Quantitative characterization of tumor cell traction force on extracellular matrix by hydrogel microsphere stress sensor.

Cell traction force (CTF) is a kind of active force that is a cell senses external environment and actively applies to the contact matrix which is currently a representative stress in cell-extracellular matrix (ECM) interaction. Studying the distribution and variation of CTF during cell-ECM interaction help to explain the impact of physical factors on cell behaviors from the perspective of mechanobiology. However, most of the strategies of characterizing CTF are still limited by the measurement needs in three-dimensional (3D), quantitative characteristics and in vivo condition.

Efficacy of moxibustion in diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome model rats: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

To systematically evaluate the efficacy of moxibustion in diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D) model rats. A comprehensive search was conducted in the China National Knowledge Infrastructure, WanFang Data, VIP, PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases from their inception to June 30, 2023. Relevant animal experiments investigating moxibustion for treating IBS-D in model rats were included.

A review of neuroendocrine immune system abnormalities in IBS based on the brain-gut axis and research progress of acupuncture intervention.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common digestive disorder observed in clinics. Current studies suggest that the pathogenesis of the disease is closely related to abnormal brain-gut interactions, hypokinesia, visceral sensory hypersensitivity in the gastrointestinal tract, and alterations in the intestinal microenvironment. However, it is difficult for a single factor to explain the heterogeneity of symptoms.

Efficacy and safety of blood pricking and cupping for treating nonspecific low back pain: a systematic review and Meta-analysis.

Objective: To systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of blood pricking and cupping in the treatment of nonspecific low back pain (NLBP).

Methods: The China National Knowledge Infrastructure Database (CNKI), Wanfang Med Online Database (Wanfang), China Science and Technology Journal Database (VIP), PubMed, Web of Science, EMBase, and Cochrane Library databases were searched from inception to October 31, 2021, for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of the treatment of NLBP by blood pricking and cupping. The quality of each included study was evaluated according to the Cochrane Systematic Assessor's Manual evaluation criteria, while the Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.

Numerical Analysis of Fiber/Air-Coupling Field for Annular Jet.

Melt-blowing technology is an important method for directly preparing micro-nanofiber materials by drawing polymer melts with high temperature and high velocity air flow. During the drawing process, the melt-blowing fiber not only undergoes a phase change, but also has an extremely complex coupling effect with the drawing airflow. Therefore, in the numerical calculation of the flow field, the existence of melt-blowing fibers is often ignored.

Guanidyl-implanted UiO-66 as an efficient catalyst for the enhanced conversion of carbon dioxide into cyclic carbonates.

The development of heterogeneous catalysts for promoting epoxide cycloaddition with carbon dioxide is highly desirable for recycling CO and achieving the goal of carbon neutrality. Herein, we designed and synthesized Zr-based metal organic frameworks (MOFs) by implanting functional guanidyl into the framework mixing different molar ratios of 4-guanidinobenzoic acid (Gua) with 1,4-benzenedicarboxylic acid (BDC). Consequently, a small sized Zr-MOF (∼350 nm) can be prepared by implanting Gua with 20% molar ligands, denoted as UiO-66-Gua().

A Comparison Study of the Effect on IBS-D Rats among Ginger-Partitioned Moxibustion, Mild Moxibustion, and Laser Moxibustion.

Background: Diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D) is a functional gastrointestinal disorder that severely affects patients' life. Moxibustion is believed to be an effective way to treat IBS-D. However, the therapeutic effects and the underlying mechanisms in symptom management of IBS-D by different moxibustion therapies remain unclear.

Dye-sensitized core-shell NaGdF:Yb,Er@NaGdF:Yb,Nd upconversion nanoprobe for determination of HS.

The core-shell NaGdF:Yb,Er@NaGdF:Yb,Nd upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) were successfully obtained with the method of co-precipitation, and the water-solubility of UCNPs was improved by the ligand exchange reaction between nitrosyl tetrafluoroborate (NOBF) and nanoparticles. The IR-783 dye with negative charge and NOBF-UCNPs with positive charge can bind together by electrostatic action to sensitize UCNPs through the energy transfer from IR-783 to UCNPs. However, with the presence of NaS (a commonly used HS donor), a highly selective reaction between HS and IR-783, which destoried the structure of IR-783 and blocked the energy transfer, thus led to the quenching of luminescent intensity.

Molybdenum Carbide-Embedded Multichannel Hollow Carbon Nanofibers as Bifunctional Catalysts for Water Splitting.

With the environmental pollution and non-renewable fossil fuels, it is imperative to develop eco-friendly, renewable, and highly efficient electrocatalysts for sustainable energy. Herein, a simple electrospinning process used to synthesis Mo C-embedded multichannel hollow carbon nanofibers (Mo C-MCNFs) and followed by the pyrolysis process. As prepared lotus root-like nanoarchitecture could offer rich porosity and facilitate the electrolyte infiltration, the Mo C-MCNFs delivered favourable catalytic activity for HER and OER.

The thermal performance of biological tissue under moxibustion therapy.

An understanding of the thermal performance of biological tissue under moxibustion with ash cleaning and distance adjustment (ACDA) is helpful for the optimization and standardization of moxibustion clinical treatment. This study compared surface temperature distribution of burning moxa stick with and without ash cleaning. The experimental of moxibustion treatment on in-vitro tissue and human abdomen were conducted and corresponding numerical models were developed.

The Effect of Moxibustion Stimulation on Local and Distal Skin Temperature in Healthy Subjects.

The aim of this study is to investigate the response of local and distal skin temperature to moxibustion stimulation (MS) and explore the effects of MS on sympathetic nerve activity. The distal skin temperatures of fingertips, as an indicator for sympathetic reflex response, were recorded using infrared camera during resting period (10 min), MS period (10 min), and natural cooling period (15 min), respectively. The MS without ash cleaning (AC) was applied to acupoints Quze (PC3) (Group I) and Lao Gong (PC8) (Group II), respectively.

The protective effects of acupoint gel embedding on rats with myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Aims: Prevention and treatment of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury has for many years been a hot topic in treating ischemic heart disease. As one of the most well-known methods of complementary and alternative medicine, acupuncture has attracted increasing interest in preventing myocardial I/R injury due to its remarkable effectiveness and minimal side effect. However, traditional acupuncture approaches are limited by cumbersome execution, high labor costs and inevitable pain caused by frequent stimulation.

Droplet based vitrification for cell aggregates: Numerical analysis.

Cell aggregates represent the main format of cells existing in vivo and have been widely used as tissue and disease models in vitro. Nevertheless, the preservation of cell aggregates while maintaining their functionalities for off-the-shelf applications is still challenging. Among various preservation methods, droplet-based vitrification exhibits superior advantages for the cryopreservation of cell aggregates; however, the physical mechanisms underlying droplet-based vitrification of cell aggregate using this method remain elusive.

Melting Away Pain: Decay of Thermal Nociceptor Transduction during Heat-Induced Irreversible Desensitization of Ion Channels.

Thermal transient receptor potential channels play a key role in thermal sensation. Although predictive models exist for temperature-dependent transduction through these channels and for the associated sensations of pain, the ability to predict irreversible desensitization has been lacking. We explored the role of irreversible ion channel desensitization in pain sensation and hypothesized that desensitization of ion channels would follow the kinetics similar to the denaturation of catalytic enzymes.

Pentaethylenehexamine-Loaded Hierarchically Porous Silica for CO₂ Adsorption.

Recently, amine-functionalized materials as a prospective chemical sorbent for post combustion CO₂ capture have gained great interest. However, the amine grafting for the traditional MCM-41, SBA-15, pore-expanded MCM-41 or SBA-15 supports can cause the pore volume and specific surface area of sorbents to decrease, significantly affecting the CO₂ adsorption-desorption dynamics. To overcome this issue, hierarchical porous silica with interparticle macropores and long-range ordering mesopores was prepared and impregnated with pentaethylenehexamine.

An In Vitro and Numerical Study of Moxibustion Therapy on Biological Tissue.

Objective: Moxibustion therapy achieves satisfactory therapeutic effects largely depending on the heat stimulation of burning moxa. Understanding the thermal characteristics of heating process is an effective way to reveal the underlying mechanisms of moxibustion therapy.

Methods: This paper performs experimental study on temperature distributions of burning moxa sticks and fresh in vitro porcine abdominal tissue using an infrared camera and thermocouples.

Non-invasive tracking of hydrogel degradation using upconversion nanoparticles.

Unlabelled: Tracking the distribution and degradation of hydrogels in vivo is important for various applications including tissue engineering and drug delivery. Among various imaging modalities, fluorescence imaging has attracted intensive attention due to their high sensitivity, low cost and easy operation. Particularly, upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) that emit visible lights upon near-infrared (NIR) light excitation as tracking probes are promising in deciphering the fate of hydrogels after transplantation.

[Clinical value of cupping spot effect].

The cupping spot is considered as one kind of skin change due to cupping treatment. With literature regarding cupping spot, the influencing factors and value of cupping spot in clinical diagnosis and treatment were analyzed, which could make a further exploration on the action mechanism of cupping treatment. The literature showed that the formation of cupping spot was related with cupping temperature, pressure, cup-retaining time, cupping area, individual difference and health condition, etc; cupping spot had the ability to assist diagnosis, prevent disease, cure disease and evaluate clinical efficacy.

Isomorphic coordination polymers of cobalt(II), zinc(II) with a flexible ligand of cis,cis,cis-1,2,3,4-cyclopentanetetracarboxylic acid and their molecular alloys: crystal structures, thermal decomposition mechanisms and magnetic properties.

Three new isomorphic coordination polymers of Co(2+), Zn(2+) ions with flexible multicarboxylic acid ligand of the cis,cis,cis-1,2,3,4-cyclopentanetetracarboxylic acid (H(4)L), [Co(4)L(2)(H(2)O)(8)]·3H(2)O (1), [Zn(4)L(2)(H(2)O)(8)]·3H(2)O (2) and [Co(0.8)Zn(3.2)L(2)(H(2)O)(8)]·3H(2)O (3), have been synthesized under hydrothermal conditions and by means of controlling the pH of the reaction mixtures (with an initial pH of 6.

Solvothermal syntheses, structures, and physical properties of four new coordination compounds constructed from a bent dicarboxylate ligand.

Four new coordination compounds, namely {[Cd(3)(L)(2)(mu(3)-OH)(2)(H(2)O)] x H(2)O}(n) (1), {Ni(L)(bipy)}(n) (2), {Cu(3)(L)(2)(bipy)(mu(2)-OH)(2)(DMF)(2)}(n) (3), and {Co(2)L(2)(H(2)L)(H(2)O)}(n) (4), have been synthesized by the solvothermal reaction of 4,4'-(hexafluoroisopropylidene)bis(benzoic acid) (H(2)L) with different transition metal ions in the presence of co-ligand 4,4'-bipyridine (bipy). Compound 1 displays a three-dimensional (3D) framework containing infinite bands constructed of heptanuclear cadmium clusters. In compound 2, [Ni(2)C(2)O(4)] secondary building units (SBUs) are linked by L(2-) ligands into a 1D ribbon, which are further assembled into a two-dimensional (2D) non-interpenetrated structure with {4(4) x 6(2)} topology.