In Vivo and In Vitro Interactions between Exopolysaccharides from Bacillus thuringensis HD270 and Vip3Aa11 Protein.

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) secretes the nutritional insecticidal protein Vip3Aa11, which exhibits high toxicity against the fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda). The Bt HD270 extracellular polysaccharide (EPS) enhances the toxicity of Vip3Aa11 protoxin against S. frugiperda by enhancing the attachment of brush border membrane vesicles (BBMVs). However, how EPS-HD270 interacts with Vip3Aa11 protoxin in vivo and the effect of EPS-HD270 on the toxicity of activated Vip3Aa11 toxin are not yet clear. Our results indicated that there is an interaction between mannose, a monosaccharide that composes EPS-HD270, and Vip3Aa11 protoxin, with a dissociation constant of Kd = 16.75 ± 0.95 mmol/L. When EPS-HD270 and Vip3Aa11 protoxin were simultaneously fed to third-instar larvae, laser confocal microscopy observations revealed the co-localization of the two compounds near the midgut wall, which aggravated the damage to BBMVs. EPS-HD270 did not have a synergistic insecticidal effect on the activated Vip3Aa11 protein against S. frugiperda. The activated Vip3Aa11 toxin demonstrated a significantly reduced binding capacity (548.73 ± 82.87 nmol/L) towards EPS-HD270 in comparison to the protoxin (34.96 ± 9.00 nmol/L). Furthermore, this activation diminished the affinity of EPS-HD270 for BBMVs. This study provides important evidence for further elucidating the synergistic insecticidal mechanism between extracellular polysaccharides and Vip3Aa11 protein both in vivo and in vitro.

Effects of different extrusion temperatures on the physicochemical properties, edible quality and digestive attributes of multigrain reconstituted rice.

Multigrain reconstituted rice, as a nutritious and convenient staple, holds considerable promise for the food industry. Furthermore, highland barley, corn, and other coarse cereals are distinguished by their low glycemic index (GI), rendering them effective in mitigating postprandial blood glucose levels, thereby underscoring their beneficial physiological impact. This study investigated the impact of extrusion temperature on the physicochemical properties, edible quality, and digestibility of multigrain reconstituted rice. The morphology revealed that starch particles that are not fully gelatinized in multigrain reconstituted rice are observed at an extrusion temperature range of 60 °C-90 °C. As the extrusion temperature increased, the degree of gelatinization (DG) increased, while the contents of water, protein, total starch, and amylopectin decreased substantially. Concurrently, the relative crystallinity, orderliness of starch, and heat absorption enthalpy (ΔH) decreased significantly, and water absorption (WAI) and water solubility (WSI) increased markedly. Regarding edible quality, sensory evaluation displayed an initial increase followed by a decrease. In terms of digestibility, the estimated glycemic index (eGI) increased from 61.10 to 70.81, and the GI increased from 60.41 to 75.33. In addition, the DG was significantly correlated with both eGI (r = 0.886**) and GI (r = 0.947**). The results indicated that the ideal extrusion temperature for multigrain reconstituted rice was 90 °C. The findings underscored the pivotal role of optimal extrusion temperatures in the production of multigrain reconstituted rice, which features low GI and high nutritional quality.

Photochemical Design for Diverse Controllable Patterns in Self-Wrinkling Films.

Harnessing the spontaneous surface instability of pliable substances to create intricate, well-ordered, and on-demand controlled surface patterns holds great potential for advancing applications in optical, electrical, and biological processes. However, the current limitations stem from challenges in modulating multidirectional stress fields and diverse boundary environments. Herein, this work proposes a universal strategy to achieve arbitrarily controllable wrinkle patterns via the spatiotemporal photochemical boundaries. Utilizing constraints and inductive effects of the photochemical boundaries, the multiple coupling relationship is accomplished among the light fields, stress fields, and morphology of wrinkles in photosensitive polyurethane (PSPU) film. Moreover, employing sequential light-irradiation with photomask enables the attainment of a diverse array of controllable patterns, ranging from highly ordered 2D patterns to periodic or intricate designs. The fundamental mechanics of underlying buckling and the formation of surface features are comprehensively elucidated through theoretical stimulation and finite element analysis. The results reveal the evolution laws of wrinkles under photochemical boundaries and represent a new effective toolkit for fabricating intricate and captivating patterns in single-layer films.

Deformation-Induced Photoprogrammable Pattern of Polyurethane Elastomers Based on Poisson Effect.

Elastomers with high aspect ratio surface patterns are a promising class of materials for designing soft machines in the future. Here, a facile method for fabricating surface patterns on polyurethane elastomer by subtly utilizing the Poisson effect and gradient photocrosslinking is demonstrated. By applying uniaxial tensile strains, the aspect ratio of the surface patterns can be optionally manipulated. At prestretched state, the pattern on the polyurethane elastomer can be readily constructed through compressive stress, resulting from the gradient photocrosslinking via selective photodimerization of an anthracene-functionalized polyurethane elastomer (referred to as ANPU). The macromolecular aggregation structures during stretching deformation significantly contribute to the fabrication of high aspect ratio surface patterns. The insightful finite element analysis well demonstrates that the magnitude and distribution of internal stress in the ANPU elastomer can be regulated by selectively gradient crosslinking, leading to polymer chains migrate from the exposed region to the unexposed region, thereby generating a diverse array of surface patterns. Additionally, the periodic surface patterns exhibit tunable structural color according to the different stretching states and are fully reversible over multiple cycles, opening up avenues for diverse applications such as smart displays, stretchable strain sensors, and anticounterfeiting devices.

Interval Type-2 Fuzzy PID Controller Using Disassembled Gradational Optimization.

This paper presents an interval type-2 fuzzy proportional-integral-derivative (IT2F-PID) controller that is designed using a new disassembled gradational optimization (D-GO) method. A PID controller is first optimized using the D-GO method and then connected to a type-1 fuzzy logic system (T1-FLS). The parameters of the T1-FLS are optimized, and the T1-FLS is blurred into the interval type-2 fuzzy logic system (IT2-FLS). Finally, the IT2F-PID controller is formed. The proposed method is compared with the concurrent and general optimization methods. The simulation results show that the D-GO method reduces the optimization time by over 90% compared with the general method, and decreases the integral-of-time-absolute-error (ITAE) by 30%. Beyond that, compared with the concurrent optimization method, the D-GO method reduces time by over 25%, and the ITAE value by about 95%. In the normal case, model uncertainty, target uncertainty, and external disturbance, the control ability of the IT2F-PID controller designed using the D-GO method is verified via simulations using a nonlinear forced closed-loop system. The results show that the overshoot is reduced by 80% and the fluctuation is reduced by 67% compared with a traditional PID controller and an IT2F-PID controller built using the general method.

Design of online formative assessment of nursing humanities curriculum during the COVID-19 pandemic: A teaching practice research.

BACKGROUND: Under the digital transformation trend nursing education, online formative assessment (OFA) provides a new opportunity. However, the OFA of nursing humanities course lacks design and practice, and faces the challenge of enhancing effective communication between teachers and students, student participation and autonomous learning. OBJECTIVES: To enhance the reliability of OFA in nursing humanities courses and provide practical experience for online teaching in the nursing profession. DESIGN: A quantitative research approach was used. SETTING: This study was conducted in a comprehensive university in China. PARTICIPANTS: We conducted teaching practice on 185 nursing undergraduates, with 89 students in the experimental group, and 96 students in the control group. METHODS: In the 2020-2021 multicultural nursing course, student learning outcomes and questionnaires were analyzed through the online learning tool Superstar Learning, student feedback and satisfaction questionnaires, and descriptive analysis and independent sample t-tests were conducted using SPSS 25.0 software. RESULTS: The OFA of students using Superstar Learning differed in learning performance and time to receive feedback from teachers between the experimental and control groups, and both groups had higher satisfaction levels. The experimental group's instructional design contained a synchronous classroom discussion module with better participation. CONCLUSIONS: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of online learning tools can support the implementation of OFA, build an environment where teachers and students participate together, have a positive impact on the continuous updating of teachers' teaching programs and students' learning outcomes. Simultaneous classroom discussions are expected to be an effective way to improve the reliability of OFA. Our instructional design, provides best practice suggestions for future online teaching and learning.

Recent Advances in Understanding Multi-scale Climate Variability of the Asian Monsoon.

Studies of the multi-scale climate variability of the Asian monsoon are essential to an advanced understanding of the physical processes of the global climate system. In this paper, the progress achieved in this field is systematically reviewed, with a focus on the past several years. The achievements are summarized into the following topics: (1) the onset of the South China Sea summer monsoon; (2) the East Asian summer monsoon; (3) the East Asian winter monsoon; and (4) the Indian summer monsoon. Specifically, new results are highlighted, including the advanced or delayed local monsoon onset tending to be synchronized over the Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, Indochina Peninsula, and South China Sea; the basic features of the record-breaking mei-yu in 2020, which have been extensively investigated with an emphasis on the role of multi-scale processes; the recovery of the East Asian winter monsoon intensity after the early 2000s in the presence of continuing greenhouse gas emissions, which is believed to have been dominated by internal climate variability (mostly the Arctic Oscillation); and the accelerated warming over South Asia, which exceeded the tropical Indian Ocean warming, is considered to be the main driver of the Indian summer monsoon rainfall recovery since 1999. A brief summary is provided in the final section along with some further discussion on future research directions regarding our understanding of the Asian monsoon variability.

Hydrogen inhalation enhances autophagy via the AMPK/mTOR pathway, thereby attenuating doxorubicin-induced cardiac injury.

AIMS: Doxorubicin is a drug widely used in clinical cancer treatment, but severe cardiotoxicity limits its clinical application. Autophagy disorder is an important factor in the mechanism of doxorubicin-induced cardiac injury. As the smallest molecule in nature, hydrogen has various biological effects such as anti-oxidation, anti-apoptosis and regulation of autophagy. Hydrogen therapy is currently considered to be an emerging therapeutic method, but the effect and mechanism of hydrogen on doxorubicin-induced myocardial injury have not been determined. The purpose of this study was to investigate the protective effect of hydrogen inhalation on doxorubicin-induced chronic myocardial injury and its effect and mechanism on autophagy. METHODS: In this study, we established a chronic heart injury model by intraperitoneal injection of doxorubicin in rats for 30 days, accumulating 20 mg/kg. The effect of hydrogen inhalation on the cardiac function in rats was explored by echocardiography, Elisa, and H&E staining. To clarify the influence of autophagy, we detected the expression of LC3 and related autophagy proteins in vivo and in vitro by immunofluorescence and western blot.In order to further explore the mechanism of autophagy, we added pathway inhibitors and used western blot to preliminarily investigate the protective effect of hydrogen inhalation on myocardial injury caused by doxorubicin. RESULTS: Hydrogen inhalation can improve doxorubicin-induced cardiac function decline and pathological structural abnormalities in rats. It was confirmed by immunofluorescence that hydrogen treatment could restore the expression of autophagy marker protein LC3 (microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3) in cardiomyocytes reduced by doxorubicin, while reducing cardiomyocyte apoptosis. Mechanistically, Western blot results consistently showed that hydrogen treatment up-regulated the ratio of p-AMPK (phosphorylated AMP-dependent protein kinase) to AMPK and down-regulated p-mTOR (phosphorylated mammalian target of rapamycin) and mTOR ratio. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that hydrogen inhalation can activate autophagy through the AMPK/mTOR pathway and protect against myocardial injury induced by doxorubicin. Hydrogen inhalation therapy may be a potential treatment for doxorubicin-induced myocardial injury.

Ultrasonic treatment influences the compactness of quinoa protein microstructure and improves the structural integrity of quinoa protein at the interfaces of high internal phase emulsion.

For native quinoa protein with a loose disordered structure and low structural integrity, once the protein is absorbed to the oil-water interface, the stress of interfacial tension and hydrophobic interaction can easily trigger the conformation change and denaturation of quinoa protein, leading to the instability of high internal phase emulsion (HIPE). Ultrasonic treatment can induce the refolding and self-assembling of quinoa protein microstructure, which is expected to frustrate the disruption of protein microstructure. The particle size, tertiary structure, and secondary structure of quinoa protein isolate particle (QPI) were investigated by multi-spectroscopic technology. The study demonstrates that QPIs prepared with ultrasonic treatment of 5 kJ/mL exhibit more robust structural integrity compared with native QPIs. The relatively loose structure (random coil, 28.15 ± 1.06 %∼25.10 ± 0.28 %) transformed to a more ordered and compact form (α-helix, 5.65 ± 0.07 %∼6.80 ± 0.28 %). Through the addition of QPI-based HIPE as an alternative for commercial shortening, the specific volume of white bread was increased (2.74 ± 0.35 âˆ¼ 3.58 ± 0.04 cm3/g).

Reflection on the teaching of student-centred formative assessment in medical curricula: an investigation from the perspective of medical students.

BACKGROUND: Formative assessment (FA) is becoming increasingly common in higher education, although the teaching practice of student-centred FA in medical curricula is still very limited. In addition, there is a lack of theoretical and pedagogical practice studies observing FA from medical students' perspectives. The aim of this study is to explore and understand ways to improve student-centred FA, and to provide a practical framework for the future construction of an FA index system in medical curricula. METHODS: This study used questionnaire data from undergraduate students in clinical medicine, preventive medicine, radiology, and nursing at a comprehensive university in China. The feelings of medical students upon receiving student-centred FA, assessment of faculty feedback, and satisfaction were analysed descriptively. RESULTS: Of the 924 medical students surveyed, 37.1% had a general understanding of FA, 94.2% believed that the subject of teaching assessment was the teacher, 59% believed that teacher feedback on learning tasks was effective, and 36.3% received teacher feedback on learning tasks within one week. In addition, student satisfaction results show that students' satisfaction with teacher feedback was 1.71 ± 0.747 points, and their satisfaction with learning tasks was 1.83 ± 0.826 points. CONCLUSION: Students as participants and collaborators in FA provide valid feedback for improving student-centred FA in terms of student cognition, empowered participation, and humanism. In addition, we suggest that medical educators avoid taking student satisfaction as a single indicator for measuring student-centred FA and to try to build an assessment index system of FA, to highlight the advantages of FA in medical curricula.

Dynamic metal patterns of wrinkles based on photosensitive layers.

Regulating metal surfaces with micro-/nanoscale structures is of great significance for both material science and potential applications. However, the intrinsic properties of metals, such as fixed isotropic moduli and inflexible structures, in a sense present major limitations in developing next-generation smart patterned surfaces. In this work, a facile and general patterning strategy is proposed to endow insensitive metal surfaces with controllable spontaneous topologies and dynamic performance by exquisitely introducing an essential photosensitive interlayer. The arresting anthracene-containing photocrosslinking interlayer can selectively predetermine the anisotropic property of compliant bilayers without damaging metals' homogeneous properties, and realize a changeable stiff/soft layer. Furthermore, the mechanical transition mechanism of the self-adaptive wrinkling modes in metal-based trilayer systems is revealed to pave the pathway for regulating functional wrinkled metal surfaces. This photodriven metal patterning strategy can promote the development of brand-new methods for tuning the instability of multilayered materials, and be potentially applied in smart optical devices with dynamic reflectance, including light gratings and "magic" mirrors.

Effectiveness of interventions in older adults with cognitive frailty: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: interventions targeting older adults with cognitive frailty have grown rapidly in recent years with inconsistent findings. However, there is no meta-analysis that has synthesised pooled estimates. OBJECTIVE: to synthesise the pooled effect of current targeted interventions in older people with cognitive frailty. METHODS: we conducted a systematic search in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, the JBI database and three Chinese databases (CNKI, Wan-Fang and VIP) for literature from the inception of the database until 8 March 2022. The mean difference or standardised mean difference with 95% CIs was calculated. The methodological quality was assessed by the Cochrane RoB 2.0. The certainty of evidence was assessed using the GRADE criteria. RESULTS: thirteen randomised controlled trials with a total of 1,089 participants were included. The results of the meta-analysis showed that older adults with cognitive frailty in the intervention groups had significant improvement in frailty score [MD = -1.67, 95% CI (-2.39, -0.95), P < 0.00001, I2 = 97%], global cognitive function [MD = 3.38, 95% CI (1.90, 4.85), P < 0.00001, I2 = 93%], mobility [MD = -0.96, 95% CI (-1.27, -1.66), P < 0.00001, I2 = 0%], muscle strength [SMD = 0.75, 95% CI (0.09, 1.41), P = 0.03, I2 = 85%] and nutritional status [MNA:MD = 5.64, 95% CI (3.99, 7.29), P < 0.00001, I2 = 89%; ALB: MD = 3.23, 95% CI (0.76, 5.71), P = 0.01, I2 = 93%; PALB: MD = 54.52, 95% CI (25.26, 83.77), P = 0.0003, I2 = 96%; TRF: MD = 0.64, 95% CI (0.22, 1.06), P = 0.003, I2 = 97%]. The overall certainty of the evidence ranged from low to moderate. CONCLUSIONS: interventions targeting older adults with cognitive frailty are effective in improving physical frailty, global cognitive function, physical function and nutritional status with low to moderate certainty. More research is still needed in the future to further enrich the evidence in these fields. PROSPERO NUMBER: CRD42022318758.

The new role of nursing in digital inclusion: Reflections on smartphone use and willingness to increase digital skills among Chinese older adults.

OBJECTIVE: This study explores the willingness of older adults to use smartphones and improve their digital skills and encourages nursing to actively participate in bridging the digital divide. METHODS: Subject analysis was used to conduct qualitative research, and 23 older adults were interviewed. RESULTS: We identified four themes: (1) the current situation of smartphone use; (2) the digital dilemma of smartphone use; (3) social support for digital skills; and (4) the willingness to learn digital skills. Older adults in China are willing to accept and use smartphones for simple operations, and peer learning may be an effective way to improve their digital skills. CONCLUSION: Community support is necessary to develop the digital skills of older adults with smartphones and reduce the digital divide to the greatest extent possible. Nursing may play a role in promoting digital inclusion for older adults.

Impact of calorie intake and refeeding syndrome on the length of hospital stay of patients with malnutrition: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: The decrease of nutritional status has affected one-third hospitalized patients, while there is no widely used definition of malnutrition. Refeeding syndrome is a severe complication of refeeding in people with malnutrition, it includes a series of electrolyte disorders and clinical symptoms. Further research is warranted to determine whether refeeding syndrome prolongs the length of stay, and to verify the effect of different energy intakes during refeeding on the length of stay in people with malnutrition. Our review aimed to explore the effects of refeeding syndrome and initial calorie intake on the length of stay in patients with malnutrition. This study aids the understanding of clinical nutrition strategies to prevent and treat refeeding syndrome. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Knowledge, and two Chinese databases were systematically searched until October 2021. Controlled studies of patients' refeeding process with the outcome of length of stay were included. Effect sizes were expressed as 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and calculated using random-effects models. RESULTS: Eighteen studies involving 3868 participants were included in our review. The pooled length of stay of 2965 patients with refeeding syndrome in 11 studies was 25.55 (95% CI, 20.20-30.90) days. The pooled impact of refeeding syndrome on length of stay of 2634 patients in 10 studies was weighted mean difference (WMD) = 2.91 (95% CI, -0.18 - 6.00; P = 0.065) days. The pooled effect of higher calorie intake of 1234 patients in 8 studies was WMD = -3.04 (95% CI, -5.10 to -0.99, P = 0.003) days. CONCLUSIONS: The average length of stay in patients with refeeding syndrome was 25.55 days with a very high heterogeneity between studies. Refeeding syndrome affects the length of stay in part of, but not all, patients. In the present review, we concluded that higher initial calorie intake may help shorten the length of stay in patients with malnutrition. More well-designed randomized controlled trials are needed to explore the effect of calorie intake during refeeding.

Construction and Analysis of lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA ceRNA Network Identify an Eight-Gene Signature as a Potential Prognostic Factor in Kidney Renal Papillary Cell Carcinoma (KIRP).

Aims: This study was conducted to establish the potential competing endogeneous RNA (ceRNA) network for predicting prognoses in kidney papillary renal cell carcinoma (KIRP) and explore novel therapeutic targets. Methods: The edgeR package in R was used to determine differentially expressed messenger RNAs (mRNAs), long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs), based on data from The Cancer Gene Atlas Program (TCGA) and the Genotype Expression (GTEx) databases. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was performed to filter out the mRNAs or lncRNAs that were strongly related to KIRP. The miRNAs that possibly sponged by differentially expressed RNAs lncRNAs (DElncRNAs) were screened using miRcode. Starbase, miRDB, and TargetScan sets were utilized to predict target mRNAs to corresponding miRNAs. LASSO and multivariate Cox regression analyses were applied for the determination of potential prognostic significance. Finally, the lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA ceRNA network was constructed. Results: A total of 1739 DEmRNAs and 1599 DElncRNAs were identified in KIRP. WGCNA analysis suggested that DEmRNAs in the blue module and DElncRNAs in the turquoise module were closely correlated with KIRP. An 8-gene signature was constructed, which had prognostic significance and predictive value in KIRP. Of note, a lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA ceRNA network (including 18 lncRNAs, 5 miRNAs, and 7 mRNAs) was established. Conclusion: This investigation constructed a new lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA ceRNA network, and proposed some genes that may be novel targets, as well as a theoretical basis for the treatment of patients with KIRP.

Strain-ultrasensitive surface wrinkles for visual optical sensors.

Wearable tactile sensors have found widespread applications in human health monitoring, motion monitoring, human-machine interactions, and artificial prostheses. Herein, we demonstrate a new and feasible strategy for wearable optical sensors based on surface wrinkles that are ultrasensitive to strain using a bilayer wrinkling system, in which the relevance between strain and the optical signal can be founded on surface wrinkles. The strain (S⃑(ε, θS)), the wrinkled topography (W⃑(A, θW)), and the reflected optical signal (O⃑(δ, θO)) are correlated with each other, allowing simultaneous measurement of the strain magnitude and direction due to the vector property of optical signals. In addition, interactively visualized detection of slight strain has been achieved by a conspicuous structural color change, successfully amplifying the strain signal owing to the ultra-sensitivity of wrinkles and the nonlinearity of the optical signal. The sensor also exhibits electrical safety and immunity to electromagnetic interference and thus may find potential applications in detecting various complex slight strains, such as subtle human motion or object deformation.

Dynamic Surface Wrinkles for In Situ Light-Driven Dynamic Gratings.

Dynamic diffraction gratings (DDGs) are considered as one of the most promising technologies for application in smart optical devices because of their in situ dynamic regulation of light propagation on demand; however, it is still a challenge to fabricate dynamic periodic micro/nanostructures due to limited materials and processes. Here, a facile and feasible strategy to construct a near-infrared (NIR) radiation-driven DDG is developed based on a double-sided surface pattern, which is fabricated by dynamic wrinkles and/or soft-imprinted static wrinkles. Poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) containing carbon nanotubes (CNTs) serves as the substrate, and wrinkles are formed on both sides. The resulting double-sided wrinkle pattern can be used as a DDG to generate various adjustable two-dimensional (2D) diffraction patterns driven by NIR light. Furthermore, with various combinations of wrinkles, we demonstrated a single-sided responsive DDG and a double-sided responsive DDG to realize the evolution of diffraction patterns from 2D to one-dimensional (1D) and 2D to zero-dimensional (0D), respectively. The results provide an alternative for DDGs that will have wide applications in smart display, sensing, and imaging systems.

Hawthorn extract inhibited the PI3k/Akt pathway to prolong the lifespan of Drosophila melanogaster.

HE is a natural extract with strong antioxidant capacity. Drosophila melanogaster was used to explore HE could delay aging in this study. We detected that 3 mg/ml HE could increase stress tolerance (heat, cold, starvation, oxidative stress), reduce intestinal dysfunction, and prolong the lifespan of D. melanogaster. Network pharmacology analysis showed HE could act through the PI3K-Akt pathway. Meanwhile, HE intervention inhibited the gene expression of InR, PI3K, and Akt-1, and further increased the gene expression of Atg1, Atg5, Atg8a, and Atg8b. Furthermore, HE inhibited the unnatural propagation of ISCs and increased the number of lysosomes. Supplement with HE may be an effective intervention for aging D. melanogaster. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: In recent years, diseases that come with aging have seriously affected people's healthy life. Hawthorn is a kind of nutrient-rich substance that is rich in flavonoids and thus has many potential biological and pharmacological functions. Our results showed that HE has good antioxidant properties and can maintain intestinal homeostasis, which provides a good theoretical basis for the development and research using HE as an effective natural antioxidant for the elderly.

Light-driven dynamic surface wrinkles for adaptive visible camouflage.

Camouflage is widespread in nature, engineering, and the military. Dynamic surface wrinkles enable a material the on-demand control of the reflected optical signal and may provide an alternative to achieve adaptive camouflage. Here, we demonstrate a feasible strategy for adaptive visible camouflage based on light-driven dynamic surface wrinkles using a bilayer system comprising an anthracene-containing copolymer (PAN) and pigment-containing poly (dimethylsiloxane) (pigment-PDMS). In this system, the photothermal effect-induced thermal expansion of pigment-PDMS could eliminate the wrinkles. The multiwavelength light-driven dynamic surface wrinkles could tune the scattering of light and the visibility of the PAN film interference color. Consequently, the color captured by the observer could switch between the exposure state that is distinguished from the background and the camouflage state that is similar to the surroundings. The bilayer wrinkling system toward adaptive visible camouflage is simple to configure, easy to operate, versatile, and exhibits in situ dynamic characteristics without any external sensors and extra stimuli.

Development of immune gene pair-based signature predictive of prognosis and immunotherapy in esophageal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Esophageal cancer (EC) is one of the deadliest solid malignancies, mainly consisting of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and adenocarcinoma (EAC). Robust biomarkers that can improve patient risk stratification are needed to optimize cancer management. We sought to establish potent prognostic signatures with immune-related gene (IRG) pairs for ESCC and EAC. METHODS: We obtained differentially expressed IRGs by intersecting the Immunology Database and Analysis Portal (ImmPort) with the transcriptome data set of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)-ESCC and EAC cohorts. A novel rank-based pairwise comparison algorithm was applied to select effective IRG pairs (IRGPs), followed by constructing a prognostic IRGP signature via the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression model. We assessed the predictive power of the IRGP signatures on prognosis, tumor-infiltrating immune cells, and immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) efficacy in EC. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC) were used to evaluate the clinical significance of IRGPs. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed to investigate the association of overall survival (OS) with IRGPs and clinical characteristics. RESULTS: We built a 19-IRGP signature for ESCC (n=75) and a 17-IRGP signature for EAC (n=78), with an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.931 and 0.803, respectively. IRGP signature-derived risk scores stratified patients into low- and high-risk groups with significantly different OS in ESCC and EAC (P<0.001). Nomogram and decision curve analysis were used to evaluate the clinical relevance of the prognostic signatures, achieving a C-index of 0.973 in ESCC and 0.880 in EAC. The risk scores were associated with immune and ESTIMATE (Estimation of STromal and Immune cells in MAlignant Tumor tissues using Expression data) scores and the composition of immune cells in the tumor microenvironment. The association between risk score and human leukocyte antigens (HLAs), mismatch repair (MMR) genes, and immune checkpoint molecules demonstrated its predictive value for ICI response. Differential immune characteristics and predictive value of the risk score were observed in EAC. CONCLUSIONS: The established immune signatures showed great promise in predicting prognosis, tumor immunogenicity, and immunotherapy response in ESCC and EAC.