Chalcogen Atoms Regulate the Organic Solar Cell Performance of B-N-Based Polymer Donors

Donor polymers play a key role in the development of organic solar cells (OSCs). B-N-based polymer donors, as new types of materials, have attracted a lot of attention due to their special characteristics, such as high E(T1), small ΔEST, and easy synthesis, and they can be processed with real green solvents. However, the relationship between the chemical structure and device performance has not been systematically studied. Herein, chalcogen atoms that regulate the OSCs performance of B-N-based polymer donors were systematically studied. Fortunately, the substitution of a halogen atom did not affect the high E(T1) and small ΔEST character of the B-N-based polymer. The absorption and energy levels of the polymer were systematically regulated by O, S, and Se atom substitution. The PBNT-TAZ:Y6-BO-based OSCs device demonstrated a high power conversion efficiency of 15.36%. Moreover, the layer-by-layer method was applied to further optimize the device performance, and the PBNT-TAZ/Y6-BO-based OSCs device yielded a PCE of 16.34%. Consequently, we have systematically demonstrated how chalcogen atoms modulated the electronic properties of B-N-based polymers. Detailed and systematic structure-performance relationships are important for the development of next-generation B-N-based materials.

Sensitive Organic Photodetectors With Spectral Response up to 1.3 µm Using a Quinoidal Molecular Semiconductor

Detecting short-wavelength infrared (SWIR) light has underpinned several emerging technologies. However, the development of highly sensitive organic photodetectors (OPDs) operating in the SWIR region is hindered by their poor external quantum efficiencies (EQEs) and high dark currents. Herein, the development of high-sensitivity SWIR-OPDs with an efficient photoelectric response extending up to 1.3 µm is reported. These OPDs utilize a new ultralow-bandgap molecular semiconductor featuring a quinoidal tricyclic electron-deficient central unit and multiple non-covalent conformation locks. The SWIR-OPD achieves an unprecedented EQE of 26% under zero bias and an even more impressive EQE of up to 41% under a -4 V bias at 1.10 µm, effectively pushing the detection limit of silicon photodetectors. Additionally, the low energetic disorder and trap density in the active layer lead to significant suppression of thermal-generation carriers and dark current, resulting in excellent detectivity (Dsh *) exceeding 1013 Jones from 0.50 to 1.21 µm and surpassing 1012 Jones even at 1.30 µm under zero bias, marking the highest achievements for OPDs beyond the silicon limit to date. Validation with photoplethysmography measurements, a spectrometer prototype in the 0.35-1.25 µm range, and image capture under 1.20 µm irradiation demonstrate the extensive applications of this SWIR-OPD.

[Clinical and prognostic analysis of opsoclonus-myoclonus-ataxia syndrome in children]

Objective: To summarize the clinical and prognostic features of children with opsoclonus-myoclonus-ataxia syndrome (OMAS). Methods: A total of 46 patients who met the diagnostic criteria of OMAS in the Department of Neurology, Beijing Children's Hospital from June 2015 to June 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. Centralized online consultations or telephone visits were conducted between June and August 2023. The data of the children during hospitalization and follow-up were collected, including clinical manifestations, assistant examination, treatment and prognosis. According to the presence or absence of tumor, the patients were divided into two groups. The chi-square test or Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the differences between the two groups. Univariate Logistic regression was used to analyze the factors related to OMAS recurrence and prognosis. Results: There were 46 patients, with 25 males and the onset age of 1.5 (1.2, 2.4) years. Twenty-six (57%) patients were diagnosed with neuroblastoma during the course of the disease, and no patients were categorized into the high-risk group. A total of 36 patients (78%) were followed up for≥6 months, and all of them were treated with first-line therapy with glucocorticoids, gammaglobulin and (or) adrenocorticotrophic hormone. Among the 36 patients, 9 patients (25%) were treated with second-line therapy for ≥3 months, including rituximab or cyclophosphamide, and 17 patients (47%) received chemotherapy related to neuroblastoma. At the follow-up time of 4.2 (2.2, 5.5) years, 10 patients (28%) had relapsed of OMAS. The Mitchell and Pike OMS rating scale score at the final follow-up was 0.5 (0, 2.0). Seven patients (19%) were mildly cognitively behind their peers and 6 patients (17%) were severely behind. Only 1 patient had tumor recurrence during follow-up. The history of vaccination or infection before onset was more common in the non-tumor group than in the tumor group (55%(11/20) vs. 23%(6/26), χ²=4.95, P=0.026). Myoclonus occurred more frequently in the non-tumor group (40%(8/20) vs. 4%(1/26), χ²=7.23, P=0.007) as the onset symptom. Univariate Logistic regression analysis showed that the tumor group had less recurrence (OR=0.19 (0.04-0.93), P=0.041). The use of second-line therapy or chemotherapy within 6 months of the disease course had a better prognosis (OR=11.64 (1.27-106.72), P=0.030). Conclusions: OMAS in children mostly starts in early childhood, and about half are combined with neuroblastoma. Neuroblastoma in combination with OMAS usually has a low risk classification and good prognosis. When comparing patients with OMAS with and without tumors, the latter have a more common infection or vaccination triggers, and myoclonus, as the onset symptom, is more common. Early addition of second-line therapy is associated with better prognosis in OMAS.

Developing efficient strategies for localizing the enhanced yellow fluorescent protein subcellularly in transgenic Eimeria parasites

Eimeria species serve as promising eukaryotic vaccine vectors. And that the location of heterologous antigens in the subcellular components of genetically modified Eimeria may determine the magnitude and type of immune responses. Therefore, our study aimed to target a heterologous fluorescent protein to the cell surface or microneme, two locations where are more effective in inducing protective immunity, of Eimeria tenella and E. acervulina sporozoites. We used an enhanced yellow fluorescent protein (EYFP) as a tagging biomarker, fusing variously with some localization or whole sequences of compartmental proteins for targeting. After acquiring stable transgenic Eimeria populations, we observed EYFP expressing in expected locations with certain strategies. That is, EYFP successfully localized to the surface when it was fused between signal peptides and mature products of surface antigen 1 (SAG1). Furthermore, EYFP was efficiently targeted to the apical end, an optimal location for secretory organelle known as the microneme, when fused to the C terminus of microneme protein 2. Unexpectedly, EYFP exhibited dominantly in the apical end with only weak expression on the surface of the transgenic sporozoites when the parasites were transfected with plasmid with EYFP fused between signal peptides and mature products of E. tenella SAG 13. These strategies worked in both E. tenella and E. acervulina, laying a solid foundation for studying E. tenella and E. acervulina-based live vaccines that can be further tailored to the inclusion of cargo immunogens from other pathogens.

An A-D-A'-D-A-Type Narrow Bandgap Electron Acceptor Based on Selenophene-Flanked Diketopyrrolopyrrole for Sensitive Near-Infrared Photodetection

Near-infrared organic photodetectors possess great application potential in night vision, optical communication, and image sensing, but their development is limited by the lack of narrow bandgap organic semiconductors. A-D-A'-D-A-type molecules, featuring multiple intramolecular charge transfer effects, offer a robust framework for achieving near-infrared light absorption. Herein, we report a novel A-D-A'-D-A-type narrow bandgap electron acceptor named DPPSe-4Cl, which incorporates a selenophene-flanked diketopyrrolopyrrole (Se-DPP) unit as its central A' component. This molecule demonstrates exceptional near-infrared absorption properties with an absorption onset reaching 1120 nm and a low optical bandgap of 1.11 eV, owing to the strong electron-withdrawing ability and quinoidal resonance effect induced by the Se-DPP unit. By implementing a doping compensation strategy assisted by Y6 to reduce the trap density in the photoactive layer, the optimized organic photodetector based on DPPSe-4Cl exhibited efficient spectral response and remarkable sensitivity in the range of 300-1100 nm. Particularly, a specific detectivity surpassing 1012 Jones in the wavelength range of 410-1030 nm is achieved. This work offers a promising approach for developing highly sensitive visible to near-infrared broadband photodetection technology using organic semiconductors.

Microneme-located VP2 in Eimeria acervulina elicits effective protective immunity against infectious bursal disease virus

Using transgenic Eimeria spp. to deliver exogenous antigens is a viable option for developing multivalent live vaccines. Previous research revealed that the location of antigen expression in recombinant Eimeria dictates the magnitude and type of immune responses. In this study, we constructed genetically modified Eimeria acervulina that expressed VP2 protein, a protective antigen from infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV), on the surface or in the microneme of sporozoites. After vaccination, VP2-specific antibody was readily detected in specific pathogen-free chickens receiving transgenic E. acervulina parasites expressing VP2 in microneme, but animals vaccinated with which expressing VP2 on surface failed to produce detectable antibody after two times immunizations. Moreover, the bursal lesion of microneme-located VP2 transgenic E. acervulina immunized chickens was less severe compared with un-immunized animals after IBDV challenge infection. Therefore, genetically modified E. acervulina that express IBDV-derived VP2 in micronemes are effective in inducing specific antibody responses against VP2, while parasites that have VP2 expression on cell surface are not suitable. Thus, the use of Eimeria parasites as vaccine vectors needs to consider the proper targeting of exogenous immunogens. Our results have implications for the design of other vector vaccines.

Core microbiota for nutrient digestion remained and ammonia utilization increased after continuous batch culture of rumen microbiota in vitro

Introduction

This study aimed to investigate the digestive function, urea utilization ability, and bacterial composition changes in rumen microbiota under high urea (5% urea in diet) over 23 days of continuous batch culture in vitro.

Methods

The gas production, dry matter digestibility, and bacterial counts were determined for the continuously batch-cultured rumen fluid (CRF). The changes in fermentation parameters, NH3-N utilization efficiency, and microbial taxa were analyzed in CRF and were compared with that of fresh rumen fluid (RF), frozen rumen fluid (FRF, frozen rumen fluid at -80°C for 1 month), and the mixed rumen fluid (MRF, 3/4 RF mixed with 1/4 CRF) with in vitro rumen fermentation.

Results

The results showed that the dry matter digestibility remained stable while both the microbial counts and diversity significantly decreased over the 23 days of continuous batch culture. However, the NH3-N utilization efficiency of the CRF group was significantly higher than that of RF, FRF, and MRF groups (p < 0.05), while five core genera including Succinivibrio, Prevotella, Streptococcus, F082, and Megasphaera were retained after 23 days of continuous batch culture. The NH3-N utilization efficiency was effectively improved after continuous batch culture in vitro, and Streptococcus, Succinivibrio, Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1, p.251.o5, Oxalobacter, Bacteroidales_UCG.001, and p.1088.a5_gut_group were identified to explain 75.72% of the variation in NH3-N utilization efficiency with the RandomForest model.

Conclusion

Thus, core bacterial composition and function retained under high urea (5% urea in diet) over 23 days of continuous batch culture in vitro, and bacterial biomarkers for ammonia utilization were illustrated in this study. These findings might provide potential applications in improving the efficiency and safety of non-protein nitrogen utilization in ruminants.

Effects of Electrolyte Multivitamins and Neomycin on Immunity and Intestinal Barrier Function in Transported Lambs

Animals experience stress when they are transported. In this experiment, sixty 4-month-old lambs were randomly divided into three groups: CG (basal diet), EG (basal diet + 375 mg/d/lamb electrolytic multivitamin) and NG (basal diet + 200 mg/d/lamb neomycin). The transportation day was recorded as the 0th day. Blood, liver, spleen, jejunum and colon were collected on the 0th, 7th and 14th day. The results were as follows: In EG and NG groups, the lamb weights (p < 0.01), IgA and IgG (p < 0.05) increased significantly. The concentrations of ACTH, E, COR, IL-1β, IL-6 and IFN-γ decreased significantly (p < 0.01). The content of colonic propionate increased significantly (p < 0.05). The villus height and V/C increased, and crypt depth decreased significantly (p < 0.01). The mRNA expressions of Occludin and MUC1, and the protein expression of Occludin in the jejunal mucosa, the mRNA expressions of ZO-1 and Occludin, and the protein expression in the colonic mucosa increased significantly (p < 0.01). The mRNA expression of TRAF6 and the protein expression of TLR4 in the jejunum decreased significantly (p < 0.05), as well as the mRNA expressions of TLR4, MyD88 and NF-kB, and the protein expression of NF-kB p65 and the mRNA expressions of TRAF6, TLR4 and NF-kB in the colon (p < 0.01). In conclusion, an electrolytic multivitamin could potentially improve the immunity and intestinal barrier function, and when it was added with 375 mg/d in the basal diet for each lamb from 2 d before transportation to 7 d after transportation, it had a better effect than neomycin.

Prolactin inhibitor changes testosterone production, testicular morphology, and related genes expression in cashmere goats

Prolactin has multifaceted roles in lactation, growth, metabolism, osmoregulation, behavior, and the reproduction of animals. This study aimed to investigate the involvement of prolactin in testicular function in cashmere goats. Twenty cashmere goats were randomly assigned to either the control group (CON) or the bromocriptine treatment group (BCR, bromocriptine, prolactin inhibitor). Blood and testis samples collected for analysis after 30 days of treatment. The results indicated that, compared with the CON group, BCR significantly decreased (p < 0.05) the serum concentrations of prolactin, and significantly increased (p < 0.05) the levels of testosterone and luteinizing hormone (LH) on day 30. The serum level of the follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) was not affected (p > 0.05) by the treatment. The mean seminiferous tubule diameter and spermatogenic epithelium thickness were increased (p < 0.05) in the BCR group. Subsequently, we performed RNA sequencing and bioinformatics analysis to identify the key genes and pathways associated with the regulation of spermatogenesis or testosterone secretion function. A total of 142 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified (91 were upregulated, 51 were downregulated). Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) revealed that the DEGs were mainly involved in the extracellular matrix (ECM), hippo, and steroid hormone biosynthesis, which are related to testicular function. The expression of the genes SULT2B1, CYP3A24, and CYP3A74 in the steroid hormone biosynthesis pathway significantly increased (p < 0.05) in the BCR group, which was validated by qRT-PCR. These results provide a basis for understanding the mechanisms underlying the regulation of testicular function by prolactin in cashmere goats.

Prediction of progesterone receptor expression in high-grade meningioma by using radiomics based on enhanced T1WI

AIM

To predict progesterone receptor (PR) expression of high-grade meningioma using radiomics based on enhanced T1-weighted imaging (WI).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

There were 157 cases of high-grade meningioma in the study. Seventy-eight cases had negative expression and 79 cases had positive expression. Spearman's rank correlation coefficient and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression were used to select the valuable features. The models were developed by naive Bayes (NB), random forest (RF), and support vector machine (SVM). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and decision curve analysis (DCA) analysis were used to assess the models.

RESULTS

Nine features were selected as the valuable features using Spearman's analysis and LASSO regression. The RF and NB models achieved the same area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.75, which was higher than that of SVM (0.74). There was no significant difference among the AUCs of the three models (p>0.05). There was a larger net benefit in the RF model than the SVM and NB models across all threshold probabilities in the DCA analysis.

CONCLUSION

The RF model had good performance in predicting PR expression of high-grade meningioma. PR expression evaluation for high-grade meningioma would be helpful in clinical practice.

High Prolactin Concentration Induces Ovarian Granulosa Cell Oxidative Stress, Leading to Apoptosis Mediated by L-PRLR and S-PRLR

High prolactin (PRL) concentration has been shown to induce the apoptosis of ovine ovarian granulosa cells (GCs), but the underlying mechanisms are unclear. This study aimed to investigate the mechanism of apoptosis induced by high PRL concentration in GCs. Trial 1: The optimal concentration of glutathion was determined according to the detected cell proliferation. The results showed that the optimal glutathione concentration was 5 μmol/mL. Trial 2: 500 ng/mL PRL was chosen as the high PRL concentration. The GCs were treated with 0 ng/mL PRL (C group), 500 ng/mL PRL (P group) or 500 ng/mL PRL, and 5 μmol/mL glutathione (P-GSH group). The results indicated that the mitochondrial respiratory chain complex (MRCC) I-V, ATP production, total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and thioredoxin peroxidase (TPx) in the C group were higher than those in the P group (p < 0.05), while they were lower than those in the P-GSH group (p < 0.05). Compared to the C group, the P group exhibited elevated levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and apoptosis (p < 0.05) and increased expression of ATG7 and ATG5 (p < 0.05). However, MRCC I-V, ATP, SOD, A-TOC, TPx, ROS, and apoptosis were decreased after the addition of glutathione (p < 0.05). The knockdown of either L-PRLR or S-PRLR in P group GCs resulted in a significant reduction (p < 0.05) in MRCC I-V, ATP, T-AOC, SOD and TPx, while the overexpression of either receptor showed an opposite trend (p < 0.05). Our findings suggest that high PRL concentrations induce apoptotic cell death in ovine ovarian GCs by downregulating L-PRLR and S-PRLR, activating oxidative stress and autophagic pathways.

An electron acceptor with an intrinsic quinoidal core for bulk-heterojunction organic solar cells and photodetectors

An electron acceptor based on a quinoidal dipyrrolopyrazinedione core was synthesized for organic solar cells and photodetectors. A power conversion efficiency of 6.7% and a specific detectivity of 4.1 × 10¹³ Jones at 800 nm have been obtained, suggesting the promising prospects of quinoidal molecules for optoelectronic devices.

Effect of prolactin on cytotoxicity and oxidative stress in ovine ovarian granulosa cells

Background

Prolactin (PRL) has been reported to be associated with oxidative stress, which is an important contributor leading to cell apoptosis. However, little is known about the mechanisms underlying the effects of PRL on cytotoxicity and oxidative stress in ovine ovarian granulosa cells (GCs).

Methods

Ovine ovarian GCs were treated with 0, 4, 20, 100 and 500 ng/mL of PRL. Then, the cytotoxicity, cell viability, malondialdehyde (MDA), reactive oxygen species (ROS), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) of GCs were detected. Additionally, 500 ng/mL PRL was chosen as the high PRL concentration (HPC) due to its high cytotoxicity and oxidative stress. Proteomic and metabonomic were performed to examine the overall difference in proteins and metabolic pathways between C (control: 0 ng/mL PRL) and P groups (500 ng/mL PRL).

Results

The results indicated that GCs treated with 4 ng/mL PRL significantly decreased (P < 0.05) the cytotoxicity, ROS and MDA, increased (P < 0.05) the cell viability, SOD and T-AOC, and the GCs treated with 500 ng/mL PRL showed the opposite trend (P < 0.05). Supplementation with 500 ng/mL PRL significantly increased the proteins of MT-ND1, MAPK12, UBA52 and BCL2L1, which were enriched in ROS and mitophagy pathways. Pathway enrichment analysis showed that the pentose phosphate pathway was significantly enriched in the P group.

Conclusion

A low concentration of PRL inhibited cytotoxicity and oxidative stress. HPC induced oxidative stress in ovine ovarian GCs via the pentose phosphate pathway by modulating the associated proteins MT-ND1 in ROS pathway and UBA52, MAPK12 and BCL2L1 in mitophagy pathway, resulting in cytotoxicity.

Prolactin Regulates Ovine Ovarian Granulosa Cell Apoptosis by Affecting the Expression of MAPK12 Gene

Prolactin (PRL) has been reported to influence reproductive performance and cell apoptosis. However, its mechanism remains unclear. Hence, in the present study, ovine ovarian granulosa cells (GCs) were used as a cell model to investigate the relationship between PRL concentration and GC apoptosis, as well as its possible mechanisms. We examined the relationship between serum PRL concentration and follicle counts in sexually mature ewes. GCs were isolated from adult ewes and treated with different concentrations of PRL, while 500 ng/mL PRL was selected as the high concentration of prolactin (HPC). Then, we applied the transcriptome sequencing (RNA-Seq) combined with a gene editing approach to explore the HPC contributing to cell apoptosis and steroid hormones. The apoptosis of GCs gradually increased at PRL concentrations above 20 ng/mL, while 500 ng/mL PRL significantly decreased the secretion of steroid hormones and the expression of L-PRLR and S-PRLR. The results indicated that PRL regulates GC development and steroid hormones mainly through the target gene MAPK12. The expression of MAPK12 was increased after knocked-down L-PRLR and S-PRLR, while it decreased after overexpressed L-PRLR and S-PRLR. Cell apoptosis was inhibited and the secretion of steroid hormones increased after interfering with MAPK12, while the overexpression of MAPK12 showed the opposite trend. Overall, the number of follicles gradually decreased with increasing PRL concentration. HPCs promoted apoptosis and inhibited steroid hormone secretion in GCs by upregulating MAPK12 through reducing L-PRLR and S-PRLR.

Revealing the Molecular Weight Effect on Highly Efficient Polythiophene Solar Cells

Polythiophenes (PTs) are promising electron donors in organic solar cells (OSCs) due to their simple structures and excellent synthetic scalability. Benefiting from the rational molecular design, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of PT solar cells has been greatly improved. Herein, five batches of the champion PT (P5TCN-F25) with molecular weights ranging from 30 to 87 kg mol^-1 were prepared, and the effect of the molecular weight on the blend film morphology and photovoltaic performance of PT solar cells was systematically investigated. The results showed that the PCEs of the devices improved first and then maintained a high value with the increase of molecular weight, and the highest PCE of 16.7% in binary PT solar cells was obtained. Further characterizations revealed that the promotion in photovoltaic performance mainly comes from finer phase separation structures and more compact molecular packing in the blend film. The best device stabilities were also achieved by polymers with high molecular weights. Overall, this study highlights the importance of optimizing the molecular weight for PTs and offers directions to further improve the PCE of PT solar cells.

FoxO1/NLRP3 Inflammasome Promotes Age-Related Alveolar Bone Resorption

Periodontitis is the utmost common chronic oral disease that exhibits intense susceptibility to aging. Aging is characterized by persistent sterile low-grade inflammation, leading to age-related periodontal complications represented by alveolar bone loss. Currently, forkhead transcription factor O1 (FoxO1) is generally believed to have a significant role in body development, senescence, cell viability, and oxidative stress in numerous organs and cells. However, the role of this transcription factor in mediating age-related alveolar bone resorption has not been examined. In this study, FoxO1 deficiency was discovered to have a beneficial correlation with halting the progression of alveolar bone resorption in aged mice. To further investigate the function of FoxO1 in age-related alveolar bone resorption, osteoblastic-specific FoxO1 knockout mice were generated, leading to an amelioration in alveolar bone loss compared to aged-matched wild-type mice, manifested as enhanced osteogenic potential. Mechanistically, we identified enhancement of the NLRP3 inflammasome signaling in FoxO1-deficient osteoblasts in the high dose of reactive oxygen species. Concordant with our study, MCC950, a specific inhibitor of NLRP3 inflammasome, greatly rescued osteoblast differentiation under oxidative stress. Our data shed light on the manifestations of FoxO1 depletion in osteoblasts and propose a possible mechanism for the therapy of age-related alveolar bone loss.

Integrated Microbiota and Metabolome Analysis to Assess the Effects of the Solid-State Fermentation of Corn-Soybean Meal Feed Using Compound Strains

Solid-state fermentation is known to improve plant-based feed nutritional quality; however, the association between microbes and metabolite production in fermented feed remains unclear. We inoculated corn-soybean-wheat bran (CSW) meal feed with Bacillus licheniformis Y5-39, Bacillus subtilis B-1, and lactic acid bacteria RSG-1. Then, 16S rDNA sequencing and untargeted metabolomic profiling were applied to investigate changes in the microflora and metabolites, respectively, and their integrated correlations during fermentation were assessed. The results indicated that trichloroacetic acid soluble protein levels showed a sharp increase, while glycinin and β-conglycinin levels showed a sharp decrease in the fermented feed, as confirmed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Pediococcus, Enterococcus, and Lactobacillus were predominant in the fermented feed. Overall, 699 significantly different metabolites were identified before and after fermentation. Arginine and proline, cysteine and methionine, and phenylalanine and tryptophan metabolism were the key pathways, with arginine and proline metabolism being the most important pathway in the fermentation process. By analyzing the correlation between the microbiota and metabolite production, lysyl-valine and lysyl-proline levels were found to be positively correlated with Enterococcus and Lactobacillus abundance. However, Pediococcus was positively correlated with some metabolites contributing to nutritional status and immune function. According to our data, Pediococcus, Enterococcus, and Lactobacillus mainly participate in protein degradation, amino acid metabolism, and lactic acid production in fermented feed. Our results provide new insights into the dynamic changes in metabolism that occurred during the solid-state fermentation of corn-soybean meal feed using compound strains and should facilitate the optimization of fermentation production efficiency and feed quality.

Unraveling the Role of Non-Fullerene Acceptor with High Dielectric Constant in Organic Solar Cells

Increasing the relative dielectric constant is a constant pursuit of organic semiconductors, but it often leads to multiple changes in device characteristics, hindering the establishment of a reliable relationship between dielectric constant and photovoltaic performance. Herein, a new non-fullerene acceptor named BTP-OE is reported by replacing the branched alkyl chains on Y6-BO with branched oligoethylene oxide chains. This replacement successfully increases the relative dielectric constant from 3.28 to 4.62. To surprise, BTP-OE offers consistently lower device performance relative to Y6-BO in organic solar cells (16.27% vs 17.44%) due to the losses in open-circuit voltage and fill factor. Further investigations unravel that BTP-OE has resulted in reduced electron mobility, increased trap density, enhanced first order recombination, and enlarged energetic disorder. These results demonstrate the complex relationship between dielectric constant and device performance, which provide valuable implications for the development of organic semiconductors with high dielectric constant for photovoltaic application.

Saddle-Shaped Third Component with Out-of-Plane Electrostatic Dipole for Realizing High-Performance Photovoltaic Donor Terpolymers

Terpolymer fabrication is an effective methodology for molecular engineering and generating high-performance organic photovoltaic materials to construct highly efficient polymer solar cells. Modification of the polymer PM6 by incorporating a third component resulting in the formation of a ternary copolymer is reported to outperform PM6 in achieving enhanced device performances. However, one of the major challenges in constructing high-performance terpolymers is to counter the molecular disorder caused by the backbone entropy induced by the third moiety. In this work, double B←N bridged bipyridine (BNBP) is used as the third component, which possesses a strong out-of-plane electrostatic dipole owing to the saddle-shaped B←N fused ring structure. The out-of-plane dipole moment introduced in the modified PM6 terpolymer can be used as a means for tuning and optimizing the nanostructures of the blended films. The prepared PM6-BNBP-4 blend polymer with 4% of the benzodithiophene dione monomers replaced by BNBP results in excellent power conversion efficiency of 19.13%. This work demonstrates that the out-of-plane electrostatic dipole moment in saddle-shaped molecules is valuable for achieving high-performance organic photovoltaic donor materials.

BN-Bond-Embedded Triplet Terpolymers with Small Singlet-Triplet Energy Gaps for Suppressing Non-Radiative Recombination and Improving Blend Morphology in Organic Solar Cells

Suppressing the photon energy loss (E_loss ), especially the non-radiative loss, is of importance to further improve the device performance of organic solar cells (OSCs). However, typical π-conjugated semiconductors possess a large singlet-triplet energy gap (ΔE_ST ), leading to a lower triplet state than charge transfer state and contributing to a non-radiative loss channel of the photocurrent by the triplet state. Herein, a series of triplet polymer donors are developed by introducing a BNIDT block into the PM6 polymer backbone. The high electron affinity of BNIDT and the opposite resonance effect of the BN bond in BNIDT results in a lowered highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and a largely reduced ΔE_ST . Moreover, the morphology of the active blends is also optimized by fine-tuning the BNIDT content. Therefore, non-radiative recombination via the terminal triplet loss channels and morphology traps is effectively suppressed. The PNB-3 (with 3% BNIDT):L8-BO device exhibits both small ΔE_ST and optimized morphology, favoring more efficient charge transfer and transport. Finally, the simultaneously enhanced V_oc of 0.907 V, J_sc of 26.59 mA cm^-2 , and FF of 78.86% contribute to a champion PCE of 19.02%. Therefore, introducing BN bonds into benchmark polymers is a possible avenue toward higher-performance of OSCs.

Predictors of postoperative biochemical remission in lower Knosp grade growth hormone-secreting pituitary adenomas: a large single center study

PURPOSE

Growth hormone-secreting pituitary adenomas (GH-PAs) with a low Knosp grade are typically associated with a good postoperative biochemical remission (BR) rate. However, a proportion of patients do not achieve remission. In this study, we aimed to investigate predictive factors of postoperative remission for lower Knosp GH-PAs.

METHODS

In this retrospective study, we enrolled 140 patients who were diagnosed with lower Knosp (0-2) GH-PAs and received trans-sphenoidal surgery between December 2016 and June 2021 from the largest pituitary tumor surgery center in southern China. The univariate, binary Logistic regression, and receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analyses were employed to determine independent predictors and cutoff values of remission. The postoperative outcome was defined as remission using the 2010 consensus criteria of acromegaly.

RESULTS

One hundred and thirty six patients (97.1%) achieved gross total resection. The postoperative long-term BR was 68.6%. Empty sella, tumor maximum diameter and postoperative GH levels were independent factors predicting remission. ROC revealed that postoperative 24 h GH ≤ 1.3 ng/mL and  ≤ 1.23 ng/mL were valuable predictors for 3-month and long-term remission respectively, and that postoperative 3-month GH ≤ 1.6 ng/mL and tumor maximum diameter  ≤ 17 mm were predictors for delayed remission.

CONCLUSION

Early postoperative GH levels can be used as predictors of remission. However, BR was not associated with preoperative somatostatin analogs therapy or Knosp grade (0-2). For patients without residual tumor or recurrence and whose GH levels are slightly elevated within 1 year after surgery, adjuvant treatments may not be necessary.

[Endoscopic resection of type D trigeminal schwannoma through nasal sinus approach]

Objective: To examine the feasibility and surgical approach of removing type D trigeminal schwannoma through nasal cavity and nasal sinus under endoscope. Methods: Eleven patients with trigeminal schwannoma who were treated in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University from December 2014 to August 2021 were analyzed retrospectively in this study. There were 7 males and 4 females, aged (47.5±13.5) years (range: 12 to 64 years). The neoplasm involved the pterygopalatine fossa, infratemporal fossa, ethmoidal sinus, sphenoid sinus, cavernous sinus, and middle cranial fossa. The size of tumors were between 1.6 cm×2.0 cm×2.0 cm and 5.7 cm×6.0 cm×6.0 cm. Under general anesthesia, the tumors were resected through the transpterygoid approach in 4 cases, through the prelacrimal recess approach in 4 cases, through the extended prelacrimal recess approach in 2 cases, and through the endoscopic medial maxillectomy approach in 1 case. The nasal endoscopy and imaging examination were conducted to detect whether neoplasm recurred or not, and the main clinical symptoms during follow-up. Results: All the surgical procedures were performed under endonasal endoscope, including Gross total resection in 10 patients. The tumor of a 12-year-old patient was not resected completely due to huge tumor size and limited operation space. One patient was accompanied by two other schwannomas located in the occipital region and the ipsilateral parotid gland region originating from the zygomatic branch of the facial nerve, both of which were removed concurrently. After tumor resection, the dura mater of middle cranial fossa was directly exposed in the nasal sinus in 2 cases, including 1 case accompanied by cerebrospinal fluid leakage which was reconstructed by a free mucosal flap obtained from the middle turbinate, the other case was packed by the autologous fat to protect the dura mater. The operation time was (M(IQR)) 180 (160) minutes (range: 120 to 485 minutes). No complications and deaths were observed. No recurrence was observed in the 10 patients with total tumor resection during a 58 (68) months' (range: 10 to 90 months) follow-up. No obvious change was observed in the facial appearance of all patients during the follow-up. Conclusion: Type D trigeminal schwannoma involving pterygopalatine fossa and infratemporal fossa can be removed safely through purely endoscopic endonasal approach by selecting the appropriate approach according to the size and involvement of the tumor.

High-efficiency organic solar cells processed from a real green solvent

The fabrication of organic solar cells (OSCs) depends heavily on the use of highly toxic chlorinated solvents, which are incompatible with industrial manufacturing. The reported alternative solvents such as non-halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons and cyclic ethers are also not really "green" according to the "Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals" of the United Nations. Therefore, processing from real green solvents such as water, alcohols, or anisole will constitute a big breakthrough for OSCs. However, it is fundamentally challenging to obtain high-performance photovoltaic materials processable from these solvents. Herein, we propose the incorporation of a B-N covalent bond, which has a dipole moment of 1.84 Debye, into the conjugated backbone of polymer donors to fabricate high-efficiency OSCs from anisole, a real green and eco-compatible solvent recommended by the United Nations. Based on a newly developed B-N-based polymer, the OSCs with a record-high efficiency of 15.65% in the 0.04 cm² device and 14.01% in the 1.10 cm² device have thus been realized via real green processing.

Average Daily Gain in Lambs Weaned at 60 Days of Age Is Correlated with Rumen and Rectum Microbiota

Colonization of gastrointestinal microbiota in mammals during early life is vital to host health. The objective of this study was to investigate whether lambs with high and low ADG have a different rumen and rectum microbial community. Thus, we investigated potential relationships between rumen and rectum microbiota and average daily gain (ADG) in weaned lambs. Sixteen lambs with similar body weights (7.63 ± 1.18 kg) were selected at 30 days of age. At 60 days of age, lambs were weaned, and ADG was calculated from 60 to 90 days. Then, two groups were generated: higher ADG (HG, 134.17 ± 13.48 g/day) and lower ADG (LG, 47.50 ± 19.51 g/day). Microbiota was evaluated at 30, 60, and 90 days of age. The final live weight and ADG at 90 days of age was higher (p < 0.05) in the HG group compared to the LG group. The maturity of bacterial and fungal communities was increased (p < 0.05) in the HG group for the 30 days vs. 90 days comparison and 60 days vs. 90 days comparison. Linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSe) analysis revealed a total of 18 bacterial biomarkers that are ADG-specific in the rumen and 35 bacterial biomarkers in the rectum. Meanwhile, 15 fungal biomarkers were found in the rumen and 8 biomarkers were found in the rectum. Our findings indicated that ADG is related to the rumen and rectum microbiota in lambs.

[Research progress of interstitial lung disease combined with lung cancer]

Interstitial lung disease combined with lung cancer (ILD-LC) has attracted more and more attention. Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is an independent risk factor of lung cancer. ILD and lung cancer have common pathogenesis of promoting fibrosis and promoting cancer, so they are not only comorbidities. This review updated the epidemiology, pathogenesis and incidence and risk factors of treatment-induced acute exacerbation(including surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy)in ILD-LC. The purpose is to improve the understanding, individual management and quality of life of patients in ILD-LC.

LncGSAR Controls Ovarian Granulosa Cell Steroidogenesis via Sponging MiR-125b to Activate SCAP/SREBP Pathway

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been shown to play important roles in livestock fecundity, and many lncRNAs that affect follicular development and reproductive diseases have been identified in the ovary. However, only a few of them have been functionally annotated and mechanistically validated. In this study, we identified a new lncRNA (lncGSAR) and investigated its effects on the proliferation and steroidogenesis of ovine granulosa cells (GCs). High concentrations of glucose (add 33.6 mM glucose) caused high expression of lncGSAR in GCs by regulating its stability, and lncGSAR overexpression promoted GCs proliferation, estrogen secretion, and inhibited progesterone secretion, whereas interference with lncGASR had the opposite effect. Next, we found that the RNA molecules of lncGSAR act on MiR-125b as competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA), and SREBP-cleavage-activating protein (SCAP) was verified as a target of MiR-125b. LncGASR overexpression increased the expression of SCAP, SREBP, and steroid hormone-related proteins, which can be attenuated by MiR-125b. Our results demonstrated that lncGSAR can act as a ceRNA to activate SCAP/SREBP signaling by sponging MiR-125b to regulate steroid hormone secretion in GCs. These findings provide new insights into the mechanisms of nutrient-regulated follicle development in ewes.

Annealing-Insensitive, Alcohol-Processed MoOx Hole Transport Layer for Universally Enabling High-Performance Conventional and Inverted Organic Solar Cells

At present, most solution-processed molybdenum oxide (s-MoO_x) hole transport layers (HTLs) are still mainly used in conventional organic solar cells (OSCs) but unsuitable for inverted OSCs. Herein, we demonstrate for the first time an annealing-insensitive, alcohol-processed MoO_x HTL that can universally enable high-performance conventional and inverted OSCs. The s-MoO_x HTL is spin-coated from the MoO_x nanoparticle dispersion in alcohol, where the MoO_x nanoparticles are synthesized by simple nonaqueous pyrolysis conversion of MoO₂(acac)₂. The MoO_x nanoparticles possess uniform and very small sizes of less than 5 nm and can be well dispersed in alcohol, so the s-MoO_x HTLs on ITO and active layer both show an overall uniform and smooth surface, suitable for conventional and inverted OSCs. In addition, the s-MoO_x HTL possesses decent optical transmittance and appropriate work function. Utilizing the s-MoO_x HTL annealed between room temperature and 110 °C and PM6:Y6 active layer, the conventional OSCs show an excellent power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 16.64-17.09% and the inverted OSCs also show an excellent PCE of 15.74-16.28%, which indicate that the s-MoO_x HTL could be annealing-insensitive and universal for conventional and inverted OSCs. Moreover, conventional and inverted OSCs with the s-MoO_x HTLs annealed at 80 °C both exhibit optimal PCEs of 17.09 and 16.28%, respectively, which are separately superior than that of the PEDOT:PSS-based conventional OSCs (16.94%) and the thermally evaporated MoO₃ (e-MoO₃)-based inverted OSCs (16.03%). Under light soaking and storage aging in air, the unencapsulated inverted OSCs based on the s-MoO_x HTL show similarly excellent ambient stability compared to the e-MoO_x-based devices. In addition, the s-MoO_x HTL also shows a universal function in conventional and inverted OSCs with PBDB-T:ITIC and PM6:L8-BO active layers. Notably, the s-MoO_x-based conventional and inverted OSCs with the PM6:L8-BO active layer exhibit very excellent PCEs of 18.21 and 17.12%, respectively, which are slightly higher than those of the corresponding PEDOT:PSS-based device (18.17%) and e-MoO₃-based device (17.00%). The annealing-insensitive, alcohol-processed MoO_x HTL may be very promising for flexible and large-scale processing conventional/inverted OSCs.

Wide Bandgap Conjugated Polymers Based on Difluorobenzoxadiazole for Efficient Non-Fullerene Organic Solar Cells

Wide bandgap polymers with a donor-acceptor alternating structure play a key role in constructing high-efficiency organic solar cells (OSCs). However, only a handful of high-performance polymers are available owing to the limited choices of acceptor units. 5,6-Difluorobenzo[c][1,2,5]oxadiazole (ffBX) is a promising acceptor unit with high ionization potential, and can afford high charge carrier mobility and strong aggregation for the resulting polymers. Historically, ffBX was successfully used in constructing high-performance polymer donors for fullerene-based OSCs. However, this unit is far less been explored in non-fullerene OSCs. In this work, we report three ffBX-based wide bandgap polymers (Oc00, Oc25, and Oc50) with varied solubilizing side chain content for application in non-fullerene OSCs. The polymers show matched energy levels and complementary optical absorption with the state-of-the-art non-fullerene acceptor Y6. Moreover, the polymer solubility, solid state packing, and bulk-heterojunction morphology were finely tuned via side chain engineering. Encouragingly, a decent efficiency of 14.25% was realized by the polymer Oc25 when blended with Y6 due to the efficient charge transport and favorable active layer morphology. These results suggest the promising prospect of ffBX in constructing high-performance polymer donors for non-fullerene OSCs. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

An electron acceptor featuring a B-N covalent bond and small singlet-triplet gap for organic solar cells

BNTT2F, an electron acceptor featuring a B-N covalent bond and singlet-triplet gap as low as 0.20 eV via the multiple resonance effect, is developed for organic solar cells. The optimized device based on BNTT2F offered an efficiency of 8.3%, suggesting the great prospect of B-N covalent bond-containing π-conjugated molecules for photovoltaics.

Cashmere production, skin characteristics, and mutated genes in crimped cashmere fibre goats

A subpopulation of Yanshan cashmere goats with crimped fibre has emerged in a closed population in recent years, but little is known about differences in cashmere production performance, skin characteristics, and fibre-style-related genes between goats with different cashmere fibre styles. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate fibre characteristics, cashmere yield, hair follicle traits, and fibre-style-related genes in cashmere goats with the two cashmere fleece styles-non-crimped and crimped. Based on the cashmere fibre type, 80 six-month-old female Yanshan cashmere goats were used in this study: 40 goats with non-crimped fleece (NCF) and 40 with crimped fleece (CF). The growth performance and cashmere production of the goats were recorded. Skin samples were collected to determine hair follicle traits and gene sequencing. The results indicated that there were no differences in initial live weight, final live weight, average daily feed intake, and average daily gain between the two groups of goats (P > 0.05). The total yield of cashmere and the stretched length of fibre of the CF goats were higher (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05, respectively) and fibre diameter was lower (P < 0.05) than that of the NCF goats. There were no between-group differences in the density and activity of primary and secondary hair follicles, secondary-to-primary fibre ratio, depth of primary follicles, or epidermal thickness. However, the depth of secondary follicles and dermal thickness were higher (P < 0.05) in NCF goats than in CF goats. There were mutations in the KRT5, KAP8, KRT8, KRT74, KRT34, KRT1, KRT71, KRT6A, KAP6, KRT81, and KRT83 genes, four of which caused amino acid changes. The allele and genotype frequencies of base mutations in the KRT5, KAP8, KRT34, KRT1, KRT6A, KRT81, and KRT83 genes were different in the NCF and CF goats (P < 0.05). The distribution and content of the secondary structure elements and tertiary structures of proteins differed between the wide-type and mutated KRT1 and KRT6A proteins. KRT1, KRT6A, KRT71, and TGFα mRNA expression levels were significantly higher in CF goats than in NCF goats (P < 0.05). It is concluded that cashmere goats that have fleece with crimped fibres produce a greater yield of fleece with finer diameter fibres than those with conventional straight cashmere fibres. These differences in fibre properties may be associated with mutations in the genes coding for KRT1 and KRT6A.

Long Non-Coding RNA GDAR Regulates Ovine Granulosa Cells Apoptosis by Affecting the Expression of Apoptosis-Related Genes

Short-term dietary supplementation of ewes during the luteal phase can increase fertility, most probably by stimulating glucose uptake by the follicles. However, the molecular mechanism of glucose regulation of follicular development has not yet been clarified, especially the further study of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) in determining fertility during follicular development. We generated granulosa cell (GC) models of different doses of glucose (0, 2.1, 4.2, 8.4, 16.8 and 33.6 mM), and observed that the highest cell viability was recorded in the 8.4 mM group and the highest apoptosis rates were recorded in the 33.6 mM group. Therefore, a control group (n = 3, 0 mM glucose), a low glucose group (n = 3, add 8.4 mM glucose), and a high glucose group (n = 3, add 33.6 mM glucose) of GCs were created for next whole genomic RNA sequencing. In total, 18,172 novel lncRNAs and 510 annotated lncRNAs were identified in the GCs samples. Gene Ontology indicated that differentially expressed lncRNAs associated with cell apoptosis were highly enriched. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis of lncRNA target genes found that the apoptosis pathway and the p53 signaling pathway were both enriched. Furthermore, we focused on the function of a lncGDAR and verified that lncGDAR could influence cell apoptosis in GC development through affecting the mRNA and protein expression of apoptosis-related markers. These results provide the basis for further study of the lncRNA regulation mechanism in nutrition on female fertility.

Age-Related Changes in the Ruminal Microbiota and Their Relationship With Rumen Fermentation in Lambs

The rumen microbiota is vital for the health and growth performance of the host animal, mainly due to its role in the fermentation of ingested feed within the rumen. Attaining a better understanding of the development of the bacterial community and fermentation in the rumen can provide the theoretical basis for regulating feed utilization. This study analyzed the development of rumen bacteria in lambs from birth to 4 months of age using 16S-rRNA amplicon sequencing data and studied its relationship with ruminal fermentation. Serum levels of metabolites were monitored at 30, 60, 90, and 120 days of age, and the RandomForest approach was used to determine age-related changes in rumen bacteria. Levels of blood metabolites, ruminal fermentation, the rumen bacterial community and its functions were all affected by the age of the lambs (P < 0.05). Based on the Bray-Curtis distance within the age groups of the rumen microbiota, the similarity increased sharply after the lambs were weaned at 60 days of age (P < 0.05). The similarity between the samples collected from birth to 90 days of age and those collected at 120 days of age, increased after 20 days of age, reaching a maximum at 90 days vs. 120 days (P < 0.05). Some age-associated changes in the microbial genera were correlated with changes in the concentrations of volatile fatty acids and the levels of microbial crude protein in the rumen, including positive correlations between main volatile fatty acids and the genera of Prevotella 1, Lachnospiraceae NK3A20 group, Ruminococcus gauvreauii group, Ruminococcaceae UCG-014, and Ruminococcus 2 (P < 0.05). These results indicated that the microbial community and the function of rumen was not well-established before 20 days of age, so there is a degree of plasticity in the rumen bacterial community during the first 20 days of post-natal development in lambs, and this might provide an opportunity for interventions to improve rumen fermentation and, thus, increase their growth performance.

N-Type Quinoidal Polymers Based on Dipyrrolopyrazinedione for Application in All-Polymer Solar Cells

Conjugated molecules and polymers with intrinsic quinoidal structure are promising n-type organic semiconductors, which have been reported for application in field-effect transistors and thermoelectric devices. In principle, the molecular and electronic characteristics of quinoidal polymers can also enable their application in organic solar cells. Herein, two quinoidal polymers, named PzDP-T and PzDP-ffT, based on dipyrrolopyrazinedione were synthesized and used as electron acceptors in all-polymer solar cells (all-PSCs). Both PzDP-T and PzDP-ffT showed suitable energy levels and wide light absorption range that extended to the near-infrared region. When combined with the polymer donor PBDB-T, the resulting all-PSCs based on PzDP-T and PzDP-ffT exhibited a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 1.33 and 2.37 %, respectively. This is the first report on the application of intrinsic quinoidal conjugated polymers in all-PSCs. The photovoltaic performance of the all-PSCs was revealed to be mainly limited by the relatively poor and imbalanced charge transport, considerable charge recombination. Detailed investigations on the structure-performance relationship suggested that synergistic optimization of light absorption, energy levels, and charge transport properties is needed to achieve more successful application of intrinsic quinoidal conjugated polymers in all-PSCs.

Sequence analysis and mRNA expression of prolactin receptor gene isoforms in different tissues of sheep during lactation and the post-weaning period

Few studies on mRNA expression of the prolactin receptor (PRLR) isoforms in different tissues of sheep were reported. The objective of this study was to analyze the gene sequence and mRNA expression of PRLR isoforms in the uterus, mammary gland, ovary, spleen and lymph tissue of ewes during the lactation and post-weaning periods. Ten lactating crossbred ewes (Dorper×Hu sheep) with twin lambs were used in this study. Five ewes were chosen randomly and slaughtered at mid-lactation (35 days after lambing). The remaining five ewes were slaughtered on the 5th day after weaning. Samples of uterus, mammary gland, ovary, spleen and lymph tissue were collected from each ewe to determine the mRNA expression of long PRLR (L-PRLR) and short PRLR (S-PRLR) by RT-qPCR. The physical and chemical properties, the similarity of the nucleotides L-PRLR and S-PRLR genes and the secondary and tertiary structure of the L-PRLR and S-PRLR proteins of sheep were analyzed. The results indicated that the predicted protein molecular weights of L-PRLR and S-PRLR are 65235.36 KD and 33847.48 KD, respectively, with isoelectric points of 5.12 and 8.34, respectively. The secondary protein structures of L-PRLR and S-PRLR are different. For L-PRLR these include alpha helix, extended strand and random coils and β-turns for which the content was 16.01%, 21%, 59.55% and 3.44%, respectively, whereas the secondary protein structures of S-PRLR contain only alpha helices, extended strand and random coils, comprising 18.24%, 30.07% and 48.99%, respectively. The L-PRLR and S-PRLR genes of the sheep (Ovis aries) had nucleotide sequences showing much similarity among ruminants. In these sheep, mRNA expression of L-PRLR and S-PRLR was highest in the uterus and differed between the uterus, ovary, mammary gland, spleen and lymph tissue. The mRNA expression of L-PRLR in lymph tissue was higher during lactation than in the post-weaning period (P < 0.01), whereas mRNA expression of S-PRLR in the uterus and the mammary gland was lower during lactation than during the post-weaning period (P < 0.01). In the uterus, mRNA expression of L-PRLR was higher than that of S-PRLR during lactation (P < 0.01) but there were no significant differences (P < 0.05) for the other five tissues. This study that the L-PRLR and S-PRLR proteins in ewes are mainly composed of extended fragments and random coils. The data also indicate that mRNA expression of L-PRLR and S-PRLR genes varies among different tissues in sheep and is higher in the uterus than in the ovary, spleen, mammary gland and lymph tissue throughout lactation and the post-weaning period.

Surpassing 13% Efficiency for Polythiophene Organic Solar Cells Processed from Nonhalogenated Solvent

Benefiting from low cost and simple synthesis, polythiophene (PT) derivatives are one of the most popular donor materials for organic solar cells (OSCs). However, polythiophene-based OSCs still suffer from inferior power conversion efficiency (PCE) than those based on donor-acceptor (D-A)-type conjugated polymers. Herein, a fluorinated polythiophene derivative, namely P4T2F-HD, is introduced to modulate the miscibility and morphology of the bulk heterojunction (BHJ)-active layer, leading to a significant improvement of the OSC performance. The Flory-Huggins interaction parameters calculated from the surface energy and differential scanning calorimetry results suggest that P4T2F-HD shows moderate miscibility with the popular nonfullerene acceptor Y6-BO (2,2'-((2Z,2'Z)-((12,13-bis(2-butyloctyl)-3,9-diundecyl-12,13-dihydro-[1,2,5]thiadiazolo[3,4-e]thieno[2',3':4',5']thieno[2',3':4,5]pyrrolo[3,2-g]thieno[2',3':4,5]thieno[3,2-b]indole-2,10-diyl)bis(methanylylidene))bis(5,6-difluoro-3-oxo-2,3-dihydro-1H-indene-2,1-diylidene))dimalononitrile), while poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) is very miscible with Y6-BO. As a result, the P4T2F-HD case forms desired nanoscale phase separation in the BHJ film while the P3HT case forms a completely mixed BHJ film, as revealed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and grazing-incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering (GIWAXS). By optimizing the cathode interface and the morphology of the P4T2F-HD:Y6-BO films processed from nonhalogenated solvents, a new record PCE of 13.65% for polythiophene-based OSCs is demonstrated. This work highlights the importance of controlling D/A interactions for achieving desired morphology and also demonstrates a promising OSC system for potential cost-effective organic photovoltaics.

Truxene Functionalized Star-Shaped Non-fullerene Acceptor With Selenium-Annulated Perylene Diimides for Efficient Organic Solar Cells

An electron acceptor with a truxene core and ring-fusion perylene diimide (PDI) tripolymer annulated by selenium (Se) branch, named as FTr-3PDI-Se, is designed and synthesized. FTr-3PDI-Se exhibits large conjugated planar conformation, strong absorption spectra in the regions of 300-400 and 450-550 nm, the deep HOMO energy level of 6.10 eV, and high decomposition temperature above 400°C. The FTr-3PDI-Se: PBDB-T-2Cl based device achieved a disappointing power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 1.6% together with a high V oc of 1.12 V. The low PCE was due to the large aggregates of blend film, the imbalanced hole/electron transport and low PL quenching efficiencies. The high V oc can be attributed to the high-lying LUMO level of FTr-3PDI-Se and the low-lying HOMO level of PBDB-T-2Cl. Our research presents an interesting and effective molecule-designing method to develop non-fullerene acceptor.

Inhibition of prolactin promotes secondary skin follicle activation in cashmere goats

The aim of this study was to investigate the involvement of prolactin (PRL) on development of secondary skin follicles in cashmere goats. Goats were randomly assigned to either a bromocriptine treatment or control group. Samples of cashmere fiber, blood, and skin were collected from all goats after 1 mo. The results indicated that the length, growth rate, and diameter of fibers were not influenced (P > 0.05) by the inhibition of PRL resulting from the treatment with bromocriptine. There was a tendency for increases in total follicle number, primary and secondary follicle numbers, and in the ratio of secondary to primary follicles following treatment with bromocriptine, but these differences were not significant (P > 0.05). The percentage of active secondary follicles in anagen was increased (P < 0.05) in the bromocriptine-treated goats, but there was no effect of treatment on the percentage of active primary follicles. Bromocriptine decreased (P < 0.05) circulating concentrations of PRL and Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) and increased (P < 0.05) those of melatonin (MT), but there was no effect of this treatment on the serum concentrations of cortisol, growth hormone, tetraiodothyronine, and triiodothyronine. In bromocriptine-treated goats, mRNA expressions of PRL and MT membrane receptor 1a (MTNR1a) were decreased (P < 0.05) and mRNA expression of MT nuclear receptor (RORα) was increased (P < 0.05), but there was no effect of the treatment on expression of long PRL receptor, short PRL receptor, MT membrane receptor 1b and IGF1. It is concluded that inhibition of PRL promotes secondary hair follicle development in the anagen phase, possibly by downregulating MTNR1a and up-regulating RORα gene expression in the skin.

Highly Efficient Simple-Structure Sky-Blue Organic Light-Emitting Diode Using a Bicarbazole/Cyanopyridine Bipolar Host

Up to now, the most efficient blue phosphorescent organic light-emitting diode (PhOLED) was achieved with a maximum external quantum efficiency (η_ext) of 34.1% by using an exciplex cohost. It still remains a challenge to obtain such high efficiencies using a single-host matrix. In this work, a highly efficient sky-blue PhOLED is successfully fabricated using a newly developed bipolar host material, namely 5-(2-(9H-[3,9'-bicarbazol]-9-yl)phenyl)nicotinonitrile (o-PyCNBCz), which realizes a η_ext of 29.4% at a practical luminance of 100 cd m^-2 and a maximum η_ext of 34.6% (at 23 cd m^-2). The present device is characterized by simple configuration with a single host and single emitting layer. o-PyCNBCz also reveals high efficiency of 28.2% (94.8 cd A^-1) when used as the host for green PhOLED. Under identical conditions, o-PyCNBCz always outperforms than its isomer 3-PyCNBCz (5-(9-phenyl-9H-[3,9'-bicarbazol]-6-yl)nicotinonitrile) in terms of more balanced charge transportation, higher photoluminescent quantum yields of over 90%, and higher horizontal orientation ratio of the emitting dipole for the host-dopant films, which finally lead to its superior performance in PhOLEDs. It is observed that all these merits of o-PyCNBCz benefit from its ortho-linking style of carbazole (p-type unit) and cyanopyridine (n-type unit) on the phenylene bridge and the resultant molecular conformation.

A proof-of-concept study of an automated solution for clinical metagenomic next-generation sequencing

AIMS

Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) has been utilized for diagnosing infectious diseases. It is a culture-free and hypothesis-free nucleic acid test for diagnosing all pathogens with known genomic sequences, including bacteria, fungi, viruses and parasites. While this technique greatly expands the clinical capacity of pathogen detection, it is a second-line choice due to lengthy procedures and microbial contaminations introduced from wet-lab processes. As a result, we aimed to reduce the hands-on time and exogenous contaminations in mNGS.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We developed a device (NGSmaster) that automates the wet-lab workflow, including nucleic acid extraction, PCR-free library preparation and purification. It shortens the sample-to-results time to 16 and 18·5 h for DNA and RNA sequencing respectively. We used it to test cultured bacteria for validation of the workflow and bioinformatic pipeline. We also compared PCR-free with PCR-based library prep and discovered no differences in microbial reads. Moreover we analysed results by automation and manual testing and found that automation can significantly reduce microbial contaminations. Finally, we tested artificial and clinical samples and showed mNGS results were concordant with traditional culture.

CONCLUSION

NGSmaster can fulfil the microbiological diagnostic needs in a variety of sample types.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

This study opens up an opportunity of performing in-house mNGS to reduce turnaround time and workload, instead of transferring potentially contagious specimen to a third-party laboratory.

Direct arylation polycondensation towards water/alcohol-soluble conjugated polymers as the electron transporting layers for organic solar cells

Two water/alcohol soluble conjugated polymers (WSCPs), based on naphthalenediimide and amino-functionalized 3,4-(propylenedioxy)thiophene, were synthesized via direct arylation polycondensation (DArP). The polymers worked well as electron transporting layers (ETLs) for fullerene-based and fullerene-free organic solar cells (OSCs), presenting an enhancement by above 40% compared to the control devices, respectively. The doping properties and high electron mobilities of these WSCPs endow them with high performance. The research study developed an effective method to synthesize ETLs for highly efficient OSCs, which was rarely reported.

[Prokaryotic expression and purification of sheep granulocyte colony stimulating factor for granulosa cell culture]

In order to clarify the regulation of granule cell stimulating factor (GCSF) on granulosa cells, we studied the effect of GCSF on proliferation and apoptosis of in vitro cultured granulosa cells for research on GCSF used in sheep reproduction and breeding. Sheep GCSF protein was prokaryotic expressed and purified. Its bio-activity was measured with M-NSF60 cells. The purified GCSF was added in cell culture medium in experiment groups with non-added as control. Alarmarblue was used to measure cell proliferation, and flow cytometry was used to detect cell cycles and apoptosis. Sheep GCSF could be expressed and purified. Cell activity increased with GCSF concentration from 0.06 to 600 ng/mL at 24 h and 48 h. Cell cycles were significantly different between experiment and control groups at 24 h. Cell ratio of S was significantly reduced (P<0.05) and G2/M phase significantly increased (P<0.05). The apoptosis ratio of experiment group was significantly reduced (P<0.05) at 48 h. In conclusion, GCSF could enhance cell proliferation, inhibit apoptosis, and regulate cell cycles on in vitro cultured sheep granulosa cells.

Internal daughter formation of Toxoplasma gondii tachyzoites is coordinated by transcription factor TgAP2IX-5

Toxoplasma gondii rapidly propagates through endodyogeny of tachyzoites, a process in which daughter parasites divide within the cell of the mother parasite. Recent studies have revealed that transcription factors with AP2-domain participate in the process of cell division in T. gondii. However, the concise regulation of the division cycles by AP2 proteins is poorly understood. In this study, we evaluated the effect of the transcription factor TgAP2IX-5 on the daughter cell formation in T. gondii. TgAP2IX-5 is a nuclear protein and is highly expressed during the S phase of the cell cycle of tachyzoites. TgAP2IX-5-disrupted strain showed a severe defect in replication and completely blocked lytic parasite growth. Following 3-indoleacetic acid treatment or without treatment of AP2IX-5-AID-3HA tagged strain for 30 min, 1 and 2 hr, the differentially expressed genes were 8, 54 and 202, respectively. Among these genes, the significantly downregulated ones were AP2 proteins, inner membrane complex (IMC) proteins and SAG-related proteins. Interestingly, loss of TgAP2IX-5 leads to a defect in internal daughter IMC formation and abnormalities in the morphology of organelles during cell division. Together, our study suggests that TgAP2IX-5 is crucial in regulating IMC formation of daughter cells in T. gondii.

The effect of in-hospital high-dose vs. low-dose intensive statin in patients with non-ST segment elevation acute coronary syndrome

Background

Statins remain a standard treatment for acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients. We aimed to determine the association between different dosages of in-hospital statins and the prognoses among patients receiving percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Methods

NSTE-ACS patients were retrospectively enrolled from January 2010 to December 2014 from five centres in China. Patients receiving either atorvastatin or rosuvastatin during their hospitalizations were included. All the patients were categorized into high-dose statin group (40mg atorvastatin or 20mg rosuvastatin) or low-dose statin group (20mg atorvastatin or 10mg rosuvastatin). In-hospital events and long-term all-cause death was recorded.

Results

Of the 7,008 patients included in the study, 5,248 received low-dose intensive statin (mean age: 64.28±10.39; female: 25.2%), and 1,760 received high-dose intensive statin (mean age: 63.68±10.59; female: 23.1%). There was no significant difference in in-hospital all-cause death between the two groups (adjusted OR, 1.27; P=0.665). All-cause death was similar between the two groups during the long-term follow-up period (30-day: adjusted HR, 1.28; P=0.571; 3-year: adjusted HR, 0.83; P=0.082). However, there was a robust association between the high-dose statin and the reduction in in-hospital dialysis (adjusted OR, 0.11; P=0.030).

Conclusions

The in-hospital high-dose intensive statin is not associated with lower risks of in-hospital or follow-up all-cause death in NSTE-ACS patients undergoing PCI. Considering the robust beneficial effect of in-hospital dialysis, an individualized high-dose intensive statin can be rational in specified populations.

Univariate and multivariate analyses

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding source: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): The Science and Technology Planning Project of Guangzhou City athe China Youth Research Funding