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Jian Peng,1– 3,* Yue Wang,3,* Zhaoyin Wu,3 Chengju Mao,3 Lu Li,1,2 Huijun Cao,4 Zhilang Qiu,3 Guo Guo,3,5 Guiyou Liang,4,5 Feng Shen1,2 1Department of Intensive Care Unit, Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, 550009, People’s Republic of China; 2Guizhou Institute of Precision Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, 550009, People’s Republic of China; 3Key Laboratory of Infectious Immune and Antibody Engineering of Guizhou Province, Cellular Immunotherapy Engineering Research Center of Guizhou Province, School of Biology and Engineering/School of Basic Medical Sciences, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, 550025, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Cardiac Surgery, the affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, 550009, People’s Republic of China; 5Translational Medicine Research Center, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, 550025, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Feng Shen; Guiyou Liang, Email doctorshenfeng@163.com; guiyou515@163.comIntroduction: Acinetobacter baumannii has become a major difficulty in the treatment of bacteria-associated infection. The previously reported antimicrobial peptide Cec4 exhibited good and stable activity against A. baumannii in vitro, but the mechanisms and effects in vivo are elusive.Methods: The effects of Cec4 on bacterial membrane permeability, membrane potential and bacterial reactive oxygen species were measured. The cell membrane localization of antimicrobial peptides was studied by fluorescence labelling. The ability of bacteria to develop resistance to antimicrobial peptides was studied by continuous induction, and transcriptome difference was analysed. The in vivo toxicity of Cec4 against nematodes and mice was studied, and the in vivo therapeutic potential of Cec4 against A. baumannii was assessed.Results: Cec4 effectively cleared multidrug-resistant A. baumannii by altering bacterial cell membrane permeability, changing bacterial cell membrane polarity, and increasing bacterial intracellular reactive oxygen species. Cec4 affected the expression of the secretion system, outer membrane, and efflux pump genes of A. baumannii. In addition, the bacteria did not acquire stable drug-resistant ability. Cec4 at 1.024 mg/mL did not affect the proliferation of HeLa and HepG2 cells, and Cec4 at 45 mg/kg had little effect on the mortality of Caenorhabditis elegans, even the liver and kidney tissues of mouse. Most importantly, Cec4 could effectively improve the survival rates and reduce the bacterial load of various tissues in the mouse model of infection.Conclusion: In conclusion, Cec4 can damage the cell membrane of bacteria, and the bacteria is not easy to produce resistance to Cec4. Besides, Cec4 has good potential for the treatment of multidrug-resistant A. baumannii infections.Keywords: antimicrobial peptide, A. baumannii, sepsis, skin infection, drug safety

Individuals who participate in anonymous donations generally describe themselves as altruists when speaking of their donating. However, the inconsistency between words and deeds may lead to different cooperation intentions when perceived by others. This study examines the effect of perceived donation behavior (true goodness vs. hypocrisy; direct vs. indirect) on willingness to cooperate, where motivation attributions play a mediating role while perceived hypocrisy is not significant in predicting cooperation intention. The findings suggest that the effects of different perceived donation behaviors on willingness to cooperate differ significantly, and the effects of motivation attributions on cooperation intention are similar for the same type of perceived donation behavior (true goodness and hypocrisy). By comparing the four donation behavior situations, this paper provides practical insights into how people can reasonably engage in prosocial acts of kindness, such as donations in the Chinese cultural context, based on differences in their assessments of donor motivation, hypocrisy, and the strength of their willingness to cooperate.

The huge volumetric expansion (300 %) of Si that occurs during the charge-discharge process makes it to have poor cycling ability and weak stable structure. These factors are considered as critical obstacles to the further development of Si as anode for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Herein, novel 3D interpenetrating microspheres, i.e., Si@C-CNTs, which consist of silicon nanoparticles interpenetrated with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and stuck with amorphous carbon (C) have been designed and prepared via a spray-drying assisted approach. As anode of LIBs, Si@C-CNTs microspheres can achieve high silicon loadings of around 86 % and a high initial coulomb efficiency of 80.8 %. The electrodes maintain a reversible specific capacity of 1585.9mAh/g at 500 mA g

Corneal stem/progenitor cells are typical adult stem/progenitor cells. The human cornea covers the front of the eyeball, which protects the eye from the outside environment while allowing vision. The location and function demand the cornea to maintain its transparency and to continuously renew its epithelial surface by replacing injured or aged cells through a rapid turnover process in which corneal stem/progenitor cells play an important role. Corneal stem/progenitor cells include mainly corneal epithelial stem cells, corneal endothelial cell progenitors and corneal stromal stem cells. Since the discovery of corneal epithelial stem cells (also known as limbal stem cells) in 1971, an increasing number of markers for corneal stem/progenitor cells have been proposed, but there is no consensus regarding the definitive markers for them. Therefore, the identification, isolation and cultivation of these cells remain challenging without a unified approach. In this review, we systematically introduce the profile of biological characterizations, such as anatomy, characteristics, isolation, cultivation and molecular markers, and clinical applications of the three categories of corneal stem/progenitor cells.

The damage effects of fluid-filled submunition payload impacted by the kinetic kill vehicle (KKV) are investigated by simulations and ground-based experiments. Numerical simulations showed that the damage level and number of submunitions were significantly influenced by the diameter of the KKV compared with its length. Based on that, a high velocity penetrator formed by shaped charge explosion was used to simulate the direct hit experiment of a KKV impacting submunition payload. Experimental results demonstrated that the damage modes of submunitions mainly included the slight damage, perforation and total smash, showing a good agreement with the simulations. To understand the multiple damage modes of submunitions, the damage behavior of the submunitions in direct hit process were analyzed based on the AUTODYN-3D code. Numerical results presented that increased KKV diameter can increase the crater diameter and expand the damage volume, which will achieve a higher direct hit lethality. Further analysis indicated that there were other mechanical behaviors can enhance the damage to submunitions not lying in the KKV flight path, such as secondary debris kill, neighboring submunitions collision with each other, and high-speed fluid injection effect.

Background Leptotrombidium scutellare is one of the six main vectors of scrub typhus in China and is a putative vector of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS). This mite constitutes a large portion of the chigger mite community in southwest China. Although empirical data on its distribution are available for several investigated sites, knowledge of the species’ association with human well-being and involvement in the prevalence of mite-borne diseases remains scarce. Methods Occurrence data on the chigger mite were obtained from 21 years (2001–2021) of field sampling. Using boosted regression tree (BRT) ecological models based on climate, land cover and elevation variables, we predicted the environmental suitability for L. scutellare in Yunnan and Sichuan Provinces. The potential distribution range and shifts in the study area for near-current and future scenarios were mapped and the scale of L. scutellare interacting with human activities was evaluated. We tested the explanatory power of the occurrence probability of L. scutellare on incidences of mite-borne diseases. Results Elevation and climate factors were the most important factors contributing to the prediction of the occurrence pattern of L. scutellare. The most suitable habitats for this mite species were mainly concentrated around high-elevation areas, with predictions for the future showing a trend towards a reduction. Human activity was negatively correlated with the environmental suitability of L. scutellare. The occurrence probability of L. scutellare in Yunnan Province had a strong explanatory power on the epidemic pattern of HFRS but not scrub typhus. Conclusions Our results emphasize the exposure risks introduced by L. scutellare in the high-elevation areas of southwest China. Climate change may lead to a range contraction of this species towards areas of higher elevation and lessen the associated exposure risk. A comprehensive understanding of the transmission risk requires more surveillance efforts. Graphical Abstract

Background: Notch receptors (Notch 1/2/3/4), the critical effectors of the Notch pathway, participate in the tumorigenesis and progression of many malignancies. However, the clinical roles of Notch receptors in primary glioblastoma (GBM) have not been fully elucidated.Methods: The genetic alteration-related prognostic values of Notch receptors were determined in the GBM dataset from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Two GBM datasets from TCGA and Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas (CGGA) were used to explore the differential expression between Notch receptors and IDH mutation status, and GBM subtypes. The biological functions of Notch Receptors were explored by Gene Ontology and KEGG analysis. The expression and prognostic significance of Notch receptors were determined in the TCGA and CGGA datasets and further validated in a clinical GBM cohort by immunostaining. A Notch3-based nomogram/predictive risk model was constructed in the TCGA dataset and validated in the CGGA dataset. The model performance was evaluated by receiver operating curves, calibration curves, and decision curve analyses. The Notch3-related phenotypes were analyzed via CancerSEA and TIMER. The proliferative role of Notch3 in GBM was validated in U251/U87 glioma cells by Western blot and immunostaining.Results: Notch receptors with genetic alterations were associated with poor survival of GBM patients. Notch receptors were all upregulated in GBM of TCGA and CGGA databases and closely related to the regulation of transcription, protein-lysine N-methyltransferase activity, lysine N-methyltransferase activity, and focal adhesion. Notch receptors were associated with Classical, Mesenchymal, and Proneural subtypes. Notch1 and Notch3 were closely correlated with IDH mutation status and G-CIMP subtype. Notch receptors displayed the differential expression at the protein level and Notch3 showed a prognostic significance in a clinical GBM cohort. Notch3 presented an independent prognostic role for primary GBM (IDH1 mutant/wildtype). A Notch3-based predictive risk model presented favorable accuracy, reliability, and net benefits for predicting the survival of GBM patients (IDH1 mutant/wildtype and IDH1 wildtype). Notch3 was closely related to immune infiltration (macrophages, CD4+ T cells, and dendritic cells) and tumor proliferation.Conclusion: Notch3-based nomogram served as a practical tool for anticipating the survival of GBM patients, which was related to immune-cell infiltration and tumor proliferation.

Albinism is a kind of anomalous hypopigmentation with a complete white pelage, and it is completely devoid of melanin in the skin, hair follicles and eyes. The present paper firstly reports two cases of adult mole shrews (Anourosorex squamipes) with albinism, which were found in Sichuan province of southwestern China. The two female mole shrews show a complete white pelage. Stained by the soil, the albinistic mole shrews show a yellowish white color. Besides the same morphological characteristics, all the body parameters of the two albinistic mole shrews are within the parameter range of the six normal mole shrews captured at the same site.

All-carbon graphdiyne (GDY)-based materials have attracted extensive attention owing to their extraordinary structures and outstanding performance in electrochemical energy storage. Straightforward insights into the interfacial evolution at GDY electrode/electrolyte interface could crucially enrich the fundamental comprehensions and inspire targeted regulations. Herein

In recent years, the pursuit of high-efficiency electrochemical storage technology, the multivalent metal-ion batteries (MIBs) based on aqueous electrolytes have been widely explored by researchers because of their safety, environmental friendliness, abundant reserves and low price, and especially the merits in energy and power densities. This review firstly expounds on the problems existing in the electrode materials of aqueous multivalent MIBs (Zn2+, Mg2+, Al3+, Ca2+), from the classical inorganic materials to the emerging organic compounds, and then summarizes the design strategies in bulk and interface structure of electrodes with favorable kinetics and stable cycling performance, especially laying the emphasis on the charge storage mechanism of cathode materials and dendrite-free Zinc anode from the aspect of electrolyte optimization strategies, which can be extended to other aqueous multivalent MIBs. Ultimately, the possible development directions of the aqueous multivalent MIBs in the future are provided, anticipating to provide a meaningful guideline for researchers in this area.

Gel polymer electrolytes (GPEs) are one of the promising candidates for high-energy-density quasi-solid-state lithium metal batteries (QSSLMBs), for their high ionic conductivity and excellent interfacial compatibility. The comprehension of dynamic evolution and structure-reactivity correlation at the GPE/Li interface becomes significant. Here, in situ electrochemical atomic force microscopy (EC-AFM) provides insights into the LiNO3-regulated micromechanism of the Li plating/stripping behavior upon cycles in GPE-based LMBs at nanoscale. The additive LiNO3 induces the formation of amorphous nitride SEI film and facilitates the Li+ ion diffusion. It stabilizes a compatible interface and regulates the Li nucleation/growth at steady kinetics. The deposited Li is in the shape of chunks and tightly compact. The Li dissolution shows favorable reversibility, which guarantees the cycling performance of LMBs. In situ AFM monitoring provides a deep understanding into the dynamic evolution of Li deposition/dissolution and the interphasial properties of tunable SEI film, regulating the rational design of electrolyte and interfacial establishment for GPE-based QSSLMBs.

To explore the effect of image-guided systems in phacoemulsification with intraocular lens (IOL) implantation.We searched Pubmed, Embase and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (inception to January 20, 2021). Two researchers extracted data and assessed paper quality independently. Uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA) before and after surgery, best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) before and after surgery, preoperative cylinder, postoperative residual refractive cylinder, postoperative corneal cylinder, IOL misalignment, and intraocular pressure (IOP) were compared.We included 14 studies with 885 cataract eyes. All data were performed using Review Manager 5.3 (RevMan 5.3) (https://revman.cochrane.org/). Cases of all preoperative outcomes showed no significant difference between image-guided group and manual group. There was no significant difference in postoperative UDVA (Standard mean difference (SMD: -0.11, 95% CI: -0.32 to 0.11,Image-guided systems can improve the effect in phacoemulsification with intraocular lens (IOL) implantation.

Catalysts with two single-atom sites promote reversible conversion reactions between S and Li2S. The Co active site enhances the transformation kinetics of polysulfides upon charging, the Fe active site accelerates the transformation of Li2S to S8.

An artificial “salt-in-polymer” SEI was constructed on the surface of Li-MSiOx particles to maintain the structural integrity and inhibit the parasitic reaction at the electrode/electrolyte interface during cycling.

Micrometre-sized electrode materials have distinct advantages for battery applications in terms of energy density, processability, safety and cost. For the silicon monoxide anode that undergoes electrochemical alloying reaction with Li, the Li (de)intercalation by micron-sized active particles usually accompanies with a large volume variation, which pulverizes the particle structure and leads to rapidly faded storage performance. In this work, we proposed to stabilize the electrochemistry vs. Li of the micron-SiOx anode by forming a rigid-flexible bi-layer coating on the particle surface. The coating consists of pyrolysis carbon as the inner layer and polydopamine as the outer layer. While the inner layer guarantees high structural rigidity at particle surface and provides efficient pathway for electron conduction, the outer layer shows high flexibility for maintaining the integrity of micrometre-sized particles against drastic volume variation, and together they facilitate formation of stable solid electrolyte interface on the SiOx particles. A composite anode prepared by mixing the coated micron-SiOx with graphite delivered improved Li storage performance, and promised a high-capacity, long-life LiFePO4/SiOx-graphite pouch cell. Our strategy provides a general and feasible solution for building high-energy rechargeable batteries from micrometre-sized electrode materials with significant volume variation.