Enabling endogenous distributed acoustic sensing in a digital subcarrier coherent transmission system.

To monitor the health of the fiber network and its ambient environment in densely populated access/metro network areas, in this Letter, an endogenous distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) has been proposed and achieved in a coherent digital subcarrier multiplexing (DSCM) system. Rather than specially allocating a sensing probe in general integrated communication and sensing schemes, the fractional Fourier transformed (FrFT) training sequence (TS) designated for time/frequency synchronization in DSCM coherent communications has been repurposed for sensing. While achieving excellent synchronization performance of communication, the FrFT-based TS can also be concurrently utilized to perform distributed vibration sensing. Experimental results demonstrate that the FrFT-based timing/frequency synchronization sequence is repurposed to achieve a DAS sensitivity of 70 p ε/Hz at a spatial resolution of 5 m, along with 100-Gb/s 16 quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) DSCM transmission, without a loss of spectral efficiency.

Fluoride exposure during puberty induces testicular impairment via ER stress-triggered apoptosis in mice.

Fluoride, a ubiquitous environmental compound, carries significant health risks at excessive levels. This study investigated the reproductive toxicity of fluoride exposure during puberty in mice, focusing on its impact on testicular development, spermatogenesis, and underlying mechanisms. The results showed that fluoride exposure during puberty impaired testicular structure, induced germ cell apoptosis, and reduced sperm counts in mice. Additionally, the SOD activity and GSH content were significantly decreased, while MDA content was significantly elevated in the NaF group. Immunohistochemistry showed an increase in the number of cells positive for GRP78, a key ER stress marker. Moreover, qRT-PCR and Western blot analyses confirmed the upregulation of both Grp78 mRNA and protein expression, as well as increased mRNA expression of other ER stress-associated genes (Grp94, chop, Atf6, Atf4, and Xbp1) and enhanced protein expression of phosphorylated PERK, IRE1α, eIF2α, JNK, XBP-1, ATF-6α, ATF-4, and CHOP. In conclusion, our findings demonstrate that fluoride exposure during puberty impairs testicular structure, induces germ cell apoptosis, and reduces sperm counts in mice. ER stress may participate in testicular cell apoptosis, and contribute to the testicular damage and decreased sperm counts induced by fluoride.

Bio-inspired gradient poly(lactic acid) nanofibers for active capturing of PM0.3 and real-time respiratory monitoring.

The concept of bio-inspired gradient hierarchies, in which the well-defined MOF nanocrystals serve as active nanodielectrics to create electroactive shell at poly(lactic acid) (PLA) nanofibers, is introduced to promote the surface activity and electroactivity of PLA nanofibrous membranes (NFMs). The strategy enabled significant refinement of PLA nanofibers during coaxial electrospinning (∼40 % decline of fiber diameter), accompanied by remarkable increase of specific surface area (nearly 1.5 m2/g), porosity (approximately 85 %) and dielectric constants for the bio-inspired gradient PLA (BG-PLA) NFMs. It largely boosted initial electret properties and electrostatic adsorption capability of BG-PLA NFMs, as well as charge regeneration by TENG mechanisms even under high-humidity environment. The BG-PLA NFMs thus featured exceptionally high PM0.3 filtration efficiencies with well-controlled air resistance (94.3 %, 163.4 Pa, 85 L/min), in contrast to the relatively low efficiency of only 80.0 % for normal PLA. During the application evaluation of outdoor air purification, excellent long-term filtering performance was demonstrated for the BG-PLA for up to 4 h (nearly 98.0 %, 53 Pa), whereas normal PLA exhibited a gradually declined filtration efficiency and an increased pressure drop. Moreover, the BG-PLA NFMs of increased electroactivity were ready to generate tribo-output currents as driven by respiratory vibrations, which enabled real-time monitoring of electrophysiological signals. This bio-inspired gradient strategy opens up promising pathways to engender biodegradable nanofibers of high surface activity and electroactivity, which has significant implications for intelligent protective membranes.

Identification of the body fluid donor in mixtures through target mRNA cSNP sequencing.

In forensic practice, mixture stains containing various body fluids are common, presenting challenges for interpretation, particularly in multi-contributor mixtures. Traditional STR profiles face difficulties in such scenarios. Over recent years, RNA has emerged as a promising biomarker for body fluid identification, and mRNA polymorphism has shown excellent performance in identifying body fluid donors in previous studies. In this study, a massively parallel sequencing assay was developed, encompassing 202 coding region SNPs (cSNPs) from 45 body fluid/tissue-specific genes to identify both body fluid/tissue origin and the respective donors, including blood, saliva, semen, vaginal secretion, menstrual blood, and skin. The specificity was evaluated by examining the single-source body fluids/tissue and revealed that the same body fluid exhibited similar expression profiles and the tissue origin could be identified. For laboratory-generated mixtures containing 2-6 different components and mock case mixtures, the donor of each component could be successfully identified, except for the skin donor. The discriminatory power for all body fluids ranged from 0.997176329 (menstrual blood) to 0.99999999827 (blood). The concordance of DNA typing and mRNA typing for the cSNPs in this system was also validated. This cSNP typing system exhibits excellent performance in mixture deconvolution.

Abnormal methylation mediated upregulation of LINC00857 boosts malignant progression of lung adenocarcinoma by modulating the miR-486-5p/NEK2 axis.

LINC00857 is frequently dysregulated in varying cancers, which in turn exerts carcinogenic effects; however, its DNA methylation status in promoter region and molecular mechanisms underlying the progression of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) remain rarely understood. Through bioinformatics analysis, we examined the expression state and methylation site of LINC00857 in LUAD and further investigated the properties of LINC00857 as a competitive endogenous RNA in the cancer progression. The current study revealed that the overexpression of LINC00857 in LUAD tissue and cells was mainly caused by the hypomethylation of the promoter region. LINC00857 knockdown prominently reduced cell proliferation, impeded cell migration and invasion, and restrained lymph node metastasis, with enhancing radiosensitivity. The effects of LINC00857 on tumor growth were also investigated in nude mice models. Subsequently, the downstream factors, miR-486-5p and NEK2, were screened, and the putative regulatory axis was examined. Overall, the regulatory effect of methylation-mediated LINC00857 overexpression on miR-486-5p/NEK2 axis may be a new mechanism for LUAD progression.

The trend of radiographic healing after root canal treatment in teeth with apical periodontitis based on cone-beam computed tomography: A 4-year longitudinal study.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to observe the radiographic healing of periapical lesions after root canal treatment via volumetric measurements based on cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) over 4 years. METHODS: In total, 162 single-root teeth from patients with chronic periapical periodontitis who underwent primary root canal treatment were included in this retrospective study. Follow-up visits were scheduled at 1, 2, and 4 years after treatment. The volume of radiolucency at pretreatment and follow-up were measured, and the radiographic outcomes were classified into 4 categories: absence, reduction, uncertain or enlargement. Reduction or enlargement was considered when the volumetric change in radiolucency was 20 % or more. RESULTS: During the 4-year follow-up period, 128 teeth were reviewed at least once, including 3 extracted teeth. Of the remaining 125 teeth, the volume of radiolucency was reduced in 116 teeth (90.6 %), uncertain in 5, and enlarged in 4 teeth during 1 to 4 years after treatment. Among the 43 teeth with reduced radiolucency at 1 year after treatment, 42 (97.7 %) had continuing reduced lesions at 4 years. In the 2 teeth with enlarged radiolucency at 1 year, the volume of radiolucency doubled at 4 years. Cox regression analysis revealed that the preoperative radiolucency size was a risk factor for persistent periapical radiolucency. CONCLUSIONS: The efficacy of root canal treatment for apical periodontitis was predictable. When the radiolucency changed by 20 % or more in volume on CBCT scans at 1 year after treatment, reversal of the radiographic healing tendency was rare. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The volumetric changes in radiolucency on CBCT could reflect trends in the healing process and may foster early clinical decision-making.

The long non-coding RNA CARDINAL attenuates cardiac hypertrophy by modulating protein translation.

One of the features of pathological cardiac hypertrophy is enhanced translation and protein synthesis. Translational inhibition has been shown to be an effective means of treating cardiac hypertrophy, although system-wide side effects are common. Regulators of translation, such as cardiac-specific long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), could provide new, more targeted, therapeutic approaches to inhibit cardiac hypertrophy. Therefore, we generated mice lacking a previously identified lncRNA named CARDINAL to examine its cardiac function. We demonstrate that CARDINAL is a cardiac-specific, ribosome associated lncRNA and show that its expression is induced in the heart upon pathological cardiac hypertrophy; its deletion in mice exacerbates stress-induced cardiac hypertrophy and augments protein translation. In contrast, overexpression of CARDINAL attenuates cardiac hypertrophy in vivo and in vitro, and suppresses hypertrophy-induced protein translation. Mechanistically, CARDINAL interacts with developmentally regulated GTP binding protein 1 (DRG1) and blocks its interaction with DRG family regulatory protein 1 (DFRP1); as a result, DRG1 is downregulated, thereby modulating the rate of protein translation in the heart in response to stress. This study provides evidence for the therapeutic potential of targeting cardiac-specific lncRNAs to suppress disease-induced translational changes and to treat cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure.

Highly Efficient Self-Assembly of Heterometallic [2]Catenanes and Cyclic Bis[2]catenanes via Orthogonal Metal-Coordination Interactions.

Although catenated cages have been widely constructed due to their unique and elegant topological structures, cyclic catenanes formed by the connection of multiple catenane units have been rarely reported. Herein, based on the orthogonal metal-coordination-driven self-assembly, we prepare a series of heterometallic [2]catenanes and cyclic bis[2]catenanes, whose structures are clearly evidenced by single-crystal X-ray analysis. Owing to the multiple positively charged nature, as well as the potential synergistic effect of the Cu(I) and Pt(II) metal ions, the cyclic bis[2]catenanes display broad-spectrum antibacterial activity. This work not only provides an efficient strategy for the construction of heterometallic [2]catenanes and cyclic bis[2]catenanes but also explores their applications as superior antibacterial agents, which will promote the construction of advanced supramolecular structures for biomedical applications.

Multicomponent, Multicavity Metallacages That Contain Different Binding Sites for Allosteric Recognition.

The encapsulation of different guest molecules by their different recognition domains of proteins leads to selective binding, catalysis, and transportation. Synthetic hosts capable of selectively binding different guests in their different cavities to mimic the function of proteins are highly desirable but challenging. Here, we report three ladder-shaped, triple-cavity metallacages prepared by multicomponent coordination-driven self-assembly. Interestingly, the porphyrin-based metallacage is capable of heteroleptic encapsulation of fullerenes (C60 or C70) and coronene using its different cavities, allowing distinct allosteric recognition of coronene upon the addition of C60 or C70. Owing to the different binding affinities of the cavities, the metallacage hosts one C60 molecule in the central cavity and two coronene units in the side cavities, while encapsulating two C70 molecules in the side cavities and one coronene molecule in the central cavity. The rational design of multicavity assemblies that enable heteroleptic encapsulation and allosteric recognition will guide the further design of advanced supramolecular constructs with tunable recognition properties.

Near-unity quantum yield and long-term emission stability in halide perovskite nanocrystal glass composite.

Metal halide perovskites are promising optoelectronic materials due to their outstanding luminescent properties. However, the instability of perovskites has long been the bottleneck to their practical applications. Here Cs4PbBr6 nanocrystals based glass composite (Cs4PbBr6 NCs@glass) are successfully prepared, which displays green emission color (520 nm), narrow bandwidth (23 nm) and a near-unity photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY). The H2O molecules permeating in the lattice of Cs4PbBr6 were found to be a crucial role in the subband energy emission. The Cs4PbBr6 NCs@glass has excellent emission stability; maintains 93 % of initial PL intensity after ultraviolet light irradiation for over 5000 h. In addition, by adjusting the halogen content, we have achieved tunable emission color from blue (450 nm) to green (520 nm) and red (670 nm) on Cs4PbX6 NCs@glass (X = Cl, Br, I), which covers up to 127 % of the National Television Systems Board (NTSC) standard system. Our finding indicates the commercial applications of perovskite materials in lighting and display.

Crystal structure of Trichinella spiralis calreticulin and the structural basis of its complement evasion mechanism involving C1q.

Helminths produce calreticulin (CRT) to immunomodulate the host immune system as a survival strategy. However, the structure of helminth-derived CRT and the structural basis of the immune evasion process remains unclarified. Previous study found that the tissue-dwelling helminth Trichinella spiralis produces calreticulin (TsCRT), which binds C1q to inhibit activation of the complement classical pathway. Here, we used x-ray crystallography to resolve the structure of truncated TsCRT (TsCRTΔ), the first structure of helminth-derived CRT. TsCRTΔ was observed to share the same binding region on C1q with IgG based on the structure and molecular docking, which explains the inhibitory effect of TsCRT on C1q-IgG-initiated classical complement activation. Based on the key residues in TsCRTΔ involved in the binding activity to C1q, a 24 amino acid peptide called PTsCRT was constructed that displayed strong C1q-binding activity and inhibited C1q-IgG-initiated classical complement activation. This study is the first to elucidate the structural basis of the role of TsCRT in immune evasion, providing an approach to develop helminth-derived bifunctional peptides as vaccine target to prevent parasite infections or as a therapeutic agent to treat complement-related autoimmune diseases.

Knowledge, attitude, practice and illness perception toward subarachnoid hemorrhage prevention and management among intracranial aneurysm patients.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to explore the knowledge, attitude, practice and illness perception toward prevention and management of subarachnoid hemorrhages (SAH) among intracranial aneurysm (IA) patients. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted between March 2023 and June 2023; demographic characteristics and KAP scores were collected by a self-administered questionnaire and analyzed by linear regression and path analysis. RESULTS: A total of 455 patients with IA were included, of them 26.37% experienced SAH before. Mean knowledge, attitude and practice scores were 16.60 ± 5.86, 16.39 ± 1.84, and 35.07 ± 3.51, respectively. The linear regression showed ethnic minority, married, education, family members in healthcare system, monthly per capita household income, experience ruptured intracranial aneurysms, smoking, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, and aortic lesion were associated with knowledge scores. Age, ethnic minority, urban residence, education, family members in healthcare system, monthly per capita household income, duration of IA ≥6 months, experience ruptured intracranial aneurysms, smoking, diabetes, and aortic lesion were associated with attitude scores. Age, urban residence, monthly per capita household income, duration of IA ≥6 months, experience of ruptured intracranial aneurysms, smoking, diabetes, and aortic lesion were associated with practice scores. According to the path analysis, knowledge directly affected illness perception (ß=0.156, P<0.001) and attitude (ß=0.708, P<0.001), while attitude (ß=0.909, P<0.001) and illness perception (ß=0.039, P=0.027) affected practice. CONCLUSIONS: Patients had positive attitudes towards SAH prevention and management, but a substantial knowledge gap was found along with notably delayed medical help-seeking behavior.

Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) and Metal-Organic Cages (MOCs) for Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and metal-organic cages (MOCs) have garnered significant attention as promising photocatalysts due to their tunable chemical structures and integrated multifunctionality. To increase the photocatalytic efficiency, strategies like ligand functionalization, introducing additional catalytic sites, and doping or encapsulating photosensitizers have been explored for both MOFs and MOCs. This concept review focuses on recent advancements in utilizing MOFs and MOCs for photocatalytic hydrogen production, highlighting their unique characteristics and introducing their respective mechanisms in this field. Moreover, it outlines the current challenges and prospects faced by MOFs and MOCs, offering an outlook on their future in this domain.

High-Performance Materials Improve the Early Shrinkage, Early Cracking, Strength, Impermeability, and Microstructure of Manufactured Sand Concrete.

The poor early shrinkage and cracking performances of manufactured sand concrete, waste powder concrete, and recycled aggregate concrete are the main difficulties in engineering applications. To solve these problems, early shrinkage and cracking, strength, and impermeability tests were performed on high-volume stone powder manufactured sand concrete mixed with fly ash and slag powder (FS), a shrinkage-reducing agent (SRA), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fibers, and a superabsorbent polymer (SAP). Furthermore, the microstructures and pore structures of these concretes were revealed using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results showed that the mixture of FS, SRA, PVA fibers, and SAP could effectively inhibit the shrinkage strain and cracking area of the concrete. The effect of the SAP on reducing the early shrinkage of the concrete is the greatest, and the shrinkage strain can be reduced by 76.49%. The PVA fibers had the most obvious effect on inhibiting the early cracking of the concrete, and the total cracking area was reduced by 66.91%. Significantly, the incorporation of the FS can improve the particle gradation and the pore structure and improve its compactness. The PVA fibers not only provide good carriers for cement-based materials but also enhance the bonding force between the particles inside the concrete, filling the pores inside the concrete, inhibiting the loss of water, and reducing the generation of internal microcracks. The FS and PVA can reduce the shrinkage and cracking risk and improve the strength and impermeability of the concrete. Although the SRA and SAP can reduce the shrinkage and cracking risks, it will lead to a significant decrease in the later strength and impermeability. The main reason is that the SRA leads to an increase in micropores in the matrix and microcracks near the aggregate, which are not conducive to the development of the strength and penetration resistance of the MS. Similarly, the SAP can promote the rapid formation of ettringite (Aft) at an early age and improve the early shrinkage, early cracking, and early strength of the concrete. However, with an increase in age, the residual pores, after SAP dehydration, will cause the deterioration of the concrete pore structure, resulting in the deterioration of the strength and impermeability.

NCOA4-mediated ferritinophagy participates in cadmium-triggered ferroptosis in spermatogonia.

Cadmium (Cd) is a common pollutant with reproductive toxicity. Our previous study revealed that Cd triggered spermatogonia ferroptosis. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Nuclear receptor coactivator 4 (NCOA4) mediates ferritinophagy and specific degradation of ferritin through lysosomes, resulting in the release of ferrous ions. Excessive autophagy can lead to ferroptosis. This study investigated the role of autophagy in Cd-triggered ferroptosis using GC-1 spermatogonial (spg) cells which exposed to CdCl2 (5 µM, 10 µM, or 20 µM) for 24 without/with CQ. The cells which transfected with Ncoa4-siRNA were used to explore the role of NCOA4-mediated ferritinophagy in Cd-triggered ferroptosis. The results revealed that Cd caused mitochondrial swelling, rupture of cristae, and vacuolar-like changes. The Cd-treated cells exhibited more autophagosomes. Simultaneously, Cd increased intracellular iron, reactive oxygen species, and malondialdehyde concentrations while decreasing glutathione content and Superoxide Dismutase-2 activity. Moreover, Cd upregulated mRNA levels of ferritinophagy-associated genes (Ncoa4, Lc3b and Fth1), as well as enhanced protein expression of NCOA4, LC3B, and FTH1. While Cd decreased the mRNA and protein expression of p62/SQSTM1. These results showed that Cd caused ferritinophagy and ferroptosis. The use of chloroquine to inhibit autophagy ameliorated Cd-induced iron overload and ferroptosis. Moreover, Ncoa4 knockdown in spermatogonia significantly reduced intracellular iron concentration and alleviated Cd-triggered ferroptosis. In conclusion, our findings demonstrate that Cd activates the ferritinophagy pathway mediated by NCOA4, resulting in iron accumulation through ferritin degradation. This causes oxidative stress, ultimately initiating ferroptosis in spermatogonia. Our results may provide new perspectives and potential strategies for preventing and treating Cd-induced reproductive toxicity.

miR-30a-5p attenuates hypoxia/reoxygenation-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis by regulating PTEN protein expression and activating PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

BACKGROUND: This study was designed to investigate the mechanism by which miR-30a-5p mediates cardiomyocyte apoptosis after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) induced by hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R). METHODS: Differentially expressed miRNAs were analyzed by RNA high-throughput sequencing in acute myocardial infarction (ST-elevation myocardial infarction) patients versus healthy individuals (controls). The H/R model was used to assess the regulatory mechanism of miRNAs in AMI. Lentivirus-associated vectors were used to overexpress or knock down miR-30a-5p in cellular models. The pathological mechanisms of miR-30a-5p regulating the development of acute myocardial infarction were serially explored by qPCR, bioinformatics, target gene prediction, dual luciferase, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) and Western blotting. RESULTS: The results showed that the expression of miR-30a-5p was significantly increased in AMI patients and H9C2 cells. Hypoxia decreased cardiomyocyte survival over time, and reoxygenation further reduced cell survival. Bax and Phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN)were suppressed, while Bcl-2 was upregulated. Additionally, miR-30a-5p specifically targeted the PTEN gene. According to the GO and KEGG analyses, miR-30a-5p may participate in apoptosis by interacting with PTEN. The miR-30a-5p mimic decreased the expression of apoptosis-related proteins and the levels of the proinflammatory markers IL-1ß, IL-6, and TNF-α by activating the PTEN/PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Conversely, anti-miR-30a-5p treatment attenuated these effects. Additionally, silencing PTEN and anti-miR-30a-5p had opposite effects on H/R-induced cell apoptosis. CONCLUSIONS: miR-30a-5p plays a crucial role in cardiomyocyte apoptosis after hypoxia-induced acute myocardial infarction. Our findings provide translational evidence that miR-30a-5p is a novel potential therapeutic target for AMI.

Hhatl ameliorates endoplasmic reticulum stress through autophagy by associating with LC3.

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, a common cellular stress response induced by various factors that interfere with cellular homeostasis, may trigger cell apoptosis. Autophagy is an important and conserved mechanism for eliminating aggregated proteins and maintaining protein stability of cells, which is closely associated with ER stress and ER stress-induced apoptosis. In this paper, we report for the first time that Hhatl, an ER-resident protein, is downregulated in response to ER stress. Hhatl overexpression alleviated ER stress and ER stress induced apoptosis in cells treated with tunicamycin or thapsigargin, whereas Hhatl knockdown exacerbated ER stress and apoptosis. Further study showed that Hhatl attenuates ER stress by promoting autophagic flux. Mechanistically, we found that Hhatl promotes autophagy by associating with autophagic protein LC3 (microtubule-associated protein 1A/1B-light chain 3) via the conserved LC3-interacting region motif. Noticeably, the LC3-interacting region motif was essential for Hhatl-regulated promotion of autophagy and reduction of ER stress. These findings demonstrate that Hhatl ameliorates ER stress via autophagy activation by interacting with LC3, thereby alleviating cellular pressure. The study indicates that pharmacological or genetic regulation of Hhatl-autophagy signaling might be potential for mediating ER stress and related diseases.

Fraxinellone alleviates colitis-related intestinal fibrosis by blocking the circuit between PD-1+ Th17 cells and fibroblasts.

BACKGROUND: Excessive activation of colonic fibroblasts and differentiation of T helper 17 (Th17) cells are the key steps for intestinal fibrogenesis in the process of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Although both transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-ß)/Mothers Against Decapentaplegic Homolog (SMAD) 3-induced fibroblasts activation and interleukin (IL)-6/signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) 3-induced Th17 differentiation have been well studied, the crosstalk between fibroblasts and Th17 cells in the process of intestinal fibrogenesis needs to be unveiled. METHODS: In this study, the activation of colonic fibroblasts was induced with dextran sulfate sodium salt (DSS) and TGF-ß in vivo and in vitro respectively. P-SMAD3 and its downstream targets were quantified using RT-PCR, western blot and immunofluorescence. The differentiation of programmed death 1 (PD-1) + Th17 and activation of fibroblasts were quantified by FACS. PD-1+ Th17 cells and fibroblasts were co-cultured and cytokines in the supernatant were tested by ELISA. The anti-fibrosis effects of different chemical compounds were validated in vitro and further confirmed in vivo. RESULTS: The colonic fibroblasts were successfully activated by DSS and TGF-ß in vivo and in vitro respectively, as activation markers of fibroblasts (p-SMAD3 and its downstream targets such as Acta2, Col1a1 and Ctgf) were significantly increased. The activated fibroblasts produced more IL-6 compared with their inactivated counterparts in vivo and in vitro. The proinflammatory cytokine IL-6 induced PD-1+ Th17 differentiation and TGF-ß that in return promoted the activation of colonic fibroblasts. Fraxinellone inhibited TGF-ß+ PD-1+ Th17 cells via deactivating STAT3. CONCLUSIONS: The reciprocal stimulation constructed a circuit of PD-1+ Th17 cells and fibroblasts that accelerated the fibrosis process. Fraxinellone was selected as the potential inhibitor of the circuit of PD-1+ Th17 cells and fibroblasts in vivo and in vitro. Inhibiting the circuit of PD-1+ Th17 cells and fibroblasts could be a promising strategy to alleviate intestinal fibrosis.

Synergistic Catalytic Performance of Pt-Au Bimetallic Catalysts on High-Crystallinity ZSM-23 Zeolite for Hexadecane Hydroisomerization: Metal-Acid Balance and Enhanced Isomerization Selectivity.

Highly crystalline ZSM-23 zeolite, exhibiting a distinctive dumbbell morphology, was synthesized via a hydrothermal method. Bifunctional catalysts, comprising single metals (Pt or Au) and bimetals (Pt-Au), were successfully prepared by using a positional precipitation method. The hydroisomerization of hexadecane served as a model reaction to assess the catalytic performance arising from the synergistic effects of bimetallic active sites. In comparison to single-metal catalysts, 0.3Au0.7Pt/ZSM-23 demonstrated increased n-C16 conversion, while 0.5Au0.5Pt/ZSM-23 exhibited enhanced i-C16 selectivity, achieving the highest i-C16 yield. The bimetallic catalyst not only finely tuned the metal site activity through bimetallic synergy but also achieved a superior balance between metal and acid catalysis, resulting in improved catalytic performance in the n-C16 hydroisomerization. The Pt-Au bimetallic catalyst approached the ideal requirements for a hydroisomerization catalyst, achieving a harmonious balance of metal and acid catalysis.

The priming effect of emotional words on body expressions: Two ERP studies.

The impact of emotional words on the recognition of body expression and the underlying neurodynamic mechanisms remain poorly understood. This study used a classic supraliminal priming paradigm and event related potential (ERP) to investigate the effect of emotion-label words (Experiment 1) and emotional verbs (Experiment 2) on the recognition of body expressions. The behavioral results revealed that individuals exhibited a higher accuracy in recognizing happy expressions when presented with a happy-label word condition, in contrast to neutral expressions. Furthermore, it was observed that the accuracy of recognizing happy body expressions was reduced when preceded by angry verb priming, compared to happy and neutral priming conditions. Conversely, the accuracy of recognizing angry body expressions was higher in response to angry verb priming than happy and neutral priming. The ERP results showed that, in the recognition of happy body expressions, the P300 amplitude elicited by angry-label words was more positive, while a congruent verb-expression condition elicited more positive P300 amplitude than an incongruent condition in the left hemisphere and midline. However, in the recognition of angry body expressions, the N400 amplitude elicited by a congruent verb-expression condition was smaller than that elicited by an incongruent condition. These results suggest that both abstract emotion-label words and specific emotional verbs influence the recognition of body expressions. In addition, integrating happy semantic context and body expression might occur at the P300 stage, whereas integrating angry semantic context and body expression might occur at the N400 stage. These findings present novel evidence regarding the criticality of emotional context in the recognition of emotions.