Widespread reductions in cortical thickness following ketamine abuse.

BACKGROUND: Esketamine is a version of ketamine that has been approved for treatment-resistant depression, but our previous studies showed a link between non-medical use of ketamine and brain structural and functional alterations, including dorsal prefrontal grey matter reduction among chronic ketamine users. In this study, we sought to determine cortical thickness abnormalities following long-term, non-medical use of ketamine. METHODS: We acquired structural brain images for patients with ketamine use disorder and drug-free healthy controls. We used FreeSurfer software to measure cortical thickness for 68 brain regions. We compared cortical thickness between the 2 groups using analysis of covariance with covariates of age, gender, educational level, smoking, drinking, and whole-brain mean cortical thickness. RESULTS: We included images from 95 patients with ketamine use disorder and 169 controls. Compared with healthy controls, patients with ketamine use disorder had widespread decreased cortical thickness, with the most extensive reductions in the frontal (including the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex) and parietal (including the precuneus) lobes. Increased cortical thickness was not observed among ketamine users relative to comparison participants. Estimated total lifetime ketamine consumption was correlated with reductions in the right inferior parietal and the right rostral middle frontal cortical thickness. LIMITATIONS: We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study, but longitudinal studies are needed to further validate decreased cortical thickness after nonmedical use of ketamine. CONCLUSION: This study provided evidence that, compared with healthy controls, chronic ketamine users have widespread reductions in cortical thickness. Our study underscores the importance of the long-term effects of ketamine on brain structure and serves as a reference for the antidepressant use of ketamine.

Repeatability and Agreement of 4 Biometers Measuring Corneal Astigmatism in Eyes With Irregular Corneal Astigmatism Component.

PURPOSE: To investigate the repeatability and agreement of corneal astigmatism measurements in eyes with irregular corneal astigmatism component (ICAC) using four devices: IOLMaster 700 biometer, Lenstar 900 biometer, iTrace, and Pentacam. DESIGN: Prospective cross-sectional reliability analysis. METHODS: Sixty-four eyes (52 patients) with ICAC were examined three times using the four devices. The eye with ICAC in this study is defined as the cornea has a certain degree of irregular astigmatism (asymmetric and/or skewed bowtie pattern of corneal topography according to corneal topography classification), accompanied with total corneal higher-order aberrations in the 4 mm zone of 0.3 µm or greater. Corneal astigmatism was evaluated using three categories: anterior corneal astigmatism (ACA), posterior corneal astigmatism, and total corneal astigmatism (TCA). The repeatability was determined using the ∆Ast (arithmetic mean of vector differences among three repeated corneal astigmatism measurements). Bland-Altman plots and astigmatism vector analyses were employed to assess agreement. RESULTS: The IOLMaster 700 (∆Ast = 0.27 ± 0.20 D) showcased higher repeatability in ACA measurements compared to iTrace (∆Ast = 0.37 ± 0.38 D, P = .040) and Pentacam (∆Ast = 0.50 ± 0.22 D, P < .001), and paralleled the performance of Lenstar 900 (∆Ast = 0.31 ± 0.26 D, P = .338). The Pentacam (∆Ast = 0.09 ± 0.07 D, P < .001) demonstrated superior repeatability in posterior corneal astigmatism, whereas the IOLMaster 700 (∆Ast = 0.33 ± 0.23 D, P < .001) excelled in TCA. The IOLMaster 700 exhibited good agreement with either Lenstar 900 or iTrace, characterized by narrow 95% limits of agreement and clinically acceptable vector differences. Conversely, vector differences between Pentacam and the other three devices in ACA and TCA measurements were clinically significant, exceeding 0.50 D (all P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: In terms of repeatability of corneal astigmatism measurements in eyes with ICAC, the IOLMaster 700 and Lenstar 900 outperformed iTrace and Pentacam. While the IOLMaster 700 can be used interchangeably with either Lenstar 900 or iTrace, the Pentacam is not interchangeable with the other three devices.

Novel photocatalytic carbon dots: efficiently inhibiting amyloid aggregation and quickly disaggregating amyloid aggregates.

Amyloid aggregation is implicated in the pathogenesis of various neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD). It is critical to develop high-performance drugs to combat amyloid-related diseases. Most identified nanomaterials exhibit limited biocompatibility and therapeutic efficacy. In this work, we used a solvent-free carbonization process to prepare new photo-responsive carbon nanodots (CNDs). The surface of the CNDs is densely packed with chemical groups. CNDs with large, conjugated domains can interact with proteins through π-π stacking and hydrophobic interactions. Furthermore, CNDs possess the ability to generate singlet oxygen species (1O2) and can be used to oxidize amyloid. The hydrophobic interaction and photo-oxidation can both influence amyloid aggregation and disaggregation. Thioflavin T (ThT) fluorescence analysis and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy indicate that CNDs can block the transition of amyloid from an α-helix structure to a ß-sheet structure. CNDs demonstrate efficacy in alleviating cytotoxicity induced by Aß42 and exhibit promising blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability. CNDs have small size, low biotoxicity, good fluorescence and photocatalytic properties, and provide new ideas for the diagnosis and treatment of amyloid-related diseases.

Gender differences in alcohol drinking among adolescents: a school-based survey in China.

BACKGROUND: Alcohol drinking among adolescents is associated with their health development. However, the prevalence of alcohol drinking among adolescents in Southwestern China remains largely unexplored. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of alcohol drinking, with a particular focus on gender differences, among primary and middle school students in Zigong, a city in Southwestern China. Additionally, we examined the association between alcohol consumption and demographic and family factors. METHODS: A school-based cross-sectional survey was conducted in a city in Southwestern China, encompassing a total of 89 360 students from 132 different ordinary schools, including both primary and middle schools. Participants were recruited through cluster sampling. The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test Consumption was employed to assess alcohol consumption. Gender differences in the prevalence of alcohol drinkers across various schools and grades were analysed. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to investigate factors associated with hazardous drinking. RESULTS: Out of the 89 360 participants, 19.0% reported alcohol drinking, with 2.1% classified as hazardous drinkers. There was a higher prevalence of alcohol drinking among boys compared with girls, as well as hazardous drinking. There were significant gender disparities in alcohol drinking observed across various schools and grade levels. A notable divergence between boys and girls was observed starting from grade 10, with a rising prevalence of hazardous drinking among boys and a decline among girls. Additionally, older age, male gender and being left-behind children were identified as risk factors for hazardous drinking, while belonging to a nuclear family and having parents who do not drink were protective factors against hazardous drinking. CONCLUSIONS: Alcohol consumption is prevalent among Chinese adolescents, with some even classified as hazardous drinkers. These findings may offer valuable insights for policymakers and caregivers, guiding them in formulating appropriate interventions and support strategies.

How will the public health committees develop after COVID-19 pandemic in China? Exploration from mixed methods study in Pingshan District, Shenzhen.

Introduction: The Public Health Committee has a long-standing presence in the Chinese Constitution. During the pandemic, it served as a grassroots self-governance organization and made significant contributions to China's community epidemic prevention and control system. Currently, 24 provinces in China have promoted the establishment of community public health committees. Methods: To gather data, we conducted semi-structured interviews (n = 48) with the heads of superior departments of public health committees, the heads of public health committees, and the heads of community health centers, exploring aspects such as organizational structure, job responsibilities, and job security. In parallel, we administered a capacity-building survey to a sample of 23 community residents (n = 1,986) and performed regression analysis. Finally, we examined the impact of gender, age, and education level on the development of public health committees. Results: Our study reveals that the development of public health committees displays features of administration across various dimensions, including personnel appointment, top-level design, medical professionalism, funding path dependence, and data path dependence. However, the decision-making function of the organization does not exhibit a significant impact. Discussion: The construction of the Public Health Committee should demonstrate an "autonomization-administration" pendulum effect. Currently, due to the absence of decision-making functions within the Public Health Committee, autonomous organizations are exhibiting characteristics of administration. To prevent excessive autonomization or administrative nature in the development of committees, public health policies are continuously being refined based on the unique characteristics of public health committee construction. During exceptional circumstances or the initial stages of development, the establishment of public health committees should be primarily guided by administrative principles, utilizing political momentum to drive their progress. In contrast, during routine establishment phases or later stages of development, the establishment of public health committees should be primarily led by autonomization, restoring their capacity for self-decision making. It is essential to fully leverage the role of grassroots self-governance organizations, relying on the community to engage in self-management, self-education, and self-service within public health committees.

The Microstructures, Mechanical Properties, and Deformation Mechanism of B2-Hardened NbTiAlZr-Based Refractory High-Entropy Alloys.

The NbTiAlZrHfTaMoW refractory high-entropy alloy (RHEA) system with the structure of the B2 matrix (antiphase domains) and antiphase domain boundaries was firstly developed. We conducted the mechanical properties of the RHEAs at 298 K, 1023 K, 1123 K, and 1223 K, as well as typical deformation characteristics. The RHEAs with low density (7.41~7.51 g/cm3) have excellent compressive-specific yield strength (σYS/ρ) at 1023 K (~131 MPa·cm3/g) and 1123 K (~104.2 MPa·cm3/g), respectively, which are far superior to most typical RHEAs. And, they still keep appropriate plastic deformability at room temperature (ε > 0.35). The superior specific yield strengths are mainly attributed to the solid solution strengthening induced by the Zr element. The formation of the dislocation slip bands with [111](101_) and [111](112_) directions and their interaction provide considerable plastic deformation capability. Meanwhile, dynamic recrystallization and dislocation annihilation accelerate the continuous softening after yielding at 1123 K.

Prevalence and associated factors of depressive and anxiety symptoms among Chinese secondary school students.

BACKGROUND: Depressive and anxiety symptoms affect about one-fourth of Chinese secondary school students. However, the prevalence and correlates of mental distress among secondary school students from Western China remain largely unexplored. This study aimed to examine the prevalence and associations of depressive and anxiety symptoms with demographic, family, school, life, and behavior factors in a large, representative sample of secondary school students in Zigong, a city in Western China. METHODS: Secondary school students were recruited using cluster sampling. The 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire, the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire, Multidimensional Peer-Victimization Scale, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and Nine-Item Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short Form were used. Descriptive statistic was used to describe the sociodemographic characteristics of participants. The clustering effect was adjusted by the "survey" package of R to calculate weighted prevalence. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to explore associated factors of depression and anxiety, respectively. RESULTS: A total of 63,205 participants were involved, in which the weighted prevalence of depression in all subjects was 23.0% (95% CI: 19.6- 27.0%), and the weighted prevalence of anxiety was 13.9% (95% CI: 11.2- 17.0%). Logistic regression results showed girls, being single-child, non-nuclear family, peer bullying, sleep disturbance, and internet gaming disorder symptoms were positively associated with depressive and anxiety symptoms. CONCLUSION: Depressive and anxiety symptoms were prevalent among secondary school students in Western China. Our results can guide policy strategies for the assessment, prevention, and intervention of psychological status among Chinese secondary school students.

Safety and efficacy of cataract surgery performed with a low-energy femtosecond laser compared with conventional phacoemulsification in Chinese patients: a randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: To compare the safety and efficacy of femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery (FLACS) performed with the low-energy FEMTO LDV Z8 (Ziemer Ophthalmic Systems AG, Port, Switzerland) laser compared with conventional phacoemulsification (CP) in Chinese patients. METHODS: This prospective, multicenter, interventional study included 126 patients who were randomized (1:1) to undergo either FLACS or CP followed by intraocular lens (IOL) implantation between January 2019 and April 2020. The primary endpoint included the comparison of the endothelial cell loss (ECL) between the two groups at 3 months. Secondary endpoints included the comparison of cumulative dissipated energy (CDE), change in central corneal thickness (CCT) from baseline, and postoperative uncorrected and corrected distance visual acuities (UDVA and CDVA) in the two groups. RESULTS: At all postoperative time points, the FLACS group was found to be non-inferior to CP for the mean ECL (- 409.3 versus - 436.9 cells/mm2 at 3 months) and mean CDE (4.1 versus 4.5 percent-seconds). The increase in CCT was significantly lower in the FLACS group compared with the CP group at Day 7 (4.9 versus 9.2 µm; P = 0.04); however, the difference was not statistically significant at 1 and 3 months. Postoperatively, mean UDVA and CDVA were comparable between the two groups. No intraoperative complications occurred. CONCLUSIONS: Cataract surgery performed with a low-energy femtosecond laser was non-inferior to CP; however, the FLACS group had a statistically significantly lower increase in CCT at Day 7 compared with CP. Trial registration This trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov on May 15, 2019, with trial registration number: NCT03953053.

Simultaneous real-time analysis of tear film optical quality dynamics and functional visual acuity in dry eye disease.

BACKGROUND: To assess the effect of tear film instability in dry eye disease (DED) by measuring visual performance and tear film optical quality in a simultaneous real-time analysis system. METHODS: Thirty-seven DED participants and 20 normal controls were recruited. A simultaneous real-time analysis system was developed by adding a functional visual acuity (FVA) channel to a double-pass system. Repeated measurements of FVA and objective scatter index (OSI) were performed simultaneously with this system under blink suppression condition for 20 s. Patient-reported symptoms was evaluated using the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) questionnaire. Mean FVA, mean OSI, and visual acuity break-up time were defined. The OSI maintenance ratio was calculated as an evaluation index to assess the difference between dynamic OSI changes and baseline OSI. The visual maintenance ratio was also calculated in the same way. RESULTS: Moderate correlations were noted between mean OSI and FVA-related parameters (mean FVA, visual maintenance ratio, visual acuity break-up time: 0.53, - 0.56, - 0.53, respectively, P < 0.01 for all). Moderate to high correlations were noted between OSI maintenance ratio and FVA-related parameters (mean FVA, visual maintenance ratio, visual acuity break-up time: - 0.62, 0.71, 0.64, respectively, all P < 0.01). The metrics derived from the simultaneous real-time analysis system were moderately correlated with the patient-reported symptoms and the visual acuity break-up time possessed the highest correlation coefficients with OSDI total, ocular symptoms, and vision-related function (- 0.64, - 0.63, - 0.62, respectively, P < 0.01). The OSI-maintenance ratio alone appeared to exhibit the best performance of the metrics for the detection of DED with sensitivity of 95.0% and specificity of 83.8% and the combinations of FVA parameters and OSI parameters were valid and can further improve the discriminating abilities. CONCLUSIONS: OSI-related metrics were found to be potential indicators for assessing and diagnosing DED which correlated with both subjective visual performance and patient-reported symptoms; the FVA-related metrics were quantifiable indicators for evaluating visual acuity decline in DED. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR2100051650. Registered 29 September 2021, https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=134612.

Photooxidative inhibition and decomposition of ß-amyloid in Alzheimer's by nano-assemblies of transferrin and indocyanine green.

Photoinduced modulation of Aß42 aggregation has emerged as a therapeutic option for treating Alzheimer's disease (AD) due to its high spatiotemporal controllability, noninvasive nature, and low systemic toxicity. However, existing photo-oxidants have the poor affinity for Aß42, low depolymerization efficiency, and difficulty in crossing the blood-brain barrier (BBB), hindering their application in the treatment of AD. Here, through hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonding, we integrated the near-infrared (NIR) photosensitizer indocyanine green with transferrin (denoted as TF-ICG), a protein with a high affinity for Aß42, and demonstrated its anti-amyloid activity in vitro. TF-ICG was shown to bind to Aß42 residues via hydrophobic interaction, impeding π-π stacking of Aß42 peptide monomers and disassembling mature Aß42 protofibrils in a concentration-dependent manner. More importantly, under NIR (808 nm, 0.6w/cm2) irradiation, TF-ICG completely inhibited the fibrillation process of Aß42 to generate amorphous aggregates, with an inhibition rate of 96 % at only 65 nM. Meanwhile, TF-ICG could photo-oxidize rigid Aß42 aggregates and break them down into small amorphous structures. Tyrosine fluorescence assay further demonstrated the intrinsic affinity and targeting of TF-ICG to Aß42 fibrils. In vitro studies validated the anti-amyloid activity of TF-ICG, which provided a theoretical basis for further in vivo application as a BBB-penetrating nanotherapeutic platform.

Outcome of visuospatial dysfunction assessment in patients with Parkinson's disease using mobile application software.

Background: Visuospatial dysfunction and cognitive impairment are common in Parkinson's disease (PD), which draw increasing attention in the current literature. But clinicians still lack rapid, effective and unified cognitive battery for visuospatial assessment. Objective: A new approach was studied to explore the feasibility of using mobile application software (APP) to evaluate visuospatial dysfunction in patients with PD and compared with traditional assessment tools. We aimed to verify the threshold score of the APP for early diagnosis. Materials and methods: A total of 41 patients with PD underwent assessments using several test modules including Digit Symbol Test (DST), Visual Organization Test (VOT), Facial Recognition Test (FRT), Vocabulary Memory Test (VMT) of this APP, as well as Clock Drawing Test (CDT), Cube Copying Test (CCT) and the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) for comparison. Among the 41 PD patients, 30 individuals were found to have visuospatial dysfunction based on CDT score < 5 and CCT score of<18 while the remaining 11 patients served as control. Results: There were statistically significant differences in DST, VOT, and FRT scores (all p ≤ 0.001 for group comparisons). DST, VOT, and FRT-1 were significantly correlated with MMSE, CDT and CCT and the correlations were moderate or fairly strong. For visuospatial dysfunction diagnosis, all the areas under curves (AUC) of DST, VOT, and FRT-1 were statistically significant (p < 0.0001, p = 0.0002, and p = 0.0002, respectively). The estimates and 95% confidence intervals of AUC were 0.8303 (0.6868, 0.9739), 0.8045 (0.6423, 0.9668), and 0.7833 (0.6344, 0.9322), respectively. Their cut-off points for visuospatial dysfunction were 26, 17, and 19, respectively. After dichotomization by the cut-off points, DST had high sensitivity of 96.67% while VOT and FRT-1 had high specificity of 81.82 and 90.91%. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that visuospatial disorders was highly prevalent in PD patients, and the APP used in study could be a practical clinical screening tool for visuospatial ability assessment with high sensitivity and specificity.

Synthesis and activity-detection of photoswitchable ligands with fipronil to insect.

BACKGROUND: Ionotropic γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor (GABAR) in an insect is the major inhibitory receptor and is one of the most important targets for insecticides. Due to the high spatiotemporal resolution of GABAR, the photopharmacological ligands acting on it in vertebrates but not insect have been developed. RESULTS: In this study, two types of photochromic ligands (PCLs) including DTFIPs (DTFIP1 and DTFIP2) and ABFIPs (p-, m-, and o-ABFIP) were synthesized by incorporating photoswitch azobenzene or dithienylethene into fipronil (FIP), which is the antagonist of insect GABAR. Their photomodulation was measured by mosquito larval behavior, and their potential action mechanism was explored by the two-electrode voltage clamp (TEVC) technique in vitro. DTFIP1 and m-ABFIP exhibited the most significant difference of insecticidal activity by about 90- and 5-fold to mosquito larvae between non-irradiated and irradiated formation, respectively, and allowed for optical control of mosquito swimming activity. TEVC assay results indicated that m-ABFIP and DTFIP1 enable optical control over the homomeric LsRDL-type GABAR, which is achieved by regulating the chloride channel of resistance to dieldrin (RDL)-type GABAR by photoisomerization. CONCLUSION: Our results suggested that PCLs synthesized from fipronil provide an alternative and precise tool for studying insect ionotropic GABARs and GABA-dependent behavior. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Clinical research progress of human respiratory syncytial virus vaccine / 中华预防医学杂志

Human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) is one of the main pathogen causing severe acute lower respiratory tract infections in infants and the elderly, with high incidence rate and mortality worldwide. Vaccine is one of the important measure to prevent infection, transmission and severe disease of HRSV, but currently there is no officially approved preventive vaccine for prevention of HRSV in the world. This paper reviews and analyzes the current research and development progress of HRSV vaccine, summarizes the design routes of different types of HRSV preventive vaccines, and discusses the difficulties and challenges in vaccine research and development, in order to provide reference for the research and development of HRSV vaccine and the development of clinical trials.

Research progress on the effectiveness of smallpox vaccination against mpox virus infection / 中华流行病学杂志

With the expansion of mpox virus infection from endemic to a global epidemic in 2022, the WHO declared that the mpox event constituted a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. Due to the high degree of gene sequence similarity among orthopox viruses and cross-reactive antibodies induced by orthoviruses, smallpox vaccination may affect the immune response induced by mpox virus infection. The analysis of the protective effects of smallpox vaccination against mpox virus infection will help define the focus of prevention and control. In this review, we clarify the protection of the smallpox vaccine against mpox virus infection by analyzing the correlation between smallpox vaccination, immune response status, and clinical data and providing evidence for the prevention, control, and strategies of mpox epidemics.

Identification of Two CDK5R1-Related Subtypes and Characterization of Immune Infiltrates in Alzheimer's Disease Based on an Integrated Bioinformatics Analysis.

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder and the major cause of senile dementia. The Reelin pathway has been involved in both learning and AD pathogenesis. However, the specific Reelin-related gene signature during the pathological process remains unknown. Methods: Reelin-related gene (CDK5R1) expression was analyzed using the GEO datasets. The relevant genes of CDK5R1 were identified using differential expression analysis and weighted gene correlation network analysis (WGCNA) based on the GSE43850 dataset. ConsensusClusterPlus analysis was applied to identify subtypes (C1 and C2) of AD. The CIBERSORT algorithm was used to assess the immune cell infiltration between the two AD subtypes. Results: CDK5R1 was downregulated in AD. 244 differentially expressed CDK5R1-related genes (DECRGs) between the two subgroups were mainly enriched in GABAergic synapse, neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, synapse organization, neurotransmitter transport, etc. Furthermore, the GSVA results indicated that immune-related pathways were significantly enriched in the C1 subgroup. Interestingly, 10 Reelin pathway-related genes (CRK, DAB2IP, LRP8, RELN, STAT5A, CDK5, CDK5R1, DAB1, FYN, and SH3KBP1) were abnormally expressed between the two subgroups. The proportion of T cell gamma delta, monocytes, macrophage M2, and dendritic cells activated decreased from C1 to C2, while the proportion of plasma cells, T cell follicular helper, and NK cells activated increased. Conclusion: Two CDK5R1-related subtypes of AD were identified, helping us to better understand the role of CDK5R1 in the pathological process of AD.

Two three-dimensional Fe(II) frameworks based on {P4Mo6} tetrameric clusters exhibiting efficient visible-light photocatalytic properties for the degradation of Cr(VI) and methylene blue.

Two three-dimensional frameworks based on the {P4Mo6} unit, H(4,4'-bipy)2[Fe4(PO4)(H2O)4Na6][Fe6(H2O)4][(Mo6O12)(HPO4)3(PO4)(OH)3]4·5H2O (4,4'-bipy = 4,4'-bipyridine) (1) and H3(C12H14N2)4[Fe4(PO4)(H2O)4Na4][Fe2(Mo6O12(HPO4)3(PO4)(OH)3)4]·6H2O (2) were successfully synthesized by varying the solvent. The extended structures of the two compounds were formed by transition metal Fe(II) ions bridging the {P4Mo6}-based tetrameric clusters around [NaXFe4(PO4)] (X = 6 (1), or X = 4 (2)) core. The 4,4'-bipy molecules and in situ generated methyl viologen cations as templates induce the formation of two three-dimensional structures, an 8-connected bcu topology framework for 1 and a 4-connected 2-fold interpenetrating diamond-like topological network for 2, respectively. Additionally, multiform hydrogen bonds are found in the framework and also play an important role in stabilizing the structure. The proton conduction mechanism of the two compounds can be mainly classified as the Grotthuss mechanism; the proton conductivity values are 1.06 × 10-3 S cm-1 for 1 and 3.13 × 10-3 S cm-1 for 2 at 75 °C under 98% relative humidity. The visible-light photocatalytic activity was evaluated by photocatalytic decomposition of Cr(VI) and MB dye, and the removal ratios can reach 95.6% (1) and 82% (2) for Cr(VI), and 98% (1) and 99% (2) for MB.

Multifunctional Carbon-Dot-Photosensitizer Nanoassemblies for Inhibiting Amyloid Aggregates, Suppressing Microbial Infection, and Overcoming the Blood-Brain Barrier.

Amyloid aggregation, microbial infection, and the blood-brain barrier (BBB) are considered critical obstructions for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD). At present, existing treatment strategies are rarely able to overcome these critical factors. Herein, we propose an innovative treatment strategy and design multifunctional nanoassemblies (yCDs-Ce6) from coassembling photosensitizers (chlorine e6) and yellow fluorescent carbon dots, which endow yCDs-Ce6 with the functions for photodynamic and photothermal therapy (PDT and PTT). Compared with reported inhibitors, yCDs-Ce6 can suppress amyloid aggregation for 7 days, disaggregate aggregates, reduce amyloid aggregation-induced cytotoxicity, and prevent microbial growth by PDT and PTT. Moreover, yCDs-Ce6 can specifically target amyloid aggregates and visually label amyloid aggregates. yCDs-Ce6 can also cross the BBB upon near-infrared light irradiation and clear amyloid deposition in APP/PS1 mice by PDT and PTT. Meanwhile, yCDs-Ce6 did not cause significant negative effects on normal cells or tissues. Based on the methods of PPT and PTT treatment, the research deeply explores the effect of the novel nanoassemblies on two hypotheses of AD, opening a novel therapeutic paradigm for research amyloid-related diseases.

Emotional State of Chinese Healthcare Workers During COVID-19 Pandemic.

Objective: Anti-epidemic work against coronavirus disease (COVID) has become routine work in China. Our study was intended to investigate the emotional and psychological state of healthcare workers and look for the association between sociodemographic factors/profession-related condition and emotional state. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted online among healthcare workers from various backgrounds. Symptoms of anxiety and depression were assessed by the Chinese versions of the seven-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) and the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), respectively. Supplementary questions (Supplementary Material) were recorded to describe the participants' information about workplace violence, profession, and attitude related to the COVID pandemic. Wherever suitable, independent t-test, and one-way ANOVA were performed to detect group differences of GAD-7 and PHQ-9 total scores after grouping by sociodemographic variables, respectively, such as age, gender, marital status, educational level, after-tax income, department category, job title, experience of workplace violence, and anti-epidemic participation. Multiple linear regression analyses (stepwise method) were utilized in order to look for the potential associated factors of GAD-7 and PHQ-9 total scores. Results: A total of 2,139 questionnaires with valid response were completed. Approximately 86.44% of participants had minimal symptoms of anxiety, 11.08% mild, 1.59% moderate, and 0.89% severe. Meanwhile, 81.34% had minimal symptoms of depression, 14.07% mild, 2.90% moderate, 1.17% moderately severe, and 0.51% severe. Student's t-test showed that participants with female gender, with experience of workplace violence scored higher on both GAD-7 and PHQ-9, and participants with experience of anti-epidemic front-line work during pandemic scored lower on both GAD-7 and PHQ-9. ANOVA showed that participants aging from 31 to 40, with higher educational level, with middle level of annual after-tax income, with department of internal medicine or surgery, or with middle level of job title scored higher on both GAD-7 and PHQ-9. Regression analyses showed that female gender, high job title, and the experience of workplace violence positively were associated with anxiety or depression. Doctoral education, department (other vs. psychiatry), job enthusiasm, and professional self-identity were negatively associated with anxiety or depression. Additionally, psychological support was negatively associated with depression. Conclusion: As the epidemic prevention and control against COVID-19 become normalized in China, emotional state of healthcare workers deserves extensive attention. Our study revealed that gender, educational level, department category, job title, the experience of workplace violence, job enthusiasm, and professional self-identity are the most important influencing factors of physician's anxiety and depression. Self-tailored psychological intervention should be based on the predisposing factors above to mentally prepare healthcare workers for this long-lasting battle against COVID-19.

Nucleotide-Binding Oligomerization Domain-Containing Protein 1 Regulates Inflammatory Response in Endometriosis.

BACKGROUND: Nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-containing protein 1 (NOD1) is known to play an important role in innate immunity, while the relationship between NOD1 and inflammatory response in endometriosis remains unknown. The present study aims to investigate the effects of NOD1 on inflammatory response in endometriosis. METHODS: Immunohistochemistry staining, Western blot, and qRT-PCR were conducted to investigate the levels of NOD1 and inflammatory cytokines in the endometriotic lesions. A Spearman's rank correlation analysis was conducted to determine the correlations of NOD1 and inflammatory cytokines (interleukin (IL)-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1). Human endometrial stromal cells (HESCs) were isolated and incubated with peritoneal fluid with or without ML130. Cell viability was determined by using an MTT assay. RESULTS: A significant elevation in NOD1 and inflammatory cytokine was observed in ectopic endometrium. Interestingly, a positive correlation between NOD1 and inflammatory cytokines was observed. In addition, treatment with ML130 significantly suppressed cell viability and the production of inflammatory cytokines in the 20% peritoneal fluid treated ectopic HESCs. CONCLUSIONS: NOD1 is related to the inflammatory response that is involved in endometriosis.

Risk factors of herpes simplex virus reactivation after surgery for primary trigeminal neuralgia.

The objective of this study is to investigate the risk factors of oral or facial herpes simplex virus (HSV-1) infection after primary trigeminal neuralgia (PTN). The clinical data of 33 PTN patients admitted by the same surgeon in the neurosurgery were retrospectively analyzed. Among the 33 patients, 26 patients underwent microvascular decompression (MVD), 6 patients who have not been found the clear offending vessels during the operation underwent partial sensory rhizotomy (PSR), and only one underwent adhesive band separation. Thirteen patients with postoperative oral and facial HSV-1 infection were selected as the herpes group, and the remaining 20 patients without postoperative oral and facial HSV-1 infection were selected as the non-herpes group. The differences between the two groups were compared by statistical analysis of factors such as gender, age, operation mode, operation time, and serum HSV-1 antibody titer value before surgery. Compared with the non-herpes group, there were no statistically significant differences in sex ratio (P = 0.930), age composition (P = 0.261), or disease profile (P = 0.226). Twenty-six patients underwent MVD operation, eight of whom were infected, and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P = 0.029). The operation time of the herpes group was 10-30 min, which was significantly longer than that of the non-herpes group. The difference in operation time between the two groups was statistically significant (P = 0.023). Serum HSV-1-IgM was negative (< 0.9 COI) in all patients before surgery, but the positive rate of HSV-1-IgG (≥ 1.1 COI) was 97%, and the titer was greater than four times in 97% (32/33) of patients. The titer of IgG antibody in the herpes group was significantly lower than that in the non-herpes group, and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P = 0.017). The serum HSV-1-IgG in most of the PTN patients was positive. Latent HSV-1 in the trigeminal ganglion may be reactivate after PTN surgery to produce ipsilateral oral and facial herpes infection. The infection of HSV-1 reactivation after PTN surgery was positively correlated with the operation time but negatively correlated with the titer of HSV-1-IgG antibody before PTN surgery. The incidence of HSV-1 infection after PTN operation is related to different surgical procedures.