Heat stress reprograms herbivory-induced defense responses in potato plants.

Climate change is predicted to increase the occurrence of extreme weather events such as heatwaves, which may thereby impact the outcome of plant-herbivore interactions. While elevated temperature is known to directly affect herbivore growth, it remains largely unclear if it indirectly influences herbivore performance by affecting the host plant they feed on. In this study, we investigated how transient exposure to high temperature influences plant herbivory-induced defenses at the transcript and metabolic level. To this end, we studied the interaction between potato (Solanum tuberosum) plants and the larvae of the potato tuber moth (Phthorimaea operculella) under different temperature regimes. We found that P. operculella larvae grew heavier on leaves co-stressed by high temperature and insect herbivory than on leaves pre-stressed by herbivory alone. We also observed that high temperature treatments altered phylotranscriptomic patterns upon herbivory, which changed from an evolutionary hourglass pattern, in which transcriptomic responses at early and late time points after elicitation are more variable than the ones in the middle, to a vase pattern. Specifically, transcripts of many herbivory-induced genes in the early and late defense stage were suppressed by HT treatment, whereas those in the intermediate stage peaked earlier. Additionally, we observed that high temperature impaired the induction of jasmonates and defense compounds upon herbivory. Moreover, using jasmonate-reduced (JA-reduced, irAOC) and -elevated (JA-Ile-elevated, irCYP94B3s) potato plants, we showed that high temperature suppresses JA signaling mediated plant-induced defense to herbivore attack. Thus, our study provides evidences on how temperature reprograms plant-induced defense to herbivores.

Novel flexible magnetoelastic biosensor based on PDMS/FeSiB/QD composite film for the detection of African swine fever virus P72 protein.

African swine fever (ASF) is a highly contagious and severe hemorrhagic disease caused by the African swine fever virus (ASFV). The continuous spread of ASFV affects the safety of the global meat supply; therefore, the establishment of sensitive and specific detection methods for ASFV has become an important hot spot in food safety. Herein, we developed a flexible magnetoelastic (ME) biosensor based on PDMS/FeSiB/QDs composite films for the detection of ASFV P72 protein. Based on the high luminescence performance of CsPbBr3 quantum dots and the excellent magnetoelastic effect of FeSiB, flexible ME biosensors convert stress signals generated by antibody-antigen-specific binding into optical and electromagnetic signals. The nanostructures covalently linked by quantum dots and PDMS provide biomodification sites for ASFV P72 antibodies, simplifying the functionalization modification process compared to the case of conventional biosensors. The deformation of the PDMS film is amplified, and the conversion of surface stress signals to electrical signals is enhanced by exposing the biosensor to a uniform magnetic field. The experimental results proved that the flexible ME biosensor has a wide linear range of 10 ng mL-1-100 µg mL-1, and the detection limit is as low as 0.079 ng mL-1. Moreover, the flexible ME biosensor also shows good stability, sensitivity and specificity, confirming the potential for early disease screening.

Targeting the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway offer a promising therapeutic strategy for cholangiocarcinoma patients with high doublecortin-like kinase 1 expression.

BACKGROUND: Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), characterized by high heterogeneity and extreme malignancy, has a poor prognosis. Doublecortin-like kinase 1 (DCLK1) promotes a variety of malignant cancers in their progression. Targeting DCLK1 or its associated regulatory pathways can prevent the generation and deterioration of several malignancies. However, the role of DCLK1 in CCA progression and its molecular mechanisms remain unknown. Therefore, we aimed to investigate whether and how DCLK1 contributes to CCA progression. METHODS: The expression of DCLK1 in CCA patients was detected using Immunohistochemistry (IHC). We established DCLK1 knockout and DCLK1 overexpression cell lines for Colony Formation Assay and Transwell experiments to explore the tumor-promoting role of DCLK1. RT-PCR, Western blot and multiple fluorescent staining were used to assess the association between DCLK1 and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers. RNA sequencing and bioinformatics analysis were performed to identify the underlying mechanisms by which DCLK1 regulates CCA progression and the EMT program. RESULTS: DCLK1 was overexpressed in CCA tissues and was associated with poor prognosis. DCLK1 overexpression facilitated CCA cell invasion, migration, and proliferation, whereas DCLK1 knockdown reversed the malignant tendencies of CCA cells, which had been confirmed both in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, we demonstrated that DCLK1 was substantially linked to the advancement of the EMT program, which included the overexpression of mesenchymal markers and the downregulation of epithelial markers. For the underlying mechanism, we proposed that the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway is the key process for the role of DCLK1 in tumor progression and the occurrence of the EMT program. When administered with LY294002, an inhibitor of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway, the tumor's ability to proliferate, migrate, and invade was greatly suppressed, and the EMT process was generally reversed. CONCLUSIONS: DCLK1 facilitates the malignant biological behavior of CCA cells through the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. In individuals with cholangiocarcinoma who express DCLK1 at high levels, inhibitors of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway may be an effective therapeutic approach.

Characteristics and influencing factors of caregivers' healthcare preferences for young children under COVID-19 lockdown: a cross-sectional study in Shanghai, China.

BACKGROUND: Missed or delayed child healthcare caused by the COVID-19 lockdown has threatened young children's health and has had an unpredictable influence on caregivers' child healthcare preferences. This study investigated caregivers' child healthcare preferences and the factors that influence them among families with young children (0-3 years) during the lockdown in Shanghai. METHODS: Participants in this cross-sectional study were enrolled through random encounter sampling. Questionnaires were distributed online from June 1 to November 10, 2022, in Shanghai. A total of 477 valid questionnaires were received. The demographics of caregivers and their families, children's characteristics, COVID-19-related information, and caregivers' healthcare preferences were analyzed. The statistical analyses included frequency and percentage, chi-square tests, and multinomial logistic regression. RESULTS: Caregivers preferred child healthcare professionals in the community health service system (CHS; 47.6%) followed by hospital pediatricians (40.0%) during lockdown. Caregivers with the following characteristics preferred CHS: those with an annual household income of CNY 200,000-300,000, those whose youngest children were aged 8-12 months, and those who experienced early childhood physical development issues. Caregivers preferred hospitals if they had experienced healthcare-seeking-related difficulties in accessing professional guidance from hospital pediatricians. CONCLUSIONS: During pandemic lockdowns, policymakers should allocate more resources to CHS to meet caregivers' childcare demands. Moreover, special attention should be given to the healthcare needs for CHS among families with specific demographics. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Approval was obtained from the Ethics Committee of Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine School of Public Health (SJUPN-202,109; June 1, 2022).

Mechanistic Study on the Influence of Wax on Hydrate Formation Process.

To manage the interactions between wax and hydrate formation, a comprehensive understanding of the system's thermodynamics and flow characteristics is essential. Wax and hydrates coexist under low-temperature and high-pressure conditions, mutually influencing each other both thermodynamically and kinetically. This study focused on two main aspects: how wax affects the rate of hydrate formation in the oil-water system and how hydrate formation influences the thermodynamics of wax crystal precipitation. The presence of wax decreased the rate of hydrate formation, especially at higher wax contents. In systems with high wax content, over 70% of wax precipitated before hydrate formation, leading to less precipitation within the hydrate formation temperature range. With low water content, there were more nucleation sites for wax crystals in the oil phase, resulting in a greater difference in precipitation rates among different wax contents. For water content greater than 10%, the differences in precipitation rates were less significant, indicating a diminished effect of water content on wax crystal precipitation rates. Hydrates' hydrophilic nature had a limited impact on wax crystal nucleation and growth. Generally, wax crystals precipitate before hydrate formation, necessitating control measures for wax deposition during production processes.

Exposure of benzo[a]pyrene induces HCC exosome-circular RNA to activate lung fibroblasts and trigger organotropic metastasis.

BACKGROUND: Benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P), a carcinogen pollutant produced by combustion processes, is present in the western diet with grilled meats. Chronic exposure of B[a]P in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells promotes metastasis rather than primary proliferation, implying an unknown mechanism of B[a]P-induced malignancy. Given that exosomes carry bioactive molecules to distant sites, we investigated whether and how exosomes mediate cancer-stroma communications for a toxicologically associated microenvironment. METHOD: Exosomes were isolated from B[a]P stimulated BEL7404 HCC cells (7404-100Bap Exo) at an environmental relevant dose (100 nmol/L). Lung pre-education animal model was prepared via injection of exosomes and cytokines. The inflammatory genes of educated lungs were evaluated using quantitative reverse transcription PCR array. HCC LM3 cells transfected with firefly luciferase were next injected to monitor tumor burdens and organotropic metastasis. Profile of B[a]P-exposed exosomes were determined by ceRNA microarray. Interactions between circular RNA (circRNA) and microRNAs (miRNAs) were detected using RNA pull-down in target lung fibroblasts. Fluorescence in situ hybridization and RNA immunoprecipitation assay was used to evaluate the "on-off" interaction of circRNA-miRNA pairs. We further developed an adeno-associated virus inhalation model to examine mRNA expression specific in lung, thereby exploring the mRNA targets of B[a]P induced circRNA-miRNA cascade. RESULTS: Lung fibroblasts exert activation phenotypes, including focal adhesion and motility were altered by 7404-100Bap Exo. In the exosome-educated in vivo model, fibrosis factors and pro-inflammatory molecules of are up-regulated when injected with exosomes. Compared to non-exposed 7404 cells, circ_0011496 was up-regulated following B[a]P treatment and was mainly packaged into 7404-100Bap Exo. Exosomal circ_0011496 were delivered and competitively bound to miR-486-5p in recipient fibroblasts. The down-regulation of miR-486-5p converted fibroblast to cancer-associated fibroblast via regulating the downstream of Twinfilin-1 (TWF1) and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP9) cascade. Additionally, increased TWF1, specifically in exosomal circ_0011496 educated lungs, could promote cancer-stroma crosstalk via activating vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). These modulated fibroblasts promoted endothelial cells angiogenesis and recruited primary HCC cells invasion, as a consequence of a pre-metastatic niche formation. CONCLUSION: We demonstrated that B[a]P-induced tumor exosomes can deliver circ_0011496 to activate miR-486-5p/TWF1/MMP9 cascade in the lung fibroblasts, generating a feedback loop that promoted HCC metastasis.

Association of preoperative elevated lipoprotein (a) with poor survival in patients with biliary tract cancers.

BACKGROUND: Biliary tract cancers have garnered significant attention due to their highly malignant nature. The relationship between abnormal lipid metabolism and tumor occurrence and development is a research hotspot. However, its correlation with biliary tract cancers is unclear. METHODS: We enrolled 78 patients with biliary tract cancers and obtained data on clinical characteristics, pathological findings, and preoperative blood lipid indices, including total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), triglycerides (TG), and lipoprotein (a) [Lp(a)]. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to determine the optimal predictive cutoff values of lipid indicators among the participants. Independent risk factors were determined using Cox regression, and survival was predicted using the Kaplan-Meier method. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS software. RESULTS: Univariate Cox regression analysis revealed that the body mass index (BMI), tumor location, surgical margin, N stage, and abnormally increased LDL-C, TG, and Lp(a) levels were significantly associated with poor prognosis of biliary tract cancers (p < 0.05). Multifactor Cox regression demonstrated that only N stage (HR = 3.393, p < 0.001) and abnormally increased Lp(a) levels (HR = 2.814, p = 0.004) were significantly associated with shorter survival. N stage and Lp(a) were identified as independent prognostic risk factors for patients with biliary tract cancers. CONCLUSION: This study presents Lp(a) as a novel biochemical marker that can guide clinical treatment strategies for patients with biliary tract cancers. More effective treatment options and intensive postoperative testing should be considered to prolong the survival of these patients with preoperative abnormal lipid metabolism.

Downregulation of MYBL1 in endothelial cells contributes to atherosclerosis by repressing PLEKHM1-inducing autophagy.

MYBL1 is a strong transcriptional activator involved in the cell signaling. However, there is no systematic study on the role of MYBL1 in atherosclerosis. The aim of this study is to elucidate the role and mechanism of MYBL1 in atherosclerosis. GSE28829, GSE43292 and GSE41571 were downloaded from NCBI for differentially expressed analysis. The expression levels of MYBL1 in atherosclerotic plaque tissue and normal vessels were detected by qRT-PCR, Western blot and Immunohistochemistry. Transwell and CCK-8 were used to detect the migration and proliferation of HUVECs after silencing MYBL1. RNA-seq, Western blot, qRT-PCR, Luciferase reporter system, Immunofluorescence, Flow cytometry, ChIP and CO-IP were used to study the role and mechanism of MYBL1 in atherosclerosis. The microarray data of GSE28829, GSE43292, and GSE41571 were analyzed and intersected, and then MYBL1 were verified. MYBL1 was down-regulated in atherosclerotic plaque tissue. After silencing of MYBL1, HUVECs were damaged, and their migration and proliferation abilities were weakened. Overexpression of MYBL1 significantly enhanced the migration and proliferation of HUVECs. MYBL1 knockdown induced abnormal autophagy in HUVEC cells, suggesting that MYBL1 was involved in the regulation of HUVECs through autophagy. Mechanistic studies showed that MYBL1 knockdown inhibited autophagosome and lysosomal fusion in HUVECs by inhibiting PLEKHM1, thereby exacerbating atherosclerosis. Furthermore, MYBL1 was found to repress lipid accumulation in HUVECs after oxLDL treatment. MYBL1 knockdown in HUVECs was involved in atherosclerosis by inhibiting PLEKHM1-induced autophagy, which provided a novel target of therapy for atherosclerosis.

Elemental diet preventative effects for adverse events during chemotherapy in patients with esophageal cancer - A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: The effectiveness of an elemental diet (ED) for preventing adverse events (AEs) during chemotherapy for patients with esophageal cancer (EC) remains unclear. The aim of this meta-analysis was to comprehensively assess the efficacy of ED for preventing AE in EC patients during chemotherapy. Medline (via PubMed), Embase, the Cochrane Library, and Web of Science were searched to retrieve prospective and randomized studies published before April 12, 2023. The odds ratio (OR) of each AE was calculated using Review Manger 5.4.1. The risk of bias was assessed, and a random effect model-based meta-analysis was used to analyze the available data. Four prospective and randomized studies involving 237 patients were identified after a systematic search. Regarding gastrointestinal toxicities, the findings indicated a trend toward a decrease in the risk of mucositis (OM) (OR = 0.54, 95 % CI: 0.25-1.14), constipation (OR = 0.87, 95 % CI: 0.49-1.53), and anorexia (OR = 0.99, 95 % CI: 0.32-3.05), as well as an increasing trend in the risk of diarrhea (OR = 1.48, 95 % CI: 0.79-2.79), among patients treated with ED. However, none of these reached statistical significance. For hematological toxicities, the risk of all-grade neutropenia (OR = 0.28, 95 % CI: 0.14-0.57), grade ≥ 2 leucopenia (OR = 0.43, 95 % CI: 0.22-0.84), grade ≥ 2 neutropenia (OR = 0.34, 95 % CI: 0.17-0.67), and grade ≥ 3 neutropenia (OR = 0.28, 95 % CI: 0.12-0.63) was significantly decreased. There is no firm evidence confirming the preventive effect of an ED against OM or diarrhea. However, an ED may potentially be helpful in preventing neutropenia and leucopenia.

Introducción: La efectividad de una dieta elemental (DE) para prevenir eventos adversos (EA) durante la quimioterapia en pacientes con cáncer de esófago (CE) sigue sin estar clara. Este metaanálisis evalúa la eficacia de DE para prevenir EA en pacientes con CE durante quimioterapia. Se realizaron búsquedas en Medline (con PubMed), Embase, Biblioteca Cochrane y Web of Science para recuperar estudios prospectivos y aleatorios publicados antes del 12/04/2023. La razón de probabilidad (RP) de cada EA se calculó usando Review Manger 5.4.1. Se evaluó el riesgo de sesgo y se utilizó un metaanálisis basado en modelo de efectos aleatorios para analizar los datos disponibles. Después de una búsqueda sistemática, se identificaron cuatro estudios prospectivos y aleatorios con 237 pacientes. En cuanto a las toxicidades gastrointestinales, los hallazgos indicaron una tendencia hacia una disminución en el riesgo de mucositis (OM) (OR = 0,54, IC 95 %: 0,25-1,14), estreñimiento (OR = 0,87, IC 95 %: 0,49-1,53) y anorexia (OR = 0,99, IC 95 %: 0,32-3,05) y una tendencia creciente en el riesgo de diarrea (OR = 1,48, IC 95 %: 0,79-2,79) entre los pacientes tratados con DE. Sin embargo, no hubo muestras estadísticas significativas. Para toxicidades hematológicas, el riesgo de neutropenia de todos los grados (RP = 0,28; IC del 95 %: 0,14-0,57), leucopenia grado ≥ 2 (RP = 0,43; IC del 95 %: 0,22-0,84), neutropenia grado ≥ 2 (RP = 0,34; IC del 95 %: 0,17-0,67) y neutropenia grado ≥ 3 (RP = 0,28; IC del 95 %: 0,12-0,63) disminuyó significativamente. Ninguna evidencia firme confirmó el efecto preventivo de DE frente a OM o la diarrea. Una DE sería útil previniendo neutropenia y leucopenia.

GGT5: a potential immunotherapy response inhibitor in gastric cancer by modulating GSH metabolism and sustaining memory CD8+ T cell infiltration.

PURPOSE: The variable responses to immunotherapy observed in gastric cancer (GC) patients can be attributed to the intricate nature of the tumor microenvironment. Glutathione (GSH) metabolism significantly influences the initiation and progression of gastric cancer. Consequently, targeting GSH metabolism holds promise for improving the effectiveness of Immune checkpoints inhibitors (ICIs). METHODS: We investigated 16 genes related to GSH metabolism, sourced from the MSigDB database, using pan-cancer datasets from TCGA. The most representative prognosis-related gene was identified for further analysis. ScRNA-sequencing analysis was used to explore the tumor heterogeneity of GC, and the results were confirmed by  Multiplex immunohistochemistry (mIHC). RESULTS: Through DEGs, LASSO, univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses, and survival analysis, we identified GGT5 as the hub gene in GSH metabolism with the potential to promote GC. Combining CIBERSORT, ssGSEA, and scRNA analysis, we constructed the immune architecture of GC. The subpopulations of T cells were isolated, revealing a strong association between GGT5 and memory CD8+ T cells. Furthermore, specimens from 10 GC patients receiving immunotherapy were collected. mIHC was used to assess the expression levels of GGT5 and memory CD8+ T cell markers. Our results established a positive correlation between GGT5 expression, the enrichment of memory CD8+ T cells, and a suboptimal response to immunotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: Our study identifies GGT5, a hub gene in GSH metabolism, as a potential therapeutic target for inhibiting the response to immunotherapy in GC patients. These findings offer new insights into strategies for optimizing immunotherapy of GC.

External Electrons Directly Stimulate Escherichia coli for Enhancing Biological Hydrogen Production.

External electric field has the potential to influence metabolic processes such as biological hydrogen production in microorganisms. Based on this concept, we designed and constructed an electroactive hybrid system for microbial biohydrogen production under an electric field comprised of polydopamine (PDA)-modified Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Ni foam (NF). In this system, electrons generated from NF directly migrate into E. coli cells to promote highly efficient biocatalytic hydrogen production. Compared to that generated in the absence of electric field stimulation, biohydrogen production by the PDA-modified E. coli-based system is significantly enhanced. This investigation has demonstrated the mechanism for electron transfer in a biohybrid system and gives insight into precise basis for the enhancement of hydrogen production by using the multifield coupling technology.

Low-temperature plasma jet suppresses bacterial colonisation and affects wound healing through reactive species.

An argon-based low-temperature plasma jet (LTPJ) was used to treat chronically infected wounds in Staphylococcus aureus-laden mice. Based on physicochemical property analysis and in vitro antibacterial experiments, the effects of plasma parameters on the reactive nitrogen and oxygen species (RNOS) content and antibacterial capacity were determined, and the optimal treatment parameters were determined to be 4 standard litre per minute and 35 W. Additionally, the plasma-treated activation solution had a bactericidal effect. Although RNOS are related to the antimicrobial effect of plasma, excess RNOS may be detrimental to wound remodelling. In vivo studies demonstrated that medium-dose LTPJ promoted MMP-9 expression and inhibited bacterial growth during the early stages of healing. Moreover, LTPJ increased collagen deposition, reduced inflammation, and restored blood vessel density and TGF-ß levels to normal in the later stages of wound healing. Therefore, when treating chronically infected wounds with LTPJ, selecting the medium dose of plasma is more advantageous for wound recovery. Overall, our study demonstrated that low-temperature plasma jets may be a potential tool for the treatment of chronically infected wounds.

Development of a Serum-Based MicroRNA Signature for Early Detection of Pancreatic Cancer: A Multicenter Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: A grim prognosis of pancreatic cancer (PCa) was attributed to the difficulty in early diagnosis of the disease. AIMS: Identifying novel biomarkers for early detection of PCa is thus urgent to improve the overall survival rates of patients. METHODS: The study was performed firstly by identification of candidate microRNAs (miRNAs) in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues using microarray profiles, and followed by validation in a serum-based cohort study to assess clinical utility of the candidates. In the cohorts, a total of 1273 participants from four centers were retrospectively recruited as two cohorts including training and validation cohort. The collected serum specimens were analyzed by real-time polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: We identified 27 miRNAs expressed differentially in PCa tissues as compared to the benign. Of which, the top-four was selected as a panel whose diagnostic efficacy was fully assessed in the serum specimens. The panel exhibited superior to CA19-9, CA125, CEA and CA242 in discriminating patients with early stage PCa from healthy controls or non-PCa including chronic pancreatitis as well as pancreatic cystic neoplasms, with the area under the curves (AUC) of 0.971 (95% CI 0.956-0.987) and 0.924 (95% CI 0.899-0.949), respectively. Moreover, the panel eliminated interference from other digestive tumors with a specificity of 90.2%. CONCLUSIONS: A panel of four serum miRNAs was developed showing remarkably discriminative ability of early stage PCa from either healthy controls or other pancreatic diseases, suggesting it may be developed as a novel, noninvasive approach for early screening of PCa in clinic.

Sporoderm-broken spores of Ganoderma lucidum modulate hepatoblastoma malignancy by regulating RACK1-mediated autophagy and tumour immunity.

Hepatoblastoma (HB), a primary liver tumour, is notorious for its high metastatic potential and poor prognosis. Ganoderma lucidum, an edible mushroom species utilized in traditional Chinese medicine for addressing various tumour types, presents an intriguing avenue for HB treatment. However, the effectiveness of G. lucidum in managing HB and its underlying molecular mechanism necessitates further exploration. Standard in vitro assays were conducted to evaluate the impact of sporoderm-broken spores of G. lucidum (SBSGL) on the malignant characteristics of HB cells. The mechanism of SBSGL in treating HB and its tumour immunomodulatory effects were explored and validated by various experiments, including immunoprecipitation, Western blotting, mRFP-GFP-LC3 adenovirus transfection and co-localization analysis, as well as verified with in vivo experiments in this regard. The results showed that SBSGL effectively inhibited the malignant traits of HB cells and suppressed the O-GlcNAcylation of RACK1, thereby reducing its expression. In addition, SBSGL inhibited immune checkpoints and regulated cytokines. In conclusion, SBSGL had immunomodulatory effects and regulated the malignancy and autophagy of HB by regulating the O-GlcNAcylation of RACK1. These findings suggest that SBSGL holds promise as a potential anticancer drug for HB treatment.

Single-Ended Eddy Current Micro-Displacement Sensor with High Precision Based on Temperature Compensation.

To measure the micro-displacement reliably with high precision, a single-ended eddy current sensor based on temperature compensation was studied in detail. At first, the principle of the eddy current sensor was introduced, and the manufacturing method of the probe was given. The overall design plan for the processing circuit was induced by analyzing the characteristics of the probe output signal. The variation in the probe output signal was converted to pulses with different widths, and then it was introduced to the digital phase discriminator along with a reference signal. The output from the digital phase discriminator was processed by a low-pass filter to obtain the DC component. At last, the signal was amplified and compensated to reduce the influence of temperature. The selection criteria of the frequency of the exciting signal and the design of the signal conditioning circuit were described in detail, as well as the design of the temperature-compensating circuit based on the digital potentiometer with an embedded temperature sensor. Finally, an experimental setup was constructed to test the sensor, and the results were given. The results show that nonlinearity exists in the single-ended eddy current sensor with a large range. When the range is 500 µm, the resolution can reach 46 nm, and the repeatability error is ±0.70% FR. Within the temperature range from +2 °C to +58 °C, the voltage fluctuation in the sensor is reduced to 44 mV after temperature compensation compared to the value of 586 mV before compensation. The proposed plan is verified to be feasible, and the measuring range, precision, and target material should be considered in real-world applications.

The relevance of the superior cervical ganglion for cardiac autonomic innervation in health and disease: a systematic review.

PURPOSE: The heart receives cervical and thoracic sympathetic contributions. Although the stellate ganglion is considered the main contributor to cardiac sympathetic innervation, the superior cervical ganglia (SCG) is used in many experimental studies. The clinical relevance of the SCG to cardiac innervation is controversial. We investigated current morphological and functional evidence as well as controversies on the contribution of the SCG to cardiac innervation. METHODS: A systematic literature review was conducted in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and COCHRANE Library. Included studies received a full/text review and quality appraisal. RESULTS: Seventy-six eligible studies performed between 1976 and 2023 were identified. In all species studied, morphological evidence of direct or indirect SCG contribution to cardiac innervation was found, but its contribution was limited. Morphologically, SCG sidedness may be relevant. There is indirect functional evidence that the SCG contributes to cardiac innervation as shown by its involvement in sympathetic overdrive reactions in cardiac disease states. A direct functional contribution was not found. Functional data on SCG sidedness was largely unavailable. Information about sex differences and pre- and postnatal differences was lacking. CONCLUSION: Current literature mainly supports an indirect involvement of the SCG in cardiac innervation, via other structures and plexuses or via sympathetic overdrive in response to cardiac diseases. Morphological evidence of a direct involvement was found, but its contribution seems limited. The relevance of SCG sidedness, sex, and developmental stage in health and disease remains unclear and warrants further exploration.

Ternary Eutectic Electrolyte-Assisted Formation and Dynamic Breathing Effect of the Solid-Electrolyte Interphase for High-Stability Aqueous Magnesium-Ion Full Batteries.

Aqueous rechargeable magnesium batteries hold immense potential for intrinsically safe, cost-effective, and sustainable energy storage. However, their viability is constrained by a narrow voltage range and suboptimal compatibility between the electrolyte and electrodes. Herein, we introduce an innovative ternary deep eutectic Mg-ion electrolyte composed of MgCl2·6H2O, acetamide, and urea in a precisely balanced 1:1:7 molar ratio. This formulation was optimized by leveraging competitive solvation effects between Mg2+ ions and two organic components. The full batteries based on this ternary eutectic electrolyte, Mn-doped sodium vanadate (Mn-NVO) anode, and copper hexacyanoferrate cathode exhibited an elevated voltage plateau and high rate capability and showcased stable cycling performance. Ex-situ characterizations unveiled the Mg2+ storage mechanism of Mn-NVO involving initial extraction of Na+ followed by subsequent Mg2+ intercalation/deintercalation. Detailed spectroscopic analyses illuminated the formation of a pivotal solid-electrolyte interphase on the anode surface. Moreover, the solid-electrolyte interphase demonstrated a dynamic adsorption/desorption behavior, referred to as the "breathing effect", which substantially mitigated undesired dissolution and side reactions of electrode materials. These findings underscore the crucial role of rational electrolyte design in fostering the development of a favorable solid-electrolyte interphase that can significantly enhance compatibility between electrode materials and electrolytes, thus propelling advancements in aqueous multivalent-ion batteries.

The Seasonal Influenza Vaccine Cannot Trigger a Titer Increase Among Some Elderly Individuals.

Many elderlies exhibited absent responses to influenza vaccines. Our exploration of this heterogeneity revealed associations with vaccine dose (HD vs. SD, OR: 0.59 (95%CrI, 0.4 to 0.87)), pre-vaccination titer levels (OR: 1.57 (95%CrI, 1.38 to 1.8), and gender (Male vs. Female OR: 2.12 (95%CrI, 1.38 to 3.25)).

Magneto-Mechanical Coupling Study of Magnetorheological Elastomer Thin Films for Sensitivity Enhancement.

Magnetorheological elastomer thin films (MREFs) exhibit remarkable deformability and an adjustable modulus under magnetic fields, rendering them promising in fields such as robotics, flexible sensors, and biomedical engineering. Here, we fabricated MREF by introducing magnetostrictive particles (MSPs) and evaluated the magneto-mechanical coupling effect on the enhancement of sensitivity. The saturation magnetization (Ms) in a parallel anisotropic TbDyFe-PDMS MREF was 5.8 emu/g, and the initial tensile modulus was 55% greater than that of an Iso MREF. We propose a nonlinear magnetorheological formula on the magnetostriction effect, incorporating magnetic dipole interactions and the nonlinear prestress of magnetic particles. This formula highlights the complex nonlinear relationship between the external magnetic field (H) and the key parameters that affect the enhanced MR effect of MSPs-MREF, such as saturation magnetization, remanence (Mr), magnetostriction constant (λs) and stress deviator in ferromagnetic particles (Sed) in the magnetic chain structure. Furthermore, we validate the influence of the key parameters of the rectified magnetorheological formula on a nonlinear magneto-mechanical behavior of MSPs-MREF in PDMS-based MSPs-MREF models by using finite-element simulations. Finally, we developed a biosensor based on MSPs-MREF to detect human serum albumin at low concentrations in human urine samples. There is a 4-fold increase in sensitivity, a lower detection of limit (0.442 µg/mL), and a faster response time (15 min) than traditional biosensors, which in the future might provide an effective way of detecting biomolecules of low concentrations.

High-Voltage Electrostatic Field Hydrogel Microsphere 3D Culture System Improves Viability and Liver-like Properties of HepG2 Cells.

Three-dimensional (3D) hepatocyte models have become a research hotspot for evaluating drug metabolism and hepatotoxicity. Compared to two-dimensional (2D) cultures, 3D cultures are better at mimicking the morphology and microenvironment of hepatocytes in vivo. However, commonly used 3D culture techniques are not suitable for high-throughput drug screening (HTS) due to their high cost, complex handling, and inability to simulate cell-extracellular matrix (ECM) interactions. This article describes a method for rapid and reproducible 3D cell cultures with ECM-cell interactions based on 3D culture instrumentation to provide more efficient HTS. We developed a microsphere preparation based on a high-voltage electrostatic (HVE) field and used sodium alginate- and collagen-based hydrogels as scaffolds for 3D cultures of HepG2 cells. The microsphere-generating device enables the rapid and reproducible preparation of bioactive hydrogel microspheres. This 3D culture system exhibited better cell viability, heterogeneity, and drug-metabolizing activity than 2D and other 3D culture models, and the long-term culture characteristics of this system make it suitable for predicting long-term liver toxicity. This system improves the overall applicability of HepG2 spheroids in safety assessment studies, and this simple and controllable high-throughput-compatible method shows potential for use in drug toxicity screening assays and mechanistic studies.