Analysis of tumor microenvironment alterations in partially responsive rectal cancer patients treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy.

PURPOSE: Achieving a pathologic complete response (pCR) after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NCRT) remains a challenge for most patients with rectal cancer. Exploring the potential of combining NCRT with immunotherapy or targeted therapy for those achieving a partial response (PR) offers a promising avenue to enhance treatment efficacy. This study investigated the impact of NCRT on the tumor microenvironment in locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) patients who exhibited a PR. METHODS: This was a retrospective, observational study. Five patients demonstrating a PR after neoadjuvant treatment for LARC were enrolled in the study. Biopsy samples before treatment and resected specimens after treatment were stained with a panel of 26 antibodies targeting various immune and tumor-related markers, each labeled with distinct metal tags. The labeled samples were then analyzed using the Hyperion imaging system. RESULTS: Heterogeneity within the tumor microenvironment was observed both before and after NCRT. Notably, tumor-associated macrophages, CD4 + T cells, CD8 + T cells, CD56 + natural killer cells, tumor-associated neutrophils, cytokeratin, and E-cadherin exhibited slight increase in abundance within the tumor microenvironment following treatment (change ratios = 0.78, 0.2, 0.27, 0.32, 0.17, 0.46, 0.32, respectively). Conversely, the number of CD14 + monocytes, CD19 + B cells, CD45 + CD4 + T cells, collagen I, α-smooth muscle actin, vimentin, and ß-catenin proteins displayed significant decreases post-treatment (change ratios = 1.73, 1.92, 1.52, 1.25, 1.52, 1.12, 2.66, respectively). Meanwhile, Foxp3 + regulatory cells demonstrated no significant change (change ratio = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: NCRT has diverse effects on various components of the tumor microenvironment in LARC patients who achieve a PR after treatment. Leveraging combination therapies may optimize treatment outcomes in this patient population.

SIRT3 alleviates painful diabetic neuropathy by mediating the FoxO3a-PINK1-Parkin signaling pathway to activate mitophagy.

INTRODUCTION: Painful diabetic neuropathy (PDN) is a common complication of diabetes. Previous studies have implicated that mitochondrial dysfunction plays a role in the development of PDN, but its pathogenesis and mechanism have not been fully investigated. METHODS: In this study, we used high-fat diet/low-dose streptozotocin-induced rats as a model of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Behavioral testing, whole-cell patch-clamp recordings of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons, and complex sensory nerve conduction velocity studies were used to assess peripheral neuropathy. Mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), ATP, tissue reactive oxygen species, and transmission electron microscopy were used to evaluate the function and morphology of mitochondria in DRG. Real-time PCR, western blot, and immunofluorescence were performed to investigate the mechanism. RESULTS: We found that damaged mitochondria were accumulated and mitophagy was inhibited in PDN rats. The expression of sirtuin 3 (SIRT3), which is an NAD+-dependent deacetylase in mitochondria, was inhibited. Overexpression of SIRT3 in DRG neurons by intrathecally administered LV-SIRT3 lentivirus ameliorated neurological and mitochondrial dysfunctions. This was evidenced by the reversal of allodynia and nociceptor hyperexcitability, as well as the restoration of MMP and ATP levels. Overexpression of SIRT3 restored the inhibited mitophagy by activating the FoxO3a-PINK1-Parkin signaling pathway. The effects of SIRT3 overexpression, including the reversal of allodynia and nociceptor hyperexcitability, the improvement of impaired mitochondria and mitophagy, and the restoration of PINK1 and Parkin expression, were counteracted when FoxO3a siRNA was intrathecally injected. CONCLUSION: These results showed that SIRT3 overexpression ameliorates PDN via activation of FoxO3a-PINK1-Parkin-mediated mitophagy, suggesting that SIRT3 may become an encouraging therapeutic strategy for PDN.

[Lead Removal from Water by Calcium-containing Biochar with Saturated Phosphate].

Calcium-containing biochar （ES-BC） was prepared by pyrolyzing eggshell and kitchen wastes， and the ES-BC composite was used to remove phosphate （marked as ES-BC/P）. Based on the high affinity of phosphate and carbonate to lead， the ES-BC/P was then used to remove lead from the water. The results showed that， in the appropriate dosage， ES-BC/P could remove lead efficiently at different initial concentrations （1-100 mg·L-1）， and the removal efficiency could reach to 99%. Meanwhile， the release of phosphorus could be ignored after the reaction. As ES-BC/P was alkaline， and the lead-containing solution was weakly acidic， the addition of ES-BC/P could adjust the pH of the system automatically. The reaction kinetics and isotherm experiments showed that the lead removal by ES-BC/P was mainly monolayer chemisorption with a maximum adsorption capacity of 493.12 mg·g-1 （318 K）. The characterization results showed that lead was mainly removed through the ion exchanges of Pb2+ in the solution with Ca2+ in ES-BC/P. Then， the Pb2+ combined with CO32- and PO42- to form many precipitates， including Pb5（PO4）3OH， Pb10（PO4）6（OH）2， PbCO3， and Pb3（CO3）2（OH）2. In summary， the ES-BC/P material could achieve the efficient removal of lead from the water， thereby realizing the resource utilization of the wastes.

pathMap: a path-based mapping tool for long noisy reads with high sensitivity.

With the rapid development of single-molecule sequencing (SMS) technologies, the output read length is continuously increasing. Mapping such reads onto a reference genome is one of the most fundamental tasks in sequence analysis. Mapping sensitivity is becoming a major concern since high sensitivity can detect more aligned regions on the reference and obtain more aligned bases, which are useful for downstream analysis. In this study, we present pathMap, a novel k-mer graph-based mapper that is specifically designed for mapping SMS reads with high sensitivity. By viewing the alignment chain as a path containing as many anchors as possible in the matched k-mer graph, pathMap treats chaining as a path selection problem in the directed graph. pathMap iteratively searches the longest path in the remaining nodes; more candidate chains with high quality can be effectively detected and aligned. Compared to other state-of-the-art mapping methods such as minimap2 and Winnowmap2, experiment results on simulated and real-life datasets demonstrate that pathMap obtains the number of mapped chains at least 11.50% more than its closest competitor and increases the mapping sensitivity by 17.28% and 13.84% of bases over the next-best mapper for Pacific Biosciences and Oxford Nanopore sequencing data, respectively. In addition, pathMap is more robust to sequence errors and more sensitive to species- and strain-specific identification of pathogens using MinION reads.

[Digital study on proximal clavicle anatomical plate based on 3D printing technology].

OBJECTIVE: To explore feasibility of 3D metal printing technology combined with virtual design proximal clavicle anatomical plate. METHODS: A 52-year-old male healthy volunteer was retrospectively selected to design proximal clavicle anatomical plate system by using Mimics15.01,NX12.0 and other software. STL data were input into 3D printer to print 1:1 clavicle model and proximal clavicle anatomical plate. The fit of the plate was tested in vitro and the accuracy of screw position was evaluated by imaging. Printing time of model,nail path design and fabrication time of the anatomical plate at proximal clavicle were recorded. RESULTS: The 3D metal printing proximal clavicle anatomical plate fitted well to clavicle model,orientation of proximal clavicle locking screw was accurate,and X-ray and CT scan showed the screw position was good. Printing time of model,the time of nail path design,and the time of making anatomical plate of proximal clavicle were 120,15 and 300 min respectively. CONCLUSION: The proximal clavicular anatomical plate system based on 3D metal printing technology could achieve good lamination of proximal clavicular fracture plate and precise screw placement,providing a new and accurate surgical method for the treatment of the proximal clavicular fracture.

Heterogeneously elevated branched-chain/aromatic amino acids among new-onset type-2 diabetes mellitus patients are potentially skewed diabetes predictors.

BACKGROUND: The lack of specific predictors for type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) severely impacts early intervention/prevention efforts. Elevated branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs: Isoleucine, leucine, valine) and aromatic amino acids (AAAs: Tyrosine, tryptophan, phenylalanine)) show high sensitivity and specificity in predicting diabetes in animals and predict T2DM 10-19 years before T2DM onset in clinical studies. However, improvement is needed to support its clinical utility. AIM: To evaluate the effects of body mass index (BMI) and sex on BCAAs/AAAs in new-onset T2DM individuals with varying body weight. METHODS: Ninety-seven new-onset T2DM patients (< 12 mo) differing in BMI [normal weight (NW), n = 33, BMI = 22.23 ± 1.60; overweight, n = 42, BMI = 25.9 ± 1.07; obesity (OB), n = 22, BMI = 31.23 ± 2.31] from the First People's Hospital of Yunnan Province, Kunming, China, were studied. One-way and 2-way ANOVAs were conducted to determine the effects of BMI and sex on BCAAs/AAAs. RESULTS: Fasting serum AAAs, BCAAs, glutamate, and alanine were greater and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) was lower (P < 0.05, each) in OB-T2DM patients than in NW-T2DM patients, especially in male OB-T2DM patients. Arginine, histidine, leucine, methionine, and lysine were greater in male patients than in female patients. Moreover, histidine, alanine, glutamate, lysine, valine, methionine, leucine, isoleucine, tyrosine, phenylalanine, and tryptophan were significantly correlated with abdominal adiposity, body weight and BMI, whereas isoleucine, leucine and phenylalanine were negatively correlated with HDL. CONCLUSION: Heterogeneously elevated amino acids, especially BCAAs/AAAs, across new-onset T2DM patients in differing BMI categories revealed a potentially skewed prediction of T2DM development. The higher BCAA/AAA levels in obese T2DM patients would support T2DM prediction in obese individuals, whereas the lower levels of BCAAs/AAAs in NW-T2DM individuals may underestimate T2DM risk in NW individuals. This potentially skewed T2DM prediction should be considered when BCAAs/AAAs are to be used as the T2DM predictor.

[Clinical Features and Prognosis of Acute T-cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia in Children--Multi-Center Data Analysis in Fujian].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of acute T-cell lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) in children and explore the prognostic risk factors. METHODS: The clinical data of 127 newly diagnosed children with T-ALL admitted to five hospitals in Fujian province from April 2011 to December 2020 were retrospectively analyzed, and compared with children with newly diagnosed acute precursor B-cell lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) in the same period. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to evaluate the overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS), and COX proportional hazard regression model was used to evaluate the prognostic factors. Among 116 children with T-ALL who received standard treatment, 78 cases received the Chinese Childhood Leukemia Collaborative Group (CCLG)-ALL 2008 protocol (CCLG-ALL 2008 group), and 38 cases received the China Childhood Cancer Collaborative Group (CCCG)-ALL 2015 protocol (CCCG-ALL 2015 group). The efficacy and serious adverse event (SAE) incidence of the two groups were compared. RESULTS: Proportion of male, age≥10 years old, white blood cell count (WBC)≥50×109/L, central nervous system leukemia, minimal residual disease (MRD)≥1% during induction therapy, and MRD≥0.01% at the end of induction in T-ALL children were significantly higher than those in B-ALL children (P <0.05). The expected 10-year EFS and OS of T-ALL were 59.7% and 66.0%, respectively, which were significantly lower than those of B-ALL (P <0.001). COX analysis showed that WBC≥100×109/L at initial diagnosis and failure to achieve complete remission (CR) after induction were independent risk factors for poor prognosis. Compared with CCLG-ALL 2008 group, CCCG-ALL 2015 group had lower incidence of infection-related SAE (15.8% vs 34.6%, P =0.042), but higher EFS and OS (73.9% vs 57.2%, P EFS=0.090; 86.5% vs 62.3%, P OS=0.023). CONCLUSIONS: The prognosis of children with T-ALL is worse than children with B-ALL. WBC≥100×109 /L at initial diagnosis and non-CR after induction (especially mediastinal mass has not disappeared) are the risk factors for poor prognosis. CCCG-ALL 2015 regimen may reduce infection-related SAE and improve efficacy.

Tandem Sulfonylative Annulation/Halogenation of 1,7-Enynes with Sodium Sulfinate and TBAX for the Assembly of 4-Methylenechromanes.

An effective and stereoselective synthesis of halogenated (E)-4-methylenechromanes with a sulfonyl group was developed via the copper-catalyzed sulfonylative annulation/halogenation of 1,7-enynes, in which sodium sulfinates were used as the sulfonyl reagents and tetrabutylammonium halide provided the halogen sources. The formed alkenyl C-X bonds were valuable and can efficiently undergo the subsequent hydrolysis, alkenylation, alkynylation, arylation, alkylthiolation, and alkoxylation to furnish a series of highly functionalized 4-methylenechromanes.

Activation of CRF/CRFR1 Signaling in the Central Nucleus of the Amygdala Contributes to Chronic Stress-Induced Exacerbation of Neuropathic Pain by Enhancing GluN2B-NMDA Receptor-Mediated Synaptic Plasticity in Adult Male Rats.

Exacerbation of pain by chronic stress and comorbidity of pain with stress-related disorders such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, represent significant clinical challenges. Previously we have documented that chronic forced swim (FS) stress exacerbates neuropathic pain in spared nerve injury (SNI) rats, associated with an up-regulation of GluN2B-containing N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (GluN2B-NMDARs) in the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA). However, the molecular mechanisms underlying chronic FS stress (CFSS)-mediated exacerbation of pain sensitivity in SNI rats still remain unclear. In this study, we demonstrated that exposure of CFSS to rats activated the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF)/CRF receptor type 1 (CRFR1) signaling in the CeA, which was shown to be necessary for CFSS-induced depressive-like symptoms in stressed rats, and as well, for CFSS-induced exacerbation of pain hypersensitivity in SNI rats exposed to chronic FS stress. Furthermore, we discovered that activation of CRF/CRFR1 signaling in the CeA upregulated the phosphorylation of GluN2B-NMDARs at tyrosine 1472 (pGluN2BY1472) in the synaptosomal fraction of CeA, which is highly correlated to the enhancement of synaptic GluN2B-NMDARs expression that has been observed in the CeA in CFSS-treated SNI rats. In addition, we revealed that activation of CRF/CRFR1 signaling in the CeA facilitated the CFSS-induced reinforcement of long-term potentiation as well as the enhancement of NMDAR-mediated excitatory postsynaptic currents in the basolateral amygdala (BLA)-CeA pathway in SNI rats. These findings suggest that activation of CRF/CRFR1 signaling in the CeA contributes to chronic stress-induced exacerbation of neuropathic pain by enhancing GluN2B-NMDAR-mediated synaptic plasticity in rats subjected to nerve injury. PERSPECTIVE: Our present study provides a novel mechanism for elucidating stress-induced hyperalgesia and highlights that the CRF/CRFR1 signaling and the GluN2B-NMDAR-mediated synaptic plasticity in the CeA may be important as potential therapeutic targets for chronic stress-induced pain exacerbation in human neuropathic pain. DATA AVAILABILITY: The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Cu-Catalyzed Carbocyclization for General Synthesis of N-Containing Heterocyclics Enabled by BrCF2COOEt as a C1 Source.

A practical and efficient copper-catalyzed carbocyclization of 2-functionalized anilines with ethyl bromodifluoroacetate has been developed. Ethyl bromodifluoroacetate is employed as the C1 source via quadruple cleavage in this transformation. This reaction can afford a variety of N-containing heterocyclics with satisfactory yields and excellent functional group compatibility.

124I-labeled anti-CD147 antibody for noninvasive detection of CD147-positive pan-cancers: construction and preclinical studies.

Extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer CD147 is a glycoprotein on the cell surface. There is minimal expression of CD147 in normal epithelial and fetal tissues, but it is highly expressed in a number of aggressive tumors. CD147 has been implicated in pan-cancer immunity and progression. With the development of CD147-targeting therapeutic strategy, accurate detection of CD147 expression in tumors and its changes during the therapy is necessary. In this study we constructed a novel radiotracer by labeling the anti-CD147 mAb with radionuclide 124/125I (124/125I-anti-CD147) for noninvasive detection of CD147 expression in pan-cancers, and characterized its physicochemical properties, affinity, metabolic characteristics, biodistribution and immunoPET imaging with 124I-IgG and 18F-FDG as controls. By examining the expression of CD147 in cancer cell lines, we found high CD147 expression in colon cancer cells LS174T, FADU human pharyngeal squamous cancer cells and 22RV1 human prostate cancer cells, and low expression of CD147 in human pancreatic cancer cells ASPC1 and human gastric cancer cells BGC823. 124/125I-anti-CD147 was prepared using N-bromine succinimide (NBS) as oxidant and purified by PD-10 column. Its radiochemical purity (RCP) was over 99% and maintained over 85% in saline or 5% human serum albumin (HSA) for more than 7 d; the RCP of 125I-anti-CD147 in blood was over 90% at 3 h post injection (p.i.) in healthy mice. The Kd value of 125I-anti-CD147 to CD147 protein was 6.344 nM, while that of 125I-IgG was over 100 nM. 125I-anti-CD147 showed much greater uptake in CD147 high-expression cancer cells compared to CD147 low-expression cancer cells. After intravenous injection in healthy mice, 125I-anti-CD147 showed high initial uptake in blood pool and liver, the uptake was decreased with time. The biological half-life of distribution and clearance phases in healthy mice were 0.63 h and 19.60 h, respectively. The effective dose of 124I-anti-CD147 was estimated as 0.104 mSv/MBq. We conducted immunoPET imaging in tumor-bearing mice, and demonstrated a significantly higher tumor-to-muscle ratio of 124I-anti-CD147 compared to that of 124I-IgG and 18F-FDG in CD147 (+) tumors. The expression levels of CD147 in cells and tumors were positively correlated with the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) (P < 0.01). In conclusion, 124/125I-anti-CD147 displays high affinity to CD147, and represents potential for the imaging of CD147-positive tumors. The development of 124I-anti-CD147 may provide new insights into the regulation of tumor microenvironment and formulation of precision diagnosis and treatment programs for tumors.

Gate-Tunable Berry Curvature Dipole Polarizability in Dirac Semimetal Cd_{3}As_{2}.

We reveal the gate-tunable Berry curvature dipole polarizability in Dirac semimetal Cd_{3}As_{2} nanoplates through measurements of the third-order nonlinear Hall effect. Under an applied electric field, the Berry curvature exhibits an asymmetric distribution, forming a field-induced Berry curvature dipole, resulting in a measurable third-order Hall voltage with a cubic relationship to the longitudinal electric field. Notably, the magnitude and polarity of this third-order nonlinear Hall effect can be effectively modulated by gate voltages. Furthermore, our scaling relation analysis demonstrates that the sign of the Berry curvature dipole polarizability changes when tuning the Fermi level across the Dirac point, in agreement with theoretical calculations. The results highlight the gate control of nonlinear quantum transport in Dirac semimetals, paving the way for promising advancements in topological electronics.

Lignicolous Freshwater Fungi from Plateau Lakes in China (I): Morphological and Phylogenetic Analyses Reveal Eight Species of Lentitheciaceae, Including New Genus, New Species and New Records.

During the investigation of lignicolous freshwater fungi in plateau lakes in Yunnan Province, China, eight Lentitheciaceae species were collected from five lakes viz. Luguhu, Qiluhu, Xingyunhu, Cibihu, and Xihu lake. Based on morphological characters and phylogenetic analysis of combined ITS, LSU, SSU, and tef 1-α sequence data, a new genus Paralentithecium, two new species (Paralentithecium suae, and Setoseptoria suae), three new records (Halobyssothecium phragmitis, H. unicellulare, and Lentithecium yunnanensis) and three known species viz. Halobyssothecium aquifusiforme, Lentithecium pseudoclioninum, and Setoseptoria bambusae are reported.

Evaluation of Different Blood Culture Bottles for the Diagnosis of Bloodstream Infections in Patients with HIV.

INTRODUCTION: Bloodstream infection (BSI) is a significant factor contributing to hospitalization and high mortality rates among human immunodeficiency virus(HIV)-positive patients. Therefore, the timely detection of this condition is of utmost importance. Blood culture is considered the gold standard for diagnosing BSIs. Currently, BD BACTEC™ Plus Aerobic/F culture bottles and the BD BACTEC™ Myco/F Lytic culture bottles can be used for blood culture. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of two different types of culture bottles in diagnosing BSIs in patients with HIV. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on HIV-positive patients hospitalized in the Infection Department of Wenzhou Central Hospital between July 2019 and October 2021. A total of 246 pairs of blood samples were included, consisting of an aerobic culture vial and a Myco/F culture vial. Blood culture results and clinical diagnosis were utilized to identify the presence of BSI. RESULTS: Out of 246 cases, 84 cases had positive blood cultures. Fungal BSIs, particularly Talaromyces marneffei BSIs, were the most prevalent among patients with HIV. The positive rate of Myco/F culture bottles (89.29%) was significantly higher compared with aerobic culture bottles (69.05%; P = 0.001). In the diagnosis of fungal BSIs, the positive rate of Myco/F culture bottles was 88.57%, which was significantly higher than that of aerobic culture bottles (72.86%; P = 0.018). The Myco/F culture bottle has more advantages in diagnosing Talaromyces marneffei BSIs (P=0.028). In addition, mycobacteria were exclusively detected in Myco/F culture bottles. CONCLUSIONS: Fungal BSIs are the predominant type of infections in HIV-positive patients. Myco/F culture bottles exhibit noteworthy attributes of high positive rate in diagnosing HIV combined with BSI. These advantages are conducive to obtaining accurate culture results and minimizing missed diagnoses.

Room-temperature orbit-transfer torque enabling van der Waals magnetoresistive memories.

The non-volatile magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM) is believed to facilitate emerging applications, such as in-memory computing, neuromorphic computing and stochastic computing. Two-dimensional (2D) materials and their van der Waals heterostructures promote the development of MRAM technology, due to their atomically smooth interfaces and tunable physical properties. Here we report the all-2D magnetoresistive memories featuring all-electrical data reading and writing at room temperature based on WTe2/Fe3GaTe2/BN/Fe3GaTe2 heterostructures. The data reading process relies on the tunnel magnetoresistance of Fe3GaTe2/BN/Fe3GaTe2. The data writing is achieved through current induced polarization of orbital magnetic moments in WTe2, which exert torques on Fe3GaTe2, known as the orbit-transfer torque (OTT) effect. In contrast to the conventional reliance on spin moments in spin-transfer torque and spin-orbit torque, the OTT effect leverages the natural out-of-plane orbital moments, facilitating field-free perpendicular magnetization switching through interface currents. Our results indicate that the emerging OTT-MRAM is promising for low-power, high-performance memory applications.

[Recent developments in the application of covalent organic frameworks in capillary electrochromatography].

Capillary electrochromatography (CEC) has received increased attention from the academic community because it combines the excellent selectivity of high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and the high efficiency of capillary electrophoresis (CE). Selecting the most appropriate stationary phase material is crucial to achieve better separation effects in CEC. In recent years, a considerable number of materials, such as graphene oxide, proteins, metal organic frameworks, and covalent organic frameworks (COFs), have been widely used as stationary phases in CEC to further improve its separation performance and extend its scope of potential applications. Among these materials, COFs have shown great application prospects in CEC owing to their unique properties, which include high porosity, large surface area, excellent stability, tunable pore size, and high designability of the framework structure. This review systematically summarizes published papers on the development and application of COFs in CEC from 2016 to 2023. First, two COF-based capillary columns (i. e., open-tube CEC columns and monolithic CEC columns) and their preparation methods are introduced. Second, the applications of CEC based on COF stationary phases in the separation of environmental endocrine disruptors, pesticides, aromatic compounds, amino acids, and drugs, particularly chiral drugs, are systematically summarized. The separation mechanism of CEC based on COF stationary phases is also introduced. At present, the good separation ability of COF-based CEC is mainly attributed to two factors: 1) The size exclusion effect of the pores of the COF stationary phase. Because of differences in the sizes of their organic molecular building units and side chains, COFs have varying pore sizes and topological structures. Thus, target analytes smaller than the pores of the COFs can enter the frameworks and interact with them during separation. On the other hand, target analytes larger than the pores of the COFs cannot enter the frameworks and interact with them during separation; thus, they can be separated. 2) The interactions between the target analytes and side chains (e. g., hydrophobic interactions, hydrogen bonding, π-π interactions, etc.) of the COFs. Since COFs usually contain alkyl side chains, aromatic structures, and oxygen and/or nitrogen atoms with high electronegativity, various interactions could occur between the COFs and target analytes. Finally, directions for the future development and strategic application of CEC based on COF stationary phases are proposed. We believe that future research in CEC based on COF stationary phases should focus on the following aspects: 1) The use of cheminformatics to design and construct COFs to improve the efficiency of COF capillary column preparation; 2) the development of milder methods to synthesize COFs that can meet the requirements of high performance COF capillary columns; and 3) in-depth research to explore the separation mechanism of CEC based on COF stationary phases to provide theoretical guidance for developing CEC methods suitable for the separation and analysis of complex samples.

New Fluorophore and Its Applications in Visualizing Polystyrene Nanoplastics in Bean Sprouts and HeLa Cells.

In the domain of environmental science, pollutants of nanoscale plastic dimensions are acknowledged as subjects of intricate significance. Such entities, though minuscule, present formidable challenges to ecological systems and human health. The diminutive dimensions of these contaminants render their detection arduous, thus demanding the inception of avant-garde methodologies. The present manuscript postulates the employment of the tetraphenylethylene functional group with a fused xanthene (TPEF), a distinguished fluorophore, as an exemplary system for the discernment of nanoplastic particulates. The synthesis and characterization of TPEF have been exhaustively elucidated, revealing its paramount fluorescence attributes and inherent affinity for interaction with nanoplastics. When subjected to comparison with TPEF, nanoplastics are observed to manifest a more pronounced fluorescent luminescence than when associated with the conventional Nile Red (NR). Particularly, the TPEF has shown exceptional affinity for polystyrene (PS) nanoplastics. Further, the resilience of nanoplastics within the hypocotyl epidermis of soybeans, as well as their persistence in mung bean sprouts subsequent to rigorous rinsing protocols, has been meticulously examined. Additionally, this investigation furnishes empirical data signifying the existence of nano-dimensional plastic contaminants within HeLa cellular structures. The urgency of addressing the environmental ramifications engendered by these diminutive yet potent plastic constituents is emphatically highlighted in this manuscript. TPEF paves the way for prospective explorations, with the aspiration of devising efficacious mitigation strategies. Such strategies might encompass delineating the trajectories undertaken by nanoplastics within trophic networks or their ingress into human cellular architectures.

Characteristics of Complement Protein Deposition in Proliferative Glomerulonephritis with Monoclonal Immunoglobulin Deposition.

BACKGROUND: Hypocomplementemia and complement co-deposition with monoclonal immunoglobulins in glomeruli are not rare in proliferative glomerulonephritis with monoclonal immunoglobulin deposits (PGNMID). Deposition of monoclonal immunoglobulins in glomeruli has been suggested to activate complement and cause kidney injury. However, the profiles of complement activation in PGNMID and their clinical and pathologic significance need to be clarified. METHODS: Forty-six patients with PGNMID were enrolled. Proteomic analysis of glomeruli using laser microdissection and mass spectrometry was performed for ten patients with PGNMID to determine the composition of glomerular deposits. Kidney deposition of complement components was detected by immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence. Urinary and plasma levels of complement components were measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Group differences were assessed using t tests or Mann-Whitney U tests depending on the distribution. Correlation analysis was performed using Spearman rank correlation or Pearson correlation. RESULTS: Laser microdissection and mass spectrometry-based proteomic analysis showed that complement components were the most enriched proteins deposited in the glomeruli of patients with PGNMID. Glomerular deposition of C3c, C4d, and C5b-9 was detected in most patients. Levels of urinary and plasma C3a, C5a, soluble C5b-9, C4d, Bb, and C1q as well as urinary mannose-binding lectin were significantly higher in patients with PGNMID compared with healthy controls. The intensity of C3c and C4d deposition in glomeruli correlated with serum creatinine and the percentage of crescents, respectively. Furthermore, levels of urinary complement components correlated positively with serum creatinine, urinary protein excretion, percentage of crescents, and global glomerulosclerosis in kidney biopsies, whereas plasma levels of most complement components did not show a significant correlation with clinicopathologic parameters. In multivariable analysis, a higher level of urinary C4d was identified as an independent risk factor of kidney failure. CONCLUSIONS: The complement system was found to be overactivated in PGNMID, and levels of urinary complements correlated with disease severity. A higher level of urinary C4d was identified as an independent risk factor of kidney failure.

Synthesis of Trifluoromethylated Dibenzoxepines via Palladium-Catalyzed Tandem C-O Bond Formation/C-H Arylation.

A palladium-catalyzed cyclization reaction of phenols with trifluoromethyl-containing ortho-bromo-ß-chlorostyrenes has been developed. In the presence of palladium(II) acetate, tricyclohexylphosphine, and cesium carbonate, a variety of 6-trifluoromethyldibenzo[b,d]oxepines were prepared in moderate to good yields through the tandem O-alkenylation of general phenols and subsequent C-H arylation.

Assessment of geothermal resource potential in Changbaishan utilizing high-precision gravity-based man-machine interactive inversion technology.

As one of the clean energy sources, geothermal resources have no negative impact in changing the climate. However, the accurate assessment and precise identification of the potential geothermal resource is still complex and dynamic. In this paper, ~2,000 large-scale high-precision gravity survey points are conducted in the north of the Tianchi caldera, Changbaishan. Advanced data processing technologies can provide straightforward information on deep geothermal resources (Hot source, caprock, geothermal reservoir and geothermal migration pathway). Upwards continuation and the technologies decode two dome shaped low and gentle anomalies (-48 × 10-5 m/s2-65 m/s2) and a positive gravity gradient anomaly (0.4 × 10-7 m/s2-1.6 × 10-5 m/s2) in large-scale high-precision gravity planar. According to two point five dimensional man-machine interactive inversion technology and the research on petrophysical parameters, the density of the shied-forming basalts in the two orthogonal gravity sections is 2.58 g/cm3. The relatively intermediate to high density (2.60-2.75 g/cm3) represents geothermal reservoir, and low density (low to 2.58 g/cm3) is the geothermal migration pathway. In addition, large-scale high-precision gravity planar with a solution of about 1/50,000 indicate that the north of the Tianchi caldera exits the sedimentary basin and uplift mountain geothermal system.