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Objective To establish an animal model and evaluation system for lymph node metastasis of breast cancer. Methods A total of 60 female BALB/c mice (6~8 weeks old) were subjected, and then 6 models of lymph node metastasis (n=10) were constructed through injection at different parts in the mice with cell suspension of 4T1 breast cancer cells.Transgenic mice (n=5) of mouse mammary tumor virus-polyoma middle T antigen (MMTV-PyMT) were employed and served as model of spontaneous tumor metastasis.Then the advantages and disadvantages of different lymph node metastasis models were comprehensively evaluated from multiple aspects, such as operability, histomorphology and pathological detection, tumor growth rate and mouse survival. Results Among the 7 metastasis models, 4 models of lymph node metastasis were successfully established.Among them, the PyMT mouse spontaneous tumorigenesis model showed the best clinical reproduction, with a tumorigenesis rate of up to 100%, but had a disadvantage of poor experimental standardization.The hind paw-popliteal lymph node model had the fastest lymph node metastasis, easy operation and high repeatability, and a tumorigenesis rate of 100%, indicating its suitable for lymph node metastasis related research.The thigh subcutaneous-inguinal lymph node model also successfully simulated lymph node metastasis, with simple operation and high repeatability, a tumorigenesis rate of up to 100%, but its metastasis time was slightly longer than the hind paw-popliteal lymph node model.The inguinal lymph node-contralateral lymph node model was also a successful lymph node metastasis model, but with difficult operation, only 50% tumor-bearing rate, and poor repeatability.Lymph node metastasis model was not successfully established in the other 3 tumor-bearing models (under the tongue-internal jugular scapular tongue muscle lymph node model, bone marrow-inguinal lymph node model and right upper back skin-axillary lymph node model) in a short time, with no tumor cells observed in the pathological sections. Conclusion Through the comprehensive comparison of multiple models, mouse hind paw-popliteal lymph node model is the most suitable for conducting related research.

Objective To explore the sensitizing effect of manganese for radiotherapy against tumors and its possible mechanisms. Methods A total of 300 male C57BL/6 mice (6~8 weeks old, weighing 20~23 g) with subcutaneous tumor were randomly divided into 4 groups: control group, radiotherapy group, manganese treatment group, and combined radiotherapy and manganese treatment group. Nasal drip with 10 μg manganese adjuvant was applied to the mice from the latter 2 groups on day 9 of tumor bearing, then single dose of 20 Gy radiation was locally administered on day 10. Tumor growth and mouse survival were monitored regularly. The sensitizing effect of manganese on radiotherapy was determined by monitoring and comparing the tumor growth among different unilateral mouse models. Bilateral tumor-bearing model was used to examine the effect of manganese on abscopal effects induced by radiotherapy. Flow cytometry was used to illustrate the changes in tumor-infiltrating immune cells in unilateral tumor bearing model. Immunohistochemical staining was employed to evaluate the spleen function in unilateral tumor bearing mice. Results Based on repeated validation of 3 different unilateral tumor-bearing models, radiotherapy combined with manganese therapy significantly inhibited tumor growth and prolonged survival of mice (P < 0.05). The results of bilateral tumor-bearing model showed that manganese therapy enhanced abscopal effects of radiotherapy, and significant regression was observed in both side of tumor under radiotherapy or not (P < 0.05). Flow cytometry revealed that manganese further increased radiation-induced CD8+T infiltration (P < 0.05) and decreased radiation-induced infiltration of Treg cells and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) (P < 0.05). Furthermore, manganese increased lymphocyte reserve pool of the spleen and improved its function. Conclusion Manganese adjuvant could act as a sensitizing agent for radiotherapy, by improving the function of spleen and reprogramming the tumor microenvironment synergistically.

Most of the optical behaviors in photoelectric multifunctional ceramics strongly depend on the addition of rare‐earth elements. However, the limited species of rare‐earth cations available as luminescence centers restrict the further development of photoelectric devices. Additionally, introducing the large atomic‐radii elements usually dramatically deteriorates the piezoelectric properties. Herein, the novel photochromism and luminescence modulation properties have been realized in CuO‐doped [(K0.43Na0.57)0.94Li0.06][(Nb0.94Sb0.06)0.95Ta0.05]O3 (KNLNST) piezoelectric ceramics which show intense sensitivity to visible‐light irradiation. As a strategy for regulating oxygen vacancy concentrations in piezoelectric ceramics, different CuO amounts are doped to generate color centers for photochromism. The photoluminescence phenomenon exhibiting green emission under 375 nm excitation is observed in KNLNST piezoelectric ceramics, which is most commonly realized via rare‐earth doping in luminescent materials. KNLNST–0.3CuO ceramics with the highest oxygen vacancy concentration achieve a reversible luminescence modulation of 46.9% by altering light irradiation and thermal stimulus. Moreover, a hand‐rewritable optical information test demonstrates exceptional reproducibility and fatigue durability. This research displays the controllable photochromism and luminescence behaviors in ceramics via regulating oxygen vacancy concentration by CuO "hard" doping. The lead‐free high performance photoelectric ceramics fulfill the demands of potential applications in anti‐counterfeiting and optical storage devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antiferroelectric (AFE) ceramics are excellent candidates for developing capacitors with enhanced energy storage capabilities due to their unique field-induced phase transitions. Research showed that AFE materials with large energy barriers typically exhibit better AFE stability. However, the higher intrinsic potential barriers make it difficult for the polar phase to cross the barrier after the electric field is removed, significantly reducing the maximum polarization (Pmax). Herein, we propose a universal approach to introducing mutually exclusive interaction ions at both the A-site and B-site to regulate the AFE-FE transition energy barrier in PbHfO3-based ceramics to markedly enhance capacitive performance. By precisely tuning the position of the AFE and FE states in the energy paths, we achieve a large phase-switching field (∼509 kV cm−1) and a high Pmax (∼47.07 μC cm−2), accompanied by an ultrahigh recoverable energy storage density (∼16.05 J cm−3). In terms of practical applications, the ceramics display commendable frequency and cycling stability, as well as a rapid discharge time of 106 ns and a high-power density of 193.5 MW cm−3. This work presents an innovative strategy for synergistically enhancing the energy storage performance of AFE ceramics, potentially advancing the development of advanced dielectric capacitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BiCuSeO is a promising oxygen‐containing thermoelectric material due to its intrinsically low lattice thermal conductivity and excellent service stability. However, the low electrical conductivity limits its thermoelectric performance. Aliovalent element doping can significantly improve their carrier concentration, but it may also impact carrier mobility and thermal transport properties. Considering the influence of graphene on carrier‐phonon decoupling, Bi0.88Pb0.06Ca0.06CuSeO (BPCCSO)‐graphene composites are designed. For further practical application, a rapid preparation method is employed, taking less than 1 h, which combines self‐propagating high‐temperature synthesis with spark plasma sintering. The incorporation of graphene simultaneously optimizes the electrical properties and thermal conductivity, yielding a high ratio of weighted mobility to lattice thermal conductivity (144 at 300 K and 95 at 923 K). Ultimately, BPCCSO‐graphene composites achieve exceptional thermoelectric performance with a ZT value of 1.6 at 923 K, bringing a ≈40% improvement over BPCCSO without graphene. This work further promotes the practical application of BiCuSeO‐based materials and this facile and effective strategy can also be extended to other thermoelectric systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potassium sodium niobate (KNN)‐based piezoelectric ceramics have emerged as a promising alternative to lead‐based systems due to their exceptional properties. While extensive research has focused on improving the electrical properties of KNN‐based ceramics through doping and processing optimization, the concurrent investigation of their mechanical properties has been lacking. This study presents a comprehensive analysis of the mechanical and electrical properties of KNN‐based lead‐free piezoceramics doped with various transition metal oxides and rare earth oxides, based on substantial experimental data. Our findings reveal that the as‐sintered KNN‐based ceramics exhibit not only outstanding electrical properties but also remarkable mechanical robustness compared to conventional toughened lead zirconate titanate (PZT)‐based ceramics. These exceptional electrical and mechanical properties are attributed to the micro‐scale and atomic‐scale structure of the modified KNN‐based ceramics, characterized by a highly condensed structure, an inhomogeneous distribution of nano‐domain structure, and the presence of amorphous intergranular films at grain boundaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]