A novel dual-color fluorescent sensor with two pKas for on-site detection of pH in food

Tracking pH fluctuations in food samples is important for ensuring food freshness. Fluorescent probes have been widely applied as promising tools for the on-site detection of pH changes; however, most of them can be applied only at either lower or higher pH ranges because their response structures commonly have a single acid dissociation constant (pKa). To address this problem, we designed a fluorescent sensor, called HMB, containing a methylpiperazine group with two pKa values, which exhibited a unique dual-color response to pH changes over a wide pH range. Furthermore, the HMB-based test strips are easily prepared and used as portable labels for the visual monitoring of food spoilage that results in microbial and anaerobic glycolytic pathways in real food (such as cheese and shrimp). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first fluorescent pH sensor with two pKa values, and we expect that this work will inspire more sensor designs for food quality control.

Fast, portable, selective, and ratiometric determination of ochratoxin A (OTA) by a fluorescent supramolecular sensor

Ochratoxin A (OTA), a mycotoxin found in various food items, possesses significant health risks due to its carcinogenic and toxic properties. Thus, detecting OTA is crucial to ensure food safety. Among the reported analytical methods, there has yet to be one that achieves fast, selective, and portable detection of OTA. In this study, we explore a novel supramolecular sensor, DOCE@ALB, utilizing human serum albumin as the host and a flavonoid fluorescent indicator as the guest. On the basis of indicator displacement assay, this sensor boasts an ultra-fast response time of just 5 s, high sensitivity with a limit of detection at 0.39 ppb, exceptional selectivity, and a noticeable ratiometric fluorescence response to OTA. This discernible color change and portability of the sensor make it suitable for on-site OTA detection in real food samples, including flour, beer, and wine, simply using a smartphone. In comparison to previously reported methods, our approach has showcased notable advantages in both response time and portability, addressing a critical need for food safety and regulatory compliance.

A ratiometric fluorescent indicator-displacement assay for on-site determination and intracellular imaging of nitroxinil

Nitroxinil (NIT) is a widely using veterinary medicine to protect cattle and sheep yet may threaten human health when ingested through food chain. Developing fluorescent analytical methods in ratiometric manners was essential for the on-site detection and in-situ monitoring of NIT but still challenging. Here, we improved the indicator-displacement assay (IDA)-based method and designed the first ratiometric fluorescent probe for NIT by using an albumin host and an Aggregation-induced emission (AIE) guest. This probe exhibited fast response (10 s), high sensitivity (limit of detection: 4.6 ppb), good selectivity (over twelve medicines) and eye-discriminable fluorescent color change (green-red) upon responding to NIT. Based on these properties, this probe enabled quantitative determination of NIT in real food samples, on-site analysis via a paper-based test strip, and fluorescence imaging of NIT in living cells.

FRET-Based Host-Guest Supramolecular Probe for On-Site and Broad-Spectrum Detection of Pyrethroids in the Environment

The massive use of pyrethroid pesticides in agriculture has brought growing concerns about food safety due to their several harmful effects on human health, especially through the accumulation of the food chain. To date, most of the available analytical methods for pyrethroids still suffer from insufficient detection universality, complicated sample pretreatment, and detection processes, which severely limit their practical applications. Herein, a novel Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET)-assisted host-guest supramolecular nanoassembly is reported, for the first time, successfully realizing ratiometric fluorescent detection of pyrethroids in real samples through the indicator displacement assay (IDA) mechanism. This method is capable of detecting a broad spectrum of pyrethroids, including bifenthrin, cyfluthrin, cypermethrin, deltamethrin, etofenprox, fenvalerate, and permethrin, with ultrahigh detection sensitivity, great selectivity, high anti-interference ability, and, in particular, distinct emission color response from red to green. Such a large chromatic response makes this method available for fast and on-site detection of pyrethroids in real samples with the aid of several simple portable analytical apparatuses.

Fast and sensitive detection of nitroxynil using a chalcone-based supramolecular fluorescent sensor

Nitroxynil as a veterinary drug has been widely used for treatment of parasitic worms in food-producing sheep and cattle. However, the residual nitroxynil in edible animal products can lead to severe adverse effects on human health. Thus, development of an effective analytical tool for nitroxynil is of great significance. In the present study, we designed and synthesized a novel albumin-based fluorescent sensor, which was capable of detecting nitroxynil with the fast response (<10 s), high sensitivity (limit of detection ∼8.7 ppb), high selectivity, and excellent anti-interference property. The sensing mechanism was clarified by using the molecular docking technique and mass spectra. Moreover, this sensor showed the detection accuracy comparable to standard HPLC method, and meanwhile exhibited much shorter response time and higher sensitivity. All the results demonstrated that this novel fluorescent senor could serve as a practical analytical tool for determination of nitroxynil in real food samples.

Smartphone-based on-site detection of hydrogen peroxide in milk by using a portable ratiometric fluorescent probe

The on-site detection of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) is important for maintaining food safety as the ingestion of H₂O₂ can lead to serious pathological conditions. However, most reported fluorescent probes require a fluorometer to ensure readable signal output and reliable detection result. Consequently, the fluorescent detection of H₂O₂ can be realized only within a standard laboratory setting. Herein, we report a novel supramolecular strategy that can successfully convert the typical off-on response to H₂O₂ into a ratiometric response, which allows the on-site detection of H₂O₂ when used in conjunction with a smartphone-based 3D-printed miniaturized testing system. This method has acceptable sensitivity, good anti-interference ability, and desirable accuracy compared to a standard detection method. More importantly, this portable ratiometric method can be used to detect H₂O₂ residue in commercial milk samples with the simple testing apparatuses.

[Simultaneous detection of 7 important Rickettsiales pathogens by TaqMan-probe quantitative real-time PCR]

Objective: To establish and optimize a TaqMan-probe quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) assay for the detection of 7 important Rickettsiales pathogens and simultaneous identification of the infection types. Methods: Based on the ompB gene of Rickettsia prowazekii, Rickettsia mooseri and spotted fever group rickettsiae, the groEL gene of Orientia tsutsugamushi, the 16S rRNA of Ehrlichia chaffeensis, the gltA gene of Anaplasma phagocytophilum and the com1 gene of Coxiella burnetii, we synthesized primers and TaqMan-probes and optimized the reaction system and reaction process to same solution. The sensitivity, specificity and reproducibility of this assay were evaluated and the assay was used for the detection of simulated and actual samples. Results: The Ct value of the standard curves of the 7 pathogens showed a good linear relationship with the number of DNA copies (all R² >0.990 0), the minimum detection limit was 10 copies/μl, showing good specificity. In the 96 tick nucleic acid extracts, Coxiella burnetii was detected in 1 sampleand spotted fever group Rickettsiae was detected in 3 samples. In the 80 blood samples from patients with undefined febrile illness, Orientia tsutsugamushi was detected in 1 sample and spotted fever group rickettsiae was detected in 2 samples. Conclusions: In this study, based on the established TaqMan-probe qPCR assay, the reaction system and reaction condition of the 7 important pathogens of Rickettsiales were optimized to the same solution. This method overcomes the shortcomings of using different reaction systems and reaction conditions for different pathogens, which can precisely identify the species of 7 important pathogens of Rickettsiales in clinical sample detections and is important for the infection type identification and laboratory detection time reduction to facilitate precise treatment of the patients.

[Advances in clinical diagnosis and treatment of drug-induced liver injury in children]

Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is one of the most common adverse drug reactions that may seriously threaten the health of children and is receiving increasing clinical attention day by day. There is still no independent diagnosis and treatment guideline for DILI in children, but its clinical features are not completely similar to those in adults. This article reviews the epidemiology, clinical features, diagnosis, and treatment progress in order to provide a reference for the management of DILI in children.

[Epidemiological characteristics of typhus in China, 1950-2021]

Objective: To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of typhus in China from 1950 to 2021, and discuss the challenges in typhus prevention and control in China and suggest future prevention and control strategies. Methods: Based on the reported data of typhus from 1950 to 2021 in China from the Infectious Disease History Database of China Public Health Science Data Center and the National Notifiable Infectious Disease Reporting Information System of Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, we conducted a descriptive statistical analysis. Mann-Kendall test and circular distribution method were used to analyze the incidence, mortality and case fatality of typhus to reveal the temporal, spatial and population distributions and diagnosis of typhus in China. Results: From 1950 to 2021, a total of 452 965 typhus cases and 7 339 typhus deaths were reported in China, with the cases numbers exceeding 10 000 in 14 years of the 1950s, 1960s and 1980s, respectively. Since 1990s, the reported cases and incidence rate of typhus have decreased dramatically and the most cases were sporadic. However, the reported typhus cases in Anhui, Hubei, Hunan Provinces showed significant uptrends. Although typhus could occur all the year round, but the seasonality was observed with the incidence mainly in summer and autumn. For different provinces from the north to the south, the peaks of typhus' monthly incidence tended to shift to earlier dates. The male to female ratio of the cases was 1.01∶1 (18 529∶18 366). However, more cases occurred in women in recent years. The cases aged ≤9 years accounted for the highest proportion (18.9%), but the number of cases aged ≥50 years showed an upward trend. Most cases were farmers with the proportion increasing year by year. Moreover, the cases in students and scattered-living children also accounted for relatively higher proportions. The median of the interval between onset and diagnosis of typhus was 6 days. Most cases were clinically diagnosed, while the proportion of laboratory-confirmed cases was low and most laboratory cases were confirmed by Well-Felix reaction. Conclusions: Although the incidence and mortality of typhus in China has decreased significantly, the risk for local typhus outbreaks still exists. The prevention and control of typhus still face many challenges. It is indispensable to strengthen the pathogen detection and surveillance for typhus in China.

Naphthalene-based fluorescent probe for on-site detection of hydrazine in the environment

The widespread occurrence of hydrazine residues in the environment, including in water, soil, and organisms, is a potential health threat to humans. Therefore, the development of an efficient method for the detection of hydrazine in environmental samples is highly desirable although it poses a significant challenge. In this study, we designed and synthesized a series of naphthalene-based fluorescent dyes through structural engineering and developed a novel probe for hydrazine detection. The probe could provide a distinct fluorescence response toward hydrazine in aqueous solution with high sensitivity and selectivity. Moreover, paper-based test strips can be easily fabricated using this probe, enabling the portable on-site detection of hydrazine with the aid of a smartphone. Furthermore, we demonstrated that this probe is capable of recognizing hydrazine in various environmental samples, including water, soil, plants, and zebrafish embryos. This research provides a promising tool for the detection of hydrazine in the environment.

The first fluorescent sensor for the detection of closantel in meat

Closantel is widely used in the management of parasitic infestation in livestock, but is contraindicated in humans due to its high toxic to human retina. Thus, development of a fast and selective method for the detection of closantel residues in animal products is highly needed yet still challenging. In the present study, we report a supramolecular fluorescent sensor for closantel detection through a two-step screening process. The fluorescent sensor can detect closantel with a fast response (<10 s), high sensitivity, and high selectivity. The limit of detection is 0.29 ppm, which is much lower than the maximum residue level set by government. Moreover, the applicability of this sensor has been demonstrated in commercial drugs tablets, injection fluids, and real edible animal products (muscle, kidney, and liver). This work provides the first fluorescence analytical tool for accurate and selective determination of closantel, and may inspire more sensor design for food analysis.

Analysis of the Safety and Pregnancy Outcomes of Fertility-sparing Surgery in Ovarian Malignant Sex Cord-stromal Tumours: A Multicentre Retrospective Study

AIMS

To assess the difference in survival between fertility-sparing surgery (FSS) and radical surgery and explore pregnancy outcomes after FSS in stage I malignant sex cord-stromal tumours (MSCSTs).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We carried out a multicentre retrospective cohort study on patients who were diagnosed with MSCSTs and the tumour was confined to one ovary. The patients were divided into FSS and radical surgery groups. Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) was used to balance variables between the two groups. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to compare the difference in disease-free survival (DFS). Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis was used to find risk factors of DFS. Univariate logistic regression analysis was used to assess risk factors of pregnancy.

RESULTS

In total, 107 patients were included, of whom 54 (50.5%) women underwent FSS and 53 (49.5%) received radical surgery. After IPTW, a pseudo-population of 208 was determined and all of the covariates were well balanced. After a median follow-up time of 50 months (range 7-156 months), 10 patients experienced recurrence and two died. There was no significant difference in DFS between the two groups, both in unweighted (P = 0.969) or weighted cohorts (P = 0.792). In the weighted cohort, stage IC (P = 0.014), tumour diameter >8 cm (P = 0.003), incomplete staging surgery (P = 0.003) and no adjuvant chemotherapy (P < 0.001) were the four high-risk factors associated with a shorter DFS. Among 14 patients who had pregnancy desire, 11 (78.6%) women conceived successfully; the live birth rate was 76.9%. In univariate analysis, only adjuvant chemotherapy (P = 0.009) was associated with infertility.

CONCLUSIONS

On the premise of complete staging surgery, FSS is safe and feasible in early stage MSCSTs with satisfactory reproductive outcomes.

[Comparison of three different measurement methods to determine resting energy expenditure in patients with decompensated hepatitis B cirrhosis]

Objective: To compare the differences to determine resting energy expenditure (REE) measured with indirect calorimetry and REE predicted by formula method and body composition analyzer in patients with decompensated hepatitis B cirrhosis, so as to provide theoretical guidance for the implementation of precision nutrition intervention. Methods: Patients with decompensated hepatitis B cirrhosis who were admitted to Henan Provincial People's Hospital from April 2020 to December 2020 were collected. REE was determined by the body composition analyzer and the H-B formula method. Results: were analyzed and compared to REE measured by the metabolic cart. Results A total of 57 cases with liver cirrhosis were included in this study. Among them, 42 were male, aged (47.93 ± 8.62) years, and 15 were female aged (57.20 ± 11.34) years. REE measured value in males was (1 808.14 ± 201.47) kcal/d, compared with the results calculated by the H-B formula method and the measured result of body composition, and the difference was statistically significant (P = 0.002 and 0.003, respectively). REE measured value in females was (1 496.60 ± 131.28) kcal/d, compared with the results calculated by the H-B formula method and the measured result of body composition, and the difference was statistically significant (P = 0.016 and 0.004, respectively). REE measured with the metabolic cart had correlation with age and area of visceral fat in men (P = 0.021) and women (P = 0.037). Conclusion: Metabolic cart use will be more accurate to obtain resting energy expenditure in patients with decompensated hepatitis B cirrhosis. Body composition analyzer and formula method may underestimate REE predictions. Simultaneously, it is suggested that the effect of age on REE in H-B formula should be fully considered for male patients, while the area of visceral fat may have a certain impact on the interpretation of REE in female patients.

Azocalixarene-Based Supramolecular System for the Detection of Paraquat via an Improved Indicator Displacement Assay

In view of the lethal toxicity of paraquat (PQ) on human health, herein, a simple indicator displacement assay (IDA) based on an azo-modified calixarene host (azoCX[4]) and a fluorophore guest (p-DPD) were elaborately constructed for PQ detection in environmental water samples and plant surfaces. The fluorescent signal of p-DPD in the probe can be quenched by azoCX[4] through a photon-induced electron transfer process and recovered upon the addition of PQ within 10 s. The detection range of the p-DPD@azoCX[4] probe was calculated to be 0.35-8 μM in the Tris-HCl buffer solutions (pH = 7.4). Moreover, this probe exhibited excellent detection selectivity toward PQ over five herbicides (glyphosate, bispyribac, atrazine, ametryn, and bensulfuron methyl), together with anti-interference abilities in the presence of inorganic ions (K⁺, Na⁺, Zn²⁺, Ni²⁺, Li⁺, F^-, Cl^-, Br^-, CO₃^2-, HCO₃^-, and NO₃^-) and amino acids (Asp, Arg, Glu, Ala, and Cys). Particularly, the probe was successfully used to detect PQ in real water samples with acceptable accuracy and showed potential applications for on-site detection with paper-based test strips and on the leaf surface. We believe that this simplified IDA-based probe provided an effective detecting tool for PQ, and the design strategy would guide the further development of new IDA sensing systems.

Rapid and ratiometric fluorescent detection of phosgene by a red-emissive ESIPT-based-benzoquinolone probe

Phosgene is a highly toxic gas that poses a serious threat to human health and public safety. Therefore, it is of great importance to develop an available detection method enabling on-the-spot measurement of phosgene. In this paper, we report a novel ESIPT fluorescent probe for phosgene detection based on quinolone fluorophore. This probe exhibits rapid response (in 10 s), stable signal output (last for 10 min), high sensitivity (LOD ∼ 6.7 nM), and distinct emission color change (red to green) towards phosgene. The sensing mechanism was investigated by using ¹H NMR, HRMS and fluorescence lifetime techniques, confirming that the amidation reaction between phosgene and quinolone effectively suppressed the ESIPT process of probe. Eventually, this probe was fabricated into polymer nanofibers by electrospinning and successfully employed to monitor gaseous phosgene with high specificity. This work provided a promising analytical tool for rapid and ratiometric detection of phosgene both in solution and in the gas phase.

A surfactant-assisted approach enables the fluorescence tracking of benfluralin in plants

Developing an effective detection method for benfluralin (BFA) is of great significance, since BFA as most widely used herbicides can be bioaccumulated by aquatic organisms in environment, possessing potential risks to human health. Owing to aggregation-caused quenching effect, most fluorescent detection methods based on donor-acceptor organic fluorophores suffered from very low sensitivity towards BFA in water system, hampering the bioimaging application in plants. In this work, we reported a novel surfactant-assisted fluorescent probe enabling detection of BFA in water with a high sensitivity. The involvement of specific surfactant Triton X100 (TX100) could amplify the response signal of probe more than 100-fold. The detection limit for BFA was determined to be 80 nM, satisfying the environmental protection requirements. Moreover, we demonstrated applications of this strategy for the fluorescent imaging of BFA in plant. The absorbance of BFA into roots of Arabidopsis thaliana and castor seedlings was successfully observed based on this method.

pH-Activatable Organic Nanoparticles for Efficient Low-Temperature Photothermal Therapy of Ocular Bacterial Infection

Low-temperature photothermal therapy (PTT) systems constructed by integrating organic photothermal agents with other bactericidal components that initiate bacterial apoptosis at low hyperthermia possess a promising prospect. However, these multicomponent low-temperature PTT nanoplatforms have drawbacks in terms of the tedious construction process, suboptimal synergy effect of diverse antibacterial therapies, and high laser dose needed, compromising their biosafety in ocular bacterial infection treatment. Herein, a mild PTT nanotherapeutic platform is formulated via the self-assembly of a pH-responsive phenothiazinium dye. These organic nanoparticles with photothermal conversion efficiency up to 84.5% necessitate only an ultralow light dose of 36 J/cm² to achieve efficient low-temperature photothermal bacterial inhibition at pH 5.5 under 650 nm laser irradiation. In addition, this intelligent mild photothermal nanoplatform undergoes negative to positive charge reversion in acid biofilms, exhibiting good penetration and highly efficient elimination of drug-resistant E. coli biofilms under photoirradiation. Further in vivo animal tests demonstrated efficient bacterial elimination and inflammatory mitigation as well as superior biocompatibility and biosafety of the photothermal nanoparticles in ocular bacterial infection treatment. Overall, this efficient single-component mild PTT system featuring simple construction processes holds great potential for wide application and clinical transformation.

General Method for Pesticide Recognition Using Albumin-Based Host-Guest Ensembles

The massive use of pesticides nowadays has led to serious consequences for the environment and public health. Fluorescence analytical methods for pesticides are particularly advantageous with respect to simplicity and portability; however, currently available fluorescence methods (enzyme-based assays and indicator displacement assays) with poor universality are only able to detect few specific pesticides (e.g., organophosphorus). Making use of the multiple flexible and asymmetrical binding sites in albumin, we herein report a set of multicolor albumin-based host-guest ensembles. These ensembles exhibit a universal but distinctive fluorescent response to most of the common pesticides and allow array-based identification of pesticides with high accuracy. Furthermore, the simplicity, portability, and visualization of this method enable on-site determination of pesticides in a practical setting. This albumin host strategy largely expands the toolbox of traditional indicator displacement assays (synthetic macrocycles as hosts), and we expect it to inspire a series of sensor designs for pesticide detection.

A near-infrared dicyanoisophorone-based fluorescent probe for discriminating HSA from BSA

Despite the rapid development of fluorescent probe techniques for the detection of human serum albumin (HSA), a probe that discriminates between HSA and bovine serum albumin (BSA) is still a challenging task, since their similar chemical structures. As a continuation of our work, herein, a dicyanoisophorone-based fluorescent probe DCO2 is systematically studied for discrimination of HSA from BSA. The photophysical and sensing performances of DCO2, including basic spectroscopic properties, sensing sensitivity, and selectivity, exhibits that DCO2 could selectively bind with HSA and display remarkable fluorescence enhancement (∼254-fold) at 685 nm. The gap of the fluorescent response of DCO2 between HSA and BSA is an obvious increase from 21% to 73% compared to the previous probe DCO1. The sensing mechanism was elucidated by Job's plot, displacement experiment, and molecular docking, suggesting that the specific response to HSA originated from the rigid donor structure and steric hindrance. DCO2 could be buried in the DS1 pocket of HSA, and only partly wedged into the DS1 pocket of BSA with exposing twisted N,N-diethylamino group outside. Application studies indicated that DCO2 has well detective behavior for HSA in the biological fluids. This work could provide a new approach to design HSA-specific near-infrared fluorescence probes.

Modulating donor of dicyanoisophorone-based fluorophores to detect human serum albumin with NIR fluorescence

It is urgently needed to develop NIR-fluorescent probe for detection of human serum albumin (HSA) since the interference of short-wavelength-fluorescence from endogenous species in real serum and urine. However, most previous reports were located in the short-wavelength region (<600 nm). In this work, a series of dicyanoisophorone (DCO)-based fluorophores 1-4 with different donor groups have been designed and investigated. A systematic study of their photophysical properties has been carried out. Among these probes, 4 exhibited NIR emission with the highest fluorescence brightness and the most sensitive signal response to HSA. Further studies demonstrated that 4 could strongly bind into the DS1 pocket of HSA with a 1:1 ratio. Importantly, the method based on 4 has been proven to be capable of sensing HSA in real serum and urine samples.

[Analysis of the efficacy and safety of low-dose aspirin in preventing renal artery stenosis in kidney transplantation]

Objective: To evaluate the clinical value of aspirin as a prophylactic for transplant renal artery stenosis (TRAS). Methods: From January 2017 to November 2019, clinical data of 307 patients who had undergone renal transplant in Zhengzhou University People's Hospital were collected. Patients were divided into two groups: the treatment group (124 recipients who had taken oral aspirin 100 mg/d after transplant) and the control group (183 recipients who had not taken aspirin after transplant). The general data, incidence of initially diagnosed and confirmed TRAS, type of renal artery anastomosis vessels, duration of stenosis, location of stenosis, and complications were compared between the two groups. The treatment group was further divided into two subgroups, the early group (92 recipients) and the delayed group (32 recipients), according to the time of starting aspirin after operation. Subgroup analysis was performed. Results: Among all 307 patients included, there were 241 males and 66 females, aged 19-64 years. There were no statistical difference between the treatment and control groups in terms of gender, age, comorbidities, number of arterial vessels, type of graft, and acute rejection all P>0.05. Among 46 initially diagnosed TRAS patients, 13 (10.5%) and 33 (18.0%) cases were in the treatment and control group respectively, with no statistically significant difference in stenosis rate (P>0.05). The number of confirmed TRAS patients was 1 (0.8%) and 24 (13.1%) in the treatment and control group respectively, with statistically significant difference in stenosis rate (P<0.001). The proportion of patients with bleeding disorders in the treatment group was slightly higher than that in the control group (13.7% vs 8.7%), and the proportion of infarct diseases was slightly lower than that in the control group (1.6% vs 4.9%). But there was no significant difference in aspirin-related complications between the two groups (P>0.05). Subgroup analysis showed that there was no significant difference in initially diagnosed and confirmed TRAS and aspirin-related complications between the early group and the delayed group (all P>0.05). Conclusions: Oral low-dose aspirin after kidney transplantation can effectively reduce the incidence of TRAS, without increasing the risk of aspirin-related complications.

Fluorescence discrimination of HSA from BSA: A close look at the albumin-induced restricted intramolecular rotation of flavonoid probe

Discrimination of human serum albumin (HSA) from bovine serum albumin (BSA) based on the fluorescence probe technique is still challenging due to similar chemical structures. In this work, a novel flavonoid-based fluorescent probe AF is reported for successful discrimination of HSA from BSA. The sensing performances of probe, including sensing dynamic, sensitivity and selectivity, have been carefully studied. Moreover, sensing mechanism was elucidated by Job's plot, displacement experiment, and molecular docking, suggesting that the specific response to HSA originated from the albumin-induced restricted intramolecular rotation (RIR) of probe. This work may provide a simple way for designing of novel probes for HSA with high selectivity.

A fluorescent probe with dual acrylate sites for discrimination of different concentration ranges of cysteine in living cells

Monitoring of cysteine (Cys) is of significant importance for studying Cys-involved biological functions and clinically diagnosing Cys-related diseases. Recently, few fluorescent probes with two different reacting sites were reported to be capable of sensing different concentration ranges of Cys with distinct fluorescence signals, particularly suiting for bioimaging. However, due to relative sophisticated synthesis and moderate selectivity, the applications of these probes were still severely restricted. In this work, we proposed a novel probe design strategy by utilizing two same reacting groups, instead of two different reacting groups, to simplify the synthesis route and minimize the interference from competing species. Same reacting groups in a probe with different steric hindrances could exhibit different reactivities to Cys. This probe showed distinguishable fluorescence peak wavelengths towards low and high concentration ranges of Cys, giving green and blue emissions, respectively. Moreover, this probe was successfully applied for monitoring of Cys concentration in living cells. We believe this work provided a simpler strategy for dual-site fluorescent probes to sense difference concentration ranges of Cys, which may inspire more probe design in future.

Abstract 2856: GLI3-mediated HH regulates prostate cancer progression

Although prostate cancer patients initially respond to androgen deprivation therapy, they eventually progress to lethal castration resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), characterized by restoration of the androgen receptor (AR) signaling despite castrate levels of circulating androgens. Mechanisms proposed to underlie CRPC include AR crosstalk with alternative signaling pathways. Among these, the Sonic hedgehog (SHH)Hedgehog (HH) pathway, an essential signaling axis in prostate development and homeostasis, has been implicated in prostate cancerCRPC progression. SHH pathway is regulated by transcription factors and effectors Glioma-associated oncogene family zinc finger (GLI) proteins 1, 2, and 3. Previous studies reported that GLI1 and GLI2 drive androgen-independent growth of prostate cancer by upregulating androgen-stimulated genes. However, whether and how GLI3 plays a role in prostate cancer progression remains unclear. In the present study, we investigated the role of GLI3 in the progression of prostate cancer cells. Like GLI2, GLI3 is the a downstream transcriptional factor effector of the SHH signaling pathway that can exist as a full-length activator form or a cleaved repressor form. Our data showed an increase in GLI3 expression in prostate cancer cells growing under androgen deprived conditions. Thuserefore, we hypothesize that androgen deprivation leads to activation of the SHH signaling pathway which consequently activates GLI3 to promote androgen-independent growth of prostate cancer cells. We showed that knockdown of GLI3 repressed while overexpression of GLI3 promoted androgen-independent growth of prostate cancer cells. GLI3 knockdown also resulted in regression of castration-resistant outgrowth of xenograft tumors in mice. Additionally, transcriptomic analysis of GLI3 knockdown cells revealed that the SHH signaling pathway and epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) genes are altered suggesting that GLI3 regulates androgen-independent growth of prostate cancer cells through canonical SHH signaling pathway and likely contributes to prostate cancer metastasis. Lastly, our data demonstrated a physical and functional relationship between GLI3 and AR suggesting a functional crosstalk between SHH signaling and AR signaling pathways in advanced prostate cancer.

Citation Format: Thu Minh Duong, Marieke Oldenbroek Burleson, J J. Deng, T Qin, Das D, L-z Sun, T G. Boyer. GLI3-mediated HH regulates prostate cancer progression [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2021; 2021 Apr 10-15 and May 17-21. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(13_Suppl):Abstract nr 2856.

A DS2-specific flavonoid-based probe with a unique dual-emissive response to human serum albumin

The hydroxyl substituent in flavonoids can cause the binding site to change from DS1 to DS2 and restore the ESIPT process of flavonoids, thereby leading to a unique dual-emissive response towards human serum albumin.

[The origin of the name "100-day cough"]

Many studies in modern times claim that the name " 100-day cough" is from traditional Chinese medicine, and even think that there is a description of pertussis as early as the Sui Dynasty classics. By reviewing the original texts of the classics, we found that these interpretations are not exactly. The description of the pertussis and the chronological distribution of the literature in traditional Chinese books are similar to those of Western medicine. They started about 500 years ago, and then become more detailed and specific. The domestic medical community has a variety of nomenclature for this disease, and there is no sign or evidence to uniformly use "100-day cough" as the disease name. The literature records suggest that "100-day cough" first became a more recognized disease name in Japan, and through the direct input of medical education, entered the modern medical textbooks of western medicine in China.

[Clinical analysis of 30 cases of traumatic aortic injury]

Objective: To examine the clinical treatment methods and short- and mid-term results of traumatic aortic injury (TAI). Methods: The clinical data of 30 patients suffering from TAI who were admitted to Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, General Hospital of Eastern Theater Command from January 2010 to December 2018 were summarized and analyzed retrospectively. All patients were diagnosed as TAI by aortic CT angiography. There were 20 males and 10 females, aging (46.4±15.2) years (range: 17 to 76 years). One patient was diagnosed as extensive intramural hematoma (IMH). The other 29 cases had aortic intimal injury, and the primary intimal tear of all these patients was located in the isthmus of descending aorta. There were 2 cases of ulcer-like changes combined with IMH, and 27 cases of traumatic aortic dissection (TAD) including 23 cases of localized TAD and 4 cases of extensive TAD. Endovascular repair, artificial vascular replacement or conservative treatment were performed according to the patient's specific condition. The patients were followed up in outpatient or by telephone. The clinical data of all the patients of the in-hospital treatment and during follow-up period was analyzed retrospectively. Results: One patient with IMH was treated conservatively. Surgical intervention was performed in 29 cases with intimal injury, of which 14 cases underwent emergency surgery on the day of admission or the next day, and 15 cases underwent elective surgery. Twenty-seven cases underwent thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR), and 2 cases underwent artificial vascular replacement. Nine cases suffered combined operations in early or late stage. All patients were cured and discharged with in-hospital stay of (13.2±5.4) days (range: 7 to 30 days). There was no in-hospital death. Two patients underwent tracheotomy, and the rest had no serious complications. Up to the last follow-up in June 2019, 4 patients were lost to follow-up, and the remaining 26 patients were followed up for (50.6±34.1) months (range: 6 to 112 months) and survived healthily without new aortic events. Conclusions: Most of TAD cases are ascribed to Stanford type B aortic dissection, and a satisfactory short-term and mid-term result can be achieved by emergency TEVAR in most patients. Some patients can achieve good long-term results by open surgery with artificial vascular replacement.

[Characteristics and prognostic value of peripheral blood T lymphocyte subsets in patients with severe influenza]

Objective: To investigate the characteristics and prognostic value of peripheral blood T lymphocyte subsets in patients with severe influenza. Methods: This was a single-center cross-sectional study in influenza patients admitted to Peking Union Medical College Hospital from August 2017 to April 2018. Peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets were detected by flow cytometry in both patients and 108 healthy controls. Influenza patients were divided into mild group and severe group. Severe patients were further classified into alive and fatal subgroups. Results: A total of 42 influenza patients were recruited in this study, including 24 severe cases (6 deaths). The remaining 18 cases were mild. The peripheral blood lymphocyte counts and lymphocyte subset counts (B, NK, CD4(+)T, CD8(+)T) in either mild patients[795 (571,1 007), 43 (23,144), 70 (47,135), 330 (256,457), 226 (148,366) cells/μl respectively] or severe patients[661 (474,1 151),92 (52,139), 54 (34,134), 373 (235,555), 180 (105,310) cells/μl respectively] were both significantly lower than those of healthy controls [1 963 (1 603,2 394),179 (119,239), 356 (231,496), 663 (531,824), 481 (341,693) cells/μl respectively]. Meanwhile, the T cells and CD8(+)T counts in fatal patients [370 (260,537) cells/μl and 87 (74,105) cells/μl] were significantly lower than those in severe and alive patients [722 (390,990) cells/μl and 222 (154,404) cells/μl]. CD8(+)HLA-DR/CD8(+)and CD8(+)CD38(+)/CD8(+)T cell activating subgroups in mild cases[(53.7±19.2)% and 74.8% (64.1%,83.7%) respectively] were significantly higher than those in severe cases[(38.5±21.7)% and 53.3% (45.3%,67.2%) respectively].Moreover,CD8(+)HLA-DR/CD8(+)count in severe and alive group was higher than that in fatal group [(46.1±19.1)% vs. (18.2±14.6)%, P<0.01]. Logistic regression analysis showed that CD8(+)T cell count (OR=0.952, 95%CI 0.910-0.997, P=0.035) and CD8(+)HLA-DR/CD8(+)T (OR=0.916, 95%CI 0.850-0.987, P=0.022) were both negatively correlated with mortality.Peripheral blood lymphocyte counts in mild cases rapidly decreased within 1 day after diagnosis, and returned to the basic level one week later. Conclusions: All peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets (T,B,NK) in patients with influenza are significantly reduced. These findings are consistent with the immunological characteristics of respiratory viral infections, in which peripheral lymphocytes (especially T cells) migrate to respiratory tract in the early stage and circulate to the peripheral blood after recovery. The activated CD8(+)T cell counts in peripheral blood are negatively correlated with the severity of disease, which could be considered as a prognostic indicator of severe influenza.

Co-targeting CK2α and YBX1 suppresses tumor progression by coordinated inhibition of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway

Protein kinase CK2 alpha (CK2α) is involved in the development of multiple malignancies. Overexpression of Y-box binding protein 1 (YBX1) is related to tumor proliferation, drug resistance, and poor prognosis. Studies have demonstrated that both CK2 and YBX1 could regulate the PI3K/AKT pathway. In addition, we predicted that CK2 might be the upstream kinase of YBX1 through the Human Protein Reference Database (HPRD). Herein, we hypothesize that CK2 may interact with YBX1 and they regulate the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway together. Expressions of CK2α and YBX1 in cancer cell lines were evaluated by immunoblotting. The results showed that CK2α could regulate the expression of YBX1 at the transcriptional level, which is dependent on its enzymatic activity. Synergistic effects of PI3K/AKT pathway inactivation could be observed through combined inhibition of CK2α and YBX1, and YBX1 was required for CK2α-induced PI3K/AKT pathway activation. Further results demonstrated that CK2α could interact with YBX1 and PI3K/AKT antagonist decreased cell resistance to doxorubicin induced by co-activation of CK2α and YBX1. These results indicated that combined inhibition of CK2α and YBX1 showed synergistic effects in inactivating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway and may be one of the mechanisms involved in tumor growth and migration.

Works on heart, how about brain? Effect of hyperkalemia on focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury in rats

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effects of hyperkalemia on the brain after I/R in h transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO) model.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 120 adult male SD rats were randomly assigned to four groups: (1) hyperkalemia 80 µg/g (HK80) group; (2) hyperkalemia 40 µg/g (HK40) group; (3) normal saline (NS) group; (4) sham (SH) group. The concentration of serum K+ was elevated in HK80 and HK40 groups. The transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO) model was used to assess the effect of hyperkalemia on the brain after I/R. After 24 h reperfusion, the infarct volume and cell damage of rat's I/R brain tissue sections were analyzed. The concentration of K+, Ca2+ and calmodulin (CaM), the activity of Ca-ATPase, the expression of Western blot of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) and Na+/Ca2+ exchanger 1 (NCX1), were also measured.

RESULTS

After 24 h reperfusion, compared with NS group, the two-hyperkalemia groups (HK80 and HK40) were with less infarct volume and cell damage, higher concentration of K+ but lower Ca2+ and CaM compared with NS group. The activity of Ca-ATPase was also elevated, the expression of CaMK II and NCX1 were down-regulated in the two hyperkalemia groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Hyperkalemia could also ameliorate the brain I/R injury by alleviating calcium overload inhibiting the activity of NCX1, lowering the concentration of Ca2+.

Architecting hierarchical shell porosity of hollow prussian blue-derived iron oxide for enhanced Li storage

Delicate architecture of active material enables improving the performacne of lithium ion batteries. Environmental-friendly Fe₂ O₃ anode has high theoretical specific capacity (1007 mAh g^-1 ) in lithium ion batteries, but suffers from structural collapsing and poor electronic conductivity. Herein, we design an unique hierarchical iron oxide by regulating the initial precursor prussian blue and targeting hollow-shell structures with full consideration of temperature controls. Among them, Fe₂ O₃ with a sheet-crossing structure at 650°C, affords obvious advantages of improved electronic conductivity, short ionic diffusion length, prevented particle agglomeration, and buffer volume change. Thus, we achieve a superior discharge specific capacity of 611 mAh g^-1 at 500 mA g^-1 . Regulating hierarchical structure of prussian blue-assisted oxides enables effectively enchancing Li storge performance. LAY DESCRIPTION: Nanoparticle self-assembly, one of bottom-up methods is often used to prepare hollow hierarchical structures, whereas it suffers from low productivity and insufficient stability. Hence, we designed a unique hierarchical iron oxide by top-down method with regulating the initial precursor PB and targeting hollow-shell structures through full consideration of temperature controls. Delicate architecture of active material enables improving the performacne of lithium ion batteries. Environmental-friendly Fe₂ O₃ anode has high theoretical specific capacity (1007 mAh g^-1 ) in lithium ion batteries, but suffers from structural collapsing and poor electronic conductivity. Hence, we prepared Prussian Blue (PB) materials with different sizes and calcined them at different temperatures. We found that no matter what the size of PB, the sheet-crossing morphology appeared at 650°C, and the interlaced morphology was the key to improve the performance of lithium batteries. If the size of PB precursor is too large or too small, it has adverse effects on lithium batteries. Only when the size and calcination temperature of PB precursor reach the optimum state, the best performance can be obtained. The calcination PB-K-3 at 650°C has a unique hierarchical structure of sheet-crossing. An obvious advantages include the prevention of particle agglomeration, short ionic diffusion lengths, and buffering volume changes. As a consequence, 611 mAh g^-1 was obtained at the current density of 500 mA g^-1 . In addition, we observed the structural changes of electrode plates at different reaction potentials, according to the reaction equation of Fe₂ O₃ +xLi⁺ +xe→Li_x Fe₂ O₃ . With the proceeding charge process, the voltage increases from 0.01 to 3 V, the lithium ions gradually comes out of the iron oxide electrode surface. Whereas the discharging process reverses the aforementioned phenomena. Even if the changing volumes, however, the shape of cubic blocks for the PB-K-3 is preserved at different potentials. Taking these advantages into account, our designed MOFs-derived struture was an effective way to prepare hollow hierarchical structure with enhanced Li storage performacne. Such work is expected to facilitate the design of new electrode structure of lithium batteries.

A flavonoid-based fluorescent test strip for sensitive and selective detection of a gaseous nerve agent simulant

Developing fluorescent sensors with ability of monitoring gaseous nerve agents in a sensitive and selective manner is of great importance due to the extreme toxicity and volatility of organophosphorus nerve agents. Herein we reported a novel oxime-modified flavonoid sensor and carefully investigated its sensing behavior towards nerve agent simulants, diethylchlorophosphate (DCP). In the presence of DCP, a remarkable fluorescence enhancement accompanied with emission color change could be observed by naked eyes in solution. The response time was less than 90 s and LOD value was calculated as 0.78 μmol/L in solution. The sensing mechanism could be ascribed to the specific reaction between halophosphate and hydroxyl group of oxime. Furthermore, sensor strips have been successfully constructed by using PEG as matrix with a simple preparation process, and also achieved the sensitive and selective detection of DCP vapor. These results in this study may provide important references for further design of dye-based sensor strips for detection of nerve agents both in solution and gas phase.

Abstract P4-04-11: A small amount of primary breast cancer shows high tumor mutation burden that may benefit from immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy

Background: Targeted therapy using immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) is a major breakthrough in cancer treatment in the last decade. ICIs like PD1 or PD-L1 antibodies have been shown to be quite effective in cancer like melanoma. However, in most other tumor types including breast cancer, the situation is not as optimistic. Only a small percentage of those patients respond to ICIs therapy. This highlights the importance of identifying biomarkers to predict which patients may benefit from such treatment. Tumor Mutation Burden (TMB) has been shown to be a sensitive marker for ICI treatment. This study is to investigate whether TBM could be used as a biomarker for breast cancer treatment.

Methods: We reviewed next generation sequencing studies of breast cancer. Two such studies with raw data provided were included in our analysis. One study entitled METABRIC performed targeted sequencing of 173 cancer-related genes in around 2500 primary breast cancer tissues. The other study was from TCGA breast cancer project, which performed Whole Exome Sequencing (WES) of around 1000 primary breast cancer samples. Mutation data were downloaded from public data deposit. The number of mutations per sample was calculated. TBM was calculated by divide the coverage in million base pair from that of the total mutation counts.

Results: In METABRIC study, 17272 mutations were identified in 2369 samples, with a median of 7 mutations per sample (95% CI: 6 ˜ 7). The median TMB of METABRIC dataset was 5.8 SNVs/Mb (95% CI: 5 ˜ 5.8). Totally 30 out 2369 (1.3%) samples had a TMB equal or large than 20 SNVs/Mb. In another cohort from TCGA breast cancer study using WES technology, 90172 mutations were identified in 977 samples, with a median of 44 mutations per sample (95% CI: 39 ˜ 50). The median TMB was 1 SNVs/Mb (95% CI: 0.9 ˜ 1.1). Totally 13 out 977 (1.3%) samples had a TMB equal or large than 20 SNVs/Mb.

Conclusions: Breast cancer shows middle to low mutation burden compared to other cancer types. Around 1.3% of breast cancer has quite high TMB of at least 20 SNVs/Mb, which may be qualified for immune checkpoint inhibitors therapy. Our study indicates that TMB may be incorporated as a standard test for late stage breast cancer patients in the clinical practice.

Keywords: Breast cancer, Tumor Mutation Burden, Whole exome sequencing, Targeted sequencing, Immune checkpoint

Citation Format: Wang J, Chen W, Jiang Z, Lin X, Qin T, Yang X, Liu T, Hu H, Li Z, Xie D, Yao H, Song E. A small amount of primary breast cancer shows high tumor mutation burden that may benefit from immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2018 Dec 4-8; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P4-04-11.

A flavonoid-based fluorescent probe enables the accurate quantification of human serum albumin by minimizing the interference from blood lipids

We herein provide a simple design strategy to improve the sensing specificity towards human serum albumin by incorporating a nitrobenzene quencher into a traditional polarity-sensitive probe in responding to the interference from blood lipids.

Nanoscale orbital excitations and the infrared spectrum of a molecular Mott insulator: A15-Cs3C60

The quantum physics of ions and electrons behind low-energy spectra of strongly correlated molecular conductors, superconductors and Mott insulators is poorly known, yet fascinating especially in orbitally degenerate cases. The fulleride insulator Cs₃C₆₀ (A15), one such system, exhibits infrared (IR) spectra with low temperature peak features and splittings suggestive of static Jahn-Teller distortions with a breakdown of orbital symmetry in the molecular site. That is puzzling, since there is no detectable static distortion, and because the features and splittings disappear upon modest heating, which they should not. Taking advantage of the Mott-induced collapse of electronic wavefunctions from lattice-extended to nanoscale localized inside a caged molecular site, we show that the unbroken spin and orbital symmetry of the ion multiplets explains the IR spectrum without adjustable parameters. This demonstrates the importance of a fully quantum treatment of nuclear positions and orbital momenta in the Mott insulator sites, dynamically but not statically distorted. The observed demise of these features with temperature is explained by the thermal population of a multiplet term whose nuclear positions are essentially undistorted, but whose energy is very low-lying. That term is in fact a scaled-down orbital excitation analogous to that of other Mott insulators, with the same spin 1/2 as the ground state, but with a larger orbital momentum of two instead of one.

The efficacy of statins in preventing glucocorticoid-related osteonecrosis in animal models: A meta-analysis

Objectives

The primary purpose of this meta-analysis was to determine whether statin usage could reduce the risk of glucocorticoid-related osteonecrosis in animal models.

Methods

A systematic literature search up to May 2015 was carried out using the PubMed, Ovid, EBM reviews, ISI Web of Science, EBSCO, CBM, CNKI databases with the term and boolean operators: statins and osteonecrosis in all fields. Risk ratio (RR), as the risk estimate of specific outcome, was calculated along with 95% confidence intervals (CI). The methodological quality of individual studies was assessed using a quantitative tool based on the updated Stroke Therapy Academic Industry Roundtable (STAIR) recommendations.

Results

A total of 11 eligible studies were included according to predetermined criteria. The pooled data demonstrated that animals with statin usage, either alone or combined with other treatments, were at a decreased risk of developing glucocorticoid-related osteonecrosis (RR = 2.06, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.71 to 2.50). Moreover, subgroup analysis revealed that compared with statins alone, statins combined with other treatments significantly decreased the risk of osteonecrosis (RR = 1.23, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.47). However, we could find no significant risk difference for different gender, or for different time points.

Conclusions

The present study suggests that statins combined with other treatments are efficient in preventing the development of glucocorticoid-related osteonecrosis in animals. These results might shed light on clinical practice when glucocorticoids are prescribed, and could be further investigated in high-quality clinical trials.

Cite this article: Z. Yang, H. Liu, D. Li, X. Xie, T. Qin, J. Ma, P. Kang. The efficacy of statins in preventing glucocorticoid-related osteonecrosis in animal models: A meta-analysis. Bone Joint Res 2016;5:393–402. DOI: 10.1302/2046-3758.59.2000500.