A new ChatGPT-empowered, easy-to-use machine learning paradigm for environmental science.

The quantity and complexity of environmental data show exponential growth in recent years. High-quality big data analysis is critical for performing a sophisticated characterization of the complex network of environmental pollution. Machine learning (ML) has been employed as a powerful tool for decoupling the complexities of environmental big data based on its remarkable fitting ability. Yet, due to the knowledge gap across different subjects, ML concepts and algorithms have not been well-popularized among researchers in environmental sustainability. In this context, we introduce a new research paradigm-"ChatGPT + ML + Environment", providing an unprecedented chance for environmental researchers to reduce the difficulty of using ML models. For instance, each step involved in applying ML models to environmental sustainability, including data preparation, model selection and construction, model training and evaluation, and hyper-parameter optimization, can be easily performed with guidance from ChatGPT. We also discuss the challenges and limitations of using this research paradigm in the field of environmental sustainability. Furthermore, we highlight the importance of "secondary training" for future application of "ChatGPT + ML + Environment".

RCN1 deficiency inhibits oral squamous cell carcinoma progression and THP-1 macrophage M2 polarization.

Reticulocalbin 1 (RCN1), a calcium-binding protein located in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) lumen, contains six conserved regions. Its main functions include maintaining intracellular homeostasis and regulating cell proliferation and apoptosis, and it plays an important role in the development of various tumours. However, the exact function of RCN1 in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is not fully understood. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of RCN1 on the biological behaviour of OSCC and the regulation of tumour-associated macrophage (TAM) polarization. The expression of RCN1 in OSCC and normal oral mucosa was evaluated through bioinformatics analysis and immunohistochemical staining. The growth, migration, and invasion of OSCC cells were observed after knockdown of RCN1 using CCK-8 and Transwell assays. Apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry. The effect of tumour cell-derived RCN1 on the polarization of THP-1 macrophages was investigated by establishing a coculture model of THP-1 macrophages and OSCC cells. Additionally, changes in the expression levels of relevant proteins were detected using Western blotting. The upregulation of RCN1 in tumour tissues compared to normal oral mucosal tissues is associated with a poor prognosis and can be utilized as a prognostic indicator for OSCC. Knockdown of RCN1 inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion of OSCC cells. Additionally, knockdown of RCN1 in Cal-27 and SCC-25 cells resulted in inhibition of the M2 polarization of THP-1 macrophages. RCN1 knockdown inhibits OSCC progression and M2 macrophage polarization. Targeting RCN1 may be a promising approach for OSCC treatment.

Modulating in vitro fecal fermentation behavior of sodium alginate by Ca2+ cross-linking.

Slow fermentable dietary fibers can be utilized by human gut microbiota in the distal region of the colon and thus exert a sufficient short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) supplement in the distal region of the human colon. Alginate (Alg) based microgels are widely fabricated and used to control their digestion by digestive enzymes releasing active substances site-specifically. Herein, sodium alginate microgels with gradient calcium-ion (Ca2+) cross-linking densities were developed, restricting their degradation by gut microbiota. Alg microgels were prepared using high-speed shearing after Alg was cross-linked with 10, 40, and 60 mmol/L Ca2+, respectively (named 10-Alg, 40-Alg, and 60-Alg). The fluorescence and atomic force microscopic results showed that the 40-Alg particle has the densest structure among the three cross-linked Alg. In vitro human fecal fermentation results revealed that the Ca2+ cross-linking exerted more restricting effects than delaying effects on the fermentation of Alg, and the 40-Alg exhibited the slowest fermentation rate and the least fermentation extent, by characterizing the residual total carbohydrate content, residual monosaccharide content, pH, and total short-chain fatty acids. The 16S rRNA gene sequencing results indicated that cross-linking structures shaped a high specifical Bacteroides-type microbial community and that OTU205 (Bacteroides_xylanisolvens) highly correlated to the cross-linking density (R = 0.65, p = 0.047). In sum, Ca2+ cross-linking generated a dense and compact structure of sodium alginate that facilitated a more restricted fermentation property and specificity-targeting microbial community structure in comparison to the original sodium alginate.

Emulsifying performance of the hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) complexed alginate microgels: Effects from their deformability on oil-water interface.

Hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide complexed alginate-Ca2+ microgels (C/AMGs) were developed as emulsifiers, which shown remarkably improved emulsifying performance than non-complexed alginate-Ca2+ microgels (AMGs) in previous study. This work focus on the impact of deformability on the emulsifying performance of C/AMGs. By regulating alginate concentration (1.0-4.0 wt%), microgels with different deformability were prepared. Deformability was proved to have great influence on the emulsifying performance of C/AMGs, which was evaluated by Langmuir trough measurements, emulsion appearance, centrifugation stability, digestive behavior, and oxidative stability. Particle size and SEM images indicated microgels prepared with lower alginate concentration are more deformable. C/AMGs (2.0 wt%) exhibits the best emulsifying performance, which could be ascribed to the appreciated deformability and mechanical strength. Digestive behavior and oxidative stability of alginate-Ca2+ microgel (2.0 wt%) stabilized emulsions were further investigated. Compared with alginate-Ca2+ microgel (2.0 wt%) stabilized emulsions, C/AMGs (2.0 wt%) stabilized emulsions shown delayed lipid digestion and lower POV. Results of this work supporting that Mickering mechanism have potential in fabricating functional emulsions based on natural polysaccharides.

Influence of interfacial properties/structure on oxygen diffusion in oil-in-water emulsions.

Oxygen diffusion played an important role in the lipid oxidation of food emulsions. In this study, a simple method was developed to quantitatively observe the oxygen diffusion in the oil-water biphasic system, and it was further applied to investigate the relationship between the oxygen diffusion and lipid oxidation in O/W emulsions. Various factors that related to the emulsion oxidation were considered, from their influence on the oxygen diffusion and lipid oxidation in the emulsions. Results showed that there was obvious correlation between the oxygen diffusion and lipid oxidation in O/W emulsions, which reveals the inhibition of oxygen diffusion could apparently slow down the lipid oxidation. Moreover, the changes of oil phase, water phase and interfacial layer of the emulsions, which were related to the oxygen diffusion, could improve the oxidative stability of the emulsions effectively. Our findings are helpful for deep understanding the mechanisms of the lipid oxidation in food emulsions.

pH Effect on the Structure, Rheology, and Electrospinning of Maize Zein.

As a simple and convenient technology to fabricate micron-to-nanoscale fibers with controllable structure, electrostatic spinning has produced fiber films with many natural advantages, including a large specific surface area and high porosity. Maize zein, as a major storage protein in corn, showed high hydrophobicity and has been successfully applied as a promising carrier for encapsulation and controlled release in the pharmaceutical and food areas. Proteins exhibit different physical and chemical properties at different pH values, and it is worth investigating whether this change in physical and chemical properties affects the properties of electrospun fiber films. We studied the pH effects on zein solution rheology, fiber morphology, and film properties. Rotational rheometers were used to test the rheology of the solutions and establish a correlation between solution concentration and fiber morphology. The critical concentrations calculated by the cross-equation fitting model were 17.6%, 20.1%, 20.1%, 17.1%, and 19.5% (w/v) for pH 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8, respectively. The secondary structure of zein changed with the variation in solution pH. Furthermore, we analyzed the physical properties of the zein films. The contact angles of the fiber membranes prepared with different pH spinning solutions were all above 100, while zein films formed by solvent evaporation showed hydrophilic properties. The results indicated that the rheological properties of zein solutions and the surface properties of the film were affected by the pH value. This study showed that zein solutions can be stabilized to form electrospun fibers at a variety of pH levels and offered new opportunities to further enhance the encapsulation activity of zein films for bioactive materials.

Fabrication, characterization and emulsifying properties of agarose microgel.

Agarose microgels were prepared with bottom-up approach, and emulsifying properties of agarose microgels were investigated. Physical properties of microgels are varied with agarose concentration, and further affect the emulsifying performance of microgels. Enhanced surface hydrophobicity index and decreased particle size of microgels were recorded with the increasing of agarose concentration, which were conducive to emulsifying properties of microgels. Improved interfacial adsorption of microgels was evidenced by Dynamic surface tension and SEM. However, microscopic morphology of microgel at O/W interface indicated that increasing agarose concentration could weaken the deformability of microgels. The influence of external conditions (pH and NaCl) on the physical properties of microgels were investigated, and their effects on emulsion stability were evaluated. Compared with acidification, NaCl was appeared to be more destructive to emulsion stability. Results indicated acidification and NaCl could decrease surface hydrophobicity index of microgels, but there was differentiation in the variation of particle size. It was inferred that deformability of microgels could make contribution to the stability of emulsion. This study verified that microgelation was a feasible scheme to improve the interfacial properties of agarose, and the influence of agarose concentration, pH, and NaCl on the emulsifying performance of microgels was investigated.

Formation and application of edible oleogels prepared by dispersing soy fiber particles in oil phase.

Oleogels containing less saturated and trans-fats were considered as an ideal option to replace the solid fats in foods. In this research, oleogel was fabricated by dispersing soy fiber particles (SFP) in soy oil, and further it was used in bread preparation. Effect of the particle size, particle content and the second fluid content on the formation of oleogels were evaluated, based on the appearance and rheological properties. Results showed that the suspension of SFP in soy oil (24%, w/w) could be transformed into gel-like state, upon the addition of the second fluid. The SFP based networks were dominated by the capillary force which was originated from the second fluid. The rheological properties and yield stress of the oleogels could be modulated by particle size and particle content of SFP in oil phase, as well as the second fluid content in the system. When the oleogels were applicated in bread preparation, a layered structure could be formed in the bread, indicating the possibility of replacing the solid fats in bakery products by our oleogels. Our results offered a feasibility approach for oil structuring with natural raw materials, and developed a new approach to replace the solid fats in foods.

Pretreatment Serum Lactate Dehydrogenase and Metastases Numbers as Potential Determinants of Anti-PD-1 Therapy Outcome in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to investigate the determinant factors of anti-PD-1 therapy outcome in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). METHODS: In this retrospective study, we included 64 patients with recurrent/metastatic NPC. The association of patients' characteristics, C-reactive protein (CRP), neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) with survival benefit of anti-PD-1 therapy were analyzed using Cox regression models and Kaplan-Meier analyses. Patients were divided based on the median value of CRP, NLR or LDH into different subgroups. RESULTS: At a median follow-up time of 11.4 months (range: 1-28 months), median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 1.9 months (95% CI, .18-3.6) and 15 months (95% CI, 10.9-19.1) months, respectively. Pretreatment metastases numbers was significant predictor of PFS (HR = 1.99; 95% CI 1.10-3.63; P = .024) and OS (HR = 2.77; 95% CI 1.36-5.61; P = .005). Baseline LDH level was independent predictor of OS (HR = 7.01; 95% CI 3.09-15.88; P < .001). Patients with LDH level >435 U/L at the baseline had significantly shorter PFS and OS compared to patients with LDH level ≤435 U/L (median PFS: 1.7 vs 3.5 months, P = .040; median OS: 3.7 vs 18.5 months, P < .001). Patients with non-durable clinical benefit (NDB) had significantly higher LDH level at the baseline compared to patients who achieved durable clinical benefit (DCB) (P = .025). Post-treatment levels of CRP, LDH, and NLR were decreased compared to baseline in patients with DCB (P = .030, P = .088, and P = .066, respectively), whereas, there was a significant increase in post-treatment level of LDH compared with baseline in patients with NDB (P = .024). CONCLUSIONS: LDH level at the baseline was an independent predictor of OS and pretreatment metastases numbers was a significant predictor of PFS and OS.

Paclitaxel exposure-toxicity analysis reveals a pharmacokinetic determinant for dose-limiting neutropenia in East-Asian solid tumor patients: results from two prospective, phase II studies.

PURPOSE: The time of a paclitaxel (PTX) concentration remains above 0.05 µM (Tc > 0.05) has been associated with PTX-induced adverse effects in Caucasians, while limited studies were reported in Asians. This study was aimed to explore the characteristics of Tc > 0.05 and the relationship between PTX exposure and toxicity in East-Asian patients. METHODS: This study was based on two prospective phase II clinical trials and patients with advanced nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who were naïve to PTX were included independently. Eligible patients receive PTX (175 mg/m2) and carboplatin (AUC = 5) treatment every 3 weeks. PTX pharmacokinetic analysis was accessed. The relationship between PTX exposure and toxicities after first cycle as well as clinical efficacy was evaluated. RESULTS: A total of 93 NPC and 40 NSCLC patients were enrolled. PTX exposure was consistent in two trials with average Tc > 0.05 duration of 38.8 h and 38.4 h, respectively. Average Tc > 0.05 in patients with grade 3/4 neutropenia was significantly higher than those without severe neutropenia in NPC patients (P = 0.003) and NSCLC patients (P = 0.007). Cut-off value of Tc > 0.05 were identified from the NPC cohort and then verified in the NSCLC cohort, dividing patients into high exposure Tc > 0.05 group (> 39 h) and low exposure group (≤ 39 h). Incidence of grade 3/4 neutropenia were significantly higher in the high exposure group in NPC cohort (43.3% vs 10.0%, P < 0.001) and NSCLC cohort (42.1% vs 9.5%, P = 0.028). No significant relationship between Tc > 0.05 and efficacy were observed. CONCLUSION: Patients with PTX Tc > 0.05 duration above 39 h experience more severe neutropenia than those under 39 h. Prospective studies are needed to verify this threshold.

Biochar assisted cellulose anaerobic digestion under the inhibition of dodecyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride: Dose-response kinetic assays, performance variation, potential promotion mechanisms.

This study evaluated the inhibitory effect and mitigation strategy of dodecyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride (DDBAC) suppression on anaerobic digestion. With the 12 h-suppression, only 16.64% of anaerobes were alive, and acetotrophic methanogens were significantly inhibited. As for batch test, DDBAC suppression significantly prolonged the start-up of systems and decreased the biogas production. In cellulose semi-continuous digestion process, the DDBAC suppression induced volatile fatty acids accumulation and pH decrease. However, the biochar amended reactor effectively mitigated the DDBAC suppression and achieved 370.5 mL/d·g-chemical-oxygen-demand biogas production. Moreover, 17.8% more protein in extracellular polymeric substances was secreted as the bio-barrier to defense the DDBAC suppression. Furthermore, microbial analysis showed that biochar addition selectively enriched directed interspecies electron transfer (DIET) participant bacteria (Anaerolineaceae and Syntrophomonas) and methanogens (Methanosaeta and Methanobacterium). Meanwhile, the potential metabolic pathway analysis showed that the abundance of amino acids and energy metabolism were increased 28% and 8%, respectively. The abundance of encoding enzyme related to hydrogenotrophic and acetotrophic methanogenesis enriched 1.88 times and 1.48 times, respectively. These results showed the performance and mechanisms involved in DIET establishment with ethanol stimulation biochar addition.

MG53 E3 Ligase-Dead Mutant Protects Diabetic Hearts From Acute Ischemic/Reperfusion Injury and Ameliorates Diet-Induced Cardiometabolic Damage.

Cardiometabolic diseases, including diabetes and its cardiovascular complications, are the global leading causes of death, highlighting a major unmet medical need. Over the past decade, mitsugumin 53 (MG53), also called TRIM72, has emerged as a powerful agent for myocardial membrane repair and cardioprotection, but its therapeutic value is complicated by its E3 ligase activity, which mediates metabolic disorders. Here, we show that an E3 ligase-dead mutant, MG53-C14A, retains its cardioprotective function without causing metabolic adverse effects. When administered in normal animals, both the recombinant human wild-type MG53 protein (rhMG53-WT) and its E3 ligase-dead mutant (rhMG53-C14A) protected the heart equally from myocardial infarction and ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. However, in diabetic db/db mice, rhMG53-WT treatment markedly aggravated hyperglycemia, cardiac I/R injury, and mortality, whereas acute and chronic treatment with rhMG53-C14A still effectively ameliorated I/R-induced myocardial injury and mortality or diabetic cardiomyopathy, respectively, without metabolic adverse effects. Furthermore, knock-in of MG53-C14A protected the mice from high-fat diet-induced metabolic disorders and cardiac damage. Thus, the E3 ligase-dead mutant MG53-C14A not only protects the heart from acute myocardial injury but also counteracts metabolic stress, providing a potentially important therapy for the treatment of acute myocardial injury in metabolic disorders, including diabetes and obesity.

Non-isolated high step-up DC/DC power converter with coupled-inductor.

This paper presents a non-isolated single switch converter with high voltage gain. Its circuit topology is combined with coupled-inductor, clamp circuit, and voltage lift capacitor techniques. The proposed converter has several advantages: First, the circuit is controlled by only single pulse width modulation (PWM) for the power switch, which keeps the circuit simple. Secondly, the proposed converter is used as a clamping circuit,which let the energy of the leakage inductance can be circulated to the capacitor, so that the voltage spike on the active switch can be suppressed, and improves efficiency. This paper will introduce the principle of action, theoretical analysis, and experimental waveform in order. Finally, in the case of input voltage of 48 V, output voltage of 400 V, and output power of 1 kW, the performance of the proposed converter is verified. As a result, the maximum efficiency is up to 96.5% and full load efficiency is 92.3%.

Modulating the in vitro gastric digestion of heat-induced beta-lactoglobulin aggregates: Incorporation with polysaccharide.

Three heat-induced protein aggregates, beta-lactoglobulin fibrils (BLGF), nanoparticles (BLGN), and worm-like aggregates (BLGW) were chosen to probe the effect of disulfide bond and surface hydrophobicity on their gastric digestion behavior. Furthermore, the effect of polysaccharide (dextran sulfate sodium, DSS) on the digestion behavior of the protein aggregates was investigated. Results showed that disulfide bond had a mild restraint on the digestion extent (maximum up to 4.65%), especially when its content was below 1 mol/mol, while the surface hydrophobicity had a stronger influence (up to 8.96%), and there is definitive positive linear relationship between the surface hydrophobicity and the digestion extent. When incorporated with DSS, both the disulfide bond content and surface hydrophobicity of the aggregates decreased, consequently, and the digestion was impeded, confirming the stronger effect from the surface hydrophobicity. The digestion extent of the heat-induced protein aggregates could be modulated linearly by incorporation of polysaccharide.

Chlorine Rechargeable Halamine Biocidal Alginate/Polyacrylamide Hydrogel Beads for Improved Sanitization of Fresh Produce.

Traditional fresh produce washing systems mainly rely on mechanical forces and usage of chlorine bleach solutions to aid in removal and sanitization of microorganisms attached on surfaces of fresh produce during washing processes. Frequent outbreaks of foodborne diseases from ready-to-eat produce indicate insufficient sanitization of the washing processes. Herein, we present a scalable methodology for creating antimicrobial and chlorine rechargeable hydrogel beads using an in situ formed network of polyacrylamide and natural polysaccharide alginate through an emulsion polymerization. The resulting hydrogel beads exhibited robust mechanical strength, rechargeable chlorination capability, rapid up to 99.99% bacterial killing efficiency, and high produce sanitizaiton efficiency, enabling the hydrogel beads as a promising additive in chlorine sanitization to effectively sanitize the produce and automatically being recharged and reused.

Beeswax: A potential self-emulsifying agent for the construction of thermal-sensitive food W/O emulsion.

Fabrication of food-grade water-in-oil (W/O) emulsions without surfactant, as the primary substitutes of trans-fat and saturated fat, was still a significant challenge in food science. A facial method has been adopted to fabricate W/O emulsions at 20 °C. The obtained emulsion had long-time stability, and there was no apparent phase separation or oiling-out after 60 days of storage. In this system, beeswax served as a stabilizer for both oleogels and oleogel-based emulsions. The sol-gel melting temperature of the oleogel was 37 ± 0.5 °C by regulating beeswax content to 4% w/w, and then the oleogel was used to fabricate W/O emulsion with the droplet diameter of around 9 µm. Thermo-reversible and thixotropic properties of oleogels were both retained for emulsions. Furthermore, both oleogels and oleogel-based emulsions had compact gel-like structures. The self-emulsifying W/O emulsions without surfactant would have great potential applications in food industry, pharmaceutical industry and feed industry.

Coalescence behavior of eco-friendly Pickering-MIPES and HIPEs stabilized by using bacterial cellulose nanofibrils.

O/W Pickering emulsions containing oil phase with different volume fractions (50-75 v%) were facilely prepared by using bacterial cellulose nanofibrils (BCNFs) alone. The effect of oil phase volume, storage time on the surface coverage, and coalescence rate of the Pickering-MIPEs and HIPEs (medium internal phase emulsions/high internal phase emulsions) were investigated. The Pickering-MIPEs/HIPEs exhibited excellent physical stability and low coalescence rate with droplet size varying from 32 to 91 µm. The increasing of particle contents could obviously decrease the droplet size and enhance the stability of the emulsions by strengthening the network structure and increasing the steric hindrance. The result of rheology analysis confirmed the formation of a three-dimensional network, endowing the exceptional stability of the emulsions. The emulsions revealed superb stability against a wide temperature (4-50 °C) range and salt condition (0-100 mM). This novel eco-friendly Pickering-MIPEs and HIPEs would provide great opportunities for their effective utilization in green-labelled food industry.

Interfacial and emulsion-stabilizing properties of zein nanoparticles: differences among zein fractions (α-, ß-, and γ-zein).

According to the solubility in the binary solvent of ethanol water, zein can be classified into α-, ß-, γ-, and δ-zein, and the difference in amino acid compositions of these fractions is believed to affect their physicochemical properties and functionalities. This research comparatively analyzed main zein fractions, namely the α-zein fraction, ß-zein fraction, and γ-zein fraction, on the formation, surface adsorption, and emulsifying properties of their anti-solvent-induced particles. Results showed that all zein fractions were able to form spherical particles through an anti-solvent procedure, and formed particles possessed different surface charge and surface hydrophobicity. γ-Zein fraction particles had the biggest size and lowest surface hydrophobicity, the highest interfacial adsorption speed, and formed the strongest viscoelastic interfacial film, as analyzed through the interfacial rheology results, while ß-zein fraction particles exhibited the poorest interfacial activity. These physicochemical differences were reflected in their emulsifying properties, whereby the γ-zein fraction particle-stabilized emulsion had the maximum tolerance to salt (50, 100, and 200 mM NaCl) and pH (4.0, 7.0, and 9.0). The excellent interfacial properties of the γ-zein fraction presented in this research would afford a new strategy for the effective application of zein.

Determinants of survival in advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients treated with anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy.

BACKGROUND: The present study aimed to investigate the determinant factors of survival in patients with pretreated advanced stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who received anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy. METHODS: In this observational retrospective study, the clinical profiles and laboratory parameters of patients with NSCLC treated with anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy were consecutively collected. Lung Immune Prognostic Index (LIPI) was calculated based on the derived neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (dNLR) and lactate dehydrogenase level (LDH). Modified Glasgow Prognostic Score (mGPS) was calculated based on serum C reactive protein and albumin, and tumor mutation burden (TMB) was calculated using a targeted next-generation sequencing panel based on 422 cancer-relevant genes. The primary and secondary end points were overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS), respectively. The Cox regression model was used to identify the potential determinant factors of survival benefit. Trained oncologists at Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center followed all of the participants through visits to doctors' offices or via telephone calls to determine their clinical status. RESULTS: Seventy-three patients were included in our study. With a median follow up time of 637 days, there was a significant difference in PFS between patients with high TMB compared to those with low TMB (3.7 vs. 2.1 months; P=0.004), while no significant difference was found in OS (14.0 vs. 16.4 months; P=0.972). Patients with a good LIPI score had a significantly longer OS compared to patients with a poor LIPI score (19.2 vs. 12.6 months; P=0.010). The median OS in patients with a good and a poor mGPS was 16.8 and 4.3 months, respectively (P=0.029). In multivariate analysis, TMB was found to be significantly associated with PFS (HR, 0.38; 95% CI: 0.21-0.69; P=0.002), while LIPI score was found to be significantly associated with OS (HR, 0.50; 95% CI: 0.28-0.89; P=0.012). CONCLUSIONS: In the present study, LIPI score was a significant determinant of OS in patients with advanced NSCLC who received ICIs; however, TMB was only associated with PFS and not associated with OS.

Impacts of nanoplastics on bivalve: Fluorescence tracing of organ accumulation, oxidative stress and damage.

The outcomes of this research offer novel insights into the toxic effects of nanoparticles (i.e., nanoplastics or other nanomaterials) on the benthos. Herein, this study aimed to evaluate the accumulation pathway, distribution characteristics and potential biotoxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics in C. fluminea. The results revealed that nanoplastics could accumulate in the mantle through adherence, in the visceral mass through ingestion and in the gill through respiration. The gill, intestine and stomach were the main accumulation organs for nanoplastics. The aggregation of nanoplastics was observed in C. fluminea, which may exacerbate their biotoxicity. Moreover, oxidative stress was observed in the visceral mass, gill and mantle. Liver damage, neurotoxicity and intestinal inflammation were caused by imbalance in the antioxidation system. Analysis of IBR values showed that the visceral mass had a more effective response to oxidative stress than the gill and mantle after exposure to nanoplastics.