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A gas chromatography-atmospheric pressure chemical ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-APCI-MS/MS) method was established for the determination of the residues of eight amide herbicides (alachlor, acetochlor, propichlor, butachlor, dichlorochlor, pyrazolam, dimethochlor and metolachlor) in animal-derived foods. The sample pretreatment process involved acetonitrile extraction and enhanced matrix removal (EMR)-lipid cleanup, and ethyl acetate was used to dilute the purified acetonitrile extract instead of solvent conversion. The detection was performed with APCI in the positive ion mode using multi-reaction monitoring (MRM). The results showed that the average recoveries of the eight amide herbicides in spiked pork, pig liver, egg and milk matrices were 63.3%–108%, with relative standard deviation (RSD) 2.51%–13.8%. The limit of detection (LOD) was 0.029–1.3 µg/kg, the limit of quantitation (LOQ) was 0.095–4.2 µg/kg, and the matrix effect was −11%–12%. This method can effectively reduce the matrix effect, and is simple, efficient, accurate, sensitive, and suitable for the rapid quantitative determination of the eight amide herbicides in animal-derived foods.

Pampus fishes (Perciformes: Stromateidae) are important commercial species and include six valid species in China. The southern lesser pomfret (Pampus minor Liu and Li, 1998) is a species of Pampus for which knowledge is incomplete. This report confirms the occurrence of P. minor in the coastal waters of Wenzhou, China, by analyzing five specimens of P. minor obtained in Wenzhou in March 2019. Morphometric measurements and meristic counts were performed. The diagnostic morphological features of these species were consistent with those of the neotype specimen of P. minor and sufficient for separating the examined specimens from other Pampus species. This study was based on the Cytochrome Oxidase Subunit 1 (CO1) gene, which was sequenced for the purpose of identification. The genetic distances between P. minor and other Pampus species ranged from 13.4% to 15.5%, and the mean genetic distance within the P. minor group was 0.2%. Given that P. minor has not been reported in this region, our findings represent the first record from the coastal waters of Wenzhou and extend the distribution range of this species to the central and northern East China Sea. The reason for the observed northward migration of some P. minor individuals from their northernmost recorded habitat (Taiwan Strait) might be global warming. The collection of additional specimens is needed to further study the geographic limits of P. minor and its presumed northern expansion.

Pathogenic microorganisms play a crucial role in the global disease burden due to their ability to cause various diseases and spread through multiple transmission routes. Immunity tests identify antigens related to these pathogens, thereby confirming past infections and monitoring the host's immune response. Traditional pathogen detection methods, including enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) and chemiluminescent immunoassays (CLIAs), are often labor-intensive, slow, and reliant on sophisticated equipment and skilled personnel, which can be limiting in resource-poor settings. In contrast, the development of microfluidic technologies presents a promising alternative, offering automation, miniaturization, and cost efficiency. These advanced methods are poised to replace traditional assays by streamlining processes and enabling rapid, high-throughput immunity testing for pathogens. This review highlights the latest advancements in microfluidic systems designed for rapid and high-throughput immunity testing, incorporating immunosensors, single molecule arrays (Simoas), a lateral flow assay (LFA), and smartphone integration. It focuses on key pathogenic microorganisms such as SARS-CoV-2, influenza, and the ZIKA virus (ZIKV). Additionally, the review discusses the challenges, commercialization prospects, and future directions to advance microfluidic systems for infectious disease detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the fields of infectious disease diagnostics, microfluidic-based integrated technology systems have become a vital technology in enhancing the rapidity, accuracy, and portability of pathogen detection. These systems synergize microfluidic techniques with advanced molecular biology methods, including reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR), have been successfully used to identify a diverse array of pathogens, including COVID-19, Ebola, Zika, and dengue fever. This review outlines the advances in pathogen detection, attributing them to the integration of microfluidic technology with traditional molecular biology methods and smartphone- and paper-based diagnostic assays. The cutting-edge diagnostic technologies are of critical importance for disease prevention and epidemic surveillance. Looking ahead, research is expected to focus on increasing detection sensitivity, streamlining testing processes, reducing costs, and enhancing the capability for remote data sharing. These improvements aim to achieve broader coverage and quicker response mechanisms, thereby constructing a more robust defense for global public health security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immunotherapy, especially immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) antibody immunotherapy, has revolutionized the treatment ways of cancers and provided remarkable clinical benefits for multiple cancers. However, the efficacy of immunotherapy in tumors with an immune‐excluded or immune‐suppressed phenotype is dismal due to the lack or paucity of immune infiltration in the tumor microenvironment. Herein, an emerging photoimmunotherapy based on remodeling the inflammatory microenvironment is reported, ascribed to nanoagonist‐mediated gasdermin E (GSDME)‐dependent pyroptosis and providing positive feedback to activate anti‐PD‐1 immunotherapy. An iridium‐based photosensitizer (IrP) carrying methyltransferase inhibitor RG108 (R@IrP) lead to rapid cell pyroptosis via the caspase‐3/GSDME pathway under the light activation. Furthermore, light‐elicited pyroptosis synergized with anti‐PD‐1 to induce anti‐tumor photoimmunotherapy. The pro‐inflammatory factors released by pyroptotic cells remodel the inflammatory microenvironment and recruit immune cells to kill tumor cells, resulting in CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes activation, PD‐1 expression enhancement, and dendritic cell slightly maturation. Collectively, these findings present a synergistic strategy of photoimmunotherapy, that is, turning immunological cold tumors into hot tumors that can respond to anti‐PD‐1‐based immunotherapy via precise pathway regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present WireRoom, a computational framework for the intelligent design of abstract 3D wire art to depict a given 3D model. Our algorithm generates a set of 3D wire shapes from the 3D model with informative, visually pleasing, and concise structures. It is achieved by solving a dynamic travelling salesman problem on the surface of the 3D model with a multi-path expansion approach. We introduce a novel explorative computational design procedure by taking the generated wire shapes as candidates, avoiding manual design of the wire shape structure. We compare our algorithm with a baseline method and conduct a user study to investigate the usability of the framework and the quality of the produced wire shapes. The results of the comparison and user study confirm that our framework is effective for producing informative, visually pleasing, and concise wire shapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iron oxide (Fe 3 O 4 ), a classical magnetic material, has been widely utilized in the field of biological magnetic resonance imaging Graphene oxide (GO) has also been extensively applied as a drug carrier due to its high specific surface area and other properties. Recently, numerous studies have synthesized Fe 3 O 4 /GO nanomaterials for biological diagnosis and treatments, including photothermal therapy and magnetic thermal therapy. However, the biosafety of the synthesized Fe 3 O 4 /GO nanomaterials still needs to be further identified. Therefore, this research intended to ascertain the cytotoxicity of Fe 3 O 4 /GO after treatment with different conditions in HBE cells. The results indicated the time-dependent and concentration-dependent cytotoxicity of Fe 3 O 4 /GO. Meanwhile, exposure to Fe 3 O 4 /GO nanomaterials increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, calcium ions levels, and oxidative stress in mitochondria produced by these nanomaterials activated Caspase-9 and Caspase-3, ultimately leading to cell apoptosis., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Zhang, Zhang, Yang, Fan, Chen, Zhao, Dai, Zheng and Zhang.)

Air pollution has side effects on human health. Epidemiology studies indicate a positive association between ambient fine particle (PM 2.5 , or particles less than 2.5 μm in diameter) concentration and lung cancer. However, how fine particles affect lung cancer at the molecular level and related therapeutic methods to address these diseases are unclear. Here, the multi-omics analysis (DNA methylation and transcriptomic) was used to detect human bronchial epithelial cells (HBE), that were exposed to PM 2.5 using a quantified, small, portable, and organ-level air-liquid interface microfluidic system that mimics lung functions. The results indicate that 36,838 differentially methylated genes were detected. Of these 33,796 genes were hypomethylated (beta < 0), and 2862 genes were hypermethylated (beta > 0). RNA-Seq analysis demonstrated that 19,489 genes were upregulated (log 2 FC > 0), and 16,659 were downregulated. Furthermore, the calcium and apoptosis pathways were activated according to multi-omics analysis. The change in EGFR gene expression after PM 2.5 exposure was the result of alterations of the cellular DNA methylome in the promoter. Inhibition or down-regulation of EGFR could result in the regulation of the downstream intracellular Ca 2+ concentration and apoptosis via the EGFR/PLCγ and EGFR/STAT/Bcl-XL pathways after PM 2.5 exposure. EGFR inhibitors decrease the Ca 2+ concentration of cells, thereby strengthening the effects of fine particles on apoptosis. In short, the Ca 2+ concentration and the apoptosis of cells can be regulated via EGFR related pathway after PM 2.5 exposure. The EGFR may be a potentially promising therapeutic target for the treatment of air pollution-induced lung cancer through regulation of the intracellular Ca 2+ concentration and apoptosis., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationshsips that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Objective: To explore the effect of different intensity treadmill training on the repair of micro-injured Achilles tendon induced by collagenase in rats., Methods: Seventy-two 8-week-old male Sprague Dawley rats (weighing, 200-250 g) were selected. After adaptive treadmill training for 1 week, rats were injected with 30 μL type I collagenase solution (10 mg/mL) into both Achilles tendons to make micro-injured Achilles tendon models. After 1 week of cage feeding, the rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: the control group, the low-intensity group, and the high-intensity group, 24 rats each group. The rats in control group could move freely, and the rats underwent daily treadmill training at the intensity of 13 m/min and 20 min/d in the low-intensity group and at the intensity of 17 m/min and 60 min/d in the high-intensity group. At immediate, 1 week, and 4 weeks after training, bilateral Achilles tendons were collected from 8 rats of each group for gross observation, histological analysis, and mechanical testing., Results: At immediate after training, there was no significant difference in the gross observation, histological observation, and biomechanical properties of the Achilles tendon between groups ( P >0.05). The gross observation showed connective tissue hyperplasia near Achilles tendon and lackluster tendon in each group at 1 week; hyperplasia significantly reduced in the low-intensity group when compared with the control group, and there were more connective tissue and a large number of neovascularization in the high-intensity group at 4 weeks. At 1 week, there was no significant difference in the semi-quantitative histological total score between groups ( P >0.05), but there were significant differences in vascularity between low-intensity group or high-intensity group and control group ( P <0.05). At 4 weeks, the semi-quantitative histological total score was significantly higher in high-intensity group than control group and low-intensity group ( P <0.05), and in control group than low-intensity group ( P <0.05). There were significant differences in collagen arrangement, cell morphology, abnormal cells, and vascularity between low-intensity group and high-intensity group or control group ( P <0.05). And there was significant difference in abnormal cells between high-intensity group and control group ( P <0.05). The mechanical testing showed that there was no significant difference in cross-sectional area of the Achilles tendon, the ultimate force, tensile strength, and elastic modulus between groups at 1 week ( P >0.05); the low-intensity group was significantly higher than the control group in the ultimate force and the tensile strength ( P <0.05), and than high-intensity group in the ultimate force and elastic modulus ( P <0.05), but no significant difference was found in the other indexes between groups ( P >0.05) at 4 weeks., Conclusion: Low-intensity treadmill training can promote the repair of rat micro-injured Achilles tendon induced by collagenase.

Objective: To investigate whether mechanical stretch stimulation affects the expression of the immediate early gene c-fos mRNA in rat Achilles-derived tendon stem cells (TSCs) in vitro ., Methods: TSCs were isolated from the Achilles tendons of 8 weeks old male Sprague Dawley rats by enzymatic digestion method and cultured for 3 passages. The TSCs were stimulated by a uniaxial cyclic stretching loading system under the condition of 1 Hz, respectively with 4% or 8% stretch intensity for 0, 5, 15, 30, 60, and 120 minutes. At each time point, TSCs were collected to detect c-fos mRNA expressions and to find the best time-point T max by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR. Then, TSCs were simulated with 2%, 4%, 6%, 8%, or 12% stretch intensity for T max to observe the relative expressions of c-fos mRNA under different stretch intensities. Next, TSCs were stretched for 0, 5, or 15 minutes respectively and followed by incubation at relax status up to T max to observe the changes of c-fos mRNA expressions after short period stimulation. Finally, TSCs were stimulated with 4% or 8% stretch intensity respectively for 0, T max , or 120 minutes to detect the expressions of the tenogenic differentiation related genes [collagen type I, tenomodulin (TNMD)], the osteogenic differentiation related genes [runt related transcription factor 2 (Runx2), distal-less homeobox 5 (Dlx5)], and the adipogenic differentiation related gene [fatty acid binding protein 4 (FABP4)]., Results: Under 4% or 8% stretch intensity, the relative expressions of c-fos mRNA significantly increased at 15 minutes ( P <0.05), reached the maximum at 30 minutes ( P <0.05), and returned to baseline at 60 minutes ( P >0.05) when compared with expression at 0 minute. Therefore, T max was 30 minutes. The stretch intensity of 2% was enough to cause the expression of c-fos mRNA at 30 minutes, and the expression was significantly higher under the stretch intensity of 6%, 8%, and 12% than 2% and 4% ( P <0.05). Even for a short period stimulation of 5 minutes, c-fos mRNA expression could still significantly increase at 30 minutes ( P <0.05). The relative expressions of differentiation related genes at 30 and 120 minutes showed no significant difference when compared with the expression at 0 minute under 4% stretch intensity ( P >0.05); but the relative expression of Runx2 gene significantly increased at 30 minutes, and the relative expressions of collagen type I, TNMD, Dlx5, and Runx2 increased at 120 minutes under 8% stretch intensity ( P <0.05)., Conclusion: Mechanical stretch stimulation can affect the relative expression of the immediate early gene c-fos mRNA of rat Achilles-derived tendon stem cells in vitro , and there is time- and intensity-dependence. It is suggested that the mechanical stimulation with different time or intensity may affect the differentiation of TSCs at early stage. This study is meaningful for the further study on TSCs intracellular mechanical signal transfer mechanism.