Association between GLIM-diagnosed malnutrition and quality of life in older patients with cancer.

BACKGROUND: Older patients with cancer have a higher risk for malnutrition and impaired quality of life (QoL). The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between malnutrition diagnosed according to the Global Leadership Initiative Malnutrition (GLIM) criteria and QoL across various tumor types, and to evaluate the combined prognostic value of malnutrition and QoL in predicting survival among older patients with cancer. METHODS: This multicenter, observational cohort study included 5310 older patients with cancer and 2184 with malnutrition (moderate stage, n = 1023; severe stage, n = 1161). An empirical cumulative distribution curve was performed to illustrate the correlation between malnutrition and QoL. The primary objective was to investigate the association between malnutrition and QoL using logistic regression analysis. Survival analyses were performed to assess the combined prognostic value of malnutrition and QoL. RESULTS: The median age of the patients (66.9% male, 33.1% female) was 70 years (interquartile range [IQR] 67-74 years) years. The median QoL score was highest in patients without malnutrition (91.88 [IQR 84.44-97.44]), followed by those with moderate (86.15 [IQR 76.18-93.85) and severe (82.31 [IQR 69.87-91.11]) malnutrition. Logistics regression revealed that the risk for developing impaired QoL increased 1.98 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.64-2.38; P < 0.001) and 2.33 (95% CI 1.93-2.81; P < 0.001) times in patients with moderate and severe malnutrition, respectively. Kaplan-Meier curves showed that QoL in combination with GLIM criteria demonstrated a significant discriminative performance for survival and served as an independent prognostic factor among older patients with cancer, especially for lung and gastric cancers. CONCLUSIONS: Malnutrition diagnosed according to the GLIM criteria was a predictor of impaired QoL. Additionally, the combination of QoL and malnutrition demonstrated utility for predicting survival outcomes in older patients with cancer.

Using Sandwiched Silicon/Reduced Graphene Oxide Composites with Dual Hybridization for Their Stable Lithium Storage Properties.

Using silicon/reduced graphene oxide (Si/rGO) composites as lithium-ion battery (LIB) anodes can effectively buffer the volumetric expansion and shrinkage of Si. Herein, we designed and prepared Si/rGO-b with a sandwiched structure, formed by a duple combination of ammonia-modified silicon (m-Si) nanoparticles (NP) with graphene oxide (GO). In the first composite process of m-Si and GO, a core-shell structure of primal Si/rGO-b (p-Si/rGO-b) was formed. The amino groups on the m-Si surface can not only hybridize with the GO surface to fix the Si particles, but also form covalent chemical bonds with the remaining carboxyl groups of rGO to enhance the stability of the composite. During the electrochemical reaction, the oxygen on the m-Si surface reacts with lithium ions (Li+) to form Li2O, which is a component of the solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) and is beneficial to buffering the volume expansion of Si. Then, the p-Si/rGO-b recombines with GO again to finally form a sandwiched structure of Si/rGO-b. Covalent chemical bonds are formed between the rGO layers to tightly fix the p-Si/rGO-b, and the conductive network formed by the reintroduced rGO improves the conductivity of the Si/rGO-b composite. When used as an electrode, the Si/rGO-b composite exhibits excellent cycling performance (operated stably for more than 800 cycles at a high-capacity retention rate of 82.4%) and a superior rate capability (300 mA h/g at 5 A/g). After cycling, tiny cracks formed in some areas of the electrode surface, with an expansion rate of only 27.4%. The duple combination of rGO and the unique sandwiched structure presented here demonstrate great effectiveness in improving the electrochemical performance of alloy-type anodes.

Early cartilage lesion and 5-year incident joint surgery in knee osteoarthritis patients: a retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: to investigate the association between cartilage lesion-related features observed in knee osteoarthritis (OA) patients' first MRI examination and incident knee surgery within 5 years. Additionally, to assess the predictive value of these features for the incident knee surgery. METHODS: We identified patients diagnosed with knee OA and treated at our institution between January 2015 and January 2018, and retrieved their baseline clinical data and first MRI examination films from the information system. Next, we proceeded to determine joint space narrowing grade, cartilage lesion size grade, cartilage full-thickness loss grade and cartilage lesion sum score for the medial and lateral compartments, respectively. Generalized linear regression models examined the association of these features with 5-year incident knee surgery. Positive and negative predictive values (PPVs and NPVs) were determined referring to 5-year incident knee surgery. RESULTS: Totally, 878 participants (knees) were found eligible to form the study population. Within the 5 years, surgery was performed on 61 knees. None of the cartilage-related features had been found significantly associated with incident surgery. The results were similar for medial and lateral compartments. The PPVs were low for all the features. CONCLUSIONS: Among symptomatic clinically diagnosed OA knees, cartilage lesions observed in the first MRI examinations were not found to be associated with the occurrence of joint surgery within a 5-year period. All these cartilage-related features appear to have no additional value in predicting 5-year incident joint surgery.

Foliar uptake screening: A promising strategy for identifying wheat varieties with low lead accumulation.

Lead (Pb) contamination in wheat grain is of great concern, especially in North China. Atmospheric deposition is a major contributor to Pb accumulation in wheat grain. Screening low Pb accumulating wheat varieties has been an effective method for addressing Pb contamination in wheat grain. However, identifying wheat varieties with low Pb accumulation based on foliar uptake of atmospheric Pb has been neglected. Therefore, two field trials with distinct atmospheric Pb deposition were conducted to screen for stable varieties with low Pb accumulation. It was verified that YB700 and CH58, which have high thousand-grain weights and stable low Pb accumulation in field 1 (0.19 and 0.13 mg kg-1) and field 2 (0.17 and 0.20 mg kg-1), respectively, were recommended for cultivation in atmospheric Pb contaminated farmlands in North China. Furthermore, indoor experiments were conducted to investigate Pb uptake by the roots and leaves of different wheat varieties. Our findings indicate that Pb accumulation in different wheat varieties is primarily influenced by foliar Pb uptake rather than root Pb uptake. Interestingly, there was a positive correlation (p < 0.05) between the Pb concentrations in leaves and the stomatal width and trichome length of the adaxial epidermal surface. Additionally, there is a positive correlation (p < 0.01) between the Pb concentration in the wheat grain and trichome length. In conclusion, the screening of wheat varieties with narrower stomatal widths or shorter trichomes based on foliar uptake pathways is an effective strategy for ensuring food safety in areas contaminated by atmospheric Pb.

Autonomous Feedback-Driven Engineered DNAzyme-Coated Trojan Horse-like Nanocapsules for On-Demand CRISPR/Cas9 Delivery.

Manipulating the expression of cellular genes through efficient CRISPR/Cas9 delivery is rapidly evolving into a desirable tumor therapeutics. The exposure of CRISPR/Cas9 to a complex external environment poses challenges for conventional delivery carriers in achieving responsive and accurate release. Here, we report a Trojan horse-like nanocapsule for the on-demand delivery of CRISPR/Cas9 in a microRNA-responsive manner, enabling precise tumor therapy. The nanocapsule comprises a nanoassembled, engineered DNAzyme shell encasing a Cas9/sgRNA complex core. The DNAzyme, functioning as a catalytic unit, undergoes a conformational change in the presence of tumor-associated microRNA, followed by activating a positive feedback-driven autonomous catabolic cycle of the nanocapsule shell. This catabolic cycle is accomplished through chain reactions of DNAzyme "cleavage-hybridization-cleavage", which ensures sensitivity in microRNA recognition and effective release of Cas9/sgRNA. Utilizing this Trojan horse-like nanocapsule, as low as 1.7 pM microRNA-21 can trigger the on-demand release of Cas9/sgRNA, enabling the specific editing of the protumorigenic microRNA coding gene. The resulting upregulation of tumor suppressor genes induces apoptosis in tumor cells, leading to significant inhibition of tumor growth by up to 75.94%. The Trojan horse-like nanocapsule, with superior programmability and biocompatibility, is anticipated to serve as a promising carrier for tailoring responsive gene editing systems, achieving enhanced antitumor specificity and efficacy.

Dumbbell Dual-Hairpin Triggered DNA Nanonet Assembly for Cascade-Amplified Sensing of Exosomal MicroRNA.

Exosomal microRNAs (miRNAs) are valuable biomarkers closely associated with cancer progression. Therefore, sensitive and specific exosomal miRNA biosensing has been employed for cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and prediction. In this study, a miRNA-based DNA nanonet assembly strategy is proposed, enabling the biosensing of exosomal miRNAs through dumbbell dual-hairpin under isothermal enzyme-free conditions. This strategy dexterously designs a specific dumbbell dual-hairpin that can selectively recognize exosomal miRNA, inducing conformational changes to cascade-generated X-shaped DNA structures, facilitating the extension of the X-shaped DNA in three-dimensional space, ultimately forming a DNA nanonet assembly. On the basis of the target miRNA, our design enriches the fluorescence signal through the cascade assembly of DNA nanonet and realizes the secondary signal amplification. Using exosomal miR-141 as the target, the resultant fluorescence sensing demonstrates an impressive detection limit of 57.6 pM and could identify miRNA sequences with single-base variants with high specificity. Through the analysis of plasma and urine samples, this method effectively distinguishes between benign prostatic hyperplasia, prostate cancer, and metastatic prostate cancer. Serving as a novel noninvasive and accurate screening and diagnostic tool for prostate cancer, this dumbbell dual-hairpin triggered DNA nanonet assembly strategy is promising for clinical applications.

Association of vitamins B1 and B2 intake with early-onset sarcopenia in the general adult population of the US: a cross-sectional study of NHANES data from 2011 to 2018.

Background: Early-onset sarcopenia refers to the progressive loss of muscle mass and function that occurs at an early age. This condition perpetuates the vicious cycle of muscle loss and is associated with adverse outcomes. It is important to identify the contributing factors for early intervention and prevention. While diet is known to impact muscle mass, the association of B vitamins with early-onset sarcopenia remains unexplored. Objectives: To investigate the association of B vitamins intake with early-onset sarcopenia risk in a cross-sectional study. Methods: We conducted data analysis on a total of 8,711 participants aged between 20 and 59 years who took part in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2011 to 2018. Early-onset sarcopenia was defined as a SMI measured by DXA that was one standard deviation below the sex-specific mean of the reference population. B vitamins intake (B1, B2, B3, B6, B9, and B12) was assessed by 24-h dietary recall. We used weighted multiple logistic regression and RCS models to estimate the OR and 95% CI of sarcopenia by B vitamins intake, adjusting for demographic, physical, lifestyle, comorbidities, and nutritional covariates. Results: Higher intake of vitamin B1 was associated with a 22% lower sarcopenia risk (OR = 0.78, CI = 0.63-0.97, p = 0.022), and higher intake of vitamin B2 with a 16% lower risk (OR = 0.84, CI = 0.74-0.97, p = 0.012) in both genders. Gender-specific analyses showed a 28% reduction in sarcopenia risk among males with each additional mg of vitamin B1 intake (OR = 0.72, CI = 0.52-0.97, p = 0.038), and a 26% decrease among females with each additional mg of vitamin B2 intake (OR = 0.74, CI = 0.57-0.96, p = 0.021). No significant differences were found between vitamin B2 and males, or between vitamin B1 and females. The RCS model suggested a nonlinear relationship between vitamin B2 intake and sarcopenia risk (POverall = 0.001, PNonlinear = 0.033), with a plateau effect above 3 mg/d. Conclusion: Higher intake of vitamin B1 and B2 may lower the risk of early-onset sarcopenia, with gender differences. This suggests the potential of nutritional intervention by increasing these vitamins intake through diet and supplements. Further research is warranted to elucidate the mechanisms and design targeted interventions.

Efficacy of Ganshuang granules on non-alcoholic fatty liver and underlying mechanism: a network pharmacology and experimental verification.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the potential pharmacological mechanisms of Ganshuang granules (, GSG) in treating non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFLD). METHODS: All the active components and targets of GSG were retrieved from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform. Protein-Protein interaction network, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes and Gene Ontology function annotation of common targets were analyzed to predict the mechanisms of action of GSG in the treatment of NAFLD. Then, the mouse models of NAFLD were constructed in a diet-induced manner and treated with GSG. The levels of interleukin 6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/AKT) pathway-related proteins in the liver of mice in each group were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay and Western blot, respectively. RESULTS: Network pharmacology revealed a total of 159 potential targets of GSG for the treatment of NAFLD. Functional enrichment analysis indicated that the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway may be involved during GSG treatment of NAFLD. Further experiments showed that the significantly decreased alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, total cholesterol, triglyceride and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels in NAFLD model mice serum after GSG treatment, as well as the expression levels of IL-6 and TNF-α in the liver. Furthermore, drug intervention increased the protein expression levels of phosphorylated-PI3K (P-PI3K) and P-AKT in the liver of the model group mice, and decreased the protein expression level of sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1. CONCLUSION: We found that GSG is effective in treating NAFLD and the potential therapeutic targets may be involved in PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

DNA four-way junction-driven dual-rolling circle amplification sandwich-type aptasensor for ultra-sensitive and specific detection of tumor-derived exosomes.

There is an urgent need to accurately quantify tumor-derived exosomes, which have emerged as promising non-invasive tumor diagnostic biomarkers. Herein, a bispecific-aptamer sandwich-type gold nanoparticle-modified electrochemical aptasensor was developed based on a four-way junction (4-WJ)-triggered dual rolling circle amplification (RCA)-assisted methylene blue (MB)/G-quadruplex strategy for extremely specific and sensitive exosome detection. This aptamer/exosome/aptamer sandwich-type design contained a CD63-specific aptamer and a cancerous mucin-1 (MUC1) protein-specific aptamer. The CD63 aptamer modified on a gold electrode captured exosomes, and then the sandwich-type aptasensor was formed with the addition of the MUC1 aptamer. The MUC1 aptamer's 3'-end sequence facilitated the formation of 4-WJ, assisted by a molecular beacon probe and a binary DNA probe. Subsequently, a dual-RCA reaction was triggered by binding to two cytosine-rich circle DNA templates at both ends of 4-WJ. Ultimately, dual-RCA products containing multiple G-quadruplex conformations were generated with the assistance of K+ to trap abundant MB indicators and amplify electrochemical signals. The aptasensor exhibited high specificity, sensitivity, repeatability, and stability toward MCF-7-derived exosomes, with a detection limit of 20 particles/mL and a linear range of 1 × 102 to 1 × 107 particles/mL. Moreover, it showed excellent applicability in clinical settings to recover exosomes in normal human serum. Our aptasensor is anticipated to serve as a versatile platform for detecting various specific aptamer-based targets in biomedical and bioanalytical applications.

Recent advances in drug screening methods of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein / 药学学报

The pandemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused a serious impact on global public health and the economy. SARS-CoV-2 infiltrates host cells via its surface spike protein, which binds to angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 on the host cell membrane. As a result, small molecules targeting spike protein have emerged as a hotspot in anti-SARS-CoV-2 drug research. Activity screening is an important step in seeking small molecule drugs. Therefore, this article aims to review the biological activity evaluation methods of small molecule inhibitors targeting SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, with the goal of laying the foundation for the discovery of new anti-SARS-CoV-2 drugs.

Melatonin inhibits arrhythmias induced by increased late sodium currents in ventricular myocytes / 药学学报

Melatonin (Mel) has been shown to have cardioprotective effects, but its action on ion channels is unclear. In this experiment, we investigated the inhibitory effect of Mel on late sodium currents (INa.L) in mouse ventricular myocytes and the anti-arrhythmic effect at the organ level as well as its mechanism. The whole-cell patch clamp technique was applied to record the ionic currents and action potential (AP) in mouse ventricular myocytes while the electrocardiogram (ECG) and monophasic action potential (MAP) were recorded simultaneously in mouse hearts using a multichannel acquisition and analysis system. The results demonstrated that the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of Mel on transient sodium current (INa.T) and specific INa.L opener 2 nmol·L-1 sea anemone toxins II (ATX II) increased INa.L were 686.615 and 7.37 μmol·L-1, respectively. Mel did not affect L-type calcium current (ICa.L), transient outward current (Ito), and AP. In addition, 16 μmol·L-1 Mel shortened ATX II-prolonged action potential duration (APD), suppressed ATX II-induced early afterdepolarizations (EADs), and significantly reduced the incidence of ventricular tachycardia (VT) and ventricular fibrillation (VF) in Langendorff-perfused mouse hearts. In conclusion, Mel exerted its antiarrhythmic effects principally by blocking INa.L, thus providing a significant theoretical basis for new clinical applications of Mel. Animal welfare and experimental process are in accordance with the regulations of the Experimental Animal Ethics Committee of Wuhan University of Science and Technology (2023130).

Development and prospects of predicting drug polymorphs technology / 药学学报

Most chemical medicines have polymorphs. The difference of medicine polymorphs in physicochemical properties directly affects the stability, efficacy, and safety of solid medicine products. Polymorphs is incomparably important to pharmaceutical chemistry, manufacturing, and control. Meantime polymorphs is a key factor for the quality of high-end drug and formulations. Polymorph prediction technology can effectively guide screening of trial experiments, and reduce the risk of missing stable crystal form in the traditional experiment. Polymorph prediction technology was firstly based on theoretical calculations such as quantum mechanics and computational chemistry, and then was developed by the key technology of machine learning using the artificial intelligence. Nowadays, the popular trend is to combine the advantages of theoretical calculation and machine learning to jointly predict crystal structure. Recently, predicting medicine polymorphs has still been a challenging problem. It is expected to learn from and integrate existing technologies to predict medicine polymorphs more accurately and efficiently.

Recent advances in small-molecule inhibitors targeting influenza virus RNA-dependent RNA polymerase / 药学学报

Influenza virus causes serious threat to human life and health. Due to the inherent high variability of influenza virus, clinically resistant mutant strains of currently approved anti-influenza virus drugs have emerged. Therefore, it is urgent to develop antiviral drugs with new targets or mechanisms of action. RNA-dependent RNA polymerase is directly responsible for viral RNA transcription and replication, and plays key roles in the viral life cycle, which is considered an important target of anti-influenza drug design. From the point of view of medicinal chemistry, this review summarizes current advances in diverse small-molecule inhibitors targeting influenza virus RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, hoping to provide valuable reference for development of novel antiviral drugs.

Research progress on brain functional near-infrared spectroscopy technology in the field of neonates / 中国当代儿科杂志

Functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is an emerging neuroimaging tool that reflects the activity and function of brain neurons by monitoring changes in brain oxygen metabolism based on the neurovascular coupling mechanism. It is non-invasive and convenient, especially suitable for monitoring neonatal brain function. This article provides a comprehensive review of research related to the developmental patterns of brain networks concerning language, music, and emotions in neonates using fNIRS. It also covers brain network imaging in neonatal care, resting-state brain network connectivity patterns, and characteristics of brain functional imaging in disease states of neonates using fNIRS.

Calcitonin gene-related peptide inhibits neuronal apoptosis in heatstroke rats via PKA/p-CREB pathway / 中华创伤杂志(英文版)

PURPOSE@#The incidence of heatstroke (HS) is not particularly high; however, once it occurs, the consequences are serious. It is reported that calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) is protective against brain injury in HS rats, but detailed molecular mechanisms need to be further investigated. In this study, we further explored whether CGRP inhibited neuronal apoptosis in HS rats via protein kinase A (PKA)/p-cAMP response element-binding protein (p-CREB) pathway.@*METHODS@#We established a HS rat model in a pre-warmed artificial climate chamber with a temperature of (35.5 ± 0.5) °C and a relative humidity of 60% ± 5%. Heatstress was stopped once core body temperature reaches above 41 °C. A total of 25 rats were randomly divided into 5 groups with 5 animals each: control group, HS group, HS+CGRP group, HS+CGRP antagonist (CGRP8-37) group, and HS+CGRP+PKA/p-CREB pathway blocker (H89) group. A bolus injection of CGRP was administered to each rat in HS+CGRP group, CGRP8-37 (antagonist of CGRP) in HS+CGRP8-37 group, and CGRP with H89 in HS+CGRP+H89 group. Electroencephalograms were recorded and the serum concentration of S100B, neuron-specific enolase (NSE), neuron apoptosis, activated caspase-3 and CGRP expression, as well as pathological morphology of brain tissue were detected at 2 h, 6 h, and 24 h after HS in vivo. The expression of PKA, p-CREB, and Bcl-2 in rat neurons were also detected at 2 h after HS in vitro. Exogenous CGRP, CGRP8-37, or H89 were used to determine whether CGRP plays a protective role in brain injury via PKA/p-CREB pathway. The unpaired t-test was used between the 2 samples, and the mean ± SD was used for multiple samples. Double-tailed p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.@*RESULTS@#Electroencephalogram showed significant alteration of θ (54.50 ± 11.51 vs. 31.30 ± 8.71, F = 6.790, p = 0.005) and α wave (16.60 ± 3.21 vs. 35.40 ± 11.28, F = 4.549, p = 0.020) in HS group compared to the control group 2 h after HS. The results of triphosphate gap terminal labeling (TUNEL) showed that the neuronal apoptosis of HS rats was increased in the cortex (9.67 ± 3.16 vs. 1.80 ± 1.10, F = 11.002, p = 0.001) and hippocampus (15.73 ± 8.92 vs. 2.00 ± 1.00, F = 4.089, p = 0.028), the expression of activated caspase-3 was increased in the cortex (61.76 ± 25.13 vs. 19.57 ± 17.88, F = 5.695, p = 0.009) and hippocampus (58.60 ± 23.30 vs. 17.80 ± 17.62, F = 4.628, p = 0.019); meanwhile the expression of serum NSE (5.77 ± 1.78 vs. 2.35 ± 0.56, F = 5.174, p = 0.013) and S100B (2.86 ± 0.69 vs. 1.35 ± 0.34, F = 10.982, p = 0.001) were increased significantly under HS. Exogenous CGRP decreased the concentrations of NSE and S100B, and activated the expression of caspase-3 (0.41 ± 0.09 vs. 0.23 ± 0.04, F = 32.387, p < 0.001) under HS; while CGRP8-37 increased NSE (3.99 ± 0.47 vs. 2.40 ± 0.50, F = 11.991, p = 0.000) and S100B (2.19 ± 0.43 vs. 1.42 ± 0.30, F = 4.078, p = 0.025), and activated the expression caspase-3 (0.79 ± 0.10 vs. 0.23 ± 0.04, F = 32.387, p < 0.001). For the cell experiment, CGRP increased Bcl-2 (2.01 ± 0.73 vs. 2.15 ± 0.74, F = 8.993, p < 0.001), PKA (0.88 ± 0.08 vs. 0.37 ± 0.14, F = 20.370, p < 0.001), and p-CREB (0.87 ± 0.13 vs. 0.29 ± 0.10, F = 16.759, p < 0.001) levels; while H89, a blocker of the PKA/p-CREB pathway reversed the expression.@*CONCLUSIONS@#CGRP can protect against HS-induced neuron apoptosis via PKA/p-CREB pathway and reduce activation of caspase-3 by regulating Bcl-2. Thus CGRP may be a new target for the treatment of brain injury in HS.

Smart Tumor Cell-Derived DNA Nano-Tree Assembly for On-Demand Macrophages Reprogramming.

Without coordinated strategies to balance the population and activity of tumor cells and polarized macrophages, antitumor immunotherapy generally offers limited clinical benefits. Inspired by the "eat me" signal, a smart tumor cell-derived proximity anchored non-linear hybridization chain reaction (Panel-HCR) strategy is established for on-demand regulation of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs). The Panel-HCR is composed of a recognition-then-assembly module and a release-then-regulation module. Upon recognizing tumor cells, a DNA nano-tree is assembled on the tumor cell surface and byproduct strands loaded with CpG oligodeoxynucleotides (CpG-ODNs) are released depending on the tumor cell concentration. The on-demand release of CpG-ODNs can achieve efficient regulation of M2 TAMs into the M1 phenotype. Throughout the recognition-then-assembly process, tumor cell-targeted bioimaging is implemented in single cells, fixed tissues, and living mice. Afterward, the on-demand release of CpG-ODNs regulate the transformation of M2 TAMs into the M1 phenotype by stimulating toll-like receptor 9 to activate the NF-κB pathway and increasing inflammatory cytokines. This release-then-regulation process is verified to induce strong antitumor immune responses both in vitro and in vivo. Altogether, this proposed strategy holds tremendous promise for on-demand antitumor immunotherapy.

[Distribution and Transport of Cadmium and Arsenic in Different Aboveground Parts of Wheat After Flowering].

To investigate the effects of leaves and stems on the accumulation and transport of cadmium(Cd) and arsenic(As) in wheat shoots after flowering, a field experiment was conducted in a typical Cd and As co-contaminated agricultural land to explore the distribution and translocation of Cd and As in the different parts of two wheat cultivars after flowering. The results showed that Cd was mainly distributed in the nodes of two varieties, and the translocation factors of Cd from internode 3 to node 2, from internode 2 to node 1, and from sheath 1 to node 1 were markedly higher than those of other aboveground parts during the grain-filling stage. However, Cd was mainly distributed in the leaves, and the translocation factors of Cd from sheath to leaf and from node 1 to rachis was significantly higher than those of other parts at the mature stage. In addition, the transport capacity of Cd from glume to rachis and from rachis to grain in JM22 was significantly lower than that in SN28, which significantly reduced Cd concentrations in the rachis, glume, and grain of JM22 by 22.3%, 40.8%, and 44.4%, respectively. Meanwhile, As was mainly distributed in the wheat leaves from the grain-filling stage to the mature stage, and As concentrations in the glume and grain of JM22 were 25.8% and 33.3% lower than those of SN28, respectively. Additionally, the translocation factors of As from the sheath to the node were significantly 438% and 190% higher than that from leaf to sheath and from node to internode during the whole grain filling stage and mature stage. Moreover, the translocation factors of As from glumes to grains and from rachis to grains in JM22 were 40.6% and 44.4% lower than that in SN28, respectively. In summary, flag leaf, node 1, and the rachis had regulated Cd transport and accumulation in wheat grains, whereas leaf 3, flag leaf, node 1, the glumes, and the rachis were mainly responsible for As transport and accumulation in wheat grains.

Preparation and Characterization of Bio-Based PLA/PEG/g-C3N4 Low-Temperature Composite Phase Change Energy Storage Materials.

As energy and environmental issues become more prominent, people must find sustainable, green development paths. Bio-based polymeric phase change energy storage materials provide solutions to cope with these problems. Therefore, in this paper, a fully degradable polyethylene glycol (PEG20000)/polylactic acid (PLA)/g-C3N4 composite phase change energy storage material (CPCM) was obtained by confinement. The CPCM was characterized by FTIR and SEM for compatibility, XRD and nanoindentation for mechanical properties and DSC, LFA, and TG for thermal properties. The results showed that the CPCM was physical co-mingling; when PLA: PEG: g-C3N4 was 6:3:1, the consistency was good. PEG destroys the crystallization of PLA and causes the hardness to decrease. When PLA: PEG: g-C3N4 was 6: 3: 1, it had a maximum hardness of 0.137 GPa. The CPCM had a high latent enthalpy, and endothermic and exothermic enthalpies of 106.1 kJ/kg and 80.05 kJ/kg for the PLA: PEG: g-C3N4 of 3: 6: 1. The CPCM showed an increased thermal conductivity compared to PLA, reaching 0.30 W/(m·K),0.32 W/(m·K) when PLA: PEG: g-C3N4 was 6: 3: 1 and when PLA: PEG: g-C3N4 was 3: 6: 1, respectively. Additionally, the CPCM was stable within 250 °C, indicating a wide appliable temperature range. The CPCM can be applied to solar thermal power generation, transportation, and building construction.