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Xi Jia,1,2,* Xiaojing Li,3,* Linzi Miao,1 Rong Bao,4 Hui Xiong,3 Ran You,1 Yao Lu,1 Xiaoning Gui,1 Chenxue Qu1 1Department of Clinical Laboratory, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Clinical Laboratory, Baoding No.1 Central Hospital, Baoding, Hebei Province, People’s Republic of China; 3Emergency Department, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Clinical Laboratory, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Chenxue Qu, Department of Clinical Laboratory, Peking University First Hospital, No. 8 Xishiku Street Xicheng District, Beijing, People’s Republic of China, 100034, Tel +86-13661375860, Email qucx2012@163.comBackground: Sepsis causes substantial morbidity and mortality and constitutes a major public health problem. In patients with sepsis, immunosuppression is associated with poor prognosis, and immune monitoring during the early stages has prognostic value. This study aims to explore immunologic parameters associated with sepsis prognosis, potentially identifying patients who may benefit from immunotherapy, improving intensive care survival.Methods: A total of 65 patients with sepsis from the Department of Emergency Medicine were divided based on survival at 28 days (47 in the survival group, 18 in the non-survival group). Peripheral blood was collected to measure absolute lymphocyte count and T lymphocyte subpopulations, including the percentage and absolute count of total T cells, CD4+ T, CD8+ T, and NK cells, and the percentages of naïve CD4+ T, central memory CD4+ T, effector CD4+ T, effector memory CD4+ T, naïve CD8+ T, central memory CD8+ T, effector CD8+ T, effector memory CD8+ T, CD4+HLA-DR+ T, and CD8+HLA-DR+ T cells, and Tregs. The differences in these parameters between the two groups were compared and a regression model was constructed to identify possible risk factors for death in patients with sepsis.Results: The absolute lymphocyte count, absolute T cell count (CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+) and naïve CD4+ T cell percentage were significantly lower in the non-survival group. Conversely, Tregs were higher in patients who did not survive sepsis. In regression analysis, the absolute lymphocyte count and naïve CD4+ T cell percentage remained statistically significant. The receiver operating characteristic curve showed that a model based on the absolute lymphocyte count (435 cells/μL) and naïve CD4+ T cell percentage (20.25%) performed best in predicting sepsis prognosis.Conclusion: Monitoring of absolute lymphocyte count and analysis of T cell subtypes in the early phase of sepsis is predictive of outcome and may help identify those patients who would benefit from immunotherapy, improving survival.Keywords: sepsis, absolute lymphocyte count, T cell subpopulations, immune function

Jingxian Liao,1 Xiaozhu Shen,1 Zhiqiang Du,2 Xiaojuan Wang,2,&ast; Lei Miao2,&ast; 1Department of Geriatrics, The Second People’s Hospital of Lianyungang Affiliated to Kangda College of Nanjing Medical University, Lianyungang, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Critical Care Medicine, The Second People’s Hospital of Lianyungang Affiliated to Kangda College of Nanjing Medical University, Lianyungang, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Lei Miao; Xiaojuan Wang, Department of Critical Care Medicine, The Second People’s Hospital of Lianyungang Affiliated to Kangda College of Nanjing Medical University, No. 41, Hailian East Road, Haizhou District, Lianyungang, Jiangsu Province, 222000, People’s Republic of China, Email miaolei061@163.com; 56645221@qq.comPurpose: This study proposes a multiple mediation model to evaluate the association among diminished physical performance, malnutrition, inflammation, and delirium in seniors with community-acquired pneumonia.Patients and Methods: This retrospective cohort study included elderly patients hospitalized for community-acquired pneumonia at the Geriatrics Department of the Second People’s Hospital of Lianyungang from January 1, 2020, to January 1, 2024. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine the associations among physical performance, nutritional status, C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, and delirium. Mediation models assessed the effects of nutritional status and CRP on the relationship between physical performance and delirium, with subgroup analyses based on diabetes status.Results: A total of 379 patients were included, with a mean age of 80.0± 7.4 years, and 51.7% were male. The incidence of delirium during hospitalization was 28.5% (n=108). Subgroup analyses revealed significant correlations between physical performance, nutritional status, and CRP (P< 0.001), regardless of diabetes status. After adjusting for confounding variables, CRP was positively associated with delirium, while MNA-SF and SPPB scores showed negative correlations with delirium risk (OR=0.852, 95% CI: 0.730– 0.995; OR=0.580, 95% CI: 0.464– 0.727, P< 0.05). Mediation analyses indicated that MNA-SF scores and CRP significantly mediated the association between SPPB and delirium. Specifically, pathways “SPPB→ MNA-SF→ delirium”, “SPPB→ CRP→ delirium”, and “SPPB→ MNA-SF→ CRP→ delirium” demonstrated significant mediating effects in patients without diabetes, while only the pathway “SPPB→ MNA-SF→ CRP→ delirium” was significant in those with diabetes.Conclusion: Older patients with community-acquired pneumonia and poor physical performance are more susceptible to delirium, with nutritional status and inflammation as key mediators.Keywords: delirium, physical performance, nutritional status, inflammation

Lianjie Miao, Songwei Feng, Bo Ding, Ke Zhang, Yue Ding, Yang Shen Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Zhongda Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Yang Shen, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Zhongda Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210096, People’s Republic of China, Email shenyang@seu.edu.cnPurpose: The aim of this study was to analyze the survival of patients with endometrial cancer diagnosed after a prior cancer and identify risk factors of endometrial cancer death in this population.Methods: Totally 1371 women diagnosed with second primary endometrial cancer (SPEC) between 2004 and 2015 were identified using the SEER database. Clinicopathological characteristics were collected, and Fine and Gray regression model was employed to assess the impact of treatment for the first primary cancer (FPC) and SPEC on the mortality of endometrial cancer patients. After propensity score matching (PSM), patients diagnosed with single primary endometrial cancer and SPEC between 2004 and 2015 were included as the second cohort. Kaplan-Meier and Cox survival risk models were used to assess the influence of previous cancer history on survival.Results: Patients previously diagnosed as lung cancer exhibited the lowest overall survival (OS). A diagnostic interval of ≥ 3 years was significantly associated with higher mortality from SPEC compared with that < 3 years. Surgical treatment for SPEC was linked to a reduced risk of endometrial cancer-specific mortality (ECSM) and non-ECSM. Conversely, radiotherapy and chemotherapy were associated with an increased risk of ECSM. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS rates of patients with SPEC were significantly lower than those with single primary endometrial cancer whether before or after PSM. Univariate and multivariate analyses further demonstrated that endometrial cancer, either as FPC or SPEC, was independently associated with an increased risk for endometrial cancer-specific survival (ECSS) and OS.Conclusion: Chemotherapy and radiotherapy for SPEC can elevate the risk of ECSM. Whether as FPC or SPEC, endometrial cancer is demonstrated to be a significant independent risk factor for ECSS and OS.Keywords: second primary cancer, endometrial cancer, risk factor, overall survival, SEER database

Luohang Ni,&ast; Jianing Xu,&ast; Quanpeng Li, Xianxiu Ge, Fei Wang, Xueting Deng, Lin Miao Medical Center for Digestive Diseases, Second Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Xueting Deng; Lin Miao, Email xtdeng@njmu.edu.cn; linmiao@njmu.edu.cnAbstract: Biliary tract cancer (BTC) represents a challenging malignancy characterized by aggressive behavior, high relapse rates, and poor prognosis. In recent years, immunotherapy has revolutionized the treatment landscape for various cancers, but its efficacy in BTC remains limited. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the advances in preclinical and clinical studies of immunotherapy for BTC. We explore the potential of immune checkpoint inhibitors in reshaping the management of BTC. Despite disappointing results thus far, ongoing clinical trials are investigating the combination of immunotherapy with other treatment modalities. Furthermore, research on the tumor microenvironment has unveiled novel targets for immunotherapeutic interventions. By understanding the current state of immunotherapy in BTC and highlighting future directions, this article aims to fuel further exploration and ultimately improve patient outcomes in this challenging disease.Keywords: biliary tract cancer, cancer immunotherapy, tumor microenvironment, immune checkpoint inhibitors, clinical trials

Licai Miao,1,&ast; Zihao Xu,1,&ast; Junhao Sui,1,&ast; Xiangyu Meng,1,&ast; Shicheng Huo,2 Shu Liu,1 Mengchen Chen,1 Zhong Zheng,1 Xiaobin Cai,3 Hao Zhang1 1Department of Orthopedics, Changhai Hospital Affiliated to the Navy Military Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Spine Center, Changzheng Hospital, Navy Medical University, Shanghai, 200003, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Orthopedics Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200072, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Xiaobin Cai, Department of Orthopedics Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200072, People’s Republic of China, Tel +8613122575295, Email caixbjn@163.com Hao Zhang Department of Orthopedics, Changhai Hospital Affiliated to the Navy Military Medical University, Tel +8613917856377, Email zhanghsmmu@126.comPurpose: Skin injury, often caused by physical or medical mishaps, presents a significant challenge as wound healing is critical to restore skin integrity and tissue function. However, external factors such as infection and inflammation can hinder wound healing, highlighting the importance of developing biomaterials with antibiotic and wound healing properties to treat infections and inflammation. In this study, a novel photothermal nanomaterial (MMPI) was synthesized for infected wound healing by loading indocyanine green (ICG) on magnesium-incorporated mesoporous bioactive glass (Mg-MBG) and coating its surface with polydopamine (PDA).Results: In this study, Mg-MBG and MMPI was synthesized via the sol-gel method and characterized it using various techniques such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS) system and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The cytocompatibility of MMPI was evaluated by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), CCK8 assay, live/dead staining and F-actin staining of the cytoskeleton. The antibacterial efficiency was assessed using bacterial dead-acting staining, spread plate method (SPM) and TEM. The impact of MMPI on macrophage polarization was initially evaluated through flow cytometry, qPCR and ELISA. Additionally, an in vivo experiment was performed on a mouse model with skin excision infected. Histological analysis and RNA-seq analysis were utilized to analyze the in vivo wound healing and immunomodulation effect.Conclusion: Collectively, the new photothermal and photodynamic nanomaterial (MMPI) can achieve low-temperature antibacterial activity while accelerating wound healing, holds broad application prospects.Keywords: infection-related wounds, magnesium-doped bioactive glass, photothermal therapy, photodynamic therapy, immunomodulation

Reading is one of the most basic academic skills. An accurate monitor of one's text comprehension (i.e., metacomprehension) is essential for effective reading as it guides learning and choices of appropriate strategy used to maximize overall understanding. The processes of reading comprehension and metacomprehension are affected by text-related, task-related, and reader- /person-related factors. One of the two purposes of this report is to provide a brief review of consistent research findings on the interrelationships among several person-related variables and the complexity of those associations in reading and metacomprehension. The person variables discussed include personality, motivation, goal orientations, self-regulation, reading strategy use, and academic effort expenditure. A second purpose is to highlight practical educational implications from the prominent research evidence for classroom teaching.

The Big Five-Factor personality traits are examined in the present review. Individual characteristics and personality types may contribute differently to choices of learning strategies and overall cognitive performance. The purpose of this paper is twofold: (1) to provide a brief overview of consistent research findings on personality constructs as predictors of school-related factors, including academic ability, reading and math skills, metacognitive assessments, self-regulatory learning and processing strategies, and students' confidence; and (2) to highlight the applicable value of using personality-related propensities to guide teachers in the classroom. Inter-relationships among personality, cognition, metacognition, self-regulation, and learning outcomes are addressed. More importantly, in the end of the paper, practical teaching and learning applications are discussed and summarized in a table. The table is organized to highlight each personality trait, its significance based on research evidence, and its educational implications for specific teaching methods and strategies teachers can use to draw strengths from each personality trait and to maximize learning in the classroom.

Zidong Li,1 Lu Miao,1 Tianyi Zhang,2 Xinyi Li1 1Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Taiyuan, 030032, People’s Republic of China; 2School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan, 250000, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Xinyi Li, Email xinyili2003@163.comPurpose: We analyze the impact of different factors on clinical performance and prognosis in vestibular neuritis (VN) and explore indicators that could accurately reflect changes in patients’ symptoms at different stages.Methods: We observed patients with VN during the acute and recovery phases. Clinical symptoms, vertigo-related scales, neurological examination, vestibular function tests (caloric test, video head impulse test (vHIT), vestibular evoked myogenic potential (VEMP)), and the history of disease (underlying diseases, glucocorticoid therapy) were recorded at onset and at 4 and 12 weeks after onset in VN patients. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to identify vestibular function tests that had a linear regression relationship with the subjective quantitative results.Results: At 4 weeks after onset, the group without underlying disease had better improvement in EEV, gain, and UW than the group with underlying disease (P < 0.05). There was a significant difference in the change in DHI, EEV, gain of the affected horizontal semicircular canal in the vHIT and unilateral weakness (UW) between the glucocorticoid treatment group and the no glucocorticoid treatment group (P < 0.05), and glucocorticoid treatment group was better. The change value in the gain of horizontal canals in the vHIT was mainly positively and linearly correlated with the EEV scores (P< 0.001). Possible dynamic correlation between vHIT results and vestibular symptoms.Conclusion: The absence of underlying disease and the receipt of glucocorticoid therapy significantly contributed to the improvement of objective vestibular function tests in the short term, while the improvement of subjective vertigo may correlate with the different objective measures and questionnaire. We believe that the improvement of the affected horizontal semicircular canal gain value in the vHIT can be used as a reference indicator of the degree of improvement of vestibular symptoms with superior vestibular neuritis.Keywords: vestibular neuritis, video head impulse test, vertigo symptoms, caloric test, Dizziness Handicap Inventory and European Evaluation of Vertigo Scale

Lei Sun,1,&ast; Qi Zhao,2,&ast; Yanning Wang,3,&ast; Yongsheng Wang,2 Ming Zheng,2 Xuansheng Ding,4 Liyun Miao2 1School of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China; 3Clinical Stem Cell Center, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China; 4School of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Liyun Miao, Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, 210008, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86 13813920964, Fax +86-25-68183333, Email liyunmiao462@163.comPurpose: Anlotinib is widely used in the clinical treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), alone or in combination with other anticancer drugs. The aim of this study was to investigate the real-world efficacy and safety of anlotinib-containing regimens.Patients and Methods: Confirmed advanced NSCLC patients who had received anlotinib alone or in combination were enrolled. An overall analysis of the efficacy and safety of anlotinib was performed in all patients, and then subgroup analysis was used to further compare the efficacy between anlotinib monotherapy and combination therapy. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS), and the secondary endpoints were ADR, ORR, and DCR.Results: A total of 240 patients were included. The overall median PFS was 8.5 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 7.1– 9.9 months). Anlotinib treatment regimens (monotherapy or combination therapy) and whether they received previous antiangiogenesis were associated with PFS. Anlotinib plus immunotherapy achieved longer PFS than anlotinib monotherapy (median PFS: 10.5 vs 6.5 months, p=0.007). Stratification analysis showed the PFS of anlotinib plus immunotherapy was significantly longer in male, adenocarcinoma,

SmB6 is a strongly correlated material that has been attributed as a topological insulator and a Kondo insulator. Recent studies have found the topological surface states and low temperature insulating character to be profoundly robust against magnetic and nonmagnetic impurities. Here, we use angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy to chart the evolution of topologically linked electronic structure features versus magnetic doping and temperature in Sm1-xMxB6(M=Eu,Ce). Topological coherence phenomena are observed out to ∼30% Eu and 50% Ce concentrations that represent extreme nominal hole and electron doping, respectively. Theoretical analysis reveals that a recent redesignation of the topologically inverted band symmetries provides a natural route to reconciling the persistence of topological surface state emergence even as the insulating gap is lost through decoherence.

Wenhui Zhang,1,2 Shourong Liu,1 Liangbin Miao,3 Ai Fu,3 Jianfeng Bao,4 Liping Zheng,2 Er Li,2 Jianhua Yu,1,&ast; Yi Wang1,3,&ast; 1Department of Infection, Affiliated Hangzhou Xixi Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Nursing, Affiliated Hangzhou Xixi Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China; 3Institute of Hepatology and Epidemiology, Affiliated Hangzhou Xixi Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Hepatology, Affiliated Hangzhou Xixi Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Jianhua Yu, Department of Infection, Affiliated Hangzhou Xixi Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China, Email yujhmc@126.com Yi Wang, Institute of Hepatology and Epidemiology, Affiliated Hangzhou Xixi Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China, Email wangyi_xixi@126.comBackground: Comprehensive characterization of safety and immune responses to vaccines is crucial for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 among people living with HIV (PLWH). This study aimed to investigate the dynamic changes in SARS-CoV-2-specific CD4+ T-cell subsets and neutralizing antibody after three consecutive doses of inactivated COVID-19 vaccines (BBIBP-CorV) among PLWH.Methods: The blood samples were collected from 165 PLWH, including 66 PLWH in the 3-month interval between the second and third dose (cohort 1) and 99 PLWH in the 5-month interval (cohort 2). Blood collection for immunogenicity analysis was performed at 1-month post-2nd vaccination, pre-3rd vaccination, and within 2-month post-3rd vaccination. Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-rank test was applied to compare the SARS-CoV-2-specific CD4+ T cell subsets and neutralizing antibody level at different time points. The relationship among CD4+ T-cells, Tregs subpopulations and SARS-CoV-2-specific neutralizing antibody level were evaluated with Spearman non-parametric correlation test.Results: No serious adverse reactions were found among PLWH. After two-dose or three-dose inactivated COVID-19 vaccination, the absolute counts of CD4+ T-cells and Tregs subpopulations (CD4+CD25HighCD127Low Tregs, CD45RA+ rTregs and CD45RO+ eTregs) increased in two cohorts. Satisfactory SARS-CoV-2-specific neutralizing antibody responses to the third-dose vaccination were found in two cohorts, including significantly enhanced neutralizing antibody level and high neutralizing antibody seroconversion rate. In addition, SARS-CoV-2-specific neutralizing antibody level were positively associated with the absolute counts of CD4+ T-cells and Tregs subpopulations as well as the frequency of CD45RO+ eTregs in PLWH after three doses of vaccinations.Conclusion: The three doses of inactivated COVID-19 vaccination were both safe and effective to increase SARS-CoV-2-specific CD4+ T-cells and neutralizing antibody in two PLWH cohorts with different inoculation intervals.Keywords: CD4+ T-cells, neutralizing antibody, inactivated COVID-19 vaccines, PLWH

We present data for epitaxial thin films of the prototypical entropy-stabilized oxide (ESO), Mg0.2Ni0.2Co0.2Cu0.2Zn0.2O, that reveals a systematic trend in lattice parameter and properties as a function of substrate temperature during film growth with negligible changes in microstructure. A larger net Co valence in films grown at substrate temperatures below 350 °C results in a smaller lattice parameter, a smaller optical band gap, and stronger magnetic exchange bias. Observation of this phenomena suggests a complex interplay between thermodynamics and kinetics during ESO synthesis; specifically thermal history, oxygen chemical potential, and entropy. In addition to the compositional degrees of freedom available to ESO systems, subtle nuances in atomic structure at constant metallic element proportions can strongly influence properties, simultaneously complicating physical characterization and providing opportunities for property tuning and development.

Topological insulators are bulk semiconductors that manifest in-gap surface states with massless Dirac-like dispersion due to the topological bulk-boundary correspondence principle1–3. These surface states can be manipulated by the interface environment to display various emergent phenomena4–11. Here, we use angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy and scanning tunnelling microscopy to investigate the interplay of crystallographic inhomogeneity with the topologically ordered band structure in a model topological insulator. We develop quantitative analysis methods to obtain spectroscopic information, in spite of a limited dwell time on each measured point. We find that the band energies vary on the scale of 50 meV across the sample surface, and this enables single sample measurements that are analogous to a multi-sample doping series. By focusing separately on the bulk and surface electrons we reveal a hybridization-like interplay between fluctuations in the surface and bulk state energetics.

Xincong Li,1,&ast; Shuangshuang Ren,1,&ast; Lutong Song,1 Deao Gu,2 Haoran Peng,1 Yue Zhao,1 Chao Liu,2 Jie Yang,3 Leiying Miao1 1Department of Cariology and Endodontics, Nanjing Stomatological Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210008, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Orthodontics, Nanjing Stomatological Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210008, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Periodontology, Nanjing Stomatological Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210008, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Leiying Miao; Jie Yang, Email miaoleiying80@163.com; dorothy0314@sina.comIntroduction: Antibacterial photodynamic treatment (aPDT) has indispensable significance as a means of treating periodontal disorders because of its extraordinary potential for killing pathogenic bacteria by generating an overpowering amount of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The elevated ROS that may result from the antibacterial treatment procedure, however, could exert oxidative pressure inside periodontal pockets, causing irreparable damage to surrounding tissue, an issue that has severely restricted its medicinal applications. Accordingly, herein, we report the use of black phosphorus nanosheets (BPNSs) that can eliminate the side effects of ROS-based aPDT as well as scavenge ROS to produce an antibacterial effect.Methods: The antibacterial effect of ICG/aPDT was observed by direct microscopic colony counting. A microplate reader and confocal microscope enabled measurements of cell viability and the quantification of ROS fluorescence. BPNS administration regulated the oxidative environment. IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, IL-10, TGF-β, and Arg-1 mRNA expression levels were used to assess the inflammatory response after BPNS treatment. In vivo, the efficacy of the combination of BPNSs and ICG/aPDT was evaluated in rats with periodontal disease by histomorphometric and immunohistochemical analyses.Results: The CFU assay results verified the antibacterial effect of ICG/aPDT treatment, and ROS fluorescence quantification by CLSM indicated the antioxidative ability of the BPNSs. IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, IL-10, TGF-β, and Arg-1 mRNA expression levels were significantly decreased after BPNS treatment, confirming the in vitro anti-inflammatory effect of this nanomaterial. The histomorphometric and immunohistochemical analyses showed that the levels of proinflammatory factors decreased, suggesting that the BPNSs had anti-inflammatory effects in vivo.Conclusion: Treatment with antioxidative BPNSs gives new insights into future anti-inflammatory therapies for periodontal disease and other infection-related inflammatory illnesses and provides an approach to combat the flaws of aPDT.Graphical Abstract: Keywords: periodontitis, black phosphorus nanosheets, reactive oxygen species, antibacterial photodynamic therapy, macrophage polarization

We systematically investigate the role of defects, introduced by varying synthesis conditions and by carrying out ion irradiation treatments, on the structural and ferroelectric properties of commensurately strained bismuth ferrite BixFe2-xO3 layers grown on SrRuO3-coated DyScO3(110)o substrates using adsorption-controlled ozone molecular-beam epitaxy. Our findings highlight ion irradiation as an effective approach for reducing through-layer electrical leakage, a necessary condition for the development of reliable ferroelectrics-based electronics.

Yang Y, Ren S, Zhang X, et al. Int J Nanomedicine. 2018;13:3751-3762. The authors have advised that there were some editing errors for Figure 1C on page 3756 and Figure 3D on page 3759. Figure 1C did not clearly depict the boundary of Ag and Fe3O4. Thus, this corrigendum replaces the image 1C with a better resolution, as described in the “Results” section “PLGA(Ag-Fe3O4) nanocomposites preparation and characterization)” on pages 3755-3756. Image 3D has reported to have repeated region in the PLGA(Ag-Fe3O4) on the published proof. After a thorough check to the original images and raw data, the authors found out that there was no repeated region and hereby present the updated image for Figure 3. Page 3756, Figure 1, the correct figure is shown in Download Article. Page 3759, Figure 3, the correct figure is shown in Download Article. The authors apologize for these errors and advise they do not affect the results of the paper. Read the original article

The massless Dirac electrons found at topological insulator surfaces are thought to be influenced very little by weak, non-magnetic disorder. However, a resonance effect of strongly perturbing non-magnetic impurities has been theoretically predicted to change the dispersion and physical nature of low-energy quasiparticles, resulting in unique particle-like states that lack microscopic translational symmetry. Here we report the direct observation of impurities reshaping the surface Dirac cone of the model three-dimensional topological insulator bismuth selenide. A pronounced kink-like dispersion feature is observed in disorder-enriched samples, and found to be closely associated with the anomaly caused by impurity resonance in the surface state density of states, as observed by dichroic angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. The experimental observation of these features, which closely resemble theoretical predictions, has significant implications for the properties of topological Dirac cones in applied scenarios that commonly feature point-defect disorder at surfaces or interfaces. Topological insulators - influence of surface impurities: The electronic properties of topological insulators are robust against perturbations, including the presence of non-magnetic impurities. However, surface impurities can give rise to resonant states near the Dirac point, and if their density becomes sufficiently high it is predicted that they can substantially modify the dispersion of the Dirac cone and develop a collective behaviour that results in the formation of particle-like states that lack microscopic translational symmetry. L. Andrew Wray at Purdue University and at the New York University Shanghai, and colleagues, used angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy to experimentally observe the reshaping of the surface Dirac cone in a defect-rich sample of the topological insulator Bi2Se3. These results indicate that surface impurities can provide a useful handle to control the properties of topological insulators.

Topological insulators (TIs) in the Bi2Se3 family manifest helical Dirac surface states that span the topologically ordered bulk band gap. Recent scanning tunneling microscopy measurements have discovered additional states in the bulk band gap of Bi2Se3 and Bi2Te3, localized at one-dimensional step edges. Here numerical simulations of a TI surface are used to explore the phenomenology of edge state formation at the single-quintuple layer step defects found ubiquitously on these materials. The modeled one-dimensional edge states are found to exhibit a stable topological connection to the two-dimensional surface state Dirac point.

Personality is an aspect of individual differences that contribute to one's confidence and self-esteem, which can then impact on learning achievement such as reading ability as well as self-assessments of reading comprehension (i.e., metacomprehension). The present study investigated the role of individual differences on the Big Five personality in predicting reading comprehension and metacomprehension accuracy before and after a test. Personality traits were found to uniquely relate to reading comprehension, self-assessed confidence in comprehension, and metacomprehension accuracy. Openness to Experience positively correlated with all measures of confidence assessments on reading comprehension but failed to correlate to actual reading performance, indicating that participants were overconfident in their ability to perform. Extraversion negatively correlated with self-evaluation of comprehension performance and did not predict actual comprehension performance. More findings and educational implications from these findings were discussed to address the potential impacts of personality traits on reading and metacomprehension skills., Author(s): Lin-Miao L. Agler [sup.1] , Kenji Noguchi [sup.1] , Larisa K. Alfsen [sup.1] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.267193.8, 0000 0001 2295 628X, School of Psychology, University of Southern Mississippi Gulf [...]

The compound SmB6 is the best established realization of a topological Kondo insulator, in which a topological insulator state is obtained through Kondo coherence. Recent studies have found evidence that the surface of SmB6 hosts ferromagnetic domains, creating an intrinsic platform for unidirectional ballistic transport at the domain boundaries. Here, surface-sensitive x-ray absorption (XAS) and bulk-sensitive resonant inelastic x-ray scattering spectra are measured at the Sm N4,5 edge, and used to evaluate electronic symmetries, excitations, and temperature dependence near the surface of cleaved samples. The XAS data show that the density of large-moment atomic multiplet states on a cleaved surface grows irreversibly over time, to a degree that likely exceeds a related change that has recently been observed in the surface 4f orbital occupation.

Vanadium dioxide is of broad interest as a spin-12 electron system that realizes a metal-insulator transition near room temperature, due to a combination of strongly correlated and itinerant electron physics. Here, resonant inelastic x-ray scattering is used to measure the excitation spectrum of charge and spin degrees of freedom at the vanadium L edge under different polarization and temperature conditions, revealing excitations that differ greatly from those seen in optical measurements. These spectra encode the evolution of short-range energetics across the metal-insulator transition, including the low-temperature appearance of a strong candidate for the singlet-triplet excitation of a vanadium dimer.

Ni Wang,1,* Yang Cao,2,* Xianxiu Ge,1,* Junjie Nie,1 Yang Yu,1 Quanpeng Li,1 Fei Wang,1 Lin Miao11Medical Center for Digestive Diseases, Second Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Lin MiaoDepartment of Gastroenterology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 121 Jiangjiayuan, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province 210011, People’s Republic of ChinaEmail linmiao@njmu.edu.cn*These authors contributed equally to this workPurpose: MicroRNA-195 is dysregulated in different kinds of cancers and plays a pivotal role in tumorigenesis. It may function as a prognostic biomarker for cancers. However, the results from articles were not consistent. This study was designed to validate the prognostic value of microRNA-195 in human tumors.Methods: We conducted a detailed search on PubMed until December 31, 2018. The quality of these publications was assessed on the basis of a list of key reviews presented by PRISMA statement. The pooled hazard ratios (HR) and pooled odds ratios (OR) of each 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were calculated to assess the effect.Results: This meta-analysis included 12 studies involving 940 cancer patients to assess the prognostic value of miR-195 in different solid tumors. The results showed that patients with high expression of miR-195 had favorable tumor-node-metastasis (late vs early: pooled OR =0.16, 95% CI: 0.11–0.22, P

Qianqian Zhou,1,* Chao Song,1,* Xiaoqiu Liu,2,3,* Hao Qin,1 Lixia Miao,1 Xuesen Zhang1 1State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China; 2Key Laboratory of Pathogen Biology of Jiangsu Province, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China; 3Department of Microbiology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China *These authors contributed equally to this work Background: Adriamycin (ADR) is widely used in the clinical chemotherapy against breast cancer. But its efficacy is strongly limited due to the acquisition of multidrug resistance (MDR). Therefore, acquisition of the resistance to ADR is still a major cause of chemotherapy failure in breast cancer patients. Peptidylarginine deiminase IV (PAD4) is reported to target non-histone proteins for citrullination, regulate their substrate activities, and thereby play critical roles in maintaining cell phenotype in breast cancer cells. However, whether PAD4 is involved in the development of MDR in breast cancer is poorly understood.Materials and methods: We examined the expression of PAD family members, including PAD4 in ADR-resistant MCF-7 cells compared with the parental control cells by real-time PCR and Western blotting analyses. Rescue of PAD4 expression in MCF-7/ADR cells was performed to assess whether PAD4 could restore the sensitivity of MCF-7/ADR cells to ADR treatment with cell counting kit-8, flow cytometry, TUNEL, nuclear and cytoplasmic extract preparations, and immunofluorescence staining analyses.Results: Both PAD2 and PAD4 were significantly decreased in ADR-resistant cells. However, only PAD4 overexpression can increase the sensitivity of MCF-7/ADR cells to ADR treatment and decrease MDR1 gene expression. Overexpression of PAD4 in MCF-7/ADR cells inhibited cell proliferation by inducing cell apoptosis. Under ADR treatment, overexpression of PAD4 promoted nuclear accumulation of glycogen synthase kinase-3β and p53, which further activated proapoptotic gene expression and downregulated MDR1 expression. Moreover, PAD4 activity was required for activating proapoptotic gene transcripts.Conclusion: We demonstrate the previously unappreciated role of PAD4 in reversing ADR resistance in MCF-7/ADR cells and help establish PAD4 as a candidate biomarker of prognosis and chemotherapy target for MDR in breast cancers. Keywords: PAD4, apoptosis, MDR, breast cancer, GSK3β