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"Fu, Rong"
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Toll-Like Receptor Signaling and Its Role in Cell-Mediated Immunity
Innate immunity is the first defense system against invading pathogens. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are well-defined pattern recognition receptors responsible for pathogen recognition and induction of innate immune responses. Since their discovery, TLRs have revolutionized the field of immunology by filling the gap between the initial recognition of pathogens by innate immune cells and the activation of the adaptive immune response. TLRs critically link innate immunity to adaptive immunity by regulating the activation of antigen-presenting cells and key cytokines. Furthermore, recent studies also have shown that TLR signaling can directly regulate the T cell activation, growth, differentiation, development, and function under diverse physiological conditions. This review provides an overview of TLR signaling pathways and their regulators and discusses how TLR signaling, directly and indirectly, regulates cell-mediated immunity. In addition, we also discuss how TLR signaling is critically important in the host’s defense against infectious diseases, autoimmune diseases, and cancer.
Journal Article
Impact of microbiota on central nervous system and neurological diseases: the gut-brain axis
Development of central nervous system (CNS) is regulated by both intrinsic and peripheral signals. Previous studies have suggested that environmental factors affect neurological activities under both physiological and pathological conditions. Although there is anatomical separation, emerging evidence has indicated the existence of bidirectional interaction between gut microbiota, i.e., (diverse microorganisms colonizing human intestine), and brain. The cross-talk between gut microbiota and brain may have crucial impact during basic neurogenerative processes, in neurodegenerative disorders and tumors of CNS. In this review, we discuss the biological interplay between gut-brain axis, and further explore how this communication may be dysregulated in neurological diseases. Further, we highlight new insights in modification of gut microbiota composition, which may emerge as a promising therapeutic approach to treat CNS disorders.
Journal Article
Self-hydrogenated shell promoting photocatalytic H2 evolution on anatase TiO2
As one of the most important photocatalysts, TiO
2
has triggered broad interest and intensive studies for decades. Observation of the interfacial reactions between water and TiO
2
at microscopic scale can provide key insight into the mechanisms of photocatalytic processes. Currently, experimental methodologies for characterizing photocatalytic reactions of anatase TiO
2
are mostly confined to water vapor or single molecule chemistry. Here, we investigate the photocatalytic reaction of anatase TiO
2
nanoparticles in water using liquid environmental transmission electron microscopy. A self-hydrogenated shell is observed on the TiO
2
surface before the generation of hydrogen bubbles. First-principles calculations suggest that this shell is formed through subsurface diffusion of photo-reduced water protons generated at the aqueous TiO
2
interface, which promotes photocatalytic hydrogen evolution by reducing the activation barrier for H
2
(H–H bond) formation. Experiments confirm that the self-hydrogenated shell contains reduced titanium ions, and its thickness can increase to several nanometers with increasing UV illuminance.
Photocatalytic water splitting on TiO
2
is a promising route to H
2
fuel production, but the mechanistic pathway at the water–TiO
2
interface remains poorly understood. Here, using liquid environmental TEM and first-principles calculations, the authors unveil the formation of a self-hydrogenated shell on the TiO
2
surface that further promotes H
2
production.
Journal Article
Clinical features of severe pediatric patients with coronavirus disease 2019 in Wuhan: a single center’s observational study
Background
An outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by SARS-CoV-2 was first detected in Wuhan, Hubei, China. People of all ages are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection. No information on severe pediatric patients with COVID-19 has been reported. We aimed to describe the clinical features of severe pediatric patients with COVID-19.
Methods
We included eight severe or critically ill patients with COVID-19 who were treated at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Wuhan Children’s Hospital from January 24 to February 24. We collected information including demographic data, symptoms, imaging data, laboratory findings, treatments and clinical outcomes of the patients with severe COVID-19.
Results
The onset age of the eight patients ranged from 2 months to 15 years; six were boys. The most common symptoms were polypnea (8/8), followed by fever (6/8) and cough (6/8). Chest imaging showed multiple patch-like shadows in seven patients and ground-glass opacity in six. Laboratory findings revealed normal or increased whole blood counts (7/8), increased C-reactive protein, procalcitonin and lactate dehydrogenase (6/8), and abnormal liver function (4/8). Other findings included decreased CD16 + CD56 (4/8) and Th/Ts*(1/8), increased CD3 (2/8), CD4 (4/8) and CD8 (1/8), IL-6 (2/8), IL-10 (5/8) and IFN-γ (2/8). Treatment modalities were focused on symptomatic and respiratory support. Two critically ill patients underwent invasive mechanical ventilation. Up to February 24, 2020, three patients remained under treatment in ICU, the other five recovered and were discharged home.
Conclusions
In this series of severe pediatric patients in Wuhan, polypnea was the most common symptom, followed by fever and cough. Common imaging changes included multiple patch-like shadows and ground-glass opacity; and a cytokine storm was found in these patients, which appeared more serious in critically ill patients.
Journal Article
Flash healing of laser-induced graphene
The advancement of laser-induced graphene (LIG) technology has streamlined the fabrications of flexible graphene devices. However, the ultrafast kinetics triggered by laser irradiation generates intrinsic amorphous characteristics, leading to high resistivity and compromised performance in electronic devices. Healing graphene defects in specific patterns is technologically challenging by conventional methods. Herein, we report the rapid rectification of LIG’s topological defects by flash Joule heating in milliseconds (referred to as F-LIG), whilst preserving its overall structure and porosity. The F-LIG exhibits a decreased
I
D
/
I
G
ratio from 0.84 – 0.33 and increased crystalline domain from Raman analysis, coupled with a 5-fold surge in conductivity. Pair distribution function and atomic-resolution imaging delineate a broader-range order of F-LIG with a shorter C-C bond of 1.425 Å. The improved crystallinity and conductivity of F-LIG with excellent flexibility enables its utilization in high-performance soft electronics and low-voltage disinfections. Notably, our F-LIG/polydimethylsiloxane strain sensor exhibits a gauge factor of 129.3 within 10% strain, which outperforms pristine LIG by 800%, showcasing significant potential for human-machine interfaces.
Laser-induced graphene (LIG) can be obtained via a practically convenient approach, but its amorphous characteristics limit its applications. Here, the authors report a flash Joule heating strategy to improve the crystalline quality and conductivity of LIG, leading to strain sensors with enhanced sensitivity.
Journal Article
Cancer Stem Cells and Immunosuppressive Microenvironment in Glioma
Glioma is one of the most common malignant tumors of the central nervous system and is characterized by extensive infiltrative growth, neovascularization, and resistance to various combined therapies. In addition to heterogenous populations of tumor cells, the glioma stem cells (GSCs) and other nontumor cells present in the glioma microenvironment serve as critical regulators of tumor progression and recurrence. In this review, we discuss the role of several resident or peripheral factors with distinct tumor-promoting features and their dynamic interactions in the development of glioma. Localized antitumor factors could be silenced or even converted to suppressive phenotypes, due to stemness-related cell reprogramming and immunosuppressive mediators in glioma-derived microenvironment. Furthermore, we summarize the latest knowledge on GSCs and key microenvironment components, and discuss the emerging immunotherapeutic strategies to cure this disease.
Journal Article
Cognitive Impairment in Late Life: The Role of Educational Assortative Marriage and Spousal Education
Marriage plays a key role in the exchange of resources, including education, which can affect health outcomes between partners. While the individual cognitive benefits of education are well-established, its potential spillover effects within marital relationships remain insufficiently explored, particularly in non-Western and developing contexts. Using nationally representative data from the 2014 wave of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS), this study investigates the associations between educational assortative marriage, spousal education, and late-life cognitive health among Chinese adults aged 65 and older. Results indicate that men in educationally homogamous marriages are significantly less likely to experience cognitive impairment than men in hypogamous unions and women in all marital arrangements. In addition, spousal education is positively associated with cognitive outcomes for men but not for women. These findings suggest that educational resources may be differentially linked to cognitive health within marriage, reflecting both personal and relational dimensions shaped by gender. The study calls for culturally and gender-sensitive public health and educational strategies in late life to promote cognitive well-being among aging populations.
Plain language summary
Can marrying someone with a similar or different education shape your cognitive health later in life?
This study examines how a spouse’s level of education influences cognitive health in later life, focusing on adults in China aged 65 and older. The findings show that older men who marry partners with similar education levels have a lower risk of cognitive decline compared to men with less-educated spouses and to women in all types of marriages. Furthermore, men appear to benefit more from their spouse’s education than women do. These gendered differences highlight the shared, relational impact of education within marriage and underscore the need for culturally and gender-sensitive public health strategies to support cognitive well-being in aging populations.
Journal Article
Integration of a (–Cu–S–)n plane in a metal–organic framework affords high electrical conductivity
Designing highly conducting metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) is currently a subject of great interest for their potential applications in diverse areas encompassing energy storage and generation. Herein, a strategic design in which a metal–sulfur plane is integrated within a MOF to achieve high electrical conductivity, is successfully demonstrated. The MOF {[Cu
2
(6-Hmna)(6-mn)]·NH
4
}
n
(
1
, 6-Hmna = 6-mercaptonicotinic acid, 6-mn = 6-mercaptonicotinate), consisting of a two dimensional (–Cu–S–)
n
plane, is synthesized from the reaction of Cu(NO
3
)
2
, and 6,6′-dithiodinicotinic acid via the in situ cleavage of an S–S bond under hydrothermal conditions. A single crystal of the MOF is found to have a low activation energy (6 meV), small bandgap (1.34 eV) and a highest electrical conductivity (10.96 S cm
−1
) among MOFs for single crystal measurements. This approach provides an ideal roadmap for producing highly conductive MOFs with great potential for applications in batteries, thermoelectric, supercapacitors and related areas.
Metal–organic frameworks that contain metal–sulfur chains have been demonstrated to exhibit good electrical conductivity. Here, the authors integrate a 2D metal–sulfur plane into a metal–organic framework, reporting a single crystal with a high conductivity of 10.96 S/cm.
Journal Article