catena-Poly[[[aqua­(1,10-phenan­throline)cadmium(II)]-μ-benzene-1,4-dicarboxyl­ato] benzene-1,4-dicarboxylic acid hemisolvate]

A new cadmium(II) coordination polymer, {[Cd(C8H4O4)(C12H8N2)(H2O)]·0.5C8H6O4}n, has been synthesized under hydro­thermal conditions. The asymmetric unit contains one CdII atom, one benzene-1,4-dicarboxyl­ate anion, one 1,10-phenanthroline ligand, one coordinated water mol­ecule and half of an uncoordinated benzene-1,4-dicaboxylic acid solvent mol­ecule. The CdII atom is in the centre of a monocapped distorted octa­hedron made up of four O atoms of two chelating benzene-1,4-dicarboxyl­ate anions, one water O atom and two 1,10-phenanthroline N atoms. The metal centres are connected via bis-chelating benzene-1,4-dicarboxyl­ate anions into a zigzag chain structure along [001]. These chains are further connected by O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds between the water mol­ecules and adjacent carboxyl­ate O atoms. Additional O—H⋯O hydrogen bonding between the uncoordinated benzene-1,4-dicaboxylic acid mol­ecules along [010] consolidates the structure

The Probiotic Effectiveness in Preventing Experimental Colitis Is Correlated With Host Gut Microbiota

Current evidence to support extensive use of probiotics in inflammatory bowel disease is limited and factors that contribute to the inconsistent effectiveness of clinical probiotic therapy are not completely known. Here, we used Bifidobacterium longum JDM 301 as a model probiotic to study potential factors that may influence the effect of probiotics in experimental colitis. We found that the effect of B. longum JDM 301 in tempering experimental colitis varied across individual mice even with the same genetic background. The probiotic efficacy was highly correlated with the host gut microbial community features. Consumption of a diet rich in fat could exacerbate mucosal injury-induced colitis but could not change the host responsiveness to B. longum JDM 301 treatment, suggesting of potential mechanistic differences between regulating colitis pathogenesis, and modulating probiotic efficacies by the gut microbiota. Together, our results suggest that personalized microbiome features may modify the probiotic therapeutic effect and support the idea of personalized probiotic medicine in inflammatory bowel disease

Two-dimensional electromagnetically induced grating in coherent atomic medium

We propose a scheme for effectively creating a type of all optical device called electromagnetically induced two-dimensional grating by utilizing a four-level coherent atomic medium, which is coherently driven by two orthogonal standing-wave fields. With a far-off resonant trigger field, a spatially modulated cross-phase modulation takes place accompanied by vanishing absorption. The resulting phase grating can diffract the probe beam into high-order directions. When a resonant trigger field is applied on the atoms, the probe obtains gain without inversion due to the atomic coherence effect. And then a gain-phase grating is formed. The diffraction efficiency can be significantly improved compared with that of phase grating. The results show that the diffraction efficiencies attainable by the gratings strongly depend on the interaction length, coherent field intensity, probe field detuning and coherent field detuning. Therefore, the proposed gratings can be used as two-dimensional multi-channel beam splitter which have potential application in optical networking and communication

Dimethyl itaconate ameliorates the deficits of goal-directed behavior in Toxoplasma gondii infected mice

Background The neurotrophic parasite Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) has been implicated as a risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases. However, there is only limited information concerning its underlying mechanism and therapeutic strategy. Here, we investigated the effects of T. gondii chronic infection on the goal-directed cognitive behavior in mice. Moreover, we evaluated the preventive and therapeutic effect of dimethyl itaconate on the behavior deficits induced by the parasite. Methods The infection model was established by orally infecting the cysts of T. gondii. Dimethyl itaconate was intraperitoneally administered before or after the infection. Y-maze and temporal order memory (TOM) tests were used to evaluate the prefrontal cortex-dependent behavior performance. Golgi staining, transmission electron microscopy, indirect immunofluorescence, western blot, and RNA sequencing were utilized to determine the pathological changes in the prefrontal cortex of mice. Results We showed that T. gondii infection impaired the prefrontal cortex-dependent goal-directed behavior. The infection significantly downregulated the expression of the genes associated with synaptic transmission, plasticity, and cognitive behavior in the prefrontal cortex of mice. On the contrary, the infection robustly upregulated the expression of activation makers of microglia and astrocytes. In addition, the metabolic phenotype of the prefrontal cortex post infection was characterized by the enhancement of glycolysis and fatty acid oxidation, the blockage of the Krebs cycle, and the disorder of aconitate decarboxylase 1 (ACOD1)-itaconate axis. Notably, the administration of dimethyl itaconate significantly prevented and treated the cognitive impairment induced by T. gondii, which was evidenced by the improvement of behavioral deficits, synaptic ultrastructure lesion and neuroinflammation. Conclusion The present study demonstrates that T. gondii infection induces the deficits of the goal-directed behavior, which is associated with neuroinflammation, the impairment of synaptic ultrastructure, and the metabolic shifts in the prefrontal cortex of mice. Moreover, we report that dimethyl itaconate has the potential to prevent and treat the behavior deficits. Author summary Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is a neglected but important risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases. It is necessary to decipher the mechanism of cognitive deficits induced by the parasite and develop intervention therapy. Here, we showed that chronic T. gondii infection induces the deficits of the goal-directed behavior, which is associated with the prefrontal cortex. Moreover, the global expression pattern in the brain area of the infected mice is characterized by the downregulation of the genes associated with synaptic transmission and plasticity, and the upregulation of the genes related to neuroinflammation including the activation makers of microglia and astrocytes. Interestingly, the ACOD1-itaconate axis, a key node modulating immunity and metabolism, is activated post infection. We reported that dimethyl itaconate (the derivative of itaconate) effectively prevents and treats the goal-directed cognitive deficits induced by T. gondii, which was proved by the improvement of the synaptic ultrastructure impairment and neuroinflammation. Overall, these findings provide a novel insight for understanding the mechanism of cognitive deficits induced by T. gondii and developing a therapeutic strategy against the parasite-related neurodegenerative diseases

Dimethyl itaconate ameliorates the deficits of goal-directed behavior in Toxoplasma gondii infected mice.

BackgroundThe neurotrophic parasite Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) has been implicated as a risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases. However, there is only limited information concerning its underlying mechanism and therapeutic strategy. Here, we investigated the effects of T. gondii chronic infection on the goal-directed cognitive behavior in mice. Moreover, we evaluated the preventive and therapeutic effect of dimethyl itaconate on the behavior deficits induced by the parasite.MethodsThe infection model was established by orally infecting the cysts of T. gondii. Dimethyl itaconate was intraperitoneally administered before or after the infection. Y-maze and temporal order memory (TOM) tests were used to evaluate the prefrontal cortex-dependent behavior performance. Golgi staining, transmission electron microscopy, indirect immunofluorescence, western blot, and RNA sequencing were utilized to determine the pathological changes in the prefrontal cortex of mice.ResultsWe showed that T. gondii infection impaired the prefrontal cortex-dependent goal-directed behavior. The infection significantly downregulated the expression of the genes associated with synaptic transmission, plasticity, and cognitive behavior in the prefrontal cortex of mice. On the contrary, the infection robustly upregulated the expression of activation makers of microglia and astrocytes. In addition, the metabolic phenotype of the prefrontal cortex post infection was characterized by the enhancement of glycolysis and fatty acid oxidation, the blockage of the Krebs cycle, and the disorder of aconitate decarboxylase 1 (ACOD1)-itaconate axis. Notably, the administration of dimethyl itaconate significantly prevented and treated the cognitive impairment induced by T. gondii, which was evidenced by the improvement of behavioral deficits, synaptic ultrastructure lesion and neuroinflammation.ConclusionThe present study demonstrates that T. gondii infection induces the deficits of the goal-directed behavior, which is associated with neuroinflammation, the impairment of synaptic ultrastructure, and the metabolic shifts in the prefrontal cortex of mice. Moreover, we report that dimethyl itaconate has the potential to prevent and treat the behavior deficits

Gastrin releasing peptide receptor targeted nano-graphene oxide for near-infrared fluorescence imaging of oral squamous cell carcinoma

Abstract Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common malignant tumor that occurs in the oral mucosa. Pathological biopsy is still the current gold standard for OSCC diagnosis; however, some drawbacks need to be overcome. Therefore, it is urgently needed to find a non-invasive targeted technology for OSCC early diagnosis. Fluorescent optical imaging using near infrared (NIR) dyes tagged to tumor specific target will benefit such developments. Gastrin releasing peptide receptor (GRPR) is an attractive target for OSCC imaging and therapy. In this study, we synthesized nano-graphene oxide (NGO) nanoparticles with GRPR-specific peptides AF750-6Ahx-Sta-BBN via hydrogen bond and π–π bonds (NGO-BBN-AF750), and investigated their receptor binding, cell uptake and internalization in HSC-3 cells. NGO-BBN-AF750 and AF750-6Ahx-Sta-BBN showed a similar binding affinity to GRPR on HSC-3 cells. In contrast to AF750-6Ahx-Sta-BBN antagonist peptide, NGO-BBN-AF750 showed cellular internalization property. Overall, this study proposes a NGO nanoclusters-based nanoprobe for GRPR targeted near-infrared fluorescence imaging for OSCC. Nanoparticle-based delivery systems have shown highly significant potential in the delivery of a wide range of therapeutic agents

Temperature Increase Enhances Aedes albopictus Competence to Transmit Dengue Virus

Dengue is a mosquito-borne disease that has been an epidemic in China for many years. Aedes albopictus is the dominant Aedes mosquito species and the main vector of dengue in China. Epidemiologically, dengue mainly occurs in Guangdong Province; it does not occur or rarely occurs in other areas of mainland China. This distribution may be associated with climate, mosquito density, and other factors in different regions; however, the effect of temperature on the vector competence of Ae. albopictus for dengue viruses (DENV) remains unclear. In this study, Ae. albopictus was orally infected with dengue virus 2 (DENV-2) and reared at constant temperatures (18, 23, 28, and 32°C) and a fluctuating temperature (28–23–18°C). The infection status of the midguts, ovaries, and salivary glands of each mosquito was detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) at 0, 5, 10, and 15 days post-infection (dpi). DENV-2 RNA copies from positive tissues were quantified by quantitative real time PCR (qRT-PCR). At 18°C, DENV-2 proliferated slowly in the midgut of Ae. albopictus, and the virus could not spread to the salivary glands. At 23 and 28°C, DENV-2 was detected in the ovaries and salivary glands at 10 dpi. The rates of infection, dissemination, population transmission, and DENV-2 copies at 28°C were higher than those at 23°C at any time point. At 32°C, the extrinsic incubation period (EIP) for DENV-2 in Ae. albopictus was only 5 dpi, and the vector competence was the highest among all the temperatures. Compared with 28°C, at 28–23–18°C, the positive rate and the amount of DENV-2 in the salivary glands were significantly lower. Therefore, temperature is an important factor affecting the vector competence of Ae. albopictus for DENV-2. Within the suitable temperature range, the replication of DENV-2 in Ae. albopictus accelerated, and the EIP was shorter with a higher temperature. Our results provide a guide for vector control and an experimental basis for differences in the spatial distribution of dengue cases

Bi-Module Sensing Device to <i>In Situ - Fig 1 </i> Quantitatively Detect Hydrogen Peroxide Released from Migrating Tumor Cells

<p>(A) 3D image of the bi-module device that consists of an electrochemical detection module and cell migration module (<i>a</i>); photograph of a device for experiment (<i>b</i>); section view of a bi-module devise (<i>c</i>); (B) Schematic diagram of the micro-fabrication processes: patterning and fabrication of electrodes on a ITO glass (<i>a</i>); bonding of a PDMS ring (5 mm in diameter, 1 mm in height) with ITO glass (<i>b</i>); assemble of a polycarbonate membrane on top of the PDMS right (<i>c</i>); assemble of a PDMS ring (5 mm in diameter, 5 mm in height) on top of the membrane (<i>d</i>). ITO: indium tin oxide, PDMS: Poly(dimethylsiloxane).</p