Resonance-Induced Dynamic Triplet Exciton Population for Photoactivated Organic Ultralong Room Temperature Phosphorescence.

Dynamically populating triplet excitons under external stimuli is desired to develop smart optoelectronic materials, but it remains a formidable challenge. Herein, we report a resonance-induced excited state regulation strategy to dynamically modulate the triplet exciton population by introducing a self-adaptive N-C═O structure to phosphors. The developed phosphors activated under high-power ultraviolet irradiation exhibited enhanced photoactivated organic ultralong room temperature phosphorescence (PA-OURTP) with lifetimes of up to ∼500 ms. The enhanced PA-OURTP was ascribed to activated N-C═O resonance variation-induced intersystem crossing to generate excess triplet excitons. The excellent PA-OURTP performance and ultralong deactivation time under ambient conditions of the developed materials could function as a reusable recorded medium for time-sensitive information encryption through optical printing. This study provides an effective approach to dynamically regulating triplet excitons and offers valuable guidance to develop high-performance PA-OURTP materials for security printing applications.

PI3K/AKT signaling pathway: Molecular mechanisms and therapeutic potential in depression.

Depression is a serious global mental disorder. Numerous studies have found that depression may be closely related to decreased neurogenesis, neuroinflammation, neurotransmitter imbalance, and synaptic plasticity dysfunction. The pathogenesis of depression is complex and involves multiple signal transduction pathways and molecular changes. The PI3K/AKT pathway is an essential signaling pathways in neurons, which is widely expressed in emotion-related regions of the brain. Therefore, the PI3K/AKT pathway may play a moderating role in mood disorders. However, the role and mechanism of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway in depression have not been fully described. This review systematically summarized the role of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway in the pathogenesis of depression and discussed its potential in the treatment of depression. This will help in the treatment of depression and the development of antidepressants.

Characteristics and spending patterns of high-cost child patients: findings from Fujian in China.

BACKGROUND: The health condition during childhood has been shown to influence an individual's health and socioeconomic status in adulthood. Understanding the concentration and persistence patterns in children's healthcare expenditures is crucial for providing risk protection and promoting the well-being of children. Studies regarding the concentration and persistence of health expenditures have focused mainly on elderly individuals in developed regions. To gain insights into factors that contribute to childhood health expenditures, this article examined children with high costs (that is, in the top 10% of the expenditure distribution) and explored the characteristics and spending patterns that distinguished them from other patients in the context of the largest developing economy-China. METHODS: By using a unique individual-level administrative claims dataset over a 5-year observation period, this study identified spending concentrations and the proportion of children whose costs remained high over five years using a linear probability model and logit regression analysis. RESULTS: Teenagers from 12 to 17 years old were more likely to persist in the high-cost group than any other age groups in the study. Pediatric complex chronic conditions and other severe health ailments were predictive factors for entry into and persistence in the high-cost category. More than half of the total health expenditures were attributed to children in the top 10% expenditure group. In addition, risk protection and healthcare insurance support for high-cost children was found to be inadequate, particularly for children from low-income families. CONCLUSIONS: Healthcare support for children impacts individual development and family financial status. This study described the characteristics and spending patterns of children patients in the largest developing country. The fact that over half of total expenditures are concentrated toward 10% of patients makes it valuable to consider relevant support for this group, especially for families whose medical costs are higher than income.

Associations between perceived and actual risk of HIV infection and HIV prevention services uptake among men who have sex with men in Shandong province, China: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Associations between perceived and actual risk of HIV infection and HIV prevention services uptake are inconclusive. This study aimed to evaluate the discrepancy between the perceived and actual HIV risk, and quantify the associations between perceived and actual risk of HIV infection and three HIV prevention services utilization among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Shandong province, China. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Shandong province in June 2021. Participants were eligible if they were born biologically male, aged 18 years or older, had negative or unknown HIV status, and had sex with men in the past year. Participants were recruited online. The discrepancy between their perceived and actual risk of HIV infection was evaluated by calculating the Kappa value. Bayesian model averaging was used to assess the associations between perceived and actual risk of HIV infection and HIV prevention services uptake. RESULTS: A total of 1136 MSM were recruited, most of them were 30 years old or younger (59.9%), single (79.5%), with at least college education level (74.7%). Most participants (97.4%) perceived that they had low risk of HIV infection, and 14.1% were assessed with high actual risk. The discrepancy between their perceived and actual risk of HIV infection was evaluated with a Kappa value of 0.076 (P < 0.001). HIV testing uptake had a weak association with perceived high HIV prevalence among social networks (aOR = 1.156, post probability = 0.547). The perceived high HIV prevalence among national MSM was positive related to willingness to use PrEP (aOR = 1.903, post probability = 0.943) and PEP (aOR = 1.737, post probability = 0.829). Perceived personal risk (aOR = 4.486, post probability = 0.994) and perceived HIV prevalence among social networks (aOR = 1.280, post probability = 0.572) were related to history of using PrEP. Perceived personal risk (aOR = 3.144, post probability = 0.952), actual risk (aOR = 1.890, post probability = 0.950), and perceived risk among social networks (aOR = 1.502, post probability = 0.786) were related to history of using PEP. CONCLUSIONS: There is discordance between perceived and actual personal risk of HIV infection among MSM in China. HIV risk assessment and education on HIV prevalence among MSM should be strengthened to assist high-risk populations aware their risk accurately and hence access HIV prevention services proactively.

Crtc1 deficiency protects against sepsis-associated acute lung injury through activating akt signaling pathway.

BACKGROUND: Interplay between systemic inflammation and programmed cell death contributes to the pathogenesis of acute lung injury (ALI). cAMP-regulated transcriptional coactivator 1 (CRTC1) has been involved in the normal function of the pulmonary system, but its role in ALI remains unclear. METHODS AND RESULTS: We generated a Crtc1 knockout (KO; Crtc1-/-) mouse line. Sepsis-induced ALI was established by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) for 24 h. The data showed that Ctrc1 KO substantially ameliorated CLP-induced ALI phenotypes, including improved lung structure destruction, reduced pulmonary vascular permeability, diminished levels of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines, compared with the wildtype mice. Consistently, in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated RAW264.7 cells, Crtc1 knockdown significantly inhibited the expression of inflammatory effectors, including TNF-α, IL-1ß, IL-6 and CXCL1, whereas their expressions were significantly enhanced by Crtc1 overexpression. Moreover, both Crtc1 KO in mice and its knockdown in RAW264.7 cells dramatically reduced TUNEL-positive cells and the expression of pro-apoptotic proteins. In contrast, Crtc1 overexpression led to an increase in the pro-apoptotic proteins and LPS-induced TUNEL-positive cells. Mechanically, we found that the phosphorylation of Akt was significantly enhanced by Crtc1 knockout or knockdown, but suppressed by Crtc1 overexpression. Administration of Triciribine, an Akt inhibitor, substantially blocked the protection of Crtc1 knockdown on LPS-induced inflammation and cell death in RAW264.7 cells. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrates that CRTC1 contribute to the pathological processes of inflammation and apoptosis in sepsis-induced ALI, and provides mechanistic insights into the molecular function of CRTC1 in the lung. Targeting CRTC1 would be a promising strategy to treat sepsis-induced ALI in clinic.

Enabling robust blue circularly polarized organic afterglow through self-confining isolated chiral chromophore.

Creating circularly polarized organic afterglow system with elevated triplet energy levels, suppressed non-radiative transitions, and effective chirality, which are three critical prerequisites for achieving blue circularly polarized afterglow, has posed a formidable challenge. Herein, a straightforward approach is unveiled to attain blue circularly polarized afterglow materials by covalently self-confining isolated chiral chromophore within polymer matrix. The formation of robust hydrogen bonds within the polymer matrix confers a distinctly isolated and stabilized molecular state of chiral chromophores, endowing a blue emission band at 414 nm, lifetime of 3.0 s, and luminescent dissymmetry factor of ~ 10-2. Utilizing the synergistic afterglow and chirality energy transfer, full-color circularly polarized afterglow systems are endowed by doping colorful fluorescent molecules into designed blue polymers, empowering versatile applications. This work paves the way for the streamlined design of blue circularly polarized afterglow materials, expanding the horizons of circularly polarized afterglow materials into various domains.

Recent advances in metal oxide nanozyme-based optical biosensors for food safety assays.

Metal oxide nanozymes are emerging as promising materials for food safety detection, offering several advantages over natural enzymes, including superior stability, cost-effectiveness, large-scale production capability, customisable functionality, design options, and ease of modification. Optical biosensors based on metal oxide nanozymes have significantly accelerated the advancement of analytical research, facilitating the rapid, effortless, efficient, and precise detection and characterisation of contaminants in food. However, few reviews have focused on the application of optical biosensors based on metal oxide nanozymes for food safety detection. In this review, the catalytic mechanisms of the catalase, oxidase, peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase activities of metal oxide nanozymes are characterized. Research developments in optical biosensors based on metal oxide nanozymes, including colorimetric, fluorescent, chemiluminescent, and surface-enhanced Raman scattering biosensors, are comprehensively summarized. The application of metal oxide nanozyme-based biosensors for the detection of nitrites, sulphites, metal ions, pesticides, antibiotics, antioxidants, foodborne pathogens, toxins, and other food contaminants has been highlighted. Furthermore, the challenges and future development prospects of metal oxide nanozymes for sensing applications are discussed. This review offers insights and inspiration for further investigations on optical biosensors based on metal oxide nanozymes for food safety detection.

Use of biologics in patients with psoriasis - A retrospective analysis based on real-world data.

OBJECTIVE: To summarize and analysis the application of biologic agents in patients with psoriasis in the real world. METHODS: Relying on collected data from June 2020 to September 2021 in the database of China Psoriasis Standardized Diagnosis and Treatment Center, 2529 cases of psoriasis patients treated with biologic agents in 188 different tertiary hospitals across China were retrospective analyzed. The collected information mainly includes demographic data (age, gender, psoriasis history), curative effectiveness of used biologics drug withdrawal and its reason. According to the collected information, condition of the usage for each category of biologics and influencing factor of biologics replacement were analyzed. RESULT: A total of 2529 patients were analyzed, which included 1626 male (64.29%) and 903 female (35.71%) with an average age of 42.12 ± 14.70 (17 âˆ¼ 85) years old; 2336 (92.37%) patients were aged from 19 to 60 years old. Within these patients, 2362 of them (93.40%) had a psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) score, and 1776 of these patients had moderate to severe cases (75.19%). According to the patient's self-evaluation of the past efficacy of biological agents, secukinumab was chosen by the most people to have the highest efficacy (1140 cases, 93.60%). The main reason for the withdrawal of secukinumab is that the disease is already well controlled at the time of withdrawal (67 cases, 38.95%); for TNF- α inhibitor is the poor curative effect; for ustekinumab and ixekizumab were the non-affordable price. CONCLUSIONS: In the current biotherapy of psoriasis in China, the efficacy of secukinumab is thought by most people to be the highest. Secukinumab is the first choice when the needs of changing biologics appear.

Clinical Efficacy and Safety of Liraglutide and Dapagliflozin on Glucose and Lipid Metabolism and Insulin Function in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Objective: Observe the changes in clinical indicators of patients with early diabetic nephropathy treated with liraglutide or dapagliflozin, evaluate their clinical efficacy, and provide new ideas for the treatment of diabetic patients. Methods: In this study, from January 2020 to January 2022, a total of 120 patients with early-stage type 2 diabetic nephropathy who met the inclusion criteria were selected. According to the order of treatment, the patients were randomly divided into traditional group, liraglutide group and dapagliflozin group, with 40 cases in each group. All patients continued their previous conventional hypoglycemic treatment, and the traditional group did not need to adjust the treatment plan; the liraglutide group: added liraglutide (average dose was 1.2 mg daily); the dapagliflozin group: added dapagliflozin (average dose was 10 mg daily). At the same time, all patients received dietary guidance and appropriate exercise intervention for a total of 12 weeks. The changes in blood sugar, blood lipids, pancreatic islet function, liver function, weight, body mass index (BMI) and other indicators before and after treatment were compared, and the adverse reactions that occurred during the medication of the three groups of patients were recorded. Standard doses of liraglutide and dapagliflozin were used in the treatment groups, 0.6 mg daily and 10 mg daily, respectively. These standard doses have been shown to be effective in a wide range of clinical practices and were therefore chosen in this study to ensure consistency and comparability. This helps readers better understand the study methods and results to evaluate these specific dosing options. Results: Prior to treatment, there were no significant differences in the general data and indicators among the three groups, including FPG, 2hPG, HbA1c, TC, TG, HDL-C, LDL-C, ALT, AST, HOMA-IR, FINS, and HOMA-ß (all P > .05). In the conventional group, significant changes were observed in FPG, 2hPG, HbA1c, body weight, BMI, HDL-C, LDL-C, ALT, AST, HOMA-IR, FINS, and HOMA-ß compared to the pre-treatment period, and these differences were statistically significant (all P < .05).Both the liraglutide and dagliflozin groups exhibited significant changes in FPG, 2hPG, HbA1c, TC, TG, LDL-C, HOMA-IR, FINS, HOMA-ß, body weight, BMI, HDL-C, ALT, and AST when compared to the post-treatment period, and these changes were statistically significant (all P < .05). Post-treatment analysis revealed that in terms of blood glucose, FPG, 2hPG, and HbA1c decreased more significantly in the liraglutide and dagliflozin groups compared to the conventional group (all P < .05). Regarding lipids, TC, TG, and LDL-C decreased more significantly in the liraglutide and dagliflozin groups compared to the conventional group (all P < .05). For pancreatic islet function, HOMA-IR and HOMA-ß decreased more significantly compared to the conventional group (all P < .05). Weight and BMI decreased more significantly in the liraglutide and dagliflozin groups compared to the conventional group (all P < .05). However, there were no significant differences in hepatic function among the three groups after treatment.Post-treatment comparisons between the liraglutide and dagliflozin groups revealed significant differences in FPG, HbA1c, body weight, and BMI (all P < .05). No adverse events occurred during the treatment period in any of the three groups, and there were no reported deaths. Conclusion: The addition of liraglutide or dagliflozin to conventional hypoglycaemic drug therapy in early diabetic patients can not only bring blood glucose to a safe and faster standard, but also regulate blood lipids and glucose, and the therapeutic effect of liraglutide is obvious than that of dagliflozin in terms of blood glucose regulation. Study limitations include small sample size, short study duration, unspecified exclusion criteria, unclear randomization method, and the impact of patient compliance.

Using eDNA to survey amphibians: Methods, applications, and challenges.

In recent years, environmental DNA (eDNA) has received attention from biologists due to its sensitivity, convenience, labor and material efficiency, and lack of damage to organisms. The extensive application of eDNA has opened avenues for the monitoring and biodiversity assessment of amphibians, which are frequently small and difficult to observe in the field, in areas such as biodiversity survey assessment and detection of specific, rare and threatened, or alien invasive species. However, the accuracy of eDNA can be influenced by factors such as ambient temperature, pH, and false positives or false negatives, which makes eDNA an adjunctive tool rather than a replacement for traditional surveys. This review provides a concise overview of the eDNA method and its workflow, summarizes the differences between applying eDNA for detecting amphibians and other organisms, reviews the research progress in eDNA technology for amphibian monitoring, identifies factors influencing detection efficiency, and discusses the challenges and prospects of eDNA. It aims to serve as a reference for future research on the application of eDNA in amphibian detection.

Inclusion of Implicit Bias in Health Equity Education Design: A New Mandate for Continuing Education.

The area of implicit bias and health equity training is a renewed focus for health care settings. This article outlines a strategic journey to evaluate the current status and develop a sustainable program that integrates content on implicit bias and health equity into all training and education programs. Partnership with the health system's diversity department, professional development, and the use of innovative technology brought 100% compliance for the 12-month project. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2023;54(12):551-553.].

Recent Advances of Metal-Polyphenol Coordination Polymers for Biomedical Applications.

Nanomedicine has provided cutting-edge technologies and innovative methods for modern biomedical research, offering unprecedented opportunities to tackle crucial biomedical issues. Nanomaterials with unique structures and properties can integrate multiple functions to achieve more precise diagnosis and treatment, making up for the shortcomings of traditional treatment methods. Among them, metal-polyphenol coordination polymers (MPCPs), composed of metal ions and phenolic ligands, are considered as ideal nanoplatforms for disease diagnosis and treatment. Recently, MPCPs have been extensively investigated in the field of biomedicine due to their facile synthesis, adjustable structures, and excellent biocompatibility, as well as pH-responsiveness. In this review, the classification of various MPCPs and their fabrication strategies are firstly summarized. Then, their significant achievements in the biomedical field such as biosensing, drug delivery, bioimaging, tumor therapy, and antibacterial applications are highlighted. Finally, the main limitations and outlooks regarding MPCPs are discussed.

Achieving Stimuli-Responsive Amorphous Organic Afterglow in Single-Component Copolymer through Self-Doping.

The development of stimuli-responsive materials with afterglow emission is highly desirable but remains a formidable challenge in a single-component material system. Herein, we propose a strategy to achieve photoactivated afterglow emission in a variety of amorphous copolymers through self-doping, endowed by the synergetic effect of self-host-induced guest sensitization and thermal-processed polymer rigidification for boosting the generation and stabilization of triplet excitons. Upon continuous ultraviolet illumination for regulating the oxygen concentration, a photoactivated afterglow showing increased lifetimes from 0.34 to 867.4 ms is realized. These afterglow emissions can be naturally or quickly deactivated to the pristine state under ambient conditions or heating treatment. Interestingly, programmable and reusable afterglow patterns, conceptual pulse-width indicators, and "excitation-time lock" Morse code are successfully established using stimuli-responsive afterglow polymers as recorded media. These findings offer an avenue to construct a single-component polymeric system with photoactivated organic afterglow features and demonstrate the superiority of stimuli-responsive materials for remarkable applications.

Dose-dependent Effects of PRC2 and HDAC Inhibitors on Cardiomyocyte Hypertrophy Induced by Phenylephrine.

INTRODUCTION: Postnatal cardiomyocytes respond to stress signals by hypertrophic growth and fetal gene reprogramming, which involves epigenetic remodeling mediated by histone methyltransferase polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) and histone deacetylases (HDACs). However, it remains unclear to what extent these histone modifiers contribute to the development of cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. METHODS: Neonatal rat ventricular myocytes (NRVMs) were stimulated by phenylephrine (PE; 50µM) to induce hypertrophy in the presence or absence of the PRC2 inhibitor GSK126 or the HDACs inhibitor Trichostatin A (TSA). Histone methylation and acetylation were measured by Western blot. Cell size was determined by wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) staining. Cardiac hypertrophy markers were quantified by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). RESULTS: PE treatment induced the expression of cardiac hypertrophy markers, including natriuretic peptide A (Nppa), natriuretic peptide B (Nppb), and myosin heavy chain 7 (Myh7), in a time-dependent manner in NRVMs. Histone modifications, including H3K27me3, H3K9ac, and H3K27ac, were dynamically altered after PE treatment. Treatment with TSA and GSK126 dose-dependently repressed histone acetylation and methylation, respectively. While TSA reversed the PE-induced cell size enlargement in a wide range of concentrations, cardiomyocyte hypertrophy was only inhibited by GSK126 at a higher dose (1µM). Consistently, TSA dose-dependently suppressed the induction of Nppa, Nppb, and Myh7/Myh6 ratio, while these indexes were only inhibited by GSK126 at 1µM. However, TSA, but not GSK126, caused pro-hypertrophic expression of pathological genes at the basal level. CONCLUSION: Our data demonstrate diversified effects of TSA and GSK126 on PE-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, and shed light on epigenetic reprogramming in the pathogenesis of cardiac hypertrophy.

Targeting FABP4 in elderly mice rejuvenates liver metabolism and ameliorates aging-associated metabolic disorders.

INTRODUCTION: Aging is characterized by progressive metabolic dyshomeostasis that increases morbidity and mortality. Solutions for optimizing healthy aging are challenged by lacking appropriate biomarkers. Moreover, druggable targets to rejuvenate the aging-associated metabolic phenotypes remain unavailable. METHODS: Proteomics analysis was performed in a cohort of young and elderly adults. Circulating levels of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) and fatty acid binding protein 4 (FABP4) were evaluated by ELISA. FABP4 was silenced in elderly mice by adeno-associated virus. Metabolic activities were measured by metabolic cages. Cognitive function was evaluated by Morris water maze. Glucose and lipid metabolism were evaluated by biochemistry assays with blood samples. RNA-seq in mouse liver was performed for transcriptome analysis. RESULTS: Among 9 aging-sensitive proteins shared by both male and female, FABP4 was identified as a reliable aging biomarker in both human and mouse. Silencing FABP4 in elderly mice significantly rejuvenated the aging-associated decline in metabolic activities. FABP4 knockdown reversed the aging-associated metabolic disorders by promoting degradation of cholesterol and fatty acids, while suppressing gluconeogenesis. Transcriptome analysis revealed a restoration of the pro-aging gene reprogramming towards inflammation and metabolic disorders in the liver after FABP4 knockdown. FABP4 overexpression promoted human LO2 cell senescence. Moreover, administration of an FABP4 inhibitor BMS309403 delivered metabolic benefits in elderly mice. CONCLUSION: Our findings demonstrate FABP4 as a reliable aging biomarker as well as a practicable target to improve healthy aging in the elderly.

Multicolor hyperafterglow from isolated fluorescence chromophores.

High-efficiency narrowband emission is always in the central role of organic optoelectronic display applications. However, the development of organic afterglow materials with sufficient color purity and high quantum efficiency for hyperafterglow is still great challenging due to the large structural relaxation and severe non-radiative decay of triplet excitons. Here we demonstrate a simple yet efficient strategy to achieve hyperafterglow emission through sensitizing and stabilizing isolated fluorescence chromophores by integrating multi-resonance fluorescence chromophores into afterglow host in a single-component copolymer. Bright multicolor hyperafterglow with maximum photoluminescent efficiencies of 88.9%, minimum full-width at half-maximums (FWHMs) of 38 nm and ultralong lifetimes of 1.64 s under ambient conditions are achieved. With this facilely designed polymer, a large-area hyperafterglow display panel was fabricated. By virtue of narrow emission band and high luminescent efficiency, the hyperafterglow presents a significant technological advance in developing highly efficient organic afterglow materials and extends the domain to new applications.

Observation on the Efficacy of a Combined Treatment for Moderate and Severe Androgenetic Alopecia Incorporating Electric Microneedles.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of a combined treatment for moderate and severe androgenetic alopecia (AGA) involving the use of electric microneedles. Methods: A total of 83 patients with moderate to severe AGA in the Department of Dermatology at Beijing Jishuitan Hospital were included in this study. The male patients were administered finasteride orally and 5% minoxidil for external use, while the female patients were given spironolactone orally or Diane-35 and 2% minoxidil for external use. All the patients were then treated via electric microneedle therapy alongside the YUFA ®medical care package (Foshan, China) once a week for 1-28 weeks. The seven-point method and root hair measurement using a hair mirror were adopted to evaluate the efficacy and any adverse reactions of the combined treatment. Results: Eleven patients were treated for 1-3 weeks, 60 for 4-12 weeks, and 12 for more than 12 weeks. The efficacy evaluation using the seven-point method for 12 weeks of treatment indicated a 100% response rate, specifically, a 42.1% mild improvement rate, a 38.6% moderate improvement rate, and a 19.3% marked improvement rate. Besides, the efficacy assessment was also completed with root hair count method and the number of hair roots measured at fixed points were 148.67±11.15, 158.13±5.11 and 169.75±2.06 after treatment time at 16, 20 and 24 weeks, respectively. Of note, a statistical difference in the number of hair roots could be observed during the period of week 20-week 24 (P < 0.01). Conclusion: The combined treatment of moderate to severe AGA using the electric microneedle technique has a clear effect and can effectively increase the hair density. With a simple operation and mild side effects, the technique has wide application prospects.

Serinc2 deficiency causes susceptibility to sepsis-associated acute lung injury.

BACKGROUND: Severe sepsis and its subsequent complications cause high morbidity and mortality rates worldwide. The lung is one of the most vulnerable organs sensitive to the sepsis-associated inflammatory storm and usually develops into acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)/acute lung injury (ALI). The pathogenesis of sepsis-associated ALI is accompanied by coordinated transmembrane signal transduction and subsequent programmed cell death; however, the underlying mechanism remains largely unclear. RESULTS: Here we find that the expression of serine incorporator 2 (Serinc2), a protein involved in phosphatidylserine synthesis and membrane incorporation, is upregulated in cecal ligation and puncture (CLP)-induced ALI. Furthermore, the Serinc2-knockout (KO) mouse line is generated by the CRISPR-cas9 approach. Compared with wild-type mice, the Serinc2-KO mice exhibit exacerbated ALI-related pathologies after CLP. The expressions of pro-inflammatory factors, including IL1ß, IL6, TNFα, and MCP1, are significantly enhanced by Serinc2 deficiency, concurrent with over-activation of STAT3, p38 and ERK pathways. Conversely, Serinc2 overexpression in RAW264.7 cells significantly suppresses the inflammatory responses induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Serinc2 KO aggravates CLP-induced apoptosis as evidenced by increases in TUNEL-positive staining, Bax expression, and cleaved caspase-3 and decreases in BCL-2 expression and Akt phosphorylation, whereas these changes are suppressed by Serinc2 overexpression in LPS-treated RAW264.7 cells. Moreover, the administration of AKTin, an inhibitor of Akt, abolishes the protective effects of Serinc2 overexpression against inflammation and apoptosis. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrate a protective role of Serinc2 in the lung through activating the Akt pathway, and provide novel insight into the pathogenesis of sepsis-induced ALI.

eDNA metabarcoding as a promising conservation tool to monitor fish diversity in Beijing water systems compared with ground cages.

Fish diversity, an important indicator of the health of aquatic ecosystems, is declining sharply due to water pollution, overfishing, climate change, and species invasion. For protecting fish diversity, effective surveying and monitoring are prerequisites. In this study, eDNA (environmental DNA) metabarcoding and ground cages were used to survey the fish diversity of the Chaobai and Beiyun Rivers in Beijing. Based on the two methods, we identified 40 species, belonging to 35 genera, 18 families, and six orders. The richness of fish identified by eDNA metabarcoding was significantly higher than that captured by ground cages in both rivers. The fish captured by the ground cage method were all recognized by eDNA metabarcoding, except Squalidus wolterstorffi and Saurogobio dabryi, which were captured only in ground cages. The correlation of relative abundance between the two methods was affected by the properties of the rivers, such as the flow rate. Fish caught by ground cage in the Beiyun River were identified by eDNA, but not in the Chaobai River. Our results also suggest that the Chaobai River has higher fish diversity than the Beiyun River and different community assemblage. In addition to differences in the natural properties of the focal rivers, the development of urbanization is also an important contributor to different community structures overserved. eDNA metabarcoding as a new survey tool has great application prospects, it provides certain theoretical data and methodological references for the protection and management of river fish diversity.

Leveraging Extracellular Non-coding RNAs to Diagnose and Treat Heart Diseases.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs), including exosomes and microvesicles, emerge to be crucial mediators of cell-to-cell communication in multiple organs. Non-coding RNAs loaded inside EVs contribute as one major mechanism for remote information transfer among different cell types or organs. Increasing evidence suggests that EV-associated non-coding RNAs derived from cardiovascular or non-cardiac cells regulate cardiovascular pathophysiology in heart development and diseases. The functional relevance of the EV-associated ncRNAs in heart diseases provides an avenue to develop novel diagnostic tools and therapies for heart diseases. In this review, we summarize the recent advancement of EV-associated ncRNAs in different cardiovascular diseases, including myocardial infarction, arrhythmias, cardiac hypertrophy, and heart failure, with an emphasis on the underlying molecular mechanisms.