Dispersion Relations for Active Undulators in Overdamped Environments.

Organisms that locomote by propagating waves of body bending can maintain performance across heterogeneous environments by modifying their gait frequency $\omega$ or wavenumber $k$. We identify a unifying relationship between these parameters for overdamped undulatory swimmers (including nematodes, spermatozoa, and mm-scale fish) moving in diverse environmental rheologies, in the form of an active `dispersion relation' $\omega\propto k^{\pm2}$. A model treating the organisms as actively driven viscoelastic beams reproduces the experimentally observed scaling.

Characterization and AAV-mediated gene augmentation in human-derived and retinal organoids.

The majority of patients with mutations in develop either early-onset retinitis pigmentosa as young children or Leber congenital amaurosis as newborns. The cause for the phenotypic variability in -associated retinopathies is unknown, but might be linked to differences in CRB1 and CRB2 protein levels in Müller glial cells and photoreceptor cells. Here, and differentiation day 210 retinal organoids showed a significant decrease in the number of photoreceptor nuclei in a row and a significant increase in the number of photoreceptor cell nuclei above the outer limiting membrane.

CRB1 is required for recycling by RAB11A+ vesicles in human retinal organoids.

CRB1 gene mutations can cause early- or late-onset retinitis pigmentosa, Leber congenital amaurosis, or maculopathy. Recapitulating human CRB1 phenotypes in animal models has proven challenging, necessitating the development of alternatives. We generated human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived retinal organoids of patients with retinitis pigmentosa caused by biallelic CRB1 mutations and evaluated them against autologous gene-corrected hiPSCs and hiPSCs from healthy individuals.

AAV-mediated gene augmentation therapy of CRB1 patient-derived retinal organoids restores the histological and transcriptional retinal phenotype.

Retinitis pigmentosa and Leber congenital amaurosis are inherited retinal dystrophies that can be caused by mutations in the Crumbs homolog 1 (CRB1) gene. CRB1 is required for organizing apical-basal polarity and adhesion between photoreceptors and Müller glial cells. CRB1 patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells were differentiated into CRB1 retinal organoids that showed diminished expression of variant CRB1 protein observed by immunohistochemical analysis.

Isolation, complete genome sequencing and in silico genome mining of Burkholderia for secondary metabolites.

Recent years, Burkholderia species have emerged as a new source of natural products (NPs) with increasing attractions. Genome mining suggests the Burkholderia genomes include many natural product biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) which are new targets for drug discovery. In order to collect more Burkholderia, here, a strain S-53 was isolated from the soil samples on a mountain area in Changde, P.

Global sensitivity analysis in epidemiological modeling.

Operations researchers worldwide rely extensively on quantitative simulations to model alternative aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Proper uncertainty quantification and sensitivity analysis are fundamental to enrich the modeling process and communicate correctly informed insights to decision-makers. We develop a methodology to obtain insights on key uncertainty drivers, trend analysis and interaction quantification through an innovative combination of probabilistic sensitivity techniques and machine learning tools.

The efficacy and safety of adding bevacizumab in neoadjuvant therapy for locally advanced rectal cancer patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) are more likely to suffer local recurrence and distant metastases, contributing to worse prognoses. Considering the provided dramatic reduction of local recurrences, neoadjuvant CRT (nCRT) followed by curative resection with total mesorectal excision (TME) and adjuvant chemotherapy has been established as standard therapy for LARC patients. However, the efficacy of adding bevacizumab in neoadjuvant therapy, especially in induction therapy-containing nCRT for LARC patients remains uncertain.

Long-term pulmonary exposure to multi-walled carbon nanotubes promotes breast cancer metastatic cascades.

Anthropogenic carbon nanotubes, with a fibrous structure and physical properties similar to asbestos, have recently been found within human lung tissues. However, the reported carbon-nanotube-elicited pulmonary pathologies have been mostly confined to inflammatory or neoplastic lesions in the lungs or adjacent tissues. In the present study, we demonstrate that a single pulmonary exposure to multi-walled carbon nanotubes dramatically enhances angiogenesis and the invasiveness of orthotopically implanted mammary carcinoma, leading to metastasis and rapid colonization of the lungs and other organs.

pH and Temperature Dual-Responsive Plasmonic Switches of Gold Nanoparticle Monolayer Film for Multiple Anticounterfeiting.

Two-dimensional (2D) gold nanoparticle (Au NP) monolayer film possesses a lot of fascinating peculiarities, and has shown promising applications in photoelectrical devices, catalysis, spectroscopy, sensors, and anticounterfeiting. Because of the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) property predetermined by the natural structure of metal nanoparticles, it is usually difficult to realize the reversible LSPR transition of 2D film. In this work, we report on the fabrication of a large-area free-standing Au NP monolayer film with dual-responsive switchable plasmonic property using a pH- or thermal-responsive dendronized copolymer as a stimuli-sensitive linker.

Nanozyme-based lateral flow assay for the sensitive detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in milk.

Lateral flow assay (LFA) has been applied in many fields due to its relative ease of use and cost-effectiveness. However, it has low sensitivity and its applications are limited. Probe materials play a significant role in improving the detection efficiency and sensitivity of LFA.

Giant Gold Nanowire Vesicle-Based Colorimetric and SERS Dual-Mode Immunosensor for Ultrasensitive Detection of Vibrio parahemolyticus.

Conventional methods for the detection of Vibrio parahemolyticus (VP) usually need tedious, labor-intensive processes, and have low sensitivity, which further limits their practical applications. Herein, we developed a simple and efficient colorimetry and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) dual-mode immunosensor for sensitive detection of VP, by employing giant Au vesicles with anchored tiny gold nanowires (AuNW) as a smart probe. Due to the larger specific surface and special hollow structure of giant Au vesicles, silver staining would easily lead to vivid color change for colorimetric analysis and further amplify SERS signals.

Humidity-Responsive Gold Aerogel for Real-Time Monitoring of Human Breath.

Humidity sensors have received considerable attention in recent years because of their significance and wide applications in agriculture, industries, goods stores, and medical fields. However, the conventional humidity sensors usually possessed a complex sensing mechanism and low sensitivity and required a time-consuming, labor-intensive process. The exploration for an ideal sensing material to amplify the sensitivity of humidity sensors is still a big challenge.

Macroscopic Assembly of Gold Nanorods into Superstructures with Controllable Orientations by Anisotropic Affinity Interaction.

Two-dimensional or three-dimensional highly ordered arrays of anisotropic nanoparticles provide attracting properties that are highly desired by the industry. Traditional assembly methods such as evaporation usually produces the nanostructure arrays only up to the millimeter scale with poor control of nanoparticle orientation, making them hardly applicable for industrial needs. Here, we report a facile method to assemble centimeter-scale gold nanorod (Au NR) arrays with highly controlled nanoparticle orientation and high reproducibility.

Giant Vesicles with Anchored Tiny Gold Nanowires: Fabrication and Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering.

Sensitivity and reproducibility are two major concerns to improve the performance and extend the range of practical applications of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). A theoretical report reveals that hot spots formed by gold nanoparticles with a tip-to-tip configuration would generate the maximum electric field enhancement because of the lightning rod effect. In our present study, we constructed a giant vesicle consisting of anchored tiny gold nanowires to provide a high density of sharp tip-to-tip nanogaps for SERS application.

Bimetallic Au/Ag Core-Shell Superstructures with Tunable Surface Plasmon Resonance in the Near-Infrared Region and High Performance Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering.

Due to the larger surface area and the synergistic effects between two noble metals, the bimetallic superstructures exhibit enhanced distinctive optical, catalytic, and photothermal performances and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) "hot-spot" effect, and thus have attracted great interest in various applications. Compared with the common Pd, Pt hierarchical structures coated onto Au nanoparticles (NPs), easily synthesized via fast autocatalytic surface growth arising from intrinsic properties of Pd and Pt metals, precisely controlling the hierarchical Ag growth onto Au NPs is rarely reported. In our present study, the reducing agent dopamine dithiocarbamate (DDTC) was covalently capped onto the first metal core (Au) to delicately control the growth model of the second metal (Ag).

Hollow Au-Ag Nanoparticles Labeled Immunochromatography Strip for Highly Sensitive Detection of Clenbuterol.

The probe materials play a significant role in improving the detection efficiency and sensitivity of lateral-flow immunochromatographic test strip (ICTS). Unlike conventional ICTS assay usually uses single-component, solid gold nanoparticles as labeled probes, in our present study, a bimetallic, hollow Au-Ag nanoparticles (NPs) labeled ICTS was successfully developed for the detection of clenbuterol (CLE). The hollow Au-Ag NPs with different Au/Ag mole ratio and tunable size were synthesized by varying the volume ratio of [HAuCl4]:[Ag NPs] via the galvanic replacement reaction.

Novel carboxymethyl chitosan-graphene oxide hybrid particles for drug delivery.

We describe an electrostatic droplet generation method to prepare a novel carboxymethyl chitosan-graphene oxide hybrid particles for delivery purpose. Under an adjustable electrostatic field, graphene oxide and carboxymethyl chitosan mixed solution was sprayed as uniform micro-droplets, which were solidified as particles in CaCl solution. Such hybrid particles are wished to have excellent stability in saline solution, and better delivery properties than pristine carboxymethyl chitosan particles.

Human growth hormone and human prolactin function as autocrine/paracrine promoters of progression of hepatocellular carcinoma.

The death rates of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are extremely high due to the paucity of therapeutic options. Animal models and anecdotal clinical evidence indicate a potential role of hGH and hPRL in HCC. However, the prognostic relevance and the functional role of tumor expression of these hormones in human HCC are not defined.

CCAR1 5' UTR as a natural miRancer of miR-1254 overrides tamoxifen resistance.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) typically bind to unstructured miRNA-binding sites in target RNAs, leading to a mutual repression of expression. Here, we report that miR-1254 interacts with structured elements in cell cycle and apoptosis regulator 1 (CCAR1) 5' untranslated region (UTR) and this interaction enhances the stability of both molecules. miR-1254 can also act as a repressor when binding to unstructured sites in its targets.

Elevated CO₂ as a driver of global dryland greening.

While recent findings based on satellite records indicate a positive trend in vegetation greenness over global drylands, the reasons remain elusive. We hypothesize that enhanced levels of atmospheric CO2 play an important role in the observed greening through the CO2 effect on plant water savings and consequent available soil water increases. Meta-analytic techniques were used to compare soil water content under ambient and elevated CO2 treatments across a range of climate regimes, vegetation types, soil textures and land management practices.

Gd-metallofullerenol nanomaterial as non-toxic breast cancer stem cell-specific inhibitor.

The contemporary use of nanomedicines for cancer treatment has been largely limited to serving as carriers for existing therapeutic agents. Here, we provide definitive evidence that, the metallofullerenol nanomaterial Gd@C82(OH)22, while essentially not toxic to normal mammary epithelial cells, possesses intrinsic inhibitory activity against triple-negative breast cancer cells. Gd@C82(OH)22 blocks epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition with resultant efficient elimination of breast cancer stem cells (CSCs) resulting in abrogation of tumour initiation and metastasis.

Ultra-low percolation threshold in ferrite-metal cofired ceramics brings both high permeability and high permittivity.

High permeability and high permittivity are hard to be achieved simultaneously, either in single-phased materials or in composite materials, such as ferrite-ferroelectric ceramic composites and ferrite-metal percolative composites. In this work, ultra-low percolation threshold is achieved in NiZnCu ferrite-Ag cofired ceramics, which endows the composite with both high permeability and high permittivity by minimizing the negative effect of nonmagnetic conductive fillers on magnetic properties. The percolation threshold is controlled by the temperature matching between ferrite densification and Ag melting.

Pancreaticojejunostomy, hepaticojejunostomy and double Roux-en-Y digestive tract reconstruction for benign pancreatic diseases.

Surgery such as digestive tract reconstruction is usually required for pancreatic trauma and severe pancreatitis as well as malignant pancreatic lesions. The most common digestive tract reconstruction techniques (e.g.