Natural AIEgens as Ultraviolet Sunscreens and Photosynergists for Solar Fuel Production.

Bio-nano hybrids (BNH), combining semiconductors and microorganisms, have shown great promise for effective solar-to-fuel energy conversion. However, the high-energy ultraviolet (UV) photons in the solar spectrum can cause severe photocorrosion of semiconductors and irreversible photodamage to microorganisms within BNH. Here, we developed an encapsulation strategy using natural luminogens with aggregation-induced emission characteristics (AIEgens) to construct a protective layer for BNH, effectively shielding them against high-energy UV photons. We incorporated natural berberine (BBR) into the BNH composed of Methanosarcina barkeri and polymeric carbon nitrides (CNx). The self-assembled BNH-BBR system displayed a 2.75-fold higher CH4 yield than BNH under simulated solar irradiation. Mechanism analysis revealed that BBR acted as a UV sunscreen for BNH by converting high-energy short wavelengths into low-energy long wavelengths, thereby reducing the accumulation of reactive oxygen species and alleviating the photocorrosion of CNx. Furthermore, BBR functioned as a photosynergist for BNH by regulating photoelectron production and utilization, enhancing the intracellular energy formation in M. barkeri for growth and metabolism. This work provides important insights into the effective and scalable conversion of CO2 into valuable biofuels with BNH under light illumination containing high-energy photons.

Methanogenesis in the presence of oxygenic photosynthetic bacteria may contribute to global methane cycle.

Accumulating evidences are challenging the paradigm that methane in surface water primarily stems from the anaerobic transformation of organic matters. Yet, the contribution of oxygenic photosynthetic bacteria, a dominant species in surface water, to methane production remains unclear. Here we show methanogenesis triggered by the interaction between oxygenic photosynthetic bacteria and anaerobic methanogenic archaea. By introducing cyanobacterium Synechocystis PCC6803 and methanogenic archaea Methanosarcina barkeri with the redox cycling of iron, CH4 production was induced in coculture biofilms through both syntrophic methanogenesis (under anoxic conditions in darkness) and abiotic methanogenesis (under oxic conditions in illumination) during the periodic dark-light cycles. We have further demonstrated CH4 production by other model oxygenic photosynthetic bacteria from various phyla, in conjunction with different anaerobic methanogenic archaea exhibiting diverse energy conservation modes, as well as various common Fe-species. These findings have revealed an unexpected link between oxygenic photosynthesis and methanogenesis and would advance our understanding of photosynthetic bacteria's ecological role in the global CH4 cycle. Such light-driven methanogenesis may be widely present in nature.

Growth of electroautotrophic microorganisms using hydrovoltaic energy through natural water evaporation.

It has been previously shown that devices based on microbial biofilms can generate hydrovoltaic energy from water evaporation. However, the potential of hydrovoltaic energy as an energy source for microbial growth has remained unexplored. Here, we show that the electroautotrophic bacterium Rhodopseudomonas palustris can directly utilize evaporation-induced hydrovoltaic electrons for growth within biofilms through extracellular electron uptake, with a strong reliance on carbon fixation coupled with nitrate reduction. We obtained similar results with two other electroautotrophic bacterial species. Although the energy conversion efficiency for microbial growth based on hydrovoltaic energy is low compared to other processes such as photosynthesis, we hypothesize that hydrovoltaic energy may potentially contribute to microbial survival and growth in energy-limited environments, given the ubiquity of microbial biofilms and water evaporation conditions.

Cribiform and intraductal carcinoma in hereditary prostate cancer: clinical and pathological analysis of 20 cases.

Cribiform and intraductal carcinoma are patterns of aggressive prostate carcinoma. This study investigated the clinical and pathological features of hereditary prostate cancer. Twenty cases of hereditary prostate cancer from 11 family lines treated at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine between 2016-2022 were included to summarize the clinical and pathological features by analyzing clinical information including follow up the survival of the patients and pathological features. Of the 20 hereditary prostate cancer cases, 19 were radical prostate specimens and 1 was a biopsy specimen. The mean age at diagnosis of the patients was 67.55 years and the mean PSA was 15.44 ng/ml, of which 10 cases had PSA ≥ 10 ng/ml and 5 cases had PSA ≥ 20 ng/ml. Of the 19 radical prostate specimens, Gleason cribriform pattern (Gleason grade 4) of PCa is observed in 15 cases (78.95%), and intraductal carcinoma, usually a rare form, is seen in 9 cases (47.3%). Two cases demonstrated pelvic lymph node metastasis, and 7 cases (35%) belonged to high-risk or very high-risk PCa. One case (5.26%) showed partial deletion of expression of RB1, and 13 cases (68.42%) showed deletion of expression of PTEN. Follow-up was 4-90 months, 2 cases had biochemical recurrence and 1 case died from prostate cancer. The mean age at diagnosis of this group of patients with hereditary prostate cancer was 67.55 years, the mean preoperative PSA was 15.44 ng/ml, and their histomorphology was characterized by a high percentage of intraductal carcinoma and cribriform pattern of the prostate.

Abiotic Methane Production Driven by Ubiquitous Non-Fenton-Type Reactive Oxygen Species.

Abiotic CH4 production driven by Fenton-type reactive oxygen species (ROS) has been confirmed to be an indispensable component of the atmospheric CH4 budget. While the chemical reactions independent of Fenton chemistry to ROS are ubiquitous in nature, it remains unknown whether the produced ROS can drive abiotic CH4 production. Here, we first demonstrated the abiotic CH4 production at the soil-water interface under illumination. Leveraging this finding, polymeric carbon nitrides (CNx) as a typical analogue of natural geobattery material and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) as a natural methyl donor were used to unravel the underlying mechanisms. We revealed that the ROS, photocatalytically produced by CNx, can oxidize DMSO into CH4 with a high selectivity of 91.5 %. Such an abiotic CH4 production process was further expanded to various non-Fenton-type reaction systems, such as electrocatalysis, pyrocatalysis and sonocatalysis. This work provides insights into the geochemical cycle of abiotic CH4, and offers a new route to CH4 production via integrated energy development.

Cerebral glucose hypometabolism and hypoperfusion of cingulate gyrus: an imaging biomarker of autoimmune encephalitis with psychiatric symptoms.

BACKGROUND: About 60% of autoimmune encephalitis (AE) patients present psychiatric symptoms, but the underlying mechanism remains unknown. This study examined the role of the cingulate cortex in such patients to identify predictive poor psychiatric factors. METHODS: In this study, 49 AE patients and 39 healthy controls were enrolled. AE patients were further divided into two groups based on the presence/absence of psychiatric symptoms. The ratio of the standardized uptake value (SUVR) and relative cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in different regions of the cingulate cortex were calculated through positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET/CT) and arterial spin labeling (ASL) MRI, and the results were compared among the three groups. In addition, we followed-up on the psychiatric outcomes and identified the risk factors for poor psychiatric prognosis, focusing on the cingulate cortex. RESULTS: More than half of the AE patients (27/49) exhibited psychiatric symptoms. Agitation and thought blocking were typical psychiatric phenotypes, except for anti-glutamic acid decarboxylase 65 (GAD65) encephalitis, which mainly presented with catatonia and a depressed mood. AE patients with psychiatric symptoms experienced reduced metabolism and perfusion of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), midcingulate cortex (MCC), and posterior cingulate cortex (PCC). The SUVR of ACC can be used as an independent risk factor of poor psychiatric outcomes, which had an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.865. CONCLUSION: Impaired cingulate cortex function in AE may be the potential mechanism of psychiatric symptoms. Hypometabolism of ACC is an independent prognostic factor predicting an unfavorable psychiatric prognosis in AE.

Microbial biofilms for self-powered noncontact sensing.

Noncontact sensing technology plays a vital role in the intelligent human-machine interface, as the essential medium for exchanging information between human and electronic devices. To date, several inorganic materials-based noncontact sensing techniques have been used to accurately detect touch, electrical property, and physical motion. However, limited available materials, dependence on additional power supplies, and poor power production performance, have seriously obstructed the practical applications of noncontact sensing technology. Here, we developed simple self-powered noncontact sensors (SNSs) assembled using a typical G. sulfurreducens biofilm as the core component. In noncontact mode, the sensor demonstrated excellent self-powered sensing performance with maximum voltage output of 10 V and a current of 60 nA, a maximum sensing range of 40 cm which is the farthest reported to date. Depending on its excellent sensing characteristic, the SNSs was used to monitor human breathing in this work. Furthermore, an array of united SNSs was able to localize external electric fields and effectively extend the sensing area by increasing the number of devices. Compared to traditional inorganic materials, microbial biofilms have the advantages of wide existence, self-proliferation, low cost, environmental friendliness, and ultra-fast self-healing property (seconds level). The proposed biofilm SNSs in our work provides new insights for noncontact power generation of biomaterials and self-driven sensing.

Mechanism and Influence of Dispersants on the Action of Polymer Flocculants Used in Slurry Separation.

The application of polymer flocculants plays a pivotal role in the slurry separation process of shields, and the dispersant used for treating cutter mud cakes can significantly impact the effectiveness of polymer flocculants, potentially leading to reduced efficiency in slurry separation. Experiments were conducted to select appropriate flocculants and investigate the influence of dispersants on flocculant effectiveness, aiming to assess the effect of flocculants and explore the relationships and mechanisms governing their influence. Changes in the patterns of slurry flocculation were revealed in terms of flocculation-driven precipitation and vacuum-filtration effects. The purpose of this article is to provide a reference for the field application of polymer flocculants in the shield field. The conclusions are as follows. Inorganic flocculants containing 0.5% polyaluminum chloride (PAC) exhibit the most effective flocculation, demonstrating strong charge neutralization action. Organic flocculants containing 0.1% cationic polyacrylamides (CPAM) exhibit the most effective flocculation, demonstrating strong bridging and net capture effects. The dispersant sodium hexametaphosphate (SHMP) can significantly weaken the charge-neutralizing action of flocculants and slightly enhance bridging and net capture effects. SHMP can impede the flocculation of slurry with PAC. For CPAM, SHMP can enhance the flocculation of slurry at a low mass fraction (0.1% and 0.3%), while SHMP can significantly hinder flocculation at a high mass fraction (0.5% and 1%). A low mass fraction of SHMP reduced slurry viscosity to 246.3 mPa.s and enhanced vacuum filtration, while a high mass fraction of SHMP increased slurry viscosity to 667.2 mPa.s and hindered vacuum filtration. In conclusion, while dispersants reduce the effectiveness of inorganic flocculants at any mass fraction, a small number of dispersants enhances the performance of organic flocculants; thus, the organic flocculant CPAM is recommended for slurry separation.

CCDC50, an essential driver involved in tumorigenesis, is a potential severity marker of diffuse large B cell lymphoma.

Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common form of blood cancer. Among the subtypes, the activated B-cell (ABC) subtype is typically more aggressive and associated with worse outcomes. However, the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. In this study, we performed microarray analysis to identify potential ABC-DLBCL-associated genes. We employed Kaplan-Meier methods and cox univariate analysis to explore the prognostic value of the identified candidate gene Coiled-coil domain containing 50 (CCDC50). Additionally, we used DLBCL cell lines and mouse models to explore the functions and mechanisms of CCDC50. Finally, we isolated CCDC50-bearing exosomes from clinical patients to study the correlation between these exosomes and disease severity. Our results demonstrated that CCDC50 not only showed significantly positive correlations with ABC subtype, tumor stage and number of extranodal sites, but also suggested poor outcomes in DLBCL patients. We further found that CCDC50 promoted ABC-DLBCL proliferation in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, CCDC50 inhibited ubiquitination-mediated c-Myc degradation by stimulating the PI3K/AKT/GSK-3ß pathway. Moreover, CCDC50 expression was positively correlated with c-Myc at protein levels in DLBCL patients. Additionally, in two clinical cohorts, the plasma CCDC50-positive exosomes differentiated DLBCL subtypes robustly (AUC > 0.80) and predicted disease severity effectively (p < 0.05). Our findings suggest that CCDC50 likely drives disease progression in ABC-DLBCL patients, and the CCDC50-bearing exosome holds great potential as a non-invasive biomarker for subtype diagnosis and prognosis prediction of DLBCL patients.

Clinical features and brain MRI volumetric changes in anti-mGluR5 encephalitis.

BACKGROUND: Anti-metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) encephalitis is a rare and under-recognized autoimmune encephalitis. This study is conducted to characterize its clinical and neuroimaging features. METHODS: Twenty-nine patients with anti-mGluR5 encephalitis (15 new cases identified in this study and 14 previously reported cases) were included in this study and their clinical features were characterized. Brain MRI volumetric analysis using FreeSurfer software was performed in 9 new patients and compared with 25 healthy controls at both early (≤6 months of onset) and chronic (>1 year of onset) disease stages. RESULTS: The common clinical manifestations of anti-mGluR5 encephalitis included cognitive deficits (n = 21, 72.4%), behavioral and mood disturbances (n = 20, 69%), seizures (n = 16, 55.2%), and sleep disorder (n = 13, 44.8%). Tumors were observed in 7 patients. Brain MRI T2/FLAIR signal hyperintensities were observed predominantly in mesiotemporal and subcortical regions in 75.9% patients. MRI volumetric analysis demonstrated significant amygdala enlargement in both early and chronic disease stages compared to healthy controls (P < 0.001). Twenty-six patients had complete or partial recovery, one remained stable, one died and one was lost to follow-up. CONCLUSION: Our findings demonstrated that cognitive impairment, behavioral disturbance, seizures, and sleep disorder are the prominent clinical manifestations of anti-mGluR5 encephalitis. Most patients showed a good prognosis with full recovery, even in the paraneoplastic disease variants. The amygdala enlargement in the early and chronic disease stages is a distinct MRI feature, which exploratively offer a valuable perspective for the study of the disease processes.

Microbial biofilm-based hydrovoltaic technology.

Hydrovoltaic electricity generation (HEG) utilizes the latent environmental heat stored in water, and subsequently harvests the electrical energy. However, sustainable HEG has remained extremely challenging due either to complex fabrication and high cost, or to restricted environmental compatibility and renewability. Electroactive microorganisms are environmentally abundant and viable in performing directional electron transport to produce currents. These distinctive features have inspired microbial HEG systems that can convert environmental energy into hygroelectricity upon water circulation from raindrops, waves, and water moisture, and has recently succeeded as proof of concept for becoming a cutting-edge biotechnology. In this review, recent advances in microbial biofilm-based hydrovoltaic technology are highlighted to better understand a promising method of electricity generation from environmental energy with the aim of practical applications.

Solar-driven methanogenesis with ultrahigh selectivity by turning down H2 production at biotic-abiotic interface.

Integration of methanogens with semiconductors is an effective approach to sustainable solar-driven methanogenesis. However, the H2 production rate by semiconductors largely exceeds that of methanogen metabolism, resulting in abundant H2 as side product. Here, we report that binary metallic active sites (namely, NiCu alloys) are incorporated into the interface between CdS semiconductors and Methanosarcina barkeri. The self-assembled Methanosarcina barkeri-NiCu@CdS exhibits nearly 100% CH4 selectivity with a quantum yield of 12.41 ± 0.16% under light illumination, which not only exceeds the reported biotic-abiotic hybrid systems but also is superior to most photocatalytic systems. Further investigation reveal that the Ni-Cu-Cu hollow sites in NiCu alloys can directly supply hydrogen atoms and electrons through photocatalysis to the Methanosarcina barkeri for methanogenesis via both extracellular and intracellular hydrogen cycles, effectively turning down the H2 production. This work provides important insights into the biotic-abiotic hybrid interface, and offers an avenue for engineering the methanogenesis process.

All-Biobased Hydrovoltaic-Photovoltaic Electricity Generators for All-Weather Energy Harvesting.

Hygroelectricity generators (HEGs) utilize the latent heat stored in environmental moisture for electricity generation, but nevertheless are showing relatively low power densities due to their weak energy harvesting capacities. Inspired by epiphytes that absorb ambient moisture and concurrently capture sunlight for dynamic photosynthesis, we propose herein a scenario of all-biobased hydrovoltaic-photovoltaic electricity generators (HPEGs) that integrate photosystem II (PSII) with Geobacter sulfurreducens (G.s) for simultaneous energy harvesting from both moisture and sunlight. This proof of concept illustrates that the all-biobased HPEG generates steady hygroelectricity induced by moisture absorption and meanwhile creates a photovoltaic electric field which further strengthens electricity generation under sunlight. Under environmental conditions, the synergic hydrovoltaic-photovoltaic effect in HPEGs has resulted in a continuous output power with a high density of 1.24 W/m2, surpassing all HEGs reported hitherto. This work thus provides a feasible strategy for boosting electricity generation via simultaneous energy harvesting from ambient moisture and sunlight.

Sustained Biotic-Abiotic Hybrids Methanogenesis Enabled Using Metal-Free Black Phosphorus/Carbon Nitride.

Biotic-abiotic hybrid systems (BAHs) constructed by integrating biological methanogens with photocatalysts offer novel approaches for the effective solar-driven conversion of CO2 to CH4, providing significant inspiration for achieving carbon neutrality and alleviating the energy crisis. As metal photocatalysts would cause photocorrosion that damages microbial cells and lead to system imbalance. Therefore, exploring suitable metal-free photocatalysts is of particular importance in the search for more efficient and sustainable BAHs to improve the actual operability and applicability. Herein, black phosphorus/carbon nitride (BPCN x ) as an alternative metal-free heterostructure was combined with Methanosarcina barkeri (M. barkeri) to construct M. barkeri-BPCN x hybrid systems, and their cyclic methanogenesis performance was investigated. Our results demonstrated that BPCN x promotes the separation of photogenerated charges and enhances the quantum yield, providing a sustained energy source for the cyclically driven M. barkeri reduction of CO2 to CH4 under visible light. Our system achieved a total CH4 yield of 1087.45 ± 29.14 µmol gcat -1 after three cycles, 1.96 times higher than that of M. barkeri-Ni@CdS. M. barkeri-BPCN x overcame the defects of the metal photocatalyst and kept cell permeability, achieving cyclic stability and effectively maintaining the activity of M. barkeri. These results highlight the viable role of BPCN x as a metal-free photocatalysts in the construction of BAHs for the sustained and efficient methanation of CO2, which is conducive to the development of an environmentally-friendly, low-cost, and efficient strategy for the conversion of CO2 to CH4.

Dual block HER2 assessment increased HER2 immunohistochemistry positive rate in resected specimens of gastric cancer: a prospective multicenter clinical trial from China.

BACKGROUND: Former single center studies indicated that HER2 assessment with two primary tumor blocks (dual block HER2 assessment) could be an efficient and practical approach to overcome the adverse impact of heterogeneity and acquire a HER2 positive rate in gastric cancer (GC). This multicenter prospective clinical trial (NCT02843412) was launched to verify its value and generality. METHODS: A total of 3806 participants with primary GCs have been enrolled from 8 hospitals in China. Two primary tumor blocks were selected and recorded as block 1 and block 2 after histological evaluation. An HER2 (4B5) rabbit monoclonal antibody was used for the immunohistochemistry (IHC) analysis. RESULTS: In total patients, HER2 IHC positive (3+) rate with dual block assessment (9.4%) was higher than that with single block assessment (block 1: 7.8%, block 2: 7.8%) (P < 0.001). Compared with single-block assessment, dual-block assessment increased the positive rate by approximate 20%. Similarly, HER2 equivocal (2+) rate was increased in dual block assessment (25.8%), which was higher than that in single block assessment (block 1: 20.3%, block 2: 20.9%) (P < 0.001). Conversely, dual block assessment demonstrated a lower HER2 negative (0/1+) rate (64.8%) than single block assessment (block1: 71.9%, block 2: 71.3%) (P < 0.001). These findings were also confirmed in individual hospitals. CONCLUSIONS: Dual block HER2 assessment effectively increased HER2 IHC positive rate in resected specimens of GC. We recommended dual block HER2 assessment be promoted in routine clinical practice in GC. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02843412 . Registered 1 July 2016 - Retrospectively registered.

KIF23 is a potential biomarker of diffuse large B cell lymphoma: Analysis based on bioinformatics and immunohistochemistry.

ABSTRACT: Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL), the most common form of blood cancer. The genetic and clinical heterogeneity of DLBCL poses a major barrier to diagnosis and treatment. Hence, we aim to identify potential biomarkers for DLBCL.Differentially expressed genes were screened between DLBCL and the corresponding normal tissues. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes and Gene oncology analyses were performed to obtain an insight into these differentially expressed genes. PPI network was constructed to identify hub genes. survival analysis was applied to evaluate the prognostic value of those hub genes. DNA methylation analysis was implemented to explore the epigenetic dysregulation of genes in DLBCL.In this study, Kinesin family member 23 (KIF23) showed higher expression in DLBCL and was identified as a risk factor in DLBCL. The immunohistochemistry experiment further confirmed this finding. Subsequently, the univariate and multivariate analysis indicated that KIF23 might be an independent adverse factor in DLBCL. Upregulation of KIF23 might be a risk factor for the overall survival of patients who received an R-CHOP regimen, in late-stage, whatever with or without extranodal sites. Higher expression of KIF23 also significantly reduced 3, 5, 10-year overall survival. Furthermore, functional enrichment analyses (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes, Gene oncology, and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis) showed that KIF23 was mainly involved in cell cycle, nuclear division, PI3K/AKT/mTOR, TGF-beta, and Wnt/beta-catenin pathway in DLBCL. Finally, results of DNA methylation analysis indicated that hypomethylation in KIF23's promoter region might be the result of its higher expression in DLBCL.The findings of this study suggested that KIF23 is a potential biomarker for the diagnosis and prognosis of DLBCL. However, further studies were needed to validate these findings.

Metal-Free Semiconductor-Based Bio-Nano Hybrids for Sustainable CO2 -to-CH4 Conversion with High Quantum Yield.

Bio-nano hybrids with methanogens and nano-semiconductors provide an innovative strategy for solar-driven CO2 -to-CH4 conversion; however, the efficiency mismatch between electron production and utilisation results in low quantum yield and CH4 selectivity. Herein, we report the integration of metal-free polymeric carbon nitrides (CNx ) decorated with cyanamide (NCN) groups and Methanosarcina barkeri (M. b). The self-assembled M. b-NCN CNx exhibited a quantum yield of 50.3 % with 92.3 % CH4 selectivity under illumination, which outperforms other reported bio-nano hybrid systems and photocatalytic systems for CO2 reduction. This excellent performance was attributed to the distinct capacitance and conductive effects of NCN CNx , which promoted electron storage and redistribution at the biotic-abiotic interface to alleviate recombination losses and side reaction. This study provides new design guidelines for bio-nano hybrids for the sustainable photocatalytic reduction of CO2 into fuels.

Development and implementation of a simple and rapid extraction-free saliva SARS-CoV-2 RT-LAMP workflow for workplace surveillance.

Effective management of the COVID-19 pandemic requires widespread and frequent testing of the population for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Saliva has emerged as an attractive alternative to nasopharyngeal samples for surveillance testing as it does not require specialized personnel or materials for its collection and can be easily provided by the patient. We have developed a simple, fast, and sensitive saliva-based testing workflow that requires minimal sample treatment and equipment. After sample inactivation, RNA is quickly released and stabilized in an optimized buffer, followed by reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) and detection of positive samples using a colorimetric and/or fluorescent readout. The workflow was optimized using 1,670 negative samples collected from 172 different individuals over the course of 6 months. Each sample was spiked with 50 copies/µL of inactivated SARS-CoV-2 virus to monitor the efficiency of viral detection. Using pre-defined clinical samples, the test was determined to be 100% specific and 97% sensitive, with a limit of detection of 39 copies/mL. The method was successfully implemented in a CLIA laboratory setting for workplace surveillance and reporting. From April 2021-February 2022, more than 30,000 self-collected samples from 755 individuals were tested and 85 employees tested positive mainly during December and January, consistent with high infection rates in Massachusetts and nationwide.