Harnessing developmental dynamics of spinal cord extracellular matrix improves regenerative potential of spinal cord organoids.

Neonatal spinal cord tissues exhibit remarkable regenerative capabilities as compared to adult spinal cord tissues after injury, but the role of extracellular matrix (ECM) in this process has remained elusive. Here, we found that early developmental spinal cord had higher levels of ECM proteins associated with neural development and axon growth, but fewer inhibitory proteoglycans, compared to those of adult spinal cord. Decellularized spinal cord ECM from neonatal (DNSCM) and adult (DASCM) rabbits preserved these differences. DNSCM promoted proliferation, migration, and neuronal differentiation of neural progenitor cells (NPCs) and facilitated axonal outgrowth and regeneration of spinal cord organoids more effectively than DASCM. Pleiotrophin (PTN) and Tenascin (TNC) in DNSCM were identified as contributors to these abilities. Furthermore, DNSCM demonstrated superior performance as a delivery vehicle for NPCs and organoids in spinal cord injury (SCI) models. This suggests that ECM cues from early development stages might significantly contribute to the prominent regeneration ability in spinal cord.

Trends in Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation Utilization, Outcomes, and Healthcare Resource Use in Patients with Liver Cirrhosis: A Decade of Insights (2011-2020).

It is well known that individuals with liver cirrhosis are considered high risk for cardiac surgery, with an increased risk for morbidity and mortality as the liver disease progresses. In the last decade, there have been considerable advances in transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) as an alternative to surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) in individuals deemed to high risk for surgery. However, research surrounding TAVI in the setting of liver cirrhosis has not been as widely studied. In this national population-based cohort study, we evaluated the trends of mortality, complications, and healthcare utilization in liver cirrhotic patients undergoing TAVI, as well as analyze the basic demographics of these individuals. We found that from 2011-2020, the amount of TAVI procedures conducted in cirrhotic patients was increasing annually while the mortality, procedural complications, and healthcare utilization trends in these cirrhotic patients undergoing TAVI decreased. Overall, TAVI does seem to be a reasonable management for aortic stenosis patients with liver cirrhosis who need aortic valve replacement.

Integrated analysis of intestinal microbiota and transcriptome reveals that a coordinated interaction of the endocrine, immune system and gut microbiota response to heat stress in Litopenaeus vannamei.

Due to the ongoing global warming, the risk of heatwaves in the oceans is continuously increasing while our understanding of the physiological response of Litopenaeus vannamei under extreme temperature conditions remains limited. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the physiological responses of L. vannamei under heat stress. Our results indicated that as temperature rose, the structure of intestinal and hepatopancreatic tissues was damaged sequentially. Activity of immune-related enzymes (acid phosphatase/alkaline phosphatase) initially increased before decreased, while antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase and glutathione-S transferase) activity and malondialdehyde content increased with rising temperature. In addition, the total antioxidant capacity decreased with rising temperature. With the rising temperature, there was a significant increase in the expression of caspase-3, heat shock protein 70, lipopolysaccharide-induced tumor necrosis factor-α, transcriptional enhanced associate domain and yorkie in intestinal and hepatopancreatic tissues. Following heat stress, the number of potentially beneficial bacteria (Rhodobacteraceae and Gemmonbacter) increased which maintain balance and promote vitamin synthesis. Intestinal transcriptome analysis revealed 852 differentially expressed genes in the heat stress group compared with the control group. KEGG functional annotation results showed that the endocrine system was the most abundant in Organismal systems followed by the immune system. These results indicated that heat stress leads to tissue damage in shrimp, however the shrimp may respond to stress through a coordinated interaction strategy of the endocrine system, immune system and gut microbiota. This study revealed the response mechanism of L. vannamei to acute heat stress and potentially provided a theoretical foundation for future research on shrimp environmental adaptations.

Advances in Material-Assisted Electromagnetic Neural Stimulation.

Bioelectricity plays a crucial role in organisms, being closely connected to neural activity and physiological processes. Disruptions in the nervous system can lead to chaotic ionic currents at the injured site, causing disturbances in the local cellular microenvironment, impairing biological pathways, and resulting in a loss of neural functions. Electromagnetic stimulation has the ability to generate internal currents, which can be utilized to counter tissue damage and aid in the restoration of movement in paralyzed limbs. By incorporating implanted materials, electromagnetic stimulation can be targeted more accurately, thereby significantly improving the effectiveness and safety of such interventions. Currently, there have been significant advancements in the development of numerous promising electromagnetic stimulation strategies with diverse materials. This review provides a comprehensive summary of the fundamental theories, neural stimulation modulating materials, material application strategies, and pre-clinical therapeutic effects associated with electromagnetic stimulation for neural repair. It offers a thorough analysis of current techniques that employ materials to enhance electromagnetic stimulation, as well as potential therapeutic strategies for future applications.

Epicardial adipose tissue in obesity with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: Cardiovascular magnetic resonance biomarker study.

BACKGROUND: Obesity has become a serious public health issue, significantly elevating the risk of various complications. It is a well-established contributor to Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Evaluating HFpEF in obesity is crucial. Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) has emerged as a valuable tool for validating prognostic biomarkers and guiding treatment targets. Hence, assessing EAT is of paramount importance. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging is acknowledged as the gold standard for analyzing cardiac function and morphology. We hope to use CMR to assess EAT as a bioimaging marker to evaluate HFpEF in obese patients. AIM: To assess the diagnostic utility of CMR for evaluating heart failure with preserved ejection fraction [HFpEF; left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction ≥ 50%] by measuring the epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) volumes and EAT mass in obese patients. METHODS: Sixty-two obese patients were divided into two groups for a case-control study based on whether or not they had heart failure with HFpEF. The two groups were defined as HFpEF+ and HFpEF-. LV geometry, global systolic function, EAT volumes and EAT mass of all subjects were obtained using cine magnetic resonance sequences. RESULTS: Forty-five patients of HFpEF- group and seventeen patients of HFpEF+ group were included. LV mass index (g/m2) of HFpEF+ group was higher than HFpEF- group (P < 0.05). In HFpEF+ group, EAT volumes, EAT volume index, EAT mass, EAT mass index and the ratio of EAT/[left atrial (LA) left-right (LR) diameter] were higher compared to HFpEF- group (P < 0.05). In multivariate analysis, Higher EAT/LA LR diameter ratio was associated with higher odds ratio of HFpEF. CONCLUSION: EAT/LA LR diameter ratio is highly associated with HFpEF in obese patients. It is plausible that there may be utility in CMR for assessing obese patients for HFpEF using EAT/LA LR diameter ratio as a diagnostic biomarker. Further prospective studies, are needed to validate these proof-of-concept findings.

The evaluation of catechins reducing heterocyclic aromatic amine formation: Structure-activity relationship and mechanism speculation.

The favorable inhibitory effect of tea polyphenols on heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs) has been confirmed in many past studies. The objective of this study was to investigate the structure-activity relationship of catechins that act as inhibitors of HAA formation in chemical models. Two kinds of quantitative structure-activity relationship models for catechin-inhibiting-HAA were established. We chose two kinds of HAAs including 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) and 2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline (MeIQx), and five catechins including epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), epicatechin gallate (ECG), epigallocatechin (EGC), epicatechin (EC), and catechin (C). The inhibitory effect of five catechins were in the following order: EGCG > ECG > EGC > C > EC. Thereinto, EGCG and ECG showed dramatically better inhibition on the formation of PhIP and MeIQx, especially EGCG. Further, the mechanisms of catechin-inhibiting-HAA were speculated by correlation analysis. The free radical-scavenging ability was predicted to be the most relevant to the inhibitory effect of ECG, EGC, EC and C on HAAs. Differently, the phenylacetaldehyde-trapping ability might be the more important mechanism of EGCG inhibiting PhIP in chemical model system. This study may bring a broader idea for controlling the formation of HAAs according to the structure of catechins.

Boron dopant- and nitrogen defect-decorated C3N5 porous nanostructure as an efficient sulfur host for lithium-sulfur batteries.

Active site implantation and morphology manipulation are efficient protocols for boosting the electrochemical performance of carbon nitrides. As a promising sulfur host for lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs), in this study, C3N5 porous nanostructure incorporated with both boron (B) atoms and nitrogen (N) defects was constructed (denoted as ND-B-C3N5) using a two-step strategy, i.e., pyrolysis of the mixture of 3-amino-1,2, 4-triazole and boric acid to obtain B-doped C3N5 porous nanostructure and then KOH etching under hydrothermal condition to generate N defects. The doped B atoms in the C3N5 porous nanostructure are in the form of B-N bonds and grafted B-O bonds. N defects are primarily created at the CN-C positions of the triazine unit, leaving behind some N vacancies and cyano groups. Benefiting from the involvement of B dopants and N defects, the optimized ND-B-C3N5-12 sample exhibits ameliorative conductivity, mass transport, lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) adsorption ability, diffusion of Li+ ions, Li2S deposition capacity, sulfur redox polarization, and a reversible solid-solid sulfur redox process. Consequently, the ND-B-C3N5-12/S cathode delivers accelerated redox performance of polysulfides for LSBs, revealing capacities of 1091 ± 44 and 753 ± 20 mAh/g at 0.2C for the initial and 300th cycles, respectively. The ND-B-C3N5-12/S cathode is also endowed with desired sulfur redox activity and stability at 2C for 1000 cycles, holding an initial discharging capacity of 788 ± 24 mAh/g and a low decay rate of 0.05 % per cycle.

Pivotal Evaluation of Novel Dedicated Venous Stent for Iliofemoral Venous Obstruction: A Prospective Cohort Study.

PURPOSE: The purpose was to evaluate the clinical outcomes of a dedicated venous stent with the tripartite composite segments for the treatment of iliofemoral venous obstruction (IVO) in a mixed cohort of nonthrombotic iliac vein lesion (NIVL) and post-thrombotic syndrome (PTS) over a period of 12 months. METHODS: The Grency Trial is a prospective, multicenter, single-arm, open-label, pivotal study, which was conducted at 18 large tertiary hospitals in China from August 2019 to October 2020. A total of 133 hospitalized patients were screened and 110 patients with clinical, etiology, anatomical, and pathophysiology clinical class (CEAP) clinical grade C>3 and iliac vein stenosis >50% or occlusion, including 72 patients with NIVL and 38 patients with PTS, were implanted with Grency venous stents. Primary endpoint was stent patency at 12 months follow-up, and secondary outcomes were technical success; improvement in venous clinical severity score (VCSS) at 3, 6, and 12 month follow-up; and rates of clinical adverse events. RESULTS: Among 110 patients who were implanted with Grency venous stents, 107 patients completed the 12 month follow-up. All 129 stents were successfully implanted in 110 limbs. Twelve-month primary patency rate was 94.39% [95% confidence interval [CI]=88.19%-97.91%] overall, and 100% [94.94%-100%] and 83.33% [67.19%-93.63%] in the NIVL and PTS subgroups, respectively. Venous clinical severity score after iliac vein stenting improved significantly up to 12 months follow-up. There were 3 early major adverse events (1 intracerebral hemorrhage and 2 stent thrombosis events related to anticoagulation therapy), and 7 late major adverse events (1 cardiovascular death, 1 intracranial hemorrhage with uncontrolled hypertension, and 5 in-stent restenosis cases without stent fractures or migration). CONCLUSIONS: The Grency venous stent system appeared excellent preliminary safe and effective for IVO treatment. Further large-scale studies with longer-term follow-up are needed to evaluate long-term patency and durability of stent. CLINICAL IMPACT: The design of venous stents for iliofemoral venous obstruction (IVO) must address engineering challenges distinct from those encountered in arterial stenting. The Grency venous stent, a nitinol self-expanding stent specifically tailored for IVO, features a composite structure designed to meet the stent requirements of various iliac vein segments. The Grency Trial is a prospective, multicenter, single-arm, open-label pivotal study aimed at evaluating the efficacy and safety of the Grency stent system. Following a 12-month follow-up period, the Grency venous stent system has demonstrated both safety and efficacy in treating iliofemoral venous outflow obstruction.

Revascularization Strategies for Acute and Chronic Mesenteric Ischemia: A Narrative Review.

Mesenteric ischemia is a challenging condition characterized by insufficient blood perfusion to the mesentery and, consequently, intestinal tissues that continues to perplex clinicians. Despite its low prevalence, the condition's variable clinical presentation and elusive radiographic diagnosis can delay life-saving interventions in the acute setting and deteriorate the quality of life of patients when left undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. PURPOSE: Review and summarize recent diagnostic updates and emergent intervention strategies for acute and chronic mesenteric ischemia. METHODS: A narrative review of all relevant studies from January 2022 through September 2023. RESULTS: A total of 11 studies from MEDLINE, supplemented with 44 studies from Google Scholar, were included in the review. CONCLUSIONS: Both acute and chronic mesenteric ischemia propose diagnostic and therapeutic challenges for interventionalists. Computed tomographic angiography remains the diagnostic modality of choice for both. Open surgical intervention remains the gold standard for acute mesenteric ischemia, while endovascular techniques are preferred for chronic mesenteric ischemia.

Clinical efficacy and safety of combined anti-BCMA and anti-CD19 CAR-T cell therapy for relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: The low rates of durable response against relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) in recent studies prompt that chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapies are yet to be optimized. The combined anti-BCMA and anti-CD19 CAR-T cell therapy showed high clinical efficacy in several clinical trials for RRMM. We here conducted a meta-analysis to confirm its efficacy and safety. Methods: We collected data from Embase, Web of Science, PubMed, CNKI, Wanfang and Cochrane databases up to April 2023. We extracted and evaluated data related to the efficacy and safety of combined anti-BCMA and anti-CD19 CAR-T cell therapies in RRMM patients. The data was then analyzed using RevMan5.4 and StataSE-64 software. PROSPERO number was CRD42023455002. Results: Our meta-analysis included 12 relevant clinical trials involving 347 RRMM patients who were treated with combined anti-BCMA and anti-CD19 CAR-T cell therapies. For efficacy assessment, the pooled overall response rate (ORR) was 94% (95% CI: 91%-98%), the complete response rate (CRR) was 50% (95% CI: 29%-71%), and the minimal residual disease (MRD) negativity rate within responders was 73% (95% CI: 66%-80%). In terms of safety, the pooled all-grade cytokine release syndrome (CRS) rate was 98% (95% CI: 97%-100%), grade≥3 CRS rate was 9% (95% CI: 4%-14%), and the incidence of neurotoxicity was 8% (95% CI: 4%-11%). Of hematologic toxicity, neutropenia was 82% (95% CI: 75%-89%), anemia was 71% (95% CI: 53%-90%), thrombocytopenia was 67% (95% CI: 40%-93%) and infection was 42% (95% CI: 9%-76%). The median progression-free survival (PFS) was 12.97 months (95% CI: 6.02-19.91), and the median overall survival (OS) was 26.63 months (95% CI: 8.14-45.11). Conclusions: As a novel immunotherapy strategy with great potential, the combined anti-BCMA and anti-CD19 CAR-T cell therapy showed high efficacy in RRMM, but its safety needs further improvement. This meta-analysis suggests possible optimization of combined CAR-T therapy. Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/, identifier CRD42023455002.

Integrative analysis based on the cell cycle-related genes identifies TPX2 as a novel prognostic biomarker associated with tumor immunity in breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to identify the essential cell cycle-related genes associated with prognosis in breast cancer (BRCA), and to verify the relationship between the central gene and immune infiltration, so as to provide detailed and comprehensive information for the treatment of BRCA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Gene expression profiles (GSE10780, GSE21422, GSE61304) and the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) BRCA data were used to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and further functional enrichment analysis. STRING and Cytoscape were employed for the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network construction. TPX2 was viewed as the crucial prognostic gene by the Survival and Cox analysis. Furthermore, the connection between TPX2 expression and immune infiltrating cells and immune checkpoints in BRCA was also performed by the TIMER online database and R software. RESULTS: A total of 18 cell cycle-related DEGs were identified in this study. Subsequently, an intersection analysis based on TCGA-BRCA prognostic genes and the above DEGs identified three genes (TPX2, UBE2C, CCNE2) as crucial prognostic candidate biomarkers. Moreover, we also demonstrated that TPX2 is closely associated with immune infiltration in BRCA and a positive relation between TPX2 and PD-L1 expression was firstly detected. CONCLUSIONS: These results revealed that TPX2 is a potential prognostic biomarker and closely correlated with immune infiltration in BRCA, which could provide powerful and efficient strategies for breast cancer immunotherapy.

Liraglutide improved the reproductive function of obese mice by upregulating the testicular AC3/cAMP/PKA pathway.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of male reproductive dysfunction is increasing annually, and many studies have shown that obesity can cause severe harm to male reproductive function. The mechanism of male reproductive dysfunction caused by obesity is unclear, and there is no ideal treatment. Identification of effective therapeutic drugs and elucidation of the molecular mechanism involved in male reproductive health are meaningful. In this study, we investigated the effects of the GLP-1 receptor agonist liraglutide on sex hormones, semen quality, and testicular AC3/cAMP/PKA levels in high-fat-diet-induced obese mice. METHODS: Obese mice and their lean littermates were treated with liraglutide or saline for 12 weeks. Body weight was measured weekly. Fasting blood glucose (FBG) was measured using a blood glucose test strip. The serum levels of insulin (INS), luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), testosterone (T), free testosterone (F-TESTO), estradiol (E2), and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) were detected using ELISA. The sperm morphology and sperm count were observed after Pap staining. The mRNA and protein expression levels of testicular GLP-1R and AC3 were measured by RT-qPCR and Western blot, respectively. Testicular cAMP levels and PKA activity were detected using ELISA. RESULTS: Liraglutide treatment can decrease body weight, FBG, INS, HOMA-IR, E2 and SHBG levels; increase LH, FSH, T, and F-TESTO levels; increase sperm count; decrease the sperm abnormality rate; and increase GLP-1R and AC3 expression levels and cAMP levels and PKA activity in testicular tissue. CONCLUSIONS: Liraglutide can improve the sex hormone levels and semen quality of obese male mice. In addition to its weight loss effect, liraglutide can improve the reproductive function of obese male mice, which may also be related to the upregulation of AC3/cAMP/PKA pathway in the testis. This work lays the groundwork for future clinical studies.

C-reactive protein-to-albumin ratio and neutrophil-to-albumin ratio for predicting response and prognosis to infliximab in ulcerative colitis.

The C-reactive protein-to-albumin ratio (CAR) and neutrophil-to-albumin ratio (NAR) serve as established markers for inflammatory diseases. However, limited studies have investigated their potential in predicting response and prognosis following infliximab (IFX) treatment. The objective of this paper was to evaluate feasibility of CAR and NAR as biomarkers to assess response to IFX induction therapy. Additionally, we attempted to determine the capacity to predict clinical remission in ulcerative colitis (UC) after 54 weeks of IFX treatment. We enrolled a total of 157 UC patients diagnosed via endoscopic mucosal biopsy at our hospital between October 2018 and June 2023. Additionally, 199 patients presenting with gastrointestinal symptoms, who underwent physical examinations, constituted the control group. Comprehensive clinical data, laboratory indicators, and endoscopic findings were systematically collected. CAR and NAR values were computed before treatment, post-induction, and subsequently at 8-week intervals. Comparisons between two groups were analyzed using the Wilcoxon rank-sum test or the independent samples t-test, and comparisons between multiple groups were analyzed using the one-way ANOVA (analysis of variance) or the Kruskal-Wallis rank sum test. We found CAR and NAR emerged as sensitive biomarkers for assessing disease activity. Notably, our findings indicated their dual predictive capability: foreseeing response post-IFX induction therapy and prognosticating the likelihood of UC patients achieving clinical remission following 54 weeks on IFX therapy.

Cerebral Microbleeds in Critically Ill Patients with Respiratory Failure or Sepsis: A Scoping Review.

BACKGROUND: Cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) have been described in critically ill patients with respiratory failure, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), or sepsis. This scoping review aimed to systematically summarize existing literature on critical illness-associated CMBs. METHODS: Studies reporting on adults admitted to the intensive care unit for respiratory failure, ARDS, or sepsis with evidence of CMBs on magnetic resonance imaging were included for review following a systematic search across five databases (MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Scopus, and Web of Science) and a two-stage screening process. Studies were excluded if patients' CMBs were clearly explained by another process of neurological injury. RESULTS: Forty-eight studies reporting on 216 critically ill patients (mean age 57.9, 18.4% female) with CMBs were included. Of 216, 197 (91.2%) patients developed respiratory failure or ARDS, five (2.3%) patients developed sepsis, and 14 (6.5%) patients developed both respiratory failure and sepsis. Of 211 patients with respiratory failure, 160 (75.8%) patients had coronavirus disease 2019. The prevalence of CMBs among critically ill patients with respiratory failure or ARDS was 30.0% (111 of 370 patients in cohort studies). The corpus callosum and juxtacortical area were the most frequently involved sites for CMBs (64.8% and 41.7% of all 216 patients, respectively). Functional outcomes were only reported in 48 patients, among whom 31 (64.6%) were independent at discharge, four (8.3%) were dependent at discharge, and 13 (27.1%) did not survive until discharge. Cognitive outcomes were only reported in 11 of 216 patients (5.1%), all of whom showed cognitive deficits (nine patients with executive dysfunction and two patients with memory deficits). CONCLUSIONS: Cerebral microbleeds are commonly reported in patients with critical illness due to respiratory failure, ARDS, or sepsis. CMBs had a predilection for the corpus callosum and juxtacortical area, which may be specific to critical illness-associated CMBs. Functional and cognitive outcomes of these lesions are largely unknown.

Development and Characterization of an Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Film Composited by Hydroxyethyl Cellulose and Sulfated Rice Bran Polysaccharides for Food Packaging.

The nonantimicrobial properties and relatively poor mechanical properties of hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC) limit its use in packaging. Sulfated rice bran polysaccharides (SRBP) possess significant antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of different concentrations of SRBP on the physical and mechanical properties and the functional characteristics of HEC/SRBP films. The physical properties of the HEC/20% SRBP films, such as water resistance, water vapor barrier, light barrier, and tensile strength, improved significantly (p < 0.05) compared with those of the HEC films. Scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry showed that HEC formed hydrogen bonds with SRBP and exhibited better compatibility. Thermogravimetric analysis revealed that the addition of SRBP was beneficial to the thermal stability of the films. In addition, the antioxidant and bacteriostatic properties of the films were enhanced by the addition of SRBP to HEC, with the 20% SRBP films showing the most significant enhancement in activity. Therefore, the HEC/20% SRBP films show potential for development for use as active food packaging.

A systematic study on the chemical model of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons formation from nutrients (glucose, amino acids, fatty acids) in food.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), prominent carcinogens formed during food processing, pose health risks through long-term consumption. This study focuses on 16 priority PAHs in the European Union, investigating their formation during pyrolysis. Glucose, amino acids and fatty acids are important food nutrients. To further explore whether these nutrients in food form PAHs during heating, a single chemical model method was used to heat these nutrients respectively, and GC-MS/MS was used to identify and quantify the obtained components. Glucose is the most basic nutrient in food, so the influence of water, pH, temperature and other factors on the formation of PAHs was studied in the glucose model. At the same time, the models of amino acids and fatty acids were used to assist in improving the entire nutrient research system. According to our results, some previously reported mechanisms of PAHs formation by fatty acids heating were confirmed. In addition, glucose and amino acids could also produce many PAHs after heating, and some conclusions were improved by comparing the intermediates of PAHs from three types of nutrients.

Modeling of the synergistic anti-reflection effect in gradient refractive index films integrated with subwavelength structures for photothermal conversion.

Photothermal materials generally suffer from challenges such as low photothermal conversion efficiency and inefficient full-spectrum utilization of solar energy. This paper proposes gradient refractive index transparent ceramics (GRITCs) integrated with subwavelength nanostructure arrays and simulates the synergistic anti-reflection effect by an admittance recursive model. An innovative subwavelength structure, possessing a superior light-trapping capability, is initially crafted based on this model. Subsequently, various intelligent optimization algorithms including genetic algorithm, particle swarm optimization, and simulated annealing are employed to optimize the structure of gradient refractive index films respectively. Finally, the photothermal conversion efficiencies of devices based on different photothermal materials are calculated. The simulations and finite-difference time-domain calculations demonstrate that the three-layer GRITCs integrated with an optimal SNA exhibit outstanding full-spectrum and omnidirectional anti-reflection performance. The solar transmittance of the devices can exceed 97% for light wavelengths ranging from 300 to 2500 nm over the full angle of incidence. Our results reveal that the synergistic anti-reflection effect in the SNAs and GRITCs can enhance the photothermal conversion efficiency by more than 20%.

Identification and characterization of circadian clock genes in the head transcriptome of Conopomorpha sinensis Bradley.

Conopomorpha sinensis Bradley is the most detrimental pest to litchi and longan in China. Adult eclosion, locomotion, mating and oviposition of C. sinensis usually occur at night, regulated by a circadian rhythm. Nevertheless, our understanding of the linkages between adult circadian rhythms and clock genes remains inadequate. To address this gap, transcriptomic analysis was conducted on female and male heads (including antennae) of C. sinensis using the Illumina HiSeq 6000 platform to identify major circadian clock-related genes. The annotated sequences were analyzed by BLASTx, and candidate clock genes were classified based on conservation, predicted domain architectures, and phylogenetic analysis. The analysis revealed a higher conservation of these genes among the compared moths. Further, the expression profile analysis showed a significant spatiotemporal and circadian rhythmic accumulation of some clock genes during development. The candidate clock genes were predominantly expressed in the head, highlighting their crucial function in circadian rhythm regulation. Moreover, CsinPer, CsinTim1, and CsinCry1 displayed similar dynamic expressions with a peak expression level in the 4th age adults, suggesting their involvement in regulation of courtship and mating behaviors. The CsinPer and CsinTim1 mRNA oscillated strongly with a similar phase, containing a peak expression just before the female mating peak. This work will greatly contribute to understanding the circadian clock system of C. sinensis and provide valuable information for further studies of the molecular mechanisms involved in rhythmicity in fruit-boring pests.

Minimally Invasive Delivery of Percutaneous Ablation Agent via Magnetic Colloidal Hydrogel Injection for Treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Percutaneous thermotherapy, a minimally invasive operational procedure, is employed in the ablation of deep tumor lesions by means of target-delivering heat. Conventional thermal ablation methods, such as radiofrequency or microwave ablation, to a certain extent, are subjected to extended ablation time as well as biosafety risks of unwanted overheating. Given its effectiveness and safety, percutaneous thermotherapy gains a fresh perspective, thanks to magnetic hyperthermia. In this respect, an injectable- and magnetic-hydrogel-construct-based thermal ablation agent is likely to be a candidate for the aforementioned clinical translation. Adopting a simple and environment-friendly strategy, a magnetic colloidal hydrogel injection is introduced by a binary system comprising super-paramagnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles and gelatin nanoparticles. The colloidal hydrogel constructs, unlike conventional bulk hydrogel, can be easily extruded through a percutaneous needle and then self-heal in a reversible manner owing to the unique electrostatic cross-linking. The introduction of magnetic building blocks is exhibited with a rapid magnetothermal response to an alternating magnetic field. Such hydrogel injection is capable of generating heat without limitation of deep penetration. The materials achieve outstanding therapeutic results in mouse and rabbit models. These findings constitute a new class of locoregional interventional thermal therapies with minimal collateral damages.