Blue State Research Articles

Correction to: The Placenta and Plasmodium Infections: a Case Study from Blue Nile State, Sudan

The article The Placenta and Plasmodium Infections: a Case Study from Blue Nile State, Sudan, written by Samia A. Omer and Suad M. Sulaiman, was originally published electronically on the publisher’s internet portal (currently SpringerLink) on October 03, 2020, with open access.

The Placenta and Plasmodium Infections: a Case Study from Blue Nile State, Sudan

Sequestration of Plasmodium-infected cells in the placenta causes significant adverse effects on mothers and their fetuses. With progress in understanding placental malaria and associated adverse consequences, this review addresses the situation in an area with high prevalence, in Blue Nile State, Sudan, where protective interventions are not adequately provided. Several studies have confirmed that malaria infection during pregnancy with parasites in the placenta, even at sub-patent level detected by molecular techniques, can result in maternal morbidity, fetal growth restriction, and reduced birth weight. Thus, malaria protection measures and antenatal care are vital for pregnant women in endemic areas. Falciparum and vivax-infected erythrocytes are able to sequester in the placenta and not easily detected in peripheral blood during antenatal period. Recently, several biological biomarkers associated with malaria infection during pregnancy were detected. Such biomarkers could be used as indicators for identifying women at risk of placental infection complications, particularly when pre-eclampsia may occur.

White Counties Stand Apart: The Primacy of Residential Segregation in COVID-19 and HIV Diagnoses

Emerging epidemiological data suggest that white Americans have a lower risk of acquiring COVID-19. Although many studies have pointed to the role of systemic racism in COVID-19 racial/ethnic disparities, few studies have examined the contribution of racial segregation. Residential segregation is associated with differing health outcomes by race/ethnicity for various diseases, including HIV. This commentary documents differing HIV and COVID-19 outcomes and service delivery by race/ethnicity and the crucial role of racial segregation. Using publicly available Census data, we divide US counties into quintiles by percentage of non-Hispanic white residents and examine HIV diagnoses and COVID-19 per 100,000 population. HIV diagnoses decrease as the proportion of white residents increase across US counties. COVID-19 diagnoses follow a similar pattern: Counties with the highest proportion of white residents have the fewest cases of COVID-19 irrespective of geographic region or state political party inclination (i.e., red or blue states). Moreover, comparatively fewer COVID-19 diagnoses have occurred in primarily white counties throughout the duration of the US COVID-19 pandemic. Systemic drivers place racial minorities at greater risk for COVID-19 and HIV. Individual-level characteristics (e.g., underlying health conditions for COVID-19 or risk behavior for HIV) do not fully explain excess disease burden in racial minority communities. Corresponding interventions must use structural- and policy-level solutions to address racial and ethnic health disparities.

Electrochromic behavior of poly(amine-amide) with pendant N-phenylcarbazole and triphenylamine units and its composite with multiwalled carbon nanotubes

Electrochromic behavior of poly(amine-amide) with pendant N-phenylcarbazole and triphenylamine units (A1) and its composites with multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were investigated. Cyclic voltammetry showed four separate redox processes with oxidation peaks at Eox1 = 720 mV, Eox2 = 1070 mV, Eox3 = 1295 mV and Eox4 = 1730 mV vs Ag/Ag+. The first two reactions are reversible and spectroelectrochemical analysis demonstrated color changes. A1 exhibits a colorless initial state, a green radical cation state, and a blue dication state. The polymer exhibits a good stability during the electrochromic tests in the range of -400 to 1100 mV with minimal loss of the transmittance during 30 cycles. The potential increasing above 1100 mV induces the third and fourth redox reactions and results to coloring film to deep blue. However, these redox processes are chemically and electrochemically irreversible. Detailed calorimetric study and FTIR-spectra analysis of polymer before and after electrochemical measurements show change of the macromolecular structure induced by the redox processes at potentials above 1100 mV. The introduction of MWCNTs in the polymer films improves the kinetics of switching between the A1 color states while a slight decrease in the optical contrast. The FTIR spectroscopy, TG and DSC results of A1/MWCNT composites (in the range of the studied component composition) before and after electrochemical tests practically coincide with the data for pristine polymer and indicate a change in the polymer structure in the third and fourth redox reactions. Thus, the introduction of MWCNTs leads to an improvement in electrochromic characteristics during reversible redox reactions, but does not affect the destructive processes induced by the third and fourth oxidative reactions.

Resolving Cell Cycle Speed in One Snapshot with a Live-Cell Fluorescent Reporter

SUMMARYCell proliferation changes concomitantly with fate transitions during reprogramming, differentiation, regeneration, and oncogenesis. Methods to resolve cell cycle length heterogeneity in real time are currently lacking. Here, we describe a genetically encoded fluorescent reporter that captures live-cell cycle speed using a single measurement. This reporter is based on the color-changing fluorescent timer (FT) protein, which emits blue fluorescence when newly synthesized before maturing into a red fluorescent protein. We generated a mouse strain expressing an H2B-FT fusion reporter from a universally active locus and demonstrate that faster cycling cells can be distinguished from slower cycling ones on the basis of the intracellular fluorescence ratio between the FT’s blue and red states. Using this reporter, we reveal the native cell cycle speed distributions of fresh hematopoietic cells and demonstrate its utility in analyzing cell proliferation in solid tissues. This system is broadly applicable for dissecting functional heterogeneity associated with cell cycle dynamics in complex tissues.

Factors Related to State Lockdown Policies: a Comparison of Jobs Lost with Deaths from COVID-19 by State

The COVID-19 debate in the United States has become more contentious in late April and early May 2020. On one side are voices arguing there is no end in sight for the risks associated with COVID-19 and that lockdown and stay at home policies need to persist. A divergence of opinion regarding these policies formed largely along party lines. Blue state governors emphasized the importance of continued lockdown policies and social distance policies. Red state governors, while still being concerned about health and safety, were recommending the reopening of the U.S. economy. Recent studies such as Tellis, Sood and Sood (2020) have identified political affiliation as a primary driver for policy decisions in the COVID-19 era. This study examines the role of political affiliation both in the advice governors provide for lockdown vs reopen the economy. Also considered is the relative impact of jobs lost over COVID-19 deaths. The study concludes that red states are paying a much higher relative price than blue states. For example, Hawaii has lost over 9,000 jobs for each of the 13 jobs lost. South Dakota has lost over 7,000 jobs for each of the 10 deaths attributed to COVID-19. In addition, this paper examines three troubling aspects of the data being used to justify lockdown measures and social distancing. Another reason for the undue burden being borne by red states is the fact that more than 88 percent of COVID-19 cases have been in blue states. Finally, a brief consideration of the massive amounts of U.S. debt being accumulated by the Federal Reserve and the risks for the U.S. financial condition is also briefly discussed.

Nano-cobalt oxide/viologen hybrid solid state device: Electrochromism beyond chemical cell

An improved nanofilm of Co3O4 has been synthesized using controlled current electrodeposition on a conducting transparent electrode for fabricating a hybrid solid state electrochromic device by combining it with Viologen. The nanoelectrochromic electrode also acts as a counterion to support redox induced color switching of Viologen in a solid state without any liquid electrolyte. A good color contrast between its yellow and blue states under different bias conditions has been observed, which leads to overall performance enhancement as quantified using device parameters such as coloration efficiency, color contrast, stability, and cycle life. The solid state device shows an improved efficiency of as high as 360 cm2/C and a switching time of as low as 500 ms. In situ spectroelectrochemical studies reveal that the bias induced redox activity of Viologen and metal oxide leads to the color change. The two constituents are not only electrochromically active materials but also simultaneous counterions for each other, thus leading to improvement in the electrochromic performance.

Viewer’s Manual for the Film Red State/Blue State: Lawyers, Politics & Moral Counseling

This Viewer’s Manual provides a lesson plan for classroom or continuing legal education discussion of the film, “Red State/Blue State: Lawyers, Politics & Moral Counseling” (http address in Viewer’s Manual). The Viewers Manual and film use the question of why lawyers are more politically liberal than non-lawyers as a way to explore the foundation in political philosophy for the dominant conception of lawyers as amoral partisans and to consider whether engaging in moral conversation with clients is permitted or preferable. The film attempts to make this inquiry both fun and accessible. It features an entertaining narrative, musical selections from R.E.M., and comments from law students, lawyers, clients, and scholars from diverse political backgrounds, including Doug Ammar, Robin Barnes, Erwin Chemerinsky, Lawrence Fox, Heather MacDonald, John McGinnis, Russell Pearce, Deborah Rhode, William Simon, Ken Starr, and David Wilkins. The Viewer’s Guide and the film build on “The Legal Profession as a Blue State: Reflections on Public Philosophy, Jurisprudence, and Legal Ethics,” available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=988196.

Research Illustrates Role of New Council on Criminal Justice as Center of Gravity for the Field

Launched in 2019, the nonpartisan Council on Criminal Justice (CCJ) is an invitational membership organization and think tank that serves as a center of gravity and incubator of policy and leadership for the criminal justice field. Its mission is to advance understanding of the criminal justice policy choices facing the nation and build consensus for solutions that enhance safety and justice for all. CCJ’s emergence reflects broad agreement across the ideological spectrum that the nation’s justice system is deeply flawed and requires equally deep reform. A quarter-century ago, crime was one of the most divisive issues in politics; today, people in Washington and in capitals of red and blue states alike are uniting behind solutions based on facts and evidence. That consensus and commitment to data-driven policymaking is the lifeblood of the Council, and it is embodied by the accomplished and diverse group of leaders and innovators who comprise its members, Directors and Trustees. Through research, task forces, convenings, and special projects, CCJ accelerates momentum for criminal justice reform and drives smart policymaking by generating achievable solutions that are factual, not just fashionable. The Council’s first projects include an ongoing series of papers analyzing the legacy and lessons of the 1994 Crime Bill, which was and remains the most far-reaching and controversial criminal justice legislation in the nation’s history. Also in its first year, CCJ produced a report documenting recent, surprising trends in racial disparities across correctional populations, marking a significant advance in the data and analysis surrounding this critical issue.

Congenital Malaria in Newborns Delivered to Mothers with Malaria-Infected Placenta in Blue Nile State, Sudan.

Diagnosis of congenital malaria is complicated by the low density of the parasite circulating in the cord blood and/or the peripheral blood of the newborns. Molecular techniques are significantly more sensitive than blood smears in detecting low-level parasitemia. This study investigated the prevalence of congenital malaria by the use of the real-time polymerase chain reaction (real-time PCR) in 102 babies born to mothers with microscopically confirmed infected placenta from Blue Nile state, Sudan. At delivery time, placental, maternal peripheral and cord blood samples in addition to samples collected from the newborns' peripheral blood were examined for malaria infection using Giemsa-stained thick smear and parasite DNA detection by real-time PCR. The overall prevalence of congenital malaria includes the total babies with cord blood parasitaemia and peripheral blood parasitaemia was 18.6 and 56.8% using microscopy and real-time PCR, respectively. Even though all the neonates were aparasitaemic by microscopy, 19 (18.6%) of the babies had congenital malaria detected by real-time PCR, 15 (25.9%) of the babies with congenital malaria were born to mothers with both placental and peripheral blood malaria infections detected using the two techniques. Congenital malaria was significantly associated with cord blood malaria infections, maternal age and maternal haemoglobin level (p < 0.001). This first study investigating congenital malaria in Blue Nile state, Sudan shows that malaria-infected placenta resulted in infant and cord blood infections.

A “nasty woman”: assessing the gendered mediation of Hillary Clinton’s nonverbal immediacy cues during the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign

ABSTRACT Hillary Clinton’s defeat in the 2016 U.S. presidential election was a stunning upset that confounded pollsters, pundits, and journalists predicting a solid win by the former secretary of state and Democratic candidate against businessperson and reality television star Donald Trump. This article uses the theoretical lenses of gendered mediation and the double bind to investigate how U.S. media framed Clinton’s credibility and likability as a female candidate during the last six weeks of the election campaign. Employing a qualitative thematic content analysis, the paper examines how two regional daily newspapers in traditionally red and blue states assessed Clinton’s credibility and likability through her use of nonverbal immediacy cues. It finds that though Clinton was able to gain credibility through her use of immediacy behaviours, the portrayal of her likability was still confined by gender norms and depicted as a barrier to her viability as a presidential candidate.

Chemical Composition and Nutritional Value of Some Type of Wild Mushrooms in Blue Nile State

This study was conducted to determine the chemical composition and nutritional value for eight samples of edible mushrooms, including seven samples of wild edible mushrooms collected from Blue Nile State and one commercial sample. All samples were classified by Mycokey software program and mushroom expert web site. In addition, the mushrooms varieties found are <i>Agaricus bisporus, Chlorophyllum rhacodes, Agaricus lutosus, Volvariella volvacea, Agaricus impudicus, Agaricus arvensis, Agaricus silvicola</i> and the commercial sample (<i>Agaricus bisporus</i>). Also, toxicity was detected using potassium hydroxide (4%) during collection in the field and for all samples the toxicity test was negative. The results showed that the samples containing varying moisture content between samples ranged from 5.26% to 11.11%. Fat content ranged from 0.94% to 2.99%. Protein content ranged between 19.41% to 34.14%. Ash content ranged from 0.22% to 1.47%. Add to that, the fiber content ranged from 5.25% to 23.86%. Carbohydrate content ranged from 26.76% to 77.91%. The calcium content (mg/kg) ranged from 5.80 to 8.60. The magnesium content (mg/kg) ranged from 3.07 to 5.50. The phosphorus content (mg/kg) ranged from 2.15 to 2.50. The potassium content (mg/kg) ranged from 21.20 to 21.50. The iron content (mg/100g) ranged from 1.30 to 1.55. The zinc content (mg/100g) ranged from 0.51 to 0.52. The copper content (mg/100g) ranged from 0.10 to 0.11. The manganese content (mg/100g) ranged from 0.10 to 0.12. The essential amino acids content (mg/100g) of mushroom samples were: arginine content ranged from 6.30 to 6.40. Histidine content ranged from 1.90 to 2.20. Lysine content ranged from 5.00 to 5.10. Tryptophan content ranged from 0.88 to 0.90. Phenylalanine content ranged from 2.00 to 2.10. Methionine content ranged from 1.00 to 1.15. Threonine content ranged from 4.05 to 4.10. Leucine content ranged from 3.90 to 4.10. Isoleucine content ranged from 5.56 to 5.70. Valine content ranged from 4.20 to 4.50. All samples contain high levels of protein, minerals and essential amino acids. However, the <i>Volvariella volvacea</i> sample is the best sample in terms of containing the protein so it can be entered as a dietary supplement in some processed foods that contain very small amounts of protein.

Genetic polymorphisms of fecundity genes in Watish Sudanese desert sheep.

Background and Aim:The Watish sheep is a strain of desert sheep of smaller size compared to other desert sheep ecotypes, and there is anecdotal evidence that it is endowed with high litter size. The present study was designed for screening for polymorphisms in the known fecundity genes (bone morphogenetic protein receptor type 1B A<G in exon 6, bone morphogenetic protein 15 (BMP15) (FecXB, FecXG, FecXH, and FecXI) in exon2, growth differentiation factor 9 (GDF9) – G1 in exon1 and G8 in exon2 and PRLG<A in intron2) and their association with litter size in Watish.Materials and Methods:The study involved 156 Watish ewes of 2-6 years of age, along with data on litter size in the first, second, and third parity from Sinnar state and contiguous Blue Nile State. Genomic DNA was isolated and genotyped using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. Allele and genotype frequencies were calculated by direct counting. Chi-square test for goodness of fit was performed for agreement with Hardy-Weinberg expectations and association testing.Results:The results demonstrated that all individuals were non-carriers for the target mutations of FecB, BMP15 (FecXB, FecXH, and FecXI), and GDF9-G8. With regard to the GDF9-G1 gene, the genotypic frequencies were 0.07% (G+) and 0.93% (++), in FecXG gene they were 0.993% (++) and 0.006% (B+), in PRL gene 0.516(++), 0.347(B+), and 0.137(BB). The Chi-square test showed a non-significant association between ewe’s type of birth and the detected mutations genotypes.Conclusion:These results preliminarily indicated that GDF9-G1, BMP15 (FecXG), and PRL genes might have had some contribution for improving litter size in Watish Sudanese sheep. However, further studies using larger samples are needed to detect the effects of those mutations on Watish sheep litter size.

The Plenary Power Meets the Police Power: Federalism at the Intersection of Health &amp;amp; Immigration

The regulation of immigration has traditionally been considered an exclusive federal function, over which the elected branches have so-called plenary power. In contrast, the protection of public health has long been viewed as falling primarily within the purview of the states’ police power. These two long-standing, but never fully followed, tenets of federalism are increasingly in tension as so-called Blue States seek to expand non-citizens’ access to health benefits, while the Trump Administration institutes a series of immigration restrictions that will deter non-citizens from utilizing health benefits or accessing health care. This paper explores this tension, focusing in particular on the federalism implications of the Administration’s public charge rule. Part One of the paper discusses the doctrinal foundations for the federal government’s exclusive and plenary power over immigration, as well as the state’s primary responsibility over health. Part Two problematizes the notion of separate spheres, and looks at the overlapping and contested relationship between the federal government and the states with respect to immigration, health, and especially immigration policies that relate to health. Part Three discusses the values, including self-governance, accountability, and separation of powers, that are salient to determining the appropriate scope of federal and state action at the intersection between health and immigration. The paper concludes by arguing that these values, as well as a regard for public health, should lead courts to reject an expansive application of the plenary power doctrine when a President’s immigration initiatives impede state health policies.

PEDOT:PSS/Fe2O3 as hybrid composite film for tuning color in electrochromism

Electrochromism is known as a modulation of the optical properties under an applied voltage. Among conductive polymers, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) switching from a neutral to reduced blue state, existing as commercial ink, allows to address displays applications. Aiming at enlarging the color panel, we recently developed an approach based on the addition of oxides leading to PEDOT-PSS + Oxides composites. Particularly, in this work, the influence of the incorporation of Fe2O3 on the electrochromic properties of the PEDOT:PSS based films deposited by bar coater are studied. The electrochemical and optical characterizations of the hybrid composite films PEDOT:PSS/Fe2O3 by chronoamperometric (CA) coupled with in situ UV–visible spectroscopy, indicate that the hybrid composite film with 420 nm thickness shows a reversible switch from blue to red associated with a coloration efficiency of (CE = 37 cm2 C−1) at 650 nm and transmittance modulation (ΔT = 22%) in lithium based electrolytes with switching speeds in the order of the sec. All these results suggest that the hybrid composite films, combining the benefit of mixing inorganic and organic materials, are promising materials for electrochromic devices.

Photoreversible interconversion of a phytochrome photosensory module in the crystalline state

A major barrier to defining the structural intermediates that arise during the reversible photointerconversion of phytochromes between their biologically inactive and active states has been the lack of crystals that faithfully undergo this transition within the crystal lattice. Here, we describe a crystalline form of the cyclic GMP phosphodiesterases/adenylyl cyclase/FhlA (GAF) domain from the cyanobacteriochrome PixJ in Thermosynechococcus elongatus assembled with phycocyanobilin that permits reversible photoconversion between the blue light-absorbing Pb and green light-absorbing Pg states, as well as thermal reversion of Pg back to Pb. The X-ray crystallographic structure of Pb matches previous models, including autocatalytic conversion of phycocyanobilin to phycoviolobilin upon binding and its tandem thioether linkage to the GAF domain. Cryocrystallography at 150 K, which compared diffraction data from a single crystal as Pb or after irradiation with blue light, detected photoconversion product(s) based on Fobs - Fobs difference maps that were consistent with rotation of the bonds connecting pyrrole rings C and D. Further spectroscopic analyses showed that phycoviolobilin is susceptible to X-ray radiation damage, especially as Pg, during single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses, which could complicate fine mapping of the various intermediate states. Fortunately, we found that PixJ crystals are amenable to serial femtosecond crystallography (SFX) analyses using X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs). As proof of principle, we solved by room temperature SFX the GAF domain structure of Pb to 1.55-Å resolution, which was strongly congruent with synchrotron-based models. Analysis of these crystals by SFX should now enable structural characterization of the early events that drive phytochrome photoconversion.

Prevalence of different trypanosomes in livestock in Blue Nile and West Kordofan States, Sudan

African animal trypanosomosis, transmitted cyclically by tsetse flies or mechanically by other biting flies, causes serious health problems in livestock. Although tsetse infestations have been observed in Blue Nile State in Sudan, tsetse was eradicated in West Kordofan in 1962, and no further studies have been carried out. Accordingly, in this study, we investigated the prevalence of trypanosomosis in cattle, sheep, and goats in Blue Nile and West Kordofan States, Sudan. This cross-sectional study was conducted using 70 cattle, 62 sheep, and 116 goats, and the microhematocrit centrifugation technique was used as a parasitological test. KIN-multispecies polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to detect Trypanozoon sp., Trypanosoma congolense, and T. vivax; RoTat 1.2 variable surface glycoprotein-specific PCR was used to detect T. evansi; and TviCatL PCR was used to specifically detect T. vivax. The seroprevalence of trypanosomosis was assessed using card agglutination tests CATT/ T. evansi. The parasitological prevalence rates were 4% (3/70) in cattle, 2% (1/62) in sheep, and 4% (5/116) in goats. The molecular prevalence rates of T. vivax, the most prevalent parasite, were 99% (69/70) in cattle, 98% (61/62) in sheep, and 84% (98/116) in goats. Trypanozoon (T. evansi or T. brucie) rates were 30% (21/70) in cattle, 32% (20/62) in sheep, and 12% (14/116) in goats. Among Trypanozoon-positive isolates, T. evansi was confirmed in 24% (5/21) of cattle, 70% (14/20) of sheep, and 86% (12/14) of goats. Finally, T. congolense was recorded only in cattle in Blue Nile State, with a prevalence of 14% (10/70). The seroprevalence rates of CATT/T. evansi were 46% (32/70) in cattle, 45% (28/62) in sheep, and 14% (16/116) in goats. Thus, we confirmed molecularly, for the first time, the presence of Trypanozoon, particularly T. evansi and T. vivax, in sheep and goats in Sudan. Our results show that sheep and goats could be an important reservoir for trypanosomes, potentially leading to the spread of the disease to the northern parts of the country following the movement of these animals. These findings provide important insights into the epidemiology of the disease and could affect the establishment of control strategies against trypanosomosis in Sudan.

SENSORY VOCABULARY OF THE ENGLISH, UKRAINIAN AND RUSSIAN LANGUAGES: SEMANTIC DERIVATION IN THE LANGUAGE SYSTEM, LINGUOCOGNITIVE AND LINGUOCULTURAL ASPECTS. Article 3

The sensory vocabulary considered in our study (in a cycle of three articles) are English, Ukrainian and Russian adjectives, verbalizing quanta of sensory information. Such quanta include sensations obtained through the channels of two modalities: a gustotory one (sense of taste) and visual, namely coloristic one (color perception). Adjectives of the gustotory and color semantics demonstrate the great potential of semantic derivation in the process of language development. In the framework of this publication, evaluative, metaphorical and symbolic motivation of the semantic expansion of the corresponding words is considered in the cultural, psycholinguistic and cognitive perspectives.The gustotory code of human perception and verbal designation of the world correlates with the basic, “physiological needs” of a person (according to Maslow), in particular with the needs for food and drink. In addition, taste sensations, according to physiologists, arise first in the process of ontogenesis of a person, and subsequently quite clearly correlate with the assessment of tasty / tasteless. The combination of these two factors is an explanation of why the units of this microgroup in all three languages turn out to be homogeneously (100%) polysemantic and evaluatively connotated, mainly with a negative evaluation, which coincides in all languages. The coloristic code is less homogeneous, not all units of this microgroup are polysemants, and the evaluation of derived units varies from a sign (+) to a sign (-) and from language to language. The metaphoric quality of English, Ukrainian and Russian lexical units, which first meaning is color, is not as comprehensive as that of the units of taste semantics, and quite variegated from language to language. The search for metaphorical motivation in the development of semantics of sensory adjectives is of considerable complexity, motivation is often obscured. An exceptional feature of coloristic adjectives is an increase in their polysemy due to the appearance of a sememe with symbolic semantics. Dictionaries record a few cases of such units. In our sample, they form opposing pairs to denote opposed political forces or movements. These are the colors red VS white (red movement VS white movement in the 1917 revolution in Russia) and red VS blue (red states VS blue states in the political life of modern USA).

Methemoglobin Modulation as an Intravascular Contrast Agent for Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Proof of Concept.

Objective: The aim of this feasibility study was to investigate methemoglobin modulation in vivo as a potential magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) gadolinium based contrast agent (GBCA) alternative. Recently, gadolinium tissue deposition was identified and safety concerns were raised after adverse effects were discovered in canines and humans. Because of this, alternative contrast agents are warranted. One potential alternative is methemoglobinemia induction, which can create T1-weighted signal in vitro. Canines with hereditary methemoglobinemia represent a unique opportunity to investigate methemoglobin modulation. Our objective was to determine if methemoglobinemia could create high intravascular T1-signal in vivo with reversal using methylene blue.Methods: To accomplish this study, a 1.5-year-old male-castrated mixed breed canine with hereditary methemoglobinemia underwent 3T-MRI/MRA with T1-weighted sequences including 3D-T1-weighted Magnetization Prepared Rapid Acquisition Gradient Echo (MPRAGE) and 3D-Time-Of-Flight (TOF). Images were acquired during baseline methemoglobinemia and rescued using intravenous methylene blue (1 mg/kg). Intravascular T1-signal was compared between baseline methemoglobinemia and post-methylene blue. N = 10 separate T1-signal measurements were acquired for each vascular structure, normalized to muscle. Significance was determined using paired two-tailed t-tests and threshold alpha = 0.05. Fold-change was also calculated using the ratio of T1-signal between methemoglobinemia and post-methylene blue states.Results: At baseline, methemoglobin levels measured 19.5% and decreased to 4.9% after methylene blue. On 3D-T1-weighted MPRAGE, visible signal change was present in internal vertebral venous plexus (IVVP, 1.34 ± 0.09 vs. 0.83 ± 0.05, p < 0.001, 1.62 ± 0.06-fold) and external jugular veins (1.54 ± 0.07 vs. 0.87 ± 0.06, p < 0.001, 1.78 ± 0.10-fold). There was also significant change in ventral spinal arterial signal (1.21 ± 0.11 vs. 0.79 ± 0.07, p < 0.001, 1.54 ± 0.16-fold) but not in carotid arteries (2.12 ± 0.10 vs. 2.16 ± 0.11, p = 0.07, 0.98 ± 0.03-fold). On 3D-TOF, visible signal change was in IVVP (1.64 ± 0.14 vs. 1.09 ± 0.11, p < 0.001, 1.50 ± 0.11-fold) and there was moderate change in external jugular vein signal (1.51 ± 0.13 vs. 1.19 ± 0.08, p < 0.001, 1.27 ± 0.07-fold). There were also small but significant differences in ventral spinal arterial signal (2.00 ± 0.12 vs. 1.78 ± 0.10, p = 0.002, 1.13 ± 0.10-fold) but not carotid arteries (2.03 ± 0.17 vs. 1.99 ± 0.17, p = 0.15, 1.02 ± 0.04-fold).Conclusion: Methemoglobin modulation produces intravascular contrast on T1-weighted MRI in vivo. Additional studies are warranted to optimize methemoglobinemia induction, sequence parameters for maximal tissue contrast, and safety parameters prior to clinical implementation.

AIE-active electrochromic materials based on tetraphenylethylene cored benzoates with high optical contrast and coloration efficiency

In this work, a series of dual functional materials, 4,4′,4″,4‴-(ethene-1,1,2,2-tetrayl)tetrabenzoates (ETBAs), were developed with an aggregation-induced emission (AIE) luminogenic center (tetraphenylethylene) and electrochromically active moieties (benzoates). The highest occupied molecular orbital and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital energy levels of the ETBAs were determined via density functional theory calculations. The fluorescent, electrochemical, and electrochromic performances of the ETBAs were characterized via fluorescence spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, UV–Vis spectroscopy, and chronoamperometry. All the ETBAs demonstrated an AIE effect in water/N-methyl pyrrolidone. The ETBAs underwent a quasi-reversible reduction-oxidation. Electrochromic devices based on the ETBAs exhibited a significant color change from a transparent bleached state to a colored blue state, high optical contrast (ca. 80%), and large coloration efficiency. The used substituents markedly influenced the cyclability and response time, and compounds with a larger conjugation degree had lower energy gap values and faster response time. Compound c with a longer alkyl chain length had the best performance with regards to coloration efficiency and cyclability. In summary, this work demonstrated a strategy for the design of novel high-performance ECMs and could extend the applications of such multi-functional materials.