Organocatalytic skeletal reorganization for enantioselective synthesis of S-stereogenic sulfinamides.

The enantioselective synthesis of S-stereogenic sulfinamides has garnered considerable attention due to their structural and physicochemical properties. However, catalytic asymmetric synthesis of sulfinamides still remains daunting challenges, impeding their broad application in drug discovery and development. Here, we present an approach for the synthesis of S-stereogenic sulfinamides through peptide-mimic phosphonium salt-catalyzed asymmetric skeletal reorganization of simple prochiral and/or racemic sulfoximines. This methodology allows for the facile access to a diverse array of substituted sulfinamides with excellent enantioselectivities, accommodating various substituent patterns through desymmetrization or parallel kinetic resolution process. Mechanistic experiments, coupled with density functional theory calculations, clarify a stepwise pathway involving ring-opening and ring-closing processes, with the ring-opening step identified as crucial for achieving stereoselective control. Given the prevalence of S-stereogenic centers in pharmaceuticals, we anticipate that this protocol will enhance the efficient and precise synthesis of relevant chiral molecules and their analogs, thereby contributing to advancements in drug discovery.

Fine Mapping of Candidate Gene Controlling Anthocyanin Biosynthesis for Purple Peel in Solanum melongena L.

Fruit color is an intuitive quality of horticultural crops that can be used as an evaluation criterion for fruit ripening and is an important factor affecting consumers' purchase choices. In this study, a genetic population from the cross of green peel 'Qidong' and purple peel '8 guo' revealed that the purple to green color of eggplant peel is dominant and controlled by a pair of alleles. Bulked segregant analysis (BSA), SNP haplotyping, and fine genetic mapping delimited candidate genes to a 350 kb region of eggplant chromosome 10 flanked by markers KA2381 and CA8828. One ANS gene (EGP22363) was predicted to be a candidate gene based on gene annotation and sequence alignment of the 350-kb region. Sequence analysis revealed that a single base mutation of 'T' to 'C' on the exon green peel, which caused hydrophobicity to become hydrophilic serine, led to a change in the three-level spatial structure. Additionally, EGP22363 was more highly expressed in purple peels than in green peels. Collectively, EGP22363 is a strong candidate gene for anthocyanin biosynthesis in purple eggplant peels. These results provide important information for molecular marker-assisted selection in eggplants, and a basis for analyzing the regulatory pathways responsible for anthocyanin biosynthesis in eggplants.

Multi-modal domain adaptation for revealing spatial functional landscape from spatially resolved transcriptomics.

Spatially resolved transcriptomics (SRT) has emerged as a powerful tool for investigating gene expression in spatial contexts, providing insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying organ development and disease pathology. However, the expression sparsity poses a computational challenge to integrate other modalities (e.g. histological images and spatial locations) that are simultaneously captured in SRT datasets for spatial clustering and variation analyses. In this study, to meet such a challenge, we propose multi-modal domain adaption for spatial transcriptomics (stMDA), a novel multi-modal unsupervised domain adaptation method, which integrates gene expression and other modalities to reveal the spatial functional landscape. Specifically, stMDA first learns the modality-specific representations from spatial multi-modal data using multiple neural network architectures and then aligns the spatial distributions across modal representations to integrate these multi-modal representations, thus facilitating the integration of global and spatially local information and improving the consistency of clustering assignments. Our results demonstrate that stMDA outperforms existing methods in identifying spatial domains across diverse platforms and species. Furthermore, stMDA excels in identifying spatially variable genes with high prognostic potential in cancer tissues. In conclusion, stMDA as a new tool of multi-modal data integration provides a powerful and flexible framework for analyzing SRT datasets, thereby advancing our understanding of intricate biological systems.

Re-discovery and taxonomic clarification of Oreocharisleveilleana (Gesneriaceae) in Guizhou, China, over 100 years.

Oreocharisleveilleana Fedde was collected in Ta-pin in 1910 and published in 1911. The collected location was verified within western Luodian County, Guizhou Province, China. However, there have been no records of the species' collection for more than 100 years since then. After extensive investigations by our research team on the type locality and its surrounding areas, we found that it is widely distributed in western Luodian County and eastern Wangmo County, Guizhou Province, China. During further research on the original literature, type specimens and type locality of O.leveilleana, the taxonomic position of O.leveilleana, which was once treated as a synonym of O.auricula (S.Moore) C.B.Clarke, was found to have a taxonomic problem. Through morphological research combined with geographical distribution analysis, it has been determined that it should belong to the genus Petrocodon Hance and it is the same species as P.coccineus (C.Y.Wu ex H.W.Li) Yin Z.Wang. According to the regulations and suggestions of the 2018 "International Code of Nomenclature for Algae, Fungi, and Plants (Shenzhen Code)", we propose and confirm a new combination - Petrocodonleveilleanus (Fedde) X.X.Bai & F.Wen and treat P.coccineus as a synonym of the new combination. Due to its unique bright red flowers within Petrocodon, its original Chinese name has been retained.

Hollow g-C3N4@Ag3PO4 Core-Shell Nanoreactor Loaded with Au Nanoparticles: Boosting Photothermal Catalysis in Confined Space.

Low solar energy utilization efficiency and serious charge recombination remain major challenges for photocatalytic systems. Herein, a hollow core-shell Au/g-C3N4@Ag3PO4 photothermal nanoreactor is successfully prepared by a two-step deposition method. Benefit from efficient spectral utilization and fast charge separation induced by the unique hollow core-shell heterostructure, the H2 evolution rate of Au/g-C3N4@Ag3PO4 is 16.9 times that of the pristine g-C3N4, and the degradation efficiency of tetracycline is increased by 88.1%. The enhanced catalytic performance can be attributed to the ordered charge movement on the hollow core-shell structure and a local high-temperature environment, which effectively accelerates the carrier separation and chemical reaction kinetics. This work highlights the important role of the space confinement effect in photothermal catalysis and provides a promising strategy for the development of the next generation of highly efficient photothermal catalysts.

Impact of transcranial electrical stimulation on serum neurotrophic factors and language function in patients with speech disorders.

BACKGROUND: Speech disorders have a substantial impact on communication abilities and quality of life. Traditional treatments such as speech and psychological therapies frequently demonstrate limited effectiveness and patient compliance. Transcranial electrical stimulation (TES) has emerged as a promising non-invasive treatment to improve neurological functions. However, its effectiveness in enhancing language functions and serum neurofactor levels in individuals with speech disorders requires further investigation. AIM: To investigate the impact of TES in conjunction with standard therapies on serum neurotrophic factor levels and language function in patients with speech disorders. METHODS: In a controlled study spanning from March 2019 to November 2021, 81 patients with speech disorders were divided into a control group (n = 40) receiving standard speech stimulation and psychological intervention, and an observation group (n = 41) receiving additional TES. The study assessed serum levels of ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF), glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and nerve growth factor (NGF), as well as evaluations of motor function, language function, and development quotient scores. RESULTS: After 3 wk of intervention, the observation group exhibited significantly higher serum levels of CNTF, GDNF, BDNF, and NGF compared to the control group. Moreover, improvements were noted in motor function, cognitive function, language skills, physical abilities, and overall development quotient scores. It is worth mentioning that the observation group also displayed superior performance in language-specific tasks such as writing, reading comprehension, retelling, and fluency. CONCLUSION: This retrospective study concluded that TES combined with traditional speech and psychotherapy can effectively increase the levels of neurokines in the blood and enhance language function in patients with speech disorders. These results provide a promising avenue for integrating TES into standard treatment methods for speech disorders.

[Progress of intraosseous basivertebral nerve ablation for symptomatic Modic alterations].

Chronic lumbar and back pain caused by degenerative vertebral endplates presents a challenging issue for patients and clinicians. As a new minimally invasive spinal treatment method, radiofrequency ablation of vertebral basal nerve in bone can denature the corresponding vertebral basal nerve through radiofrequency ablation of degenerative vertebral endplate. It blocks the nociceptive signal transmission of the vertebral base nerve, thereby alleviating the symptoms of low back pain caused by the degenerative vertebral endplate. At present, many foreign articles have reported the operation principle, operation method, clinical efficacy and related complications of radiofrequency ablation of the vertebral basal nerve. The main purpose of this paper is to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the current relevant research, and provide a reference for the follow-up clinical research.

Postoperatively Noninvasive Optogenetic Stimulation via Upconversion Nanoparticles Enhancing Sciatic Nerve Repair.

The efficacy of electrical stimulation facilitating peripheral nerve regeneration is evidenced extensively, while the associated secondary damage resulting from repeated electrode invasion and indiscriminate stimulation is inevitable. Here, we present an optogenetics strategy that utilizes upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) to convert deeply penetrating near-infrared excitation into blue emission, which activates an adeno-associated virus-encoding ChR2 photoresponsive ion channel on cell membranes. The induced Ca2+ flux, similar to the ion flux in the electrical stimulation approach, efficiently regulates viability and proliferation, secretion of nerve growth factor, and neural function of RSC96 cells. Furthermore, deep near-infrared excitation is harnessed to stimulate autologous Schwann cells in situ via a UCNP-composited scaffold, which enhances nerve sprouting and myelination, consequently promoting functional recovery, electrophysiological restoration, and reinnervation of damaged nerves. This developed postoperatively noninvasive optogenetics strategy presents a novel, minimally traumatic, and enduring therapeutic stimulus to effectively promote peripheral nerve repair.

Report on Pseudoaneurysm Caused by Injury of Internal Carotid Artery During Endoscopic Pituitary Surgery and Rebleeding After Treatment With Willis Covered Stent.

OBJECTIVE: Report on a case of pseudoaneurysm which was caused by injury of the internal carotid artery (ICA) during endoscopic endonasal surgery (EES), which was followed by rebleeding after treatment with a Willis covered stent. METHODS: A woman, aged 68, underwent EES for the treatment of a pituitary adenoma. During the surgery, the right ICA was injured, and successfully hemostasis by packed with cottonoid and gelatin sponge. Besides, cerebral angiography was performed in the interventional operating room for the purpose of discovering the formation of a pseudoaneurysm in the cavernous sinus segment of ICA, which was treated with a covered stent. After successfully placing the covered stent, the patient was promptly transferred to the general operating room for the removal of the cottonoid and to address the bleeding once again. The authors employ crushed muscles and cottonoid to locally compress and stop bleeding. Owing to concerns about the risk of rebleeding in the patient, after stent implantation, the patient did not utilize antiplatelet drugs. After the surgery, the patient developed occlusion of the right ICA and massive cerebral infarction in the right hemisphere. Dehydration, anti-infection, rehabilitation, hyperbaric oxygen, as well as related treatments, were given. The cottonoid was removed in EES 2 months postsurgery, and no instances of bleeding were observed. Six months after surgery, the patient had clear consciousness and hemiplegia in the left limb, with a Glasgow Outcome Scale score of 4. RESULTS: The ICA was injured during EES, which resulted in the formation of a pseudoaneurysm, the Willis stent was adopted for treatment, and there was a risk of rebleeding after the nasal packing (cottonoid, crushed muscles) was removed immediately. CONCLUSIONS: The ICA was injured during EES after bleeding was controlled by packing with cottonoid, crushed muscles, etc, subsequently, the patient was given intravascular treatment, it is advised to make thorough preparations and, after a suitable period, remove nasal packing in the hybrid operating room to address unexpected situations and unforeseen circumstances.

Autonomous Synthesis of Thin Film Materials with Pulsed Laser Deposition Enabled by In Situ Spectroscopy and Automation.

Autonomous systems that combine synthesis, characterization, and artificial intelligence can greatly accelerate the discovery and optimization of materials, however platforms for growth of macroscale thin films by physical vapor deposition techniques have lagged far behind others. Here this study demonstrates autonomous synthesis by pulsed laser deposition (PLD), a highly versatile synthesis technique, in the growth of ultrathin WSe2 films. By combing the automation of PLD synthesis and in situ diagnostic feedback with a high-throughput methodology, this study demonstrates a workflow and platform which uses Gaussian process regression and Bayesian optimization to autonomously identify growth regimes for WSe2 films based on Raman spectral criteria by efficiently sampling 0.25% of the chosen 4D parameter space. With throughputs at least 10x faster than traditional PLD workflows, this platform and workflow enables the accelerated discovery and autonomous optimization of the vast number of materials that can be synthesized by PLD.

Polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) in industrial soils from northwestern of China: occurrence, distribution, exposure risk, and implications on risk-based controls.

Some Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds (PACs) such as nitrated-PAHs (NPAHs), oxygenated-PAHs (OPAHs) and methyl-PAHs (MPAHs) have attracted significant concern due to derivatives have greater potential to be more toxic at low environmental concentrations compared to their PPAHs, particularly in petrochemical industrial region and its surrounding areas surface soils in China. Hence, this article provides an insight into the fate, sources, impacts, and relevance to the external environment of PAH-derivatives based on important emissions source. Moreover, prospective health risk due to their exposure has also been discussed. In this study, the concentration (10-3 ng/g) of Æ©18PPAHs, Æ©11MPAHs, Æ©12NPAHs, and Æ©4OPAHs in the park were 9.67 ± 1.40, 3.24 ± 0.54, 0.03 ± 0.02 and 0.19 ± 0.65, respectively, which were 4.47, 3.89, 2.04 and 1.17 times than of them surrounding the region. A decreasing trend of the low molecular weight (2-4Rings) contribution to the total amount of PAHs, while the fraction of high molecular weight (5-6Rings) species showed the opposite trend. According to the principal component analysis (PCA) and diagnostic ratios indicated PAHs in the soil samples have mixed sources from industrial activities, solid fuel combustion, and heavy traffic. Despite the high concentrations of MPAHs and OPAHs, the toxicity equivalency quotients (TEQs) of them were not calculated due to the lack of toxic equivalent factors (TEF), thus current studies on PAH and derivatives could have underestimated their exposure risks. The quality and sustainable management of soils are crucial for human health and sustainable development, while there is lack of public awareness of the severe issue of soil pollution. It is recommended to conduct more intensive monitoring and regional assessments in the future.

PGC-1α in the hippocampus mediates depressive-like and stress-coping behaviours and regulates excitatory synapses in the dentate gyrus in mice.

Decreased hippocampal synaptic plasticity is an important pathological change in stress-related mood disorders, including major depressive disorder. However, the underlying mechanism is unclear. PGC-1α, a transcriptional coactivator, is a key factor in synaptic plasticity. We investigated the relationships between changes in hippocampal PGC-1α expression and depressive-like and stress-coping behaviours, and whether they are related to hippocampal synapses. Adeno-associated virus was used to alter hippocampal PGC-1α expression in male C57BL/6 mice. The sucrose preference test and forced swimming test were used to assess their depressive-like and stress-coping behaviours, respectively. Immunohistochemistry and stereology were used to calculate the total number of excitatory synapses in each hippocampal subregion (the cornu ammonis (CA) 1, CA3, and dentate gyrus). Immunofluorescence was used to visualize the changes in dendritic structure. Western blotting was used to detect the expression of hippocampal PGC-1α and mitochondrial-associated proteins, such as UCP2, NRF1 and mtTFAs. Our results showed that mice with downregulated PGC-1α expression in the hippocampus exhibited depressive-like and passive stress-coping behaviours, while mice with upregulated PGC-1α in the hippocampus exhibited increased stress-coping behaviours. Moreover, the downregulation of hippocampal PGC-1α expression resulted in a decrease in the number of excitatory synapses in the DG and in the protein expression of UCP2 in the hippocampus. Alternatively, upregulation of hippocampal PGC-1α yielded the opposite results. This suggests that hippocampal PGC-1α is involved in regulating depressive-like and stress-coping behaviours and modulating the number of excitatory synapses in the DG. This provides new insight for the development of antidepressants.

Pollution Characteristics and Health Risks of Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds (PACs) in Soils of a Coking Plant.

Coke production is an important source of environmental polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs), including parent polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their derivatives. The focus near coking plants has primarily been on parent-PAH contamination, with less attention given to highly toxic derivatives. In this study, soil samples were collected from both within and outside of a coking plant. The concentrations of parent-PAHs and their derivatives, including methylated-PAHs, oxygenated-PAHs, and nitrated-PAHs, were examined. Spatial interpolation was employed to determine their spatial distribution patterns. Methods for identifying potential sources and conducting incremental lifetime cancer risk analysis were used. This could achieve a comprehensive understanding of the status of PAC pollution and the associated health risks caused by coke production. The concentrations of total PACs inside the plant ranged from 7.4 to 115.8 mg/kg, higher than those outside (in the range of 0.2 to 65.7 mg/kg). The spatial distribution of parent-PAH concentration and their derivatives consistently decreased with increasing distance from the plant. A significant positive correlation (p < 0.05) among parent-PAHs and their derivatives was observed, indicating relatively consistent sources. Based on diagnostic ratios, the potential emission sources of soil PACs could be attributed to coal combustion and vehicle emissions, while principal component analysis-multiple linear regression further indicated that primary emissions and secondary formation jointly influenced the PAC content, accounting for 60.4% and 39.6%, respectively. The exposure risk of soil PACs was dominated by 16 priority control PAHs; the non-priority PAHs' contribution to the exposure risk was only 6.4%.

Glaucocalyxin A delays the progression of OA by inhibiting NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways.

BACKGROUND: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common degenerative joint condition marked by inflammation and cartilage breakdown. Currently, there is a dearth of treatment medications that can clearly slow the course of OA. Glaucocalyxin A (GLA) is a diterpene chemical identified and extracted from Rabdosia japonica with antithrombotic, anticoagulant, anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, and other pharmacological properties. Previous research has linked inflammation to abnormalities in the homeostasis of the extracellular matrix (ECM). Although GLA has been shown to have anti-inflammatory qualities, its effects on the progression of OA are unknown. As a result, the goal of this study was to see if GLA could slow the course of OA. METHODS: ATDC5 cells were stimulated by IL-1ß to create an inflammatory chondrocyte damage model. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction, Western Blot, high-density culture, and immunofluorescence were used to detect the expression levels of associated gene phenotypes. We also created a mouse model of OA induced by destabilization of the medial meniscus (DMM) instability, and GLA was administered intraperitoneally once every two days for eight weeks. Mice knee specimens were stained with hematoxylin-eosin, Safranin O/fast green, and immunohistochemical, and the Osteoarthritis Research Society International grade system and Mankin's score were used to assess the protective effect of GLA on cartilage. RESULTS: In vitro and in vivo, we explored the effects and molecular processes of GLA as a therapy for OA. The findings demonstrated that GLA might reduce the expression of associated inflammatory mediators and protect the ECM by inhibiting the NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways. Animal research revealed that GLA could protect against the DMM-induced OA model mice by stabilizing ECM. CONCLUSION: Taken together, our findings show that GLA has a protective impact on cartilage throughout OA progression, implying that GLA could be employed as a possible therapeutic agent for OA, thus giving a new therapeutic method for the treatment of OA.

Achieving High Rate and Long Cycle Performance of Na2FePO4F Cathode Through Co-Modification of Ti Doping and Carbon Coating.

Layered Na2FePO4F (NFPF) cathode material has received widespread attention due to its green nontoxicity, abundant raw materials, and low cost. However, its poor inherent electronic conductivity and sluggish sodium ion transportation seriously impede its capacity delivery and cycling stability. In this work, NFPF by Ti doping and conformal carbon layer coating via solid-state reaction is modified. The results of experimental study and density functional theory calculations reveal that Ti doping enhances intrinsic conductivity, accelerates Na-ion transport, and generates more Na-ion storage sites, and pyrolytic carbon from polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) uniformly coated on the NFPF surface improves the surface/interface conductivity and suppresses the side reactions. Under the combined effect of Ti doping and carbon coating, the optimized NFPF (marked as 5T-NF@C) exhibits excellent electrochemical performance, with a high capacity of 108.4 mAh g-1 at 0.2C, a considerable capacity of 80.0 mAh g-1 even at high current density of 10C, and a high capacity retention rate of 81.8% after 2000 cycles at 10C. When assembled into a full cell with a hard carbon anode, 5T-NF@C also show good applicability. This work indicates that co-modification of Ti doping and carbon coating makes NFPF achieve high rate and long cycle performance for sodium-ion batteries.

[Traceability Analysis and Environmental Quality Assessment of Soil Heavy Metal Pollution in West Hunan Province].

In order to explore the status of soil heavy metal pollution and environmental quality in west Hunan, relevant areas of Phoenix County were selected as the study area. Using data from 440 soil samples collected in the study area from June to August 2022, the pH value of the soil and contents of eight heavy metal elements, namely, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn, were analyzed. The PMF model was used for traceability analysis and geochemical evaluation of soil environmental quality. The results showed that the average values of soil heavy metals ω(Zn), ω(Cr), ω(Pb), ω(Ni), ω(Cu), ω(As), ω(Cd), and ω(Hg) were 81.02, 64.67, 31.63, 29.27, 25.52, 9.93, 0.28, and 0.13 mg·kg-1, respectively. The soil in the study area was mainly weakly acidic, and the contents of the Cd and Hg elements were relatively high compared to the national soil background values and were highly variable. The contents of the Hg and Cd elements in forest land were higher than that in other land uses. The PMF model results showed that the contribution rates of heavy metal pollution sources in the study area were mining sources (37.4%), atmospheric sedimentation sources (7.7%), natural sources (41.1%), and agricultural activity sources (13.8%) and provided suggestions on pollution control measures according to the spatial distribution of the four types of pollution sources. Through the comprehensive assessment of soil environmental geochemistry, the study area was divided into three types of plots, namely, non-risk areas (94.27 km2), accounting for 76.38%; risk-controllable areas (27.45 km2), accounting for 22.24%; and high-risk areas (1.7 km2), accounting for 1.38%. This study provided data support for the prevention and control measures of land pollution in the research area, as well as the delineation of the prevention and control scope.