Investigating the correlation of delirium after cardiac surgery with memories and posttraumatic stress disorder consequences of intensive care unit: A prospective cohort study.

Objectives: To explore the differences in post-intensive care unit memory and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms between patients with and without delirium, and assess the correlations between the two.

Design: Prospective cohort observation study.

Setting: A cardiac intensive care unit of a tertiary hospital in China.

A multifunctional switching bidirectional optical absorber based on a titanium nitride metamaterial.

In this paper, a novel type of tunable ultra-wide band and double-narrow band artificial electromagnetic absorption device is studied. This work uses a titanium nitride-titanium-tungsten (TiN-Ti-W) composite ring array, a TiN reflector layer, and a silver-titanium dioxide-silver (Ag-TiO-Ag) three layer composite structure to prepare the absorption layer. The simulation results illustrate that the absorption rate can reach 96.

Metamaterial ultra-wideband solar absorbers based on a multi-layer structure with cross etching.

In this paper, we design a solar absorber based on the SiN-W-Ti-SiO insulator-metal-insulator structure and demonstrate it using the finite difference time domain (FDTD) method. The absorption rate of the absorber consisting of a multi-layer structure with cross etching is over 90% in the bandwidth of 500 nm to 2995 nm with an average absorption rate of 98.3%.

Plasma biomarkers and delirium in critically ill patients after cardiac surgery: A prospective observational cohort study.

Background: Delirium is common in postoperative critically ill patients and may affect by intraoperative events. Biomarkers are vital indicators in the development and prediction of delirium.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the associations between various plasma biomarkers and delirium.

Obesity caused by an OVOL2 mutation reveals dual roles of OVOL2 in promoting thermogenesis and limiting white adipogenesis.

Using random germline mutagenesis in mice, we identified a viable hypomorphic allele (boh) of the transcription-factor-encoding gene Ovol2 that resulted in obesity, which initially developed with normal food intake and physical activity but decreased energy expenditure. Fat weight was dramatically increased, while lean weight was reduced in 12-week-old boh homozygous mice, culminating by 24 weeks in massive obesity, hepatosteatosis, insulin resistance, and diabetes. The Ovol2 genotype augmented obesity in Lep mice, and pair-feeding failed to normalize obesity in Ovol2 mice.

Improving emulsifying properties of carboxylated microcrystalline cellulose by calcium bridging to hydrophobic peptides.

This study aimed to improve the emulsifying properties of microcrystalline cellulose by carboxylating (CC) and bridging to hydrophobic oat globule peptides (HP) via Ca (CC-Ca-HP). FTIR and XRD spectra analysis proved the successful attachment of HP to CC through a salt bridge. The Ca-bridging significantly changed the particle characteristics of CC-Ca-HP, including particle size, ζ-potential, and wettability.

Risk factors for inadvertent intraoperative hypothermia in patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery: A prospective cohort study.

Background: Inadvertent intraoperative hypothermia is frequent during open surgeries; however, few studies on hypothermia during laparoscopic abdominal surgery have been reported. We aimed to investigate the incidence and risk factors for hypothermia in patients undergoing laparoscopic abdominal surgery.

Methods: This single-center prospective cohort observational study involved patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery between October 2018 and June 2019.

Sulfatides are endogenous ligands for the TLR4-MD-2 complex.

Many endogenous molecules, mostly proteins, purportedly activate the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)-myeloid differentiation factor-2 (MD-2) complex, the innate immune receptor for lipopolysaccharide (LPS) derived from gram-negative bacteria. However, there is no structural evidence supporting direct TLR4-MD-2 activation by endogenous ligands. Sulfatides (3--sulfogalactosylceramides) are natural, abundant sulfated glycolipids that have variously been shown to initiate or suppress inflammatory responses.

Thousands of induced germline mutations affecting immune cells identified by automated meiotic mapping coupled with machine learning.

Forward genetic studies use meiotic mapping to adduce evidence that a particular mutation, normally induced by a germline mutagen, is causative of a particular phenotype. Particularly in small pedigrees, cosegregation of multiple mutations, occasional unawareness of mutations, and paucity of homozygotes may lead to erroneous declarations of cause and effect. We sought to improve the identification of mutations causing immune phenotypes in mice by creating Candidate Explorer (CE), a machine-learning software program that integrates 67 features of genetic mapping data into a single numeric score, mathematically convertible to the probability of verification of any putative mutation-phenotype association.

SLFN2 protection of tRNAs from stress-induced cleavage is essential for T cell-mediated immunity.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) increase in activated T cells because of metabolic activity induced to support T cell proliferation and differentiation. We show that these ROS trigger an oxidative stress response that leads to translation repression. This response is countered by Schlafen 2 (SLFN2), which directly binds transfer RNAs (tRNAs) to protect them from cleavage by the ribonuclease angiogenin.

Adenosine monophosphate deaminase 3 null mutation causes reduction of naive T cells in mouse peripheral blood.

Adenosine monophosphate deaminase 3 (Ampd3) encodes the erythrocyte isoform of the adenosine monophosphate (AMP) deaminase gene family. Mutations in this gene have been reported in humans, leading to autosomal-recessive erythrocyte AMP deaminase deficiency. However, the mutation is considered clinically asymptomatic.

Efficacy of nanoparticle encapsulation on suppressing oxidation and enhancing antifungal activity of cyclic lipopeptides produced by Bacillus subtilis.

This study examined the storage instability of cyclic lipopeptides (CLs) extracted from Bacillus subtilis culture; CLs were easily oxidized and therefore quickly lost antifungal activity during storage. Solid lipid nanoparticle (SLN) encapsulation effectively suppressed the oxidation and prolonged and enhanced the antifungal efficacy of CLs through controlled release. Thermal gravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy revealed that hydrophobic interactions between the fatty acid moieties of CLs and SLNs fortified the crystal structure of the CL-SLN complex, thereby improving the storage stability of the encapsulated CLs.

Genetic and structural studies of RABL3 reveal an essential role in lymphoid development and function.

The small GTPase RABL3 is an oncogene of unknown physiological function. Homozygous knockout alleles of mouse were embryonic lethal, but a viable hypomorphic allele ( []) causing in-frame deletion of four amino acids from the interswitch region resulted in profound defects in lymphopoiesis. Impaired lymphoid progenitor development led to deficiencies of B cells, T cells, and natural killer (NK) cells in mice.

Essential cell-extrinsic requirement for PDIA6 in lymphoid and myeloid development.

In a forward genetic screen of N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU)-induced mutant mice for aberrant immune function, we identified mice with a syndromic disorder marked by growth retardation, diabetes, premature death, and severe lymphoid and myeloid hypoplasia together with diminished T cell-independent (TI) antibody responses. The causative mutation was in Pdia6, an essential gene encoding protein disulfide isomerase A6 (PDIA6), an oxidoreductase that functions in nascent protein folding in the endoplasmic reticulum. The immune deficiency caused by the Pdia6 mutation was, with the exception of a residual T cell developmental defect, completely rescued in irradiated wild-type recipients of PDIA6-deficient bone marrow cells, both in the absence or presence of competition.

Mutual inhibition between Prkd2 and Bcl6 controls T follicular helper cell differentiation.

T follicular helper cells (T) participate in germinal center (GC) development and are necessary for B cell production of high-affinity, isotype-switched antibodies. In a forward genetic screen, we identified a missense mutation in , encoding the serine/threonine kinase protein kinase D2, which caused elevated titers of immunoglobulin E (IgE) in the serum. Subsequent analysis of serum antibodies in mice with a targeted null mutation of demonstrated polyclonal hypergammaglobulinemia of IgE, IgG1, and IgA isotypes, which was exacerbated by the T cell-dependent humoral response to immunization.

Short peptides secreted by Bacillus subtilis inhibit the growth of mold on fresh-cut pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo).

Background: This study investigates the efficacy of short peptides secreted by Bacillus subtilis for fungal inhibition in fresh-cut pumpkin and for maintaining its shelf life.

Results: Low-molecular-weight filtrate (LC < 1000 Da) of B. subtilis culture (BC) significantly lowered the total number of molds on fresh-cut pumpkin compared with the untreated control and a BC group after storage.

Structural Basis of TLR2/TLR1 Activation by the Synthetic Agonist Diprovocim.

Diprovocim is a recently discovered exceptionally potent, synthetic small molecule agonist of TLR2/TLR1 and has shown significant adjuvant activity in anticancer vaccination against murine melanoma. Since Diprovocim bears no structural similarity to the canonical lipopeptide ligands of TLR2/TLR1, we investigated how Diprovocim interacts with TLR2/TLR1 through in vitro biophysical, structural, and computational approaches. We found that Diprovocim induced the formation of TLR2/TLR1 heterodimers as well as TLR2 homodimers in vitro.

[Risk factors for intensive care unit delirium after cardiac operation].

Objective: To analyze the risk factors of delirium in patients in cardiac surgery intensive care unit (CSICU).

Methods: A prospective observational study was performed. Patients admitted to CSICU of Fujian Medical University Union Hospital from March to August in 2017 were enrolled.

Diprovocims: A New and Exceptionally Potent Class of Toll-like Receptor Agonists.

A screen conducted with nearly 100000 compounds and a surrogate functional assay for stimulation of an immune response that measured the release of TNF-α from treated human THP-1 myeloid cells differentiated along the macrophage line led to the discovery of the diprovocims. Unique to these efforts and of special interest, the screening leads for this new class of activators of an immune response came from a compound library designed to promote cell-surface receptor dimerization. Subsequent comprehensive structure-activity relationship studies improved the potency 800-fold over that of the screening leads, providing diprovocim-1 and diprovocim-2.

Adjuvant effect of the novel TLR1/TLR2 agonist Diprovocim synergizes with anti-PD-L1 to eliminate melanoma in mice.

Successful cancer immunotherapy entails activation of innate immune receptors to promote dendritic cell (DC) maturation, antigen presentation, up-regulation of costimulatory molecules, and cytokine secretion, leading to activation of tumor antigen-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs). Here we screened a synthetic library of 100,000 compounds for innate immune activators using TNF production by THP-1 cells as a readout. We identified and optimized a potent human and mouse Toll-like receptor (TLR)1/TLR2 agonist, Diprovocim, which exhibited an EC of 110 pM in human THP-1 cells and 1.

Nonpharmacological Interventions for Sleep Promotion on Preterm Infants in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: A Systematic Review.

Background: Nonpharmacological interventions are often used to promote sleep among preterm infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). However, there is a lack of synthesis in the evidence of their effectiveness.

Aim: To synthesize the evidence on the effectiveness of nonpharmacological interventions on NICU preterm infants' sleep during hospital stay.

Simultaneous lipid and content mixing assays for in vitro reconstitution studies of synaptic vesicle fusion.

This protocol describes reconstitution assays to study how the neurotransmitter release machinery triggers Ca-dependent synaptic vesicle fusion. The assays monitor fusion between proteoliposomes containing the synaptic vesicle SNARE synaptobrevin (with or without the Ca sensor synaptotagmin-1) and proteoliposomes initially containing the plasma membrane SNAREs syntaxin-1 and soluble NSF attachment protein (SNAP)-25. Lipid mixing (from fluorescence de-quenching of Marina-Blue-labeled lipids) and content mixing (from development of fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) between phycoerythrin-biotin (PhycoE-Biotin) and Cy5-streptavidin trapped in the two proteoliposome populations) are measured simultaneously to ensure that true, nonleaky membrane fusion is monitored.

Crystal Structure of the CLOCK Transactivation Domain Exon19 in Complex with a Repressor.

In the canonical clock model, CLOCK:BMAL1-mediated transcriptional activation is feedback regulated by its repressors CRY and PER and, in association with other coregulators, ultimately generates oscillatory gene expression patterns. How CLOCK:BMAL1 interacts with coregulator(s) is not well understood. Here we report the crystal structures of the mouse CLOCK transactivating domain Exon19 in complex with CIPC, a potent circadian repressor that functions independently of CRY and PER.

Skin-specific regulation of SREBP processing and lipid biosynthesis by glycerol kinase 5.

The recessive -ethyl--nitrosourea-induced phenotype is characterized by delayed hair growth, progressive hair loss, and excessive accumulation of dermal cholesterol, triglycerides, and ceramides. The phenotype was attributed to a null allele of , encoding glycerol kinase 5 (GK5), a skin-specific kinase expressed predominantly in sebaceous glands. GK5 formed a complex with the sterol regulatory element-binding proteins (SREBPs) through their C-terminal regulatory domains, inhibiting SREBP processing and activation.