Rolling of stimuli-bent cylindrical robots using contact finite element simulations.

Curved cylinders, if rigid, cannot roll on a surface like straight cylinders, but soft cylinders bent by specific stimuli can! Studying the autonomous locomotion of these soft robots and their interactions with the environment using finite element analysis is challenging due to the complex multiphysics of stimuli-responsive soft materials and nonlinear contact mechanics. In this pioneering work, we simulate the rolling of stimuli-bent cylinders on a surface using contact finite elements and introduce a simple yet effective pseudo-thermal field method. Our approach successfully reproduces several modes of autonomous locomotion observed experimentally, including phototropic locomotion, phototropic climbing on a slanted surface, steering under partial illumination, and backward rolling under alternating heat-light stimuli.

Associations of various medical nutrition therapy strategies with body composition, and physical and clinical outcomes in acute myeloid leukemia patients undergoing intensive remission-induction treatment: a multicenter prospective correlational study.

Background & Aims: Medical nutrition therapy (MNT) is commonly used in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) undergoing intensive remission-induction treatment to prevent malnutrition, particularly the loss of fat-free mass (FFM)/muscle mass, as well as associated adverse outcomes. However, studies examining the associations between proactive versus wait-and-see approaches toward MNT and nutritional, physical, and clinical outcomes in these patients are lacking. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the associations between these different MNT approaches and body composition changes, as well as physical and clinical outcomes in AML/MDS patients undergoing intensive remission-induction treatment.

Impact of increased diagnosis of early HIV infection and immediate antiretroviral treatment initiation on HIV transmission among men who have sex with men in the Netherlands.

The number of new HIV infections among men who have sex with men (MSM) in the Netherlands has been decreasing, but additional efforts are required to bring it further down. This study aims to assess the impact of increased diagnosis of early HIV infection combined with immediate antiretroviral treatment (ART) initiation on reducing HIV transmission among MSM. We developed an agent-based model calibrated to HIV surveillance and sexual behavior data for MSM in the Netherlands in 2017-2022.

Learning Neural Free-Energy Functionals with Pair-Correlation Matching.

The intrinsic Helmholtz free-energy functional, the centerpiece of classical density functional theory, is at best only known approximately for 3D systems. Here we introduce a method for learning a neural-network approximation of this functional by exclusively training on a dataset of radial distribution functions, circumventing the need to sample costly heterogeneous density profiles in a wide variety of external potentials. For a supercritical Lennard-Jones system with planar symmetry, we demonstrate that the learned neural free-energy functional accurately predicts inhomogeneous density profiles under various complex external potentials obtained from simulations.

Novel Maleimide Linkers Based on a Piperazine Motif for Strongly Increased Aqueous Solubility.

Maleimides remain very popular conjugation moieties in the fields of bio(in)organic chemistry and biotechnology. They are particularly interesting for endogenous albumin binding in the bloodstream to exploit the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect and to increase tumor accumulation of anticancer drugs. However, during drug development, insufficient aqueous solubility is frequently a limiting factor.

Collective dynamics of intelligent active Brownian particles with visual perception and velocity alignment in 3D: spheres, rods, and worms.

Many living systems, such as birds and fish, exhibit collective behaviors like flocking and swarming. Recently, an experimental system of active colloidal particles has been developed, where the motility of each particle is adjusted based on its visual detection of surrounding particles. These particles with visual-perception-dependent motility exhibit group formation and cohesion.

Exploring the Structure-Activity Relationships of Albumin-Targeted Picoplatin-Based Platinum(IV) Prodrugs.

Platinum(II) complexes prevail as first-line treatment for many cancers but are associated with serious side effects and resistance development. Picoplatin emerged as a promising alternative to circumvent GSH-induced tumor resistance by introducing a bulky 2-picoline ligand. Although clinical studies were encouraging, picoplatin did not receive approval.

Thermal ablation versus surgical resection of small-size colorectal liver metastases (COLLISION): an international, randomised, controlled, phase 3 non-inferiority trial.

Background: For patients with small-size colorectal liver metastases, growing evidence suggests thermal ablation to be associated with fewer adverse events and faster recovery than resection while also challenging resection in terms of local control and overall survival. This study assessed the potential non-inferiority of thermal ablation compared with surgical resection in patients with small-size resectable colorectal liver metastases.

Methods: Adult patients (aged ≥18 years) from 14 centres in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Italy with ten or fewer small-size (≤3 cm) colorectal liver metastases, no extrahepatic metastases, and an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0-2, were stratified per centre, and according to their disease burden, into low, intermediate, and high disease burden subgroups and randomly assigned 1:1 to receive either thermal ablation (experimental group) or surgical resection (control group) of all target colorectal liver metastases using the web-based module Castor electronic data capture with variable block sizes of 4, 6, and 8.

The bcc coating of Lennard-Jones crystal nuclei vanishes with a change of local structure detection algorithm.

Since the influential work of ten Wolde, Ruiz-Montero, and Frenkel [Phys. Rev. Lett.

Curvature-directed anchoring and defect structure of colloidal smectic liquid crystals in confinement.

Rod-like objects at high packing fractions can exhibit liquid crystalline ordering. By controlling how the rods align near a boundary, i.e.

Minimally Invasive Image-Guided Percutaneous Irreversible Electroporation of Adrenal Metastases.

Purpose: A single-center retrospective study was performed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of minimally invasive irreversible electroporation (IRE) to treat metastatic adrenal tumors.

Materials And Methods: This single-center study, approved by the Institutional Review Board, retrospectively analyzed six patients who underwent image-guided percutaneous IRE for adrenal metastases. Pre-procedural imaging included CT, MRI and/or F-FDG PET-CT scans.

Thick waveguides of low-stress stoichiometric silicon nitride on sapphire (SiNOS).

Low-stress stoichiometric silicon nitride (SiN) waveguides with an unprecedented thickness of up to 1350 nm and a width in the range of 2.2 - 2.7 µm are fabricated using a single LPCVD step on sapphire substrates (SiNOS).

The impact of intraoperative mapping during re-resection in recurrent gliomas: a systematic review.

Purpose: Previous evidence suggests that glioma re-resection can be effective in improving clinical outcomes. Furthermore, the use of mapping techniques during surgery has proven beneficial for newly diagnosed glioma patients. However, the effects of these mapping techniques during re-resection are not clear.

Irreversible Electroporation in Treating Colorectal Liver Metastases in Proximity to Critical Structures.

Purpose: To evaluate the safety, effectiveness, and oncological outcomes of irreversible electroporation (IRE) of unresectable colorectal liver metastases (CRLMs) close to critical structures.

Materials And Methods: This is a single-center, institutional review board (IRB)-approved, retrospective analysis of patients who underwent percutaneous computed tomography (CT)-guided IRE of CRLM. Between August 2018 and October 2023, 26 patients had 46 tumors treated with percutaneous IRE in 30 ablation sessions.

Changes in nutritional status and associations with physical and clinical outcomes in acute myeloid leukemia patients during intensive chemotherapy.

Background/objectives: Patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) often receive medical nutrition therapy (MNT) during intensive remission-induction treatment. Since little is known about changes in nutritional status, specifically body composition, in this patient population, these changes and their associations with physical and clinical outcomes were assessed.

Subjects/methods: In this multicenter prospective observational study, newly diagnosed AML/MDS patients who received intensive remission-induction chemotherapy, routine dietary counseling by a dietician and MNT immediately upon inadequate nutritional intake, were included.

Achiral hard bananas assemble double-twist skyrmions and blue phases.

Skyrmions are topologically protected, vortex-like structures found in various condensed-matter systems including helical ferromagnets and liquid crystals, typically arising from chiral interactions. Using extensive particle-based simulations, we demonstrate that non-chiral hard banana-shaped particles, governed solely by excluded-volume interactions, spontaneously stabilize skyrmion structures through the bend-flexoelectric effect. Under thin confinement, we observe the formation of quasi-2D layers of isolated skyrmions or dense skyrmion lattices.

Safety and Effectiveness of Irreversible Electroporation in Lymph Node Metastases.

Purpose: Demonstrating the safety and efficacy of percutaneous irreversible electroporation (IRE) for the treatment of lymph node metastases.

Materials And Methods: An IRB-approved, single-center retrospective review was performed on patients with lymph node metastases gastrointestinal, and genitourinary primary cancers. Primary objective safety was evaluated by assessing complications graded according to the Clavien-Dindo Classification, and efficacy was determined by tumor response on follow-up imaging and local progression-free survival (LPFS).

Inverse design of crystals and quasicrystals in a non-additive binary mixture of hard disks.

The development of new materials typically involves a process of trial and error, guided by insights from past experimental and theoretical findings. The inverse design approach for soft-matter systems has the potential to optimize specific physical parameters, such as particle interactions, particle shape, or composition and packing fraction. This optimization aims to facilitate the spontaneous formation of specific target structures through self-assembly.

High on-chip gain spiral AlO:Er waveguide amplifiers.

We demonstrate reactively sputtered AlO:Er waveguide amplifiers with an erbium concentration of 3.9 × 10 ions/cm, capable of achieving over 30 dB small signal net gain at 1532 nm using bidirectional pumping at 1480 nm. We observe on chip output powers of 10.

Irreversible Electroporation as a Valid Treatment Option for Hepatic Epithelioid Hemangioendothelioma: An International Multicenter Experience.

Purpose: Hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (HEHE) is a rare tumor with currently no established standard of care. This international multicenter retrospective study assesses the use of percutaneous irreversible electroporation (IRE) as an ablative tool to treat HEHE and provides a clinical overview of the current management and role of IRE in HEHE treatment.

Material And Methods: Between 2017 and 2023, 14 patients with 47 HEHE tumors were treated with percutaneous IRE using CT-scan guidance in 23 procedures.

Nanocrystal Assemblies: Current Advances and Open Problems.

We explore the potential of nanocrystals (a term used equivalently to nanoparticles) as building blocks for nanomaterials, and the current advances and open challenges for fundamental science developments and applications. Nanocrystal assemblies are inherently multiscale, and the generation of revolutionary material properties requires a precise understanding of the relationship between structure and function, the former being determined by classical effects and the latter often by quantum effects. With an emphasis on theory and computation, we discuss challenges that hamper current assembly strategies and to what extent nanocrystal assemblies represent thermodynamic equilibrium or kinetically trapped metastable states.

Variational umbrella seeding for calculating nucleation barriers.

In this work, we introduce variational umbrella seeding, a novel technique for computing nucleation barriers. This new method, a refinement of the original seeding approach, is far less sensitive to the choice of order parameter for measuring the size of a nucleus. Consequently, it surpasses seeding in accuracy and umbrella sampling in computational speed.

Finding the differences: Classical nucleation perspective on homogeneous melting and freezing of hard spheres.

By employing brute-force molecular dynamics, umbrella sampling, and seeding simulations, we investigate homogeneous nucleation during melting and freezing of hard spheres. We provide insights into these opposing phase transitions from the standpoint of classical nucleation theory. We observe that melting has both a lower driving force and a lower interfacial tension than freezing.