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Nanodiamonds (NDs) are unique carbonaceous materials with exceptionally high stability, hardness, and notable electronic properties. Their applications in photocatalysis, biomedicine, and energy materials are usually carried out in aqueous environments, where they interact with aqueous adsorbates. Especially, electron density may rearrange from the diamond material toward oxidative adsorbates such as oxygen, which is known as charge transfer doping. In this article, we quantify the charge transfer doping for NDs with inhomogeneous surface coverings (hydroxyl, fluorine, and amorphous carbon), as well as NDs doped with heteroatoms (B, Si, N) using hybrid density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The transfer doping magnitude is largely determined by the NDs' highest occupied molecular orbital energies, which can in turn be modified by the surface covering and doping. However, local modifications of the ND structures do not have any local effects on the magnitude of the charge transfer. We furthermore analyze the impact of aqueous adsorbates on the excited states of an aqueous ND in the context of photocatalysis via time‐dependent DFT. Here, we find that the excited electrons are biased to move in the direction of the respective oxidative adsorbate. Surprisingly, we find that also unreactive species such as nitrous oxide may attract the excited electrons, which is probably due to the positive partial charge that is induced by the local N2O solvation geometry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies investigating the relationship between systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and primary ovarian failure (POF) generated conflicting results. To data, no mendelian randomization study has been applied to examine this association. In this study, genetic instruments for exposure (SLE) were selected from a GWAS study with 5201 cases and 9066 noncases. Outcome data for POF and three reproductive traits (age at menarche, age at menopause, and age at first live birth) were obtained from other eligible GWASs. To estimate causal association, the inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method (the main analyse), MR Egger test, weighted median, simple mode, and weighted mode were applied. Moreover, sensitivity analyses were conducted to ensure the robustness of the results. Estimated by the IVW method, SLE was suggested to be causally related to the risk of POF (OR = 1.166, 95% CI 1.055–1.289, P = 0.003) and delayed age at first live birth (OR = 1.006, 95% CI 1.002–1.010, P = 0.007), with no evidence of a causal association between SLE and age at menopause or menarche. The estimates were robust according to sensitivity analysis. In conclusion, the two-sample MR study supported a causal association between SLE and POF from a genetic aspect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intimal thickening caused by the excessive multiplication of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) is the pathological process central to cardiovascular diseases, including restenosis. In response to vascular injury, VSMCs would undergo phenotypic switching from a fully differentiated, low proliferative rate phenotype to a more pro‐proliferative, promigratory, and incompletely‐differentiated state. The lack of a full understanding of the molecular pathways coupling the vascular injury stimuli to VSMCs phenotype switching largely limits the development of medical therapies for treating intima hyperplasia‐related diseases. The role of signal transducers and activators of transcription 6 (STAT6) in modulating the proliferation and differentiation of various cell types, especially macrophage, has been well investigated, but little is known about its pathophysiological role and target genes in restenosis after vascular injury. In the present work, Stat6−/− mice were observed to exhibit less severe intimal hyperplasia compared with Stat6+/+ mice after carotid injury. The expression of STAT6 was upregulated in VSMCs located in the injured vascular walls. STAT6 deletion leads to decreased proliferation and migration of VSMCs while STAT6 overexpression enhances the proliferation and migration of VSMCs companies with reduced expression of VSMCs marker genes and organized stress fibers. The effect of STAT6 in mouse VSMCs was conserved in human aortic SMCs. RNA‐deep‐sequencing and experiments verification revealed LncRNA C7orf69/LOC100996318‐miR‐370‐3p/FOXO1‐ER stress signaling as the downstream network mediating the pro‐dedifferentiation effect of STAT6 in VSMCs. These findings broaden our understanding of vascular pathological molecules and throw a beam of light on the therapy of a variety of proliferative vascular diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

: To investigate the impact of recryopreservation on embryo viability and the outcomes of in vitro fertilization (IVF) by comparison with single cryopreservation. There is a lack of consensus and reliable evidence regarding the impact of recryopreservation techniques on human embryos, particularly with respect to embryo viability and IVF outcomes. Systematic review and meta-analysis. Not applicable. Various databases such as PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Scopus were searched until October 10, 2022. All comparative studies comparing embryonic and IVF outcomes between repeated and single cryopreservation of embryos were included. The random-effect and fixed-effect meta-analysis models were used to pool the odds ratio (OR) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs). A subgroup analysis was performed based on different methods of cryopreservation and different times of embryo cryopreservation or transfer. Outcomes referring to embryo surviva l, IVF outcomes (including clinical pregnancy rate, embryo implantation rate, miscarriage rate, and live birth rate), and neonatal outcomes (including low birth weight rate and preterm birth rate) were evaluated. Fourteen studies were eligible for the present meta-analysis, involving 4,525 embryo transfer cycles in total (3,270 cycles with single cryopreservation [control group] and 1,255 with recryopreservation [experimental group]). Decreased embryo survival (OR, 0.51; 95% CI, 0.27–0.96) and clinical pregnancy rates (OR, 0.47; 95% CI, 0.23–0.96) were found in embryos that were recryopreserved by slow freezing. The live birth rate of revitrified embryos was also notably affected (OR, 0.60; 95% CI, 0.38–0.94). Overall, recryopreservation resulted in a decreased live birth rate (OR, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.50–0.90) and an increased miscarriage rate (OR, 1.52; 95% CI, 1.16–1.98) compared with single cryopreservation. No significant difference was found in neonatal outcomes. When embryos were cryopreserved and transferred at the blastocyst stage, both the embryo implantation rate (OR, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.39–0.89) and live birth rate (OR, 0.60; 95% CI, 0.37–0.96) were significantly different between the 2 groups. The present meta-analysis suggested that recryopreservation, compared with single cryopreservation, can lead to impaired embryo viability and a lower rate of IVF success, with no affected neonatal outcomes. Clinicians and embryologists should retain a cautious attitude toward recryopreservation strategies. CRD42022359456 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ovarian aging is a natural and physiological aging process characterized by loss of quantity and quality of oocyte or follicular pool. As it is generally accepted that women are born with a finite follicle pool that will go through constant decline without renewing, which, together with decreased oocyte quality, makes a severe situation for women who is of advanced age but desperate for a healthy baby. The aim of our review was to investigate mechanisms leading to ovarian aging by discussing both extra- and intra- ovarian factors and to identify genetic characteristics of ovarian aging. The mechanisms were identified as both extra-ovarian alternation of hypothalamic–pituitary-ovarian axis and intra-ovarian alternation of ovary itself, including telomere, mitochondria, oxidative stress, DNA damage, protein homeostasis, aneuploidy, apoptosis and autophagy. Moreover, here we reviewed related Genome-wide association studies (GWAS studies) from 2009 to 2021 and next generation sequencing (NGS) studies of primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) in order to describe genetic characteristics of ovarian aging. It is reasonable to wish more reliable anti-aging interventions for ovarian aging as the exploration of mechanisms and genetics being progressing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Doxorubicin (DOX) is widely used in the treatment of various cancers, increasing the great risk of adverse cardiovascular events, while the clinical intervention effect is not ideal. Histamine has been documented to participate in pathophysiological processes of cardiovascular diseases and inflammation-associated carcinogenesis. However, the potential roles of histamine in antitumor-related cardiotoxicity have not been fully elucidated. In this study, cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs, HL-1 cells) and mice were treated with DOX to establish DOX-induced cardiotoxicity (DIC) models. Histidine decarboxylase knockout mice (HDC−/−) mice and histamine 1 receptor (H 1 R) antagonist were used to explore the effect of histamine/H 1 R signaling on DIC. Our results demonstrated that histamine deficiency or pharmaceutical inhibition of H 1 R accelerated myocardial ferroptosis, which is responsible for the aggravated DIC both in vivo and in vitro , while the supplementation of exogenous histamine reversed these changes. Our data revealed that the dysfunction of histamine/H 1 R signaling repressed the activation of transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), accompanying with decreased expression of solute carrier family7member11 (SLC7A11), a major modulator of ferroptosis. Conclusively, the disruption of histamine/H 1 R axis triggered ferroptosis and exacerbated DIC possibly by modulating STAT3-SLC7A11 pathway. Our findings point to a potential therapeutic target for DIC and provide more consideration on the usage of antihistamine drugs. [Display omitted] • Disruption of histamine/H 1 R signaling aggravated inflammation and Doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity (DIC). • Solute carrier family 7 member 11 mediated cardiac ferroptosis might be the underlying mechanisms of histamine/H1R signaling in regulating DIC. • Histamine/H1R pathway is a novel therapeutic target for DIC and sheds lights on the safety of antihistamine drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Applications based on the fusion of aerial imagery and Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data have attracted more and more interest in recent years. Registration is the crucial prerequisite of data integration because of the spatial shift between two data modalities. However, there are many challenges for registration due to the different mechanisms of LiDAR and camera, especially in complex urban scenes. To address the problem, this paper proposes an automatic and robust registration method by using the centres and corner points of building boundaries as tie points. Primary registration is achieved by using centers of building boundaries as control points. To increase the robustness and accuracy of the registration, corner points of building boundaries are utilized to estimate the transformation model repeatedly. Two datasets of optical imagery and LiDAR data with different scene coverage are used to verify the performance of the proposed method. Experimental results show that the proposed method can achieve the registration accuracy of less than 2 pixels for both cases based on an assessment of check lines. This result can basically meet the requirements of data fusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Designing defect‐rich MoS2/C architectures with three‐dimensional (3D) porous frame effectively improve the electrochemical performance of lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs) owing to the improved conductivity and decreased diffusion distance of Li+ ions for lithium storage. Herein, we report a reliable morphology engineering method combining with tunable defects to synthesize defect‐rich MoS2 nanosheets with a few layers entrapped carbon sheath, forming a 3D porous conductive network architecture. The defect‐rich MoS2 nanosheets with expanded interlayers can provide a shortened ion diffusion path, and realize the 3D Li+ diffusion with faster kinetics. A 3D conductive interconnected carbon network is able to improve interparticle conductivity, concurrently maintaining the structural integrity. Benefiting from these intriguing features, the as‐prepared MoS2/C architectures exhibit excellent electrochemical performance: a high reversible capacity of 1163 mAh g−1 at a current density of 0.1 A g−1 after 100 cycles and a high rate capability of 800 mAh g−1 at 5 A g−1. Defect content in MoS2/C architectures can be obtained by changing H2 concentration. Compared with the counterparts with few defects, the defect‐rich MoS2/C architectures show improved electrochemical stability with a superior cycle life, illustrating a highly reversible capacity of 751 mAh g−1 at 0.5 A g−1 after 500 cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cucumber fruit shape, a significant agronomic trait, is controlled by quantitative trait loci (QTLs). Feasibility of chromosome segment substitution lines (CSSLs) is well demonstrated to map QTLs, especially the minor-effect ones. To detect and identify QTLs with CSSLs can provide new insights into the underlying mechanisms regarding cucumber fruit shape. In the present study, 71 CSSLs were built from a population of backcross progeny (BC4F2) by using RNS7 (a round-fruit cucumber) as the recurrent parent and CNS21 (a long-stick-fruit cucumber) as the donor parent in order to globally detect QTLs for cucumber fruit shape. With the aid of 114 InDel markers covering the whole cucumber genome, 21 QTLs were detected for fruit shape-related traits including ovary length, ovary diameter, ovary shape index, immature fruit length, immature fruit diameter, immature fruit shape index, mature fruit length, mature fruit diameter and mature fruit shape index, and 4 QTLs for other traits including fruit ground and flesh color, and seed size were detected as well. Together our results provide important resources for the subsequent theoretical and applied researches on cucumber fruit shape and other traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Particulate matter and NO pollution caused by automobile exhaust cause severe air pollution and respiratory diseases. Traditional gasoline particulate filter and three-way catalysts face the problem of high cost and no resistance to high temperature. Development of multifunctional filtration purification media with low cost and temperature resistance is necessary. In this paper, Ni nanofibers filter is easily fabricated by electrospinning, suitable for working environment with variable temperature. Moreover, between adjacent nanofibers, the preferable fused junction was formed which is beneficial to mechanical properties of the filter. The Ni nanofibers filter exhibits outstanding PM1 and NO gas removal ability. The PM1 filtration efficiency up to 99.86% @300 nm was achieved under wing speed of 5.3 cm/s. Moreover, the Ni nanofibers also achieve impressive NO-to-N2 and NO adsorption ability owing to the high specific surface area and activity of Ni nanofiber itself. As such, the multifunctional Ni nanofibers filter equips the potential for the actual application in automobile exhaust purification converter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-performance components with complex geometries make it difficult to determine the position and orientation of grinding tool. In this work, a fast and accurate robotic grinding path planning method is proposed for automatic removal of irregular weldments on a free form surface. The surface of workpiece is digitalized by 3D profile scanner and represented by point cloud data. Statistic filter, weighted least square regression and differences of normal vectors are used for point cloud pre-processing and segmentation. All segments are then modelled by B-spline surfaces to obtain the parent surface. A new superposition method is proposed to create a computer-aided design (CAD) model of the actual workpiece by adding the weld seam to the parent surface. The CAD model is then imported into an off-line simulation system to generate and execute grinding path. With the superposition method, the heights and widths of weld seam are extracted by analysing the difference between point cloud data and the reconstructed parent surface in order to determine the feed rate and size of grinding tool. Experimental results show that the proposed superposition method has the maximum absolute percentage error 5.3% and 41% saving in computation time in comparison with the conventional reverse engineering method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atherosclerosis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory arterial disease, in which abnormal lipid metabolism and foam cell formation play key roles. Histamine is a vital biogenic amine catalyzed by histidine decarboxylase (HDC) from L-histidine. Histamine H1 receptor (H1R) antagonist is a commonly encountered anti-allergic agent in the clinic. However, the role and mechanism of H1R in atherosclerosis have not been fully elucidated. Here, we explored the effect of H1R on atherosclerosis using Apolipoprotein E-knockout (ApoE−/−) mice with astemizole (AST, a long-acting H1R antagonist) treatment. The results showed that AST increased atherosclerotic plaque area and hepatic lipid accumulation in mice. The result of microarray study identified a significant change of endothelial lipase (LIPG) in CD11b+ myeloid cells derived from HDC-knockout (HDC−/−) mice compared to WT mice. Blocking H1R promoted the formation of foam cells from bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) of mice by up-regulating p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) and LIPG signaling pathway. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that blocking H1R signal aggravates atherosclerosis by promoting abnormal lipid metabolism and macrophage-derived foam cell formation via p38 MAPK-LIPG signaling pathway. Key messages: Blocking H1R signal with AST aggravated atherosclerosis and increased hepatic lipid accumulation in high-fat diet (HFD)-fed ApoE−/− mice. Blocking H1R signal promoted macrophage-derived foam cell formation via p38 MAPK-LIPG signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hybrid HVDC with cascaded multi‐infeed MMC inverters suffers from the fragile characteristic of its MMC inverters and is easy to be over current and over voltage. To solve such a problem, this letter proposes a fault ride‐through strategy based on the fault current limiter with a novel topology. With the proposed limiter, the hybrid HVDC system can ride through both the DC side pole‐to‐ground fault and the commutation failure caused by the AC side fault. When the commutation failure happens, the current‐limiting resistor of the fault current limiter will be put on to decrease the current into the safety boundary. When the DC side pole‐to‐ground fault happens, the MMC capacitor discharge path will be cut off automatically by the topology of the fault current limiter. The simulations finally validate the analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hydrothermal synthesis of the novel complex poly[aqua(μ4-benzene-1,2,3-tricarboxylato)[μ2-4,4′-(hydrazine-1,2-diylidenedimethanylylidene)dipyridine](μ3-hydroxido)dizinc(II)], [Zn(C9H3O6)(OH)(C12H10N4)(H2O)] n, is described. The benzene-1,2,3-tricarboxylate ligand connects neighbouring Zn4(OH)2 secondary building units (SBUs) producing an infinite one-dimensional chain. Adjacent one-dimensional chains are connected by the N, N′-bis[(pyridin-4-yl)methylidene]hydrazine ligand, forming a two-dimensional layered structure. Adjacent layers are stacked to generate a three-dimensional supramolecular architecture via O-H...O hydrogen-bond interactions. The thermal stability of this complex is described and the complex also appears to have potential for application as a luminescent material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pannexin1 (PANX1) is a highly glycosylated membrane channel-forming protein, which has been found to implicate in multiple physiological and pathophysiological functions. Variants in the PANX1 gene have been reported to be associated with oocyte death and recurrent in vitro fertilization failure. In this study, we identified a novel heterozygous PANX1 variant (NM_015368.4 c.410 C > T (p.Ser137Leu)) associated with the phenotype of oocyte death in a non-consanguineous family, followed by an autosomal dominant (AD) mode. We explored the molecular mechanism of the novel variant and the variant c.976_978del (p.Asn326del) that we reported previously. Both of the variants altered the PANX1 glycosylation pattern in cultured cells, led to aberrant PANX1 channel activation, affected ATP release and membrane electrophysiological properties, which resulted in mouse and human oocyte death in vitro. For the first time, we presented the direct evidence of the effect of the PANX1 variants on human oocyte development. Our findings expand the variant spectrum of PANX1 genes associated with oocyte death and provide new support for the genetic diagnosis of female infertility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Distinct macrophage populations exert highly heterogeneity and perform various functions, among which, a crucial function of lipid metabolism is highlighted. However, the role of histidine metabolism disorder in macrophage lipid metabolism remains elusive. Addressed this question, we sorted and cultured the bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) of histidine decarboxylase (Hdc) knockout (Hdc−/-) mice with an in vitro oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) model, and detected the intracellular lipids by Oil Red O staining as well as lipid probe staining. Astemizole, a canonical and long-acting histamine H 1 receptor (H 1 R) antagonist, was applied to elucidate the impact of antagonizing the H 1 R-dependent signaling pathway on macrophage lipid metabolism. Subsequently, the differential expressed genes were screened and analyzed in the bone marrow-derived CD11b+ immature myeloid cells of Hdc−/- and Hdc+/+ mice with a high fat diet by the microarray study. The expression levels of cholesterol metabolism-related genes were examined by qRT-PCR to explore underlying mechanisms. Lastly, we used a high-sensitivity histidine probe to detect the intracellular histidine in the BMDMs after oxidative stress. The results revealed that histidine metabolism disorder and histamine deficiency aggravated lipid accumulation in the ox-LDL-treated BMDMs. The expression level of H 1 R gene in the BMDMs was down-regulated after ox-LDL stimulation. The disruption of the H 1 R-dependent signaling pathway by astemizole further exacerbated ox-LDL-induced lipid deposition in the BMDMs partly by up-regulating scavenger receptor class A (SR-A) for lipid intake, down-regulating neutral cholesteryl ester hydrolase (nCEH) for cholesterol esterification and down-regulating ATP-binding cassette transporters A1 (ABCA1) and ABCG1 for reverse cholesterol transport. The intracellular histidine increased under ox-LDL condition, which was further increased by Hdc knockout. Collectively, these results partially reveal the relationship between histidine metabolism and lipid metabolism in the BMDMs and offer a novel strategy for lipid metabolism disorder-associated diseases. • There is a crosstalk between histidine metabolism and lipid metabolism in BMDMs. • Histamine deficiency aggravates lipid accumulation in the ox-LDL-treated BMDMs. • Disruption of H 1 R pathway exacerbates ox-LDL-induced lipid deposition in BMDMs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Primary Sjögren syndrome (pSS) is often related to adverse neonatal outcomes. But it's currently controversial whether pSS has an adverse effect on female fertility and clinical pregnancy condition. More importantly, it's unclear regarding the role of pSS in oocyte and embryonic development. There is a lack of comprehensive understanding and evaluation of fertility in pSS patients. Objective: This study aimed to investigate oocyte and embryonic development, ovarian reserve, and clinical pregnancy outcomes in Primary Sjögren syndrome (pSS) patients during in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment from multi-IVF centers. Methods: We performed a muti-central retrospective cohort study overall evaluating the baseline characteristics, ovarian reserve, IVF laboratory outcomes, and clinical pregnancy outcomes between the pSS patients and control patients who were matched by Propensity Score Matching. Results: Following PSM matching, baseline characteristics generally coincided between the two groups. Ovarian reserve including anti-müllerian hormone (AMH) and antral follicle counting (AFC) were significantly lower in the pSS group vs comparison (0.8 vs. 2.9 ng/mL, P < 0.001; 6.0 vs. 10.0, P < 0.001, respectively). The pSS group performed significant reductions in numbers of large follicles, oocytes retrieved and MII oocytes. Additionally, pSS patients exhibited obviously deteriorate rates of oocyte maturation, 2PN cleavage, D3 good-quality embryo, and blastocyst formation compared to comparison. As for clinical pregnancy, notable decrease was found in implantation rate (37.9% vs. 54.9%, P = 0.022). The cumulative live birth rate (CLBR) following every embryo-transfer procedure was distinctly lower in the pSS group, and the conservative and optimal CLBRs following every complete cycle procedure were also significantly reduced in the pSS group. Lastly, the gestational weeks of the newborns in pSS group were distinctly early vs comparison. Conclusion: Patients with pSS exhibit worse conditions in terms of female fertility and clinical pregnancy, notably accompanied with deteriorate oocyte and embryo development. Individualized fertility evaluation and early fertility guidance are essential for these special patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To better understand cytokinin signaling in melon (Cucumis melo L.), one of the most important fruit crops in the Cucurbitaceae family, we identified and characterized melon two-component system (TCS) genes in this study. The results showed that there were 51 genes encoding putative TCS proteins in melon, and these TCS genes were classified into 3 subgroups, with 17 HK(L)s (histidine kinase/histidine-kinase like; 9 HKs and 8 HKLs), 9 HPs (histidine phosphotransfer proteins; 6 authentic and 3 pseudo), and 25 RRs (response regulators; 8 Type-A, 11 Type-B and 6 pseudo). The identity values of these cytokinin signaling proteins were revealed by analyzing their conserved motifs, domains and amino acid sequences. By analyzing TCS genes in different plant species, we found that melon HK(L)s, HPs and RRs had closer phylogenetic relationships with cucumber genes than with the genes of other plants, and the expansion of melon cytokinin signaling genes might be attributed to segmental duplication events. Analysis of the putative promoter regions (2-kb upstream regions of the start codon) revealed the enrichment of stress- and hormone-response cis -elements. The involvement of these putative TCS genes in melon cytokinin signaling was further supported by qRT-PCR data. • 51 TCS genes were analyzed in melon genome, including conserved motifs, domains and amino acid sequence similarity levels. • Segmental duplication events might be the main contributors to the expansion of melon TCS genes. • Numerous stress- and hormone-responsive cis -elements were detected in the putative promoter regions of melon TCS genes. • Melon type-A and type-B RR genes were separated based on their phylogenic relationship, gene structure and expression profile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) is the most common causative gene attributed to congenital obstructive azoospermia (OA). The aim of this study was to conduct an epidemiological survey of congenital OA patients, to screen for CFTR mutations, and to follow their pregnancy outcomes in assisted reproductive technology (ART). Methods: This cohort study enrolled congenital OA patients undergoing ART and whole-exome sequencing from January 2018 to September 2023. Semen parameters, sex hormones, and seminal plasma biochemistry were evaluated. CFTR mutations identified in OA patients were analyzed. In addition, the laboratory outcomes, clinical outcomes, and neonatal outcomes were compared between OA patients carrying two CFTR mutations and the others after surgical sperm extraction-intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) treatment. Results: A total of 76 patients with congenital OA were enrolled. CFTR mutations were identified in 35 (46.1%) congenital OA patients. A total of 60 CFTR mutation sites of 27 types were identified, and 10 of them were novel. The average frequency was 1.71 (60/35) per person. The most common mutation was c.1210-11T > G (25%, 15/60). After ICSI treatment, there were no statistically significant differences in laboratory outcomes, clinical outcomes, and neonatal outcomes between OA patients carrying two CFTR mutations (n = 25) and other OA patients (n = 51). Conclusion: Apart from the IVS9-5T mutation, the genetic mutation pattern of CFTR in Chinese OA patients is heterogeneous, which is significantly different from that of Caucasians. Although carrying two CFTR mutations or not had no effect on the pregnancy outcomes in OA patients after ICSI, genetic counseling is still recommended for such patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Periodontal inflammation could increase inflammatory cytokines and HDC-expressing CD11b+ myeloid cells in the circulation and injured hearts of mice. • Histamine-H 1 R Signaling plays a key role in triggering inflammation and regulates NF-κB dependent genes. • H 1 R antagonist Astemizole and LPS synergistically promote pro-inflammatory factors effects via TLR4/NFκB-p65 Pathway. • Histamine deficiency or H 1 R antagonist Astemizole could impair endothelial function and increase oral pathogens colonization in the hearts, providing strong evidence linking periodontal inflammation with cardiac microthrombosis. Periodontal disease is a chronic inflammatory disease that is highly correlated with cardiovascular disease(CVD). Histamine has been proven to participate in the pathophysiological processes of cardiovascular disease and oral inflammation. However, the role of histamine in the development of cardiac microthrombosis caused by periodontal disease has not been fully elucidated. We established a murine periodontal inflammation model by injecting lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis). In order to examine the effect of histamine/H 1 R signaling on cardiac injury after periodontal disease, we used histidine decarboxylase- knockout (HDC−/−) mice and histamine 1 receptor (H 1 R) antagonist. Our results demonstrated that LPS-induced periodontal inflammation significantly increased CD11b+Gr-1+ neutrophils in the peripheral blood and myocardial interstitium. Histamine deficiency resulted in further increases in P. gingivalis , neutrophils, inflammatory cytokines, and cardiac microthrombosis in the myocardium of HDC-/- mice compared to wild-type (WT) mice. Mechanistic analysis showed that blocking H 1 R could synergistically interact with LPS, further increasing the phosphorylation of p65, exacerbating the inflammatory response of neutrophils and endothelial cell damage. Conclusively, the disruption of histamine-H 1 R signaling exacerbates cardiac microthrombosis after periodontal disease via TLR4/NFκB-p65 pathway. Our findings not only reveal a link between periodontal inflammation and myocardial injury but also provided some thoughts for the use of H 1 R antagonist in clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The persulfate-based advanced oxidation process has been an effective method for refractory organic pollutants' degradation in aqueous phase. Herein, α-MnO2 with nanowire morphology was facially fabricated via a one-step hydrothermal method and successfully activated peroxymonosulfate (PMS) for Rhodamine B (RhB) degradation. Influencing factors, including the hydrothermal parameter, PMS concentration, α-MnO2 dosage, RhB concentration, initial pH, and anions, were systematically investigated. The corresponding reaction kinetics were further fitted by the pseudo-first-order kinetic. The RhB degradation mechanism via α-MnO2 activating PMS was proposed according to a series of quenching experiments and the UV-vis scanning spectrum. Results showed that α-MnO2 could effectively activate PMS to degrade RhB and has good repeatability. The catalytic RhB degradation reaction was accelerated by increasing the catalyst dosage and the PMS concentration. The effective RhB degradation performance can be attributed to the high content of surface hydroxyl groups and the greater reducibility of α-MnO2, and the contribution of different ROS (reactive oxygen species) was 1O2 > O 2 · − > SO 4 · − > ·OH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Loropetalum chinense var. rubrum (L. chinense var. rubrum) is a precious, coloured-leaf native ornamental plant in the Hunan Province. We found an L. chinense var. rubrum tree with three different leaf colours: GL (green leaf), ML (mosaic leaf), and PL (purple leaf). The mechanism of leaf coloration in this plant is still unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the metabolites and genes involved in determining the colour composition of L. chinense var. rubrum leaves, using phenotypic/anatomic observations, pigment content detection, and comparative metabolomics and transcriptomics. Results: We observed that the mesophyll cells in PL were purple, while those in GL were green and those in ML were a mix of purple-green. The contents of chlorophyll a, b, carotenoids, and total chlorophyll in PL and ML were significantly lower than those in GL. While the anthocyanin content in PL and ML was significantly higher than that in GL. The metabolomics results showed the differences in the content of cyanidin 3-O-glucoside, delphinidin 3-O-glucoside, cyanidin 3,5-O-diglucoside, pelargonidin, and petunidin 3,5-diglucoside in ML, GL, and PL were significant. Considering that the change trend of anthocyanin content change was consistent with the leaf colour difference, we speculated that these compounds might influence the colour of L. chinense var. rubrum leaves. Using transcriptomics, we finally identified nine differentially expressed structural genes (one ANR (ANR1217); four CYP75As (CYP75A1815, CYP75A2846, CYP75A2909, and CYP75A1716); four UFGTs (UFGT1876, UFGT1649, UFGT1839, and UFGT3273) and nine transcription factors (two MYBs (MYB1057 and MYB1211), one MADS-box (MADS1235), two AP2-likes (AP2-like1779 and AP2-like2234), one bZIP (bZIP3720), two WD40s (WD2173 and WD1867) and one bHLH (bHLH1631) that might be related to flavonoid biosynthesis and then impacted the appearance of colour in L. chinense var. rubrum leaves. Conclusion: This study revealed potential molecular mechanisms associated with leaf coloration in L. chinense var. rubrum by analyzing differential metabolites and genes related to the anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway. It also provided a reference for research on leaf colour variation in other ornamental plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel two-dimensional (2D) lead(II) coordination polymer, {[(Me2NH2)4[Pb8(μ4-O)(1,2,3-btc)6]]2·6DMF·2H2O}n (1) (1,2,3-H3btc=benzene-1,2,3-tricarboxylic acid; DMF=N,N-dimethylformamide; Me2NH2+=the countercationic dimethylammonium ion, generated in situ via the hydrolysis of the solvent DMF), was synthesized solvothermally and fully characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetry and solid-state luminescence analysis. Structural analysis reveals that complex 1 contains an unusual octanuclear tetrahedron @ tetrahedron lead(II) secondary building units (SBUs) [Pb8(μ4-O)(O2C)18] and is extended topologically into a rare uninodal 7-connected framework structure. At room temperature, 1 in the solid-state exhibits strong emission peak at 495nm originated from ligand to metal charge transfer (LMCT) between delocalized π bonds of carboxylate groups and p orbitals of lead(II) centers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three new heterometallic coordination polymers formulated as {[Ca(CuL)(H2O)5]·H2O}n (1), [Sr(CuL)(H2O)2]n (2), and [Ba(CuL)(H2O)4]n (3) have been obtained by reaction of a rigid metalloligand [CuL]2− (H4L = N-5-sulfosalicylideneglycylglycine) with the corresponding alkaline earth metal cations M2+ (M = Ca, Sr or Ba). Their crystal structures are determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses and further characterized by elemental analyses and IR spectra. The coordination preferences of the alkaline earth metal cations are found to have pronounced effects on the structural topologies. Complex 1 has a distorted ladder-like one-dimensional (1D) structure. In complex 2, Sr(ii) ions link metalloligands [CuL]2−via the sulfonate and carbonyl oxygen atoms to generate a three-dimensional (3D) framework. Complex 3 is arranged in a 3D framework formed by the linkage of copper(ii) and barium(ii) via carboxylate and sulfonate bridges. Variable-temperature magnetic susceptibility studies indicate that all the complexes exhibit weak antiferromagnetic interactions between the Cu(ii) paramagnetic centers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The efficiency and quality of human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) are crucial for regenerative medicine, disease modeling, drug screening, and the study of the development events during cardiac specification. However, their applications have been hampered by the differentiation efficiency, poor maturation, and high interline variability. Recent studies have reported that histamine plays important roles in hematopoietic stem cell proliferation and neutrophil maturation. However, its roles in cardiovascular tissue regeneration have not been thoroughly investigated. In the current study, we identified a novel physiological function of the histamine/histamine 1 receptor (H1R) signal in regulating the differentiation of hiPSC-CMs and heart development. Methods: Transgenic zebrafish model (cmlc2: mCherry) was treated with histamine and histamine receptor (HR) antagonists. Histological morphology and ultrastructure of zebrafish heart were measured. Histamine-deficient pregnant mice (HDC−/−) were treated with H1R antagonist (pyrilamine) by intragastric administration from E8.5 to E18.5. Cardiac histological morphology and ultrastructure were analyzed in neonatal mice, and cardiac function in adult mice was measured. In vitro, histamine and HR antagonists were administrated in the culture medium during hiPSC-CM differentiation at different stages. The efficiency and maturation of cardiac differentiation were evaluated. Finally, histamine-treated hiPSC-CMs were transplanted into ischemic myocardium to detect the possible therapeutic effect. Results: Administration of H1R antagonist during heart development induced cardiac dysplasia in zebrafish. Furthermore, using histidine decarboxylase (HDC) knockout mice, we examined abnormal swelling of myocardial mitochondria and autophagy formation under the condition of endogenous histamine deficiency. Histamine significantly promoted myocardial differentiation from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) with better structure and function via a H1R-dependent signal. The activation of histamine/H1R signaling pathway augmented hiPSC-derived cardiomyocyte (hiPSC-CM) differentiation through the ERK1/2-STAT3 signaling pathway. In addition, histamine-pre-treated hiPSC-CMs were transplanted into the ischemic hearts of myocardial injured mice and exhibited better survival and myocardial protection. Conclusions: Thus, these findings indicated that histamine/H1R and its downstream signals were not only involved in cardiac differentiation but also provided a better survival environment for stem cell transplanted into ischemic myocardium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We assessed the association between neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and chronic coronary total occlusion (CTO), as well as clinical prognosis of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Patients referred for elective coronary angiography for stable angina pectoris were enrolled, including a CTO (n = 160) and a non-CTO group (n = 160). Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio on admission and post-PCI was measured, and NLRΔ was defined as the change between the 2 values. Subgroup analysis was performed based on the value of NLRΔ (≥0.5 vs <0.5). Clinical characteristics, angiographic data, and follow-up data were recorded. Compared with the non-CTO group, the total white blood cell count, neutrophil counts, and NLR were significantly higher in the CTO group. In the NLRΔ ≥ 0.5 subgroup, the incidence of severe dissection, slow coronary flow, in-stent restenosis (ISR), and major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) was obviously higher. In multivariate analysis, NLRΔ was independently and positively associated with higher risks of ISR and MACE. The NLR could be a potential predictor of CTO, and NLRΔ is independently associated with the adverse clinical outcomes in patients who underwent PCI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Systemic embolism, especially septic embolism, is a severe complication of infective endocarditis (IE). However, concurrent embolism to the brain, coronary arteries, and spleen is very rare. Because of the risk of hemorrhage or visceral rupture, anticoagulants are recommended only if an indication is present, e.g. prosthetic valve. Antiplatelet therapy in IE is controversial, but theoretically, this therapy has the potential to prevent and treat thrombosis and embolism in IE. Unfortunately, clinical trial results have been inconclusive.Case Presentation: We describe a previously healthy 50-year-old man who presented with dysarthria secondary to bacterial endocarditis with multiple cerebral, coronary, splenic, and peripheral emboli; antibiotic therapy contributed to the multiple emboli. Emergency splenectomy was performed, with subsequent mitral valve repair. Pathological examination confirmed mucoid degeneration and mitral valve prolapse (Barlow's disease) as the underlying etiology of the endocardial lesion. Continuous antibiotics were prescribed, postoperatively. Transthoracic echocardiography at 1.5, 3, and 6 months after the onset of his illness showed no severe regurgitation, and there was no respiratory distress, fever, or lethargy during follow-up.Conclusions: Although antibiotic use in IE carries a risk of septic embolism, these drugs have bactericidal and antithrombotic benefits. It is important to consider that negative blood culture and symptom resolution do not confirm complete elimination of bacteria. However, vegetation size and Staphylococcus aureus infection accurately predict embolization. It is also important to consider that bacteria can be segregated from the microbicide when embedded in platelets and fibrin. Therefore, antimicrobial therapy with concurrent antiplatelet therapy should be considered carefully. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Bismuth vanadate (BiVO4) spindle particles with monoclinic scheelite structure have been successfully synthesized via a facile sonochemical method. The as-prepared BiVO4 photocatalyst exhibited a hollow interior structure constructed from the self-assembly of cone shape primary nanocrystals. A possible oriented attachment growth mechanism has been proposed based on the results of time-dependent experiments, which indicates the formation of spindle particles is mainly attributed to the phase transformation procedure induced by ultrasound irradiation. A series of morphology evolutions of BiVO4 from compact microspheres, to hollow microspheres, and then to spindle particles have been arrested in the process of sonochemical treatment. Optical absorption experiments revealed the BiVO4 spindle had strong absorption in the visible light region. A much higher photocatalytic activity of these spindle particles was found in comparison with the SSR-BiVO4 material for degradation of rhodamine-B under visible light irradiation, which may be ascribed to its special single-crystalline nanostructure. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]