.4 ± 10.6 and -43.2 ± 12.0 Tg CO2 equivalents (CO2 e) in 2005 and 2020, respectively. The coastal area was projected to remain a net GHG sink in 2025 and 2030, both with and without the implementation of Coastal Master Plan projects (means ranged from -25.3 to -34.2 Tg CO2 e). By 2050, with model-projected wetland loss and conversion of coastal habitats to open water due to coastal erosion and relative sea level rise, Louisiana's coastal area was projected to become a net source of GHG emissions both with and without the Coastal Master Plan projects. However, in the year 2050, the Louisiana Coastal Master Plan project implementation was projected to avoid the release of +8.8 ± 1.3 Tg CO2 e compared with an alternative with no action. Reduction in current and future stressors to coastal habitats, including impacts from sea level rise, as well as the implementation of restoration projects could help to ensure coastal areas remain a natural climate solution.

Difunctional Fluorescent Probes for Iron and Hydrogen Sulfide Detection Based on Diphenyl Derivative.

In order to better monitor the content of Fe3+ and H2S in the biological environment, two new fluorescent probes were designed and synthesized. With the addition of Fe3+, the strong fluorescence emission of two probes was significantly quenched due to the paramagnetic effect of Fe3+. With the further addition of S2-, the fluorescence intensity was quickly restored. Two probes showed high selectivity and strong sensitivity for the detection of Fe3+ and S2-, and the fluorescence intensity "ON-OFF-ON" was accompanied with the interaction process. At the same time, two probes displayed good anti-interference ability which was not interfered by the existence of other ions. In addition, two probes illustrated fast response time to Fe3+, S2- and small cytotoxicity to cells. Therefore, two probes can provide a potential ideal tool for detecting Fe3+ and H2S in organisms and the environment.

The Diagnosis of Gastric Cancer due to a Parathyroid Adenoma Almost Missed in a Hypercalcemia Patient with Severe Vomiting.

BACKGROUND: Hypercalcemia is a relatively common clinical problem. However, the differential diagnosis between hypercalcemia combined with hyperparathyroidism and a malignant tumor is difficult. METHODS: Appropriate laboratory tests, ultrasound and static imaging of the parathyroid, electronic gastroscopy, and histological examinations were used. RESULTS: The patient was found to have primary hyperparathyroidism due to hypercalcemia, with a parathyroid adenoma visible on color Doppler ultrasound and PET. The hypercalcemia was corrected after surgical resection. As the symptoms of nausea and vomiting did not improve, further investigations were undertaken, and gastric cancer was found on gastroscopy. CONCLUSIONS: Both primary hyperparathyroidism and gastric tumors may present with symptoms of nausea and vomiting. Clinically, multiple disease possibilities should be considered to explain a particular symptom.

Ultrasensitive levofloxacin electrochemical biosensor based on semiconducting covalent organic framework/poly-L-cysteine/triangular Ag nanoplates modified glassy carbon electrode.

A novel electrochemical biosensor with excellent performance was fabricated for levofloxacin (LEV) detection, which adopted triangular Ag nanoplates (Tri-AgNP) confined in a poly-L-cysteine (poly-L-Cys) film and a semiconducting covalent organic framework (COF) as the electrochemical sensing material. The developed electrochemical sensor revealed excellent analytical properties because of its good electrical conductivity, fast electron transfer, and abundant bioactive site. Based on this, a linear relationship between the LEV concentration and the peak current response at 0.92 V was obtained under the optimal experimental conditions by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV), with a wide linear range of 0.05 to 600 µM and a low limit of detection (LOD) of 0.0061 µM. The prepared sensor also realized sensitive and accurate determination of LEV in human serum and urine samples by standard addition method, with satisfactory recoveries (97.1 to 104%) and a low relative standard deviation of less than 4.6%. These results indicated that the novel ternary system has a promising application in the development of electrochemical signal probe and electrochemical biosensing platform.

Side Group of Hydrophobic Amino Acids Controls Chiral Discrimination among Chiral Counterions and Metal-Organic Cages.

The self-assembly of chiral Pd12L24 metal-organic cages (MOCs) based on hydrophobic amino acids, including alanine (Ala), valine (Val), and leucine (Leu), into single-layered hollow spherical blackberry-type structures is triggered by nitrates through counterion-mediated attraction. In addition to nitrates, anionic N-(tert-butoxycarbonyl) (Boc)-protected Ala, Val, and Leu were used as chiral counterions during the self-assembly of d-MOCs. Previously, we showed that l-Ala suppresses the self-assembly process of d-Pd12Ala24 but has no effect on l-Pd12Ala24, i.e., chiral discrimination. Here, we indicate when the amino acid used as the chiral counterion has a bulkier side group than the amino acid in the MOC structure, no chiral discrimination exists; otherwise, chiral discrimination exists. For example, Ala can induce chiral discrimination in all chiral MOCs, whereas Leu can induce chiral discrimination only in Pd12Leu24. Moreover, chiral anionic d- and l-alanine-based surfactants have no chiral discrimination, indicating that bulkier chiral counterions with more hydropohobic side groups can erase chiral discrimination.

Research Progress on B Cells and Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm/Dissection.

Thoracic aortic aneurysm/dissection (TAAD) is a rare cardiovascular disease characterized by acute onset, rapid progression and high morbidity and mortality. One of the crucial factors leading to TAAD is the inflammatory response, which is regulated by many immune cell subgroups, including B cells. Compared with normal aortic tissue, the number of B cells in the aortic tissue of TAAD patients is significantly higher. Activated B cells participate in the vascular immune inflammatory response by producing antibodies and inflammatory factors and activating the complement system. These effects can lead to collagen degradation and aortic wall remodeling, both of which are the main pathologic characteristics of TAAD. Therefore, B cells play a key role in the occurrence and development of TAAD. B cells can be divided into B1 cells, B2 cells and regulatory B cells, which have different mechanisms of action in TAAD. This article will review the role of B cells in TAAD from the perspective of three different subtypes of B cells.

Causal association of childhood obesity with cancer risk in adulthood: A Mendelian randomization study.

In observational studies of children and adolescents, higher body weight has been associated with distinct disease outcomes, including cancer, in adulthood. Therefore, we performed a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study to evaluate the causal effect of childhood obesity on long-term cancer risk. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms associated with higher childhood body mass index (BMI) from large-scale genome-wide association studies were used as genetic instruments. Summary-level data for 24 site-specific cancers were obtained from UK Biobank. We found that a 1-SD increase in childhood BMI (kg/m2 ) was significantly associated with a 60% increase in risk of pancreatic cancer (odds ratio [OR]: 1.60; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.12-2.28; P < 0.01) and a 47% increase in risk of esophageal cancer (OR: 1.47; 95% CI: 1.09-1.97; P < 0.01) in adults. In contrast, there was an inverse association of genetic predisposition to childhood obesity with throat (OR: 0.46; 95% CI: 0.27-0.79; P < 0.01) and breast cancer (OR: 0.77; 95% CI: 0.64-0.94; P < 0.01) in adult life. For the other 20 cancers studied, no statistically significant association was observed. Our MR analyses found causal effects of childhood obesity on several cancers. Maintaining a healthy weight should be emphasized during childhood and adolescence to prevent cancer risk later in life.

Self Assembled Cages with Mechanically Interlocked Cucurbiturils.

We report preparation of (bis)aniline ligand 4 which contains a central viologen binding domain and its subcomponent self-assembly with aldehyde 5 and Fe(OTf)2 in CH3CN to yield tetrahedral assembly 6. Complexation of ligand 4 with CB[7] in the form of CB[7]•4•2PF6 allows the preparation of assembly 7 which contains an average of 1.95 (range 1-3) mechanically interlocked CB[7] units. Assemblies 6 and 7 are hydrolytically unstable in water due to their imine linkages. Redesign of our system with water stable 2,2'-bipyridine end groups was realized in the form of ligands 11 and 16 which also contain a central viologen binding domain. Self-assembly of 11 with Fe(NTf2)2 gave tetrahedral MOP 12 as evidenced by 1H NMR, DOSY, and mass spectrometric analysis. In contrast, isomeric ligand 16 underwent self-assembly with Fe(OTf)2 to give cubic assembly 17. Precomplexation of ligands 11 and 16 with CB[7] gave the acetonitrile soluble CB[7]•11•2PF6 and CB[7]•16•2PF6 complexes. Self-assembly of CB[7]•11•2PF6 with Fe(OTf)2 gave tetrahedron 13 which contains on average 1.8 mechanically interlocked CB[7] units as determined by 1H NMR, DOSY, and ESI-MS analysis. Self-assembly of CB[7]•16•2PF6 with Fe(OTf)2 gave cube 13 which contains 6.59 mechanically interlocked CB[7] units as determined by 1H NMR and DOSY measurements.

Coordination-Assembled Water-Soluble Anionic Lanthanide Organic Polyhedra for Luminescent Labeling and Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

Lanthanide-containing functional complexes have found a variety of applications in materials science and biomedicine because of their unique electroptical and magnetic properties. However, the poor stability and solubility in water of multicomponent lanthanide organic assemblies significantly limit their practical applications. We report here a series of water-stable anionic Ln2nL3n-type (n = 2, 3, 4, and 5) lanthanide organic polyhedra (LOPs) constructed by deprotonation self-assembly of three fully conjugated ligands (H4L1 and H4L2a/b) featuring a 2,6-pyridine bitetrazolate chelating moiety. The outcomes of the LOPs formation reactions were found to be very sensitive toward the reaction conditions including base, metal source, solvents, and concentrations as characterized by a combination of NMR, high-resolution ESI-MS and X-ray crystallography. Ligands H4L2a/b manifested an excellent sensitization toward lanthanide ions (Ln = EuIII and TbIII), with high luminescent quantum yields for Tb8L2a12 (Φ = 11.2% in water) and Eu8L2b12 (Φ = 76.8% in DMSO) measured in polar solvents. Furthermore, due to the giant molecular weight and rigidity of the polyhedral skeleton, Gd8L2b12 showed a very high longitudinal relaxivity (r1) of 400.53 mM-1S-1. The performance of Gd8L2b12 as potential magnetic resonance imaging contrast agents (CAs) in vivo was evaluated with much longer retention time in the tumor sites compared with the commercial GdIII-based CAs. Dual-modal imaging potential has also been demonstrated with the mixed Eu/Gd LOPs. Our results not only provide a new design route toward water-stable multinuclear lanthanide organic assemblies but also offer potential candidates of supramolecular-edifices for bioimaging and drug delivery.

Giant Concentric Metallosupramolecule with Aggregation-Induced Phosphorescent Emission.

Fluorescent metallosupramolecules have received considerable attention due to their precisely controlled dimensions as well as the tunable photophysical and photochemical properties. However, phosphorescent analogues are still rare and limited to small structures with low-temperature phosphorescence. Herein, we report the self-assembly and photophysical studies of a giant, discrete metallosupramolecular concentric hexagon functionalized with six alkynylplatinum(II) bzimpy moieties. With a size larger than 10 nm and molecular weight higher than 26 000 Da, the assembled terpyridine-based supramolecule displayed phosphorescent emission at room temperature. Moreover, the supramolecule exhibited enhanced aggregation-induced phosphorescent emission compared to the ligand by tuning the aggregation states through intermolecular interactions and significant enhancement of emission to CO2 gas.

Prenatal second-hand smoke exposure and newborn telomere length.

BACKGROUND: Cigarette smoking is associated with shorter telomere lengths in adults, but evidence on the effect of prenatal tobacco exposure is limited. We aimed to investigate the association between prenatal second-hand smoke exposure and newborn telomere length. METHODS: We recruited 762 mother-newborn pairs from Wuhan Children's Hospital (Wuhan Maternal and Child Healthcare Hospital) between November 2013 and March 2015. Information on second-hand smoke exposure was obtained via questionnaires. Relative telomere length was measured in DNA extracted from umbilical cord blood. We used linear regression to assess the associations between prenatal second-hand smoke exposure and newborn telomere length. RESULTS: In the fully adjusted model, prenatal second-hand smoke exposure was associated with 9.7% shorter newborn telomere length (percent difference: -9.7%; 95% confidence interval (CI): -15.0, -4.0). The estimate for boys was lower (percent difference: -10.9%; 95% CI: -18.6, -2.5) than that for girls (percent difference: -8.5%; 95% CI: -15.8, -0.5), but the interaction term between newborn sex and prenatal second-hand smoke was not significant (P = 0.751). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that prenatal second-hand smoke exposure may be a preventable risk factor for accelerated biological aging in the intrauterine stage, and further suggested possible sex differences in the susceptibility to prenatal second-hand smoke.

Multinuclear 2-(Quinolin-2-yl)quinoxaline-Coordinated Iridium(III) Complexes Tethered by Carbazole Derivatives: Synthesis and Photophysics.

Five mono/di/trinuclear iridium(III) complexes (1-5) bearing the carbazole-derivative-tethered 2-(quinolin-2-yl)quinoxaline (quqo) diimine (N^N) ligand were synthesized and characterized. The photophysical properties of these complexes and their corresponding diimine ligands were systematically studied via UV-vis absorption, emission, and transient absorption (TA) spectroscopy and simulated by time-dependent density functional theory. All complexes possessed strong well-resolved absorption bands at <400 nm that have predominant ligand-based 1π,π* transitions and broad structureless charge-transfer (1CT) absorption bands at 400-700 nm. The energies or intensities of these 1CT bands varied pronouncedly when the number of tethered Ir(quqo)(piq)2+ (piq refers to 1-phenylisoquinoline) units, π conjugation of the carbazole derivative linker, or attachment positions on the carbazole linker were altered. All complexes were emissive at room temperature, with 1-3 showing near-IR (NIR) 3MLCT (metal-to-ligand charge-transfer)/3LLCT (ligand-to-ligand charge-transfer) emission at ∼710 nm and 4 and 5 exhibiting red or NIR 3ILCT (intraligand charge-transfer)/3LMCT (ligand-to-metal charge-transfer) emission in CH2Cl2. In CH3CN, 1-3 displayed an additional emission band at ca. 590 nm (3ILCT/3LMCT/3MLCT/3π,π* in nature) in addition to the 710 nm band. The different natures of the emitting states of 1-3 versus those of 4 and 5 also gave rise to different spectral features in their triplet TA spectra. It appears that the parentage and characteristics of the lowest triplet excited states in these complexes are mainly impacted by the π systems of the bridging carbazole derivatives and essentially no interactions among the Ir(quqo)(piq)2+ units. In addition, all of the diimine ligands tethered by the carbazole derivatives displayed a dramatic solvatochromic effect in their emission due to the predominant intramolecular charge-transfer nature of their emitting states. Aggregation-enhanced emission was also observed from the mixed CH2Cl2/ethyl acetate or CH2Cl2/hexane solutions of these ligands.

Synthesis, Photophysics, and Reverse Saturable Absorption of trans-Bis-cyclometalated Iridium(III) Complexes (C

Extending the bandwidth of triplet excited-state absorption in transition-metal complexes is appealing for developing broadband reverse saturable absorbers. Targeting this goal, five bis-terdentate iridium(III) complexes (Ir1-Ir5) bearing trans-bis-cyclometalating (C^N^C) and 4'-R-2,2':6',2″-terpyridine (4'-R-tpy) ligands were synthesized. The effects of the structural variation in cyclometalating ligands and substituents at the tpy ligand on the photophysics of these complexes have been systematically explored using spectroscopic methods (i.e., UV-vis absorption, emission, and transient absorption spectroscopy) and time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) calculations. All complexes exhibited intensely structured 1π,π* absorption bands at <400 nm and broad charge transfer (1CT)/1π,π* transitions at 400-600 nm. Ligand structural variations exerted a very small effect on the energies of the 1CT/1π,π* transitions; however, they had a significant effect on the molar extinction coefficients of these absorption bands. All complexes emitted featureless deep red phosphorescence in solutions at room temperature and gave broad-band and strong triplet excited-state absorption ranging from the visible to the near-infrared (NIR) spectral regions, with both originating from the 3π,π*/3CT states. Although alteration of the ligand structures influenced the emission energies slightly, these changes significantly affected the emission lifetimes and quantum yields, transient absorption spectral features, and the triplet excited-state quantum yields of the complexes. Except for Ir3, the other four complexes all manifested reverse saturable absorption (RSA) upon nanosecond laser pulse excitation at 532 nm, with the decreasing trend of RSA following Ir2 ≈ Ir4 > Ir1 > Ir5 > Ir3. The RSA trend corresponded well with the strength of the excited-state and ground-state absorption differences (ΔOD) at 532 nm for these complexes.

Higher Numbers of Pregnancies Associated With an Increased Prevalence of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: Results From the Healthy Baby Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Pregnancy leads to substantial maternal metabolic and lifestyle alterations. However, it is still unclear whether repeated exposure to these changes will influence the development of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). In the present study, we aimed to investigate the association between the number of pregnancies and GDM among Chinese women. METHODS: A total of 7,008 subjects from the Healthy Baby Cohort study were included in this study. The number of pregnancies was classified into three categories: 1, 2, or ≥3 pregnancies. GDM was diagnosed using International Association of Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Groups criteria. Multivariate logistic regression models were used. RESULTS: In the fully adjusted model, women with ≥3 pregnancies had a 1.27-fold (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.05-1.54) higher risk of GDM. Among women ≥30 years old, 2 and ≥3 pregnancies were associated with a higher risk of GDM (odds ratio [OR] 1.32; 95% CI, 1.01-1.73 and OR 1.54; 95% CI, 1.17-2.01, respectively). Among women with a pre-pregnancy BMI <24 kg/m2, ≥3 pregnancies were associated with a 1.35-fold (95% CI, 1.09-1.67) higher risk of GDM. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggested that higher numbers of pregnancies is an independent risk factor of GDM. The association between number of pregnancies and GDM was more prominent among women who were ≥30 years old or with a pre-pregnancy BMI <24 kg/m2.

Earlier maternal menarche is associated with shorter newborn telomere length.

The aim of our study was to investigate the relationship between maternal age at menarche and newborn telomere length which has been linked to lifespan and many age-related diseases. There were 734 mother-newborn pairs recruited from Wuhan Children's Hospital Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. Age at menarche was self-reported and categorized into three groups (≤ 12 years, 13 years, and ≥ 14 years). Telomere length in cord blood was measured using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and expressed as the ratio of telomere copy number to single-copy gene number (T/S). The mean age at menarche of 734 mothers was 13.1 (± 1.1) years and the adjusted geometric means in the T/S of newborn telomeres in the three groups were 0.693, 0.721, and 0.748 respectively. Earlier age at menarche (≤ 12 years), compared with later age at menarche ≥ 14 years, was significantly associated with 7.32% (95% CI - 13.70%, - 0.23%) shorter telomere length in offspring after adjusting for potential confounders.Conclusion: Mothers with earlier age at menarche were more likely to give birth newborn with shorter telomere length. Our study provides evidences for the effect of earlier menarche on fetal telomere programming in offspring. What is Known: • Newborn telomere length is considered an indicator of lifespan and health outcomes in later life. • The adverse effects of earlier menarche age to their offspring have been found, but its relationship with newborn telomere length has not been assessed before. What is New: • This is the first study to explore the relationship of maternal menarche age with newborn telomere length. • We provided primary evidence that earlier maternal age at menarche was associated with shorter newborn telomere length.

Prenatal cadmium exposure is associated with shorter leukocyte telomere length in Chinese newborns.

BACKGROUND: Newborn telomere length (TL) is considered a potential marker for future disease and lifelong health, but few epidemiological studies have examined the determinants of TL in early life. The study aim was to investigate whether there is an association between prenatal cadmium exposure and relative cord blood TL in Chinese newborns. METHODS: Participants were 410 mother-newborn pairs drawn from a prospective birth cohort study conducted in Wuhan, China, between November 2013 and March 2015. Urine samples were collected from pregnant women during their period of institutional delivery. Urinary cadmium concentrations were measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction detection was used to measure relative TL using genomic DNA isolated from umbilical cord blood leukocytes. Multivariate linear regression models were used to estimate the effect of prenatal urinary cadmium concentration on relative cord blood TL. RESULTS: The geometric mean of maternal urinary cadmium concentration was 0.68 µg/g creatinine. In the multivariate-adjusted linear regression model, per doubling of maternal urinary cadmium concentration was associated with 6.83% (95% CI - 11.44%, - 1.97%; P = 0.006) shorter relative cord blood TL. Stratified analyses indicated that the inverse association between prenatal urinary cadmium and newborn relative TL was more pronounced among female infants and mothers < 29 years, while there were no significant effect modification according to infant sex (P for interaction = 0.907) and maternal age (P for interaction = 0.797). CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicated that increased maternal urinary cadmium was associated with shortened relative cord blood TL. The results provide more evidence of the negative effects of environmental cadmium exposure and suggest that accelerated aging or cadmium-related diseases may begin in early life.

Trends and Status of the Prevalence of Elevated Blood Pressure in Children and Adolescents in China: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To evaluate the status of elevated blood pressure in Chinese children and adolescents, and identify potential influence factors. RECENT FINDINGS: We searched PubMed, the Web of science, the WanFang, the VIP, and the CNKI to identify articles that were published from Jan 1, 1997, to May 30, 2019. We used random effects models to estimate the pooled prevalence of elevated blood pressure, and heterogeneity among the studies was assessed with Cochran's Q statistic. The potential source of heterogeneity was explored by meta-regression and subgroup comparisons using Q test based on ANOVA. Fifty-nine studies were included in the qualitative synthesis and the prevalence of elevated blood pressure ranged from 2.2 to 26.4%. The meta-analysis included 25 studies (341,281 participants), and the pooled prevalence of elevated blood pressure was 9.8% (95% CI 7.9, 11.9). The prevalence of elevated blood pressure in the obese children (34.1%, 95% CI 26.9, 41.7) and overweight children (15.5%, 95% CI 10.1, 21.7) was much higher than that in the normal or underweight children (5.0%, 95% CI 2.4, 8.4). Fluctuating trends in the prevalence of elevated blood pressure both in the total sample of Chinese children and adolescents and in each subgroup were observed from 2007 to 2014. Our study showed that prevalence of elevated blood pressure in children and adolescents in China was in the medium level in the world. Primary prevention for childhood hypertension should be implemented and focus on weight control and healthy lifestyle habits.

Neutral iridium(iii) complexes bearing BODIPY-substituted N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligands: synthesis, photophysics, in vitro theranostic photodynamic therapy, and antimicrobial activity.

The synthesis, photophysics, and photobiological activities of a series of novel neutral heteroleptic cyclometalated iridium(iii) complexes incorporating boron dipyrromethene (BODIPY) substituted N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligands (Ir1-Ir5) are reported. The effect of the substitution position of BODIPY on the NHC ligands, either on C4 of the phenyl ring (Ir1-Ir3) or C5 of the benzimidazole unit (Ir4 and Ir5), and its linker type (single or triple bond) on the photophysical properties was studied. Ir1-Ir5 exhibited BODIPY-localized intense 1IL (intraligand transition)/1MLCT (metal-to-ligand charge transfer) absorption at 530-543 nm and 1,3IL/1,3CT (charge transfer) emission at 582-610 nm. The nanosecond transient absorption results revealed that the lowest triplet excited states of these complexes were the BODIPY-localized 3π,π* states. Complexes Ir4 and Ir5 exhibited blue-shifted 1IL absorption and 1,3IL/1,3CT emission bands compared to the corresponding absorption and emission bands in complexes Ir1 and Ir3. However, replacing the methyl substituents on N3 of benzimidazole in complexes Ir1 and Ir4 with oligoether substituents in Ir3 and Ir5, respectively, did not impact the energies of the low-energy absorption and emission bands in the corresponding complexes. Water-soluble complexes Ir3 and Ir5 have been explored as photosensitizers for in vitro photodynamic therapy (PDT) effects toward human SKMEL28 melanoma cells. Ir3 showed no dark cytotoxicity (EC50 > 300 µM) but good photocytotoxic activity (9.66 ± 0.28 µM), whereas Ir5 exhibited a higher dark cytotoxicity (20.2 ± 1.26 µM) and excellent photocytotoxicity (0.15 ± 0.01 µM). The phototherapeutic indices with visible light (400-700 nm) activation were >31 for Ir3 and 135 for Ir5. Ir3 and Ir5 displayed 1O2 quantum yields of 38% and 22% in CH3CN, respectively, upon 450 nm excitation. Ir5 was more effective at generating reactive oxygen species (ROS) in vitro. Ir5 was also active against Staphylococcus aureus upon visible light activation, with a phototherapeutic index of >15 and EC50 value of 6.67 µM. These photobiological activities demonstrated that these neutral Ir(iii) complexes are promising in vitro PDT reagents, and substitution at C5 on the benzimidazole group of the NHC ligand was superior to C4 substitution on the phenyl ring.