An artificial visual neuron with multiplexed rate and time-to-first-spike coding.

Human visual neurons rely on event-driven, energy-efficient spikes for communication, while silicon image sensors do not. The energy-budget mismatch between biological systems and machine vision technology has inspired the development of artificial visual neurons for use in spiking neural network (SNN). However, the lack of multiplexed data coding schemes reduces the ability of artificial visual neurons in SNN to emulate the visual perception ability of biological systems. Here, we present an artificial visual spiking neuron that enables rate and temporal fusion (RTF) coding of external visual information. The artificial neuron can code visual information at different spiking frequencies (rate coding) and enables precise and energy-efficient time-to-first-spike (TTFS) coding. This multiplexed sensory coding scheme could improve the computing capability and efficacy of artificial visual neurons. A hardware-based SNN with the RTF coding scheme exhibits good consistency with real-world ground truth data and achieves highly accurate steering and speed predictions for self-driving vehicles in complex conditions. The multiplexed RTF coding scheme demonstrates the feasibility of developing highly efficient spike-based neuromorphic hardware.

TRIB2-mediated modulation of AMPK promotes hepatic insulin resistance.

Insulin resistance and its linked health complications are increasing in prevalence. Recent work has caused the role of Tribbles2 (TRIB2) in metabolism and cellular signaling to be increasingly appreciated, but its role in the progression of insulin resistance has not been elucidated. Here, we explore the functions of TRIB2 in modulating insulin resistance and the mechanism involved in insulin resistance mice and palmitic acid (PA) treated HepG2 cells. We demonstrate that whole-body knockout and hepatic-specific TRIB2 deficiency protect against diet-induced insulin resistance, inflammation and ER stress. Accordingly, upregulation of TRIB2 in the liver aggravates these metabolic disturbances in HFD-induced mice and ob/ob mice. Mechanistically, TRIB2 directly binds to the αγ-SBS domain of PRKAB through its pseudokinase domain, subsequently inhibiting the formation and activity of the AMPK complex. Moreover, the results of intervention against AMPK suggest that the effects of TRIB2 depend on AMPK. Our findings reveal that TRIB2 is a novel target for the treatment of insulin resistance and its associated metabolic complications and clarify the function of TRIB2 as a regulatory component of AMPK activity.

NOTUM plays a bidirectionally modulatory role in the odontoblastic differentiation of human stem cells from the apical papilla through the WNT/ß-catenin signaling pathway.

OBJECTIVE: Notum is a secreted deacylase, which is crucial for tooth dentin development in mice. This study aimed to investigate the effect of NOTUM on the odontoblastic differentiation of human stem cells from the apical papilla (hSCAPs), to reveal the potential value of NOTUM in pulp-dentin complex regeneration. DESIGN: The expression pattern of NOTUM in human tooth germs and during in vitro odontoblastic differentiation of hSCAPs was evaluated by immunohistochemical staining, and quantitative polymerase chain reaction, respectively. To manipulate the extracellular NOTUM level, ABC99 or small interfering RNA was used to down-regulate it, while recombinant NOTUM protein was added to up-regulate it. The effects of changing NOTUM level on the odontoblastic differentiation of hSCAPs and its interaction with the WNT/ß-catenin signaling pathway were studied using alkaline phosphatase staining, alizarin red staining, quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and western blot. RESULTS: NOTUM was observed in the apical papilla of human tooth germs. During in vitro odontoblastic differentiation of hSCAPs, NOTUM expression initially increased, while the WNT/ß-catenin pathway was activated. Downregulation of NOTUM hindered odontoblastic differentiation. Recombinant NOTUM protein had varying effects on odontoblastic differentiation depending on exposure duration. Continuous addition of the protein inhibited both odontoblastic differentiation and the WNT/ß-catenin pathway. However, applying the protein solely in the first 3 days enhanced odontoblastic differentiation and up-regulated the WNT/ß-catenin pathway. CONCLUSION: NOTUM demonstrated a bidirectional impact on in vitro odontoblastic differentiation of hSCAPs, potentially mediated by the WNT/ß-catenin pathway. These findings suggest its promising potential for pulp-dentin complex regeneration.

Advances in cardiovascular-related biomarkers to predict diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is a common chronic complication of diabetes mellitus. One of the most common types is distal symmetric poly-neuropathy, which begins as bilateral symmetry pain and hyperesthesia and gradually progresses into hypoesthesia with nerve fibre disorder and is frequently accompanied by depression and anxiety. Notably, more than half of patients with DPN can be asymptomatic, which tends to delay early detection. Furthermore, the study of adverse outcomes showed that DPN is a prominent risk factor for foot ulceration, gangrene and nontraumatic amputation, which decreases quality of life. Thus, it is essential to develop convenient diagnostic biomarkers with high sensitivity for screening and early intervention. It has been reported that there may be common pathways for microvascular and macrovascular complications of diabetes. The pathogenesis of both disorders involves vascular endothelial dys-function. Emerging evidence indicates that traditional and novel cardiovascular-related biomarkers have the potential to characterize patients by subclinical disease status and improve risk prediction. Additionally, beyond traditional cardiovascular-related biomarkers, novel cardiovascular-related biomarkers have been linked to diabetes and its complications. In this review, we evaluate the association between major traditional and nontraditional car-diovascular-related biomarkers of DPN, such as cardiac troponin T, B-type natriuretic peptide, C-reactive protein, myeloperoxidase, and homocysteine, and assess the evidence for early risk factor-based management strategies to reduce the incidence and slow the progression of DPN.

Exendin-4 ameliorates tau hyperphosphorylation and cognitive impairment in type 2 diabetes through acting on Wnt/ß-catenin/NeuroD1 pathway.

BACKGROUND: Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is an independent risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Exendin-4 (Ex-4), a widely used glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist drug in the treatment of T2D, has been demonstrated the therapeutic effects on diabetic encephalopathy (DE). Especially, the Ex-4 ameliorates the tau hyperphosphorylation and cognitive impairment in DE. And these crucial alterations are also important bridge between T2D and AD. However, its unique mechanism is unclear. METHODS: The db/db mice, high-fat-diet (HFD) / streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic (HF-diabetic) mice, and high-glucose-damaged (HGD) HT-22 hippocampal cells were enrolled to examine the effects of Ex-4 on AD-like changes in T2D. The Novel object recognition test (NORT) and Morris water maze test (MWMT) were conducted to evaluate the cognitive impairment. The Dickkopf-1 (DKK1) was employed to weaken the activation of the Wnt/ß-catenin pathway to explore the mechanism of Ex-4 in protecting the brain functions. The JASPAR was based to predict the interaction between NeuroD1 and the promoter region of Ins2. Moreover, the chromatin immunoprecipitation coupled with quantitative polymerase chain reaction (ChIP-qPCR) and luciferase reporter assays were performed. RESULTS: Ex-4 alleviated the tau hyperphosphorylation, increased the brain-derived insulin, and improved the PI3K/AKT/GSK3-ß signalling in db/db mice, HF-diabetic mice, and HGD HT-22 hippocampal neuronal cells. The NORT and MWMT indicated that Ex-4 alleviated the learning and memory deficits in HF-diabetic mice. The inhibitor Dickkopf-1 (DKK1) of the Wnt/ß-catenin pathway significantly blocked the protective effects of Ex-4. Regarding further molecular mechanisms, NeuroD1 was affected by Ex-4 in vivo and in vitro, and the knockdown or overexpression of NeuroD1 suggested its crucial role in promoting the brain insulin by Ex-4. Meanwhile, the ChIP‒qPCR and luciferase reporter assays confirmed the combination between NeuroD1 and the promoter region of the insulin-encoding gene Ins2. And this interaction could be promoted by Ex-4. CONCLUSIONS: Our study proposes that Ex-4 alleviates tau hyperphosphorylation and cognitive dysfunction by increasing Ins2-derived brain insulin through the Wnt/ß-catenin/NeuroD1 signaling in T2D. And its also show new lights on part of the progress and mechanism on treatment targets for the DE in T2D.

Enabling low-drift flexible perovskite photodetectors by electrical modulation for wearable health monitoring and weak light imaging.

Metal halide perovskites are promising for next-generation flexible photodetectors owing to their low-temperature solution processability, mechanical flexibility, and excellent photoelectric properties. However, the defects and notorious ion migration in polycrystalline metal halide perovskites often lead to high and unstable dark current, thus deteriorating their detection limit and long-term operations. Here, we propose an electrical field modulation strategy to significantly reduce the dark current of metal halide perovskites-based flexible photodetector more than 1000 times (from ~5 nA to ~5 pA). Meanwhile, ion migration in metal halide perovskites is effectively suppressed, and the metal halide perovskites-based flexible photodetector shows a long-term continuous operational stability (~8000 s) with low signal drift (~4.2 × 10-4 pA per second) and ultralow dark current drift (~1.3 × 10-5 pA per second). Benefitting from the electrical modulation strategy, a high signal-to-noise ratio wearable photoplethysmography sensor and an active-matrix photodetector array for weak light imaging are successfully demonstrated. This work offers a universal strategy to improve the performance of metal halide perovskites for wearable flexible photodetector and image sensor applications.

Bidirectional Synaptic Phototransistor Based on Two-Dimensional Ferroelectric Semiconductor for Mixed Color Pattern Recognition.

Optoelectronic synaptic devices capable of processing multiwavelength inputs are critical for neuromorphic vision hardware, which remains an important challenge. Here, we develop a bidirectional synaptic phototransistor based on a two-dimensional ferroelectric semiconductor of α-In2Se3, which exhibits bidirectional potentiated and depressed synaptic weight update under optical pulse stimulation. Importantly, the bidirectional optoelectronic synaptic behavior can be extended to multiwavelengths (blue, green, and red light), which could be used for color recognition. The mechanism underlying the bidirectional synaptic characteristics is attributed to the gate-configurable barrier heights as revealed by the Kelvin probe force microscopy measurement. The α-In2Se3 device exhibits versatile synaptic plasticity such as paired-pulse facilitation, short- and long-term potentiation, and long-term depression. The bidirectional optoelectronic synaptic weight updates under multiwavelength inputs enable a high accuracy of 97% for mixed color pattern recognition.

Association of normal-weight central obesity with hypertension: a cross-sectional study from the China health and nutrition survey.

BACKGROUND: Central obesity is associated with an increased risk of hypertension in the general population. However, little is known regarding the potential relationship between central obesity and the risk of hypertension among adults with a normal body mass index (BMI). Our aim was to assess the risk of hypertension among individuals with normal weight central obesity (NWCO) in a large Chinese population. METHODS: We identified 10 719 individuals aged 18 years or older from the China Health and Nutrition Survey 2015. Hypertension was defined by blood pressure measurements, physician diagnosis, or the use of antihypertensive treatment. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the association of obesity patterns, defined by BMI, waist circumference (WC) and waist hip ratio (WHR), with hypertension after adjusting for confounding factors. RESULTS: The patients' mean age was 53.6 ± 14.5 years, and 54.2% were women. Compared with individuals with a normal BMI but no central obesity, subjects with NWCO had a greater risk of hypertension (WC: OR, 1.49, 95% CI 1.14-1.95; WHR: OR, 1.33, 95% CI 1.08-1.65). Overweight-obese subjects with central obesity demonstrated the highest risk of hypertension after adjustment for potential confounders (WC: OR, 3.01, 95% CI 2.59-3.49; WHR: OR, 3.08, CI 2.6-3.65). Subgroup analyses showed that the combination of BMI with WC had similar findings to the overall population except for female and nonsmoking persons; when BMI was combined with WHR, a significant association of NWCO with hypertension was observed only in younger persons and nondrinkers. CONCLUSIONS: Central obesity, as defined by WC or WHR, is associated with an increased risk of hypertension in Chinese adults with normal BMI, highlighting the need to combine measures in obesity-related risk assessment.

Histological analysis for pulp mineralisation after severe intrusive luxation of immature molars in rats.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Pulp mineralisation is a survival process that may occur in the pulp of immature teeth following trauma. However, the mechanism of this process remains unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the histological manifestations of pulp mineralisation after intrusion in immature molars of rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Three-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to intrusive luxation of the right maxillary second molar by an impact force from a striking instrument through a metal force transfer rod. The left maxillary second molar of each rat was used as a control. The control and injured maxillae were collected at 3, 7, 10, 14, and 30 days after trauma (n = 15 per time group) and evaluated using haematoxylin and eosin staining and immunohistochemistry. Independent two-tailed Student's t-test was used for statistical comparison of the immunoreactive area. RESULTS: Pulp atrophy and mineralisation were observed in 30%-40% of the animals, and no pulp necrosis occurred. Ten days after trauma, pulp mineralisation, with osteoid tissue rather than reparative dentin, formed around the newly vascularised areas in the coronal pulp. CD90-immunoreactive cells were observed in the sub-odontoblastic multicellular layer in control molars, whereas the number of these cells was decreased in the traumatised teeth. CD105 localised in cells around the pulp osteoid tissue of the traumatised teeth, whereas in control teeth, it was only expressed in the vascular endothelial cells of capillaries in the odontoblastic or sub-odontoblastic layers. In specimens with pulp atrophy at 3-10 days after trauma, hypoxia inducible factor expression and CD11b-immunoreactive inflammatory cells increased. CONCLUSIONS: Following intrusive luxation of immature teeth without crown fractures in rats, no pulp necrosis occurred. Instead, pulp atrophy and osteogenesis around neovascularisation with activated CD105-immunoreactive cells were observed in the coronal pulp microenvironment characterised by hypoxia and inflammation.

A Closed-Loop Approach to Fight Coronavirus: Early Detection and Subsequent Treatment.

The recent COVID-19 pandemic has caused tremendous damage to the social economy and people's health. Some major issues fighting COVID-19 include early and accurate diagnosis and the shortage of ventilator machines for critical patients. In this manuscript, we describe a novel solution to deal with COVID-19: portable biosensing and wearable photoacoustic imaging for early and accurate diagnosis of infection and magnetic neuromodulation or minimally invasive electrical stimulation to replace traditional ventilation. The solution is a closed-loop system in that the three modules are integrated together and form a loop to cover all-phase strategies for fighting COVID-19. The proposed technique can guarantee ubiquitous and onsite detection, and an electrical hypoglossal stimulator can be more effective in helping severe patients and reducing complications caused by ventilators.

Atlas of human dental pulp cells at multiple spatial and temporal levels based on single-cell sequencing analysis.

The dental pulp plays a crucial role in the long-term maintenance of tooth function. The progress of endodontic treatment and pulp tissue regeneration engineering has made pulp-regeneration therapy promising in clinical practice. However, the mechanisms of pulp regeneration and the role of dental stem cells in development and regeneration have not been fully elucidated. Bridging the gaps between clinical operation and basic research is urgently needed. With the application of single-cell sequencing technology in dental research, the landscapes of human dental pulp cells have begun being outlined. However, the specific cellular heterogeneity of dental pulp cells, especially that of dental stem cells, at different spatial and temporal levels, is still unclear. In this study, we used single-cell RNA sequencing analysis of pulp samples at four different developmental stages and combined the findings with immunohistochemical staining to explore the development of dental pulp and stem cells. The results revealed temporal changes in the proportion of pulp cells during development. For example, mononuclear phagocytes accounted for a higher proportion in early samples. Odontoblasts identified by DMP1 had a higher expression of ion channel-related and neurodevelopment-related genes. Subpopulations were identified in fibroblasts, odontoblasts, and mesenchymal stem cells. We identified a subclass of odontoblasts that expresses DGKI and RRBP1 present in early developmental samples. A population of earlier mesenchymal stem cells expressed the SEPTIN gene, which may have greater proliferative and differentiation potential. Furthermore, dental pulp stem cells can differentiate into two directions: mineralization and myogenesis. In summary, the specific cellular heterogeneity of dental pulp cells was revealed at different spatial and temporal levels. These findings may shed light on the mechanism of tooth development. The gene expression profile of developing pulp cells may help to select cells for regenerative engineering and improve the success of dental pulp regeneration.

Highly Linear and Symmetric Synaptic Memtransistors Based on Polarization Switching in Two-Dimensional Ferroelectric Semiconductors.

Brain-inspired neuromorphic computing hardware based on artificial synapses offers efficient solutions to perform computational tasks. However, the nonlinearity and asymmetry of synaptic weight updates in reported artificial synapses have impeded achieving high accuracy in neural networks. Here, this work develops a synaptic memtransistor based on polarization switching in a two-dimensional (2D) ferroelectric semiconductor (FES) of α-In2 Se3 for neuromorphic computing. The α-In2 Se3 memtransistor exhibits outstanding synaptic characteristics, including near-ideal linearity and symmetry and a large number of programmable conductance states, by taking the advantages of both memtransistor configuration and electrically configurable polarization states in the FES channel. As a result, the α-In2 Se3 memtransistor-type synapse reaches high accuracy of 97.76% for digit patterns recognition task in simulated artificial neural networks. This work opens new opportunities for using multiterminal FES memtransistors in advanced neuromorphic electronics.

Integrated Transcriptome and Targeted Metabolite Analysis Reveal miRNA-mRNA Networks in Low-Light-Induced Lotus Flower Bud Abortion.

Most Nelumbo nucifera (lotus) flower buds were aborted during the growing season, notably in low-light environments. How lotus produces so many aborted flower buds is largely unknown. An integrated transcriptome and targeted metabolite analysis was performed to reveal the genetic regulatory networks underlying lotus flower bud abortion. A total of 233 miRNAs and 25,351 genes were identified in lotus flower buds, including 68 novel miRNAs and 1108 novel genes. Further enrichment analysis indicated that sugar signaling plays a potential central role in regulating lotus flower bud abortion. Targeted metabolite analysis showed that trehalose levels declined the most in the aborting flower buds. A potential regulatory network centered on miR156 governs lotus flower bud abortion, involving multiple miRNA-mRNA pairs related to cell integrity, cell proliferation and expansion, and DNA repair. Genetic analysis showed that miRNA156-5p-overexpressing lotus showed aggravated flower bud abortion phenotypes. Trehalose-6-P synthase 1 (TPS1), which is required for trehalose synthase, had a negative regulatory effect on miR156 expression. TPS1-overexpression lotus showed significantly decreased flower bud abortion rates both in normal-light and low-light environments. Our study establishes a possible genetic basis for how lotus produces so many aborted flower buds, facilitating genetic improvement of lotus' shade tolerance.

Traditional Chinese medicine manipulative reduction combined with percutaneous vertebroplasty for treating type III Kummell's disease: A case report.

BACKGROUND: A patient with type III Kummell's disease had a ruptured posterior cortex of the fractured vertebral body, which caused spinal cord compression. An open surgery was considered the best choice of operation. However, the patient and her family refused open surgery and instead demanded a minimally invasive surgical treatment such as percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP). After preoperative discussion, we finally adopted the novel therapy of traditional Chinese medicine manipulative reduction (TCMMR) combined with PVP. CASE SUMMARY: A patient with type III Kummell's disease exhibiting bone block-induced spinal cord compression was admitted to our hospital. She suffered from a variety of medical disorders but refused open surgery, and instead asked for PVP surgery. TCMMR, in parallel with PVP, was used to restore the height of the compressed vertebral body and reduce the symptoms of spinal cord compression by the bone block in order to strengthen the vertebral body and prevent further collapse. The surgery was very successful. The height of the compressed vertebra was restored, and the symptom of spinal cord compression by bone block was reduced successfully via TCMMR. The fractured vertebra was solidified by the PVP. The pain visual analog score declined from preoperative 7 scores to postoperative 2 scores, and the Frankel spinal cord scale increased from preoperative D degree to postoperative E degree. CONCLUSION: The new method has advantages in treating patients with type III Kummell's disease who cannot be treated with open surgery.

Inorganic-Organic Hybrid Phototransistor Array with Enhanced Photogating Effect for Dynamic Near-Infrared Light Sensing and Image Preprocessing.

Narrow-band-gap organic semiconductors have emerged as appealing near-infrared (NIR) sensing materials by virtue of their unique optoelectronic properties. However, their limited carrier mobility impedes the implementation of large-area, dynamic NIR sensor arrays. In this work, high-performance inorganic-organic hybrid phototransistor arrays are achieved for NIR sensing, by taking advantage of the high electron mobility of In2O3 and the strong NIR absorption of a BTPV-4F:PTB7-Th bulk heterojunction (BHJ) with an enhanced photogating effect. As a result, the hybrid phototransistors reach a high responsivity of 1393.0 A W-1, a high specific detectivity of 4.8 × 1012 jones, and a fast response of 0.72 ms to NIR light (900 nm). Meanwhile, an integrated 16 × 16 phototransistor array with a one-transistor-one-phototransistor (1T1PT) architecture is achieved. On the basis of the enhanced photogating effect, the phototransistor array can not only achieve real-time, dynamic NIR light mapping but also implement image preprocessing, which is promising for advanced NIR image sensors.

Fully Printed Optoelectronic Synaptic Transistors Based on Quantum Dot-Metal Oxide Semiconductor Heterojunctions.

Optoelectronic synaptic transistors with hybrid heterostructure channels have been extensively developed to construct artificial visual systems, inspired by the human visual system. However, optoelectronic transistors taking full advantages of superior optoelectronic synaptic behaviors, low-cost processes, low-power consumption, and environmental benignity remained a challenge. Herein, we report a fully printed, high-performance optoelectronic synaptic transistor based on hybrid heterostructures of heavy-metal-free InP/ZnSe core/shell quantum dots (QDs) and n-type SnO2 amorphous oxide semiconductors (AOSs). The elaborately designed heterojunction improves the separation efficiency of photoexcited charges, leading to high photoresponsivity and tunable synaptic weight changes. Under the coordinated modulation of electrical and optical modes, important biological synaptic behaviors, including excitatory postsynaptic current, short/long-term plasticity, and paired-pulse facilitation, were demonstrated with a low power consumption (∼5.6 pJ per event). The InP/ZnSe QD/SnO2 based artificial vision system illustrated a significantly improved accuracy of 91% in image recognition, compared to that of bare SnO2 based counterparts (58%). Combining the outstanding synaptic characteristics of both AOS materials and heterojunction structures, this work provides a printable, low-cost, and high-efficiency strategy to achieve advanced optoelectronic synapses for neuromorphic electronics and artificial intelligence.

Self-assembled peptides-modified flexible field-effect transistors for tyrosinase detection.

Flexible biosensors have received intensive attention for real-time, non-invasive monitoring of cancer biomarkers. Highly sensitive tyrosinase biosensors, which are important for melanoma screening, remained a hurdle. Herein, high-performance tyrosinase-sensing field-effect transistor-based biosensors (bio-FETs) have been successfully achieved by self-assembling nanostructured tetrapeptide tryptophan-valine-phenylalanine-tyrosine (WVFY) on n-type metal oxide transistors. In the presence of target tyrosinase, the phenolic hydroxyl groups in WVFY are rapidly converted to benzoquinone with the consumption of protons, which could be detected potentiometrically by bio-FETs. As a result, the WVFY-modified bio-FETs exhibited an ultra-low detection limit of 1.9 fM and an optimal detection range of 10 fM to 1 nM toward tyrosinase sensing. Furthermore, flexible devices fabricated on ∼2.9-µm-thick polyimide (PI) substrates illustrated robust mechanical flexibility, which could be attached to human skin conformally. These achievements hold promise for wearable melanoma screening and provide designing guidelines for detecting other important cancer biomarkers with bio-FETs.

Immunotoxicity and uterine transcriptome analysis of the effect of zearalenone (ZEA) in sows during the embryo attachment period.

Zearalenone is a mycotoxin and a pollutant that is commonly found in crops. Once ingested, ZEA can cause disturbances in the immune system and produce immunotoxicity. However, there is little research on the effect of ZEA exposure on the relationship between immune regulation and embryo implantation in the uteri of sows. Embryo implantation relies upon the fact that the relationship between the maternal and fetal immune systems is balanced. This balance is provided by the joint regulation of immune organs, cytokines, and uterine immunity. In this study, we investigated 20 sows with an initial weight of 100.00 ± 5.00 kg and 200 days in age. The sows were fed with diets containing ZEA at concentrations of 0 mg/kg, 1 mg/kg, 2 mg/kg, and 10 mg/kg, respectively, from 8 to 14 days of gestation. We studied immunotoxicity and the uterine transcriptomics associated with the effect of ZEA in sows during embryo attachment. Following ZEA treatment, serum biochemical analysis and RT-qPCR were used to detect the concentration and mRNA expression levels of immunoglobulin IgA, IgG, and IgM, in the serum and spleen, respectively. The same analysis was carried out for a range of cytokines in the serum and spleen: IL-1, IL-2, IL-6, IL-10, and TNF. Uterine transcriptome analysis revealed 75, 215, and 81 genes that were differentially expressed in the 0 mg/kg vs 1 mg/kg treatment, 0 mg/kg vs 10 mg/kg treatment, and 1 mg/kg vs 10 mg/kg treatment, respectively. GO terms analysis showed that the up-regulated genes related to the immune system were highly expressed. KEGG pathway analysis further revealed the importance of several metabolic pathways, including drug metabolism-cytochrome P450, the cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction pathway, and calcium signaling pathways. The differentially expressed genes were confirmed by quantitative real-time PCR. These findings expand our understanding of the gene expression profiles and signaling pathways associated with the immune response to ZEA exposure in sows during the embryo implantation window. This study provides valuable information for clarifying the molecular mechanism of ZEA's immunotoxicity to early pregnant sows in the future.

A Skin-Inspired Artificial Mechanoreceptor for Tactile Enhancement and Integration.

Mechanoreceptors endow humans with the sense of touch by translating the external stimuli into coded spikes, inspiring the rise of artificial mechanoreceptor systems. However, to incorporate slow adaptive receptors-like pressure sensors with artificial neurons remains a challenge. Here we demonstrate an artificial mechanoreceptor by rationally integrating a polypyrrole-based resistive pressure sensor with a volatile NbOx memristor, to mimic the tactile sensation and perception in natural skin, respectively. The artificial mechanoreceptor enables the tactile sensory coding by converting the external mechanical stimuli into strength-modulated electrical spikes. Also, tactile sensation enhancement is achieved by processing the spike frequency characteristics with the pulse coupled neural network. Furthermore, the artificial mechanoreceptor can integrate signals from parallel sensor channels and encode them into unified electrical spikes, resembling the coding of intensity in tactile neural processing. These results provide simple and efficient strategies for constructing future bio-inspired electronic systems.