Straw removal reduces Cd availability and rice Cd accumulation in Cd-contaminated paddy soil: Cd fraction, soil microorganism structure and porewater DOC and Cd.

The impacts of straw removal on rice Cd absorption, behaviour of Cd and microbial community in rhizosphere soil were investigated in paddy fields over two consecutive seasons. The results of the experiments in two fields revealed that straw removal promoted the transformation of soil Cd from acid-extractable and oxidisable fraction to residual fraction and reduced soil DTPA-Cd content with the reduction in DOC and Cd ions in soil porewater, thereby decreasing Cd content in rice. Specifically, the Cd content in brown rice of early rice was below 0.2 mg·kg-1 when all rice straw and roots were removed in the slightly Cd-contaminated soils. The α-diversity of soil microbial communities was less influenced by continuous straw removal, ß-diversity was altered and the relative abundances of Anaeromyxobacter, Methylocystis and Mycobacterium microbes were increased. Redundancy analysis and network analysis exhibited that soil pH predominantly influenced the microbial community. Path analysis revealed that the Cd content in brown rice could be directly influenced by the soil Total-Cd and DTPA-Cd, as well as soil pH and OM. Straw removal, including roots removal, is an economical and effective technique to reduce Cd accumulation in rice plants.

Metabolic reprograming mediated by tumor cell-intrinsic type I IFN signaling is required for CD47-SIRPα blockade efficacy.

Type I interferons have been well recognized for their roles in various types of immune cells during tumor immunotherapy. However, their direct effects on tumor cells are less understood. Oxidative phosphorylation is typically latent in tumor cells. Whether oxidative phosphorylation can be targeted for immunotherapy remains unclear. Here, we find that tumor cell responsiveness to type I, but not type II interferons, is essential for CD47-SIRPα blockade immunotherapy in female mice. Mechanistically, type I interferons directly reprogram tumor cell metabolism by activating oxidative phosphorylation for ATP production in an ISG15-dependent manner. ATP extracellular release is also promoted by type I interferons due to enhanced secretory autophagy. Functionally, tumor cells with genetic deficiency in oxidative phosphorylation or autophagy are resistant to CD47-SIRPα blockade. ATP released upon CD47-SIRPα blockade is required for antitumor T cell response induction via P2X7 receptor-mediated dendritic cell activation. Based on this mechanism, combinations with inhibitors of ATP-degrading ectoenzymes, CD39 and CD73, are designed and show synergistic antitumor effects with CD47-SIRPα blockade. Together, these data reveal an important role of type I interferons on tumor cell metabolic reprograming for tumor immunotherapy and provide rational strategies harnessing this mechanism for enhanced efficacy of CD47-SIRPα blockade.

Exploring the Mechanism of Shen Qi Gui Oral Liquid against Chemotherapy-Induced Myelosuppression in Cancer Patients Based on Network Pharmacology and Molecular Docking.

BACKGROUND: Shen Qi Gui oral liquid (SQG) may be beneficial for chemotherapyinduced myelosuppression (CIM). However, the underlying mechanism of CIM treated with SQG is still lacking. METHODS: A total of 27 blood samples from cancer patients were selected to perform RNA-seq to obtain the Differentially Expressed Genes (DEGs). Then, the active components and target genes of SQG were acquired. Next, the drug targets and DEGs were intersected to obtain the intersection genes, followed by functional enrichment analysis and construction of a drug-compoundgene- disease network. Subsequently, core genes were selected. Then, immune cell infiltration, molecular docking, pharmacokinetic and toxicity prediction, and RT-qPCR were performed. RESULTS: A total of 1,341 DEGs, 51 active compounds, and 264 target genes were identified. Then, 30 intersection genes were acquired. Next, a drug-compound-gene-disease network was constructed, and 7 core genes were acquired. Immune infiltration analysis exhibited that only T follicular helper cells were significantly increased in the CIM group, which was significantly negatively correlated with MAPK1, MAPK14, MCL1, PTEN, and PTGS2. The luteolin, quercetin, and beta-sitosterol showed better affinity with core genes. Luteolin and quercetin, which satisfied Lipinski's rule of five, were likely absorbed by the gastrointestinal system. Toxicity predictions showed that neither luteolin nor quercetin exhibited carcinogenicity or hepatotoxicity. CONCLUSION: PTEN, PTGS2, CCL2, FOS, MCL1, MAPK1, and MAPK14 were identified as the core genes in CIM patients, which were involved in the MAPK and PI3K-Akt signaling pathways. Luteolin and quercetin may be the promising drugs against CIM.

Recent trends in Tuina for chronic pain management: A bibliometric analysis and literature review.

BACKGROUND: The utilization of Tuina as a therapeutic intervention for the management of chronic pain has experienced a gradually increase in its popularity, and the purpose of this bibliometric analysis is to offer a comprehensive understanding of the current state and frontier trends, as well as to provide recommendations for future research directions. METHODS: Publications on Tuina for chronic pain published between 2004 and 2023 were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC). Microsoft Excel, CiteSpace, VOSViewer, and the R package "bibliometrix" were used to quantitatively analyse the annual publication volume, countries/regions, journals, institutions, cited references, authors, and keywords. RESULTS: A total of 287 publications were retrieved. The number of annual publications on the use of Tuina for treating chronic pain has gradually increased. Most publications were published in China and the United States. Notably, the most productive institution and author were identified as Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Min Fang, respectively. Medicine ranked first as the most influential affiliate and most productive journal. These publications came from 1,650 authors, among whom Edzard Ernst had the most co-citations. Keyword analysis revealed that the new research frontier was low back pain. CONCLUSION: The utilization of Tuina for the treatment of chronic pain has been gaining increasing recognition. Acupuncture, randomised controlled trials, systematic reviews, etc. were the main research subjects. Furthermore, low back pain is the new research frontier. This study provides an in-depth perspective on Tuina for chronic pain, which provides valuable reference material for clinicians with insights of therapeutic strategy, educators with valuable topics, and researchers with new research directions.

Oblique Lumbar Interbody Fusion Combined with Posterior Percutaneous Pedicle Screw Internal Fixation: Does Variability in Cage Position Influence Clinical Outcomes?

OBJECTIVE: The study investigates how cage positions in oblique lumbar interbody fusion (OLIF) combined with posterior percutaneous pedicle screw internal fixation (PPSF) affect lumbar canal and foraminal decompression and postoperative outcomes, providing guidance for optimal placement and efficacy assessment. METHODS: This investigation assesses radiological outcomes and follow-up data in relation to cage position variability among 80 patients who underwent L4/5 single-segment OLIF+PPSF from 2018-2022. RESULTS: In the study, involving 80 participants, the combination of OLIF and PPSF significantly improved lower back and leg symptoms in patients, leading to positive clinical outcomes during follow-up. The intervertebral DH increased from an average of 8.10 ± 2.79 mm before surgery to 11.75 ± 2.14 mm after surgery (P < 0.001). Additionally, this surgical technique notably increased the FH (P < 0.001) and expanded the DCSA from 68.81 ± 53.89 mmˆ2 before surgery to 102.91 ± 60.46 mmˆ2 after surgery (P < 0.001). Linear results suggest that changes in the position of the cage do not affect spinal imaging parameters. There is no significant difference in the correction of spinal parameters or prognosis whether the cage is back, middle, ahead. CONCLUSION: In the OLIF+PPSF procedure, strict requirements for cage position are not necessary to achieve predetermined spinal biomechanical parameters. The practice of repeated fluoroscopy to adjust cage position post-implantation does not provide added clinical benefits to the patient.

A comparison of different intensified upstream processes highlighting the advantage of WuXi Biologics' Ultra-high Productivity platform (WuXiUPTM) in improved product quality and purification yield.

WuXiUPTM, WuXi Biologics' Ultra-high Productivity platform, is an intensified and integrated continuous bioprocess platform developed for production of various biologics including monoclonal antibodies, fusion proteins, and bispecific antibodies. This process technology platform has manifested its remarkable capability in boosting the volumetric productivity of various biologics and has been implemented for large-scale clinical material productions. In this paper, case studies of the production of different pharmaceutical proteins using two high-producing and intensified culture modes of WuXiUPTM and the concentrated fed-batch (CFB), as well as the traditional fed-batch (TFB) are discussed from the perspectives of cell growth, productivity, and protein quality. Both WuXiUPTM and CFB outperformed TFB regarding volumetric productivity. Additionally, distinctive advantages in product quality profiles in the WuXiUPTM process, such as reduced acidic charge variants and fragmentation, are revealed. Therefore, a simplified downstream purification process with only two chromatographic steps can be developed to deliver the target product at a satisfactory purity and an extremely-high yield.

Epidermal growth factor receptor­targeted antibody nimotuzumab combined with chemoradiotherapy improves survival in patients with locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: a propensity score matching real-world study.

Patients with locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (LA-HNSCC) have poor survival outcomes. The real-world efficacy of nimotuzumab plus intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT)-based chemoradiotherapy in patients with LA-HNSCC remains unclear. A total of 25,442 HNSCC patients were screened, and 612 patients were matched by propensity score matching (PSM) (1:1). PSM was utilized to balance known confounding factors. Patients who completed at least five doses of nimotuzumab were identified as study group. The primary end point was 3-year overall survival (OS) rate. Log-rank test examined the difference between two survival curves and Cloglog transformation test was performed to compare survival at a fixed time point. The median follow-up time was 54.2 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 52.7-55.9) months. The study group was associated with improved OS (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.75, 95% CI: 0.57-0.99, p = 0.038) and progression-free survival (PFS) (HR = 0.74, 95% CI: 0.58-0.96, p = 0.021). Subgroup analysis revealed that aged 50-60 year, IV, N2, radiotherapy dose ≥ 60 Gy, without previous surgery, and neoadjuvant therapy have a trend of survival benefit with nimotuzumab. Nimotuzumab showed favorable safety, only 0.2% had nimotuzumab-related severe adverse events. Our study indicated the nimotuzumab plus chemoradiotherapy provides survival benefits and safety for LA-HNSCC patients in an IMRT era.

Initial therapeutic evidence of a borosilicate bioactive glass (BSG) and Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticle scaffold on implant-associated Staphylococcal aureus bone infection.

Implant-associated Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) osteomyelitis is a severe challenge in orthopedics. While antibiotic-loaded bone cement is a standardized therapeutic approach for S. aureus osteomyelitis, it falls short in eradicating Staphylococcus abscess communities (SACs) and bacteria within osteocyte-lacuna canalicular network (OLCN) and repairing bone defects. To address limitations, we developed a borosilicate bioactive glass (BSG) combined with ferroferric oxide (Fe3O4) magnetic scaffold to enhance antibacterial efficacy and bone repair capabilities. We conducted comprehensive assessments of the osteoinductive, immunomodulatory, antibacterial properties, and thermal response of this scaffold, with or without an alternating magnetic field (AMF). Utilizing a well-established implant-related S. aureus tibial infection rabbit model, we evaluated its antibacterial performance in vivo. RNA transcriptome sequencing demonstrated that BSG + 5%Fe3O4 enhanced the immune response to bacteria and promoted osteogenic differentiation and mineralization of MSCs. Notably, BSG + 5%Fe3O4 upregulated gene expression of NOD-like receptor and TNF pathway in MSCs, alongside increased the expression of osteogenic factors (RUNX2, ALP and OCN) in vitro. Flow cytometry on macrophage exhibited a polarization effect towards M2, accompanied by upregulation of anti-inflammatory genes (TGF-ß1 and IL-1Ra) and downregulation of pro-inflammatory genes (IL-6 and IL-1ß) among macrophages. In vivo CT imaging revealed the absence of osteolysis and periosteal response in rabbits treated with BSG + 5%Fe3O4 + AMF at 42 days. Histological analysis indicated complete controls of SACs and bacteria within OLCN by day 42, along with new bone formation, signifying effective control of S. aureus osteomyelitis. Further investigations will focus on the in vivo biosafety and biological mechanism of this scaffold within infectious microenvironment.

Physical exercise, social relationships, and bullying perpetration among school adolescents in China.

Despite contradictory empirical evidence, some suggest that physical exercise is directly related to bullying perpetration. Moreover, the quality of social relationships between adolescents and their parents, peers, and teachers has been proposed as a crucial mediator in the relationship between physical exercise and bullying perpetration. However, few empirical studies have examined such hypotheses. This study used data obtained from the 2014-2015 China Education Panel Survey to examine the direct association between physical exercise and bullying behaviors, as well as the indirect pathways from physical exercise to bullying that are mediated by teenagers' social relationship quality. The results showed no significant direct relationship between physical exercise and bullying behaviors. However, physical exercise has indirect associations with bullying behaviors mediated through social relationship quality, with peer relationships having the strongest mediating effect. The findings indicate that social relationships could mediate the association between physical exercise and bullying behaviors. The study suggests that future prevention and intervention programs should promote adolescents' participation in physical exercise and their social interactions with parents, peers, and teachers to reduce bullying perpetration.

Highly Efficient Organic Solar Cells with the Highly Crystalline Third Component as a Morphology Regulator.

The morphology of the active layer is crucial for highly efficient organic solar cells (OSCs), which can be regulated by selecting a rational third component. In this work, the highly crystalline nonfullerene acceptor BTP-eC9 is selected as the morphology regulator in OSCs with PM6:BTP-BO-4Cl as the main system. The addition of BTP-eC9 can prolong the nucleation and crystallization progress of acceptor and donor molecules, thereby enhancing the order of molecular arrangement. Meanwhile, the nucleation and crystallization time of the donor is earlier than that of the acceptors after introducing BTP-eC9, which is beneficial for obtaining a better vertical structural phase separation. The exciton dissociation, charge transport, and charge collection are promoted effectively by the optimized morphology of the active layer, which improves the short-circuit current density and filling factor. After introducing BTP-eC9, the power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of the ternary OSCs are improved from 17.31% to 18.15%. The PCE is further improved to 18.39% by introducing gold nanopyramid (Au NBPs) into the hole transport layer to improve photon utilization efficiency. This work indicates that the morphology can be optimized by selecting a highly crystalline third component to regulate the nucleation and crystallization progress of the acceptor and donor molecules.

An injectable magnesium-loaded hydrogel releases hydrogen to promote osteoporotic bone repair via ROS scavenging and immunomodulation.

Background: The repair of osteoporotic bone defects remains challenging due to excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS), persistent inflammation, and an imbalance between osteogenesis and osteoclastogenesis. Methods: Here, an injectable H2-releasing hydrogel (magnesium@polyethylene glycol-poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid), Mg@PEG-PLGA) was developed to remodel the challenging bone environment and accelerate the repair of osteoporotic bone defects. Results: This Mg@PEG-PLGA gel shows excellent injectability, shape adaptability, and phase-transition ability, can fill irregular bone defect areas via minimally invasive injection, and can transform into a porous scaffold in situ to provide mechanical support. With the appropriate release of H2 and magnesium ions, the 2Mg@PEG-PLGA gel (loaded with 2 mg of Mg) displayed significant immunomodulatory effects through reducing intracellular ROS, guiding macrophage polarization toward the M2 phenotype, and inhibiting the IκB/NF-κB signaling pathway. Moreover, in vitro experiments showed that the 2Mg@PEG-PLGA gel inhibited osteoclastogenesis while promoting osteogenesis. Most notably, in animal experiments, the 2Mg@PEG-PLGA gel significantly promoted the repair of osteoporotic bone defects in vivo by scavenging ROS and inhibiting inflammation and osteoclastogenesis. Conclusions: Overall, our study provides critical insight into the design and development of H2-releasing magnesium-based hydrogels as potential implants for repairing osteoporotic bone defects.

Development and validation of a multi-parameter nomogram for venous thromboembolism in gastric cancer patients: a retrospective analysis.

Objective: Gastric cancer (GC), one of the highest venous thromboembolism (VTE) incidence rates in cancer, contributes to considerable morbidity, mortality, and, prominently, extra cost. However, up to now, there is not a high-quality VTE model to steadily predict the risk for VTE in China. Consequently, setting up a prediction model to predict the VTE risk is imperative. Methods: Data from 3,092 patients from December 15, 2017, to December 31, 2022, were retrospectively analyzed. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to assess risk factors for GC, and a nomogram was constructed based on screened risk factors. A receiver operating curve (ROC) and calibration plot was created to evaluate the accuracy of the nomogram. Results: The risk factors of suffering from VTE were older age (OR = 1.02, 95% CI [1.00-1.04]), Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) ≥ 70 (OR = 0.45, 95% CI [0.25-0.83]), Blood transfusion (OR = 2.37, 95% CI [1.47-3.84]), advanced clinical stage (OR = 3.98, 95% CI [1.59-9.99]), central venous catheterization (CVC) (OR = 4.27, 95% CI [2.03-8.99]), operation (OR = 2.72, 95% CI [1.55-4.77]), fibrinogen degradation product (FDP) >5 µg/mL (OR = 1.92, 95% CI [1.13-3.25]), and D-dimer > 0.5 mg/L (OR = 2.50, 95% CI [1.19-5.28]). The area under the ROC curve (AUC) was 0.82 in the training set and 0.85 in the validation set. Conclusion: Our prediction model can accurately predict the risk of the appearance of VTE in gastric cancer patients and can be used as a robust and efficient tool for evaluating the possibility of VTE.

Dysrhythmic saliva microbiota in mobile phone addicts with sleep disorders and restored by acupuncture.

Background: Mobile phone addiction (MPA) greatly affects the biological clock and sleep quality and is emerging as a behavioral disorder. The saliva microbiota has been linked to circadian rhythms, and our previous research revealed dysrhythmic saliva metabolites in MPA subjects with sleep disorders (MPASD). In addition, acupuncture had positive effects. However, the dysbiotic saliva microbiota in MPASD patients and the restorative effects of acupuncture are unclear. Objectives: To probe the circadian dysrhythmic characteristics of the saliva microbiota and acupunctural restoration in MPASD patients. Methods: MPASD patients and healthy volunteers were recruited by the Mobile Phone Addiction Tendency Scale (MPATS) and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Saliva samples were collected every 4 h for 72 h. After saliva sampling, six MPDSD subjects (group M) were acupuncturally treated (group T), and subsequent saliva sampling was conducted posttreatment. Finally, all the samples were subjected to 16S rRNA gene sequencing and bioinformatic analysis. Results: Significantly increased MPATS and PSQI scores were observed in MPDSD patients (p< 0.01), but these scores decreased (p<0.001) after acupuncture intervention. Compared with those in healthy controls, the diversity and structure of the saliva microbiota in MPASD patients were markedly disrupted. Six genera with circadian rhythms were detected in all groups, including Sulfurovum, Peptostreptococcus, Porphyromonas and Prevotella. There were five genera with circadian rhythmicity in healthy people, of which the rhythmicities of the genera Rothia and Lautropia disappeared in MPASD patients but effectively resumed after acupuncture intervention. Conclusions: This work revealed dysrhythmic salivary microbes in MPASD patients, and acupuncture, as a potential intervention, could be effective in mitigating this ever-rising behavioral epidemic.

Correlation of fluid-attenuated inversion recovery sequence vascular hyperintensity in magnetic resonance with collateral circulation and short-term clinical prognosis in acute ischemic stroke.

Background: Accurately assessing the prognosis of patient with large-scale cerebral infarction caused by acute middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion in the early stages of onset can help clinicians to actively and effectively intervene, thus reducing mortality and disability rates. This study set out to investigate the predictive value of fluid-attenuated inversion recovery vascular hyperintensity (FVH) on collateral circulation and clinical prognosis. Methods: The clinical data of 70 patients admitted to The First People's Hospital of Lianyungang from January 2018 to December 2021 with acute cerebral infarction due to occlusion of the proximal end of the M1 segment in the MCA were retrospectively collected. All patients had their first onset of disease and did not receive thrombolytic therapy at the time of onset. Subsequently, they underwent endovascular thrombectomy for treatment. The FVH and collateral vessel scores were derived according to patients' fluid-attenuated in version recovery (FLAIR) sequence and time-of-flight magnetic resonance angiography images. Based on the 90-day Modified Rankin Scale (mRS), patients were allocated to a good prognosis group (mRS ≤2) and a poor prognosis group (mRS =3-6). The correlation between the FVH and collateral vessel scores was assessed using the Spearman rank correlation test. Pearson correlation coefficient analysis was used to assess the correlation between FVH and the 90-day mRS together with the infarct size. Univariate analysis, multivariate binary logistic regression analysis, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis were adopted to identify those factors potentially. associated with the prognosis of patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Results: Out of 70 patients with acute unilateral MCA occlusion (MCAO) who met the inclusion criteria, 62 showed positive FVH sign. These 62 patients were divided into a good prognosis group (n=32) and a poor prognosis group (n=30) based on the mRS score 90 days after discharge. The Spearman rank correlation test indicated that FVH was positively correlated with collateral vessel grade (Spearman rho =0.865; P<0.001); meanwhile, Pearson correlation coefficient analysis indicated that FVH score had moderate negative correlation with 90-day mRS score (r=-0.605; P<0.001). The results of multivariate binary logistic regression analysis indicated that collateral vessel grade and FVH score may be associated with the prognosis of patients with AIS, and the area under the curve (AUC) of FVH score was larger than collateral vessel grade (AUC =0.738). Conclusions: There was a positive correlation between FVH score and collateral vessel grade, and FVH score could indicate collateral circulation. FVH score was negatively correlated with 90-day mRS score and infarct volume and thus can predict clinical prognosis.

Systematic analysis for clinical characteristics and outcomes of IgG4-related disease patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: To systematically describe clinical characteristics and investigate factors associated with COVID-19-related infection, hospital admission, and IgG4-related disease relapse in IgG4-RD patients. METHODS: Physician-reported IgG4-RD patients were included in this retrospective study. Using multivariable logistic regression analysis to determine factors for primary outcome (COVID-19-related IgG4-RD relapse) and secondary outcome (COVID-19-related infection and hospital admission). Covariates included age, sex, body mass index, smoking status, comorbidities, IgG4-RD clinical features, and treatment strategies. RESULTS: Among 649 patients, 530 had a diagnosis of COVID-19, 25 had COVID-19-related hospital admission, and 69 had COVID-19-related IgG4-RD relapse. Independent factors associated with COVID-19 infection were age (OR, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.96-1.00), body mass index (1.10, 1.03-1.18), and tofacitinib (0.34, 0.14-0.79). Further analysis indicated that age (1.10, 1.03-1.16), coronary heart disease (24.38, 3.33-178.33), COVID-19-related dyspnea (7.11, 1.85-27.34), pulmonary infection (73.63, 16.22-4615.34), and methotrexate (17.15, 1.93-157.79) were associated with a higher risk of COVID-19-related hospital admission. Importantly, age (0.93, 0.89-0.98), male sex (0.16, 0.03-0.80), ever/current smoking (19.23, 3.78-97.80), COVID-19-related headache (2.98, 1.09-8.17) and psychiatric symptoms (3.12, 1.07-9.10), disease activity before COVID-19 (1.89, 1.02-3.51), number of involved organs (1.38, 1.08-1.76), glucocorticoid dosage (1.08, 1.03-1.13), and methotrexate (5.56, 1.40-22.08) were strong factors for COVID-19-related IgG4-RD relapse. CONCLUSIONS: Our data add to evidence that smoking and disease-specific factors (disease activity, number of involved organs, and specific medications) were risk factors of COVID-19-related IgG4-RD relapse. The results highlight the importance of adequate disease control with b/tsDMARDs, preferably without using methotrexate and increasing glucocorticoid dosages in the COVID-19 era. Key Points • COVID-19-related infection or hospital admission were associated with known general factors (age, body mass index, specific comorbidities and methotrexate) among IgG4-RD patients. • Smoking and disease-specific factors (disease activity, number of involved organs and specific medications) were associated with higher odds of COVID-19-related IgG4-RD relapse. • The results highlight the importance of adequate disease control with b/tsDMARDs, preferably without using methotrexate or increasing glucocorticoid dosages.

Organic-inorganic hybrid piezotronic bipolar junction transistor for pressure sensing.

With the rapid development of the Internet of Things (IoTs), wearable sensors are playing an increasingly important role in daily monitoring of personal health and wellness. The signal-to-noise-ratio has become the most critical performance factor to consider. To enhance it, on the one hand, good sensing materials/devices have been employed; on the other hand, signal amplification and noise reduction circuits have been used. However, most of these devices and circuits work in an active sampling mode, requiring frequent data acquisition and hence, entailing high-power consumption. In this scenario, a flexible and wearable event-triggered sensor with embedded signal amplification without an external power supply is of great interest. Here, we report a flexible two-terminal piezotronic n-p-n bipolar junction transistor (PBJT) that acts as an autonomous and highly sensitive, current- and/or voltage-mediated pressure sensor. The PBJT is formed by two back-to-back piezotronic diodes which are defined as emitter-base and collector-base diodes. Upon force exertion on the emitter side, as a result of the piezoelectric effect, the emitter-base diode is forward biased while the collector-base diode is reverse biased. Due to the inherent BJT amplification effect, the PBJT achieves record-high sensitivities of 139.7 kPa-1 (current-based) and 88.66 kPa-1 (voltage-based) in sensing mode. The PBJT also has a fast response time of <110 ms under exertion of dynamic stimuli ranging from a flying butterfly to a gentle finger touch. Therefore, the PBJT advances the state of the art not only in terms of sensitivity but also in regard to being self-driven and autonomous, making it promising for pressure sensing and other IoT applications.

HMMR triggers immune evasion of hepatocellular carcinoma by inactivation of phagocyte killing.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) acquires an immunosuppressive microenvironment, leading to unbeneficial therapeutic outcomes. Hyaluronan-mediated motility receptor (HMMR) plays a crucial role in tumor progression. Here, we found that aberrant expression of HMMR could be a predictive biomarker for the immune suppressive microenvironment of HCC, but the mechanism remains unclear. We established an HMMR-/- liver cancer mouse model to elucidate the HMMR-mediated mechanism of the dysregulated "don't eat me" signal. HMMR knockout inhibited liver cancer growth and induced phagocytosis. HMMRhigh liver cancer cells escaped from phagocytosis via sustaining CD47 signaling. Patients with HMMRhighCD47high expression showed a worse prognosis than those with HMMRlowCD47low expression. HMMR formed a complex with FAK/SRC in the cytoplasm to activate NF-κB signaling, which could be independent of membrane interaction with CD44. Notably, targeting HMMR could enhance anti-PD-1 treatment efficiency by recruiting CD8+ T cells. Overall, our data revealed a regulatory mechanism of the "don't eat me" signal and knockdown of HMMR for enhancing anti-PD-1 treatment.

Parasitic behavior and developmental morphology of Mesocomys trabalae (Hymenoptera: Eupelmidae), a promising parasitoid of the Japanese giant silkworm Caligula japonica (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae).

The egg parasitoid Mesocomys trabalae Yao, Yang, and Zhao is used as a biocontrol agent against the emerging defoliator pest Caligula japonica Moore in East Asia. It has been proven that the eggs of Antheraea pernyi Guérin-Méneville can be used as a factitious host for the mass production of M. trabalae. We examined the parasitic behavior and morphological characteristics of the developmental stages of M. trabalae reared on A. pernyi eggs. The parasitic behavior of M. trabalae encompasses 10 steps, involving searching, antennation, locating the oviposition site, drilling, probing, detecting, oviposition, host feeding, grooming, and resting, with the oviposition step further divided into 3 stages. We determined that the parasitoid released an egg during the second stage of the oviposition step, while her body remained in a relatively static state. Among all the steps in parasitic behavior, probing occupied the longest time, accounting for 26.33% of the entire parasitism process. It was followed by oviposition (15.88%), drilling (15.10%), antennation (13.09%), detecting (10.79%), host feeding (10.02%), and the remaining steps, each occupying less than 5.00% of the total time in steps. The pre-emergence of adult M. trabalae comprised of 4 stages: egg (0-1 day), larva (2-6 days), prepupa (7-11 days), pupa (12-20 days), followed by the development into an adult, and it usually took 20-22 days to develop from an egg into an adult at 25°C. This study advances our understanding of the biology of Mesocomys parasitoids and their mass-rearing for use in augmentation programs.

Material Composition Characteristics of Aspergillus cristatus under High Salt Stress through LC-MS Metabolomics.

Aspergillus cristatus is a crucial edible fungus used in tea fermentation. In the industrial fermentation process, the fungus experiences a low to high osmotic pressure environment. To explore the law of material metabolism changes during osmotic pressure changes, NaCl was used here to construct different osmotic pressure environments. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) combined with multivariate analysis was performed to analyze the distribution and composition of A. cristatus under different salt concentrations. At the same time, the in vitro antioxidant activity was evaluated. The LC-MS metabolomics analysis revealed significant differences between three A. cristatus mycelium samples grown on media with and without NaCl concentrations of 8% and 18%. The contents of gibberellin A3, A124, and prostaglandin A2 related to mycelial growth and those of arabitol and fructose-1,6-diphosphate related to osmotic pressure regulation were significantly reduced at high NaCl concentrations. The biosynthesis of energy-related pantothenol and pantothenic acid and antagonism-related fluvastatin, aflatoxin, and alternariol significantly increased at high NaCl concentrations. Several antioxidant capacities of A. cristatus mycelia were directly related to osmotic pressure and exhibited a significant downward trend with an increase in environmental osmotic pressure. The aforementioned results indicate that A. cristatus adapts to changes in salt concentration by adjusting their metabolite synthesis. At the same time, a unique set of strategies was developed to cope with high salt stress, including growth restriction, osmotic pressure balance, oxidative stress response, antioxidant defense, and survival competition.

The indicative effects of apolipoproteins on organic erectile dysfunction: bridging Mendelian randomization and case-control study.

The existing research on the association between apolipoproteins (Apos) and erectile dysfunction (ED) primarily relies on observational studies and does not distinguish between organic and psychogenic causes when diagnosing ED. It is difficult to believe that Apos play a role in psychogenic ED. To address these issues, our study explored the causal relationship between lipoproteins and ED using Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis and differentiate between organic and psychogenic ED through the use of nocturnal penile tumescence and rigidity (NPTR) monitoring. Multivariate MR analysis revealed significant causal associations between high-density lipoprotein (HDL), Apo A1, and Apo B/A1 with ED (OR and 95% CI were 0.33 (0.14-0.78), 3.58 (1.52-8.43), and 0.30 (0.13-0.66)). we conducted statistical and analytical analyses on the data of 212 patients using multivariate analyses and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Patients with organic ED had significantly lower levels of HDL, Apo A1 and Apo A1/B, whereas patients with organic ED had considerably higher levels of Apo B and low-density lipoprotein (LDL). The diagnostic value of Apos in predicting the risk of organic ED was evaluated using ROC curves. The results indicated that Apo A1 and Apo A1/B demonstrated good predictive value. HDL, Apo A1, and Apo A1/B have been identified as risk factors for ED in our study. Furthermore, our research highlights the significance of Apo A1 and Apo A1/Apo B in the development of organic ED and suggests their potential use as indicators to assess the risks associated with organic ED.