FCRL3 expression is upregulated and closely correlates with TIGIT expression in regulatory T cells of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Using data from single-cell RNA sequencing and flow cytometry, we initially examined the expression of FCRL3, finding it to be elevated and positively associated with TIGIT expression in the regulatory T cells of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. This also suggests that the co-expression of FCRL3 and TIGIT warrants further attention.

Expression of GPR56 reflects a hypoactivated state of circulating B cells and is downregulated in B cell subsets in patients with early-stage lung adenocarcinoma.

Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is the most prevalent subtype of lung cancer, and the early detection and diagnosis of this disease are crucial in reducing mortality rates. The timely diagnosis of LUAD is essential for controlling tumour development and enabling early surgical treatment. GPR56 is a vital G protein-coupled receptor and its role in T lymphocytes has received considerable attention. However, its function in B cells remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the significance of GPR56 in LUAD. We found that GPR56 exhibited a significant increase in circulating plasmablasts and a decrease in new memory B cells. GPR56 expression in B cells was significantly reduced after LPS stimulation and the proportion of HLA-DR+ and CD40+ proportions were also decreased in GPR56+ B cells after stimulation. Additionally, GPR56 exhibited significant down-regulation in circulating B cell subsets of early-stage LUAD patients, and there were significant correlations between GPR56+ B cell subsets and tumour markers. In conclusion, GPR56 could reflect the hypoactivation state of B cells and the decreased proportion of GPR56+ B cell subset in LUAD patients can signify the active humoral immunity in vivo. The expression of GPR56 in B cells could potentially hold value in the early diagnosis of LUAD.

Highly Conductive Topologically Chiral Molecular Knots as Efficient Spin Filters.

Knot-like structures were found to have interesting magnetic properties in condensed matter physics. Herein, we report on topologically chiral molecular knots as efficient spintronic chiral material. The discovery of the chiral-induced spin selectivity (CISS) effect opens the possibility of manipulating the spin orientation with soft materials at room temperature and eliminating the need for a ferromagnetic electrode. In the chiral molecular trefoil knot, there are no stereogenic carbon atoms, and chirality results from the spatial arrangements of crossings in the trefoil knot structures. The molecules show a very high spin polarization of nearly 90%, a conductivity that is higher by about 2 orders of magnitude compared with that of other chiral small molecules, and enhanced thermal stability. A plausible explanation for these special properties is provided, combined with model calculations, that supports the role of electron-electron interaction in these systems.

Elevated Layilin-Positive Monocyte Levels in the Peripheral Blood of Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Reflect Their Autoimmune Status.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression of layilin (LAYN) in human circulating monocytes and lymphocytes and its clinical significance in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). METHODS: Blood samples were collected from 51 SLE patients and 50 healthy controls. Flow cytometry was used to analyze LAYN in lymphocytes and monocyte subsets. Functionally characterized molecules including human HLA, CD74 and CD62L were studied in LAYN+ monocytes. A correlation analysis was conducted between LAYN-related subsets and clinical indicators of SLE such as anti-double-stranded DNA and complements levels. ROC curves were used to explore the potential clinical diagnostic value of LAYN in SLE. RESULTS: LAYN was significantly higher in monocytes than in lymphocytes and higher in CD14+CD16+ monocytes than in CD14-CD16+ and CD14+CD16- monocytes. CD74 was upregulated and CD62L was downregulated in LAYN+ monocytes compared with LAYN- monocytes. The absolute number of LAYN+ monocytes was increased in SLE patients, and the median fluorescence intensity of HLA was decreased. LAYN+ monocytes were positively correlated with complement C4, while decreased CD62L+ percentages in LAYN+ monocytes were negatively correlated with C4. The ROC analysis revealed that the area under the curve (AUCs) for CD62L+ percentages in LAYN+ monocytes, LAYN+ lymphocyte numbers, and LAYN+ monocyte numbers to distinguish SLE from healthy individuals were 0.6245, 0.6196 and 0.6173, respectively. CONCLUSION: LAYN is differentially expressed in monocytes and their subpopulations and has corresponding functional differences. Changes in LAYN expression on monocytes are associated with complement C4 levels in SLE patients. These suggest that LAYN may be involved in the pathogenesis of SLE. ABBREVIATION: ANOVA: analysis of variance; anti-dsDNA: anti-double-stranded DNA; anti-ENA: anti-extractable nuclear antigen; anti-SSA: anti-Sjogren syndrome A; anti-SSB: anti-Sjogren syndrome B; anti-U1RNP: anti-U1 ribonucleoprotein; AUC: area under the ROC curve; CBC: complete blood count; CD62L: L-selectin; CD74/Ii: MHC class II invariant chain; CD44/HCAM: homing cell adhesion molecule; cMos: classical monocytes; CRP: C-reactive protein; CXCR2: C-X-C motif chemokine receptor 2; CXCR4: C-X-C motif chemokine receptor 4; ESR: erythrocyte sedimentation rate; HCs: healthy controls; HA: hyaluronan; HLA: human leukocyte antigen; Ig: immunoglobulin; iMos: intermediate monocytes; LAYN: layilin; MFI: median fluorescence intensity; MIF: migration inhibitory factor; ncMos: nonclassical monocytes; PBMCs: peripheral blood mononuclear cells; ROC: receiver operating characteristic curve; SLE: systemic lupus erythematosus; SLEDAI, SLE disease activity index; Treg: regulatory T cells; WBCs: white blood cells.

Mechanical Polarization Switching in Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 Thin Film.

HfO2-based films with high compatibility with Si and complementary metal-oxide semiconductors (CMOS) have been widely explored in recent years. In addition to ferroelectricity and antiferroelectricity, flexoelectricity, the coupling between polarization and a strain gradient, is rarely reported in HfO2-based films. Here, we demonstrate that the mechanically written out-of-plane domains are obtained in 10 nm Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 (HZO) ferroelectric film at room temperature by generating the stress gradient via the tip of an atomic force microscope. The results of scanning Kelvin force microscopy (SKPM) exclude the possibility of flexoelectric-like mechanisms and prove that charge injection could be avoided by mechanical writing and thus reveal the true polarization state, promoting wider flexoelectric applications and ultrahigh-density storage of HZO thin films.

Asymmetric Catalytic Assembly of Triple-Columned and Multilayered Chiral Folding Polymers Showing Aggregation-Induced Emission (AIE).

Invited for the cover of this issue are Guigen Li's groups at Texas Tech University and Nanjing University. The cover artwork shows that chirality patterns exist from universal to molecular levels showing light emission properties. Read the full story of multilayer 3D chirality and its asymmetric catalytic synthesis at 10.1002/chem.202104102.

Asymmetric Catalytic Assembly of Triple-Columned and Multilayered Chiral Folding Polymers Showing Aggregation-Induced Emission (AIE).

Unprecedented chiral multilayer folding 3D polymers have been assembled and regulated by uniform and differentiated aromatic chromophore units between naphthyl piers. Screening catalysts, catalytic systems and monomers were proven to be crucial for asymmetric catalytic Suzuki-Miyaura polycouplings for this assembly. X-ray crystallography of the corresponding dimers and trimers revealed the absolute configuration and the intermolecular packing pattern. Up to 61 960 Mw /41 900 Mn and m/z 4317 for polymers and oligomers, as confirmed by gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and MALDI-TOF MS, indicated that these frameworks were composed of multiple stacked layers. The resulting multiple π-assemblies exhibited remarkable optical properties in aggregated states (photoluminescence in solids and aggregation-induced emission in solutions), as well as reversible redox properties in electrochemical performance.

Strain-engineering on GeSe: Raman spectroscopy study.

Among the IV-VI compounds, GeSe has wide applications in nanoelectronics due to its unique photoelectric properties and adjustable band gap. Even though modulation of its physical characteristics, including the band gap, by an external field will be useful for designing novel devices, experimental work is still rare. Here, we report a detailed anisotropic Raman response of GeSe flakes under uniaxial tension strain. Based on theoretical analysis, the anisotropy of the phonon response is attributed to a change in anisotropic bond length and bond angle under in-plane uniaxial strain. An enhancement in anisotropy and band gap is found due to strain along the ZZ or AC directions. This study shows that strain-engineering is an effective method for controlling the GeSe lattice, and paves the way for modulating the anisotropic electric and optical properties of GeSe.

Comprehensive genome and transcriptome analysis of the dermatophyte Trichophyton schoenleinii reveals the candidate pathogenic genes.

BACKGROUND: Trichophyton schoenleinii is an anthropophilic dermatophyte that causes tinea favosa. Nowadays, it remains an important pathogen in some regions of the world, mainly epidemic in Africa and West Asia. Despite the medical importance of T. schoenleinii infections, a high-quality reference genome for T. schoenleinii is still unavailable, neither its transcriptomic profile. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the current study was to improve understanding of the underlying pathogenic mechanism of T. schoenleinii, and to define the candidate pathogenic genes of T. schoenleinii. METHODS: Comprehensive genomic analysis of T. schoenleinii was carried out by Illumina and PacBio sequencing platforms. Transcriptome profiles of T. schoenleinii cultured in vitro in two media containing either keratin or soy protein were determined using RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) technology. RESULTS: Here, we present the first draft genome sequence of T. schoenleinii strain T2s, which consists of 11 scaffolds containing 7474 predicted genes. Transcriptome analysis showed that genes involved in keratin hydrolysis have higher expression in T. schoenleinii grown in keratin medium, including genes encoding proteases, cysteine dioxygenase and acetamidase. Other genes with higher expression include genes encoding the components of the pH-responsive signal transduction pathways and transcription factors, many of which may play a role in pathogenicity. CONCLUSION: In summary, this study provides new insights into the pathogenic mechanism of T. schoenleinii and highlights candidate genes for further development of novel targets in disease diagnosis and treatment of tinea favosa.

Ultra-wide temperature electronic synapses based on self-rectifying ferroelectric memristors.

Memristors have been intensively studied in recent years as promising building blocks for next-generation nonvolatile memory, artificial neural networks and brain-inspired computing systems. However, most memristors cannot simultaneously function in extremely low and high temperatures, limiting their use for many harsh environment applications. Here, we demonstrate that the memristors based on high-Curie temperature ferroelectrics can resolve these issues. Excellent synaptic learning and memory functions can be achieved in BiFeO3 (BFO)-based ferroelectric memristors in an ultra-wide temperature range. Correlation between electronic transport and ferroelectric properties is established by the coincidence of resistance and ferroelectricity switch and the direct visualization of local current and domain distributions. The interfacial barrier modification by the reversal of ferroelectric polarization leads to a robust resistance switching behavior. Various synaptic functions including long-term potentiation/depression, consecutive potentiation/depression and spike-timing dependent plasticity have been realized in the BFO ferroelectric memristors over an extremely wide temperature range of -170 °C âˆ¼ 300 °C, which even can be extended to 500 °C due to the robust ferroelectricity of BFO at high temperatures. Our findings illustrate that the BFO ferroelectric memristors are promising candidates for ultra-wide temperature electronic synapse in extreme or harsh environments.

Dynamic Differences Of Red Cell Distribution Width Levels Contribute To The Differential Diagnosis Of Hepatitis B Virus-related Chronic Liver Diseases: A Case-control Study.

Objective: This study aims to clarify the changes and clinical significance of red cell distribution width (RDW) during HBV-related chronic diseases, including inactive hepatitis B virus (HBV) carriers, HBV immune tolerant individuals, chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients and HBV-related hepatocirrhosis patients. Methods: RDW was measured 288 CHB patients, 100 patients with hepatitis B e antigen(HBeAg)-negative chronic HBV infection (inactive carriers), 92 patients with HBeAg-positive chronic HBV infection (immune tolerant), and 272 patients with HBV-related hepatocirrhosis. Their RDW changes were compared with 160 healthy controls. Correlations between RDW and clinical indicators were conducted. For HBeAg+ CHB patients, RDW was measured before and after antiviral therapy. The efficiency of RDW to distinguish hepatocirrhosis from CHB and/or inactive carriers was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Results: RDW was higher in hepatocirrhosis patients than other groups of patients and healthy controls. Besides, HBeAg+ CHB patients possessed higher RDW than HBeAg- CHB patients. For HBeAg+ patients that underwent HBeAg seroconversion after antiviral therapy, RDW was decreased. RDW was positively correlated with total bilirubin and Child-Pugh scores and negatively correlated with albumin among hepatocirrhosis patients. The areas under the curve (AUC) of ROC curves to distinguish hepatocirrhosis from CHB patients was 0.7040 for RDW-standard deviation (RDW-SD) and 0.6650 for RDW-coefficient of variation (RDW-CV), and AUC to distinguish hepatocirrhosis from inactive carriers was 0.7805 for RDW-SD and 0.7991 for RDW-CV. Conclusions: RDW is significantly increased in HBeAg+ CHB patients and patients with HBV-related hepatocirrhosis and could reflect their severity. RDW could help to distinguish hepatocirrhosis from CHB patients and inactive HBV carriers.

Successful Treatment of Eczema-Like Mucormycosis in a Child by Combination of Intravenous Drip and Percutaneous Injection Amphotericin B.

We report a case of eczema-like cutaneous mucormycosis caused by Rhizopus arrhizus. A 4-year-old child was presented to our hospital with a history of gradually enlarging papule and plaque in the periumbilical area for nearly 4 years since 2 weeks after his birth, and it has been misdiagnosed as eczema for nearly 3 years. Based on histopathology examination, the fungus culture test and DNA sequencing, it was revealed that R. arrhizus should be the responsible fungus for skin infection. The patient was successfully cured by combination of intravenous drip and percutaneous injection amphotericin B for nearly 3 months, and no recrudescence was seen during a follow-up of 6-month observation.

Successful Treatment by Surgery of a Primary Cutaneous Mucormycosis Caused by Mucor irregularis.

We report a case of primary cutaneous mucormycosis caused by Mucor irregularis. A 66-year-old man was presented to our hospital with a history of gradually enlarging plaque on the right leg for about a year. The identification of pathogen based on the fungus morphology and DNA sequencing revealed M. irregularis as the responsible fungus for skin lesion. The lesion was removed incidentally by a surgery procedure, and no recrudescence was seen during a follow-up of 24-month observation.

Elevated level of circulating CD4+Helios+FoxP3+ cells in primary Sjogren's syndrome patients.

OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to investigate the expression of regulatory T cells in primary Sjögren's Syndrome (pSS) and to evaluate the clinical role of CD4 + Helios+ FoxP3+ cells in pSS patients. METHODS: CD4 + FoxP3+ T cells in the peripheral blood of 39 pSS patients and 30 healthy controls were measured by flow cytometry and CD25 and Helios expression were also analyzed. The repression ability of CD4 + CD25hi cells was tested in vitro. Clinical information of pSS patients was retrospectively collected and their correlations with circulating Treg cells were analyzed. Cytokine levels in plasma were measured by ELISA and correlations with Helios+ FoxP3+ cells were also detected. RESULTS: Circulating FoxP3+ and Helios+ FoxP3+ cells were elevated in pSS patients compared with controls. The suppression function of CD4 + CD25hi cells is not different between two groups. There are inverse correlations between Helios+ FoxP3+ percentage and ESR, IgG, IgM and ESSDAI. Anti-SSB- patients possess higher level of Helios+ FoxP3+ cells than anti-SSB+ patients. IL-6, IFNγ and IFNα levels were increased in pSS plasma and there were positive correlations between the levels of IFNγ/IFNα and percentage of Helios+ FoxP3+ cells. CONCLUSION: Circulating Helios + FoxP3+ cells were elevated in pSS patients and may contribute to suppressing autoimmunity in pSS patients.

[Adjuvant hormonal therapy immediately after radical surgery for high-risk organ-confined or locally advanced prostate cancer].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of adjuvant hormonal therapy (AHT) immediately after radical surgery for high- risk organ-confined or locally advanced prostate cancer using the PSA-related biochemical relapse rate within 2 years after surgery. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 62 cases of high-risk organ-confined or locally advanced prostate cancer. The patients were treated by laparoscopic radical prostatectomy or radical retropubic prostatectomy after MRI and ECT systemic bone imaging examination, which revealed no regional lymph node or bone metastasis. Thirty-two of the patients (group A) received AHT orally or subcutaneously from 2 weeks to 1 months after operation, and another 30 (group B) were left untreated. We followed up the patients for 2 years, measuring the serum PSA level every 3 months, performing ECT every 6 months, and recording the adverse reactions, medication dura- tion, and the patients'quality of life. RESULTS: All the operations were successfully accomplished. The rate of 2-year biochemical relapse-free survival was 78.13% (25/32) in group A and 53.33% (16/30) in group B. CONCLUSION: AHT immediately after radical surgery can improve the rate of biochemical relapse-free survival of the patients with high-risk organ-confined or locally advanced prostate cancer and check the progression and metastasis of the disease.

Upregulation of CX3CR1 expression in circulating T cells of systemic lupus erythematosus patients as a reflection of autoimmune status through characterization of cytotoxic capacity.

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated CX3CR1 expression in human peripheral blood T lymphocytes and their subsets, exploring changes in SLE patients and its diagnostic potential. METHODS: Peripheral blood samples from 31 healthy controls and 50 SLE patients were collected. RNA-Seq data from SLE patient PBMCs were used to analyze CX3CR1 expression in T cells. Flow cytometry determined CX3CR1-expressing T lymphocyte subset proportions in SLE patients and healthy controls. Subset composition and presence of GZMB, GPR56, and perforin in CX3CR1+ T lymphocytes were analyzed. T cell-clinical indicator correlations were assessed. ROC curves explored CX3CR1's diagnostic potential for SLE. RESULTS: CX3CR1+CD8+ T cells exhibited higher GPR56, perforin, and GZMB expression than other T cell subsets. The proportion of CX3CR1+ was higher in TEMRA and lower in Tn and TCM. PMA activation reduced CX3CR1+ T cell proportions. Both RNA-Seq and flow cytometry revealed elevated CX3CR1+ T cell proportions in SLE patients. Significantly lower perforin+ and GPR56+ proportions were observed in CX3CR1+CD8+ T cells in SLE patients. CX3CR1+ T cells correlated with clinical indicators. CONCLUSION: CX3CR1+ T cells display cytotoxic features, with heightened expression in CD8+ T cells, particularly in adult SLE patients. Increased CX3CR1 expression in SLE patient T cells suggests its potential as an adjunctive diagnostic marker for SLE.

Upregulation of granzyme B and C-X3-C motif receptor 1 in circulating plasmablasts was negatively regulated by Notch signal in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

As one molecule related to cytotoxicity, surface expression of C-X3-C motif receptor 1 (CX3CR1) was highly correlated with intracellular granzyme B (GZMB) in NK and cytolytic T cells. However, the expression of CX3CR1 and GZMB in B cells has not been clarified, and their clinical significance in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) remains unclear. This study aimed to clarify the changes and clinical significance of peripheral blood B cells expressing GZMB and/or CX3CR1 in SLE. Peripheral blood was collected from 39 SLE patients and 48 healthy controls. We found that GZMB and CX3CR1 expression varied in different B-cell subsets, with plasmablasts possessing the highest positive percentages, consistent with bioinformatics prediction. GZMB+ and CX3CR1+ percentages in circulating B cells and plasmablasts were increased in SLE patients. CX3CR1 was upregulated on B cells after in vitro stimulation. Notch intracellular domain (NICD) expression was significantly decreased in plasmablasts of SLE patients and CX3CR1 in plasmablasts was downregulated with the addition of JAG1. In conclusion, GZMB and CX3CR1 were increased in B cells and in plasmablasts of SLE patients and CX3CR1 was negatively regulated by Notch signal in plasmablasts, which may be involved in SLE pathogenesis.

Beyond monetary value: how reward type drives cheating in a gender-judgment task.

Background: Investigating the effects of monetary incentives on dishonest behavior provides valuable insights into human integrity and ethical decision-making processes. This study is conducted through the lens of self-concept maintenance theory. Aim: The aim of this study is to examine the influence of different types of rewards (score-based vs. monetary) and their magnitude on dishonest behavior within a gender judgment task. Method: Using a quantitative experimental design, this study involved 116 participants who were randomly assigned to conditions that differed in reward type (score or money) and magnitude (10 yuan vs. 50 yuan). Dishonest behavior was assessed using a gender judgment task with mechanisms to simulate conditions conducive to planned cheating. Results: Results revealed significant differences in dishonesty rates between score and money conditions, with a higher proportion of dishonest participants observed in the score condition compared to the money condition. The timing of initial cheating was earlier in the score condition compared to the money condition. No significant differences were found in the proportion of dishonest participants, the cheating rate, or the timing of initial cheating across reward levels within either condition. The rate of cheating increased over time, suggesting a temporal dynamic in unethical decision making. Conclusion: The study demonstrates that the nature of rewards significantly influences the likelihood of dishonest behavior, with intangible score-based rewards facilitating rationalizations for dishonesty more readily than tangible financial incentives. These findings enrich the understanding of moral psychology by highlighting the complex interplay between reward types, ethical rationalization, and the dynamics of dishonest behavior.

Ultrahigh Energy Storage Performance of BiFeO3-BaTiO3 Flexible Film Capacitor with High-Temperature Stability via Defect Design.

Nanoengineering polar oxide films have attracted great attention in energy storage due to their high energy density. However, most of them are deposited on thick and rigid substrates, which is not conducive to the integration of capacitors and applications in flexible electronics. Here, an alternative strategy using van der Waals epitaxial oxide dielectrics on ultra-thin flexible mica substrates is developed and increased the disorder within the system through high laser flux. The introduction of defects can efficiently weaken or destroy the long-range ferroelectric ordering, ultimately leading to the emergence of a large numbers of weak-coupling regions. Such polarization configuration ensures fast polarization response and significantly improves energy storage characteristics. A flexible BiFeO3-BaTiO3 (BF-BT) capacitor exhibits a total energy density of 43.5 J cm-3 and an efficiency of 66.7% and maintains good energy storage performance over a wide temperature range (20-200 °C) and under large bending deformation (bending radii ≈ 2 mm). This study provides a feasible approach to improve the energy storage characteristics of dielectric oxide films and paves the way for their practical application in high-energy density capacitors.

2D Janus Polarization Functioned by Mechanical Force.

2D polarization materials have emerged as promising candidates for meeting the demands of device miniaturization, attributed to their unique electronic configurations and transport characteristics. Although the existing inherent and sliding mechanisms are increasingly investigated in recent years, strategies for inducing 2D polarization with innovative mechanisms remain rare. This study introduces a novel 2D Janus state by modulating the puckered structure. Combining scanning probe microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and density functional theory calculations, this work realizes force-triggered out-of-plane and in-plane dipoles with distorted smaller warping in GeSe. The Janus state is preserved after removing the external mechanical perturbation, which could be switched by modulating the sliding direction. This work offers a versatile method to break the space inversion symmetry in a 2D system to trigger polarization in the atomic scale, which may open an innovative insight into configuring novel 2D polarization materials.