Interlayer Potassium Single-Atom-Coordinated g-C3N4 for Significantly Boosted Visible Light Photocatalytic H2 Production.

In recent years, graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) has attracted considerable attention because it includes earth-abundant carbon and nitrogen elements and exhibits good chemical and thermal stability owing to the strong covalent interaction in its conjugated layer structure. However, bulk g-C3N4 has some disadvantages of low specific surface area, poor light absorption, rapid recombination of photogenerated charge carriers, and insufficient active sites, which hinder its practical applications. In this study, we design and synthesize potassium single-atom (K SAs)-doped g-C3N4 porous nanosheets (CM-KX, where X represents the mass of KHP added) via supramolecular self-assembling and chemical cross-linking copolymerization strategies. The results show that the utilization of supramolecules as precursors can produce g-C3N4 nanosheets with reduced thickness, increased surface area, and abundant mesopores. In addition, the intercalation of K atoms within the g-C3N4 nitrogen pots through the formation of K-N bonds results in the reduction of the band gap and expansion of the visible-light absorption range. The optimized K-doped CM-K12 nanosheets achieve a specific surface area of 127 m2 g-1, which is 11.4 times larger than that of the pristine g-C3N4 nanosheets. Furthermore, the optimal CM-K12 sample exhibits the maximum H2 production rate of 127.78 µmol h-1 under visible light (λ ≥ 420 nm), which is nearly 23 times higher than that of bare g-C3N4. This significant improvement of photocatalytic activity is attributed to the synergistic effects of the mesoporous structure and K SAs doping, which effectively increase the specific surface area, improve the visible-light absorption capacity, and facilitate the separation and transfer of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. Besides, the optimal sample shows good chemical stability for 20 h in the recycling experiments. Density functional theory calculations confirm that the introduction of K SAs significantly boosts the adsorption energy for water and decreases the activation energy barrier for the reduction of water to hydrogen.

Distributional Characteristics Analysis of Allergens in Patients with Allergic Rhinitis in Southern Fujian Province, China.

Background: Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the nasal mucosa. However, few studies focus on the distributional characteristics of allergens in AR patients in Southern Fujian Province, China. Methods: A skin prick test (SPT) was performed and eight common allergens including Dermatophagoides farinae (Df), Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Dpt), weeds, animal dander, molds, cockroaches, and mangoes were chosen. Results: The positive reactions rate to the allergens was 65.79% in 6689 patients in Southern Fujian Province. Positive reactions to Df and Dpt had a negative association with age, whereas positive reactions to cockroach and weed had a positive association with age. A linear trend analysis demonstrated a significant positive relationship between positive reactions to various allergens from 2016 to 2019. Positive reactions to Df and Dpt were both correlated with the season. Positive reactions to Df, Dpt, cockroach and weed were related to disease duration and positive reactions to cockroach were correlated with city residence. Multivariate analysis revealed that male positive reactions gradually decreased with age (≤ 60), in contrast to female (≤ 60) positive reactions. Statistical difference was observed between the genders with regard to AR incidence from 2016 to 2019. The positive rate of skin tests was highest in summer in men, whereas in women it was lowest in summer. The gender composition ratios of positive cases in Xiamen, Zhangzhou, and Quanzhou cities differed significantly. The proportion of patients with positive reactions to the allergens in the three cities decreased with age. The highest proportions of patients with positive reactions all occurred during summer in the three cities. Furthermore, there were statistically significant differences in the age composition ratios across the seasons. Conclusion: This study analyzed the distributional characteristics of AR allergens in Southern Fujian Province, China. These findings will inform specific immunotherapy for AR patients.

Enhancing antitumor immunity with stimulus-responsive mesoporous silicon in combination with chemotherapy and photothermal therapy.

Due to the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) and potential systemic toxicity, chemotherapy often fails to elicit satisfactory anti-tumor responses, so how to activate anti-tumor immunity to improve the therapeutic efficacy remains a challenging problem. Photothermal therapy (PTT) serves as a promising approach to activate anti-tumor immunity by inducing the release of tumor neoantigens in situ. In this study, we designed tetrasulfide bonded mesoporous silicon nanoparticles (MSNs) loaded with the traditional drug doxorubicin (DOX) inside and modified their outer layer with polydopamine (DOX/MSN-4S@PDA) for comprehensive anti-tumor studies in vivo and in vitro. The MSN core contains GSH-sensitive tetrasulfide bonds that enhance DOX release while generating hydrogen sulfide (H2S) to improve the therapeutic efficacy of DOX. The polydopamine (PDA) coating confers acid sensitivity and mild photothermal properties upon exposure to near-infrared (NIR) light, while the addition of hyaluronic acid (HA) to the outermost layer enables targeted delivery to CD44-expressing tumor cells, thereby enhancing drug accumulation at the tumor site and reducing toxic side effects. Our studies demonstrate that DOX/MSN@PDA-HA can reverse the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment in vivo, inducing potent immunogenic cell death (ICD) of tumor cells and improving anti-tumor efficacy. In addition, DOX/MSN@PDA-HA significantly suppresses tumor metastasis to the lung and liver. In summary, DOX/MSN@PDA-HA exhibits controlled drug release, excellent biocompatibility, and remarkable tumor inhibition capabilities through synergistic chemical/photothermal combined therapy.

TEENA: an integrated web server for transposable element enrichment analysis in various model and non-model organisms.

Transposable elements (TEs) are abundant in the genomes of various eukaryote organisms. Increasing evidence suggests that TEs can play crucial regulatory roles-usually by creating cis-elements (e.g. enhancers and promoters) bound by distinct transcription factors (TFs). TE-derived cis-elements have gained unprecedented attentions recently, and one key step toward their understanding is to identify the enriched TEs in distinct genomic intervals (e.g. a set of enhancers or TF binding sites) as candidates for further study. Nevertheless, such analysis remains challenging for researchers unfamiliar with TEs or lack strong bioinformatic skills. Here, we present TEENA (Transposable Element ENrichment Analyzer) to streamline TE enrichment analysis in various organisms. It implements an optimized pipeline, hosts the genome/gene/TE annotations of almost one hundred species, and provides multiple parameters to enable its flexibility. Taking genomic interval data as the only user-supplied file, it can automatically retrieve the corresponding annotations and finish a routine analysis in a couple minutes. Multiple case studies demonstrate that it can produce highly reliable results matching previous knowledge. TEENA can be freely accessed at: https://sun-lab.yzu.edu.cn/TEENA. Due to its easy-to-use design, we expect it to facilitate the studies of the regulatory function of TEs in various model and non-model organisms.

Serum levels of lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 are associated with coronary atherosclerotic plaque progression in diabetic and non-diabetic patients.

BACKGROUND: Lp-PLA2 is linked to cardiovascular diseases and poor outcomes, especially in diabetes, as it functions as a pro-inflammatory and oxidative mediator. OBJECTIVES: This research aimed to explore if there is a connection between the serum levels of Lp-PLA2 and the progression of coronary plaques (PP) in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and those without the condition. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Serum Lp-PLA2 levels were measured in 137 T2DM patients with PP and 137 T2DM patients with no PP, and in 205 non-diabetic patients with PP and 205 non-diabetic patients with no PP. These individuals met the criteria for eligibility and underwent quantitative coronary angiography at the outset and again after about one year of follow-up. The attributes and parameters of the participants at the outset were recorded. RESULTS: Increased serum levels of Lp-PLA2 were closely associated with coronary artery PP, and also significantly correlated with change of MLD, change of diameter stenosis and change of cumulative coronary obstruction in both diabetic and non-diabetic groups, with higher correlation coefficients in diabetic patients as compared with non-diabetic patients. Moreover, multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that serum Lp-PLA2 level was an independent determinant of PP in both groups, with OR values more significant in diabetic patients than in non-diabetic patients. CONCLUSIONS: Levels of serum Lp-PLA2 show a significant association with the progression of coronary atherosclerotic plaque in patients with T2DM and those without, especially among individuals with diabetes.

Programable sewage-cleaning technology: Regenerating chitosan biofilms with anti-bacterial capacity via self-purification of water pollutants.

In this paper, a novel programable sewage-cleaning technology for the regeneration of antibacterial nanocomposites via the removal of wastewater pollutants is presented. Montmorillonite (MMT) was encapsulated in poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)-enhanced chitosan (CTS) hydrogels to form MMT-loaded nanocomposite biofilms (PCM). The PCM nanocomposite biofilms exhibited increased breaking strength and elongation at break, by factors of approximately 1.38 and 1.40, respectively, compared with those of the pure PVA/CTS biofilms. The maximum adsorption capacity of the PCM nanocomposite biofilms toward tetracycline and Ag(I) is 275.0 and 567.0 mg/g, respectively. The adsorbed nanocomposite biofilms exhibited excellent antibacterial properties against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Meanwhile, the nanocomposite also showed an effective adsorption capacity toward other toxic components, where the highest adsorption capacity is 2748.0 mg/g (for methyl blue). The simulation results indicated that the adsorption behaviors of the malachite green, neutral red, methyl blue, tetracycline, Cu(II), Zn(II), and Ag(I) by the PCM nanocomposite biofilms followed pseudo-second-order kinetic and Freundlich isotherm models. Furthermore, the PCM nanocomposite biofilms are stable in PBS solution but degradable in lysozyme-containing PBS solution, suggesting their potential application in the wastewater treatment as well as antibacterial fields.

Identifying the Crucial Biomarker of MASH-Related HCC.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to explore the key oncogenic factor of metabolicassociated steatohepatitis (MASH) to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: We utilized four differential GEO datasets (GSE164760, GSE139602, GSE197112, and GSE49541) to identify the key oncogenic factor for MASH-related HCC. The differential genes were analyzed using the GEO2R algorithm online. The GEPIA online website was used to explore the expression of selected four genes (SPP1, GNMT, CLDN11, and THBS2). The genetic alterations in genes were estimated by the cBioPortal website. The Kaplan-Meier Plotter online database was applied to explore the prognostic value of SPP1. Univariate and multivariate Cox analyses were carried out to further confirm the prognostic value of SPP1. The GO and KEGG enrichment analysis exported associated pathways with SPP1 expression. The positively or negatively related immune cells and immune checkpoint expressions were identified through Pearson correlation analysis. The lipogenesis-associated proteins were detected using western blotting and fluorescence. The high-fat diet (HFD) mouse model was constructed, and liver samples were collected. RESULTS: SPP1, GNMT, CLDN11, and THBS2 were determined in the transformation process of MASH to liver fibrosis. SPP1 and GNMT were upregulated in the HCC tumor tissue. SPP1, in particular, had the potential to be the prognostic factor through Cox analysis. Remarkably, SPP1 was highly expressed in HCC compared to normal tissues in three independent datasets (GSE121248, GSE14520, and GSE45267). SPP1 is mainly involved in the amplification and deep deletion mutations. SPP1 was found to be strongly correlated with ANXA2 expression, and ANXA2 was also highly expressed in HCC with significant prognostic performance. Moreover, SPP1 was found to participate in the carcinogenic mechanism and correlate with immune cells and immune checkpoint expression. SPP1 knockdown suppressed the SREBP1 and FASN expressions and increased the SIRT1 expression in vitro. Moreover, the HFD model validated the upregulation of SPP1 in the fatty liver in vivo. CONCLUSION: SPP1 may be the key oncogenic factor for the transformation of MASH to HCC, and it could be a potential immunotherapeutic target in HCC.

Unveiling the oral-gut connection: chronic apical periodontitis accelerates atherosclerosis via gut microbiota dysbiosis and altered metabolites in apoE-/- Mice on a high-fat diet.

The aim of this study was to explore the impact of chronic apical periodontitis (CAP) on atherosclerosis in apoE-/- mice fed high-fat diet (HFD). This investigation focused on the gut microbiota, metabolites, and intestinal barrier function to uncover potential links between oral health and cardiovascular disease (CVD). In this study, CAP was shown to exacerbate atherosclerosis in HFD-fed apoE-/- mice, as evidenced by the increase in plaque size and volume in the aortic walls observed via Oil Red O staining. 16S rRNA sequencing revealed significant alterations in the gut microbiota, with harmful bacterial species thriving while beneficial species declining. Metabolomic profiling indicated disruptions in lipid metabolism and primary bile acid synthesis, leading to elevated levels of taurochenodeoxycholic acid (TCDCA), taurocholic acid (TCA), and tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TDCA). These metabolic shifts may contribute to atherosclerosis development. Furthermore, impaired intestinal barrier function, characterized by reduced mucin expression and disrupted tight junction proteins, was observed. The increased intestinal permeability observed was positively correlated with the severity of atherosclerotic lesions, highlighting the importance of the intestinal barrier in cardiovascular health. In conclusion, this research underscores the intricate interplay among oral health, gut microbiota composition, metabolite profiles, and CVD incidence. These findings emphasize the importance of maintaining good oral hygiene as a potential preventive measure against cardiovascular issues, as well as the need for further investigations into the intricate mechanisms linking oral health, gut microbiota, and metabolic pathways in CVD development.

The Timing and Dose Effect of Acupuncture on Pregnancy Outcomes for Infertile Women Undergoing In Vitro Fertilization and Embryo Transfer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Women undergoing in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET) often utilize acupuncture to enhance pregnancy outcomes. Yet, the optimal timing for acupuncture sessions and the relationship between dosage and effect remain uncertain. Objectives: To investigate the impact of the timing and dosage of acupuncture on pregnancy outcomes, drawing on existing research. Methods: A comprehensive search of eight databases was conducted from their inception to January 14th, 2023, without restrictions on language. Only randomized controlled trials comparing acupuncture with either sham acupuncture or no adjuvant treatment were selected for inclusion. This meta-analysis assessed the efficacy of acupuncture in IVF-ET, analyzing the influence of varied timing and dosage on pregnancy outcomes. Subgroup analyses were undertaken to address any heterogeneity across the studies. Results: A total of 38 RCTs involving 5,991 participants were analyzed. In infertile women undergoing IVF fresh cycles, acupuncture performed during controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) significantly increased the clinical pregnancy rate (CPR) (relative risk [RR] = 1.33, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.07-1.65, p = 0.01), whereas acupuncture administered either before COH or on the day of ET did not demonstrate reproductive benefits. Regarding frozen cycles, acupuncture before freeze-thaw embryo transfer (FET) significantly enhanced the CPR (RR = 1.71, 95% CI: 1.36-2.16, p < 0.00001) and live birth rate (LBR) (RR = 2.40, 95% CI: 1.20-4.79, p = 0.01). Improvements in CPR were observed across all dosage groups, but only the high-dosage group showed a significant increase in LBR (RR = 1.75, 95% CI: 1.05-2.92, p = 0.03). Conclusions: Timing and dosage of acupuncture are crucial factors affecting pregnancy outcomes in IVF-ET. For women undergoing IVF fresh cycles, acupuncture during COH yielded more significant reproductive benefits. In addition, acupuncture before freeze-thaw embryo transfer (FET) was associated with improved pregnancy outcomes in frozen cycles. Furthermore, higher dosages of acupuncture were linked to more favorable outcomes.

High internal phase double emulsions stabilized by modified pea protein-alginate complexes: Application for co-encapsulation of riboflavin and ß-carotene.

The application of many hydrophilic and hydrophobic nutraceuticals is limited by their poor solubility, chemical stability, and/or bioaccessibility. In this study, a novel Pickering high internal phase double emulsion co-stabilized by modified pea protein isolate (PPI) and sodium alginate (SA) was developed for the co-encapsulation of model hydrophilic (riboflavin) and hydrophobic (ß-carotene) nutraceuticals. Initially, the effect of emulsifier type in the external water phase on emulsion formation and stability was examined, including commercial PPI (C-PPI), C-PPI-SA complex, homogenized and ultrasonicated PPI (HU-PPI), and HU-PPI-SA complex. The encapsulation and protective effects of these double emulsions on hydrophilic riboflavin and hydrophobic ß-carotene were then evaluated. The results demonstrated that the thermal and storage stabilities of the double emulsion formulated from HU-PPI-SA were high, which was attributed to the formation of a thick biopolymer coating around the oil droplets, as well as thickening of the aqueous phase. Encapsulation significantly improved the photostability of the two nutraceuticals. The double emulsion formulated from HU-PPI-SA significantly improved the in vitro bioaccessibility of ß-carotene, which was mainly attributed to inhibition of its chemical degradation under simulated acidic gastric conditions. The novel delivery system may therefore be used for the development of functional foods containing multiple nutraceuticals.

Hierarchical Chiral Calcium Silicate Hydrate Films Promote Vascularization for Tendon-to-Bone Healing.

Revascularization after rotator cuff repair is crucial for tendon-to-bone healing. The chirality of materials has been reported to influence their performance in tissue repair. However, data on the use of chiral structures to optimize biomaterials as a revascularization strategy remain scarce. Here, calcium silicate hydrate (CSO) films with hierarchical chirality on the atomic to micrometer scale are developed. Interestingly, levorotatory CSO (L-CSO) films promote the migration and angiogenesis of endothelial cells, whereas dextral and racemic CSO films do not induce the same effects. Molecular analysis demonstrates that L-chirality can be recognized by integrin receptors and leads to the formation of focal adhesion, which activates mechanosensitive ion channel transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 to conduct Ca2+ influx. Consequently, the phosphorylation of serum response factor is biased by Ca2+ influx to promote the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 signaling pathway, resulting in enhanced angiogenesis. After implanted in a rat rotator cuff tear model, L-CSO films strongly enhance vascularization at the enthesis, promoting collagen maturation, increasing bone and fibrocartilage formation, and eventually improving the biomechanical strength. This study reveals the mechanism through which chirality influences angiogenesis in endothelial cells and provides a critical theoretical foundation for the clinical application of chiral biomaterials.

Potent human monoclonal antibodies targeting Epstein-Barr virus gp42 reveal vulnerable sites for virus infection.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is linked to various malignancies and autoimmune diseases, posing a significant global health challenge due to the lack of specific treatments or vaccines. Despite its crucial role in EBV infection in B cells, the mechanisms of the glycoprotein gp42 remain elusive. In this study, we construct an antibody phage library from 100 EBV-positive individuals, leading to the identification of two human monoclonal antibodies, 2B7 and 2C1. These antibodies effectively neutralize EBV infection in vitro and in vivo while preserving gp42's interaction with the human leukocyte antigen class II (HLA-II) receptor. Structural analysis unveils their distinct binding epitopes on gp42, different from the HLA-II binding site. Furthermore, both 2B7 and 2C1 demonstrate potent neutralization of EBV infection in HLA-II-positive epithelial cells, expanding our understanding of gp42's role. Overall, this study introduces two human anti-gp42 antibodies with potential implications for developing EBV vaccines targeting gp42 epitopes, addressing a critical gap in EBV research.

Histidine-modified pillar[5]arene-functionalized mesoporous silica materials for highly selective enantioseparation.

Chiral enantiomers, especially the enantiomers of chiral drugs often exhibit different pharmacological activity, metabolism and toxicity, thus it is of great research significance to scientifically and reasonably develop single chiral drugs with low toxicity and high efficiency. Among them, high performance liquid chromatographic techniques based on chiral stationary phases (CSPs) has become one of the most attractive methods used to evaluate the enantiomeric purity of single-enantiomers compound of pharmacological relevance. In this work, pillar[5]arene functionalized with L- and D-histidine, respectively, were modified on the surface of mesoporous silica as novel chiral stationary phases called L/DHis-BP5-Sil. Notably, L/D-histidine had the characteristics of low steric hindrance and easy derivatization. Although the π-π interaction of imidazole group was weaker than that of benzene ring, the benzene ring bonding imidazole-conjugated ring in the structure produced better enantioseparation effect. The results showed that L/DHis-BP5-Sil can separate a variety of complex structural enantiomers with excellent reproducibility, thermal stability and separation performance. Hence, the unique advantage of the highly selective separation of L/DHis-BP5-Sil provides new insights into the enantioseparation field.

Astrocyte-mediated regulation of BLAWFS1 neurons alleviates risk-assessment deficits in DISC1-N mice.

Assessing and responding to threats is vital in everyday life. Unfortunately, many mental illnesses involve impaired risk assessment, affecting patients, families, and society. The brain processes behind these behaviors are not well understood. We developed a transgenic mouse model (disrupted-in-schizophrenia 1 [DISC1]-N) with a disrupted avoidance response in risky settings. Our study utilized single-nucleus RNA sequencing and path-clamp coupling with real-time RT-PCR to uncover a previously undescribed group of glutamatergic neurons in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) marked by Wolfram syndrome 1 (WFS1) expression, whose activity is modulated by adjacent astrocytes. These neurons in DISC1-N mice exhibited diminished firing ability and impaired communication with the astrocytes. Remarkably, optogenetic activation of these astrocytes reinstated neuronal excitability via D-serine acting on BLAWFS1 neurons' NMDA receptors, leading to improved risk-assessment behavior in the DISC1-N mice. Our findings point to BLA astrocytes as a promising target for treating risk-assessment dysfunctions in mental disorders.

Protein disulfide isomerase cleaves allosteric disulfides in histidine-rich glycoprotein to regulate thrombosis.

The essence of difference between hemostasis and thrombosis is that the clotting reaction is a highly fine-tuned process. Vascular protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) represents a critical mechanism regulating the functions of hemostatic proteins. Herein we show that histidine-rich glycoprotein (HRG) is a substrate of PDI. Reduction of HRG by PDI enhances the procoagulant and anticoagulant activities of HRG by neutralization of endothelial heparan sulfate (HS) and inhibition of factor XII (FXIIa) activity, respectively. Murine HRG deficiency (Hrg-/-) leads to delayed onset but enhanced formation of thrombus compared to WT. However, in the combined FXII deficiency (F12-/-) and HRG deficiency (by siRNA or Hrg-/-), there is further thrombosis reduction compared to F12-/- alone, confirming HRG's procoagulant activity independent of FXIIa. Mutation of target disulfides of PDI leads to a gain-of-function mutant of HRG that promotes its activities during coagulation. Thus, PDI-HRG pathway fine-tunes thrombosis by promoting its rapid initiation via neutralization of HS and preventing excessive propagation via inhibition of FXIIa.

Competitive Video Game Exposure Increases Aggression Through Impulsivity in Chinese Adolescents: Evidence From a Multi-Method Study.

It is widely known controversies about the results of violent video game increase aggression. However, the role of competitive video games, has received less research attention, and the underlying mechanisms of their influence are unknown. This study aimed to expand the existing literature by systematically exploring the effects of competitive video game exposure on adolescent aggression and the mediating role of impulsivity. In so doing, three types of studies (collectively N = 2919, mean age varied from 13.75 to 15.44 years, with a balanced gender) combining cross-sectional, experimental, and longitudinal approaches, were conducted. The findings consistently show that competitive video game exposure increased adolescents' aggression and impulsivity. Also, impulsivity mediated the correlation and long-term effect of competitive video game exposure on aggression. However, the experimental study did not confirm the short-term mediating effect of impulsivity, which may be related to the type of aggression measured in the study. The results indicate that competitive video game exposure is an important antecedent factor for adolescent aggression, and impulsivity is the key underlying mechanism.

ScRNA-seq reveals novel immune-suppressive T cells and investigates CMV-TCR-T cells cytotoxicity against GBM.

BACKGROUND: Glioblastoma (GBM) is a fatal primary brain malignancy in adults. Previous studies have shown that cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a risk factor for tumorigenesis and aggressiveness for glioblastoma. However, little is known about how CMV infection affects immune cells in the tumor microenvironment of GBM. Furthermore, there has been almost no engineered T-cell receptor (TCR)-T targeting CMV for GBM research to date. METHODS: We evaluated the CMV infection status of patients with GBM's tumor tissue by immune electron microscopy, immunofluorescence, and droplet digital PCR. We performed single-cell RNA sequencing for CMV-infected GBM to investigate the effects of CMV on the GBM immune microenvironment. CellChat was applied to analyze the interaction between cells in the GBM tumor microenvironment. Additionally, we conducted single-cell TCR/B cell receptor (BCR) sequencing and Grouping of Lymphocyte Interactions with Paratope Hotspots 2 algorithms to acquire specific CMV-TCR sequences. Genetic engineering was used to introduce CMV-TCR into primary T cells derived from patients with CMV-infected GBM. Flow cytometry was used to measure the proportion and cytotoxicity status of T cells in vitro. RESULTS: We identified two novel immune cell subpopulations in CMV-infected GBM, which were bipositive CD68+SOX2+ tumor-associated macrophages and FXYD6+ T cells. We highlighted that the interaction between bipositive TAMs or cancer cells and T cells was predominantly focused on FXYD6+ T cells rather than regulatory T cells (Tregs), whereas, FXYD6+ T cells were further identified as a group of novel immunosuppressive T cells. CMV-TCR-T cells showed significant therapeutic effects on the human-derived orthotopic GBM mice model. CONCLUSIONS: These findings provided an insight into the underlying mechanism of CMV infection promoting the GBM immunosuppression, and provided a novel potential immunotherapy strategy for patients with GBM.

Three-Step Ferroelastic Transitions from Hexagonal to Triclinic Phases in a Hybrid Perovskite: (1-Fluoromethyl-1-methylpyrrolidine)[CdCl3].

Hybrid ferroelastic crystals have emerged as a hot research topic in recent years owing to their prospective applications in piezoelectric sensors, mechanical switches, and optoelectronic devices. Nevertheless, most of the documented materials exhibit one-step or two-step ferroelastic phase transition(s), and those with multistep ferroelastic transitions are extremely scarce. We present a new hexagonal molecular perovskite based on a fluoro-substituted flexible cyclic ammonium cation, (1-fluoromethyl-1-methylpyrrolidine)[CdCl3] (1), undergoing unusual three-step ferroelastic phase transitions from hexagonal paraelastic phase to orthorhombic, monoclinic, and triclinic ferroelastic phases at 388, 376, and 311 K, respectively, with Aizu notation of 6/mmmFmmm, mmmF2/m, and 2/mF-1, featuring spontaneous strain of 0.002, 0.023, and 0.110, respectively. Furthermore, variable-temperature single-crystal diffraction reveals that the phase-transition mechanism in 1 principally originates from intriguing dynamic change of organic cations and synchronous displacement of inorganic chains. This scarce instance of multistep hybrid ferroelastic provides important clues for finding advanced ferroelastic materials.

Axially Modified Square-Pyramidal CoN4-F1 Sites Enabling High-Performance Zn-Air Batteries.

Cobalt-nitrogen-carbon (Co-N-C) catalysts with a CoN4 structure exhibit great potential for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), but the imperfect adsorption energy toward oxygen species greatly limits their reduction efficiency and practical application potential. Here, F-coordinated Co-N-C catalysts with square-pyramidal CoN4-F1 configuration are successfully synthesized using F atoms to regulate the axial coordination of Co centers via hydrothermal and chemical vapor deposition methods. During the synthesis process, the geometry structure of the Co atom converts from six-coordinated Co-F6 to square-pyramidal CoN4-F1 in the coordinatively unsaturated state, which provides an open binding site for the O2. The introduction of axial F atoms into the CoN4 plane alters the local atomic environment around Co, significantly improving the ORR activity and Zn-air batteries performance. In situ spectroscopy proves that CoN4-F1 sites strongly combine with the OOH* intermediate and facilitate the splitting of O-O bond, making OOH* readily decompose into O* and OH* via a dissociative pathway. Theoretical calculations confirm that the axial F atom effectively reduces the electronic density of the Co centers and facilitates the desorption of the OH* intermediate, efficiently accelerating the overall ORR kinetics. This work advances a feasible synthesis mechanism of axial ligands and provides a route to construct efficient high-coordination catalysts.