Exopolysaccharide is the potential effector of Lactobacillus fermentum PS150, a hypnotic psychobiotic strain.

Psychobiotics are a class of probiotics that confer beneficial effects on the mental health of the host. We have previously reported hypnotic effects of a psychobiotic strain, Lactobacillus fermentum PS150 (PS150), which significantly shortens sleep latency in experimental mice, and effectively ameliorate sleep disturbances caused by either caffeine consumption or a novel environment. In the present study, we discovered a L. fermentum strain, GR1009, isolated from the same source of PS150, and found that GR1009 is phenotypically distinct but genetically similar to PS150. Compared with PS150, GR1009 have no significant hypnotic effects in the pentobarbital-induced sleep test in mice. In addition, we found that heat-killed PS150 exhibited hypnotic effects and altered the gut microbiota in a manner similar to live bacteria, suggesting that a heat-stable effector, such as exopolysaccharide (EPS), could be responsible for these effects. Our comparative genomics analysis also revealed distinct genetic characteristics in EPS biosynthesis between GR1009 and PS150. Furthermore, scanning electron microscopy imaging showed a sheet-like EPS structure in PS150, while GR1009 displayed no apparent EPS structure. Using the phenol-sulfate assay, we found that the sugar content value of the crude extract containing EPS (C-EPS) from PS150 was approximately five times higher than that of GR1009, indicating that GR1009 has a lower EPS production activity than PS150. Through the pentobarbital-induced sleep test, we confirmed the hypnotic effects of the C-EPS isolated from PS150, as evidenced by a significant reduction in sleep latency and recovery time following oral administration in mice. In summary, we utilized a comparative approach to delineate differences between PS150 and GR1009 and proposed that EPS may serve as a key factor that mediates the observed hypnotic effect.

Proper use of light environments for mitigating the effects of COVID-19 and other prospective public health emergency lockdowns on sleep quality and fatigue in adolescents.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) remains a public health emergency of international concern, and some countries still implement strict regional lockdowns. Further, the upcoming 2023 Asian Games and World University Games will implement a closed-loop management system. Quarantine can harm mental and physical health, to which adolescents are more vulnerable compared with adults. Previous studies indicated that light can affect our psychology and physiology, and adolescents were exposed to the artificial light environment in the evening during the lockdown. Thus, this study aimed to establish and assess appropriate residential light environments to mitigate the effects of lockdowns on sleep quality and fatigue in adolescents. The participants were 66 adolescents (12.15 ± 2.45 years of age) in a closed-loop management environment, who participated in a 28-day (7-day baseline, 21-day light intervention) randomized controlled trial of a light-emitting diode (LED) light intervention. The adolescents were exposed to different correlated color temperature (CCT) LED light environments (2000 K or 8000 K) for 1 h each evening. The results for self-reported daily sleep quality indicated that the low CCT LED light environment significantly improved sleep quality (p < 0.05), and the blood test results for serum urea and hemoglobin indicated that this environment also significantly reduced fatigue (p < 0.05) and moderately increased performance, compared to the high CCT LED light environment. These findings can serve as a springboard for further research that aims to develop interventions to reduce the effects of public health emergency lockdowns on mental and physical health in adolescents, and provide a reference for participants in the upcoming Asian Games and World University Games.

Room-temperature polariton lasing in GaN microrods with large Rabi splitting.

Room-temperature polariton lasing is achieved in GaN microrods grown by metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy. We demonstrate a large Rabi splitting (Ω = 2g0) up to 162 meV, exceeding the results from both the state-of-the-art nitride-based planar microcavities and previously reported GaN microrods. An ultra-low threshold of 1.8 kW/cm2 is observed by power-dependent photoluminescence spectra, with the linewidth down to 1.31 meV and the blue shift up to 17.8 meV. This large Rabi splitting distinguishes our coherent light emission from a conventional photon lasing, which strongly supports the preparation of coherent light sources in integrated optical circuits and the study of exciting phenomena in macroscopic quantum states.

Wavelengths and irradiances modulate the circadian rhythm of Neurospora crassa.

The circadian rhythm affects the biological evolution and operating mechanisms of organisms. The impact of light on the circadian rhythm is a significant concern for both biology and human well-being. However, the relation between different wavelengths, irradiances, and circadian rhythm is unknown. In this study, we compared the effects of four different monochromatic light-emitting diode (LED) light and two different irradiances on the circadian rhythm of a wild-type Neurospora crassa. The results demonstrated that the circadian rhythm of Neurospora crassa can be modulated by violet (λp = 393 nm), blue (λp = 462 nm), and green (λp = 521 nm) light, regardless of the irradiances, in the visible region. Unexpectedly, for the yellow light (λp = 591 nm), the 2 W/m2 light had a more significant impact on circadian rhythm modulation than the 0.04 W/m2 light had. Considering the highest energy of yellow light (2.25 eV) is lower than the High Occupied Molecular Orbital (HOMO)-Lowest Unoccupied Molecular Orbital (LUMO) gap of WC-1 (2.43 eV). We speculate that there may be other potential photoreceptors that are involved in circadian rhythm modulation. The HOMO-LOMO gaps of these proteins are greater than 1.98 eV and less than 2.25 eV. These results provide a strong foundation for a deeper understanding of the impact of different light on the circadian rhythm and also shed light on the identification of new circadian rhythm modulation photoreceptors.

Analytical models of electron leakage currents in gallium nitride-based laser diodes and light-emitting diodes.

The electrical-to-optical power conversion efficiencies of the light-emitting devices based on gallium nitride (GaN) are seriously limited by electron leakage currents due to the relatively low mobility and activation ratio of holes. However, there have been few theoretical models on the behavior of the leakage current with an increasing total current. We develop an Ohmic-law-like method to describe the transport behaviors of the systems with electron and hole currents simultaneously. Based on reasonable assumptions, the ratio of the leakage current to the total current is related to the differential resistances of the devices. Through the method, we develop analytical models of the leakage currents in GaN-based laser diodes (LDs) and light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The ratios of the leakage currents with total currents in LDs and LEDs are shown to increase, which explains the sublinear behaviors of the luminescence-current (LI) curves of the devices. The theory agrees well with the numerical simulation and experimental results in larger current ranges in comparison to the traditional ABC model. The above analytical model can be used to fast evaluate the leakage currents in GaN-based LDs and LEDs.