Search

A terbium-based metal-organic framework (MOF) with exceptional water stability for highly selective detection of pesticide thiamethoxam (TMX) in aqueous solution is reported. To date, most reported lanthanide metal-organic frameworks (Ln-MOFs) still exhibit poor water stability, which may limit their practical applications in bio-sensing and detecting pollutants in environmental water samples. In this work, a Tb-MOF [Tb(BDC) 1.5 (DEF)·0.5H 2 O] n (1, BDC = 1,4-benzene dicarboxylate, DEF = N , N -diethylformamide) was prepared by hydrothermal reactions of 1,4-benzenedicarboxylic acid with the corresponding rare earth ions of Tb 3+ . Impressively, water stability surveys of compound 1 indicated that it maintained at least 90% of its emission intensity after storage in water for several months. This characteristic of long water stability is unusual as compared to other Ln-MOFs, making compound 1 an excellent candidate for sensing applications in the aqueous phase. In particular, the green emission of compound 1 could be quenched by the pesticide thiamethoxam (TMX), which was attributed to both the static and dynamic quenching processes based on an upward-curving Stern-Volmer plot. The quenching mechanism was speculatively attributed to the inner filter effect combined with the complex formation based on the electrostatic interaction of compound 1 and TMX, resulting in the promotion of the quenching efficiency. Finally, compound 1 was demonstrated to detect TMX in aqueous solution with rapid response and high selectivity., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Background: Jasmonic acid (JA) is an important phytohormone used to defend against herbivores, but it does not respond to whitefly feeding. Conversely, another phytohormone, salicylic acid (SA), is induced when plants are fed upon by whiteflies. JA has a better anti-whitefly effect than SA; however, there is limited research on how to effectively improve plant resistance by utilizing the different responses of these phytohormones to whitefly feeding., Results: We discovered that protease inhibitors 8 (PI8) and terpene synthase 10 (TPS10) located downstream of the JA-regulated pathway in plants have anti-whitefly effects, but these two genes were not induced by whitefly feeding. To identify whitefly-inducible promoters, we compared the transcriptome data of tobacco fed upon by Bemisia tabaci with the control. We focused on pathogenesis-related (PR) genes because they are known to be induced by SA. Among these PR genes, we found that expression levels of pathogenes-related protein 1C-like (PR1) and glucose endo-1,3-beta-glucosidase (BGL) can be significantly induced by whitefly feeding and regulated by SA. We then engineered the whitefly-inducible promoters of BGL and PR1 to drive the expression of PI8 and TPS10. We found that compared with control plants that did not induce the expression of PI8 or TPS10, transformed plants expressing PI8 or TPS10 under the PR1 or BGL promoter showed a significant increase in the expression levels of PI8 and TPS10 after whitefly infection, significantly improving their resistance to whiteflies., Conclusion: Our findings suggest that using SA-inducible promoters as tools to drive the expression of JA-regulated defense genes can enhance plant resistance to whiteflies. Our study provides a novel pathway for the enhancement of plant resistance against insects. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.)

Background: SARS-CoV-2 continues to mutate over time, and reports on children infected with Omicron BA.5 are limited. We aimed to analyze the specific symptoms of Omicron-infected children and to improve patient care., Methods: We selected 315 consecutively hospitalized children with Omicron BA.5 and 16,744 non-Omicron-infected febrile children visiting the fever clinic at our hospital between December 8 and 30, 2022. Specific convulsions and body temperatures were compared between the two cohorts. We analyzed potential associations between convulsions and vaccination, and additionally evaluated the brain damage among severe Omicron-infected children., Results: Convulsion rates (97.5% vs. 4.3%, P < 0.001) and frequencies (median: 2.0 vs. 1.6, P < 0.001) significantly differed between Omicron-infected and non-Omicron-infected febrile children. The body temperatures of Omicron-infected children were significantly higher during convulsions than when they were not convulsing and those of non-Omicron-infected febrile children during convulsions (median: 39.5 vs. 38.2 and 38.6 °C, both P < 0.001). In the three Omicron-subgroups, the temperature during convulsions was proportional to the percentage of patients and significantly differed ( P < 0.001), while not in the three non-Omicron-subgroups ( P = 0.244). The convulsion frequency was lower in the 55 vaccinated children compared to the 260 non-vaccinated children (average: 1.8 vs. 2.1, P < 0.001). The vaccination dose and convulsion frequency in Omicron-infected children were significantly correlated ( P < 0.001). Fifteen of the 112 severe Omicron cases had brain damage., Conclusions: Omicron-infected children experience higher body temperatures and frequencies during convulsions than those of non-Omicron-infected febrile children. We additionally found evidence of brain damage caused by infection with omicron BA.5. Vaccination and prompt fever reduction may relieve symptoms., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: The use of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) for early detection of prostate cancer (PCa) is common but controversial. In rural areas, PSA is widely used for screening because it is convenient and early-stage PCa often shows no symptoms. Studies suggest that PSA levels are linked to factors like unhealthy lifestyles, obesity, lack of exercise, inflammation, and aging. Proper use and interpretation of PSA are crucial for healthcare providers, especially in primary care settings. This study aims to explore the prevalence and factors linked to higher PSA levels in rural men., Methods: We conducted a community-based cross-sectional study from March to December 2023 in the western coastal region of Taiwan. Men aged 40-75 years participated, completing a lifestyle questionnaire and providing blood samples for cardiometabolic biomarkers and PSA levels. PSA levels of ≥ 4.0 ng/mL were considered elevated. We used propensity score matching (PSM) and genetic matching (GM) for analysis, followed by regression analysis., Results: In total, 3347 male adults with a mean age of 56.3 years (SD=11.8, range 40-75), and without cancer-related diseases, were enrolled. Findings indicated that 3.9% (n=130) of men aged 40-75 years had a PSA ≥ 4 ng/mL. and many of them did not adopt health-related behaviors, including inadequate servings of vegetables, water intake, and engaging in regular exercise. Furthermore, more than half of the participants had high blood pressure, and over one-quarter exhibited a higher waist-hip ratio and cardiometabolic diseases. After employing propensity score matching (PSM) and genetic matching (GM) with respect to age and education, the multivariate logistic regression model indicated that less water intake (p<0.01), higher waist-hip ratio (> 0.95) (p<0.05), and being diagnosed with cardiometabolic diseases (p<0.05) were significantly associated with a higher serum PSA level., Conclusion: This study revealed that inadequate water intake and obesity related diseases are significant risk factors associated with elevated PSA levels among male adults living in rural areas. It is important for frontline healthcare providers to carefully interpret the meaning of a high PSA level. Additionally, launching a longitudinal study is necessary to further investigate its relation to PCa., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Hsieh, Chang, Lin, Huang and Chen.)

Devices under semi-on-state stress often suffer from more severe current collapse than when they are in the off-state, which causes an increase in dynamic on-resistance. Therefore, characterization of the trap states is necessary. In this study, temperature-dependent transient recovery current analysis determined a trap energy level of 0.08 eV under semi-on-state stress, implying that interface traps are responsible for current collapse. Multi-frequency capacitance-voltage (C-V) testing was performed on the MIS diode, calculating that interface trap density is in the range of 1.37×1013 to 6.07×1012cm-2eV-1 from EC-ET=0.29 eV to 0.45 eV.

In this paper, novel sulfur-containing 1,6-dihydrofuro[3,2- b ]pyrazolo[3,4- e ][1,4]thiazine skeletons were constructed from the simple and readily available materials enaminone, 5-aminopyrazole, and 1,4-dithiane-2,5-diol. Furthermore, a novel 1,4-dithiane-2,5-diol reaction mode has been developed through a double-dipole-reversal process induced by iodine that results in the formation of six new bonds and two new rings in a one-pot reaction. This method shows good substrate compatibility, and the products can be further modified with a variety of pharmaceuticals. Additionally, this novel skeleton exhibits good fluorescence properties in solution, enabling bright and stable green fluorescence imaging in HeLa cells.

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) and optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) have the potential application in evaluating pathological structural change of the optic nerve. We aimed to evaluate the value of the OCT and OCTA parameters of the optic disk and macular in differentiating early chronic primary angle-closure glaucoma (CPACG) and early pituitary adenoma (PA) in case of mild visual field defects (the mean defect (MD) > 6 dB). The results showed that regarding OCTA parameters, CPACG patients had lower retinal blood flow density of most layers of the optic disk and macular than PA patients. Regarding OCT parameters, CPACG patients had thinner circumpapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (CP-RNFL) in all quadrants and average CP-RNFL, ganglion cell layer (GCL) and macular ganglion cell complex (GCC) in each quadrant of macular inner and outer rings, and inner plexus layer (IPL) of macular inner ring, superior-outer ring and temporal-outer ring than PA patients. The Z test indicated that OCTA parameters and OCT parameters had similar value in the diagnosis of disease. In conclusion, in the case of similar visual field damage, early CPACG patients have smaller blood flow density and thinner optic disk and macular than early PA. OCTA has similar performance to OCT in diagnosing CPACG and PA., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Electrochemical alkalization of (Cu-S) n metal-organic framework (MOF) and graphene oxide ((Cu-S) n MOF/GO) composite yields a new CuO/(Cu-S) n MOF/RGO (reduced GO) composite with porous morphology on screen printed carbon electrode (SPCE) which facilitated the electron transfer properties in electrochemical quercetin (QUE) detection. A selective QUE detection ability has been demonstrated by the constructed electrochemical sensor (CuO/(Cu-S) n MOF/RGO/SPCE), which also has a broad dynamic range of 0.5 to 115 µM in pH 3 by differential pulse voltammetry. The detection limit is 0.083 µM (S/N = 3). In this study, it was  observed that the real samples contained 0.34 mg mL -1 and 27.7 µg g -1 QUE in wine and onion, respectively., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Austria, part of Springer Nature.)

Objective: The objective for this study was to evaluate the effects of short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) on arthritic bone remodeling., Methods: We treated a recently described preclinical murine model of psoriatic arthritis (PsA), R26STAT3C stopfl/fl CD4Cre mice, with SCFA-supplemented water. We also performed in vitro osteoclast differentiation assays in the presence of serum-level SCFAs to evaluate the direct impact of these microbial metabolites on maturation and function of osteoclasts. We further characterized the molecular mechanism of SCFAs by transcriptional analysis., Results: The osteoporosis condition in R26STAT3C stopfl/fl CD4Cre animals is attributed primarily to robust osteoclast differentiation driven by an expansion of osteoclast progenitor cells (OCPs), accompanied by impaired osteoblast development. We show that SCFA supplementation can rescue the osteoporosis phenotype in this model of PsA. Our in vitro experiments revealed an inhibitory effect of the SCFAs on osteoclast differentiation, even at very low serum concentrations. This suppression of osteoclast differentiation enabled SCFAs to impede osteoporosis development in R26STAT3C stopfl/fl CD4Cre mice. Further interrogation revealed that bone marrow-derived OCPs from diseased mice expressed a higher level of SCFA receptors than those of control mice and that the progenitor cells in the bone marrow of SCFA-treated mice presented a modified transcriptomic landscape, suggesting a direct impact of SCFAs on bone marrow progenitors in the context of osteoporosis., Conclusion: We demonstrated how gut microbiota-derived SCFAs can regulate distal pathology (ie, osteoporosis) and identified a potential therapeutic option for restoring bone density in rheumatic disease, further highlighting the critical role of the gut-bone axis in these disorders., (© 2023 American College of Rheumatology.)

Aim: To define the predictive factors of severe retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) and develop a nomogram for predicting severe ROP in southeast China., Methods: Totally 554 infants diagnosed with ROP hospitalized in the Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University and hospitalized in Taizhou Women and Children's Hospital were included. Clinical data and 43 candidate predictive factors of ROP infants were collected retrospectively. Logistic regression model was used to identify predictive factors of severe ROP and to propose a nomogram for individual risk prediction, which was compared with WINROP model and Digirop-Birth model., Results: Infants from the Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University ( n =478) were randomly allocated into training ( n =402) and internal validation group ( n =76). Infants from Taizhou Women and Children's Hospital were set as external validation group ( n =76). Severe ROP were found in 52 of 402 infants, 12 of 76 infants, and 7 of 76 infants in training group, internal validation group, and external validation group, respectively. Birth weight [odds ratio (OR), 0.997; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.996-0.999; P <0.001], multiple births (OR, 1.885; 95%CI, 1.013-3.506; P =0.045), and non-invasive ventilation (OR, 0.288; 95%CI, 0.146-0.570; P <0.001) were identified as predictive factors for the prediction of severe ROP, by univariate analysis and multivariate analysis. For predicting severe ROP based on the internal validation group, the areas under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was 78.1 (95%CI, 64.2-92.0) for the nomogram, 32.9 (95%CI, 15.3-50.5) for WINROP model, 70.2 (95%CI, 55.8-84.6) for Digirop-Birth model. In external validation group, AUC of the nomogram was also higher than that of WINROP model and Digirop-Birth model (80.2 versus 51.1 and 63.4). The decision curve analysis of the nomogram demonstrated better clinical efficacy than that of WINROP model and Digirop-Birth model. The calibration curves demonstrated a good consistency between the actual severe ROP incidence and the predicted probability., Conclusion: Birth weight, multiple births, and non-invasive ventilation are independent predictors of severe ROP. The nomogram has a good ability to predict severe ROP and performed well on internal validation and external validation in southeast China., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: Liu D, None; Li XY, None; He HW, None; Jin KL, None; Zhang LX, None; Zhou Y, None; Zhu ZM, None; Jiang CC, None; Wu HJ, None; Zheng SL, None., (International Journal of Ophthalmology Press.)

Aqueous humor (AH) and blood levels of transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) are elevated in idiopathic primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) representing a disease biomarker of unclear status and function. Tsk mice display a POAG phenotype and harbor a mutation of fibrillin-1, an important regulator of TGFβ bioavailability. AH TGFβ2 was higher in Tsk than wild-type (WT) mice (by 34%; p = 0.002; ELISA); similarly, AH TGFβ2 was higher in human POAG than controls (2.7-fold; p = 0.00005). As in POAG, TGFβ1 was elevated in Tsk serum (p = 0.01). Fibrillin-1 was detected in AH from POAG subjects and Tsk mice where both had similar levels relative to controls (p = 0.45). 350 kDa immunoblot bands representing WT full-length fibrillin-1 were present in human and mouse AH. A 418 kDa band representing mutant full-length fibrillin-1 was present only in Tsk mice. Lower molecular weight fibrillin-1 antibody-reactive bands were present in similar patterns in humans and mice. Certain bands (130 and 32 kDa) were elevated only in human POAG and Tsk mice (p ≤ 0.04 relative to controls) indicating discrete isoforms relevant to disease. In addition to sharing a phenotype, Tsk mice and human POAG subjects had common TGFβ and fibrillin-1 features in AH and also blood that are pertinent to understanding glaucoma pathogenesis., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Purpose: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has been increasingly recognized as an important factor contributing to medical morbidity and mortality. It was reported that more than half of the population with hypertension had OSA. Limited studies have been done on assessing OSA in hypertensive patients. This study aimed to determine the prevalence, socio-demographic characteristics, and factors associated with probable OSA in hypertensive patients in primary care clinics in Sarawak., Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out using a systematic random sampling method in hypertensive patients who attended two government primary care clinics in Sarawak. The STOP-Bang questionnaire was used to screen for OSA, and social-demographic data was captured with a questionnaire. Multiple logistic regressions were used to examine the determinants of the OSA., Results: A total of 410 patients were enrolled in this study. The mean age of study population patients was 56.4 years, with more than half being female. The mean blood pressure was 136/82. The prevalence of probable OSA among patients with hypertension was 54.4%. According to multiple logistic regression analyses, smoking (odds ratio [OR] 14.37, 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.335-61.947), retirees (OR 3.20, 95% CI 1.675-6.113), and being Chinese (OR 2.21, 95% CI 1.262-3.863) had a significant positive association with probable OSA., Conclusions: Because of the high prevalence of probable OSA among patients with hypertension, primary care physicians should be more vigilant in identifying hypertensive patients with OSA risk. Early detection and intervention would reduce disease complications and healthcare costs., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland.)

Anemarrhena asphodeloides is a common medicinal material used in clinical prescriptions and Chinese patent medicine. In this study, the Illumina platform was used to obtain the chloroplast genome sequences of seven kinds of A. asphodeloides from different areas. The specific DNA barcodes were screened by comparative genomics analysis, and the DNA barcodes were used to identify the germplasm resources and analyze the genetic diversity of A. asphodeloides samples from different areas in China. All the seven chloroplast genomes had a ring structure. The total length was 156 801-156 930 bp, and 113 genes were annotated, including 79 protein-coding genes, 30 tRNA genes, and four rRNA genes. The comparative genomics analysis showed that rps16, trnG-GCC, atpF, rpoB, ycf3, rpl16, ndhF, trnS-GCU＿trnG-GCC, petN-psbM, and ndhF-rpl32 were potential candidates for specific DNA barcodes of A. asphodeloides. In this study, the second intron of ycf3 and atpF intron sequences with a sequence length of 700-800 bp and easy amplification were selected for polymerase chain reaction(PCR) amplification and sequencing of 594 samples from 26 areas. The sequence analysis showed that six and eight haplotypes of ycf3 and atpF sequences could be identified, respectively, and 17 haplotypes could be identified by combined analysis of the two sequences, which were named Hap1-Hap17. The haplotype diversity(H&#95;d), nucleotide diversity(P&#95;i), and genetic distance of A. asphodeloides in 26 populations were 0.68, 0.93×10~(-3), and 0-0.003 1, respectively, indicating that the genetic diversity within the species of A. asphodeloides is rich. The intermediary adjacent network analysis showed that Hap5 was the oldest haplotype, which was mainly distributed in Yixian county of Baoding, Hebei province, Hequ county of Xinzhou, Shanxi province, and Xiangfen county of Linfen, Shanxi province. This study has important guiding significance for the identification of A. asphodeloides species, the protection and development of germplasm resources, and the identification of production areas, and it provides a research basis for further revealing the genetic evolution law of A. asphodeloides.

Oligomerization of DNMT3B, a mammalian de novo DNA methyltransferase, critically regulates its chromatin targeting and DNA methylation activities. However, how the N-terminal PWWP and ADD domains interplay with the C-terminal methyltransferase (MTase) domain in regulating the dynamic assembly of DNMT3B remains unclear. Here, we report the cryo-EM structure of DNMT3B under various oligomerization states. The ADD domain of DNMT3B interacts with the MTase domain to form an autoinhibitory conformation, resembling the previously observed DNMT3A autoinhibition. Our combined structural and biochemical study further identifies a role for the PWWP domain and its associated ICF mutation in the allosteric regulation of DNMT3B tetramer, and a differential functional impact on DNMT3B by potential ADD-H3K4me0 and PWWP-H3K36me3 bindings. In addition, our comparative structural analysis reveals a coupling between DNMT3B oligomerization and folding of its substrate-binding sites. Together, this study provides mechanistic insights into the allosteric regulation and dynamic assembly of DNMT3B., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.)

Introduction: Rectal cancer is one of the top 10 cancers worldwide. Up to 80% of patients with rectal tumours have had sphincter-saving surgery, mainly due to the large expectation of anal preservation. However, patients tend to experience low anterior resection syndrome (LARS) after rectal resection, which is disordered bowel function that includes faecal incontinence, urgency, frequent defecation, constipation and evacuation difficulties. LARS, with an estimated prevalence of 41%, has been reported to substantially decrease the quality of life of patients. However, no comprehensive preventive strategies are currently available for LARS. This systematic review aims to synthesise evidence on the current LARS preventive strategies., Methods and Analysis: This protocol is reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P) checklist. Literature in PubMed (via Medline), Embase and the Cochrane Library from inception to July 2023 will be searched to identify articles relevant to preventive effectiveness against LARS. The Cochrane Collaboration's risk of bias tool for randomised controlled trials and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale for clinical controlled trials, cohort studies and case-control studies will be used to assess the risk of bias. We will group the included studies by the type of LARS prevention strategy and present an overview of the main findings in the form of evidence mapping. A meta-analysis is planned if there is no substantial clinical heterogeneity between the included studies. The Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) will be used to evaluate the quality of the evidence., Ethics and Dissemination: Ethical approval is not needed for systematic review of published data. The findings will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and disseminated at scientific conferences., Prospero Registration Number: CRD42023402886., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2023. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Introduction: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a highly prevalent gastrointestinal disorder that causes diverse esophageal and extraesophageal symptoms. Many clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) have been issued around the world to provide practical evidence regarding GERD management. However, some of the recommendations discussed in various CPGs are inconsistent across individual documents., Objectives: We aimed to summarize the evidence from CPGs on GERD and assess the consistency of the recommendations., Patients and Methods: In this scoping review, we identified current CPGs on the clinical management of GERD, which were comprehensively searched for in electronic databases and on relevant scientific websites. The recommendations were extracted using the population‑intervention‑comparison framework and were subsequently categorized into tables., Results: Ultimately, 24 CPGs were identified. They included 86 recommendations, which were classified into 5 categories: definition, epidemiology, diagnosis, treatment, and complications. Among the identified recommendations, 68 were proposed in at least 2 CPGs, and they were assessed for the consistency of direction and strength. Overall, 32.4% of the recommendations (22/68) were consistent in direction and strength, whereas 60.3% (41/68) were consistent in direction but inconsistent in strength. Moreover, 7.4% (5/68) were inconsistent in direction. These referred to the relationship between GERD and tobacco consumption, Helicobacter pylori infection, diagnostic utility of the 2‑week proton pump inhibitor test, cessation of special food, and antireflux surgery for GERD with extraesophageal symptoms., Conclusions: Most CPG recommendations regarding GERD were consistent in direction, except for 5 discrepancies, for which further well‑designed, large‑scale research is required to explain the inconsistency.

The neutral rhenium(I)-biimidazole complex [Re(CO) 3 (biimH)(1,4-NVP)] (1) was designed and synthesized by a one-pot reaction of Re 2 (CO) 10 , 2,2'-biimidazole (biimH 2 ) and 4-(1-naphthylvinyl)pyridine (1,4-NVP). The structure of 1 was characterized by various spectroscopic techniques including IR, 1 H NMR, FAB-MS, and elemental analysis and further confirmed by a single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The mononuclear complex 1, a relatively simple structure with an octahedral geometry, is comprised of facial-arranged carbonyl groups, one chelated biimH monoanion, and one 1,4-NVP. Complex 1 shows the lowest energy absorption band at around 357 nm and an emission band at 408 nm in THF. The luminescent characteristics of 1 combined with the hydrogen bonding ability of the partially coordinated monoionic biimidazole ligand permits the complex to selectively recognize fluoride ions (F - ) in the presence of other halides through a dramatic luminescence enhancement. The recognition mechanism of 1 can be convincingly explained in terms of H-bond formation and proton abstraction upon the addition of F - ions by 1 H and 19 F NMR titration experiments. The electronic properties of 1 were further supported by time dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) computational studies., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Peritoneal dialysis (PD)-related infections, such as peritonitis, exit site, and tunnel infections, substantially impair the sustainability of PD. Accordingly, PD-related infection is the top-priority research outcome for patients and caregivers. While PD nurse trainers teach patients to perform their own PD, PD training curricula are not standardized or informed by an evidentiary base and may offer a potential approach to prevent PD infections. The Targeted Education ApproaCH to improve Peritoneal Dialysis outcomes (TEACH-PD) trial evaluates whether a standardized training curriculum for PD nurse trainers and incident PD patients based on the International Society for Peritoneal Dialysis (ISPD) guidelines reduces PD-related infections compared to usual training practices., Methods: The TEACH-PD trial is a registry-based, pragmatic, open-label, multi-center, binational, cluster-randomized controlled trial. TEACH-PD will recruit adults aged 18 years or older who have not previously undergone PD training at 42 PD treatment units (clusters) in Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) between July 2019 and June 2023. Clusters will be randomized 1:1 to standardized TEACH-PD training curriculum or usual training practice. The primary trial outcome is the time to the first occurrence of any PD-related infection (exit site infection, tunnel infection, or peritonitis). The secondary trial outcomes are the individual components of the primary outcome, infection-associated catheter removal, transfer to hemodialysis (greater than 30 days and 180 days), quality of life, hospitalization, all-cause death, a composite of transfer to hemodialysis or all-cause death, and cost-effectiveness. Participants are followed for a minimum of 12 months with a targeted average follow-up period of 2 years. Participant and outcome data are collected from the ANZ Dialysis and Transplant Registry (ANZDATA) and the New Zealand Peritoneal Dialysis (NZPD) Registry. This protocol follows the Standard Protocol Items: Recommendations for Interventional Trials (SPIRIT) guidelines., Discussion: TEACH-PD is a registry-based, cluster-randomized pragmatic trial that aims to provide high-certainty evidence about whether an ISPD guideline-informed standardized PD training curriculum for PD nurse trainers and adult patients prevents PD-related infections., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03816111. Registered on 24 January 2019., (© 2023. Crown.)

Corneal scarring is a leading cause of blindness. Currently, there is no treatment to prevent and/or reduce corneal scar formation under pathological conditions. Our previous data showed that the NBL1 protein, also termed the DAN Family BMP (Bone morphogenetic protein) Antagonist, was highly expressed in corneal stromal cells upon wounding. Here, we examined the function of NBL1 in corneal wound healing. Mouse corneas were mechanically wounded, followed by a 2-week treatment using NBL1. Wounded corneas treated with vehicle or an Fc tag served as controls. Compared with the controls, NBL1 treatment facilitated wound re-epithelialization, partially restored the stromal thickness, and significantly reduced corneal scar formation. NBL1 treatment did not decrease immune cell infiltration, indicating that the anti-scarring effect was not dependent on immune suppression. We further examined the anti-fibrotic effect of NBL1 on human corneas. Pairs of human corneas were induced to form myofibroblasts (a key player in fibrosis and scarring) upon wounding and incubation in a medium containing TGF-β1. The OS corneas were treated with Fc as a control, and the OD corneas were treated with NBL1. Compared with the control, human corneas treated with NBL1 had significantly fewer myofibroblasts, which was consistent with these mouse data. A further study revealed that NBL1 treatment inhibited BMP canonical (phospho-Smad1/5) and no-canonical (phospho-p38) pathways in human corneas. Data show that NBL1 reduced corneal fibrosis and scar formation in mice and cultured human corneas. The underlying molecular mechanism is not certain because both anti-fibrotic Smad1/5 and pro-fibrotic p38 pathways were inhibited upon NBL1 treatment. Whether the p38 pathway dominates the Smad1/5 pathway during corneal fibrosis, leading to the anti-fibrotic effect of NBL1, needs further investigation.

Facilely synthesized peroxidase-like nanozymes with high catalytic activity and stability may serve as effective biocatalysts. The present study synthesizes peroxidase-like nanozymes with multinuclear active sites using two-dimensional (2D) metal-organic framework (MOF) nanosheets and evaluates them for their practical applications. A simple method involving a one-pot bottom-up reflux reaction is developed for the mass synthesis of (Cu-S) n MOF 2D nanosheets, significantly increasing production quantity and reducing reaction time compared to traditional autoclave methods. The (Cu-S) n MOF 2D nanosheets with the unique coordination of Cu(I) stabilized in Cu-based MOFs demonstrate impressive activity in mimicking natural peroxidase. The active sites of the peroxidase-like activity of (Cu-S) n MOF 2D nanosheets were predominantly verified as Cu(I) rather than Cu(II) of other Cu-based MOFs. The cost-effective and long-term stability of (Cu-S) n MOF 2D nanosheets make them suitable for practical applications. Furthermore, the inhibition of the peroxidase-like activity of (Cu-S) n MOF nanosheets by glutathione (GSH) could provide a simple strategy for colorimetric detection of GSH against other amino acids. This work remarkably extends the utilization of (Cu-S) n MOF 2D nanosheets in biosensing, revealing the potential for 2D (Cu-S) n MOFs.

Objective: Workplace health programs can be ineffective, and changes are likely to be temporary without first establishing a wellness infrastructure. This study sought to determine whether attending a WorkWell KS Building the Worksite Wellness Foundation (Foundation) workshop enabled worksites to develop this infrastructure., Methods: Survey data were collected from worksites before attending a workshop and approximately 1 year later. Survey items were designed to assess whether the worksite was implementing best practices., Results: In total, 212 worksites participated in a workshop and completed both a baseline and follow-up assessments. At follow-up, more worksites reported having a wellness committee (89.6% vs 59.7%, P < 0.001) and having wellness committee duties included in position descriptions (26.2% vs 6.4%, P < 0.001)., Conclusions: This study suggests that Foundation workshops can support worksites' implementation of best practices to establish worksite wellness infrastructure., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: None declared., (Copyright © 2023 American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.)

A novel sorbent Cu-S metal-organic framework (MOF) microrods was prepared for dispersive solid-phase extraction via microwave synthesis and used to determine 12 fluoroquinolones (FQs) in honey samples employing ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). The best extraction efficiency was achieved by optimizing sample pH, sorbent quantity, eluent type/volume, and extraction and elution time. The proposed MOF exhibits advantages such as rapid synthesis time (20 min) and outstanding adsorption ability toward zwitterionic FQs. These advantages can be attributed to multiple interactions, including hydrogen bonding, π-π interaction, and hydrophobic interaction. The limits of detection of analytes were 0.005-0.045 ng g -1 . Acceptable recoveries (79.3%-95.6%) were obtained under the optimal conditions. Precision (relative standard deviation, RSD) was <9.2%. These results demonstrate the utility of our sample preparation method and the high capacity of Cu-S MOF microrods for rapid and selective extraction of FQs from honey samples., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Promotion of new blood vessel formation is a new strategy for treating ischemic stroke. Non-coding miRNAs have been recently considered potential therapeutic targets for ischemic stroke. miR-181b has been shown to promote angiogenesis in hypoxia and traumatic brain injury model, while its effect on ischemic stroke remains elusive. In this study, we found that overexpression of miR-181b in brain microvascular endothelial cells subjected to oxygen-glucose deprivation in vitro restored cell proliferation and enhanced angiogenesis. In rat models of focal cerebral ischemia, overexpression of miR-181b reduced infarction volume, promoted angiogenesis in ischemic penumbra, and improved neurological function. We further investigated the molecular mechanism by which miR-181b participates in angiogenesis after ischemic stroke and found that miR-181b directly bound to the 3'-UTR of phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) mRNA to induce PTEN downregulation, leading to activation of the protein kinase B (Akt) pathway, upregulated expression of vascular endothelial growth factors, down-regulated expression of endostatin, and promoted angiogenesis. Taken together, these results indicate that exogenous miR-181b exhibits neuroprotective effects on ischemic stroke through activating the PTEN/Akt signal pathway and promoting angiogenesis., Competing Interests: None

An I 2 -DMSO-mediated multicomponent [3+1+2] cascade annulation reaction using aryl methyl ketones, enaminones, and benzo[ d ]isoxazol-3-amine as substrates has been developed. This metal-free reaction involved the transannulation of benzo[ d ]isoxazol-3-amines with the formation of two C-N bonds and a C-C bond in one pot. Notably, a pyrimidine ring with a 1,4-dicarbonyl scaffold could efficiently transform into a pyrimido[4,5- d ]pyridazine skeleton. The phenolic hydroxyl group of the target product could undergo further modification with pharmaceuticals, demonstrating the utility of this method.

Hyalohyphomycosis is a rare infection caused by a group of fungi that are devoid of pigments in their cell walls. As one of the main pathogens of hyalohyphomycosis, Purpureocillium lilacinum (former Paecilomyces lilacinus) is known for its intrinsic resistance to various antifungal agents. Here, we report three cases that coincide with a history of farming and all of them suffered from cutaneous hyalohyphomycosis caused by P. lilacinum. They shared a clinical presentation consisting of erythematous-to-violaceous painful plaques with overlying pustules on one of their forearms. Hyphae and fungal elements were highlighted by periodic acid Schiff or Gomori methenamine silver staining in their skin biopsies. Fungal cultures of their skin tissues yielded P. lilacinum, which was confirmed by both morphological and molecular characteristics. All patients responded well to oral terbinafine or itraconazole treatment. In this report, we also reviewed previously reported cases associated with either P. lilacinum or other Paecilomyces spp. infections in Taiwan., (© 2023 Japanese Dermatological Association.)

With the worsening of the environment and the increasing international trade, indirect transmission from exposure to contaminants in the surrounding environment has become an overlooked mode of transmission. This paper proposes a new game-theoretic model considering voluntary vaccination against imperfection and the unique integration of human-to-human and virus-to-human transmission routes. Based on the individual-based risk assessment update rule (IB-RA), the strategy-based risk assessment update rule (SB-RA), and the direct commitment update rule (DC), the different effects of individuals' behaviors on disease prevalence are analyzed. To find the effect of indirect transmission on epidemic transmission, we compare our model with the traditional SVIR model. Finally, it can be seen that indirect transmission mechanisms will aggravate the spread of epidemics.

Background: Postoperative delirium (POD) is a common postoperative complication associated with multiple adverse consequences on patient outcomes and higher medical expenses. Preoperative anxiety has been suggested as a possible precipitating factor for the development of POD. As such, we aimed to explore the association between preoperative anxiety and POD in older surgical patients., Methods: Electronic databases including MEDLINE (via PubMed), EMBASE (via Embase.com), Web of Science Core Collection, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL Complete; via EBSCOhost) and clinical trial registries were systematically searched to identify prospective studies examining preoperative anxiety as a risk factor for POD in older surgical patients. We used Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist for Cohort Studies to assess the quality of included studies. The association between preoperative anxiety and POD was summarized with odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using DerSimonian-Laird random-effects meta-analysis., Results: Eleven studies were included (1691 participants; mean age ranging between 63.1-82.3 years). Five studies used a theoretical definition for preoperative anxiety, with the Anxiety subscale of Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS-A) as the instrument being most often used. When using dichotomized measures and within the HADS-A subgroup analysis, preoperative anxiety was significantly associated with POD (OR = 2.17, 95%CI: 1.01-4.68, I 2  = 54%, Tau 2  = 0.4, n = 5; OR = 3.23, 95%CI: 1.70-6.13, I 2  = 0, Tau 2  = 0, n = 4; respectively). No association was observed when using continuous measurements (OR = 0.99, 95%CI: 0.93-1.05, I 2  = 0, Tau 2  = 0, n = 4), nor in the subgroup analysis of STAI-6 (six-item version of state scale of Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, OR = 1.07, 95%CI: 0.93-1.24, I 2  = 0, Tau 2  = 0, n = 2). We found the overall quality of included studies to be moderate to good., Conclusions: An unclear association between preoperative anxiety and POD in older surgical patients was found in our study. Given the ambiguity in conceptualization and measurement instruments used for preoperative anxiety, more research is warranted in which a greater emphasis should be placed on how preoperative anxiety is operationalized and measured., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

The self-assembly of tetrarhenium metallacycles [{Re(CO) 3 } 2 (μ-dhaq)(μ-N-N)] 2 (3a, N-N = 1,3-bis(1-butylbenzimidazol-2-yl)benzene; 3b, N-N = 1,3-bis(1-octylbenzimidazol-2-yl)benzene), (H 2 -dhaq = 1,4-dihydroxy-9,10-anthraquinone) and [{Re(CO) 3 } 2 (μ-thaq)(μ-N-N)] 2 (4, N-N = 1,3-bis(1-butylbenzimidazol-2-yl)benzene), (H 2 -thaq = 1,2,4-trihydroxy-9,10-anthraquinone) under solvothermal conditions is described. The metallacycles 3a,b and 4 underwent aggregation-induced emission enhancement (AIEE) in THF upon the incremental addition of water. TEM images revealed that metallacycle 3a in a 60% aqueous THF solution formed rectangular aggregates with a wide size distribution, while a 90% aqueous THF solution resulted in the formation of a mixture of nanorods and amorphous aggregates due to rapid and abrupt aggregation. UV-vis and emission spectral profiles supported the formation of nanoaggregates of metallacycles 3a,b and 4 upon the gradual addition of water to a THF solution containing metallacycles. Further studies indicated that these nanoaggregates were excellent probes for the sensitive and selective detection of nitro group containing picric acid (PA) derivatives as well as antibiotics.

Purpose: Cutaneous toxicities are common adverse effects following epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) therapy. Zinc deficiency causes diverse diseases, including skin toxicities. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the role of zinc deficiency in patients with EGFR-TKI-induced skin toxicities., Experimental Design: This retrospective study enrolled 269 patients with diverse skin disorders who visited our hospital between January 2016 and December 2017. The skin toxicity severities and plasma zinc levels of 101 EGFR-TKI-treated cancer patients were analysed and compared with those of 43 non-EGFR-TKI-treated cancer patients and 125 patients without cancer but presenting cutaneous manifestations. Additionally, the role of zinc in erlotinib-induced skin eruptions was established in a 14-day-murine model. Clinical features were further evaluated following systemic zinc supplementation in EGFR-TKI-treated cancer patients., Results: EGFR-TKI-treated patients demonstrated severe cutaneous manifestations and a significant decrease in plasma zinc levels than those of the control groups. The serum zinc level and Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) 5.0 grading of EGFR-TKI-induced skin toxicities showed a significant negative correlation (r = -0.29; p < 0.0001). Moreover, erlotinib treatment decreased the plasma zinc levels and induced periorificial dermatitis in rats confirming zinc deficiency following EGFR-TKI treatment. Zinc supplementation to the EGFR-TKI-treated cancer patients showed a significant decrease in the CTCEA grading (p < 0.0005 for mucositis and p < 0.0.0001 for all other cases) after 8 weeks., Conclusions: Skin impairment following EGFR-TKI therapy could be ameliorated through zinc supplementation. Thus, zinc supplementation should be considered for cancer patients undergoing EGFR-TKI therapy., (© 2022 European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology.)

A rare in situ -generated mononuclear rhenium complex [Re(bpt)(CO) 3 (NH 3 )] (1, bpt = 3,5-bis(2-pyridyl)-1,2,4-triazolate) can be used as a "turn-on" luminescent probe for selectively sensing L-histidine against other amino acids. Compound 1 was prepared by reacting Re 2 (CO) 10 , 2-cyanopyridine and hydrazine with an in situ formed bpt ligand through cyclization via C-N and N-N couplings with its single-side chelating mode arrayed with respect to the Re center. Compound 1 was highly stable and showed a green light MLCT emission in DMF solution at 507 nm upon excitation at 360 nm. Interestingly, the emission from 1 could be quenched by the addition of metal ions such as Ni 2+ and Cu 2+ but the emission efficiently recovered with the introduction of histidine. However, histidine could only be selectively detected when a combination of compound 1 and Ni 2+ was used. Therefore, the luminescence response of the Ni 2+ -modified compound 1 could be utilized as a "turn-on" probe for the selective detection of histidine. This work provides a simple method for developing new sensing platforms of a discrete metal complex based on rare in situ generation.

Excessive fat accumulation is a common phenomenon in cultured fish, which can cause metabolic disease such as fatty liver. However, the relative regulatory approach remains to be explored. Based on this, two feeding trials were conducted. Firstly, fish were fed either a normal-fat diet (NFD) or a high-fat diet (HFD) for eight weeks and sampled at the 2nd, 4th, 6th, and 8th week after feeding ( Experiment I ). In the first four weeks, fish fed an HFD grew faster than those fed an NFD. Conversely, the body weight and weight gain were higher in the NFD group at the 6th and 8th weeks. Under light and transmission electron microscopes, fat accumulation of the liver was accompanied by an obvious endoplasmic reticulum (ER) swell. Accordingly, the expressions of atf-6 , ire-1 , perk , eif-2α , atf-4 , grp78, and chop showed that ER stress was activated at the 6th and 8th weeks. In Experiment II , 50 mg/kg 4-PBA (an ERs inhibitor) was supplemented to an HFD; this was named the 4-PBA group. Then, fish was fed with an NFD, an HFD, and a 4-PBA diet for eight weeks. As the result, the excessive fat deposition caused by an HFD was reversed by 4-PBA. The expression of ER stress-related proteins CHOP and GRP78 was down-regulated by 4-PBA, and the transmission electron microscope images also showed that 4-PBA alleviated ER stress induced by the feeding of an HFD. Furthermore, 4-PBA administration down-regulated SREBP-1C/ACC/FAS, the critical pathways of fat synthesis. In conclusion, the results confirmed that ER stress plays a contributor role in the fat deposition by activating the SREBP-1C/ACC/FAS pathway. 4-PBA as an ER stress inhibitor could reduce fat deposition caused by an HFD via regulating ER stress.

An I 2 -DMSO mediated multicomponent [3+2] cascade annulation reaction using methyl ketones, 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinolines (THIQ) and cyclopropenones as readily available substrates has been developed. This metal-free process involves N-H/α-C(sp 3 )-H trifunctionalization of THIQ and C-C bond cleavage of cyclopropenone, providing a direct approach to obtain pyrrolo[2,1- a ]isoquinoline derivatives with a quaternary carbon center. Two C-C bonds and one C-N bond are formed efficiently in one pot.

Highly polar pesticides (HPP) are a group of pesticides that are characterize as low Log Kow. Many high-throughput multi-residue analysis methods based on liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) for the simultaneous determination of such polar pesticides have been proposed. In this article, we summarize the various sample preparation methods including quick polar pesticides (QuPPe), dispersive solid phase extraction (dSPE), solid phase extraction (SPE) and QuEChERS (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged and Safe), especially for QuPPe, which are mainly used for the determination of HPP in foods. In addition, we summarize LC-based separation methodologies that are currently used for the analysis of HPP in foods, including reversed-phase chromatography (RPC), hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC), ion chromatography (IC) and mixed-mode chromatography (MMC). Finally, the current mass spectrometry-based methodologies for the analysis of HPP are summarized with a specific focus on MS configurations and acquisition modes.

The circadian clock is an internal time-keeping mechanism that synchronizes the physiological adaptation of an organism to its surroundings based on day and night transition in a period of 24 h, suggesting the circadian clock provides fitness by adjusting environmental constrains. The circadian clock is driven by positive and negative elements that regulate transcriptionally and post-transcriptionally. Alternative splicing (AS) is a crucial transcriptional regulator capable of generating large numbers of mRNA transcripts from limited numbers of genes, leading to proteome diversity, which is involved in circadian to deal with abiotic stresses. Over the past decade, AS and circadian control have been suggested to coordinately regulate plant performance under fluctuating environmental conditions. However, only a few reports have reported the regulatory mechanism of this complex crosstalk. Based on the emerging evidence, this review elaborates on the existing links between circadian and AS in response to abiotic stresses, suggesting an uncovered regulatory network among circadian, AS, and abiotic stresses. Therefore, the rhythmically expressed splicing factors and core clock oscillators fill the role of temporal regulators participating in improving plant growth, development, and increasing plant tolerance against abiotic stresses., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Fan, Aslam, Zhou, Chen, Zhang, Du, Zhang and Chen.)

Introduction: Five-year survival in childhood cancer has been improved markedly in the past decades. Childhood cancer survivors are at high risk of cardiovascular diseases due to anticancer therapy-induced cardiotoxicity. The comprehensive evidence for the prevention of anticancer therapy-induced cardiovascular disease is, however, sparse. The systematic review described in the protocol aims to summarise the effect of current prevention for anticancer therapy-induced cardiotoxicity among childhood cancer survivors., Methods and Analysis: This protocol is reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols checklist. We will search PubMed (via Medline), Embase and the Cochrane Library and include the studies investigating the effect of prevention against anticancer therapy-induced cardiotoxicity of childhood cancer. To assess the risk of bias, we will use the Cochrane Collaboration's risk of bias tool for randomised control trials and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale for cohort studies and case-control studies. Furthermore, we will conduct meta-analyses if there is no substantial clinical heterogeneity between included studies. The Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation will be used to evaluate the quality of evidence., Ethics and Dissemination: Ethical approval is not needed for systematic review of published data. The findings will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and disseminated at scientific conferences., Prospero Registration Number: CRD42022333877., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2022. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Silver (Ag) has been demonstrated to have excellent performance to kill bacteria, fungi, and some viruses because it can release positively charged Ag ions with highly antibacterial and antifungal activities. However, effectively controlling the slow release of Ag ions is the key to preparing high-performance Ag-based antibacterial agents, which remains a challenge. In this work, we have developed a new Ag-based antibacterial agent composed of Ag ions loaded on 2D anionic 2D Sb 3 P 2 O 14 3- nanosheets (denoted as Ag-Sb 3 P 2 O 14 ). 2D anionic nanosheets not only adsorb a large amount of Ag ions but also control their slow release through electrostatic interaction between nanosheets and Ag ions. 2D Ag-Sb 3 P 2 O 14 nanofillers enable excellent high antibacterial activities for the poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) film composites against microorganisms including Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus . Moreover, the PVDF membrane with 5 wt % 2D Ag-Sb 3 P 2 O 14 nanofillers can kill almost all bacterial after 50 times washing, demonstrating its excellent durable antibacterial activities. This work opens up a new and promising route to durable Ag-based antibacterial agents for polymer-based composites., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2022 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)

Inflammatory responses, including glial cell activation and peripheral immune cell infiltration, are involved in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD). These inflammatory responses appear to be closely related to the release of extracellular vesicles, such as exosomes. However, the relationships among different forms of glial cell activation, synuclein dysregulation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and exosomes are complicated. This review discusses the multiple roles played by exosomes in PD-associated inflammation and concludes that exosomes can transport toxic α-synuclein oligomers to immature neurons and into the extracellular environment, inducing the oligomerization of α-synuclein in normal neurons. Misfolded α-synuclein causes microglia and astrocytes to activate and secrete exosomes. Glial cell-derived exosomes participate in communications between glial cells and neurons, triggering anti-stress and anti-inflammatory responses, in addition to axon growth. The production and release of mitochondrial vesicles and exosomes establish a new mechanism for linking mitochondrial dysfunction to systemic inflammation associated with PD. Given the relevance of exosomes as mediators of neuron-glia communication in neuroinflammation and neuropathogenesis, new targeted treatment strategies are currently being developed that use these types of extracellular vesicles as drug carriers. Exosome-mediated inflammation may be a promising target for intervention in PD patients., Competing Interests: None

Introduction: Pediatric-type follicular lymphoma (PTFL) is a rare and recently recognized subtype of nodal follicular B-cell lymphoma. While significant recent progress has been made in understanding the morphologic, immunophenotypic, and molecular findings, there are only rare case reports describing the cytomorphologic features of PTFL., Materials and Methods: Four cases of PTFL initially evaluated on fine needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy were retrieved from our institutions' databases. The cytologic and subsequent surgical excision specimens were compared in terms of cytology, histology, immunophenotype, and molecular findings., Results: A constellation of cytologic features for PTFL are able to distinguish it from other cytomorphologic entities in the differential including: 1) the presence of large blastoid cells with fine chromatin and irregular nuclear membranes, 2) small/intermediate-sized lymphocytes with subtle nuclear membrane irregularities, 3) near complete absence of cytoplasmic vacuoles in lymphoid cells, 4) tingible body macrophages, 5) mitotic figures, 6) absence of a diffuse large cell component, 7) and no significant plasma cell population., Conclusions: We present four cases of PTFL initially evaluated on FNA biopsy and define the cytomorphologic features of PTFL. FNA biopsy is presented as a practical tool for initial evaluation of this rare entity as part of a multimodal diagnostic approach, for which increased awareness among cytopathologists can ensure the appropriate triage of specimen studies necessary for the diagnosis. Additionally, we comprehensively review the current literature on PTFL and discuss the differential diagnosis on cytology, including potential pitfalls., (Published by Elsevier Inc.)

The straightforward preparation of N-coordinated ruthenium triazolato complexes by [3 + 2] cycloaddition reactions of a ruthenium azido complex [Ru]-N 3 (1, [Ru] = (η 5 -C 5 H 5 )(dppe)Ru, dppe = Ph 2 PCH 2 CH 2 PPh 2 ) with a series of terminal phenylacetylenes is reported. The reaction products, N(2)-bound ruthenium 4-aryl-1,2,3-triazolato complexes such as [Ru]N 3 C 2 H(4-C 6 H 4 CN) (2), [Ru]N 3 C 2 H(4-C 6 H 4 CHO) (3), [Ru]N 3 C 2 H(4-C 6 H 4 F) (4), [Ru]N 3 C 2 H(Ph) (5) and [Ru]N 3 C 2 H(4-C 6 H 4 CH 3 ) (6) were produced from 4-ethynylbenzonitrile, 4-ethynylbenzaldehyde, 1-ethynyl-4-fluorobenzene, phenylacetylene and 4-ethynyltoluene, respectively, at 80 °C or above under an atmosphere of air. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first example of the preparation of N-coordinated ruthenium aryl-substituted 1,2,3-triazolato complexes by the [3 + 2] cycloaddition of a metal-coordinated azido ligand and a terminal aryl acetylene, less electron-deficient terminal aryl alkynes. All of the compounds have been fully characterized and the structures of complexes 2, 3, 5 and 6 were confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Each compound participates in non-covalent aromatic interactions in the solid-state structure which can be favorable in the binding of DNA/biomolecular targets and has shown great potential in the development of biologically active anticancer drugs., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Problem Identification: There is a lack of guideline recommendations about the use of scalp cooling for preventing chemotherapy-induced alopecia (CIA). This overview was conducted to summarize effectiveness, safety, and tolerance of scalp cooling for CIA based on systematic reviews., Literature Search: PubMed®, Embase®, Cochrane Library, and CNKI were searched from inception to May 15, 2021., Data Evaluation: AMSTAR 2 was used to assess the methodologic quality. Qualitative and quantitative synthesis methods were used to identify the effectiveness, safety, and tolerance of scalp cooling., Synthesis: 14 systematic reviews were identified, and the quality assessment was poor. Scalp cooling has been considered to be effective for preventing chemotherapy-induced alopecia and has been confirmed in patients with breast cancer and other solid tumors. Most adverse effects were mild and moderate, and scalp cooling did not increase the risk of scalp metastases., Implications for Research: This overview could guide nurses to provide access to scalp cooling to reduce the risk of severe or total chemotherapy-induced alopecia for patients undergoing chemotherapy. The large-scale application of scalp cooling may be promoted by establishing reimbursement mechanisms and increasing available devices in the future.

Multilevel and flexible nonvolatile memory (NVM) is a promising candidate for data storage in next-generation devices but its high bias and low mobility of conducting channels are often its drawbacks. In this study, we demonstrate a low bias of smaller than 0.1 V and a high-mobility graphene layer as a conducting channel for flexible optoelectronic NVM based on a composite thin film of indium-based MOF-derived InCl 3 and 4,4-oxydiphthalic anhydride (odpta), Na[In 3 (odpt) 2 (OH) 2 (H 2 O) 2 ](H 2 O) 4 , and reduced graphene oxide (rGO). The optoelectronic NVM device can be encoded and erased optically by ultraviolet (UV) light and visible light, respectively. Our device also achieves memory states over 192 (6-bit storage) distinct levels, which can emerge as mass data storage. It also shows an excellent endurance of write-erase cycles under irradiation with a laser of varying wavelengths, the mechanical stability of more than 1000 bending cycles, and stable retention for longer than 10 000 s. These results open an alternative route for developing low bias and innovative optoelectronic technologies.

The dielectric properties of coordination polymers has been a topic of recent interest, but the role of different functional groups on the dielectric properties of these polymers has not yet been fully addressed. Herein, the effects of electron-donating (R=NH 2 ) and electron-withdrawing (R=NO 2 ) groups on the dielectric behavior of such materials were investigated for two thermally stable and guest-free Zn-based coordination polymers, [Zn(L 1 )(L 2 )] n (1) and [Zn(L 1 )(L 3 )] n (2) [L 1 =2-(2-pyridyl) benzimidazole (Pbim), L 2 =5-aminoisophthalate (Aip), and L 3 =5-nitroisophthalate (Nip)]. The results of dielectric studies of 1 revealed that it possesses a high dielectric constant (κ=65.5 at 1 kHz), while compound 2 displayed an even higher dielectric constant (κ=110.3 at 1 kHz). The electron donating and withdrawing effects of the NH 2 and NO 2 substituents induce changes in the polarity of the polymers, which is due to the inductive effect from the aryl ring for both NO 2 and NH 2 . Theoretical results from density functional theory (DFT) calculations, which also support the experimental findings, show that both compounds have a distinct electronic behavior with diverse wide bandgaps. The significance of the current work is to provide information about the structure-dielectric property relationships. So, this study promises to pave the way for further research on the effects of different functional groups on coordination polymers on their dielectric properties., (© 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Background: Biomarkers have played an important role in the treatment and management of patients with congenital heart disease (CHD). The 100 most frequently cited articles addressing the possible role of biomarkers assessment in treatment and outcomes in patients with CHD were reviewed., Methods: The Web of Science Core Collection database was selected as the database for this selection of publications. CiteSpace 5.7.R1 and VOSviewer 1.6.9 were used to analyze the information., Results: A total of 877 articles referencing cardiac biomarkers and CHD were identified in the search period January 1980-June 2020. After screening, the top 100 most cited articles were finally determined. These articles were published in 56 journals, of which the Pediatric Cardiology published the most articles (n=8). Countries collaboration involved a total of 10 countries, and the visualized map indicated the USA had the strongest collaboration network. Related topics of future research will still focus on prevention, general condition evaluation, surgical prognosis evaluation, and application of natriuretic peptide in CHD., Conclusions: We conducted an insight to acquainting characteristics of highly cited publications of biomarkers in CHD and highlighting the research subjects, global research trends, and network collaboration between countries. Related topics of frontiers will focus on: (I) the application of natriuretic peptide, (II) the diagnostic and prognostic value of genes and their related transcriptional translation agents, (III) the use of biomarkers to evaluate and predict the postoperative injury caused by extracorporeal circulation, (IV) and the application of other biomarkers (such as oxidative stress, homocysteine, and thrombosis) to assess and predict damage circumstance.

Phytase belongs to orthophosphate monoester hydrolase, which can catalyze the gradual hydrolysis of phytic acid to inositol phosphate. It can be added to animal feed to reduce the anti-nutritional factor of phytic acid in feed. The thermostability and specific activity of phytases are two key factors determining their potential applications. In this study, a highly active 233-aa phytase gene (LpPHY233) from Lactobacillus plantarum was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli (E. coli), achieving 800 times higher activity than that expressed in L. plantarum. Next, the temperature characteristic and catalytic performance of LpPHY233 was improved by disulfide bond engineering and C-terminal truncation, respectively. Surprisingly, the specific activity of the C-terminal truncated mutant LpPHY200 was about 5.6 times higher than that of LpPHY233, and the optimal temperature for the mutant LpPHY233S58C/K61C introduced disulfide bond was 15 °C higher than that of LpPHY233. Moreover, these phytase mutants displayed excellent pH property and kinetic parameters, and have great application prospect in feed additives field. The molecular basis for its catalytic performance was preliminarily explained by in silico design methods. Our results provided a solid theoretical foundation for further molecular modification and industrial application of phytases., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

An I 2 -DMSO-mediated cascade reaction using methyl ketones and 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinolines (THIQs) as commercially available substrates has been developed for the construction of pyrrolo[2,1- a ]isoquinoline derivatives. This metal-free process involves N-H/α-C(sp 3 )-H difunctionalization of THIQ. Two C-C bonds and one C-N bond are formed in one pot under mild conditions. Besides, a quaternary carbon center has been constructed in this transformation efficiently.