Chiral conjugated materials stand at the forefront of organic electronics because of their chiroptical properties and spin-filtering capabilities. Although chiral materials with intrinsic spins show significant promise for organic spintronics, their development remains challenging due to structural and assembly constraints. In this study, a series of quinoid molecules with intrinsic spins (QFn) is developed and assembled into chiral supramolecular structures by blending with the chiral additive 1,1'-binaphthyl-2,2'-diamine (BN). Chirality transfer is considered to occur through F···H-N hydrogen bonding, and succeeds only in fluorinated QF1 and QF2. Thermal annealing yields markedly different degrees of chirality amplification, depending on the molecular structure. Asymmetric QF1 forms stable co-crystals with BN, resulting in a 30-fold amplification of chirality with an absorption dissymmetry factor (gabs) of 1.23 × 10-2, whereas symmetric QF2 undergoes phase separation with minimal amplification. Notably, QF1+BN co-crystals enable the first realization of magneto field-effect transistors (m-FETs) based on chiral assemblies possessing spins. This system exhibits a clear mirror image of spin polarization (SP) of ∼7% by enantiomers, demonstrating the chirality-induced spin selectivity (CISS) effect. These findings provide foundational insights into the chiral assembly of spin-bearing molecules and the chirality-spin relationship, advancing the field of organic spintronics.

This study aimed to investigate the impact of adding lutein-loaded chitosan nanoparticles (LU-CNPs) to a semen extender on the quality, membrane integrity, kinematic parameters, redox status, apoptosis-like changes, ultrastructural integrity, and fertility of cryopreserved ram sperm. Semen samples from seven fertile rams (12-14 months old) were collected using the artificial-vagina technique and cryopreserved in a Tris-based extender containing LU-CNPs at concentrations of 0, 50, 100, and 150 μg/mL. Supplementation with 100 μg/mL LU-CNPs significantly improved sperm progressive motility, viability, membrane integrity, and kinematic parameters. This concentration also enhanced total antioxidant capacity and the activities of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase, while reducing malondialdehyde, hydrogen peroxide, nitric oxide, and related enzymatic activities in the post-thaw cryopreservation diluent recovered after centrifugation of sperm samples, compared with the control group (p < 0.05). Additionally, LU-CNPs reduced apoptotic and necrotic sperm cells, upregulated the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 gene, and downregulated pro-apoptotic genes. Electron microscopy further revealed that incorporating LU-CNPs into the freezing extender preserved acrosome integrity, plasma membrane integrity, and the overall ultrastructural organization of cryopreserved ram spermatozoa. Additionally, insemination with semen supplemented with 100 μg/mL LU-CNPs improved fertility outcomes, resulting in a 27% increase in ewe pregnancy rates compared with the control group. Overall, supplementation with 100 μg/mL LU-CNPs in the freezing extender improved post-thaw sperm quality and enhanced fertility potential.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) affects 30%-40% of youth with obesity and lacks approved pharmacologic therapies. In this single-center retrospective case series at a tertiary care safety-net children's hospital, we evaluated five adolescents (mean age: 17.0 years; 100% Hispanic; 60% male; mean body mass index: 50.8 kg/m²) treated with semaglutide for ≥3 months. Baseline liver enzymes and fibrosis marker (mean ± standard deviation) included alanine aminotransferase (ALT): 107.4 ± 26.8 IU/L, aspartate aminotransferase (AST): 64.6 ± 16.2 IU/L, and AST to platelet ratio index (APRI): 0.41 ± 0.07. After treatment, values decreased to ALT: 69.0 ± 17.9 IU/L, AST: 43.6 ± 8.8 IU/L, and APRI: 0.28 ± 0.05. Reduction in ALT (p < 0.01), AST (p < 0.01) and APRI (p = 0.01) were all statistically significant. These findings suggest semaglutide may improve hepatic inflammation and fibrosis in adolescents with MASLD. Larger prospective studies are needed to confirm these early signals in high-risk pediatric populations.

Noninvasive liver fibrosis indices, including the Fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) and AST-to-platelet ratio index (APRI), are widely used in clinical practice. We investigated whether admission FIB-4 and APRI, together with inflammatory markers and comorbidities, chest CT severity, and intensive care unit (ICU) admission, were associated with short- and long-term mortality in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. We retrospectively analyzed 691 adults hospitalized with PCR-confirmed COVID-19 between October and November 2020. Demographic characteristics, comorbidities, admission laboratory parameters, chest CT severity, length of stay, and intensive care unit (ICU) admission were recorded. Mortality during hospitalization, within 100 days, and within 4 years was obtained from the hospital database. FIB-4 and APRI were calculated using routine laboratory parameters. The cohort included 410 women (59.3%) and 281 men (40.7%); 79 patients (11.4%) required ICU admission, and 36 (5.2%) had malignancy. In-hospital, 100-day, and 4-year mortality rates were 12.0%, 14.6%, and 23.3%, respectively. Across all time points, mortality was associated with older age, higher inflammatory markers (including CRP), higher neutrophil counts and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), higher FIB-4 and APRI scores, severe chest CT findings, ICU admission, and comorbidities including malignancy, hypertension, and chronic renal failure. Lymphocyte count, hemoglobin, and platelet count were inversely associated with mortality. Admission inflammatory markers and noninvasive fibrosis indices (FIB-4 and APRI), combined with comorbidities and disease severity (CT and ICU requirement), are strong predictors of short- and long-term mortality up to 4 years in hospitalized COVID-19 patients.