Dendritic copper oxide catalyst engineering weak-polarity Cu-O bond for high-efficiency nitrate electroreduction.

Nitrate reduction reaction (NO3RR) is deemed a promising pathway for both ammonia synthesis and water purification. Developing a high-efficiency catalyst with excellent NH3 selectivity and catalytic stability is desirable but remains challenging. In this work, a dendritic copper oxide catalyst (Cu-B2) has been developed to efficiently catalyze NO3RR for ammonia production, the Cu-B2 exhibits excellent catalytic performance, achieving an NH3 Faradaic efficiency as high as 94 % and an NH3 yield of 16.9 mg h-1 cm-2 with a current density of 192.3 mA cm-2 at - 0.6 V (vs. RHE, reversible hydrogen electrode). During NO3RR testing, the Cu-B2 catalysts are reduced in situ to form highly active Cu0/Cu+ sites, while retaining its dendritic morphology. Compared with other catalysts, the Cu-O bond in Cu-B2 catalyst has weaker polarity, resulting in Cu0/Cu+ sites in lower oxidation states. In situ attenuated total reflection surface enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (ATR-SEIRAS) studies reveal the Cu-B2 catalyst exhibits a potential-independent capability for *NO3- adsorption and high conversion efficiency of NO2- intermediate into ammonia, DFT calculations reveal that Cu-B2 exhibts higher NO3- adsorption energy and lower NO3- adsorption energy barrier than Cu-B1, thus endowing it with a remarkably improved catalytic activity and durability.

Agent-based modeling of stress anisotropy driven nematic ordering in growing biofilms.

Living active collectives have evolved with remarkable self-patterning capabilities to adapt to the physical and biological constraints crucial for their growth and survival. However, the intricate process by which complex multicellular patterns emerge from a single founder cell remains elusive. In this study, we utilize an agent-based model, validated through single-cell microscopy imaging, to track the three-dimensional (3D) morphodynamics of cells within growing bacterial biofilms encased by agarose gels. The confined growth conditions give rise to a spatiotemporally heterogeneous stress landscape within the biofilm. In the core of the biofilm, where high hydrostatic and low shear stresses prevail, cell packing appears disordered. In contrast, near the gel-cell interface, a state of high shear stress and low hydrostatic stress emerges, driving nematic ordering, albeit with a time delay inherent to shear stress relaxation. Strikingly, we observe a robust spatiotemporal correlation between stress anisotropy and nematic ordering within these confined biofilms. This correlation suggests a mechanism whereby stress anisotropy plays a pivotal role in governing the spatial organization of cells. The reciprocity between stress anisotropy and cell ordering in confined biofilms opens new avenues for innovative 3D mechanically guided patterning techniques for living active collectives, which hold significant promise for a wide array of environmental and biomedical applications.

Dietary inflammatory index is associated with metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease among United States adults.

Background: Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is presently the most prevalent chronic liver disorder globally that is closely linked to obesity, dyslipidemia metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Its pathogenesis is strongly associated with inflammation, and diet is a major factor in reducing inflammation. However, current research has focused primarily on exploring the relationship between diet and NAFLD, with less research on its link to MAFLD. Methods: In this research, using dietary inflammatory index (DII) as a measure to assess dietary quality, we analyzed the relationship between diet and MAFLD. Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2017-2018, including 3,633 adults with complete DII and MAFLD, were used to develop cross-sectional analyses. Logistic regression analysis was adapted for investigating the relationship between DII and MAFLD development. Additionally, subgroup analysis and threshold effect analysis were carried out. Results: A positive link between DII and MAFLD was found in the fully adjusted model (OR = 1.05; 95%CI, 1.00-1.11, p < 0.05). Subgroup analysis indicated that there was no significant dependence for the connection between DII and MAFLD except for the subgroup stratified by age. Compared with other age groups, people with MAFLD had 20% higher DII scores than non-MAFLD participants in those aged 20-41 years old (OR = 1.20; 95%CI, 1.08-1.33, p < 0.001). Furthermore, we found a U-shaped curve with an inflection point of 3.06 illustrating the non-linear connection between DII and MAFLD. Conclusion: As a result, our research indicates that pro-inflammatory diet may increase the chance of MAFLD development, thus improved dietary patterns as a lifestyle intervention is an important strategy to decrease the incidence of MAFLD.

Tertiary lymphoid structures in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the sixth most common malignancy worldwide. Smoking, drinking, and human papillomavirus (HPV) infection are the main risk factors. Early-stage patients can benefit from radical surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy, but the prognosis of locally advanced, recurrent, or metastatic patients is poor. Programmed cell death receptor 1 (PD-1) inhibitor significantly prolongs the survival of these patients, but only about 20 % of the population can benefit significantly. Exploring effective predictive indicators of immunotherapy efficacy and new therapeutic targets is necessary. Tertiary lymphoid structure (TLS) is an ectopic lymphoid organ formed in non-lymphoid tissues, which usually occurs in chronic inflammation including autoimmune diseases, infectious diseases, and tumors. The structure and function of TLS are similar to those of secondary lymphoid organs. The existence of TLS is closely related to the favorable prognosis and immune response of patients. This article will review the formation, prognosis, and predictive value of TLS as well as inducing TLS neogenesis in HNSCC.

Mental health difficulties and related factors in Chinese children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the mental health status and related factors in children and adolescents, and to assess age groups and sexes differences in factors influencing mental health. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was performed on Chinese children aged 6-18 years from November 2021 to January 2022. Mental health difficulties were accessed by the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze factors associated with mental health status. Multiple linear regression was used to evaluate factors associated with the scores of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. RESULTS: The prevalence of mental health difficulties was 12.98% (n =1348). Age (OR, 0.909, [95%CI, 0.830-0.996]), sex (OR, 1.424, [95%CI, 1.033-1.963]) and screen time on weekdays ("≥2" h/d vs "< 1" h/d: OR, 2.001, [95%CI, 1.300-3.080]) were related factors for mental health difficulties. For children (year ≤ 12), the strongest related factor for mental health difficulties was screen time on weekdays ("≥ 2" h/d vs "< 1" h/d: OR, 1.821 [95%CI, 1.203-2.755]). The risk of mental health difficulties in females with ≥ 2 h/d screen time on weekends was 3.420 times higher than those with < 1 h/d (OR, 3.420, [95%CI, 1.923-6.081]). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of mental health difficulties among children and adolescents was relatively high. The lower age, female sex and excessive screen time were associated with a higher risk of mental health difficulties. The factors influencing mental health varied by different age groups and sexes. Thus, specific measures for different age groups and sexes should be adopted to mitigate the impact.

Protocol for evaluating the effects of the Reducing Cardiometabolic Diseases Risk dietary pattern in the Chinese population with dyslipidaemia: a single-centre, open-label, dietary intervention study.

INTRODUCTION: Cardiometabolic disease (CMD) is the leading cause of mortality in China. A healthy diet plays an essential role in the occurrence and development of CMD. Although the Chinese heart-healthy diet is the first diet with cardiovascular benefits, a healthy dietary pattern that fits Chinese food culture that can effectively reduce the risk of CMD has not been found. METHODS/DESIGN: The study is a single-centre, open-label, randomised controlled trial aimed at evaluating the effect of the Reducing Cardiometabolic Diseases Risk (RCMDR) dietary pattern in reducing the risk of CMDs in people with dyslipidaemia and providing a reference basis for constructing a dietary pattern suitable for the prevention of CMDs in the Chinese population. Participants are men and women aged 35-45 years with dyslipidaemia in Tianjin. The target sample size is 100. After the run-in period, the participants will be randomised to the RCMDR dietary pattern intervention group or the general health education control group with a 1:1 ratio. The intervention phases will last 12 weeks, with a dietary intervention of 5 working days per week for participants in the intervention group. The primary outcome variable is the cardiometabolic risk score. The secondary outcome variables are blood lipid, blood pressure, blood glucose, body composition indices, insulin resistance and 10-year risk of cardiovascular diseases. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The study complies with the Measures for Ethical Review of Life Sciences and Medical Research Involving Human Beings and the Declaration of Helsinki. Signed informed consent will be obtained from all participants. The study has been approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of the Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University (approval number: KY2023020). The results from the study will be disseminated through publications in a peer-reviewed journal. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR2300072472).

Genomic insights into the clonal reproductive Opuntia cochenillifera: mitochondrial and chloroplast genomes of the cochineal cactus for enhanced understanding of structural dynamics and evolutionary implications.

Background: The cochineal cactus (Opuntia cochenillifera), notable for its substantial agricultural and industrial applications, predominantly undergoes clonal reproduction, which presents significant challenges in breeding and germplasm innovation. Recent developments in mitochondrial genome engineering offer promising avenues for introducing heritable mutations, potentially facilitating selective sexual reproduction through the creation of cytoplasmic male sterile genotypes. However, the lack of comprehensive mitochondrial genome information for Opuntia species hinders these efforts. Here, we intended to sequence and characterize its mitochondrial genome to maximize the potential of its genomes for evolutionary studies, molecular breeding, and molecular marker developments. Results: We sequenced the total DNA of the O. cochenillifera using DNBSEQ and Nanopore platforms. The mitochondrial genome was then assembled using a hybrid assembly strategy using Unicycler software. We found that the mitochondrial genome of O. cochenillifera has a length of 1,156,235 bp, a GC content of 43.06%, and contains 54 unique protein-coding genes and 346 simple repeats. Comparative genomic analysis revealed 48 homologous fragments shared between mitochondrial and chloroplast genomes, with a total length of 47,935 bp. Additionally, the comparison of mitochondrial genomes from four Cactaceae species highlighted their dynamic nature and frequent mitogenomic reorganizations. Conclusion: Our study provides a new perspective on the evolution of the organelle genome and its potential application in genetic breeding. These findings offer valuable insights into the mitochondrial genetics of Cactaceae, potentially facilitating future research and breeding programs aimed at enhancing the genetic diversity and adaptability of O. cochenillifera by leveraging its unique mitochondrial genome characteristics.

How food matrices modulate folate bioaccessibility: A comprehensive overview of recent advances and challenges.

The incomplete absorption of dietary folate makes it crucial to understand how food matrices affect folate bioaccessibility. Bioavailability encompasses bioaccessibility, which depicts the proportion that is liberated from the food matrix during digestion and becomes available for absorption. Bioavailability studies are expensive and difficult to control, whereas bioaccessibility studies utilize in vitro digestion models to parameterize the complex digestion, allowing the evaluation of the effect of food matrices on bioaccessibility. This review covers the folate contents in various food matrices, the methods used to determine and the factors affecting folate bioaccessibility, and the advances and challenges in understanding how food matrices affect folate bioaccessibility. The methods for determining bioaccessibility have been improved in the last decade. Current research shows that food matrices modulate folate bioaccessibility by affecting the liberation and stability of folate during digestion but do not provide enough information about folate and food component interactions at the molecular level. In addition, information on folate interconversion and degradation during digestion is scant, hindering our understanding of the impact of food matrices on folate stability. Moreover, the role of conjugase inhibitors should not be neglected when evaluating the nutritional value of food folates. Due to the complexity of food digestion, holistic methods should be applied to investigate bioaccessibility. By synthesizing the current state of knowledge on this topic, this review highlights the lack of in-depth understanding of the mechanisms of how food matrices modulate folate bioaccessibility and provides insights into potential strategies for accurate evaluation of the nutritional value of dietary folate.

Lipoarabinomannan mediates localized cell wall integrity during division in mycobacteria.

The growth and division of mycobacteria, which include clinically relevant pathogens, deviate from that of canonical bacterial models. Despite their Gram-positive ancestry, mycobacteria synthesize and elongate a diderm envelope asymmetrically from the poles, with the old pole elongating more robustly than the new pole. The phosphatidylinositol-anchored lipoglycans lipomannan (LM) and lipoarabinomannan (LAM) are cell envelope components critical for host-pathogen interactions, but their physiological functions in mycobacteria remained elusive. In this work, using biosynthetic mutants of these lipoglycans, we examine their roles in maintaining cell envelope integrity in Mycobacterium smegmatis and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. We find that mutants defective in producing mature LAM fail to maintain rod cell shape specifically at the new pole and para-septal regions whereas a mutant that produces a larger LAM becomes multi-septated. Therefore, LAM plays critical and distinct roles at subcellular locations associated with division in mycobacteria, including maintenance of local cell wall integrity and septal placement.

CircAKT3 alleviates postoperative cognitive dysfunction by stabilizing the feedback cycle of miR-106a-5p/HDAC4/MEF2C axis in hippocampi of aged mice.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have garnered significant attention in the field of neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's diseases due to their covalently closed loop structure. However, the involvement of circRNAs in postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is still largely unexplored. To identify the genes differentially expressed between non-POCD (NPOCD) and POCD mice, we conducted the whole transcriptome sequencing initially in this study. According to the expression profiles, we observed that circAKT3 was associated with hippocampal neuronal apoptosis in POCD mice. Moreover, we found that circAKT3 overexpression reduced apoptosis of hippocampal neurons and alleviated POCD. Subsequently, through bioinformatics analysis, our data showed that circAKT3 overexpression in vitro and in vivo elevated the abundance of miR-106a-5p significantly, resulting in a decrease of HDAC4 protein and an increase of MEF2C protein. Additionally, this effect of circAKT3 was blocked by miR-106a-5p inhibitor. Interestingly, MEF2C could activate the transcription of miR-106a-5p promoter and form a positive feedback loop. Therefore, our findings revealed more potential modulation ways between circRNA-miRNA and miRNA-mRNA, providing different directions and targets for preclinical studies of POCD.

Inspecting mother-to-infant microbiota transmission: disturbance of strain inheritance by cesarian section.

Introduction: The initial acquisition and subsequent development of the microbiota in early life is crucial to future health. Cesarean-section (CS) birth is considered to affect early microbial transmission from mother to infant. Methods: In this study, we collected fecal samples from 34 CS infants and their mothers from West China Second Hospital, Sichuan University to assess the microbiota developmental trajectory of mothers and infants. We explored mother-infant gut microbiome transmission via comparison with corresponding Finnish data. Results: Metagenomic analysis of gut microbiota profiles indicated that the communities of mothers and infants were distinct. The composition of the infant gut microbiome was highly variable but also followed predictable patterns in the early stages of life. Maternal communities were stable and mainly dominated by species from Bacteroidacea spp. We used PStrain to analyze and visualize strain transmission in each mother-infant pair. Excluding missing data, we included 32 mother-infant pairs for analysis of strain transmission. Most CS deliveries (65.6%, 21/32) did not demonstrate transmission of strains from mother to infant. To further explore the mother-infant strain transmission, we analyzed metagenomics data from Finnish mother-infant pairs. A total of 32 mother-infant pairs were included in the analysis, including 28 vaginal delivery (VD) infants and four CS infants. Strain transmission was observed in 30 infants, including 28 VD infants and two CS infants. All VD infants received transmitted stains from their mothers. Finally, a total of 193 strain transmission events were observed, comprising 131 strains and 45 species. Discussion: Taken together, our data suggested that delivery mode was an important factor influencing the mother-infant strain transmission.

Inhibition Effect of Triphenylmethane Dyes for the Corrosion of Carbon Steel in CO2-Saturated NaCl Corrosion Medium.

Carbon dioxide corrosion presents a significant challenge in the oil and gas field. This study simulates the corrosive environment characteristics of oil and gas fields to investigate the corrosion inhibition properties of three triphenylmethane dyes. The inhibitive performance and mechanisms of these dyes were analyzed through weight loss and electrochemical testing, revealing that crystal violet (CV) exhibited a superior inhibition effectiveness over malachite green (MG) and Fuchsine basic (FB). At a concentration of 150 ppm in a CO2-saturated 5% NaCl solution at 25 °C, CV achieved an impressive maximum inhibition efficiency of 94.89%. With the increase in temperature, the corrosion rate slightly decreased, and the corrosion rate was 92.94% at 60 °C. The investigated CV acted as a mixed-type corrosion inhibitor and its protection obeyed the Langmuir adsorption isotherm. The corrosion morphology was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLMS). Quantum chemical calculations and molecular dynamics simulations were employed to validate the corrosion inhibition mechanisms, providing guidance for the further application of these dyes in corrosion control.

Harnessing the potential of long non-coding RNAs in breast cancer: from etiology to treatment resistance and clinical applications.

Breast cancer (BC) is the most common malignancy among women and a leading cause of cancer-related deaths of females worldwide. It is a complex and molecularly heterogeneous disease, with various subtypes that require different treatment strategies. Despite advances in high-resolution single-cell and multinomial technologies, distant metastasis and therapeutic resistance remain major challenges for BC treatment. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are non-coding RNAs with more than 200 nucleotides in length. They act as competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) to regulate post-transcriptional gene stability and modulate protein-protein, protein-DNA, and protein-RNA interactions to regulate various biological processes. Emerging evidence suggests that lncRNAs play essential roles in human cancers, including BC. In this review, we focus on the roles and mechanisms of lncRNAs in BC progression, metastasis, and treatment resistance, and discuss their potential value as therapeutic targets. Specifically, we summarize how lncRNAs are involved in the initiation and progression of BC, as well as their roles in metastasis and the development of therapeutic resistance. We also recapitulate the potential of lncRNAs as diagnostic biomarkers and discuss their potential use in personalized medicine. Finally, we provide lncRNA-based strategies to promote the prognosis of breast cancer patients in clinical settings, including the development of novel lncRNA-targeted therapies.

Research on the Properties of Wasteforms after Direct Involvement of Uranium-Containing Silica Gel in Glass Network Formation.

Uranium-containing silica gel (UCSG) is a secondary waste generated during the advanced treatment of nuclear wastewater. In order to reduce the growing storage pressure for UCSG, from the perspective of building a borosilicate glass network, UCSG was used to replace SiO2 in the glass-cured formula to directly achieve the immobilization of UCSG. SEM-EDS results showed that uranium was uniformly distributed in the matrix, and the maximum solid solubility of UCSG (two components: silica gel and uranyl ions) in the formula was as high as 55 wt %. At the same time, TG-MS proved that silica gel lost OH groups (down about 4.61 wt %) and formed Si-O-Si bond by condensation. FT-IR and XPS proved a change in the number of Si-O-Si bond, and new Si-O-B and Si-O-Al bond appeared on the spectrum. This was evidence that silica gel could self-involved participate in the construction of glass networks. EPR analysis obtained the changes in the coordination environment of U atom, the U atom decreased spin electrons number in the glass than in uranyl crystals. The glass also has good physical properties (hardness: 6.51 ± 0.23 GPa; density: 2.3977 ± 0.0056 g/cm3) and chemical durability (normalized leaching rate: LRU = 2.34 × 10-4 ± 2.05 × 10-6 g·m2·days-1 after 42 days), this research provided tactics for simple treatment of uranium-containing silica gel in one step.

Undaria pinnatifida ameliorates nasal inflammation by inhibiting eosinophil and mast cell activation and modulating the NF-κB/MAPKs signaling pathway.

BACKGROUND: Allergic rhinitis (AR) is the most prevalent form of atopic disease. Undaria pinnatifida has potent antioxidative, antidiabetic, and anti-inflammatory properties. AIMS: We investigated the immunomodulatory effect of Undaria pinnatifida extract (UPE) on allergic inflammation in an AR mouse model. MATERIALS & METHODS: Mice were sensitized and intranasally challenged with ovalbumin (OVA), and the Th1/Th2 and Th17/Treg-related cytokines and histopathology were exanimated after UPE treatments. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was performed using serum samples and NALF to detect OVA-specific immunoglobulins and inflammatory cytokines. Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) were measured by western blotting analysis, and an in vitro study measured mast cell activation induced by compound 48/80. RESULTS: After UPE treatment, nasal and lung allergy symptoms, nasal mucosal swelling, and goblet cell hyperplasia were ameliorated. Oral UPE regulated the balance of Th1/Th2 and Th17/Treg cell differentiation in AR mice in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, UPE attenuated the migration of eosinophils and mast cells to the nasal mucosa by suppressing nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB)/MAPKs. The levels of anti-OVA IgE and IgG1 were also decreased. DISCUSSION: UPE inhibited inflammation by regulating the NF-κB/MAPKs signaling pathway and supressing the activation of critical immune cells such as eosinophils and mast cells. CONCLUSION: UPE may have therapeutic potential for AR.

Analysis and evaluation of the burning characteristics of six commonly used herbaceous species in Beijing.

Surface vegetations are one of the key factors affecting the spread of green space fires. To explore the combustibility of commonly used local surface layer herbaceous species in Beijing, and to provide a reference for the construction and management of urban green space, we comprehensively evaluated the combustibility of Carex giraldiana, Carex breviculis, Liriope spicata, Iris lactea, Iris tectorum, and Buffaloe dactyloides, with the entropy weight method and K-mean cluster analysis based on the principal component analysis method. We measured the combustion characteristics indicators (blade ignition point, combustion time and heat release rate), physical and chemical indicators (leaf moisture content and crude fat content), and biological characteristics indicators (blade thickness and unit load) during the key period of fire prevention. The results showed that blade thickness and ignition point got the highest weight and affected the overall combustibility most. Peak heat release rate and ignition time had the lowest weight and minimal impact on the overall combustibility. The combustibility of the six species followed an order of B. dactyloides > C. breviculmis > L. spicata > C. giraldiana > I. lactea > I. tectorum. Results of the clustering analysis showed that the combustion ability of B. dactyloides, C. breviculmis, and L. spicata were in class Ⅰ, with the strongest combustion ability; C. giraldiana was in class Ⅱ; I. lactea and I. tectorum were in class Ⅲ, with the lowest flammability. As widely used surface vegetations, critical attention should be paid on B. dactyloides, C. breviculmis and L. spicata for fire prevention in winter and spring.

Reversal of Chemoresistance via Staged Liberation of Chemodrug and siRNA in Hierarchical Response to ROS Gradient.

P-glycoprotein (P-gp)-mediated multidrug resistance (MDR) often leads to the failure of antitumor chemotherapy, and codelivery of chemodrug with P-gp siRNA (siP-gp) represents a promising approach for treating chemoresistant tumors. To maximize the antitumor efficacy, it is desired that the chemodrug be latently released upon completion of siP-gp-mediated gene silencing, which however, largely remains an unmet demand. Herein, core-shell nanocomplexes (NCs) are developed to overcome MDR via staged liberation of siP-gp and chemodrug (doxorubicin, Dox) in hierarchical response to reactive oxygen species (ROS) concentration gradients. The NCs are constructed from mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) surface-decorated with cRGD-modified, PEGylated, ditellurium-crosslinked polyethylenimine (RPPT), wherein thioketal-linked dimeric doxorubicin (TK-Dox2 ) and photosensitizer are coencapsulated inside MSNs while siP-gp is embedded in the RPPT polymeric layer. RPPT with ultrahigh ROS-sensitivity can be efficiently degraded by the low-concentration ROS inside cancer cells to trigger siP-gp release. Upon siP-gp-mediated gene silencing and MDR reversal, light irradiation is performed to generate high-concentration, lethal amount of ROS, which cleaves thioketal with low ROS-sensitivity to liberate the monomeric Dox. Such a latent release profile greatly enhances Dox accumulation in Dox-resistant cancer cells (MCF-7/ADR) in vitro and in vivo, which cooperates with the generated ROS to efficiently eradicate MCF-7/ADR xenograft tumors.

Two-dimensional transmissive structural colors for high-security information encryption.

Structural colors produced from nanostructures have attracted much attention due to their promising advantages of long-term stability and high resolution. Many nanostructures like metasurfaces have been demonstrated to generate color information in the transmission or reflection mode. Here, a strategy of combining polarization-insensitive and polarization-sensitive transmissive structural color is proposed to realize convenient and diverse encrypted pattern designs. A two-dimensional metasurface, whose polarization characteristics are determined by the size of a nanobrick unit, is embedded inside an optical cavity to produce transmissive structural color. The polarization-insensitive transmissive structural color exhibits a wide color gamut and high excitation purity in all polarization states, while the polarization-sensitive transmissive structural color maintains the similar color appearance in x-direction polarization but appears nearly black in y-direction polarization. Combining these two transmissive structural colors can achieve diverse images designed at different polarizations instead of simply hiding the image in a specific polarization state. An image of "flower and flowerpot" using the generated colors is visually illustrated, which shows that the proposed transmissive structural colors would have great potential in the areas of security information encryption.

Tannic Acid-Modified Decellularized Tendon Scaffold with Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Activities for Tendon Regeneration.

Tendon regeneration is greatly influenced by the oxidant and the inflammatory microenvironment. Persistent inflammation during the tendon repair can cause matrix degradation, tendon adhesion, and excessive accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), while excessive ROS affect extracellular matrix remodeling and tendon integration. Herein, we used tannic acid (TA) to modify a decellularized tendon slice (DTS) to fabricate a functional scaffold (DTS-TA) with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties for tendon repair. The characterizations and cytocompatibility of the scaffolds were examined in vitro. The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of the scaffold were evaluated in vitro and further studied in vivo using a subcutaneous implantation model. It was found that the modified DTS combined with TA via hydrogen bonds and covalent bonds, and the hydrophilicity, thermal stability, biodegradability, and mechanical characteristics of the scaffold were significantly improved. Afterward, the results demonstrated that DTS-TA could effectively reduce inflammation by increasing the M2/M1 macrophage ratio and interleukin-4 (IL-4) expression, decreasing the secretion of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), as well as scavenging excessive ROS in vitro and in vivo. In summary, DTS modified with TA provides a potential versatile scaffold for tendon regeneration.

Spinal Nmur2-positive Neurons Play a Crucial Role in Mechanical Itch.

The dorsal spinal cord is crucial for the transmission and modulation of multiple somatosensory modalities, such as itch, pain, and touch. Despite being essential for the well-being and survival of an individual, itch and pain, in their chronic forms, have increasingly been recognized as clinical problems. Although considerable progress has been made in our understanding of the neurochemical processing of nociceptive and chemical itch sensations, the neural substrate that is crucial for mechanical itch processing is still unclear. Here, using genetic and functional manipulation, we identified a population of spinal neurons expressing neuromedin U receptor 2 (Nmur2+) as critical elements for mechanical itch. We found that spinal Nmur2+ neurons are predominantly excitatory neurons, and are enriched in the superficial laminae of the dorsal horn. Pharmacogenetic activation of cervical spinal Nmur2+ neurons evoked scratching behavior. Conversely, the ablation of these neurons using a caspase-3-based method decreased von Frey filament-induced scratching behavior without affecting responses to other somatosensory modalities. Similarly, suppressing the excitability of cervical spinal Nmur2+ neurons via the overexpression of functional Kir2.1 potassium channels reduced scratching in response to innocuous mechanical stimuli, but not to pruritogen application. At the lumbar level, pharmacogenetic activation of these neurons evoked licking and lifting behaviors. However, ablating these neurons did not affect the behavior associated with acute pain. Thus, these results revealed the crucial role of spinal Nmur2+ neurons in mechanical itch. Our study provides important insights into the neural basis of mechanical itch, paving the way for developing novel therapies for chronic itch. PERSPECTIVE: Excitatory Nmur2+ neurons in the superficial dorsal spinal cord are essential for mechanical but not chemical itch information processing. These spinal Nmur2+ neurons represent a potential cellular target for future therapeutic interventions against chronic itch. Spinal and supraspinal Nmur2+ neurons may play different roles in pain signal processing.