Search

Abstract Chemical etching of nano-sized metal clusters at the atomic level has a high potential for creating metal number-specific structures and functions that are difficult to achieve with bottom-up synthesis methods. In particular, precisely etching metal atoms one by one from nonmetallic element-centred metal clusters and elucidating the relationship between their well-defined structures, and chemical and physical properties will facilitate future materials design for metal clusters. Here we report the single-gold etching at a hypercarbon centre in gold(I) clusters. Specifically, C-centred hexagold(I) clusters protected by chiral N-heterocyclic carbenes are etched with bisphosphine to yield C-centred pentagold(I) (CAu I 5 ) clusters. The CAu I 5 clusters exhibit an unusually large bathochromic shift in luminescence, which is reproduced theoretically. The etching mechanism is experimentally and theoretically suggested to be a tandem dissociation-association-elimination pathway. Furthermore, the vacant site of the central carbon of the CAu I 5 cluster can accommodate AuCl, allowing for post-functionalisation of the C-centred gold(I) clusters.

Abstract Background Acute gouty is caused by the excessive accumulation of Monosodium Urate (MSU) crystals within various parts of the body, which leads to a deterioration of the local microenvironment. This degradation is marked by elevated levels of uric acid (UA), increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, hypoxic conditions, an upsurge in pro-inflammatory mediators, and mitochondrial dysfunction. Results In this study, we developed a multifunctional nanoparticle of polydopamine-platinum (PDA@Pt) to combat acute gout by leveraging mild hyperthermia to synergistically enhance UA degradation and anti-inflammatory effect. Herein, PDA acts as a foundational template that facilitates the growth of a Pt shell on the surface of its nanospheres, leading to the formation of the PDA@Pt nanomedicine. Within this therapeutic agent, the Pt nanoparticle catalyzes the decomposition of UA and actively breaks down endogenous hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to produce O2, which helps to alleviate hypoxic conditions. Concurrently, the PDA component possesses exceptional capacity for ROS scavenging. Most significantly, Both PDA and Pt shell exhibit absorption in the Near-Infrared-II (NIR-II) region, which not only endow PDA@Pt with superior photothermal conversion efficiency for effective photothermal therapy (PTT) but also substantially enhances the nanomedicine’s capacity for UA degradation, O2 production and ROS scavenging enzymatic activities. This photothermally-enhanced approach effectively facilitates the repair of mitochondrial damage and downregulates the NF-κB signaling pathway to inhibit the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Conclusions The multifunctional nanomedicine PDA@Pt exhibits exceptional efficacy in UA reduction and anti-inflammatory effects, presenting a promising potential therapeutic strategy for the management of acute gout. Graphical Abstract

Abstract Genetic variation in human populations can result in the misfolding and aggregation of proteins, giving rise to systemic and neurodegenerative diseases that require management by proteostasis. Here, we define the role of GRP94, the endoplasmic reticulum Hsp90 chaperone paralog, in managing alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency on a residue-by-residue basis using Gaussian process regression-based machine learning to profile the spatial covariance relationships that dictate protein folding arising from sequence variants in the population. Covariance analysis suggests a role for the ATPase activity of GRP94 in controlling the N- to C-terminal cooperative folding of alpha-1-antitrypsin responsible for the correction of liver aggregation and lung-disease phenotypes of alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency. Gaussian process-based spatial covariance profiling provides a standard model built on covariant principles to evaluate the role of proteostasis components in guiding information flow from genome to proteome in response to genetic variation, potentially allowing us to intervene in the onset and progression of complex multi-system human diseases.

This study used ultrasound-enzyme-assisted deep eutectic solvents to establish a green and highly efficient total flavonoids extraction process from mulberry leaves. On the basis of the results of single-factor experiments, the extraction amount of total flavonoids was used as the response value, and the Box-Behnken response surface method was used to optimize, and the antioxidative ability of total flavonoids from mulberry leaves on DPPH radicals and ABTS+ radicals was studied. The results showed that when the choline chloride/fructose/alcohol molar ratio was 1:1:3, water content 30%, liquid-solid ratio 40 mL/g, ultrasonic power 360 W, ultrasonic temperature 40 ℃, ultrasonic time 40 min, dosage of enzyme 4%, the extraction amount of total flavonoids from mulberry leaves reached 46.58 mg/g. When the mass concentration of total flavonoids from mulberry leaves was 0.08 mg/mL, the scavenging rate of DPPH radicals was 98.36%. And when the mass concentration of total flavonoids from mulberry leaves was 0.2 mg/mL, the scavenging rate of ABTS+ radicals was 72.12%. Therefore, the ultrasonic-enzyme-assisted deep eutectic solvents method was green and simple to operate, and could effectively improve the extraction yield of total flavonoids from mulberry leaves. This method provided a scientific basis for the development and utilization of mulberry leaf resources.

Summary: The model of M2-like tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) is an increasingly attractive model for the study of TAMs. However, the detailed process of M2-like TAMs polarization induced by lactic acid or conditioned medium from Lewis cells (LCM) and the identification of M2-like TAMs is not yet available. In this protocol, we present the detailed methods to induce M2-like TAMs polarization and verify its functionality in order to better carry out related research.For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Fang et al.1 : Publisher’s note: Undertaking any experimental protocol requires adherence to local institutional guidelines for laboratory safety and ethics.

Vaccinium chaozhouense (Ericaceae), a new species from East Guangdong Province, China is described and illustrated. This new species is morphologically similar to V. wrightii by having flowers with persistent and leaf-like bracts, long pedicels, and white spherical-urceolate corollas, but is distinguished by having glandular trichomes on the abaxial surface of the leaf blade, shorter pedicels, sparsely pilose corolla ridges, and anther thecae longer than the tubules. A key to the new species and morphologically similar species is also provided.

Abstract The increasing demand for high‐performance devices on heat dissipation makes it approach the bottleneck even for metals with high thermal conductivities. The coating of only one layer of graphene, the heat dissipation performances of Cu, Ag, and Al can be further enhanced, e.g., with a maximum temperature reduction by ≈9% for a Cu foil is demonstrated. Molecular dynamics (MD) analysis of spectral phonon transmission reveals that low‐frequency phonons play a significant role in the thermal transport within the Cu/single‐layer graphene (SLG) system, and the high‐frequency phonons exhibit substantial mismatch. It suggests that the thermal anisotropy of graphene enables a rapid heat dispersion in the in‐plane direction and provides an effective thermal insulation in the out‐of‐plane direction. The thermal conductivity calculations demonstrate an enhanced participation of phonons in heat conduction by the graphene layer, indicating a novel heat conduction mechanism in the Cu/single‐layer graphene system. These findings highlight the positive impact of graphene on the heat conduction of metals, and they will hold crucial implications for the design and application of graphene‐based thermal devices is believed.

While urbanization’s strong effect on local precipitation has been widely documented, knowledge of how urbanization affects isotopic composition in precipitation is still lacking. In the present study, deuterium-excess (d-excess) served to quantify the contribution of recycled vapor to precipitation in Chengdu city (China) and a nearby rural area. Precipitation from the urban and rural areas showed no significant difference in δ18O values (p > 0.05). The rural area had significantly higher d-excess (24.29 ± 7.39‰) than the urban (12.71 ± 4.88‰) through the seasons due to higher evapotranspiration flux in the rural area. In summer, however, urban precipitation amount was higher than that of the rural area. Based on d-excess model, the average ratio of recycled vapor was 8.2% in Chengdu, which was lower than in the rural area (36.1%). This highlights the effect of urbanization in decreasing the proportion of vapor from local evapotranspiration contributing to precipitation but blocked much advected moisture. This also implied that precipitation taken in cities were used to represent upwind advected vapor or used as referenced isotopic records for paleoclimate reconstruction based on tree rings or stalagmites sampled in rural area may be erroneous as the effect of urbanization on precipitation vapor. Further studies are needed to explore the effect of urbanization on vapor source of precipitation under different climatic zones.

Plant-derived natural compounds are desired for their anti-inflammatory properties. We investigated the chemical composition and the anti-inflammatory effects of the essential oil obtained from leaves of the Chinese medicinal plant Artemisia annua L. Artemisia annua L. essential oil (AO) was obtained by hydrodistillation; the extraction yield was approximately 1.2%. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) revealed the presence of 13 compounds in AO; the major compounds were caryophyllene (32.16%), eucalyptol (28.62%), α-pinene (19.08%), and β-pinene (14.72%). Cell counting kit-8 (CCK8) assay revealed that AO did not show in vitro cytotoxicity toward RAW264.7 cells and suppressed the expression of nitric oxide (NO), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW264.7 cells. Pretreatment with AO significantly reduced xylene-induced inflammation in the ears of Kunming mice. AO inhibited inflammatory cell infiltration, decreased epidermis thickness in the ear, and suppressed expression of TNF-α in the serum. The in vivo anti-inflammatory activity of AO was similar to that of the positive control compound Di Song Zhang Bo Cream. Overall, AO was observed to be an effective anti-inflammatory agent. These results provide an experimental basis for commercializing AO-derived external preparations for pharmacological and cosmetic industries.

Rubberized asphalt has excellent environmental protection and road property, but its storage stability needs improvement. Existing studies have found that the compound modification of bone glue (BG) and crumb rubber (CR) can effectively raise the separation of CR in asphalt, along with outstanding comprehensive properties. Therefore, this paper explores the micro mechanism, aging performance, and engineering characteristics of bone glue and crumb rubber compound modified asphalt (BCCMA). First, the adhesion of BCCMA was evaluated by a static drop test, and a scanning electron microscope test revealed its microscopic surface morphology. Second, three aging indices using rheological tests were developed to evaluate the aging resistance ability of the BCCMA. Lastly, the road performance of the bone glue and crumb rubber compound modified asphalt mixture (BCCMAM) was investigated. The results indicate that the surface energy of BCCMA (15% BG and 20% CR) increased by 52.39% compared to the neat asphalt. BG can improve asphalt's aging resistance, and the BCCMA with a BG content of 10% has the lowest aging sensitivity. BG promotes the dispersion uniformity of CR in neat asphalt, making the low-temperature crack resistance, high-temperature stability, and water stability of BCCMAM better than rubberized asphalt mixture.

Abstract Background Cotton is extremely affected by severe natural stresses. Drought is one of the most serious abiotic stress that adversely influences cotton growth, productivity, and fiber quality. Previous studies indicate that basic leucine-zipper (bZIP) transcription factors are involved in the response of plants to various stresses. However, the molecular function and regulatory mechanism of GhVIP1 in response to drought stress are still unknown. Results In this research, GhVIP1 was cloned from a drought-tolerant variety. Expression of GhVIP1 was up-regulated in response to multiple abiotic stresses, especially under drought stress. And GhVIP1 was highly expressed in the root, stem, and 10 days post-anthesis ovule. Inhibiting the expression of GhVIP1 in cotton using the virus-induced gene silencing method resulted in higher electrical conductivity in leaves, but lower water content under drought stress compared with the WT plant. Overexpression of GhVIP1 in Arabidopsis enhanced plant drought tolerance through increasing the seed germination rate and improving the development of root. The exogenous expression of GhVIP1 up-regulated the transcription of genes associated with drought response and proline biosynthesis during drought stress in Arabidopsis. Conclusion In summary, these results indicated that GhVIP1 played a positive role in plants' response to drought stress. The use of GhVIP1 via modern biotechnology might facilitate the improvement of drought tolerance in cotton cultivars.

Abstract Chemical functionalisation of semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) can tune their local band gaps to induce near-infrared (NIR) photoluminescence (PL). However, tuning the PL to telecommunication wavelengths (>1300 nm) remains challenging. The selective emergence of NIR PL at the longest emission wavelength of 1320 nm was successfully achieved in (6,5) SWNTs via cyclic perfluoroalkylation. Chiral separation of the functionalised SWNTs showed that this functionalisation was also effective in SWNTs with five different chiral angles. The local band gap modulation mechanism was also studied using density functional theory calculations, which suggested the effects of the addenda and addition positions on the emergence of the longest-wavelength PL. These findings increase our understanding of the functionalised SWNT structure and methods for controlling the local band gap, which will contribute to the development and application of NIR light-emitting materials with widely extended emission and excitation wavelengths.

Introduction: Female-specific cancers seriously affect physical and psychological health of women worldwide. Objectives: We aimed to elucidate trends in the age-standardized mortality rates (ASMRs) of breast cancer, cervical cancer, uterine cancer, and ovarian cancer in female populations with different socioeconomic statuses in China and in countries with different Human Development Index (HDI). Methods: A longitudinal study was performed using the data of cancer death in China and other 39 countries. The mortality rates were standardized with the Segi’s world population. Trends in the mortalities were exhibited by estimated annual percentage change (EAPC). Pearson correlation was used to assess the association between EAPC and HDI. Results: In mainland China, female breast cancer, cervical cancer, uterine cancer, and ovarian cancer accounted for 6.60 %, 4.21 %, 2.50 %, and 2.02 % of cancer death (n = 1,314,040) in women with 1,220,251,032 person-years, respectively. The ASMRs of cervical cancer (EAPC = 3.87 %, P

Abstract Composite structures consisting of two-dimensional (2D) materials deposited on elastic substrates have a wide range of potential applications in flexible electronics. For such devices, robust 2D film/substrate interfacial adhesion is essential for their reliable performance when subjected to external thermal and mechanical loads. To better understand the strength and failure behavior of the 2D film/substrate interfaces, two types of graphene/polymer samples with distinct interfacial adhesion properties are fabricated and tested by uniaxially stretching the substrates. Depending on the interfacial adhesion, two drastically different debonding rates are observed, i.e., rapid snap-through debonding and more progressive crack propagation. Motivated by the experimental observation, we propose an improved shear-lag model with a trapezoidal-shaped cohesive zone to derive an analytical solution for the decohesion behavior. The theoretical model reveals that the decohesion behavior of the frictional adhesive interface is governed by three dimensionless parameters. Particularly, the dimensionless length of the film essentially determines the decohesion rate; while the other two parameters affect the critical substrate strain to initiate debonding. By fitting the experimental data with the theoretical model, the intrinsic adhesion properties of the two samples are obtained with physically meaningful values. This work offers an analytical solution to describing the decohesion behavior of general thin film/substrate systems with a frictional adhesive interface, which is beneficial for characterizing and optimizing the mechanical properties of various thin film/polymer devices.

Abstract Quercetin (QR) has significant anti-respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) effects. However, its therapeutic mechanism has not been thoroughly explored. In this study, a lung inflammatory injury model caused by RSV was established in mice. Untargeted lung tissue metabolomics was used to identify differential metabolites and metabolic pathways. Network pharmacology was used to predict potential therapeutic targets of QR and analyze biological functions and pathways modulated by QR. By overlapping the results of the metabolomics and the network pharmacology analyses, the common targets of QR that were likely to be involved in the amelioration of RSV-induced lung inflammatory injury by QR were identified. Metabolomics analysis identified 52 differential metabolites and 244 corresponding targets, while network pharmacology analysis identified 126 potential targets of QR. By intersecting these 244 targets with the 126 targets, hypoxanthine–guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT1), thymidine phosphorylase (TYMP), lactoperoxidase (LPO), myeloperoxidase (MPO), and cytochrome P450 19A1 (CYP19A1) were identified as the common targets. The key targets, HPRT1, TYMP, LPO, and MPO, were components of purine metabolic pathways. The present study demonstrated that QR effectively ameliorated RSV-induced lung inflammatory injury in the established mouse model. Combining metabolomics and network pharmacology showed that the anti-RSV effect of QR was closely associated with purine metabolism pathways.

A reliable strategy for improving the stability and shelf life of protein-stabilized systems is by covalently attaching the protein onto a polysaccharide. In this study, ovalbumin (OVA) was modified with dextran (DEX) of different molecular weights by the Maillard reaction, and was used to enhance the stability of emulsions loaded with resveratrol. The surface hydrophobicity, thermal stability, and FT-IR spectroscopy of the OVA–DEX conjugates were evaluated. The results showed that the surface hydrophobicity of OVA decreased, while the thermal stability of OVA was significantly improved after DEX covalent modification. The OVA–DEX1k-stabilized emulsion exhibited high encapsulation efficiency of resveratrol, with the value of 89.0%. In addition, OVA–DEX was considerably more effective in droplet stabilization against different environmental stresses (heat, pH, and ionic strength). After 28 days of storage at 25 °C, the OVA-stabilized emulsion showed faster decomposition of resveratrol, whereas the OVA–DEX-conjugate-stabilized emulsion had approximately 73% retention of resveratrol. Moreover, the antioxidant activity of resveratrol-loaded emulsions stabilized by OVA–DEX was higher during storage under different temperatures. These results proved that the OVA–DEX conjugates had the potential to form stable, food-grade emulsion-based delivery systems against environmental stresses, which strongly supports their potential in the field of food and biomedical applications.

The oral delivery strategy of natural anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory agents has attracted great attention to improve the effectiveness of ulcerative colitis (UC) treatment. Herein, we developed a novel orally deliverable nanoparticle, carboxymethyl chitosan (CMC)-modified astaxanthin (AXT)-loaded nanoparticles (CMC-AXT-NPs), for UC treatment. The CMC-AXT-NPs were evaluated by appearance, morphology, particle size, ζ-potential, and encapsulation efficiency (EE). The results showed that CMC-AXT-NPs were nearly spherical in shape with a particle size of 34.5 nm and ζ-potential of −30.8 mV, and the EE of CMC-AXT-NPs was as high as 95.03%. The CMC-AXT-NPs exhibited preferable storage stability over time and well-controlled drug-release properties in simulated intestinal fluid. Additionally, in vitro studies revealed that CMC-AXT-NPs remarkably inhibited cytotoxicity induced by LPS and demonstrated superior antioxidant and anti-inflammatory abilities in Raw264.7 cells. Furthermore, CMC-AXT-NPs effectively alleviated clinical symptoms of colitis induced by dextran sulfate sodium salt (DSS), including maintaining body weight, inhibiting colon shortening, and reducing fecal bleeding. Importantly, CMC-AXT-NPs suppressed the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines like TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β and ameliorated DSS-induced oxidative damage. Our results demonstrated the potential of CMC-modified nanoparticles as an oral delivery system and suggested these novel AXT nanoparticles could be a promising strategy for UC treatment.

Abstract Background Menopausal women are regarded as “abnormal people” in China and are often discriminated against and ostracized, especially in the privacy of their homes. However, research on the stigmatization of menopausal women in China is limited. The aim of this study is to explore and describe the stigmatization experiences of Chinese menopausal women in the family and their feelings about these experiences. Methods A phenomenological qualitative research design involving in-depth semi-structured interviews was selected. Our data analysis adopted Colaizzi's methodology. Results Fourteen menopausal women participated in this study. Four themes and 12 subthemes emerged: (1) violent treatment (verbal and physical violence); (2) lack of attention and companionship (lack of understanding of physical and psychological suffering, neglect of the value of labour and difficulty finding someone to talk to and accompany them); (3) coping struggles (keeping quiet, fighting back, changing inappropriate perceptions and developing a menopausal transition management plan); and (4) despair (deep-rooted perceptions, restrictions on travel and consumption, and unknown "healing" times). Conclusion Our results suggest that Chinese menopausal women suffer physically and mentally within their families. The stigma of menopause is both a symptom of the broad societal lack of knowledge regarding menopause and a reflection of the patriarchal oppression of women in a specific cultural context. Accordingly, this study can help menopausal women and society in general better understand the former’s stigmatization experiences and amplify their inner voices. Moreover, it can serve as a reference for the formulation of menopause-related health policies in China and for advocating and promoting humanistic care for menopausal women.

Sika deer are known to prefer oak leaves, which are rich in tannins and toxic to most mammals; however, the genetic mechanisms underlying their unique ability to adapt to living in the jungle are still unclear. In identifying the mechanism responsible for the tolerance of a highly toxic diet, we have made a major advancement by explaining the genome of sika deer. We generated the first high-quality, chromosome-level genome assembly of sika deer and measured the correlation between tannin intake and RNA expression in 15 tissues through 180 experiments. Comparative genome analyses showed that the UGT and CYP gene families are functionally involved in the adaptation of sika deer to high-tannin food, especially the expansion of the UGT family 2 subfamily B of UGT genes. The first chromosome-level assembly and genetic characterization of the tolerance to a highly toxic diet suggest that the sika deer genome may serve as an essential resource for understanding evolutionary events and tannin adaptation. Our study provides a paradigm of comparative expressive genomics that can be applied to the study of unique biological features in non-model animals.

Abstract Background Postoperative pulmonary embolism (PE) is a severe complication leading to death and poor prognosis. The present study investigated the risk factors and potential predictors of PE in cancer patients undergoing thoracic and abdominopelvic surgery. Methods A retrospective study was conducted on the patients with cancer who underwent thoracic and abdominopelvic surgery in Sichuan Cancer Hospital from December 2016 to January 2022. A total of 189 patients were included, in which 63 patients diagnosed PE after operation were collected as PE group, and 126 patients matched by age, type of cancer and cancer location were enrolled as control group. Conditional logistic regression was conducted to analyze the association between PE and risk factors. Predictive values of key factors were compared by the area under the curve (AUC) in receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) curve. Results Conditional multivariate logistic regression showed that BMI (odds ratio [OR] 4.065, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.138–14.527; p = 0.031), intraoperative hypotension time (OR 4.095, 95% CI 1.367–12.266; p = 0.009), same day fluid balance (OR 0.245, 95% CI 0.061–0.684; p = 0.048), and postoperative D-Dimer (OR 1.693, 95% CI 1.098–2.611; p = 0.017) were significantly related to the occurrence of postoperative PE. Postoperative D-Dimer had the maximal AUC value 0.8014 (95% CI: 0.7260–0.8770) for predicting PE, with a cutoff value of 1.505 μg/ml. Conclusions BMI, intraoperative hypotension time, lower same day fluid balance and postoperative D-dimer are independent risk factors associated with PE in cancer patients undergoing thoracic and abdominopelvic surgery. Postoperative D-Dimer seems to be a good indicator to predict postoperative PE for cancer patients.

Thrombotic events are the most frequent manifestations of essential thrombocythemia (ET). The objective of this study is to determine the incidence of thrombosis at different sites on follow-up in patients with ET. We searched PubMed, Web of Science, and The Cochrane Library databases and calculated the incidence of thrombosis by pooling and analyzing the extracted data using a random-effects model. A total of 70 studies (N = 25,805) were included in the analysis. The total and annual incidences of arterial thrombosis on follow-up were 13.4% and 2.0%, respectively. The total and annual incidences of the different manifestations of arterial thrombosis were as follows: stroke (5.3% and 0.8%), transient ischemic attack (5.1% and 1.2%), myocardial infarction (2.4% and 0.5%), unstable angina (0.9% and 0.2%), and peripheral arterial thrombosis (2.0% and 0.2%), respectively. In contrast, the total and annual incidences of arterial thrombosis in JAK2-positive patients were 18.4% and 2.7%, respectively. The total and annual incidences of arterial thrombosis in JAK2-negative patients were 5.9% and 0.8%, respectively. The total and annual incidences of venous thrombosis were 5.5% and 0.7%, respectively, and the incidences of the different manifestations of venous thrombosis at different sites were as follows: peripheral venous thrombosis (2.9% and 0.5%), superficial venous thrombosis (1.8% and 0.7%), deep venous thrombosis (1.6% and 0.3%), abdominal venous thrombosis (0.8% and 0.1%), pulmonary embolism (0.3% and 0.1%), and cerebral venous thrombosis (0.2% and 0%), respectively. The total and annual incidences of venous thrombosis in JAK2-positive patients were 7.4% and 1.2%, respectively. The total and annual incidences of venous thrombosis in JAK2-negative patients were 1.6% and 0.4%, respectively. The incidence of arterial thrombosis was higher than that of venous thrombosis in patients with ET. Arterial thrombosis manifested with cerebral arterial thrombosis, followed by cardiac thrombosis. Venous thrombosis events were mainly peripheral and superficial venous thrombosis. JAK2-positive patients have a higher incidence of arterial and venous thromboses than JAK2-negative patients, the sequence of thrombsis sites was similar to that of the overall patients.

Photoluminescent gold clusters have unique chemical and physical properties based on their perturbed electronic structures. Here, the authors report the synthesis of carbon-centered Au(I)-Ag(I) clusters with high phosphorescence quantum yields using N-heterocyclic carbene ligands.

Abstract Objectives To research whether medial PTS, lateral PTS and MTD were different between the PCL injury group and the PCL intact group. Design Retrospective case–control study, level of evidence III. Methods Fifty patients with PCL rupture from 2015 to 2020 in our hospital, and 50 patients matched by age and sex with intact PCL were enrolled in our study. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to assess the reliability of each parameter. The independent t-test was conducted to identify the differences in tibial morphometric characteristics between the PCL-injured and PCL-intact individuals, including the posterior tibial slope (PTS), meniscal slope (MS), medial tibial depth (MTD). A binary logistic regression model was established to evaluate the roles of those anatomic parameters of interest play in PCL injuries. Results The interobserver reliability of each parameter showed excellent agreement. Significant differences in the medial (P = .023) and lateral (P = .009) PTS were found between the PCL-injured group (3.68 ± 2.70 and 4.55 ± 3.19, respectively) and the controls (5.00 ± 2.73 and 6.39 ± 3.29, respectively). And the MTD was 1.98 ± 0.64 mm in the PCL-injured group and 2.37 ± 0.55 mm in the control group (P = 0.007). Binary logistic regression analysis showed that smaller lateral PTS and MTD were directly associated with PCL injury, with an OR of 1.17 and OR of 3.14, respectively. The medial PTS was independent to PCL injures. Conclusion Decreased lateral PTS and MTD were underlying anatomic risk factors for PCL injury.

Abstract The interfacial shear coupling (ISC) governs the relative in-plane deformations of layered two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals (vdW) materials, which is significant for both the fundamental theory of solid mechanics and the stability design of 2D devices. Here we study the representative ISC of 2D vdW stacks using bilayer graphene (BLG) and isotope-labeled Raman spectroscopy. The results show that under uniaxial tensile strain, the ISC between two graphene layers evolves sequentially with bonding, sliding and debonding process, and the corresponding interfacial shear strength is inversely proportional to the sample size. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations demonstrate the origin of this inverse proportionality as stronger interlayer vdW interaction induced by the edge lattices and atoms of BLG that have more degrees of freedom. These results not only provide new fundamental insights into the multiscale interpretation of macroscopic interfacial shear properties of 2D vdW stacks but also have great potential in guiding the design of graphene-based composite materials and flexible 2D electronics.

In recent years, various methods for detecting exogenous and endogenous hypochlorite have been studied, considering its essential role as a biomolecule. However, the existing technologies still pose obstacles such as their invasiveness, high costs, and complicated operation. In the current study, we developed a glow-type chemiluminescent probe, hypochlorite chemiluminescence probe (HCCL)-1, based on the scaffold of Schaap's 1,2-dioxetane luminophores. To better explore the physiological and pathological functions of hypochlorite, we modified the luminophore scaffold of HCCL-1 to develop several probes, including HCCL-2, HCCL-3, and HCCL-4, which amplify the response signal of hypochlorite. By comparing the luminescent intensities of the four probes using the IVIS® system, we determined that HCCL-2 with a limit of detection of 0.166 μM has enhanced sensitivity and selectivity for tracking hypochlorite both in vitro and in vivo.

Our previous studies revealed the protection of stachydrine hydrochloride (STA) against cardiopathological remodeling. One of the underlying mechanisms involves the calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase Ⅱ (CaMKII). However, the way STA influences CaMKII needs to be further investigated. The nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase 2 (NOX2)-coupled reactive oxygen species (ROS) overproduction putatively induces the oxidative activation of CaMKII, resulting in the occurrence of pathological cardiac remodeling and dysfunction in experimental models of mice. Thus, in this study, we assessed the role of the NOX2-ROS signal axis in STA cardioprotection. The transverse aortic constriction (TAC)-induced heart failure model of mice, the phenylephrine-induced hypertrophic model of neonatal rat primary cardiomyocytes, and the H2O2-induced oxidative stress models of adult mouse primary cardiomyocytes and H9c2 cells were employed. The echocardiography and histological staining were applied to assess the cardiac effect of STA (6 mg/kg/d or 12 mg/kg/d), which was given by gavage. NOX2, ROS, and excitation-contraction (EC) coupling were detected by Western blotting, immunofluorescence, and calcium transient-contraction synchronous recordings. ROS and ROS-dependent cardiac fibrosis were alleviated in STA-treated TAC mice, demonstrating improved left ventricular ejection fraction and hypertrophy. In the heart failure model of mice and the hypertrophic model of cardiomyocytes, STA depressed NOX2 protein expression and activation, as shown by inhibited translocation of its phosphorylation, p67phox and p47phox, from the cytoplasm to the cell membrane. Furthermore, in cardiomyocytes under oxidative stress, STA suppressed NOX2-related cytosolic Ca2+ overload, enhanced cell contractility, and decreased Ca2+-dependent regulatory protein expression, including CaMKⅡ and Ryanodine receptor calcium release channels. Cardioprotection of STA against pressure overload-induced pathological cardiac remodeling correlates with the NOX2-coupled ROS signaling cascade.

Quantitative detection of veterinary drug residues in animal-derived food is of great significance. In this work, a simple and label-free electrochemical aptasensor for the highly sensitive detection of chloramphenicol (CAP) in milk was successfully developed based on a new biosensing method, where the single- or few-layer Ti3C2 MXene nanosheets functionalized via the specific aptamer by self-assembly were used as electrode modifiers for a glassy carbon electrode (aptamer/Ti3C2 MXene/GCE). Differential pulse voltammetry (DPV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), cyclic voltammetry (CV), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscope (AFM), and so on were utilized for electrochemical and morphological characterization. Under the optimized conditions, the constructed aptasensor exhibited excellent performance with a wider linearity to CAP in the range from 10 fM to 1 μM and a low detection limit of 1 fM. Aptamer/Ti3C2 MXene/GCE demonstrated remarkable selectivity over other potentially interfering antibiotics, as well as exceptional reproducibility and stability. In addition, the aptasensor was successfully applied to determine CAP in milk with acceptable recovery values of 96.13% to 108.15% and relative standard deviations below 9%. Therefore, the proposed electrochemical aptasensor is an excellent alternative for determining CAP in food samples.

Abstract Background Trans-cinnamaldehyde (TCA) is one of the main pharmaceutical ingredients of Cinnamomum cassia Presl, which has been shown to have therapeutic effects on a variety of cardiovascular diseases. This study was carried out to characterize and reveal the underlying mechanisms of the protective effects of TCA against cardiac hypertrophy. Methods We used phenylephrine (PE) to induce cardiac hypertrophy and treated with TCA in vivo and in vitro. In neonatal rat cardiomyocytes (NRCMs), RNA sequencing and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis were carried out to identify potential pathways of TCA. Then, the phosphorylation and nuclear localization of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) and extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK) were detected. In adult mouse cardiomyocytes (AMCMs), calcium transients, calcium sparks, sarcomere shortening and the phosphorylation of several key proteins for calcium handling were evaluated. For mouse in vivo experiments, cardiac hypertrophy was evaluated by assessing morphological changes, echocardiographic parameters, and the expression of hypertrophic genes and proteins. Results TCA suppressed PE-induced cardiac hypertrophy and the phosphorylation and nuclear localization of CaMKII and ERK in NRCMs. Our data also demonstrate that TCA blocked the hyperphosphorylation of ryanodine receptor type 2 (RyR2) and phospholamban (PLN) and restored Ca2+ handling and sarcomere shortening in AMCMs. Moreover, our data revealed that TCA alleviated PE-induced cardiac hypertrophy in adult mice and downregulated the phosphorylation of CaMKII and ERK. Conclusion TCA has a protective effect against PE-induced cardiac hypertrophy that may be associated with the inhibition of the CaMKII/ERK pathway.