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By engineering strain gradients in dielectrics, the flexoelectric effect can be created, which yields interesting physical properties viaelectromechanical coupling. Here, we report flexoelectric-induced photovoltaic effects in centrosymmetric LaFeO3thin-film heterostructures grown on flexible mica substrates, in which partial relaxation of lattice-mismatch strain against LaAlO3stretching layers results in giant strain gradients and pronounced electrical polarizations. The flexoelectric polarization modulates band alignment and leads to significant photovoltaic effects with a short-circuit current density of ∼0.4 mA/cm2and an open circuit voltage of ∼ -0.45 V in Pt/LaFeO3/LaNiO3devices. In addition, by concavely/convexly bending the mica substrate, mechanical strain gradients give rise to bi-directionally tunable photocurrents, in which continuously change of short-circuit current density with a magnitude of ∼100% and good reproducibility in repetitive bending operations are observed in the Pt/LaFeO3/LaNiO3devices. The present work demonstrates an approach to design self-powered photoelectric devices with an electromechanical degree of freedom based on the flexoelectric effect in flexible thin-film heterostructures.

Regulatory T cell can protect against severe forms of coronaviral infections attributable to host inflammatory responses. But its role in the pathogenesis of COVID‐19 is still unclear. In this study, frequencies of total and multiple subsets of lymphocytes in peripheral blood of COVID‐19 patients and discharged individuals were analyzed using a multicolor flow cytometry assay. Plasma concentration of IL‐10 was measured using a microsphere‐based immunoassay kit. Comparing to healthy controls, the frequencies of total lymphocytes and T cells decreased significantly in both acutely infected COVID‐19 patients and discharged individuals. The frequencies of total lymphocytes correlated negatively with the frequencies of CD3−CD56+NK cells. The frequencies of regulatory CD8+CD25+T cells correlated with CD4+/CD8+T cell ratios positively, while the frequencies of regulatory CD4+CD25+CD127−T cells correlated negatively with CD4+/CD8+T cell ratios. Ratios of CD4+/CD8+T cells increased significantly in patients beyond age of 45 years. And accordingly, the frequencies of regulatory CD8+CD25+T cells were also found significantly increased in these patients. Collectively, the results suggest that regulatory CD4+and CD8+T cells may play distinct roles in the pathogenesis of COVID‐19. Moreover, the data indicate that NK cells might contribute to the COVID‐19 associated lymphopenia. Regulatory CD4+ and CD8+ T cells are negatively correlated with CD4+/CD8+ T cell ratios in patients acutely infected with SARS‐CoV‐2

Advances in artificial general intelligence (AGI) necessitate the integration of diverse functionalities to address complex tasks. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs), with their unique physical properties, have broad applications in emerging research fields, providing a foundation for next-generation devices that could overcome the limits of Moore’s Law. This work demonstrates a novel intelligent device that integrates five functions─sensors, memory, neuromorphic computing, logic, and communication─using CNT field-effect transistors (CNFETs) compatible with CMOS processes. Through passivation and annealing techniques, we have significantly enhanced the optoelectronic performance of CNFETs, leading to the development of multifunctional optoelectronic synaptic transistors. These optimized CNFETs enable dual-mode weight-tunable synaptic functions, including long-term plasticity and multilevel storage. Additionally, a CNT-based neural network has achieved high recognition accuracy on the MNIST data set, showcasing the potential of in-memory computing. This research also innovates by integrating logic functions with optoelectronic communication capabilities, paving the way for next-generation intelligent computing and communication integrated systems.

Objective: The reasons for short-term, incomplete recovery of some acute low-frequency sensorineural hearing loss (ALFHL) are unclear. We investigated the impact of endolymphatic hydrops and semicircular canal dysfunction on the incomplete recovery of ALFHL.Methods: The impact of electrocochleography (EcochG), caloric test, video head impulse test (vHIT), cervical vestibular-evoked myogenic potential (cVEMP), and ocular vestibular-evoked myogenic potential (oVEMP) results on the incomplete recovery of 86 patients with ALFHL was analyzed. The correlation between a high abnormal rate of vestibular-evoked myogenic potential (VEMP) and aural fullness, dizziness, and level of hearing loss was also examined.Results: Abnormal oVEMP with an odds ratio (OR) of 6.071 (P= .002) and EcochG with an OR of 5.919 (P= .005) were independent risk factors for incomplete recovery in ALFHL, but abnormal cVEMP, caloric test, and vHIT were not independent risk factors for ALFHL. There was no correlation between a high abnormal rate of VEMP and aural fullness, dizziness, or level of hearing loss in ALFHL.Conclusion: Abnormal oVEMP and EcochG values rather than caloric test and vHIT were risk factors for incomplete recovery of ALFHL, which may be related to the difficulty of successfully treating utricular and cochlear hydrops. High abnormal rate of VEMP was not correlated with hearing loss level, aural fullness, or dizziness in ALFHL. Abnormal oVEMP and EcochG values can indicate poor short-term prognosis of ALFHL.

Background: Aldosterone relieves transcriptional repression of epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) by inhibiting Dot1a and Af9 expression and their interaction with ENaC promoter in various tissues. Expressions of ENaC and Af9 in inner ear have been identified. However, it is not known how Dot1l is regulated by aldosterone in inner ear. Methods: Twenty-eight adult guinea pigs were randomly divided into the control group and treatment group. Aldosterone 1 mg/kg/d was injected intraperitoneally in the treatment group and saline in the control group for 7 days. Animals were killed 1 month later following auditory brainstem response examination. Histomorphology of cochlea was detected with hematoxylin–eosin staining, and Dot1l expression was examined with immunohistochemistry and Western blot. Results: There was no significant difference in ABR thresholds before and after injection of aldosterone or saline in either group. Endolymphatic hydrops was found in 75% of animals in the treatment group. Dot1l was found in both groups in the stria vascularis, Reissner’s membrane, spiral limbus, organ of Corti and spiral ligament. Dot1l expression in the treatment group was decreased by aldosterone. Conclusions: Dot1l in guinea pig cochlea is inhibited by aldosterone with induction of endolymphatic hydrops. Dot1l may be closely related to endolymph regulation by aldosterone and to pathogenesis of Meniere’s disease.