Age-related loss of intestinal barrier integrity plays an integral role in thymic involution and T cell ageing.

The intestinal epithelium serves as a physical and functional barrier against harmful substances, preventing their entry into the circulation and subsequent induction of a systemic immune response. Gut barrier dysfunction has recently emerged as a feature of ageing linked to declining health, and increased intestinal membrane permeability has been shown to promote heightened systemic inflammation in aged hosts. Concurrent with age-related changes in the gut microbiome, the thymic microenvironment undergoes a series of morphological, phenotypical and architectural alterations with age, including disorganisation of the corticomedullary junction, increased fibrosis, increased thymic adiposity and the accumulation of senescent cells.

High Charge Carrier Mobility in Porphyrin Nanoribbons.

Polydisperse edge-fused nickel(II) porphyrin nanoribbons have been synthesized by Yamamoto coupling followed by gold(III)-mediated fusion, with average degrees of polymerization of up to 37 repeat units (length 31 nm). Time-resolved optical-pump terahertz spectroscopy measurements indicate that photo-generated charge carriers have dc mobilities of up to 205 cm V s in these nanoribbons, exceeding the values previously reported for most other types of nanoribbon or π-conjugated polymer.

A Randomized Trial of Drug Route in Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest.

Background: In patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, the effectiveness of drugs such as epinephrine is highly time-dependent. An intraosseous route of drug administration may enable more rapid drug administration than an intravenous route; however, its effect on clinical outcomes is uncertain.

Methods: We conducted a multicenter, open-label, randomized trial across 11 emergency medical systems in the United Kingdom that involved adults in cardiac arrest for whom vascular access for drug administration was needed.

Potassium- and Lithium-Ammonia Intercalation into Excitonic Insulator Candidate TaNiSe.

Two new reduced phases derived from the topical excitonic insulator candidate TaNiSe have been synthesized via the intercalation of lithium and potassium from solutions of the metals in liquid ammonia. Li(NH)TaNiSe and KTaNiSe both crystallize in orthorhombic space group with the following lattice parameters: = 3.5175(1) Å, = 18.