Semiconducting Overoxidized Polypyrrole Nano-Particles for Photocatalytic Water Splitting.

Capturing sunlight to fuel the water splitting reaction (WSR) into O and H is the leitmotif of the research around artificial photosynthesis. Organic semiconductors have now joined the quorum of materials currently dominated by inorganic oxides, where for both families of compounds the bandgaps and energies can be adjusted synthetically to perform the Water Splitting Reaction. However, elaborated and tedious synthetic pathways are necessary to optimize the photophysical properties of organic semiconductors.

Characterization of Serum Cytokine Patterns in Frequent-Exacerbation Asthma: Implications for Phenotyping and Management.

(1) Background: Asthma exacerbations represent significant clinical events, however, the underlying inflammatory mechanisms and cytokine profiles in patients with frequent exacerbations remain incompletely understood; (2) Methods: In this prospective, cross-sectional study of 120 stable asthma patients, we compared the serum concentrations of eight key cytokines (IL-4, IL-12, IL-13, IL-17, IFN-α, IFN-γ, TNF-α, and IL-1β) between two groups: 60 patients with frequent exacerbations (≥ 2 events per year) and 60 matched controls with few exacerbations (1 event per year); (3) Results: Patients with frequent exacerbations showed significantly higher serum concentrations of IL-4 and IL-13 ( < 0.05), along with an increased prevalence of allergic history and comorbidities (chronic rhinosinusitis, GERD, OSA; all < 0.05).

Effect of Reproductive Tract Microbiota on Vaginal Fibroblasts in Pelvic Organ Prolapse.

Importance: The effect of vaginal bacteria on wound healing is an evolving area of study. Bacterial vaginosis (BV), characterized by an overgrowth of anaerobic bacteria, is linked to increased surgical site infections after pelvic surgery. While BV-associated microbes are known to impair epithelial repair, their effects on fibroblasts, which are crucial for wound healing and prolapse recurrence after pelvic organ prolapsesurgery, are unclear.

Monosynaptic ventral tegmental area glutamate projections to the locus coeruleus enhance aversive processing.

Distinct excitatory synaptic inputs to the locus coeruleus (LC) modulate behavioral flexibility. Here we identify a novel monosynaptic glutamatergic input to the LC from the ventral tegmental area (VTA). We show robust VTA axonal projections provide direct glutamatergic transmission to LC.