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We investigated the variation of current density–voltage ( J–V ) characteristics of an organic solar cell (OSC) in the dark and at 9 different light intensities ranging from 0.01 to 1 sun of the AM1.5G spectrum. All three conventional parameters, short-circuit currents ( J sc ), open-circuit voltage ( V oc ), and Fill factor (FF), representing OSC performance evolved systematically in response to light intensity increase. Unlike J sc that showed quasi-linear monotonic increase, V oc and FF showed distinctive non-monotonic variations. To elucidate the origin of such variations, we performed extensive simulation studies including Shockley–Read–Hall (SRH) recombination losses. Simulation results were sensitive to defect densities, and simultaneous agreement to 10 measured J–V curves was possible only with the defect density of 5 × 10 12 cm - 3 . Based on analyses of simulation results, we were able to separate current losses into SRH- and bimolecular-recombination components and, moreover, identify that the competition between SRH- and bimolecular-loss currents were responsible for the aforementioned variations in J sc , V oc , and FF. In particular, we verified that apparent demarcation in V oc , and FF variations, which seemed to appear at different light intensities, originated from the same mechanism of dominance switching between recombination losses.

For steady electroconversion to value-added chemical products with high efficiency, electrocatalyst reconstruction during electrochemical reactions is a critical issue in catalyst design strategies. Here, we report a reconstruction-immunized catalyst system in which Cu nanoparticles are protected by a quasi-graphitic C shell. This C shell epitaxially grew on Cu with quasi-graphitic bonding via a gas–solid reaction governed by the CO (g) - CO 2 (g) - C (s) equilibrium. The quasi-graphitic C shell-coated Cu was stable during the CO 2 reduction reaction and provided a platform for rational material design. C 2+ product selectivity could be additionally improved by doping p -block elements. These elements modulated the electronic structure of the Cu surface and its binding properties, which can affect the intermediate binding and CO dimerization barrier. B-modified Cu attained a 68.1% Faradaic efficiency for C 2 H 4 at −0.55 V (vs RHE) and a C 2 H 4 cathodic power conversion efficiency of 44.0%. In the case of N-modified Cu, an improved C 2+ selectivity of 82.3% at a partial current density of 329.2 mA/cm 2 was acquired. Quasi-graphitic C shells, which enable surface stabilization and inner element doping, can realize stable CO 2 -to-C 2 H 4 conversion over 180 h and allow practical application of electrocatalysts for renewable energy conversion. Surface reconstruction of electrocatalysts is an important issue for electroconversion of carbon dioxide to value-added chemical products. Here the authors address this issue by using copper nanoparticles protected by self-formed quasi graphitic carbon shell for stable CO2 to C2H4 conversion.

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Despite the success of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), particularly those targeting PD-1/PD-L1 pathways, a significant number of patients exhibit either primary resistance or acquire resistance over time. While genomic and epigenetic mechanisms contribute to this resistance, increasing evidence points to the pivotal role of immunometabolism—the interface of cellular metabolism and immune regulation. This review focuses on how altered metabolic states in both immune cells and cancer stem-like cells (CSCs) within the lung tumor microenvironment contribute to ICI resistance. We discuss key metabolic pathways involved in immune suppression, the metabolic plasticity of CSCs, and how these factors interact to shape a metabolically hostile tumor niche for immune effector cells. Finally, we explore emerging therapeutic strategies targeting immunometabolism to enhance immunotherapy efficacy in lung cancer.

We investigated operation of a planar MAPbI 3 solar cell with respect to intensity variation ranging from 0.01 to 1 sun. Measured J - V curves consisted of space-charge-limited currents (SCLC) in a drift-dominant range and diode-like currents in a diffusion-dominant range. The variation of power-law exponent of SCLC showed that charge trapping by defects diminished as intensity increased, and that drift currents became eventually almost ohmic. Diode-like currents were analysed using a modified Shockley-equation model, the validity of which was confirmed by comparing measured and estimated open-circuit voltages. Intensity dependence of ideality factor led us to the conclusion that there were two other types of defects that contributed mostly as recombination centers. At low intensities, monomolecular recombination occurred due to one of these defects in addition to bimolecular recombination to result in the ideality factor of ~1.7. However, at high intensities, another type of defect not only took over monomolecular recombination, but also dominated bimolecular recombination to result in the ideality factor of ~2.0. These ideality-factor values were consistent with those representing the intensity dependence of loss-current ratio estimated by using a constant internal-quantum-efficiency approximation. The presence of multiple types of defects was corroborated by findings from equivalent-circuit analysis of impedance spectra.

Matrigel, a mouse tumor extracellular matrix protein mixture, is an indispensable component of most organoid tissue culture. However, it has limited the utility of organoids for drug development and regenerative medicine due to its tumor-derived origin, batch-to-batch variation, high cost, and safety issues. Here, we demonstrate that gastrointestinal tissue-derived extracellular matrix hydrogels are suitable substitutes for Matrigel in gastrointestinal organoid culture. We found that the development and function of gastric or intestinal organoids grown in tissue extracellular matrix hydrogels are comparable or often superior to those in Matrigel. In addition, gastrointestinal extracellular matrix hydrogels enabled long-term subculture and transplantation of organoids by providing gastrointestinal tissue-mimetic microenvironments. Tissue-specific and age-related extracellular matrix profiles that affect organoid development were also elucidated through proteomic analysis. Together, our results suggest that extracellular matrix hydrogels derived from decellularized gastrointestinal tissues are effective alternatives to the current gold standard, Matrigel, and produce organoids suitable for gastrointestinal disease modeling, drug development, and tissue regeneration. The culture of gastrointestinal organoids relies on Matrigel that has several drawbacks for clinical application. Here, the authors report the feasibility of gastrointestinal tissue-mimetic matrices as effective alternatives to Matrigel for organoid culture and transplantation.

Macrophages, dendritic cells and other innate immune cells are involved in inflammation and host defense against infection. Metabolic shifts in mitochondrial dynamics may be involved in Toll-like receptor agonist-mediated inflammatory responses and immune cell polarization. However, whether the mitochondrial morphology in myeloid immune cells affects anti-tumor immunity is unclear. Here we show that FAM73b, a mitochondrial outer membrane protein, has a pivotal function in Toll-like receptor-regulated mitochondrial morphology switching from fusion to fission. Switching to mitochondrial fission via ablation of Fam73b (also known as Miga2 ) promotes IL-12 production. In tumor-associated macrophages, this switch results in T-cell activation and enhances anti-tumor immunity. We also show that the mitochondrial morphology affects Parkin expression and its recruitment to mitochondria. Parkin controls the stability of the downstream CHIP–IRF1 axis through proteolysis. Our findings identify mechanisms associated with mitochondrial dynamics that control anti-tumor immune responses and that are potential targets for cancer immunotherapy. Macrophage metabolism controls differentiation and subsequent adaptive immune responses. Here the authors show that mitochondrial membrane protein Fam73b regulates TLR-mediated mitochondrial switching of fusion to fission to induce IL-12 production via accumulation of Parkin and stabilization of IRF1 in macrophages, resulting in control of anti-tumor immunity in mice.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a highly aggressive and heterogeneous brain tumor. Glioma stem-like cells (GSCs) play a central role in tumor progression, therapeutic resistance, and recurrence. Although immune cells are known to shape the GBM microenvironment, the impact of antigen-presenting-cell (APC) signature genes on tumor-intrinsic phenotypes remains underexplored. We analyzed both bulk- and single-cell RNA sequencing datasets of GBM to investigate the association between APC gene expression and tumor-cell states, including stemness and metabolic reprogramming. Signature scores were computed using curated gene sets related to APC activity, KEGG metabolic pathways, and cancer hallmark pathways. Protein–protein interaction (PPI) networks were constructed to examine the links between immune regulators and metabolic programs. The high expression of APC-related genes, such as HLA-DRA, CD74, CD80, CD86, and CIITA, was associated with lower stemness signatures and enhanced inflammatory signaling. These APC-high states (mean difference = –0.43, adjusted p < 0.001) also showed a shift in metabolic activity, with decreased oxidative phosphorylation and increased lipid and steroid metabolism. This pattern suggests coordinated changes in immune activity and metabolic status. Furthermore, TNF-α and other inflammatory markers were more highly expressed in the less stem-like tumor cells, indicating a possible role of inflammation in promoting differentiation. Our findings revealed that elevated APC gene signatures are associated with more differentiated and metabolically specialized GBM cell states. These transcriptional features may also reflect greater immunogenicity and inflammation sensitivity. The APC metabolic signature may serve as a useful biomarker to identify GBM subpopulations with reduced stemness and increased immune engagement, offering potential therapeutic implications.

This study demonstrates how to generate a three-dimensional (3D) body model through a small number of images and derive body values similar to the actual values using generated 3D body data. In this study, a 3D body model that can be used for body type diagnosis was developed using two full-body pictures of the front and side taken with a mobile phone. For data training, 400 3D body datasets (male: 200, female: 200) provided by Size Korea were used, and four models, i.e., 3D recurrent reconstruction neural network, point cloud generative adversarial network, skinned multi-person linear model, and pixel-aligned impact function for high-resolution 3D human digitization, were used. The models proposed in this study were analyzed and compared. A total of 10 men and women were analyzed, and their corresponding 3D models were verified by comparing 3D body data derived from 2D image inputs with those obtained using a body scanner. The model was verified through the difference between 3D data derived from the 2D image and those derived using an actual body scanner. Unlike the 3D generation models that could not be used to derive the body values in this study, the proposed model was successfully used to derive various body values, indicating that this model can be implemented to identify various body types and monitor obesity in the future.

PurposeTo study the retinal capillary microvasculature and the choriocapillaris (CC) in myopic eyes using swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography (SS-OCTA).MethodsPatients with high myopia (≥ − 6D; axial length ≥ 26.5 mm), moderate myopia (≥ − 3D, < − 6D), and age-matched healthy subjects presenting to the Shanghai General Hospital and Doheny-UCLA Eye Centers were enrolled in this prospective, multicenter study. Any subjects with evidence of macular abnormalities suggestive of pathologic myopia were excluded. SS-OCTA at both sites was performed using a Zeiss PLEX Elite instrument with a 6 × 6 mm scan pattern centered on the fovea. Two repeated volume scans were acquired for image averaging. The instrument pre-defined en face slab of the superficial and deep retinal capillary microvasculature was used to isolate and display the superficial and deep retinal capillaries. A slab spanning from 21 to 31 μm deep to the RPE fit line was used to isolate and display the CC. The OCTA images were exported for averaging using Image J. Littmann’s method and the Bennett formula were applied to adjust for the impact of magnification in the high and moderate myopia groups. The resultant images were then binarized. Though projection artifact removal software was used, regions below the large superficial retinal vessels were excluded for quantitative analyses of the deep retinal capillary plexus and the CC. Vessel density (VD) and vessel length density (VLD) of the superficial and deep retinal capillary plexus (SCP, DCP) and CC flow deficit (FD) were analyzed, quantified, and compared between different groups.ResultsTwenty-five eyes of 25 patients with high myopia, 25 eyes of 25 patients with moderate myopia, and 25 eyes of 25 normal age-matched controls were included in this study. The VD of the SCP was lower in the high myopia group compared with the emmetropic control groups (p < 0.05), but the VD of the DCP demonstrated no significant difference among the three groups (p > 0.05). The VLDs of the SCP were lower in the high and moderate myopia groups compared with the control group (p < 0.05), while the VLD of the DCP was lower in the high myopia group compared with the moderate myopia and emmetropic control group (p < 0.05). The CC FD% in the high myopia group was significantly greater than both the control and moderate myopia subjects (p < 0.05). Of note, the severity of the CC flow deficit was not correlated with choroidal thickness (p > 0.05).ConclusionThe retinal microvasculature may demonstrate alterations in highly myopia eyes. The CC in macular regions shows greater impairment in eyes with high myopia compared with eyes with lesser degrees of myopia, and these deficits are already present in the absence of features of pathologic or degenerative myopia. The threshold of CC FD leading to myopic maculopathy remains to be defined.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a malignant epithelial tumor originating in the nasopharynx and has a high incidence in Southeast Asia and North Africa. To develop these comprehensive guidelines for the diagnosis and management of NPC, the Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology (CSCO) arranged a multi‐disciplinary team comprising of experts from all sub‐specialties of NPC to write, discuss, and revise the guidelines. Based on the findings of evidence‐based medicine in China and abroad, domestic experts have iteratively developed these guidelines to provide proper management of NPC. Overall, the guidelines describe the screening, clinical and pathological diagnosis, staging and risk assessment, therapies, and follow‐up of NPC, which aim to improve the management of NPC.