Tunable lattice-induced transparent metasurface for dynamic terahertz wave modulation.

Tunable metasurfaces offer a promising avenue for dynamically modulating terahertz waves. Phase-change materials are crucial in this dynamic modulation, enabling precise and reversible control over the electromagnetic properties of the metasurfaces. In this study, we designed and experimentally fabricated a tunable lattice-induced transparent metasurface. This metasurface comprises two gold rod resonators exhibiting different periodic distributions, each supporting an electric dipole resonance at 2.03 THz and a surface lattice resonance at 1.51 THz, respectively. By combining these structures, we realize lattice-induced transparency. Simulation results show that the phase change of Ge2Sb2Te5 modulates these resonances, with the crystalline state significantly weakening their resonance strength intensity. The maximum modulation depth of the lattice-induced transparency peak can reach 44.4%. Experimental results of laser-induced GST phase changes confirm a modulation depth of 42.4%. This innovative metasurface design holds promise for applications in terahertz communication systems.

[Effects of electroacupuncture on the inflammatory response and intestinal flora in obese rats]. / ç”µé’ˆå¯¹è‚¥èƒ–å¤§é¼ å°è‚ ç‚Žæ€§ååº”åŠè‚ é“èŒç¾¤çš„å½±å“.

OBJECTIVES: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on the expressions of high mobility group protein 1(HMGB1) and myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88) in the small intestine and intestinal flora of obese rats, so as to explore the potential mechanism of EA to improve obesity in rats. METHODS: After 1 week of acclimatization, 10 rats were randomly selected from 50 Wistar male rats as the normal group, and the rest rats were fed with high-fat diet for 8 weeks to establish the obese model. The successfully modeling rats were randomly divided into model group, EA group and sham EA group, with 10 rats in each group. Rats in the EA group were given EA (2 Hz, 1 mA) at "Zhongwan"(CV12), "Guanyuan"(CV4), "Zusanli" (ST36)and "Fenglong"(ST40). Rats in the sham EA group were given shallow stabs at acupoints of the EA group about 5 mm outwardly and the electrodes were clamped without being energized. Both groups were intervened for 10 min each time, 3 times (Monday, Wednesday and Friday) a week for 8 weeks. The body weights of the rats were measured before and after 8 weeks of intervention, respectively. The contents of serum lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α were measured by ELISA, and the protein and mRNA expressions of HMGB1 and MyD88 in the small intestine were detected by Western blot and real-time quantitative PCR, respectively. 16S rRNA sequencing was performed to determine the relative abundance and diversity of the bacterial flora in the fresh feces of rats. RESULTS: Compared with the normal group, the body weight, serum LPS and TNF-α contents, small intestinal HMGB1 and MyD88 protein and mRNA expression levels of rats in the model group were significantly increased (P<0.01), while the relative abundance of Lactobacillus, Muri and Bifidobacterium was decreased (p<0.01), Collinsella, Prevotella and Ruminococcus was increased (P<0.01). Compared with model group, the body weight, serum LPS and TNF-α contents, protein and mRNA expression levels of HMGB1 and MyD88 in both EA and sham EA groups were decreased (P<0.01, P<0.05), while the relative abundance of Lactobacillus, Muri and Bifidobacterium was increased (P<0.01) and Collinsella, Prevotella and Ruminococcus decreased (P<0.01). Comparison between EA group and sham EA group showed that, the contents of LPS and TNF-α in serum of rats in sham EA group were increased (P<0.01, P<0.05), the relative abundance of Lactobacillus, Muri and Bifidobacterium was lower (P<0.05, P<0.01), and Collinsella, Prevotella and Ruminococcus was higher (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: EA can reduce the body weight of obese rats, which may be related to the regulation of the structure of intestinal flora and the reduction of inflammatory reactions in the small intestine.

NIR-Actuated Ferroptosis Nanomotor for Enhanced Tumor Penetration and Therapy.

Ferroptosis nano-inducers have drawn considerable attention in the treatment of malignant tumors. However, low intratumoral hydrogen peroxide level and complex biological barriers hinder the ability of nanomedicines to generate sufficient reactive oxygen species (ROS) and achieve tumor penetration. Here a near-infrared (NIR)-driven ROS self-supplying nanomotor is successfully designed for synergistic tumor chemodynamic therapy (CDT) and photothermal therapy (PTT). Janus nanomotor is created by the asymmetrical modification of polydopamine (PDA) with zinc peroxide (ZnO2) and subsequent ferrous ion (Fe2+) chelation via the polyphenol groups from the PDA, here refer as ZnO2@PDA-Fe (Z@P-F). ZnO2 is capable of slowly releasing hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) into an acidic tumor microenvironment (TME) providing sufficient ingredients for the Fenton reaction necessary for ferroptosis. Upon NIR laser irradiation, the loaded Fe2+ is released and a thermal gradient is simultaneously formed owing to the asymmetric PDA coating, thus endowing the nanomotor with self-thermophoresis based enhanced diffusion for subsequent lysosomal escape and tumor penetration. Therefore, the release of ferrous ions (Fe2+), self-supplied H2O2, and self-thermophoresis of nanomotors with NIR actuation further improve the synergistic CDT/PTT efficacy, showing great potential for active tumor therapy.

Homogenization-circulating ultrasound in combination with aqueous enzymatic pretreatment for microwave-assisted extraction of kernel oil and essential oil from the fruit of Litsea cubeba.

Homogenization-circulating ultrasound in combination with an aqueous enzymatic pretreatment microwave-assisted extraction (HCUEPM) technique was successfully applied to extract kernel oil and essential oil from Litsea cubeba fruits. After screening the types and concentrations of enzymes, a 3 % pectinase aqueous solution was chosen. The Plackett-Burman design was used to screen eight parameters that might affect the yield of kernel oil and essential oil to identify significant variables. The best conditions were then predicted by further optimizing statistically significant factors via the Box-Behnken design. The optimal conditions were as follows: stirring speed of 1000 r/min, environmental pH of 5, homogenization time of 4 min, duty cycle of 20 %, ultrasound irradiation power of 400 W, incubation temperature of 52.78 °C, liquid-solid ratio of 9.31 mL/g, and incubation time of 2.53 h. Three parallel experiments were conducted under these conditions, yielding actual kernel oil at 240.56 ± 11.07 mL/kg DW and essential oil at 64.89 ± 3.1 mL/kg DW, which are close to the theoretical values. Compared with the HCUEPM method, the homogenization-microwave-assisted hydrodistillation (HMHD) method yielded 65.63 ± 3.2 mL/kg DW of essential oil but could not extract kernel oil. These findings demonstrate that the HCUEPM used in this study can efficiently extract a significant amount of kernel oil and essential oil from L. cubeba fruits in a short period of time. GC-MS analysis of the kernel oil and essential oil extracted via different methods revealed no significant differences in composition. The main components of the essential oil were D-limonene, trans-citral, cis-citral, and citronellal. The main components of the kernel oil were C10 and C12 medium-chain fatty acids, laying the foundation for the potential application of L. cubeba kernel oil and essential oil in the field of human health.

Invisible hazards: Exploring neonicotinoid contamination and its environmental risks in urban parks across China.

Neonicotinoids (NEOs) are commonly used pesticides in agriculture. Urban parks containing numerous green plants and flowers also require NEOs for pest control. However, information on the distribution patterns and environmental risks of NEOs and their metabolites in urban park soils has yet to be discovered, which seriously limits the comprehensive evaluation of the potential hazards of NEOs. Our study explored the occurrence and distribution patterns of ten NEOs and five major metabolites in park soils from Guangzhou, Shijiazhuang, and Urumqi of China. At least three NEOs were detected in 95 % of soil samples, with the sum of all NEOs (∑10NEOs) ranging from 2.21 to 204 ng/g. Guangzhou has the highest levels of ∑10NEOs (median: 52.1 ng/g), followed by Urumqi (49.3 ng/g) and Shijiazhuang (21.7 ng/g). The top three most common NEOs in all three cities are imidacloprid, acetamiprid, and thiacloprid, which together account for 67 % to 70 % of ∑10NEOs. The levels of the metabolites of NEOs show a significant positive correlation with their corresponding parent NEOs. These NEOs pose detrimental effects to non-targeted invertebrates in the soil. Our findings raise concern about the environmental risks posed by NEO exposure to humans and other organisms in urban parks.

Tannic Acid Film Based on One-Dimensional Supramolecular Self-Assembly for Electrical Conductivity and Oil-Water Separation.

Tannic acid is widely regarded as one of the most promising natural polyphenolic compounds. However, current research predominantly focuses on the utilization of its phenolic hydroxyl groups, with limited exploration of the functional potential of its aromatic structure. Herein, one-dimensional nanofibers based on supramolecular self-assembly were successfully prepared through the simple alkylation reaction of tannic acid and the π-π stacking of aromatic structures. These fibers, with lengths reaching tens of micrometers and an average height of 10 nm, were clearly observed using SEM and AFM. A film with excellent electrical conductivity (σ = 37.9 µS/cm) was fabricated by vacuum filtering the organic suspension of these fibers, which was 100-fold higher than that of the TA film. Additionally, the hydrophobic and lipophilic properties of Bn-TA were further investigated through oil-water separation experiments, where the Bn-TA membrane displayed excellent separation efficiency and durability, maintaining stable performance over multiple cycles. This strategy presents opportunities for the high-value utilization of tannic acid.

Integrating deep learning and data fusion for enhanced oranges soluble solids content prediction using machine vision and Vis/NIR spectroscopy.

The visible/near infrared (Vis/NIR) spectrum will become distorted due to variations in sample color, thereby reducing the prediction accuracy of fruit composition. In this study, we aimed to develop a deep learning model with color correction capability to predict oranges soluble solids content (SSC) based on multi-source data fusion. Initially, a machine vision and Vis/NIR spectroscopy online acquisition device was designed to collect and analyze color images and transmission spectra. Subsequently, data fusion methods were proposed for color features and spectral data. Finally, color-correction one-dimensional convolutional neural network (1D-CNN) models base on multi-source data were constructed. The results showed that, the RMSEP of optimal color-correction model was decreased by 36.4 % and 16.1 % compared to partial least squares model and conventional 1D-CNN model, respectively. The multi-source data fusion of machine vision and Vis/NIR spectroscopy has the potential to improve the accuracy of food composition prediction.

Effectiveness of Acupuncture in Improving Quality of Life for Patients with Advanced Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of acupuncture on advanced cancer patients by meta-analysis. METHODS: Nine databases (the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, MEDLINE, Web of Science, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, China Science and Technology Journal Database, and WanFang Data) were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on acupuncture in advanced cancer patients published from inception to February 13, 2023 and updated to June 1, 2023. Primary outcomes were quality of life (QOL), while secondary outcomes were pain, fatigue, and adverse events (side effects). Data synthesis was performed using RevMan V.5.3 to calculate pooled effect sizes. RoB-2 was used for the risk of bias, and the quality of evidence was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) tool. RESULTS: Totally 17 RCTs involving 1,178 participants were included, 15 of which were pooled for meta-analysis. Most studies demonstrated some concern for the overall risk of bias. The pooled data indicated that acupuncture was associated with improved QOL [mean difference (MD)=6.67, 95% confidence interval (CI): 5.09 to 8.26], pain (MD=-1.18, 95% CI -2.28 to -0.08), and adverse events (risk ratio=0.30, 95% CI: 0.26 to 0.57) compared with control groups. Fatigue outcome was not included. Heterogeneity was substantial, and GRADE evidence was very low for both QOL and pain. CONCLUSIONS: Acupuncture could benefit patients with advanced cancer and is considered safe compared with usual care. However, the evidence regarding QOL and pain outcomes requires further validation. It is crucial to encourage the development of high-quality studies to strengthen this evidence. (Registry No. CRD42023423539).

Climate change drives fish communities: Changing multiple facets of fish biodiversity in the Northwest Pacific Ocean.

Global marine biodiversity is experiencing significant alterations due to climate change. Incorporating phylogenetic and functional diversity may provide novel insights into these impacts. This study used an ensemble model approach (random forest and boosted regression tree), to predict the habitat distribution of 47 fish species in the Northwestern Pacific under contemporary (2000-2014) and future scenarios (2040-2050, 2090-2100). We first examined the relationship between eleven functional traits and habitat changes, predicting the spatial distribution of functional traits within fish communities. A significant correlation was observed between temperature preference and habitat changes, highlighting the vulnerability of cold-water species and potential advantages for warm-water species in the future. Moreover, fish communities exhibited a spatial gradient distribution with southern regions characterized by shorter-lived and earlier maturity, contrasting with longer-lived and later maturity species in the north. Secondly, to assess the impact of climate change on marine biodiversity, we explored the taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional diversity under contemporary and future scenarios, revealing higher indices in the East China Sea (ECS) and the coastal sea of Japan, with the Taiwan Strait emerging as a contemporary biodiversity hotspot. In future scenarios, the three biodiversity indices would decline in the Yellow Sea and ECS, but increase in the sea beyond the continental shelf, coastal sea of Hokkaido, and Sea of Okhotsk. Lastly, we explored processes and mechanisms in the change of community composition. By quantifying ß-diversity, we identified species loss (nestedness) as the primary driver of fish community change by 2040-2050, with species replacement (turnover) predicted to become dominant in the far future. Our results explore the potential changes in multiple facets of fish biodiversity, providing crucial insights for policymakers aiming to protect fish resources and biodiversity.

Targeted multimodal synergistic therapy of drug-resistant HER2-positive breast cancer by pyrotinib-ICG self-assembled nanoparticles.

Neoadjuvant targeted therapy combining targeted agents with chemotherapy significantly improve survival rates of patients suffering from human epidermal receptor (HER2)-positive breast cancer (BC) in early or locally advanced stages. However, approximately 50% of patients fail to achieve a pathological complete response. In response, targeted photothermal therapy (PTT) and photodynamic therapy (PDT) have emerged as effective strategies to bolster primary tumors treatment. In this context, we developed a novel nanodrug, referred to as "P/ICG", which comprised of a tyrosine-kinase inhibitor pyrotinib and the photosensitizer indocyanine green (ICG). This formulation was created for the targeted and multimodal synergistic therapy of HER2-positive BC. Upon irradiation with near-infrared light, ICG generates high levels of intracellular reactive oxygen species and elevated temperature, enhancing chemotherapy effects of pyrotinib. This synergistic action boosts a highly effective anticancer effect promoting the ferroptosis pathway, providing an efficient therapeutic strategy for treating HER2-positive BC.

Ischemic-Preconditioning Induced Serum Exosomal miR-133a-3p Improved Post-Myocardial Infarction Repair via Targeting LTBP1 and PPP2CA.

Background: Ischemic preconditioning-induced serum exosomes (IPC-exo) protected rat heart against myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury. However, whether IPC-exo regulate replacement fibrosis after myocardial infarction (MI) and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. MicroRNAs (miRs) are important cargos of exosomes and play an essential role in cardioprotection. We aim to investigate whether IPC-exo regulate post-MI replacement fibrosis by transferring cardioprotective miRs and its action mechanism. Methods: Exosomes obtained from serum of adult rats in control (Con-exo) and IPC groups were identified and analyzed, subsequently intracardially injected into MI rats following ligation. Their miRs profiles were identified using high-throughput miR sequencing to identify target miRs for bioinformatics analysis. Luciferase reporter assays confirmed target genes of selected miRs. IPC-exo transfected with selected miRs antagomir or NC were intracardially administered to MI rats post-ligation. Cardiac function and degree of replacement fibrosis were detected 4 weeks post-MI. Results: IPC-exo exerted cardioprotective effects against excessive replacement fibrosis. MiR sequencing and RT-qPCR identified miR-133a-3p as most significantly different between IPC-exo and Con-exo. MiR-133a-3p directly targeted latent transforming growth factor beta binding protein 1 (LTBP1) and protein phosphatase 2, catalytic subunit, alpha isozyme (PPP2CA). KEGG analysis showed that transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß) was one of the most enriched signaling pathways with miR-133a-3p. Comparing to injection of IPC-exo transfected with miR-133a-3p antagomir NC, injecting IPC-exo transfected with miR-133a-3p antagomir abolished protective effects of IPC-exo on declining excessive replacement fibrosis and cardiac function enhancement, while increasing the messenger RNA and protein expression of LTBP1, PPP2CA, and TGF-ß1in MI rats. Conclusion: IPC-exo inhibit excessive replacement fibrosis and improve cardiac function post-MI by transferring miR-133a-3p, the mechanism is associated with directly targeting LTBP1 and PPP2CA, and indirectly regulating TGF-ß pathway in rats. Our finding provides potential therapeutic effect of IPC-induced exosomal miR-133a-3p for cardiac repair.

Efficient expression and purification of rat CRP in Pichia pastoris.

C-reactive protein (CRP) plays a crucial role in the diagnosis and monitoring of the non-specific acute phase response in humans. In contrast, rat CRP (rCRP) is an atypical acute-phase protein that possesses unique features, such as a possible incapacity to trigger the complement system and markedly elevated baseline plasma concentrations. To facilitate in vitro studies on these unique characteristics, obtaining high-quality pure rCRP is essential. Here we explored various strategies for rCRP purification, including direct isolation from rat plasma and recombinant expression in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic systems. Our study optimized the recombinant expression system to enhance the secretion and purification efficiency of rCRP. Compared to traditional purification methods, we present a streamlined and effective approach for the expression and purification of rCRP in the Pichia pastoris system. This refined methodology offers significant improvements in the efficiency and effectiveness of rCRP purification, thereby facilitating further structural and functional studies on rCRP.

Acupuncture for migraine: A systematic review and meta-regression of randomized controlled trials.

OBJECTIVES: This meta-analysis aimed to explore the relationship between the dose of acupuncture sessions, acupuncture frequency, and acupuncture duration and its effects on migraine. METHODS: Eight databases were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the efficacy of penetrating manual acupuncture for migraine published in English and Chinese from inception to June 20, 2024. The robust-error meta-regression (REMR) approach and non-linear meta-regression with restricted cubic spline (RCS) were used to investigate the dose-response association between acupuncture sessions, acupuncture frequency, and acupuncture duration and the frequency of migraine attacks. The potential nonlinear relationships was tested by restricting the regression coefficient to zero and a P value＜0.1. The statistical analysis was conducted using Stata 17.0. The risk of bias was independently assessed by two reviewers using the Cochrane tool. The reporting quality for acupuncture procedures was evaluated by STRICTA criteria. RESULTS: Thirty-two RCTs involving 1562 participants were included, and the results showed a J-shaped dose-response association between acupuncture sessions, acupuncture frequency, and acupuncture duration and migraine attack frequency. After 16 acupuncture sessions, the change in the frequency of migraine attacks was 3.95 (95 %CI: 3.13 to 4.77). Three sessions of acupuncture a week resulted in a significant decrease in the frequency of migraine attacks, reaching 4.04 (95 % CI: 2.49 to 5.58). After two months of acupuncture, the frequency of migraine attacks decreased significantly, showing a difference of 4.05 (95 % CI: 3.61 to 4.49). Subsequently, the improvement trend gradually flattened, yielding diminishing benefits to patients. The risk of bias showed that seven studies were rated as "low risk", two were rated as "high risk", and the others were rated as "unclear risk". The reporting quality of RCTs of acupuncture for migraine remain suboptimal. CONCLUSIONS: A non-linear dose-response relationship was found between acupuncture sessions, acupuncture frequency, and acupuncture duration and migraine attack frequency. The results of our study recommend 16 sessions of acupuncture with a frequency of 3 sessions/week and a treatment duration of 1.5 to 2 months. REGISTRATION NUMBER: This meta-analysis has been registered on PROSPERO (CRD42023400493).

The role of CD24hiCD27+ regulatory B cells in human chronic rhinosinusitis with/without nasal polyps.

BACKGROUND: Regulatory B cells (Bregs) reduce allergic and autoimmune inflammation. However, their role in chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) remains unknown. This study investigated the frequency and function of Breg subsets in the peripheral blood of patients with CRS. METHODS: The demographic and clinical characteristics were compared among control, CRSsNP, neCRSwNP, and eCRSwNP groups. The expression of various Breg subtypes was evaluated in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of patients with eosinophilic CRS with nasal polyps (eCRSwNP), non-eosinophilic CRS with nasal polyps (neCRSwNP), CRS without nasal polyps (CRSsNP). CD19+CD24hiCD27+ B cells (B10 cells) were isolated by flow cytometry, followed by RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). Finally, IL-10 secreted by B10 cells were evaluated through the intracellular stain. RESULTS: A higher number of eosinophils in peripheral blood and nasal polyps were found in eCRSwNP compared with neCRSwNP, CRSsNP, and control groups. The frequency of B10 in the peripheral blood B cells (B10%) of patients with eCRSwNP was significantly lower than that in the neCRSwNP and control groups. B10% was negatively correlated with the quantity of tissue eosinophils, and the percentage and absolute value of peripheral blood eosinophils. The eCRSwNP, neCRSwNP and control groups had 1403 differentially expressed genes, 35 of which were identified in four highly enriched pathways. Additionally, the frequency of IL-10+B10 cells in peripheral blood was lower in patients with eCRSwNP than in the neCRSwNP and control groups. CONCLUSION: This study is the first to reveal differences in both the quantity and IL-10 secretion of B10 cells in patients with eCRSwNP and neCRSwNP. These variations were strongly negatively associated with eosinophils in nasal polyps and peripheral blood. IL-10+B10 cells may play a key role in the pathological mechanisms of CRS, particularly the recurrence of eCRSwNP.

Observation of Spin Splitting in Room-Temperature Metallic Antiferromagnet CrSb.

Recently, unconventional antiferromagnets that enable the spin splitting (SS) of electronic states have been theoretically proposed and experimentally realized, where the magnetic sublattices containing moments pointing at different directions are connected by a novel set of symmetries. Such SS is substantial, k-dependent, and independent of the spin-orbit coupling (SOC) strength, making these magnets promising materials for antiferromagnetic spintronics. Here, combined with angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations, a systematic study on CrSb, a metallic spin-split antiferromagnet candidate with Néel temperature TN = 703 K, is conducted. The data reveal the electronic structure of CrSb along both out-of-plane and in-plane momentum directions, rendering an anisotropic k-dependent SS that agrees well with the calculational results. The magnitude of such SS reaches up to at least 0.8 eV at non-high-symmetry momentum points, which is significantly higher than the largest known SOC-induced SS. This compound expands the choice of materials in the field of antiferromagnetic spintronics and is likely to stimulate subsequent investigations of high-efficiency spintronic devices that are functional at room temperature.

Photocyclization and Photoisomerization Mechanisms of an Indolylfulgide Derivative in Acetonitrile Solution by Using the QM (MS-CASPT2)/MM Method.

The indolylfulgide systems have been extensively investigated due to their potential applications as photochromic materials. In this work, the photoinduced ring-closure/opening and isomerization reactions of a photochromic indolylfulgide in vacuum and acetonitrile solvent have been investigated by means of MS-CASPT2//CASSCF and QM(MS-CASPT2)//CASSCF/MM. The deactivation mechanisms of indolylfulgide have been proposed based on the optimized structures in the S0 and S1 states, S1/S0 conical intersections, and the calculated minimum-energy paths. After excitation into the first singlet excited-state, which is spectroscopically bright in the Franck-Condon point of the E, the photoprocesses proceed toward a nearby S1 minimum. Then, two possible nonadiabatic relaxation paths exist to repopulate the ground state. In the ring closure reaction, the S1 E isomer evolves directly into one S1/S0 conical intersection and decays to the ground state with bifurcation toward C or E. In the E → Z tautomerization pathway, the excited system can deactivate to the S0 state via a distinct conical intersection. The minimum-energy paths of the indolylfulgide revealed that the ring closure reaction in the solvent is more facile to take place than the E → Z isomerization after irradiation of the same E. Furthermore, for the ring opening reaction from the C side, there exists an energy barrier (11.1 kcal/mol) in the S1 state before arriving at the conical intersection. The computational results showed that the solvent has some influence on the system compared with that in the gas phase. The present work could contribute to comprehending the photoreactions of indolylfulgide and its derivatives in solution.

Hyper-Interferon Sensitive influenza induces adaptive immune responses and overcomes resistance to anti-PD-1 in murine non-small cell lung cancer.

Despite recent advances in immunotherapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI), many patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) fail to respond or develop resistance after an initial response. In situ vaccination (ISV) with engineered viruses has emerged as a promising antigen-agnostic strategy that can both condition the tumor microenvironment (TME) and augment anti-tumor T cell responses to overcome immune resistance. We engineered a live attenuated viral vaccine, Hyper-Interferon Sensitive virus (HIS), by conducting a genome-wide functional screening and introducing eight interferon (IFN)-sensitive mutations in the influenza genome. Compared to wild-type (WT) influenza, HIS replication was attenuated in immunocompetent hosts, enhancing its potential as a safe option for cancer therapy. HIS ISV elicited robust yet transient type I IFN responses in murine NSCLCs, leading to an enrichment of polyfunctional effector Th1 CD4 and cytotoxic CD8 T cells into the tumor. HIS ISV demonstrated enhanced anti-tumor efficacy compared to WT in multiple syngeneic murine models of NSCLC with distinct driver mutations and varying mutational burden. This efficacy was dependent on host type 1 IFN responses and T lymphocytes. HIS ISV overcame resistance to anti-PD-1 in LKB-1 deficient murine NSCLC, resulting in improved overall survival and enduring systemic tumor-specific immunity. These studies provide compelling evidence to support further clinical evaluation of HIS as a novel 'off-the-shelf' ISV strategy for patients with NSCLC refractory to ICI.

Analysis of changes and driving forces of landscape pattern vulnerability at Qianping Reservoir in Central China.

Reservoir projects often have significant impacts on ecosystems. The resulting environmental problems hinder the ecologically sustainable development of project areas. Research focusing on landscape pattern vulnerability could shed light on ecological restoration in disturbed sites. However, few studies have specifically examined reservoir areas in this context. This study investigates the spatial distribution characteristics, change rules, spatial autocorrelation, and driving forces of landscape pattern vulnerability in the Qianping Reservoir area (3859.16 hm2) from 2000 to 2020 using land use data. The findings reveal several key points: (1) Over the study period, cultivated land, grassland, and forest land are the key landscape types, covering more than 90% of the area. Cultivated land decreased by 481.57 hm2 as other land use types expanded. (2) Vulnerability remained stable in the first decade but sharply increased from 2010 to 2020, showing a trend of spatial aggregation. Reservoir construction and simultaneous ecological restoration efforts led to shifts in vulnerability zones across the landscape. (3) Spatial distribution of landscape pattern vulnerability shows a positive correlation, which strengthened by 2020 compared to earlier years. (4) Man-made factors, particularly land use changes, significantly influence landscape pattern vulnerability, with their impact growing over time. These findings not only provide a scientific basis for ecological restoration and landscape reconstruction in the Qianping Reservoir area but also offer insights applicable to similar environments. Overall, this study enhances theoretical understanding of reservoir landscape pattern vulnerability and contributes valuable perspectives on ecological restoration strategies for reservoir areas.

A synthetic method for lanthanum hydroxychloride suitable for industrialization and its thermal decomposition properties.

A reactive crystallization method for the synthesis of lanthanum hydroxychloride (La(OH)2Cl) was developed to provide a new low-carbon route for the purification of rare earth elements in hydrometallurgy. The synthetic method reported herein represents a unique low-temperature route, short preparation time and inexpensive materials compared with previous methods, thus making it promising for industrial applications. The key factors controlling the product's phase were determined using single factor tests involving temperature, concentration of NH4Cl in the base solution and the molar ratio of NH4OH/La3+ added per minute into the base solution. Otherwise, the outcome is lanthanum hydroxide (La(OH)3). Subsequently, the synthesized products were characterized by employing X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). Finally, the thermal decomposition behavior of La(OH)2Cl was assessed using thermogravimetry (TG) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Lanthanum oxychloride (LaClO) was obtained at about 360 °C. The thermal transformation from LaClO to La2O3 started at 400 °C and was a slow oxidation process. Pure La2O3 could be obtained when the temperature increased to 1500 °C.

Metal-Phenolic Nanomaterial with Organelle-Level Precision Primes Antitumor Immunity via mtDNA-dependent cGAS-STING Activation.

New generation of nanomaterials with organelle-level precision provide significant promise for targeted attacks on mitochondria, exhibiting remarkable therapeutic potency. Here, we report a novel amphiphilic phenolic polymer (PF) for the mitochondria-targeted photodynamic therapy (PDT), which can trigger excessive mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) damage by the synergistic action of oxidative stress and furan-mediated DNA cross-linking. Moreover, the phenolic units on PF enable further self-assembly with Mn2+ via metal-phenolic coordination to form metal-phenolic nanomaterial (PFM). We focus on the synergistic activation of the cGAS-STING pathway by Mn2+ and tumor-derived mtDNA in tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), and subsequently repolarizing M2-like TAMs to M1 phenotype. We highlight that PFM facilitates the cGAS-STING-dependent immunity at the organelle level for potent antitumor efficacy.