Dickey Lamb (sphynxbite3)

Organic dyes emitting in the second near-infrared (NIR-II, 900-1700 nm) window, with high molar extinction coefficients (MEC) and quantum yields (QY) in aqueous, are essential for in vivo bioimaging and biosensing. In this work, we developed a dibodipy-based aggregation-induced emission (AIE) fluorescent probe, THPP, to meet this aim. THPP exhibits a high MEC and has intensified absorption and emission in J-aggregated state, which significantly enhance the fluorescence intensity (≈55 folds) and extend the maximal absorption/emission wavelengths to 970/1010 nm in NIR-II region. Based on the bright THPP, imaging with a high frame rate (34 frames per second) at a deep "valid penetration depth" up to 6 mm can be achieved. This enabled simultaneous and dynamic imaging of vasculatures and deep tissues. Besides, we succeeded in monitoring the respiratory rate of acute-lung-injury mice and tracing the collateral circulation process with a high frame rate. Polycomb proteins are essential for maintaining stem cell identity across different stem cell niches. However, how they function to maintain stem cell niches is not fully understood. Here we show that the SERTAD protein Taranis (Tara), which is a Polycomb-trithorax group protein, is expressed in the adult testis niche and plays a role in its maintenance in Drosophila. We found that tara is expressed in early cyst cells, likely including somatic cyst stem cells (CySCs) of Drosophila male testis tip region, which houses both germline and somatic cyst stem cells along with the hub cells, forming the stem cell niche. Consistent with its expression, we found that, while loss of tara in germline cells only had minimal effects, tara knockdown in all cells or only in somatic cells of the niche reduced the number of not only somatic cells, but also germline stem cells (GSCs). We further found that Tara might antagonize Notch signaling in CySCs to maintain the stem cell niche. Our studies suggest that Tara might function in somatic CySCs for GSC maintenance in the Drosophila testis. Our studies suggest that Tara might function in somatic CySCs for GSC maintenance in the Drosophila testis. Heterogeneity of structural and electrophysiologic properties of atrial myocardium is common characteristic in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). We assessed the dispersion of atrial refractoriness on surface ECG using P-wave dispersion (PWD) and its relation to atrial electromechanical functions using vector velocity imaging (VVI) in HCM population. Seventy-nine HCM patients (mean age 43.7±13years, 67% male) were compared with 25 healthy individuals as control. P-wave durations, P and P , P-wave dispersion (PWD), and P terminal force (PTF) were measured from 12-lead ECG. LA segmental delay (TTP-d) and dispersion (TTP-SD) of electromechanical activation were derived from atrial strain rate curves. HCM patients had longer PR interval, PW duration, higher PWD, PTF, QT compared to control (p<.001). HCM patients were classified according to presence of PWD into two groups, group I with PWD>46ms (n=25) and group II PWD≤46ms (n=54). Group I showed higher prevalence of female gender, higher PTF, QTc interval, left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) obstruction, p<.01, LVOT gradient (p<.001), LV mass index (p<.01), E/E' (p<.01), and severe mitral regurgitation (p<.001). Moreover, PWD was associated with increased atrial electromechanical delay (TTP-d) and LA mechanical dyssynchrony (TTP-SD), p<.001. LA segmental delay and dispersion of electromechanical activation were distinctly higher among HCM patient. PWD is simple ECG criterion, and it is associated with more severe HCM phenotype and LA electromechanical delay while PTF is linked only to atrial remodeling. PWD is simple ECG criterion, and it is associated with more severe HCM phenotype an