Pathogenic mechanisms and potential therapeutic targets for Parkinson disease revealed by bioinformatic analysis of necroptosis and immune cell infiltration.

Parkinson disease (PD) is an age-dependent neurodegenerative disease with very high prevalence by age 80 years. Necroptosis is a newly identified form of programmed cell death implicated in neurodegenerative diseases, but has not yet been conclusively associated with PD. This study examined the contributions of necroptosis to PD using bioinformatics analysis. Datasets GSE26927, GSE49036, and GSE54536 from the gene expression omnibus database were analyzed for differentially expressed genes (DEGs). These DEGs were then subjected to gene ontology and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis to identify associated functions and signaling mechanisms. Necroptosis-related differentially expressed genes (NRDEGs) were then identified by the overlap of DEGs and the necroptosis gene set hsa04217. The STRING database and Cytoscape software were then used to build and visualize a protein-protein interaction network and identify hubs and key functional modules among NRDEGs. In addition, immune cell type abundance was analyzed based on DEGs using ImmuCellAI. The identified DEGs, KEGG pathway enrichment terms, and protein-protein interaction network structures of NRDEGs were validated using an independent dataset (GSE54536). The necroptosis pathway was significantly enriched and activated in PD samples. Thirteen NRDEGs were identified in the GSE26927 and GSE49036 datasets, including receptor interacting serine/threonine kinase 1, CASP8 and FADD like apoptosis regulator, TNFRSF1A associated via death domain, and interleukin 1 beta, of which 6 were validated in the GSE54536 dataset. According to gene ontology and KEGG analyses, these NRDEGs are involved in necroptosis-related processes, apoptosis, B cell receptor signaling pathways, and NOD-like receptor signaling pathways. Analysis of DEGs also revealed significant increases in CD8 + T cell and Tex cell infiltration and significant decreases in B cell and T gamma delta cell infiltration within the PD brain. Necroptosis pathways are active in PD and associated with immune cell infiltration. The factors controlling necroptotic signaling and immune infiltration identified in this study may be valuable diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets for PD.

Enhanced photocatalytic degradation of organic contaminants over a CuO/g-C3N4 p-n heterojunction under visible light irradiation.

As a kind of metal-free organic semiconductor photocatalyst, g-C3N4 has been widely explored for use in photocatalysis. However, the low quantum yield, small absorption range, and poor conductivity limit its large-scale application. Introducing another kind of semiconductor, particularly an oxide semiconductor, can result in some unexpected properties, such as an improved change transfer, enhanced light absorption, and better conductivity. In this work, CuO/g-C3N4 is successfully prepared through an impregnation and post-calcination method. A series of measurements support the formation of an organic-inorganic hybrid p-n heterojunction at the CuO (p-type) and g-C3N4 (n-type) interface. Furthermore, the photoactivity of the composite is evaluated via photocatalytic NO removal and the visible degradation of rhodamine B (RhB). Results show that the photocatalytic properties of CuO/g-C3N4 are almost twice as high as those of g-C3N4. In comparative tests, the photocatalytic degradation performance of Mix-CuO/g-C3N4 (the mixture of CuO and g-C3N4 nanosheets prepared by mechanically mixing) is even lower than that of pure g-C3N4. The degradation of RhB is only 19.7% under visible light after 30 min of irradiation. The improvement in the photoactivity of CuO/g-C3N4 results from the built-in electric field close to the formed p-n heterojunction, which switches the electron transfer mechanism from a double-charge transfer mechanism to a Z-scheme mechanism. In addition, the formed p-n heterojunction favors charge transfer, and thus the photocatalytic performance is significantly improved.

Developing a Text Messaging Intervention to Reduce Deliberate Self-Harm in Chinese Adolescents: Qualitative Study.

BACKGROUND: Deliberate self-harm is common during adolescence and can have detrimental consequences for the well-being of adolescents. Although it is sometimes difficult to engage adolescents in traditional psychotherapies for deliberate self-harm, SMS text messaging has been shown to be promising for cost-effective and low-intensity interventions. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the views of Chinese adolescents with deliberate self-harm about SMS text messaging interventions in order to develop an acceptable and culturally competent intervention for adolescents with deliberate self-harm. METHODS: Semistructured interviews were conducted with 23 adolescents who had experience with deliberate self-harm. The transcripts of the interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Four themes were identified: beneficial perception of receiving messages, short frequency and duration of messages, caring content in messages, and specific times for sending messages. Most of the participants perceived SMS text messaging interventions to be beneficial. The key factors that emerged for the content of the intervention included encouragement and company, feeling like a virtual friend, providing coping strategies, and individualized messages. In addition, the preferred frequency and duration of the SMS text messaging intervention were identified. CONCLUSIONS: Our study will help in the development of a culturally appropriate SMS text messaging intervention for adolescents with deliberate self-harm. It has the potential to decrease deliberate self-harm instances by providing acceptable support for adolescents with deliberate self-harm who may be reluctant to seek face-to-face psychotherapies.