The mid-domain effect in flowering phenology.

The timing of flowering is an important driver of species distribution and community assembly patterns. However, we still have much to learn about the factors that shape flowering diversity (i.e., number of species flowering per period) in plant communities. One potential explanation of flowering diversity is the mid-domain effect, which states that geometric constraints on species ranges within a bounded domain (space or time) will yield a mid-domain peak in diversity regardless of ecological factors. Here, we determine whether the mid-domain effect explains peak flowering time (i.e., when most species of communities are flowering) across China. We used phenological data of 16,267 herbaceous and woody species from the provincial Flora in China and species distribution data from the Chinese Vascular Plant Distribution Database to determine relationships between the observed number of species flowering and the number of species flowering as predicted by the mid-domain effect model, as well as between three climatic variables (mean minimum monthly temperature, mean monthly precipitation, and mean monthly sunshine duration). We found that the mid-domain effect explained a significant proportion of the temporal variation in flowering diversity across all species in China. Further, the mid-domain effect explained a greater proportion of variance in flowering diversity at higher latitudes than at lower latitudes. The patterns of flowering diversity for both herbaceous and woody species were related to both the mid-domain effect and environmental variables. Our findings indicate that including geometric constraints in conjunction with abiotic and biotic predictors will improve predictions of flowering diversity patterns.

Enhanced Tumor-Targeted Delivery of Arginine-Rich Peptides via a Positive Feedback Loop Orchestrated by Piezo1/integrin ß1 Signaling Axis.

Peptide-based drugs hold great potential for cancer treatment, and their effectiveness is driven by mechanisms on how peptides target cancer cells and escape from potential lysosomal entrapment post-endocytosis. Yet, the mechanisms remain elusive, which hinder the design of peptide-based drugs. Here hendeca-arginine peptides (R11) are synthesized for targeted delivery in bladder carcinoma (BC), investigated the targeting efficiency and elucidated the mechanism of peptide-based delivery, with the aim of refining the design and efficacy of peptide-based therapeutics. It is demonstrated that the over-activated Piezo1/integrin ß1 (ITGB1) signaling axis significantly facilitates tumor-targeted delivery of R11 peptides via macropinocytosis. Furthermore, R11 peptides formed hydrogen bonds with integrin ß1, facilitating targeting and penetration into tumor cells. Additionally, R11 peptides protected integrin ß1 from lysosome degradation, promoting its recycling from cytoplasm to membrane. Moreover, this findings establish a positive feedback loop wherein R11 peptides activate Piezo1 by increasing membrane fusion, promoting Ca2+ releasing and resulting in enhanced integrin ß1-mediated endocytosis in both orthotopic models and clinical tissues, demonstrating effective tumor-targeted delivery. Eventually, the Piezo1/integrin ß1 signaling axis promoted cellular uptake and transport of peptides, establishing a positive feedback loop, promoting mechanical delivery to cancer and offering possibilities for drug modification in cancer therapy.

Identification and verification of disulfidptosis-related genes in sepsis-induced acute lung injury.

Background: Sepsis-induced acute lung injury (ALI) is a common and serious complication of sepsis that eventually progresses to life-threatening hypoxemia. Disulfidptosis is a newly discovered type of cell death associated with the pathogenesis of different diseases. This study investigated the potential association between sepsis-induced acute lung injury and disulfidptosis by bioinformatics analysis. Methods: In order to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) linked to sepsis, we screened appropriate data sets from the GEO database and carried out differential analysis. The key genes shared by DEGs and 39 disulfidptosis-related genes were identified: ACSL4 and MYL6 mRNA levels of key genes were detected in different datasets. We then used a series of bioinformatics analysis techniques, such as immune cell infiltration analysis, protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, genetic regulatory network, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC), to investigate the possible relationship between key genes and sepsis. Then, experimental verification was obtained for changes in key genes in sepsis-induced acute lung injury. Finally, to investigate the relationship between genetic variants of MYL6 or ACSL4 and sepsis, Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was applied. Results: Two key genes were found in this investigation: myosin light chain 6 (MYL6) and Acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member 4 (ACSL4). We verified increased mRNA levels of key genes in training datasets. Immune cell infiltration analysis showed that key genes were associated with multiple immune cell levels. Building the PPI network between MYL6 and ACSL4 allowed us to determine that their related genes had distinct biological functions. The co-expression genes of key genes were involved in different genetic regulatory networks. In addition, both the training and validation datasets confirmed the diagnostic capabilities of key genes by using ROC curves. Additionally, both in vivo and in vitro experiments confirmed that the mRNA levels of ACSL4 and MYL6 in sepsis-induced acute lung injury were consistent with the results of bioinformatics analysis. Finally, MR analysis revealed a causal relationship between MYL6 and sepsis. Conclusion: We have discovered and confirmed that the key genes ACSL4 and MYL6, which are linked to disulfidptosis in sepsis-induced acute lung injury, may be useful in the diagnosis and management of septic acute lung injury.

Effect of external ventricular drainage on shunt-dependent hydrocephalus and prognosis after microsurgical clipping in patients with poor-grade aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.

OBJECTIVE: In poor-grade aneurysm subarachnoid hemorrhage (PaSAH), the use of external ventricular drainage (EVD) may be closely related to the occurrence of shunt-dependent hydrocephalus (SDHC). The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of EVD on SDHC and prognosis after microsurgical clipping patients with PaSAH. METHODS: The clinical data of 99 patients with PaSAH admitted to the 904th Hospital of PLA from October 2011 to December 2020 were analyzed retrospectively. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to clarify the relationship between EVD implantation and its drainage volume and SDHC after PaSAH. ROC curves were plotted to compare the prognostic efficiency of different drainage volumes on SDHC. Modified possion regression analysis was used to determine the effect of SDHC on prognosis after PaSAH. RESULTS: EVD implantation increased the risk of SDHC (OR=6.715, 95% CI 1.120-40.248, P=0.037). The increased drainage volume on day 1, mean daily drainage volume within 2 days, and average within 3 days increased the risk of SDHC. EVD drainage volume on the first postoperative day has a good predictive ability for SDHC after PaSAH, with an AUC of 0.829 (95% CI 0.731 - 0.928), the optimal cut-off value was 208 ml, with a sensitivity of 79.4%, a specificity of 81.6%, and a Youden index of 0.61. The occurrence of SDHC after aneurysm clipping significantly increases the risk of poor prognosis of PaSAH. CONCLUSIONS: EVD implantation is an independent risk factor for SDHC after PaSAH, and a large drainage volume in the first 3 days after EVD implantation is an independent risk factor for SDHC after PaSAH. The drainage volume on the first day after surgery is the best predictor of SDHC after PaSAH. SDHC after PaSAH is the strongest independent risk factor for poor prognosis and prolongs hospital stay.

Role of post-translational modifications of Sp1 in cancer: state of the art.

Specific protein 1 (Sp1) is central to regulating transcription factor activity and cell signaling pathways. Sp1 is highly associated with the poor prognosis of various cancers; it is considered a non-oncogene addiction gene. The function of Sp1 is complex and contributes to regulating extensive transcriptional activity, apart from maintaining basal transcription. Sp1 activity and stability are affected by post-translational modifications (PTMs), including phosphorylation, ubiquitination, acetylation, glycosylation, and SUMOylation. These modifications help to determine genetic programs that alter the Sp1 structure in different cells and increase or decrease its transcriptional activity and DNA binding stability in response to pathophysiological stimuli. Investigating the PTMs of Sp1 will contribute to a deeper understanding of the mechanism underlying the cell signaling pathway regulating Sp1 stability and the regulatory mechanism by which Sp1 affects cancer progression. Furthermore, it will facilitate the development of new drug targets and biomarkers, thereby elucidating considerable implications in the prevention and treatment of cancer.

Blue Perovskite Lasing Derived from Bound Excitons through Defect Engineering.

All-inorganic perovskite films have emerged as promising candidates for laser gain materials owing to their outstanding optoelectronic properties and straightforward solution processing. However, the performance of blue perovskite lasing still lags far behind due to the inevitable high density of defects. Herein, we demonstrate that defects can be utilized instead of passivated/removed to form bound excitons to achieve excellent blue stimulated emission in perovskite films. Such a strategy emphasizes defect engineering by introducing a deep-level defect in mixed-Rb/Cs perovskite films through octylammonium bromide (OABr) additives. Consequently, the OA-Rb/Cs perovskite films exhibit blue amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) from defect-related bound excitons with a low threshold (13.5 µJ/cm2) and a high optical gain (744.7 cm-1), which contribute to a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser with single-mode blue emission at 482 nm. This work not only presents a facile method for creating blue laser gain materials but also provides valuable insights for further exploration of high-performance blue lasing in perovskite films.

Maternal smoking during pregnancy could accelerate aging in the adulthood: evidence from a perspective study in UK Biobank.

BACKGROUND: Maternal smoking during pregnancy (MSDP) is significantly linked to the short- or long-term health of offspring. However, little research has examined whether MSDP affect the aging rate of offspring. METHODS: This study used questionnaires to determine out whether the participants' mothers smoked when they were pregnant. For evaluating aging rate, we used the following several outcome measures: telomere length, frailty index, cognitive function, homeostatic dysregulation score, KDM-age, age-related hospitalization rate, premature death, and life expectancy. RESULT: After adjusting for covariates, we found that the offspring of the MSDP group had significantly shorter telomere length in adulthood by 0.8 % (ß = -0.008,95%CI:-0.009 to -0.006) compared with non-MSDP group. Compared to the non-MSDP group, participants in MSDP group showed higher levels of homeostatic dysregulation (ß = 0.015,95%CI: 0.007-0.024) and were frailer (ß = 0.008,95%CI:0.007-0.009). The KDM age increased by 0.100 due to MSDP (ß = 0.100,95 % CI:0.018-0.181), and the age acceleration of KDM algorithm also increases significantly (ß = 0.101, 95%CI:0.020-0.183). Additionally, we found that the risk of aging-related hospitalizations was significantly higher than the non-MSDP group by 10.4 %(HR = 1.104,95%CI:1.066-1.144). Moreover, MSDP group had a 12.2 % increased risk of all-cause premature mortality (HR = 1.122,95%CI:1.064-1.182) and a significant risk of lung cancer-specific premature mortality increased by 55.4 %(HR = 1.554,95%CI:1.346-1.793). In addition, participants in the MSDP group had significantly decreased cognitive function and shorter life expectancies than those in non-MSDP group. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicated a significant association between MSPD and accelerated aging, elevated hospitalization rates, increased premature mortality rates, and reduced life expectancies in offspring.

Amur Tiger Individual Identification Based on the Improved InceptionResNetV2.

Accurate and intelligent identification of rare and endangered individuals of flagship wildlife species, such as Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica), is crucial for understanding population structure and distribution, thereby facilitating targeted conservation measures. However, many mathematical modeling methods, including deep learning models, often yield unsatisfactory results. This paper proposes an individual recognition method for Amur tigers based on an improved InceptionResNetV2 model. Initially, the YOLOv5 model is employed to automatically detect and segment facial, left stripe, and right stripe areas from images of 107 individual Amur tigers, achieving a high average classification accuracy of 97.3%. By introducing a dropout layer and a dual-attention mechanism, we enhance the InceptionResNetV2 model to better capture the stripe features of individual tigers at various granularities and reduce overfitting during training. Experimental results demonstrate that our model outperforms other classic models, offering optimal recognition accuracy and ideal loss changes. The average recognition accuracy for different body part features is 95.36%, with left stripes achieving a peak accuracy of 99.37%. These results highlight the model's excellent recognition capabilities. Our research provides a valuable and practical approach to the individual identification of rare and endangered animals, offering significant potential for improving conservation efforts.

Preparation and Microwave-Absorbing Properties of FeCo Alloys by Condensation Reflux Method.

Five groups of FeCo alloy samples with different atomic ratios of Fe/Co (3:7, 4:6, 5:5, 6:4, 7:3) were prepared using the condensation reflux method. The results indicate that varying the atomic ratios of Fe/Co has a significant impact on the microstructure, electromagnetic parameters, and microwave absorption properties of FeCo alloys. As the Fe atom content increases, the morphology of the FeCo alloys transitions from irregular flower-shaped to uniformly spherical and eventually to lamellar. The attenuation of electromagnetic waves in the five groups of alloys is primarily due to magnetic loss. Among them, Fe6Co4 exhibits the best absorption performance, with a minimum reflection loss (RL) value of -35.56 dB at a frequency of 10.40 GHz when the matching thickness is 7.90 mm. Additionally, at a matching thickness of 5.11 mm, the maximum effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) reached 2.56 GHz (15.44-18 GHz).

Quercetin encapsulation and release using rapid CO2-responsive rosin-based surfactants in Pickering emulsions.

Emulsion-based delivery systems are extensively employed for encapsulating functional active ingredients, protecting them from degradation, and enhancing bioavailability and release efficiency. Here, a CO2-responsive surfactant synthesized from rosin displays rapid responsiveness to CO2 at room temperature, transitioning reversibly switches between active and inactive states multiple times. The dual tertiary amines on the rosin rigid structure contributes to its CO2 sensitivity. When in its active cationic form, in conjunction with silica nanoparticles, it exhibits desired Pickering emulsification performance across various oil phases. In the Pickering emulsion loaded with quercetin, the encapsulation efficiency and loading efficiency reached 80.50% and 0.69%, respectively, with stability lasting at least 30 days. The system provides robust protection for quercetin against external factors, such as UV and heat, revealing sustained release effects. This study investigated the potential of using rosin-based CO2-responsive surfactants alongside nanoparticles to design stable Pickering emulsion systems for active substance encapsulation and sustained release.

Monoammonium Modified Dion-Jacobson Quasi-2D Perovskite for High Efficiency Pure-Blue Light Emitting Diodes.

Quasi-2D perovskites exhibit impressive optoelectronic properties and hold significant promise for future light-emitting devices. However, the efficiency of perovskite light-emitting diodes (PeLEDs) is seriously limited by defect-induced nonradiative recombination and imbalanced charge injection. Here, the defect states are passivated and charge injection balance is effectively improved by introducing the additive cyclohexanemethylammonium (CHMA) to bromide-based Dion-Jacobson (D-J) structure quasi-2D perovskite emission layer. CHMA participates in the crystallization of perovskite, leading to high quality film composed of compact and well-contacted grains with enhanced hole transportation and less defects. As a result, the corresponding PeLEDs exhibit stable pure blue emission at 466 nm with a maximum external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 9.22%. According to current knowledge, this represents the highest EQE reported for pure-blue PeLEDs based on quasi-2D bromide perovskite thin films. These findings underscore the potential of quasi-2D perovskites for advanced light-emitting devices and pave the way for further advancements in PeLEDs.

Preparation and Immobilization Mechanism of Red Mud/Steel Slag-Based Geopolymers for Solidifying/Stabilizing Pb-Contaminated Soil.

Pb-contaminated soil poses serious hazards to humans and ecosystems and is in urgent need of remediation. However, the extensive use of traditional curing materials such as ordinary Portland cement (OPC) has negatively impacted global ecology and the climate, so there is a need to explore low-carbon and efficient green cementitious materials for the immobilization of Pb-contaminated soils. A red mud/steel slag-based (RM/SS) geopolymer was designed and the potential use of solidifying/stabilizing heavy metal Pb pollution was studied. The Box-Behnken design (BBD) model was used to design the response surface, and the optimal preparation conditions of RM/SS geopolymer (RSGP) were predicted by software of Design-Expert 8.0.6.1. The microstructure and phase composition of RSGP were studied by X-ray diffractometer, Fourier transform infrared spectrometer, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and the immobilization mechanism of RSGP to Pb was revealed. The results showed that when the liquid-solid ratio is 0.76, the mass fraction of RM is 79.82% and the modulus of alkali activator is 1.21, the maximum unconfined compressive strength (UCS) of the solidified soil sample is 3.42 MPa and the immobilization efficiency of Pb is 71.95%. The main hydration products of RSGP are calcium aluminum silicate hydrate, calcium silicate hydrate and nekoite, which can fill the cracks in the soil, form dense structures and enhance the UCS of the solidified soil. Pb is mainly removed by lattice immobilization, that is, Pb participates in geopolymerization by replacing Na and Ca to form Si-O-Pb or Al-O-Pb. The remaining part of Pb is physically wrapped in geopolymer and forms Pb(OH)2 precipitate in a high-alkali environment.

Down-regulation of SLC14A1 in prostate cancer activates CDK1/CCNB1 and mTOR pathways and promotes tumor progression.

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common cancer among men in the United States and the leading cause of cancer-related death. The Solute Carrier Family 14 Member 1 (SLC14A1) is a member of urea transporters which are important for the regulation of urine concentration. However, the physiological significance of SLC14A1 in PCa still remains unclear. In the present study, via bioinformatics analysis and experiments, we found that expression of SLC14A1 is significantly decreased in PCa progression, which could be attributed to hypermethylation on SLC14A1 promoter region. Moreover, its low expression and hypermethylation on SLC14A1 promoter are closely related to the poor prognosis of PCa patients. On the other hand, overexpression of SLC14A1 inhibited cell proliferation and metastasis while its overexpression also suppressed CDK1/CCNB1 pathway and mTOR/MMP-9 signaling pathway. Additionally, SLC14A1 expression is enriched in prostate basal-type cells. In summary, our study indicates that its low expression level and promoter hypermethylation of SLC14A1 may represent novel indicators for PCa progression and prognosis, and SLC14A1 could inhibit the progression of PCa.

Seamounts generate efficient active transport loops to nourish the twilight ecosystem.

Seamounts are ecological oases nurturing abundant fisheries resources and epibenthic megafauna in the vast oligotrophic ocean. Despite their significance, the formation mechanisms underlying these seamount ecological oases remain uncertain. To shed light on this phenomenon, this study conducted interdisciplinary in situ observations focusing on a shallow seamount in the oligotrophic ocean. The findings show that the seamount's topography interferes with the oceanic current to generate lee waves, effectively enhancing the nutrient supply to the euphotic layer downstream of the seamount. This continuous supply enhances phytoplankton biomass and subsequently the grazing and diurnal vertical migration of zooplankton, rapidly transporting the augmented phytoplankton biomass to the aphotic layer. Unlike the cyclonic eddies that move in the upper ocean, seamounts stand at fixed locations creating a more efficient and steady active transport loop. This active transport loop connects the euphotic and twilight zones, potentially conveying nourishment to benthic ecosystems to create stereoscopic oases in the oligotrophic ocean.

A novel yeast-based biosensor for the quick determination of Deoxynivalenol.

Mycotoxins are commonly found in food materials and severely threaten human health. Antibodies play a key role as a part of immunological techniques in detecting mycotoxins. Therefore, highly specific antibodies and detection techniques against mycotoxins need to be developed for advancements in medical research. In this study, we presented a novel strategy for quickly screening highly specific antigen-binding fragment (Fab) antibodies based on yeast surface display (YSD) and detecting small-molecule compounds based on a YSD biosensor. We constructed a yeast surface display Deoxynivalenol (DON)-Fab library with 105 cfu/mL with a galactose-inducible bidirectional promoter. By conducting efficient magnetic-activated cell sorting and fluorescence-activated cell sorting (MACS/FACS), four kinds of DON-selective yeasts were screened. As Fab@YSD C4# showed high sensitivity, we used it to build a one-pot Fab@YSD chemiluminescence biosensor with DON-BSA@Biotin and Streptavidin-alkaline phosphatase (SA-ALP). This method showed a low operational threshold (LOD = 0.166 pg/mL) and a high population range (linear range = 0.001-132.111 ng/mL) within 40 min, which facilitated the detection of DON with high specificity and better recovery in real samples (wheat, corn, flour, and cornmeal). Our results suggested that the Fab@YSD chemiluminescence biosensor is an inexpensive, reproducible, user-friendly, and sensitive method for detecting DON and may be used to quickly detect other small-molecule contaminants in food items.

Abnormal sleep patterns are associated with depressive symptoms in Chinese community-dwelling older adults.

OBJECTIVE: Depression is an important public health issue among older adults, often associated with their sleep-related problems. We aimed to investigate the association between sleep-related problems and depressive symptoms among Chinese community-dwelling older adults. METHODS: This cross-sectional study utilized self-reported data from 2896 participants (aged ≥60 years) from Shanghai, China. Nocturnal sleep duration and difficulty initiating sleep (DIS) symptoms were obtained through face-to-face questionnaires. Nocturnal sleep duration was categorized as 'short' (<7 h), 'normal' (7-8 h), and 'long' (>8 h). Subsequently, the 3 groups were further divided into 6 groups based on the presence of DIS, and the combined sleep behaviors were termed 'sleep patterns'. Logistic regression was conducted to assess the association of sleep variables and sleep patterns with the risk of depressive symptoms. RESULTS: Compared to the reference group, 'short sleep duration' and DIS symptoms were associated with depressive symptoms (with odds ratios (OR) of 1.50 and 1.79, respectively, with 95% confidence intervals (CI) of 1.14-1.97 and 1.39-2.31). When compared to 'normal sleep duration without DIS', both 'short sleep duration with DIS' (OR = 2.60, 95% CI: 1.81-3.72) and 'normal sleep duration with DIS' (OR = 1.60, 95% CI: 1.03-2.49) were statistically associated with depressive symptoms in adjusted regression models. CONCLUSION: Short sleep duration and DIS symptoms were found to be associated with depressive symptoms. Combining DIS symptoms with sleep duration, DIS was identified as a risk factor for elevated depressive symptoms in individuals with short and normal sleep durations. In managing depressive symptoms, it is imperative to thoroughly evaluate insomnia and nighttime sleep, which can provide valuable insights for nursing and medical policy.

Endovascular treatment of aorta-iliac arterial pseudoaneurysm caused by Brucella.

We aimed to analyze the feasibility of endovascular treatment for brucellosis-related aorta-iliac artery pseudoaneurysm. We did a statistical analysis that among the 11 cases, the thoracic aorta was involved in 3 cases, the abdominal aorta was involved in 6 cases, and the iliac artery was involved in 2 cases. Five patients had a history of contact with cattle and sheep, 3 had a history of drinking raw milk, 10 patients had a fever before the operation, and 11 patients had positive serum agglutination test. Blood culture was positive in 2 patients. All patients were given anti-brucellosis treatment immediately after diagnosis. One died of aortic rupture 5 days after emergency endovascular gastrointestinal bleeding. Endovascular-covered stent implantation and active anti-brucellosis therapy were used to treat 10 patients. The follow-up period was 8 years without aortic complications or death for all patients. We think early diagnosis and a combination of anti-brucellosis drugs and endovascular therapy may be the first choice for treating the pseudoaneurysm caused by Brucella.

A Novel Photosensitizer Based 450-nm Blue Laser-Mediated Photodynamic Therapy Induces Apoptosis in Colorectal Cancer - in Vitro and in Vivo Study.

BACKGROUND: Due to its non-invasive and widely applicable features, photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been a prominent treatment approach against cancer in recent years. However, its widespread application in clinical practice is limited by the dark toxicity of photosensitizers and insufficient penetration of light sources. This study assessed the anticancer effects of a novel photosensitizer 5-(4-amino-phenyl)-10,15,20-triphenylporphyrin with diethylene-triaminopentaacetic acid (ATPP-DTPA)-mediated PDT (hereinafter referred to as ATPP-PDT) under the irradiation of a 450-nm blue laser on colorectal cancer (CRC) in vivo and in vitro. METHODS: After 450-nm blue laser-mediated ATPP-PDT and the traditional photosensitizer 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA)-PDT treatment, cell viability was detected through Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) and 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) assays. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation was quantified by flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy. Western blotting and transcriptome RNA sequencing and functional experiments were used to evaluate cell apoptosis and its potential mechanism. Anti-tumor experiment in vivo was performed in nude mice with subcutaneous tumors. RESULTS: ATPP-DTPA had a marvelous absorption in the blue spectrum. Compared with 5-ALA, ATPP-DTPA could achieve significant killing effects at a lower dose. Owing to generating an excessive amount of ROS, 450-nm blue laser-mediated PDT based on ATPP-DTPA resulted in evident growth inhibition and apoptosis in CRC cells in vitro. After transcriptome RNA sequencing and functional experiments, p38 MAPK signaling pathway was confirmed to be involved in the regulation of apoptosis induced by 450-nm blue laser-mediated ATPP-PDT. Additionally, animal studies using xenograft model confirmed that ATPP-PDT had excellent anti-tumor effect and reasonable biosafety in vivo. CONCLUSIONS: PDT mediated by 450-nm blue laser combined with ATPP-DTPA may be a novel and effective method for the treatment of CRC.

Surface defect detection method for discarded mechanical parts under heavy rust coverage.

With a significant number of mechanical products approaching the retirement phase, the batch recycling of discarded mechanical parts necessitates a preliminary assessment of their surface condition. However, the presence of surface rust poses a challenge to defect identification. Therefore, this paper proposes a method for detecting heavily rusted surface defects based on an improved YOLOv8n network. In the Backbone, the C2f-DBB module of re-parameterized deep feature extraction was introduced, and the attention module was designed to improve the accuracy of information extraction. In the Neck part, a Bi-Afpn multiscale feature fusion strategy is designed to facilitate information exchange between features at different scales. Finally, Focal-CIoU is employed as the bounding box loss function to enhance the network's localization performance and accuracy for defects. Experimentally, it is proved that the improved network in this paper improves the Recall, Precision, and mAP0.5 by 1.2%, 2.1%, and 1.9%, respectively, on the original basis, which is better than other network models.

Tartaric Acid Cross-Linking Polyvinyl Alcohol as Degradable Separators for Rechargeable Lithium Ion Batteries.

The escalating focus on environmental concerns and the swift advancement of eco-friendly biodegradable batteries raises a pressing demand for enhanced material design in the battery field. The traditional polypropylene (PP) that is monopolistically utilized in the commercial LIBs is hard to recycle. In this work, we prepare a novel water degradable separators via the cross-linking of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and dibasic acid (tartaric acid, TA). Through the integration of non-solvent liquid-phase separation, we successfully produced a thermally stable PVA-TA membrane with tunable thickness and a high level of porosity. These specially engineered PVA-TA separators were implemented in LiFePO4 (LFP)|separator|Li cells, resulting in superior multiplicative performance and achieving a capacity of 88 mAh g-1 under 5 C. Additionally, the straightforward small molecule cross-linking technique significantly reduced the crystalline region of the polymer, thereby enhancing ionic conductivity. Notably, after cycling, the PVA-TA separators can be easily dissolved in 95 °C hot water, enabling its reutilization for the production of new PVA-TA separators. Therefore, this work introduces a novel concept to design green and sustainable separators for recyclable lithium batteries.