Isolated unilateral brachial plexus injury following carbon monoxide intoxication: a case report and literature review

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a gas that has no odor or color, making it difficult to detect until exposure leads to coma or death. CO poisoning is one of the most common and deadly poisonings around the world. CO poisoning is a common and often fatal form of poisoning worldwide. A toxic effect of CO is tissue hypoxia, which leads to systemic complications. Additionally, there may be severe neurological symptoms and delayed complications following CO poisoning. However, peripheral neuropathy is relatively rare after CO poisoning. Previously, only one case of unilateral plexopathy after CO poisoning, accompanied by rhabdomyolysis and cognitive dysfunction, has been reported. In this report, an isolated unilateral brachial plexopathy following CO intoxication is described. A key mechanism in this case may be CO-induced spinal cord ischemia. Immediate administration of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is crucial to prevent peripheral neuropathy after acute CO intoxication. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) should be administered immediately after acute CO intoxication to prevent peripheral neuropathy. Additionally, peripheral neuropathy following acute CO intoxication may benefit from consistent rehabilitation training

Dimethyl Sulfoxide Damages Mitochondrial Integrity and Membrane Potential in Cultured Astrocytes

Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) is a polar organic solvent that is used to dissolve neuroprotective or neurotoxic agents in neuroscience research. However, DMSO itself also has pharmacological and pathological effects on the nervous system. Astrocytes play a central role in maintaining brain homeostasis, but the effect and mechanism of DMSO on astrocytes has not been studied. The present study showed that exposure of astrocyte cultures to 1% DMSO for 24 h did not significantly affect cell survival, but decreased cell viability and glial glutamate transporter expression, and caused mitochondrial swelling, membrane potential impairment and reactive oxygen species production, and subsequent cytochrome c release and caspase-3 activation. DMSO at concentrations of 5% significantly inhibited cell variability and promoted apoptosis of astrocytes, accompanied with more severe mitochondrial damage. These results suggest that mitochondrial impairment is a primary event in DMSO-induced astrocyte toxicity. The potential cytotoxic effects on astrocytes need to be carefully considered during investigating neuroprotective or neurotoxic effects of hydrophobic agents dissolved by DMSO

Enriched oxygen improves age-related cognitive impairment through enhancing autophagy

Age-related cognitive impairment represents a significant health concern, with the understanding of its underlying mechanisms and potential interventions being of paramount importance. This study aimed to investigate the effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) on cognitive function and neuronal integrity in aged (22-month-old) C57BL/6 mice. Male mice were exposed to HBOT for 2 weeks, and spatial learning and memory abilities were assessed using the Morris water maze. We employed transcriptome sequencing and Gene Ontology (GO) term enrichment analysis to examine the effects of HBOT on gene expression profiles, with particular attention given to synapse-related genes. Our data indicated a significant upregulation of postsynapse organization, synapse organization, and axonogenesis GO terms, likely contributing to improved cognitive performance. Moreover, the hyperphosphorylation of tau, a hallmark of many neurodegenerative diseases, was significantly reduced in the HBO-treated group, both in vivo and in vitro. Transmission electron microscopy revealed significant ultrastructural alterations in the hippocampus of the HBOT group, including an increase in the number of synapses and the size of the active zone, a reduction in demyelinated lesions, and a decreased number of “PANTHOS.” Furthermore, Western blot analyses confirmed the upregulation of PSD95, BDNF, and Syn proteins, suggesting enhanced synaptic plasticity and neurotrophic support. Moreover, HBOT increased autophagy, as evidenced by the elevated levels of Beclin-1 and LC3 proteins and the reduced level of p62 protein. Finally, we demonstrated that HBOT activated the AMPK-mTOR signaling pathway, a critical regulator of autophagy. Notably, our findings provide novel insights into the mechanisms by which HBOT ameliorates age-related cognitive impairment, suggesting the potential therapeutic value of this approach

Upwelling velocity and ventilation in the western South China Sea deduced from CFC-12 and SF6 observations

This study presents observations of the transient tracers CFC-12 and SF6 in the western South China Sea during the fall of 2015. A CFC-12 maximum was discovered in the western South China Sea at the subsurface layer (150–200 m), which could be traced back to the North Pacific Tropical Water. The transit time distribution approach was used to estimate the ventilation time in this area. The constrained Δ /Γ ratio of 0.5 was obtained using CFC-12/SF6 tracer pair. This ratio is lower than the empirical unit ratio of one as used for previous estimates. Waters in the northern region of the western South China Sea appear younger than waters in the southern region. The water mass corresponding to the salinity minimum has a mean age of ∼67 ± 16 years along the 15º N line (marked by the red dashed rectangle in Fig. 1), which increases to ∼76 ± 18 years along the 10º N line (blue dashed rectangle, Fig. 1). The higher mean ages indicate that the intermediate water was ventilated from the North Pacific, which is far distant from the South China Sea. The column inventory of Cant is ∼31.3 mol C m–2. Upwelling velocities of up to ∼55 × 10–5 m s–1 was computed using the tracer data, indicating that tracer-free water as yet not influenced by human perturbation could be carried to the upper layer by upwelling. Using the transit time distribution derived mean age with transient tracers provides a possible way to determine the ventilation time scale for the study area

Deletion of Aquaporin-4 in APP/PS1 Mice Exacerbates Brain Aβ Accumulation and Memory Deficits

BACKGROUND: Preventing or reducing amyloid-beta (Aβ) accumulation in the brain is an important therapeutic strategy for Alzheimer\u27s disease (AD). Recent studies showed that the water channel aquaporin-4 (AQP4) mediates soluble Aβ clearance from the brain parenchyma along the paravascular pathway. However the direct evidence for roles of AQP4 in the pathophysiology of AD remains absent. RESULTS: Here, we reported that the deletion of AQP4 exacerbated cognitive deficits of 12-moth old APP/PS1 mice, with increases in Aβ accumulation, cerebral amyloid angiopathy and loss of synaptic protein and brain-derived neurotrophic factor in the hippocampus and cortex. Furthermore, AQP4 deficiency increased atrophy of astrocytes with significant decreases in interleukin-1 beta and nonsignificant decreases in interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha in hippocampal and cerebral samples. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that AQP4 attenuates Aβ pathogenesis despite its potentially inflammatory side-effects, thus serving as a promising target for treating AD

Controlling Reversible Expansion of Li2O2 Formation and Decomposition by Modifying Electrolyte in Li-O2 Batteries

锂空电池分别使用空气中的氧气和金属锂作为正负极活性材料，具有极高的能量密度。但是，这一体系尚不能实现商业化的应用，其中一些关键问题未能解决。由于其正极活性材料是气体，使得电化学反应涉及气-液-固三相界面，电极过程十分复杂。与其它二次电池相比，空气电极需要考虑结构因素和催化因素。不仅要改善氧气电化学反应的动力学迟缓问题，还要考虑放电产物的驻留空间问题。董全峰教授课题组在前期开展了基于空气电极固相表面电催化研究，并结合电极结构方面的问题，构筑了有利于氧气发生反应的仿生开放式结构电极。 该研究工作主要由化学化工学院2015级iChEM直博生林晓东（第一作者）在董全峰教授、郑明森副教授和龚磊副教授的共同指导下完成，理论计算由袁汝明助理教授（共同第一作者）完成，曹勇、丁晓兵、蔡森荣、韩博闻等学生参与了部分工作。周志有教授和洪宇浩博士生在电化学微分质谱方面给予大力的帮助与支持。【Abstract】The aprotic lithium-oxygen (Li-O2) battery has attracted worldwide attention because of its ultrahigh theoretical energy density. However, its practical application is critically hindered by cathode passivation, large polarization, and severe parasitic reactions. Here, we demonstrate an originally designed Ru(Ⅱ) polypyridyl complex (RuPC) though which the reversible expansion of Li2O2 formation and decomposition can be achieved in Li-O2 batteries. Experimental and theoretical results revealed that the RuPC can not only expand the formation of Li2O2 in electrolyte but also suppress the reactivity of LiO2 intermediate during discharge, thus alleviating the cathode passivation and parasitic reactions significantly. In addition, an initial delithiation pathway can be achieved when charging in turn; thus, the Li2O2 products can be decomposed reversibly with a low overpotential. Consequently, the RuPC-catalyzed Li-O2 batteries exhibited a high discharge capacity, a low charge overpotential, and an ultralong cycle life. This work provides an alternative way of designing the soluble organic catalysts for metal-O2 batteries.This work was supported by the National 973 Program (2015CB251102), the Key Project of National Natural Science Foundation of China (21673196, 21621091, 21703186, 21773192),and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (20720150042,20720150043). The authors thank Prof. Eric Meggers at Philipps-Univeristaet Marburg for his discussion about the synthesis of RuPC complex; Prof. Gang Fu at Xiamen University for his instructive discussions in DFT calculations; Lajia Yu and Dandan Tao at Xiamen University for their assistance in EPR experiments and UV-Vis spectroscopy experiments, respectively; and Yu Gu and Tao Wang at Xiamen University for their discussions in XPS results and CV data,respectively. 该工作得到科技部重大基础研究计划（项目批准号：2015CB251102）、国家自然科学基金（项目批准号：21673196、21621091、21703186、21773192）和中央高校基本科研业务费专项资金（项目批准号：20720150042、20720150043）的资助。 此外，感谢傅钢教授在理论计算方面的讨论和建议，Eric Meggers教授在配合物合成上的讨论，泉州师范学院吴启辉教授和化学化工学院谷宇博士生在X射线光电子能谱方面的帮助，于腊佳老师在电子顺磁共振实验上的帮助，陶丹丹博士生在紫外可见光谱测试上的帮助以及王韬博士生在循环伏安方面的讨论

Deletion of aquaporin-4 in APP/PS1 mice exacerbates brain Aβ accumulation and memory deficits

BACKGROUND: Preventing or reducing amyloid-beta (Aβ) accumulation in the brain is an important therapeutic strategy for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Recent studies showed that the water channel aquaporin-4 (AQP4) mediates soluble Aβ clearance from the brain parenchyma along the paravascular pathway. However the direct evidence for roles of AQP4 in the pathophysiology of AD remains absent. RESULTS: Here, we reported that the deletion of AQP4 exacerbated cognitive deficits of 12-moth old APP/PS1 mice, with increases in Aβ accumulation, cerebral amyloid angiopathy and loss of synaptic protein and brain-derived neurotrophic factor in the hippocampus and cortex. Furthermore, AQP4 deficiency increased atrophy of astrocytes with significant decreases in interleukin-1 beta and nonsignficant decreases in interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha in hippocampal and cerebral samples. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that AQP4 attenuates Aβ pathogenesis despite its potentially inflammatory side-effects, thus serving as a promising target for treating AD. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13024-015-0056-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

Investigation into the Exciton Binding Energy of Carbon Nitrides on Band Structure and Carrier Concentration through the Photoluminescence Effect

Carbon nitrides form a series of polymer semiconductors popular in photocatalysis. In the course of photoresponse, the separation of light-induced electron–hole pairs is one of the critical factors that affect the conversion rate from photoenergy to chemical substance. Exciton binding energy (Eb) is treated as a classical parameter to evaluate the barrier of exciton dissociation. In this work, we study the electronic and optical nature of two specific members of the carbon nitride family, polymeric carbon nitride (melon) and crystallized poly(triazine imide) (PTI/Li+Cl−) by employing the photoluminescence spectra and density functional theory (DFT) calculations based on the Wannier-Mott exciton module. The results of self-consistent GW computation were applied. The measurement of photoluminescence spectra, by which exciton binding energies are estimated, is likewise discussed. Generally, compared with the results calculated by GW-BSE, the DFT results based on the Wannier-Mott model are closer to the experimental values. From a materials perspective, on the other hand, the exciton binding energy of the melon is lower than that of PTI/Li+Cl−