Proton Pachinko: Probing Excited-State Intramolecular Proton Transfer of St. John's Wort-Derived Fluorescent Photosensitizer Hypericin with Ultrafast Spectroscopy.

Hypericin from St. John's wort has been used as a potent photosensitizer, but its working mechanism remains elusive which hinders its rational design for improved functionality. We implement ultrafast spectroscopy and quantum calculations to track the excited-state dynamics in an intricate hydrogen-bonding network of hypericin in solution.

High-Fat Diet Exacerbates Stress Responsivity in Juvenile Traumatic Brain Injury.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the leading causes of death for children in the United States. Juveniles are more likely to sustain TBIs than most other age groups, and TBI has been shown to result in increased anxiety and stress behaviors. In addition, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis has previously been shown to become dysregulated after a TBI.