A glutathione-sensitive small molecule fluorescent probe for rapid and facile gut microbiota sensing.

The human gut microbiota plays an integral role in the management of human health. Effective detection of gut-derived bacteria and their metabolites, as well as assessing antibiotic susceptibility, are crucial for the treatment of intestinal bacteria-related diseases. Herein, we designed and developed a dual-site (nitrophenyl sulfide group and aldehyde group) fluorescent probe DNO-HC, which could rapidly (∼1 min) respond to glutathione (GSH) with low background fluorescence, high selectivity, and low detection limits (45 nM).

Modulating Nitrogen Adsorption Mode and Microenvironment of Active Sites for Boosting Electrochemical Nitrogen Reduction.

Electrochemical reduction of N (NRR) offers a sustainable approach for ammonia (NH) synthesis, serving as a complementary to the traditional emission- and energy-intensive Haber-Bosch process. However, it faces challenges in N activation and competing with pronounced hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Herein an efficient electrocatalyst comprised of ultrafine Ru nanoclusters (NCs) confined by a hydrophobic molecular layer is developed on the surface of 2D TiCT for NRR.

Effect of Process Conditions on the Microstructure and Properties of Supercritical Ni-GQDs Plating.

The Ni-GQDs composite plating was created using direct current (DC), single-pulse, and double-pulse power supplies, with GQDs serving as additives under supercritical CO conditions. A comparative analysis was conducted to evaluate the effects of different electrodeposition power sources on the microstructure and properties of the Ni-GQDs composite plating. High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM) was employed to investigate the distribution of GQDs within the composite plating as well as to analyze d-spacing and diffraction patterns.

Highly sensitive near-infrared fluorescent probe for monitoring peroxynitrite in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: Toward early diagnosis and therapeutic evaluation.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) poses a significant global health concern, necessitating precise diagnostic tools and effective treatment strategies. Peroxynitrite (ONOO), a reactive oxygen species, plays a pivotal role in NAFLD pathogenesis, highlighting its potential as a biomarker for disease diagnosis and therapeutic evaluation. This study reports on the development of a near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent probe, designated DRP-O, for the selective detection of ONOO with high sensitivity and photostability.

Technically feasible solutions to challenges in preimplantation genetic testing for thalassemia: experiences of multiple centers between 2019 and 2022.

Purpose: In clinical practice, the success of preimplantation genetic testing for monogenic diseases (PGT-M) for thalassemia was hindered by the absence of probands, incomplete family members, or failure in detecting embryonic gene mutation sites. This study aimed to address these issues.

Methods: This retrospective study included 342 couples undergoing PGT-M for α- or β-thalassemia at three reproductive medicine centers from 2019 to 2022.

Visualization of cysteine in AD mouse with a high-quantum yield NIR fluorescent probe.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) has gradually received enthusiastic attention with the aging process, and studying its biological relevance is expected. Excitingly, fluorescence probes were considered to be powerful tools for exploring biological correlations. Therefore, a highly selective near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent probe (DCM-Cl-Acr) for imaging cysteine (Cys) in AD was designed and synthesized.

Pharmacokinetic-Pharmacodynamic Correlation Analysis of in Rats with Myocardial Ischemia.

The pharmacokinetics (PK) of in rats were studied, and pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic (PK-PD) correlation analysis was performed to elucidate their time-concentration-effect relationship. The myocardial ischemia model was made with pituitrin. Rats were divided into sham operation, sham operation administration, model, and model administration groups (SG, SDG, MG, and MDG, respectively; = 6).

Highly Tribo-Positive Nylon-11 Film Fabricated by Multiscale Structural Regulation through a Roll-to-Roll Processing.

Triboelectric polymers have attracted extensive attention due to their great electron-accepting and electron-donating properties in contact electrification as well as their flexible and low-cost merits and have become promising electrode materials in triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs). However, most research has exclusively focused on improving the electron capture capability of the triboelectric layer, neglecting to enhance the electron-donating capability, which leads to a low output performance of TENG and limits its practical application. In this study, we developed a method to fabricate highly tribo-positive Nylon-11 film through roll-to-roll processing.

Pure tone audiogram classification using deep learning techniques.

Objective: Pure tone audiometry has played a critical role in audiology as the initial diagnostic tool, offering vital insights for subsequent analyses. This study aims to develop a robust deep learning framework capable of accurately classifying audiograms across various commonly encountered tasks.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This single-centre retrospective study was conducted in accordance with the STROBE guidelines.

An activatable fluorescence probe for rapid detection and in situ imaging of β-galactosidase activity in cabbage roots under heavy metal stress.

β-Galactosidase (β-gal), an enzyme related to cell wall degradation, plays an important role in regulating cell wall metabolism and reconstruction. However, activatable fluorescence probes for the detection and imaging of β-gal fluctuations in plants have been less exploited. Herein, we report an activatable fluorescent probe based on intramolecular charge transfer (ICT), benzothiazole coumarin-bearing β-galactoside (BC-βgal), to achieve distinct in situ imaging of β-gal in plant cells.

[Protective effect of vitrification and controlled slow freezing on immature testicular tissue].

Objective: To explore and compare the current mainstream testicular tissue freezing methods, namely vitrification and controlled slow freezing, and optimize the best testicular tissue freezing methods.

Methods: Testicular tissues of 3-week-old mice and <2-year old prepubertal cynomophage monkeys were collected and cut to 6-26 mm3, and divided into three groups: Fresh group, vitrification group and controlled slow freezing group were resuscitated after 5-7 days of freezing. HE staining, immunofluorescence staining, TUNEL staining and Western blot were used to evaluate the frozen-thawed testicular tissue.

Mood disorders influencing endometriosis and adenomyosis: Mendelian randomisation study.

Background: Many studies have found an association between mood-disorder-related traits and endometriosis and adenomyosis. However, the cause-effect relationship remains unclear.

Aims: We conducted Mendelian randomisation analyses to evaluate any causal relationship between mood disorders and endometriosis as well as different sites of endometriosis.

Designing Universally-Approximating Deep Neural Networks: A First-Order Optimization Approach.

Universal approximation capability, also referred to as universality, is an important property of deep neural networks, endowing them with the potency to accurately represent the underlying target function in learning tasks. In practice, the architecture of deep neural networks largely influences the performance of the models. However, most existing methodologies for designing neural architectures, such as the heuristic manual design or neural architecture search, ignore the universal approximation property, thus losing a potential safeguard about the performance.

Fluorescent Probe for Investigating the Mitochondrial Viscosity and Hydrogen Peroxide Changes in Cerebral Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury.

Cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury (CIRI), a cause of cerebral dysfunction during cerebral infarction treatment, is closely associated with mitochondrial viscosity and hydrogen peroxide (HO). However, the accurate measurement of mitochondrial viscosity and HO levels in CIRI is challenging because of the lack of sufficient selectivity and blood-brain barrier (BBB) penetration of existing monitoring tools related to CIRI, hampering the exploration of the role of mitochondrial viscosity and HO in CIRI. To address this issue, we designed an activatable fluorescent probe, mitochondria-targeting styryl-quinolin-ium (), with excellent properties including high selectivity, mitochondrial targeting, and BBB penetration, for the visualization of mitochondrial viscosity and HO in the brain.

Neurotrophin-4 promotes development and maturation of human secondary follicles yielding metaphase II oocytes and successful blastocyst formation.

Study Question: Does a matrix-free culture system supplemented with neurotrophic factor 4 (NT4) improve human follicular development and meiotic maturation, ultimately resulting in fertilizable oocytes?

Summary Answer: NT4 supplementation of culture significantly enhances the growth, steroid hormone production, and maturity potential of human secondary follicles derived from fresh ovarian medulla (from post- and pre-pubertal patients), thereby yielding fertilizable oocytes.

What Is Known Already: Reconstituting folliculogenesis is of paramount importance in the realms of fertility preservation, reproductive biology research, and reproductive toxicity assessments. However, the efficiency of culture systems remains suboptimal, as the attainment of fertilizable oocytes from growth (IVG) of human follicles remains unachieved, with the data being particularly scant regarding follicles from prepubertal girls.

Global crotonylome identifies EP300-regulated ANXA2 crotonylation in cumulus cells as a regulator of oocyte maturation.

Lysine crotonylation (Kcr), a newly discovered post-translational modification, played a crucial role in physiology and disease progression. However, the roles of crotonylation in oocyte meiotic resumption remain elusive. As abnormal cumulus cell development will cause oocyte maturation arrest and female infertility, we report that cumulus cells surrounding human meiotic arrested oocytes showed significantly lower crotonylation, which was associated with decreased EP300 expression and blocked cumulus cell expansion.

Number of embryos transferred could possibly be associated with angular pregnancy in in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer.

Objective: The probability of embryo implantation in an abnormal location is significantly higher in assisted reproductive technology (ART) than in natural pregnancies. Angular pregnancy is an eccentric intrauterine pregnancy with embryo implantation in the lateral superior angle of the uterine cavity. Cycle-level factors associated with angular pregnancy in patients conceived with ART needed to be explored.

A 3-4 h oocyte retrieval-ICSI interval optimizes clinical outcomes for women over 40 years.

To explore an appropriate time interval between oocyte retrieval and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) for optimal embryological and clinical outcomes in ICSI cycles over 40 years of maternal age. A retrospective analysis of 1476 ICSI fresh cycles from women aged over 40 years, was performed at the Reproduction Medicine Research Center of the Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, between December 2013 and August 2020. The fertilization rate and clinical pregnancy rate were the main outcomes.

Long-term SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody level prediction using multimodal deep learning: A prospective cohort study on longitudinal data in Wuhan, China.

The ongoing epidemic of SARS-CoV-2 is taking a substantial financial and health toll on people worldwide. Assessing the level and duration of SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody (Nab) would provide key information for government to make sound healthcare policies. Assessed at 3-, 6-, 12-, and 18-month postdischarge, we described the temporal change of IgG levels in 450 individuals with moderate to critical COVID-19 infection.

Dietary sources of branched-chain fatty acids and their biosynthesis, distribution, and nutritional properties.

Branched-chain fatty acids (BCFAs) consist of a wide variety of fatty acids with alkyl branching of methyl group. The most common BCFAs are the types with one methyl group (mmBCFA) on the penultimate carbon (iBCFA) or the antepenultimate carbon (aiBCFA). Long-chain mmBCFAs are widely existing in animal fats, milks and are mostly derived from bacteria in the diet or animal digestive system.

Cortical activation of neuromuscular electrical stimulation synchronized mirror neuron rehabilitation strategies: an fNIRS study.

Background: The mirror neuron system (MNS) plays a key role in the neural mechanism underlying motor learning and neural plasticity. Action observation (AO), action execution (AE), and a combination of both, known as action imitation (AI), are the most commonly used rehabilitation strategies based on MNS. It is possible to enhance the cortical activation area and amplitude by combining traditional neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) with other top-down and active rehabilitation strategies based on the MNS theory.

Synergy of dual-atom catalysts deviated from the scaling relationship for oxygen evolution reaction.

Dual-atom catalysts, particularly those with heteronuclear active sites, have the potential to outperform the well-established single-atom catalysts for oxygen evolution reaction, but the underlying mechanistic understanding is still lacking. Herein, a large-scale density functional theory is employed to explore the feasibility of *O-*O coupling mechanism, which can circumvent the scaling relationship with improving the catalytic performance of N-doped graphene supported Fe-, Co-, Ni-, and Cu-containing heteronuclear dual-atom catalysts, namely, M'M@NC. Based on the constructed activity maps, a rationally designed descriptor can be obtained to predict homonuclear catalysts.

Benchmark Models for Elucidating Ligand Effects: Thiols Ligated Isostructural Cu Nanoclusters.

Atomically precise copper nanoclusters (Cu NCs) have attracted tremendous attention for their huge potential in many applications. However, the uncertainty of the growth mechanism and complexity of the crystallization process hinder the in-depth understanding of their properties. In particular, the ligand effect has been rarely explored at the atomic/molecular level due to the lack of feasible models.