Search

Abstract Temperature changes during the chemical corrosion of stone cultural relics affect the condensation and evaporation of water and chemical reactions between soluble substances and corrosive solutions. This ultimately leads to changes in the internal structure and composition of the artifacts, which in turn lead to changes in the microstrain of cultural relics. To obtain in-situ real-time information on changes in the temperature and microstrain of stone cultural relics during chemical corrosion damage, a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) detection system was developed. The detection principle for the temperature and microstrain of sandstone was provided. Thermal field emission scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and mercury intrusion porosimetry were used to characterize the surface morphology, composition, and pore structure of the sandstone samples, respectively. The temperature and microstrain changes of the sandstone samples under deionized water with different acidic/alkaline and salt solutions and at different temperatures were examined online in situ using the FBG measurement system. The results indicate that the dissolution of sandstone in the acidic solution (H2SO4 and NaHSO4) resulted in an exothermic chemical reaction as well as the dissolution of sandstone in the neutral salt solution (Na2SO4) and alkaline solution (NaOH and Na2CO3) led to material conversion and exothermic chemical reaction; the deionization reaction belongs to the dissolution reaction. The NaHSO4 solution caused the most serious corrosive disease on the sandstone surface. When the temperature of the NaHSO4 solution was 60 °C, the temperature and microstrain of the sandstone reached 63.9 °C and 253.6 με, respectively. The results of this study can support the research of revealing the corrosion mechanism of sandstone in different environments.

Abstract lncRNA can regulate tumorigenesis development and distant metastasis of colorectal cancer (CRC). However, the detailed molecular mechanisms are still largely unknown. Using RNA-sequencing data, RT-qPCR, and FISH assay, we found that HIF1A-AS2 was upregulated in CRC tissues and associated with poor prognosis. Functional experiments were performed to determine the roles of HIF1A-AS2 in tumor progression and we found that HIF1A-AS2 can promote the proliferation, metastasis, and aerobic glycolysis of CRC cells. Mechanistically, HIF1A-AS2 can promote FOXC1 expression by sponging miR-141-3p. SP1 can transcriptionally activate HIF1A-AS2. Further, HIF1A-AS2 can be packaged into exosomes and promote the malignant phenotype of recipient tumor cells. Taken together, we discovered that SP1-induced HIF1A-AS2 can promote the metabolic reprogramming and progression of CRC via miR-141-3p/FOXC1 axis. HIF1A-AS2 is a promising diagnostic marker and treatment target in CRC.

Abstract Disseminated adenovirus infection is a complication with a relatively high mortality rate among patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. The low efficacy and poor availability of current treatment options are of major concern. Programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) blockade has been used to treat several chronic viral infections. Herein, we report a case of disseminated adenovirus infection in the early posttransplant period. The patient was diagnosed with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma at first and underwent 8 cycles of chemotherapy, including rituximab. She was subsequently diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia and received haploidentical transplantation. She was diagnosed with Epstein‒Barr virus (EBV)-positive posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) 2 months after the transplant, and 3 doses of rituximab were administered. The patient was diagnosed with disseminated adenovirus infection with upper respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract and blood involved at 3 months after transplantation. She was first treated with a reduction in immunosuppression, cidofovir and ribavirin. Then, the patient received salvage treatment with the PD-1 inhibitor sintilimab (200 mg) after achieving no response to conventional therapy. The adenovirus was cleared 3 weeks later, and concomitant EBV was also cleared. Although the patient developed graft-versus-host disease of the liver after the administration of the PD-1 inhibitor, she was cured with steroid-free therapy. Therefore, PD-1 blockade immunotherapy can be considered a promising treatment option for patients with disseminated adenovirus infection after transplantation, with fully weighing the hazards of infection and the side effects of this therapy.

Abstract Background Skin cutaneous melanoma (SKCM) is the most aggressive skin cancer, accounting for more than 75% mortality rate of skin-related cancers. As a newly identified programmed cell death, pyroptosis has been found to be closely associated with tumor progression. Nevertheless, the prognostic significance of pyroptosis in SKCM remains elusive. Methods A total of 469 SKCM samples and 812 normal samples were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) databases. Firstly, differentially expressed pyroptosis-related genes (PRGs) between normal samples and SKCM samples were identified. Secondly, we established a prognostic model based on univariate Cox and LASSO Cox regression analyses, which was validated in the test cohort from GSE65904. Thirdly, a nomogram was used to predict the survival probability of SKCM patients. The R package “pRRophetic” was utilized to identify the drug sensitivity between the low- and high-risk groups. Tumor immune infiltration was evaluated using “immuneeconv” R package. Finally, the function of GSDMD and SB525334 was explored in A375 and A2058 cells. Results Based on univariate Cox and LASSO regression analyses, we established a prognostic model with identified eight PRGs (AIM2, CASP3, GSDMA, GSDMC, GSDMD, IL18, NLRP3, and NOD2), which was validated in the test cohort. SKCM patients were divided into low- and high-risk groups based on the median of risk score. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis showed that high-risk patients had shorter overall survival than low-risk patients. Additionally, time-dependent ROC curves validated the accuracy of the risk model in predicting the prognosis of SKCM. More importantly, 4 small molecular compounds (SB525334, SR8278, Gemcitabine, AT13387) were identified, which might be potential drugs for patients in different risk groups. Finally, overexpression of GSDMD and SB525334 treatment inhibit the proliferation, migration, and invasion of SKCM cells. Conclusion In this study, we constructed a prognostic model based on PRGs and identified GSDMD as a potential therapeutic target, which provide new insights into SKCM treatment.

This paper presents a micromachined thermal convective accelerometer with low power and high reliability. This accelerometer comprises a heater and two thermistors. The central heater elevates the temperature of the chip above ambient levels while the symmetrically arranged thermistors monitor the temperature differentials induced by acceleration. The heater and thermistors are fabricated on a glass substrate using a standard micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) process flow, and the fabricated sensor is installed on a rotation platform and a shaking table experimental setup to perform the experiment. The results indicate that the sensor has the capability to measure accelerations surpassing 80 m/s2, with an approximate linear sensitivity of 110.69 mV/g. This proposed thermal convective accelerometer offers promising potential for various applications requiring precise acceleration measurements in environments where low power consumption and high reliability are paramount.

Abstract Colorectal cancer liver metastasis (CRLM) is one of the leading causes of death among patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). Although immunotherapy has demonstrated encouraging outcomes in CRC, its benefits are minimal in CRLM. The complex immune landscape of the hepatic tumour microenvironment is essential for the development of a premetastatic niche and for the colonisation and metastasis of CRC cells; thus, an in-depth understanding of these mechanisms can provide effective immunotherapeutic targets for CRLM. This review summarises recent studies on the immune landscape of the tumour microenvironment of CRLM and highlights therapeutic prospects for targeting the suppressive immune microenvironment of CRLM.

Abstract Aerobic glycolysis is a common metabolic phenotype in tumors that helps cancer cells adjust to severe living conditions and can aid metastasis in several types of carcinomas, including colorectal cancer (CRC). Long non‐coding RNAs (lncRNAs) can influence tumor biology and have been previously used to assess patients' outcomes and to identify potential therapeutic targets. However, despite the importance of glycolysis‐related lncRNAs (GRLs) in the development of CRC, studies on their use as prognostic markers are still limited. Herein, we applied a series of bioinformatic analyses to screen potential prognostic lncRNAs for colorectal cancer. Out of all lncRNAs screened, nine GRLs were selected to constitute a prognostic signature. Based on the signature, two molecular subtypes were classified with distinct prognostic outcomes and excellent diagnostic accuracy (The 1‐, 3‐ and 5‐year AUC are 0.756, 0.716, and 0.721, respectively). The prognostic value of this signature was further validated using another cohort. The enriched molecular pathways, immune infiltration, and mutation landscape were also significantly different between the two groups. The different drug sensitivity results between the two groups suggest a potential strategy for precise treatment. Furthermore, we confirmed that AFAP1‐AS1 could regulate aerobic glycolysis and metastasis of CRC cells. Overall, we developed a glycolysis‐related lncRNA (GRL) signature and suggested that this signature could offer a predictive value and identify potential therapeutic targets for cancer therapy.

Abstract Background Pulmonary chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) is a devastating complication and often diagnosed at a late stage when lung dysfunction is irreversible. Identifying patients before transplant who are at risk may offer improved strategies to decrease the mortality. Bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS) is the typical manifestation of pulmonary cGVHD, which is clinically diagnosed by pulmonary function test (PFT). This study aimed to evaluate the predictive value of PFT pre-HSCT for BOS. Methods A single center cohort of 923 allo-HSCT recipients was analyzed, including 15 patients who developed pulmonary cGVHD. Kaplan–Meier method was used to analyze the 3 year progression free survival and 3 year overall survival (OS). A Cox regression model was applied for univariate and multivariate models. Results The 3 year cumulative incidence of pulmonary cGVHD was 2.04% (95% CI 1.00–3.08%). According to the cut-off values determined by receiver operator characteristic curve, higher ratio of forced expiratory volume during one second to forced vital capacity (FEV1/FVC) pre-HSCT was correlated to a lower incidence of pulmonary cGVHD [0.91% (95% CI 0.01–1.81%) vs. 3.61% (95% CI 1.30–5.92%), P

Abstract Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Countless CRC patients undergo disease progression. As a hallmark of cancer, Warburg effect promotes cancer metastasis and remodels the tumor microenvironment, including promoting angiogenesis, immune suppression, cancer-associated fibroblasts formation and drug resistance. Targeting Warburg metabolism would be a promising method for the treatment of CRC. In this review, we summarize information about the roles of Warburg effect in tumor microenvironment to elucidate the mechanisms governing Warburg effect in CRC and to identify novel targets for therapy.

Objectives: In this study, we aimed to illustrate distinctions between Fournier's gangrene (FG) and lower extremity necrotising fasciitis (NF) and screen out possible risk factors of poor prognosis for each cohort. Methods: The medical records of qualified patients with NF admitted to the Second People's Hospital of Yibin from January 2016 to June 2021 were retrospectively reviewed. All participants were anatomically categorised into FG and lower extremity NF groups, and their baseline data and microbiological results were compared. Further comparisons of critical parameters were conducted between survivors and nonsurvivors within each group. Results: A total of 49 patients were included in the study with a median age of 58 years, and overall mortality was 20.4%. There were 18 patients with FG and 31 patients with lower extremity NF. A microbiology distinction was found—the predominance of gram-negative infection in FG and gram-positive infection in lower extremity NF. High Fournier's gangrene severity index scores (greater than 7), advanced age, procalcitonin and D-dimer value were identified as risk factors for FG, and the presentation of sepsis was an alarming indicator for lower extremity NF. Conclusions: The distinction of microbiology might provide advice for appropriate antibacterial administrations. In addition, with practical prognostic predicting tools, clinicians might be able to identify patients at increased risk and intervene promptly to avoid unfavourable outcomes.

Abstract Background The tumourigenesis of various cancers is influenced by epigenetic deregulation. Among 591 epigenetic regulator factors (ERFs) examined, AF9 showed significant inhibition of malignancy in colorectal cancer (CRC) based on our wound healing assays. However, the precise role of AF9 in CRC remains to be explored. Methods To investigate the function of AF9 in CRC, we utilised small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) to knock down the expression of 591 ERFs. Subsequently, we performed wound healing assays to evaluate cell proliferation and migration. In vitro and in vivo assays were conducted to elucidate the potential impact of AF9 in CRC. Clinical samples were analysed to assess the association between AF9 expression and CRC prognosis. Additionally, an Azoxymethane‐Dextran Sodium Sulfate (AOM/DSS) induced CRC AF9IEC‐/‐ mouse model was employed to confirm the role of AF9 in CRC. To identify the target gene of AF9, RNA‐seq and coimmunoprecipitation analyses were performed. Furthermore, bioinformatics prediction was applied to identify potential miRNAs that target AF9. Results Among the 591 ERFs examined, AF9 exhibited downregulation in CRC and showed a positive correlation with prolonged survival in CRC patients. In vitro and in vivo assays proved that depletion of AF9 could promote cell proliferation, migration as well as glycolysis. Specifically, knockout of MLLT3 (AF9) in intestinal epithelial cells significantly increased tumour formation induced by AOM/DSS. We also identified miR‐145 could target 3′untranslated region of AF9 to suppress AF9 expression. Loss of AF9 led to decreased expression of gluconeogenic genes, including phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase 2 (PCK2) and fructose 1,6‐bisphosphatase 1 (FBP1), subsequently promoting glucose consumption and tumourigenesis. Conclusions AF9 is essential for the upregulation of PCK2 and FBP1, and the disruption of the miR‐145/AF9 axis may serve as a potential target for the development of CRC therapeutics.

BackgroundHemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a severe disorder characterized by excessive secretion of cytokines. Even with the recommended HLH-94/2004 regimen, over 30% of patients remain refractory to frontline therapy or relapse after an initial response, leading to poor clinical outcomes. Ruxolitinib, a JAK1/2 inhibitor targets key cytokines in HLH, has shown promising therapeutic effects. However, there has been little attention given to patients who do not respond to ruxolitinib and whether an escalating dose can provide a resolution.MethodsThis study analyzed eight HLH patients who received dose-escalating ruxolitinib who had previously failed to respond to the general dose. The efficacy and safety were mainly analyzed.ResultsOverall, four out of eight (50%) patients achieved better remission after dose escalation. Two patients who only showed improvement with the general dose achieved complete remission (CR) after dose escalation, and the other two patients also achieved CR after dose escalation when they did not respond to the general dose. The median time to achieve the best overall response was 18.5 days (IQR 13.25–23.75 days). There was no correlation of treatment outcome with blood count, liver function, LDH, cytokines, ferritin levels, NK cell activity, or the time to initiation of ruxolitinib and maximum dosage. The etiology of HLH (p=0.029) and level of sCD25 (p=0.021) correlated with treatment response to dose-escalating ruxolitinib. The area of sCD25 under the ROC curve was 0.8125 (95% CI 0.5921 to 1.033, p=0.035) when using 10,000 pg/ml as the cut-off value for predicting therapeutic effects. After a median follow-up of 159 days, two patients died, and the estimated 2-month overall survival rate was 75%. Adverse effects possibly related to the dose-escalating of ruxolitinib included two cases of extremity pain and one of aminotransferase increased. No grade 3 or higher adverse events were reported.ConclusionThis is the first comprehensive study on the use of dose-escalating ruxolitinib in HLH. Ruxolitinib at an escalated dose represent a viable and relatively safe solution for managing refractory HLH. The levels of sCD25 (with a cut-off of 10000pg/ml) can serve as an indicator for early consideration of chemotherapy during treatment.

Tetracyclines are refractory pollutants that cause persistent harm to the environment and human health. Therefore, it is urgently necessary to develop methods to promote the efficient degradation and conversion of tetracyclines in wastewater. This report proposes a photobiocatalytic synergistic system involving the coupling of GeO2/Zn-doped phosphotungstic acid hydrate/TiO2 (GeO2/Zn-HPW/TiO2)-loaded photocatalytic optical hollow fibers (POHFs) and an algal–bacterial biofilm. The GeO2/Zn-HPW/TiO2 photocatalyst exhibits a broad absorption edge extending to 1000 nm, as well as high-efficiency photoelectric conversion and electron transfer, which allow the GeO2/Zn-HPW/TiO2-coated POHFs to provide high light intensity to promote biofilm growth. The resulting high photocatalytic activity rapidly and stably reduces the toxicity and increases the biodegradability of tetracycline-containing wastewater. The biofilm enriched with Salinarimonas, Coelastrella sp., and Rhizobium, maintains its activity for the rapid photocatalytic degradation and biotransformation of intermediates to generate the O2 required for photocatalysis. Overall, the synergistic photocatalytic biofilm system developed herein provides an effective and efficient approach for the rapid degradation and conversion of water containing high concentrations of tetracycline.

Abstract Calcium carbonate biomineralization is remarkable for the ability of organisms to produce calcite or aragonite with perfect fidelity, where this is commonly attributed to specific anionic biomacromolecules. However, it is proven difficult to mimic this behavior using synthetic or biogenic anionic organic molecules. Here, it is shown that cationic polyamines ranging from small molecules to large polyelectrolytes can exert exceptional control over calcium carbonate polymorph, promoting aragonite nucleation at extremely low concentrations but suppressing its growth at high concentrations, such that calcite or vaterite form. The aragonite crystals form via particle assembly, giving nanoparticulate structures analogous to biogenic aragonite, and subsequent growth yields stacked aragonite platelets comparable to structures seen in developing nacre. This mechanism of polymorph selectivity is captured in a theoretical model based on these competing nucleation and growth effects and is completely distinct from the activity of magnesium ions, which generate aragonite by inhibiting calcite. Profiting from these contrasting mechanisms, it is then demonstrated that polyamines and magnesium ions can be combined to give unprecedented control over aragonite formation. These results give insight into calcite/aragonite polymorphism and raise the possibility that organisms may exploit both amine‐rich organic molecules and magnesium ions in controlling calcium carbonate polymorph.

Abstract Background MEK1/ERK signaling pathway plays an important role in most tumor progression, including colorectal cancer (CRC), however, MEK1-targeting therapy has little effective in treating CRC patients, indicating there may be a complex mechanism to activate MEK1/ERK signaling pathway except RAS activated mechanism. Methods To investigate the clinical significance of IMP3, we analyzed its expression levels in publicly available dataset and samples from Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center. The effects of IMP3 on proliferation, migration, and invasion were determined by in vitro and in vivo experiments. To investigate the role of IMP3 in colon carcinogenesis, conditional IMP3 knockout C57BL/6 mice was generated. The IMP3/MEKK1/MEK/ERK signaling axis in CRC was screened and validated by RNA-sequencing, RNA immunoprecipitation, luciferase reporter and western blot assays. Results We find RNA binding protein IMP3 directly bind to MEKK1 mRNA 3′-UTR, which regulates its stability, promote MEKK1 expression and sequentially activates MEK1/ERK signaling. Functionally, IMP3 promote the malignant biological process of CRC cells via MEKK1/MEK1/ERK signaling pathway both in vitro and in vivo, Moreover, IMP3 −/− mice show decreased the expression of MEKK1 as well as colorectal tumors compared with wild-type mice after treatment with azoxymethane/dextran sodium sulfate. Clinically, the expression of IMP3 and MEKK1 are positive correlated, and concomitant IMP3 and MEKK1 protein levels negatively correlate with metastasis in CRC patients. In addition, MEK1 inhibitor in combination with shRNA-IMP3 have a synergistic effect both in vitro and in vivo. Conclusion Our study demonstrates that IMP3 regulates MEKK1 in CRC, thus activating the MEK1/ERK signaling in the progression of colorectal cancer, Furthermore, these results provide new insights into potential applications for combining MEK1 inhibitors with other target therapy such as IMP3 in preclinical trials for CRC patients.

Abstract Background Mounting evidence has demonstrated the vital importance of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) and exosomes in the formation of the premetastatic niche. However, the molecular mechanisms by which tumor-derived exosomal miRNAs interact with TAMs underlying premetastatic niche formation and colorectal cancer liver metastasis (CRLM) remain largely unknown. Methods Transmission electron microscopy and differential ultracentrifugation were used to verify the existence of exosomes. In vivo and in vitro assays were used to identify roles of exosomal miR-934. RNA pull-down assay, dual-luciferase reporter assay, etc. were applied to clarify the mechanism of exosomal miR-934 regulated the crosstalk between CRC cells and M2 macrophages. Results In the present study, we first demonstrated the aberrant overexpression of miR-934 in colorectal cancer (CRC), especially in CRLM, and its correlation with the poor prognosis of CRC patients. Then, we verified that CRC cell-derived exosomal miR-934 induced M2 macrophage polarization by downregulating PTEN expression and activating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Moreover, we revealed that hnRNPA2B1 mediated miR-934 packaging into exosomes of CRC cells and then transferred exosomal miR-934 into macrophages. Interestingly, polarized M2 macrophages could induce premetastatic niche formation and promote CRLM by secreting CXCL13, which activated a CXCL13/CXCR5/NFκB/p65/miR-934 positive feedback loop in CRC cells. Conclusions These findings indicate that tumor-derived exosomal miR-934 can promote CRLM by regulating the crosstalk between CRC cells and TAMs. These findings reveal a tumor and TAM interaction in the metastatic microenvironment mediated by tumor-derived exosomes that affects CRLM. The present study also provides a theoretical basis for secondary liver cancer.

Pd-catalyzed asymmetric Suzuki–Miyaura couplings of 3-methyl-2-bromophenylamides, 3-methyl-2-bromo-1-nitrobenzene and 1-naphthaleneboronic acids have been successfully developed and the corresponding axially chiral biaryl compounds were obtained in very high yields (up to 99%) with good enantioselectivities (up to 88% ee) under mild conditions. The chiral-bridged biphenyl monophosphine ligands developed by our group exhibit significant superiority to the naphthyl counterpart MOP in both reactivity and enantioselectivity control. The large steric hindrance from π-conjugated ortho-substituents of the bromobenzene substrates and the Pd···O interaction between carbonyl and palladium seem essential to achieve high enantioselectivity.

The hypoxic tumor microenvironment and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are pivotal in cancer progression and correlate with the survival outcome of patients. However, the role of hypoxia-related lncRNAs (HRLs) in colorectal cancer (CRC) development remains largely unknown. Herein, we developed a hypoxia-related lncRNA signature to predict patients’ survival and immune infiltration. The RNA-sequencing data of 500 CRC patients were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset, and HRLs were selected using Pearson’s analysis. Next, the Cox regression analysis was applied to construct a risk signature consisting of 9 HRLs. This signature could predict the overall survival (OS) of CRC patients with high accuracy in training, validation, and entire cohort. This signature was an independent risk factor and exerted predictive ability in different subgroups. Functional analysis revealed different molecular features between high- and low-risk groups. A series of drugs including cisplatin showed different sensitivities between the two groups. The expression pattern of immune checkpoints was also distinct between the two clusters in this model. Furthermore, the high-risk group had higher immune, stromal, and ESTIMATE score and a more repressive immune microenvironment than the low-risk group. Moreover, MYOSLID, one of the lncRNAs in this signature, could significantly regulate the proliferation, invasion, and metastasis of CRC.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.

Abstract Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) function as a formidable regulator of inflammation and tissue homeostasis and expanded MSCs are shown to be effective in treating various inflammatory diseases. Their therapeutic effects require the existence of certain inflammatory cytokines. However, in the absence of sufficient proinflammatory stimuli or in the presence of anti‐inflammatory medications, MSCs are animated to promote immune responses and unable to alleviate inflammatory disorders. In this study, it is demonstrated that steroid co‐administration interferes the efficacy of MSCs in treating acute graft‐versus‐host disease (aGvHD). Molecular analysis reveals that vascular endothelial growth factor C (VEGF‐C) is highly induced in MSCs by steroids and TNFα and VEGF‐C in turn promotes CD8+ T cell response. This immune promoting effect is abolished by blockade or specific genetic ablation of VEGFR3 in CD8+ T cells. Additionally, administration of VEGF‐C alone exacerbates aGvHD progression through eliciting more vigorous CD8+ T cell activation and proliferation. Further studies demonstrate that VEGF‐C augments the PI3K/AKT signaling process and the expression of downstream genes, such as Cyclin D1. Thus, the data demonstrate that steroids can reverse the immunosuppressive effect of MSCs via promoting VEGF‐C‐augmented CD8+ T cell response and provide novel information for designing efficacious MSC‐based therapies.

Elevated troponin was associated with poor prognosis during thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) in several reports, but elevated troponin in haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation-associated thrombotic microangiopathy (TATMA) has not yet been reported. Here, we report the first case of elevated troponin, which was inferred to be related to TA-TMA in our center. This finding demonstrates that we should focus on the elevated troponin in TA-TMA.

Abstract Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common cancers and a leading cause of mortality worldwide. Small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) are nano‐sized extracellular vesicles containing a variety of bioactive molecules, such as nucleic acids, proteins, lipids, and metabolites. Recent evidence from CRC has revealed that sEVs contribute to tumorigenesis, progression, and drug resistance, and serve as a tool for “liquid biopsy” and a drug delivery system for therapy. In this review, we summarize information about the roles of sEVs in the proliferation, invasion, migration, epithelial‐mesenchymal transition, formation of the premetastatic niche, and drug resistance to elucidate the mechanisms governing sEVs in CRC and to identify novel targets for therapy and prognostic and diagnostic biomarkers.

In this paper, the effect of wind-induced vibration on measurement range of microcantilever anemometer is investigated for the first time. The microcantilever anemometer is composed of a flexible substrate and a piezoresistor. The wind speed can be detected through the airflow-induced deformation in the flexible substrate. Previous work indicated that the flexible substrate vibrates violently once the wind speed exceeds a critical value, resulting in severe output jitter. This wind-induced vibration limits the measurement range of the anemometer, and the relationship between the anemometer measurement range and its structural parameters has not been explored systematically. Therefore, this paper aims to reveal this relationship theoretically and experimentally, demonstrating that a shorter and thicker cantilever with larger stiffness can effectively suppress the wind-induced vibration, leading to the critical speed rising. By eliminating the wind-induced vibration, the measurement range of the microcantilever anemometer can be increased by up to 697%. These results presented in this paper can pave the way for the design and fabrication of wide-range mechanical anemometers.

In this work, the control of the droplet generation by a focused infrared (IR) laser with a wavelength of 1550 nm was studied, in which the liquid water and the oil with the surfactant of Span 80 were employed as the disperse and continuous phases, respectively. The characteristics of the droplet generation controlled by the laser was explored under various flow rates, laser powers and spot positions and the comparison between the cases with/without the laser was also performed. The results showed that when the laser was focused on the region away from the outlet of the liquid water inflow channel, the droplet shedding was blocked due to the IR laser heating induced thermocapillary flow, leading to the increase of the droplet volume and the cycle time of the droplet generation as compared to the case without the laser. Decreasing the continuous phase flow rate led to the increase of the droplet volume, cycle time of the droplet generation and the volume increase ratio, while increasing the disperse phase flow rate led to the increase of the droplet volume and the decrease of the cycle time and volume increase ratio. For a given flow rate ratio between the continuous and disperse phases, the increase of the flow rates decreased the volume increase ratio. In addition, it is also found that the droplet volume, the cycle time and the volume increase ratio all increased with the laser power. When the laser was focused at the inlet of the downstream channel, the droplet volume, the cycle time and the volume increase ratio were the largest. Moving the laser spot to the downstream or upstream led to the decrease of them. When the laser was focused on the outlet of the liquid water inflow channel, the generated droplet volume and cycle time of the droplet generation were even lower than the case without the laser because of the lowered viscosity. This works provides a comprehensive understanding of the characteristics of the droplet generation controlled by the laser, which is beneficial to promote the application of this optical method in the droplet based microfluidics.

The Internet of things requires long-life wireless sensor nodes powered by the harvested energy from environments. This paper proposes a nonlinear electromagnetic energy harvesting system which may be used to construct fully self-powered wireless sensor nodes. Based on a nonlinear electromagnetic energy harvester (EMEH) with high output voltage, the model of a nonlinear interface circuit is derived and a power management circuit (PMC) is designed. The proposed PMC uses a buck–boost direct current-direct current (DC–DC) converter to match the load resistance of the nonlinear interface circuit. It includes two open-loop branches, which is beneficial to the optimization of the impedance matching. The circuit is able to work even if the stored energy is completely drained. The energy harvesting system successfully powered a wireless sensor node. Experimental results show that, under base excitations of 0.3 g and 0.4 g (where 1 g = 9.8 m·s−2) at 8 Hz, the charging efficiencies of the proposed circuit are 172% and 28.5% higher than that of the classic standard energy-harvesting (SEH) circuit. The experimental efficiency of the PMC is 41.7% under an excitation of 0.3 g at 8 Hz.

A novel high-precision vacuum microelectronic accelerometer has been successfully fabricated and tested in our laboratory. This accelerometer has unique advantages of high sensitivity, fast response, and anti-radiation stability. It is a prototype intended for navigation applications and is required to feature micro-g resolution. This paper briefly describes the structure and working principle of our vacuum microelectronic accelerometer, and the mathematical model is also established. The performances of the accelerometer system are discussed after Matlab modeling. The results show that, the dynamic response of the accelerometer system is significantly improved by choosing appropriate parameters of signal detecting circuit, and the signal detecting circuit is designed. In order to attain good linearity and performance, the closed-loop control mode is adopted. Weak current detection technology is studied, and integral T-style feedback network is used in I/V conversion, which will eliminate high-frequency noise at the front of the circuit. According to the modeling parameters, the low-pass filter is designed. This circuit is simple, reliable, and has high precision. Experiments are done and the results show that the vacuum microelectronic accelerometer exhibits good linearity over -1 g to +1 g, an output sensitivity of 543 mV/g, and a nonlinearity of 0.94 %.

To expand the applications of vibrational energy harvesters (VEHs) as power sources of wireless sensor nodes, it is of significance to improve the scavenging efficiency for the broadband, low-frequency, and low-level vibrational energy. The output voltages of electromagnetic vibrational energy harvesters (EMVEHs) are usually low, which complicates the power management circuit by an indispensable voltage boosting element. To this end, an impact-based non-resonant EMVEH mainly composed of an outer frame and an inner frame on rollers is proposed. Numerical simulations based on a mathematical model of the harvester are conducted to analyze the effects of structural parameters on the output performance. Under base excitation of 0.1 and 0.3 (where g is the gravitational acceleration, 1 g = 9.8 m · s − 2 ), the experimental maximum root mean square voltages of a harvester prototype across a resistor of 11 kΩ are as high as 7.6 and 16.5 V at 6.0 and 8.5 Hz, respectively, with the maximum output powers of 5.3 and 24.8 mW, or the power densities of 54.6 and 256 μW cm−3. By using a management circuit without a voltage boosting element, a wireless sensor node driven by the prototype can measure and transmit the temperature and humidity every 20 s under base excitation of 0.1 g at 5.4 Hz.