Metal-organic framework based self-powered devices for human body energy harvesting.

The shift from traditional bulky electronics to smart wearable devices represents a crucial trend in technological advancement. In recent years, the focus has intensified on harnessing thermal and mechanical energy from human activities to power small wearable electronics. This vision has attracted considerable attention from researchers, with an emphasis on the development of suitable materials that can efficiently convert human body energy into usable electrical form. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), with their unique tunable structures, large surface areas, and high porosity, emerge as a promising material category for human body energy harvesting due to their ability to be precisely engineered at the molecular level, which allows for the optimization of their properties to suit specific energy harvesting needs. This article explores the progressive development of MOF materials, highlighting their potential in the realm of self-power devices for wearable applications. It first introduces the typical energy harvesting routes that are particularly suitable for harvesting human body energy, including thermoelectric, triboelectric, and piezoelectric techniques. Then, it delves into various research advances that have demonstrated the efficacy of MOFs in capturing and converting body-generated energy into electrical energy, emphasizing on the conceptual design, device fabrication, and applications in medical health monitoring, human-computer interaction, and motion monitoring. Furthermore, it discusses potential future directions for research in MOF-based self-powered devices and outlines perspectives that could drive breakthroughs in the efficiency and practicality of these devices.

Saccharide mapping as an extraordinary method on characterization and identification of plant and fungi polysaccharides: A review.

Saccharide mapping was a promising scheme to unveil the mystery of polysaccharide structure by analysis of the fragments generated from polysaccharide decomposition process. However, saccharide mapping was not widely applied in the polysaccharide analysis for lacking of systematic introduction. In this review, a detailed description of the establishment process of saccharide mapping, the pros and cons of downstream technologies, an overview of the application of saccharide mapping, and practical strategies were summarized. With the updating of the available downstream technologies, saccharide mapping had been expanding its scope of application to various kinds of polysaccharides. The process of saccharide mapping analysis included polysaccharides degradation and hydrolysates analysis, and the degradation process was no longer limited to acid hydrolysis. Some downstream technologies were convenient for rapid qualitative analysis, while others could achieve quantitative analysis. For the more detailed structure information could be provided by saccharide mapping, it was possible to improve the quality control of polysaccharides during preparation and application. This review filled the blank of basic information about saccharide mapping and was helpful for the establishment of a professional workflow for the saccharide mapping application to promote the deep study of polysaccharide structure.

Association of the dietary inflammation index DII with the prevalence of chronic kidney disease in patients with hypertension.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a global health concern that is frequently associated with hypertension. Inflammation is an important factor in the development of both illnesses. The Dietary Inflammation Index (DII) has evolved as a way to measure how much a diet can cause inflammation, which may impact CKD, especially in hypertensive persons. The study's goal is to investigate the link between DII and the occurrence of CKD in hypertensive individuals. METHODS: This study examined data from 22940 hypertensive patients from 1999 to 2018 of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). The DII was computed using 28 dietary components. CKD was diagnosed based on the estimated glomerular filtration rate and urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio. The link between DII and CKD was explored using sampling-weighted logistic regression and restricted cubic splines. RESULTS: Higher DII scores were shown to be strongly related with an increased risk of CKD. In the fully adjusted model, this connection remained consistent across demographic and clinical categories. CONCLUSIONS: The study found a strong association between a pro-inflammatory diet and an elevated risk of CKD in hypertensive individuals, emphasizing the potential of dietary changes in CKD management.

Acoustic-holography-patterned primary hepatocytes possess liver functions.

Acoustic holography (AH), a promising approach for cell patterning, emerges as a powerful tool for constructing novel invitro 3D models that mimic organs and cancers features. However, understanding changes in cell function post-AH remains limited. Furthermore, replicating complex physiological and pathological processes solely with cell lines proves challenging. Here, we employed acoustical holographic lattice to assemble primary hepatocytes directly isolated from mice into a cell cluster matrix to construct a liver-shaped tissue sample. For the first time, we evaluated the liver functions of AH-patterned primary hepatocytes. The patterned model exhibited large numbers of self-assembled spheroids and superior multifarious core hepatocyte functions compared to cells in 2D and traditional 3D culture models. AH offers a robust protocol for long-term in vitro culture of primary cells, underscoring its potential for future applications in disease pathogenesis research, drug testing, and organ replacement therapy.

Antimelanoma differentiation antigen 5-positive dermatomyositis: an update.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Antimelanoma differentiation antigen 5-dermatomyositis (MDA5-DM) is a complex and serious systemic autoimmune disease that primarily affects the skin and lungs. In this review, we aimed to provide new insights into the clinical features, pathogenesis, and practical management approach for this disease. RECENT FINDINGS: Although lung lesions are prominent in most patients with MDA5-DM, they are now recognized as heterogeneous diseases. Peripheral blood lymphocyte count can serve as a simple and reliable laboratory parameter for categorizing MDA5-DM into three subgroups: mild, medium, and severe. Recent studies have implicated viral infection, genetic factors, autoimmunity against MDA5, multiple immune cells, and interferons as significant contributors to MDA5-DM pathogenesis. In addition to traditional treatments with glucocorticoids and immunosuppressants, many new approaches, including new biologics and targeted agents, have been explored. Additionally, infection is a common complication of MDA5-DM, and prophylaxis or treatment of the infection is as important as treating the primary disease. SUMMARY: Knowledge of clinical characteristics and pathogenesis of MDA5-DM has grown in recent years. Although many new therapeutic approaches have been explored, further studies are required to confirm their efficacy.

Broad learning system based on maximum multi-kernel correntropy criterion.

The broad learning system (BLS) is an effective machine learning model that exhibits excellent feature extraction ability and fast training speed. However, the traditional BLS is derived from the minimum mean square error (MMSE) criterion, which is highly sensitive to non-Gaussian noise. In order to enhance the robustness of BLS, this paper reconstructs the objective function of BLS based on the maximum multi-kernel correntropy criterion (MMKCC), and obtains a new robust variant of BLS (MKC-BLS). For the multitude of parameters involved in MMKCC, an effective parameter optimization method is presented. The fixed-point iteration method is employed to further optimize the model, and a reliable convergence proof is provided. In comparison to the existing robust variants of BLS, MKC-BLS exhibits superior performance in the non-Gaussian noise environment, particularly in the multi-modal noise environment. Experiments on multiple public datasets and real application validate the efficacy of the proposed method.

Engineered in vivo and in vitro tumor model recapitulates vasculogenic mimicry signatures in melanoma.

Vasculogenic mimicry (VM) describes a process by which tumor cells formed a novel microcirculation pattern in an endothelial cell-free manner. Clinically, VM is associated with aggressive phenotype and poor patient survival. However, the current models for investigating VM include 2D monolayer cultures, Matrigel-based cultures, and animal models, each of which has limitations. Matrigel-based models often exhibit batch-to-batch variations, while in vivo tumor models currently produce insufficient amounts of VM. There is currently no suitable tumor model to discover new therapeutic targets against VM. Herein, we establish an extracellular matrix (ECM)-based engineered tumor model in vivo and in vitro. In this study, we demonstrate that matrix proteins enhanced the VM formation in the engineered xenograft model. Furthermore, we also investigated the role of collagen/fibronectin (FN) in melanoma progression and VM formation. Compared with cells cultured on TCPS plates, the B16F10 cells cultured on collagen/FN coated plates showed increased proliferation and stemness, and significantly enhanced invasion and formation of VM networks. Molecular mechanism analysis showed that Integrin/VE-cadherin/EphA2/PI3K/MMP-2 signaling pathways are responsible for VM formation. Our results indicate that collagen/FN matrix plays an important role in VM formation in melanoma, suggesting that ECM protein is a potential therapeutic target for anti-VM therapy for melanoma.

Genetic Engineering for Enhancing Sugarcane Tolerance to Biotic and Abiotic Stresses.

Sugarcane, a vital cash crop, contributes significantly to the world's sugar supply and raw materials for biofuel production, playing a significant role in the global sugar industry. However, sustainable productivity is severely hampered by biotic and abiotic stressors. Genetic engineering has been used to transfer useful genes into sugarcane plants to improve desirable traits and has emerged as a basic and applied research method to maintain growth and productivity under different adverse environmental conditions. However, the use of transgenic approaches remains contentious and requires rigorous experimental methods to address biosafety challenges. Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR) mediated genome editing technology is growing rapidly and may revolutionize sugarcane production. This review aims to explore innovative genetic engineering techniques and their successful application in developing sugarcane cultivars with enhanced resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses to produce superior sugarcane cultivars.

Efficient and rapid digestion of proteins with a dual-enzyme microreactor featuring 3-D pores formed by dopamine/polyethyleneimine/acrylamide-coated KIT-6 molecular sieve.

The microreactor with two types of immobilized enzymes, exhibiting excellent orthogonal performance, represents an effective approach to counteract the reduced digestion efficiency resulting from the absence of a single enzyme cleavage site, thereby impacting protein identification. In this study, we developed a hydrophilic dual-enzyme microreactor characterized by rapid mass transfer and superior enzymatic activity. Initially, we selected KIT-6 molecular sieve as the carrier for the dual-IMER due to its three-dimensional network pore structure. Modification involved co-deposition of polyethyleneimine (PEI) and acrylamide (AM) as amine donors, along with dopamine to enhance material hydrophilicity. Remaining amino and double bond functional groups facilitated stepwise immobilization of trypsin and Glu-C. Digestion times for bovine serum albumin (BSA) and bovine hemoglobin (BHb) on the dual-IMER were significantly reduced compared to solution-based digestion (1 min vs. 36 h), resulting in improved sequence coverage (91.30% vs. 82.7% for BSA; 90.24% vs. 89.20% for BHb). Additionally, the dual-IMER demonstrated excellent durability, retaining 96.08% relative activity after 29 reuse cycles. Enhanced protein digestion efficiency can be attributed to several factors: (1) KIT-6's large specific surface area, enabling higher enzyme loading capacity; (2) Its three-dimensional network pore structure, facilitating faster mass transfer and substance diffusion; (3) Orthogonality of trypsin and Glu-C enzyme cleavage sites; (4) The spatial effect introduced by the chain structure of PEI and glutaraldehyde's spacing arm, reducing spatial hindrance and enhancing enzyme-substrate interactions; (5) Mild and stable enzyme immobilization. The KIT-6-based dual-IMER offers a promising technical tool for protein digestion, while the PDA/PEI/AM-KIT-6 platform holds potential for immobilizing other proteins or active substances.

Transcriptome sequencing of garlic reveals key genes related to the heat stress response.

With global warming, heat stress has become an important factor that seriously affects crop yield and quality. Therefore, understanding plant responses to heat stress is important for agricultural practice, but the molecular mechanism of high-temperature tolerance in garlic remains unclear. In this study, 'Xusuan No. 6' was used as the experimental material. After heat stress for 0 (CK), 2 and 24 h, transcriptome sequencing was used to screen metabolic pathways and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) closely related to heat stress and was further verified by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). A total of 86,110 unigenes obtained from the raw transcriptome sequencing data were spliced. After 2 h of heat treatment, the expression levels of 8898 genes increased, and 3829 genes were decreased in leaves. After 24 h, the expression levels of 7167 genes were upregulated, and 3176 genes were downregulated. Gene Ontology enrichment analysis showed that DEGs were mainly enriched in seven categories: cellular processes, metabolic processes, binging, catalytic activity, cellular anatomical entity and protein-containing complex response to stimulus. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment showed that DEGs are involved in protein processing in the endoplasmic reticulum, plant hormone signal transduction, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, and photosynthetic antenna proteins. Six genes were selected and further verified by qRT-PCR. In this study, the full-length transcriptome of garlic was constructed, and the regulatory genes related to the heat resistance of garlic were studied. Taken together, these findings can provide a theoretical basis for the cloning of heat resistance genes in garlic and for the analysis of heat resistance mechanisms.

Liver fibrosis as a predictor of liver failure and outcome following ALPPS among patients with primary liver cancer.

The influence of liver fibrosis on the rate of liver regeneration and complications following ALPPS has yet to be fully understood. This study aimed to scrutinize the effects of liver fibrosis on the postoperative complications, and prognosis subsequent to ALPPS. Clinical data were collected from patients with primary liver cancer who underwent ALPPS at Peking Union Medical College Hospital between May 2014 and October 2022. The degree of liver fibrosis was assessed using haematoxylin-eosin staining and Sirius red staining. This study encompassed thirty patients who underwent ALPPS for primary liver cancer, and there were 23 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, 5 with cholangiocarcinoma, and 2 with combined hepatocellular-cholangiocarcinoma. The impact of severe liver fibrosis on the rate of liver regeneration was not statistically significant (P = 0.892). All patients with severe complications belonged to the severe liver fibrosis group. Severe liver fibrosis exhibited a significant association with 90 days mortality (P = 0.014) and overall survival (P = 0.012). Severe liver fibrosis emerges as a crucial risk factor for liver failure and perioperative mortality following the second step of ALPPS. Preoperative liver function impairment is an important predictive factor for postoperative liver failure.

Extremely large magnetoresistance in twisted intertwined graphene spirals.

Extremely large magnetoresistance (XMR) is highly applicable in spintronic devices such as magnetic sensors, magnetic memory, and hard drives. Typically, XMR is found in Weyl semimetals characterized by perfect electron-hole symmetry or exceptionally high electric conductivity and mobility. Our study explores this phenomenon in a recently developed graphene moiré system, which demonstrates XMR owing to its topological structure and high-quality crystal formation. We investigate the electronic properties of three-dimensional intertwined twisted graphene spirals (TGS), manipulating the screw dislocation axis to achieve a rotation angle of 7.3°. Notably, at 14 T and 2 K, the magnetoresistance of these structures reaches 1.7 × 107%, accompanied by a metal-insulator transition as the temperature increases. This transition becomes noticeable when the magnetic field exceeds a minimal threshold of approximately 0.1 T. These observations suggest the possible existence of complex, correlated states within the partially filled three-dimensional Landau levels of the 3D TGS system. Our findings open up possibilities for achieving XMR by engineering the topological structure of 2D layered moiré systems.

Chitosan oligosaccharides alleviate macrophage pyroptosis and protect sepsis mice via activating the Nrf2/GPX4 pathway.

In the process of sepsis, excessive occurrence of pyroptosis, a form of programmed cell death acting as a defense mechanism against pathogens, can disrupt immune responses, thus leading to tissue damage and organ dysfunction. Chitosan oligosaccharide (COS), derived from chitosan degradation, has demonstrated diverse beneficial effects. However, its impact on sepsis-induced pyroptosis remains unexplored. In the present study, ATP/LPS was utilized to induce canonical-pyroptosis in THP-1 cells, while bacterial outer membrane vesicles (OMV) were employed to trigger non-canonical pyroptosis in RAW264.7 cells. Our results revealed a dose-dependent effect of COS on both types of pyroptosis. This was evidenced by a reduction in the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, as well as crucial regulatory proteins involved in pyroptosis. In addition, COS inhibited the cleavage of caspase-1 and GSDMD, and reduced ASC oligomerization. The underlying mechanism revealed that COS acts an antioxidant, reducing the release of pyroptosis-induced ROS and malondialdehyde (MDA) by upregulation the expression and promoting the nuclear translocation of nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), which led to an elevation of glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) and superoxide dismutase (SOD). Notably, the actions of COS were completely reversed by the Nrf2 inhibitor. Consequently, COS intervention increased the survival rate of sepsis.

Distinct phenotype and prognosis of immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy based on clinical-serological-pathological classification.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to investigate the characteristics and prognosis of patients with immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy (IMNM) based on clinical, serological and pathological classification. METHODS: A total of 138 patients with IMNM who met the 2018 European Neuromuscular Center criteria for IMNM including 62 anti-SRP, 32 anti-HMGCR-positive and 44 myositis specific antibody-negative were involved in the study. All patients were followed up and evaluated remission and relapse. Clustering analysis based on clinical, serological, and pathological parameters was used to define subgroups. RESULTS: Clustering analysis classified IMNM into three clusters. Cluster 1 patients (n = 35) had the highest CK levels, the shortest disease course, severe muscle weakness, and more inflammation infiltration in muscle biopsy. Cluster 2 patients (n = 79) had the lowest CK level and moderate inflammation infiltrate. Cluster 3 patients (n = 24) had the youngest age of onset, the longest disease course and the least frequency of inflammatory infiltration. Patients in cluster 3 had the longest time-to-remission (median survival time: 61[18.3, 103.7] vs 20.5[16.2, 24.9] and 27[19.6, 34.3] months) and shortest relapse-free time than those in cluster 1 and 2 (median remission time 95%CI: 34[19.9, 48.0] vs 73[49.0, 68.7] and 73[48.4, 97.6] months). Patients with age of onset >55 years, more regeneration of muscle fibers, more CD4+T infiltration, and MAC deposition had more favorable outcomes regarding time to achieving remission. CONCLUSIONS: Stratification combining clinical, serological, and pathological features could distinguish phenotypes and prognosis of IMNM. The pathological characteristics may impact the long-term prognosis of patients with IMNM.

Graphene oxide-loaded rapamycin coating on airway stents inhibits stent-related granulation tissue hyperplasia.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the safety and efficacy of a graphene oxide-loaded rapamycin-coated airway stent (GO@RAPA-SEMS) in a rabbit model. METHODS: The dip coating method was used to develop GO@RAPA-SEMS and PLGA-loaded rapamycin coating airway stents (PLGA@RAPA-SEMS). The surface structure was evaluated by SEM. The in vitro drug release profiles of the two stents were explored and compared. In the animal study, a total of 45 rabbits were randomly divided into three groups and underwent 3 kinds of stent placement. Computed tomography was performed to evaluate the degree of stenosis at 1, 2, and 3 months poststent surgery. Five rabbits in each group were sacrificed after CT. The stented trachea and blood were collected for further pathological analysis and laboratory testing. RESULTS: The in vitro drug release study revealed that GO@RAPA-SEMS exhibited sudden release on the first day and maintained a certain release rate on the 14th day. The PLGA@RAPA-SEMS exhibited a longer sustained release time. All 45 rabbits underwent successful stent placement. Pathological results indicated that the granulation tissue thickness in the GO@RAPA-SEMS group was less than that in the PLGA@RAPA-SEMS group. The TUNEL and HIF-1α staining results support that the granulation inhibition effect in the GO@RAPA-SEMS group was greater than that in the PLGA@RAPA-SEMS group. CONCLUSIONS: GO@RAPA-SEMS effectively inhibited stent-related granulation tissue hyperplasia.

Polymorphisms of the SCD1 Gene and Its Association Analysis with Carcass, Meat Quality, Adipogenic Traits, Fatty Acid Composition, and Milk Production Traits in Cattle.

Stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1 (SCD1) is a key enzyme in the biosynthesis of monounsaturated fatty acids and is considered a candidate gene for improving milk and meat quality traits. Sanger sequencing was employed to investigate the genetic polymorphism of the fifth exon and intron of bovine SCD1, revealing four SNPs, g.21272246 A>G, g.21272306 T>C, g.21272422 C>T, and g.21272529 A>G. Further variance analysis and multiple comparisons were conducted to examine the relationship between variation sites and economic traits in Chinese Simmental cattle, as well as milk production traits in Holstein cows. The findings revealed these four loci exhibited significant associations with carcass traits (carcass weight, carcass length, backfat thickness, and waist meat thickness), meat quality (pH value, rib eye area, and marbling score), adipogenic traits (fat score and carcass fat coverage rate), and fatty acid composition (linoleic acid and α-linolenic acid). Furthermore, these loci were additionally found to be significantly associated with average milk yield and milk fat content in cows. In addition, a haplotype analysis of combinations of SNPs showed that H2H3 has a significant association with adipogenic traits and H2H2 was associated with higher levels of linoleic acid and α-linolenic acid than the other combinations. These results suggest that the four SNPs are expected to be prospective genetic markers for the above economic traits. In addition, the function of SNPs in exon 5 of SCD1 on gene expression and protein structure needs to be explored in the future.

Effect of Ephestia kuehniella Eggs on Development and Transcriptome of the Ladybird Beetle Propylea japonica.

The eggs of the Mediterranean flour moth, Ephestia kuehniella, are frequently utilized as alternative diets and have demonstrated promising outcomes when consumed by various insects. Nonetheless, the specific reasons for their effectiveness remain unclear. In our study, we assessed the developmental performance of the ladybird Propylea japonica when fed E. kuehniella eggs, alongside 12 factitious prey or artificial diets. Our findings revealed that ladybirds fed E. kuehniella eggs displayed a performance comparable to those fed the natural prey Megoura crassicauda. Transcriptome profiling of larvae raised on E. kuehniella eggs and M. crassicauda revealed that genes upregulated in the former group were enriched in metabolic pathways associated with carbohydrates, lipids, and other essential nutrients. This suggests that E. kuehniella eggs may have a higher nutrient content compared to natural prey. Furthermore, a notable downregulation in the expression of immune effector genes, such as Attacin and Coleoptericin, was observed, which might be attributed to the lower microbial content in E. kuehniella eggs compared to M. crassicauda. We suggest that the difference between E. kuehniella eggs and M. crassicauda as food sources for P. japonica lies in their nutrient and microbial contents. These findings provide valuable insights for the advancement of innovative artificial breeding systems for natural enemies.

Multi-input mutual supervision network for single-pixel computational imaging.

In this study, we propose a single-pixel computational imaging method based on a multi-input mutual supervision network (MIMSN). We input one-dimensional (1D) light intensity signals and two-dimensional (2D) random image signal into MIMSN, enabling the network to learn the correlation between the two signals and achieve information complementarity. The 2D signal provides spatial information to the reconstruction process, reducing the uncertainty of the reconstructed image. The mutual supervision of the reconstruction results for these two signals brings the reconstruction objective closer to the ground truth image. The 2D images generated by the MIMSN can be used as inputs for subsequent iterations, continuously merging prior information to ensure high-quality imaging at low sampling rates. The reconstruction network does not require pretraining, and 1D signals collected by a single-pixel detector serve as labels for the network, enabling high-quality image reconstruction in unfamiliar environments. Especially in scattering environments, it holds significant potential for applications.

Triamcinolone acetonide has minimal effect on short- and long-term metabolic activities of cartilage.

Intra-articular corticosteroid injections, such as triamcinolone acetonide (TA), are commonly used by clinicians to manage joint synovial inflammation. However, due to conflicting evidence in literature, there is a fear among clinicians that the injections may be harmful to otherwise healthy cartilage in young patients. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of TA on young, healthy chondrocytes. Articular cartilage samples were harvested from bovine knee joints (1-2 months old). In both healthy and inflammatory (interleukin-1ß) challenged cartilage, samples were treated with TA at doses ranging from 1 nM to 200 µM. Following a short- (2 days) or long-term (10-14 days) treatment, chondrocyte viability, proliferation, and extracellular matrix (ECM) synthesis and degradation were evaluated with a click chemistry-based technique. Chondrocyte viability, proliferation, and anabolic activity were all minimally affected by short-term and long-term TA treatment. After both acute and sustained inflammatory challenges, TA reduced the catabolic activities in cartilage, reducing nascent glycosaminoglycan loss and maintaining cartilage mechanical properties. Overall, at physiologically relevant doses, TA had minimal negative impact on chondrocytes when maintained within their native ECM. Clinical significance: The findings provide new insight for current clinical practices concerning the use of TA in intra-articular injections, especially in young patients, and established a foundation for future investigations into the impact of corticosteroids on joint homeostasis.