EZH2-H3K27me3-Mediated Epigenetic Silencing of DKK1 Induces Nucleus Pulposus Cell Pyroptosis in Intervertebral Disc Degeneration by Activating NLRP3 and NAIP/NLRC4.

Nucleus pulposus (NP) cell pyroptosis is crucial for intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD). However, the precise mechanisms underlying pyroptosis in IDD remain elusive. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate how dickkopf-1 (DKK1) influences NP cell pyroptosis and delineate the regulatory mechanisms of IDD.

Robust Nuclear Spin Polarization via Ground-State Level Anticrossing of Boron Vacancy Defects in Hexagonal Boron Nitride.

Nuclear spin polarization plays a crucial role in quantum information processing and quantum sensing. In this work, we demonstrate a robust and efficient method for nuclear spin polarization with boron vacancy (V_{B}^{-}) defects in hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) using ground-state level anticrossing (GSLAC). We show that GSLAC-assisted nuclear polarization can be achieved with significantly lower laser power than excited-state level anticrossing, making the process experimentally more viable.

MFAP2 induces epithelial-mesenchymal transformation of osteosarcoma cells by activating the Notch1 pathway.

Background: Osteosarcoma (OS) is a malignancy originating from mesenchymal tissue. Microfibril-associated protein 2 () plays a crucial role in cancer, notably promoting epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). However, its involvement in OS remains unexplored.

An antiferromagnetic spin phase change memory.

The electrical outputs of single-layer antiferromagnetic memory devices relying on the anisotropic magnetoresistance effect are typically rather small at room temperature. Here we report a new type of antiferromagnetic memory based on the spin phase change in a Mn-Ir binary intermetallic thin film at a composition within the phase boundary between its collinear and noncollinear phases. Via a small piezoelectric strain, the spin structure of this composition-boundary metal is reversibly interconverted, leading to a large nonvolatile room-temperature resistance modulation that is two orders of magnitude greater than the anisotropic magnetoresistance effect for a metal, mimicking the well-established phase change memory from a quantum spin degree of freedom.

Defect Engineering and Emission Tuning of Wide-Bandgap MAPbCl Perovskite.

Lead-chloride perovskites are promising candidates for optoelectronic applications, such as visible-blind UV photodetection. It remains unclear how the deep defects in this wide-bandgap material impact the carrier recombination dynamics. In this work, we study the defect properties of MAPbCl (MA = CHNH) based on photoluminescence (PL) measurements.

Soy isoflavones induces mitophagy to inhibit the progression of osteosarcoma by blocking the AKT/mTOR signaling pathway.

Background: Soy isoflavones (SI) is a natural bioactive substance exhibiting beneficial effects on human health. This study aims to elucidate the therapeutic potential of SI in the treatment of osteosarcoma (OS) and to investigate the underlying mechanisms, particularly focusing on mitophagy.

Methods: The effects of SI on the proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion of U2OS cells were analyzed.

Engineering Refractive Index Contrast in Thin Film Barium Titanate-on-Insulator.

Barium titanate-on-insulator has demonstrated excellent vertical optical confinement, low loss, and strong electro-optic properties. To fabricate a waveguide-based device, a region of higher refractive index must be created to confine a propagating mode, one way of which is through dry etching to form a ridge. However, despite recent progress achieved in etching barium titanate and similar materials, the sidewall and surface roughness resulting from the physical etching typically used limit the achievable ridge depth.

DC Magnetic Field Sensitivity Optimization of Spin Defects in Hexagonal Boron Nitride.

Spin defects existing in van der Waals materials attract wide attention thanks to their natural advantages for quantum sensing, especially the negatively charged boron vacancy (V) centers in hexagonal boron nitride (-BN). Here we systematically investigate the laser and microwave power broadening in continuous-wave optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR) of the V ensemble in -BN, by revealing the behaviors of ODMR contrast and line width as a function of the laser and microwave powers. The experimental results are well explained by employing a two-level simplified model of ODMR dynamics.

Gate-Tunable Bound Exciton Manifolds in Monolayer MoSe.

Two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors with point defects are predicted to host a variety of bound exciton complexes analogous to trions and biexcitons due to strong many-body effects. However, despite the common observation of defect-mediated subgap emission, the existence of such complexes remains elusive. Here, we report the observation of bound exciton (BX) complex manifolds in monolayer MoSe with intentionally created monoselenium vacancies (V) using proton beam irradiation.

BMSC-EV-derived lncRNA NORAD Facilitates Migration, Invasion, and Angiogenesis in Osteosarcoma Cells by Regulating CREBBP Delivery of miR-877-3p.

Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) can boost osteosarcoma (OS) cell proliferation and invasion, yet the function of extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from BMSCs on OS is scarcely known. This study is aimed at examining the role of BMSC-EVs in OS cells. BMSCs and BMSC-EVs were isolated and identified.

All-fiber optic displacement sensing system for an Ilizarov transverse tibial bone transport device.

A single-mode-multimode-single-mode (SMS) optical fiber-based displacement sensing system mounted on an Ilizarov transverse tibial bone transport device for microcirculation reconstruction is reported. Wide-range displacement is approximated as a uniform extension of a spring that is connected to an SMS optical fiber structure acting as the displacement sensor and allowing full displacement characterization. Transmission spectrum changes are measured, providing a displacement range of 24 mm with a sensitivity of $ - {55.

Multimode-interference-effect-based all-fiber displacement sensing system for an orthopedic Ilizarov apparatus device.

The paper describes a multimode-interference-effect-based single-mode-multimode-single-mode (SMS) fiber optic sensing system for wide-range displacement monitoring on an Ilizarov orthopedic external fixation device. Displacement measurement is implemented as the uniform extension of a spring, which is connected to an SMS optical fiber displacement sensor, allowing full displacement characterization. SMS fiber structures are used together with a macrobending-fiber-based interrogation system to measure temperature perturbation and hence eliminate its effect on the displacement measurement.

[Application of delayed skin-stretching device in treatment of skin and soft tissue defects].

Objective: To summarize the effectiveness of delayed skin-stretching device in treatment of skin and soft tissue defects.

Methods: Between December 2014 and December 2016, 10 cases of skin and soft tissue defects were treated with delayed skin-stretching device. There were 6 males and 4 females with an average age of 53 years (range, 42-64 years).

Ultra-low loss ridge waveguides on lithium niobate via argon ion milling and gas clustered ion beam smoothening.

Lithium niobate's use in integrated optics is somewhat hampered by the lack of a capability to create low loss waveguides with strong lateral index confinement. Thin film single crystal lithium niobate is a promising platform for future applications in integrated optics due to the availability of a strong electro-optic effect in this material coupled with the possibility of strong vertical index confinement. However, sidewalls of etched waveguides are typically rough in most etching procedures, exacerbating propagation losses.

Strain sensor based on gourd-shaped single-mode-multimode-single-mode hybrid optical fibre structure.

A fibre-optic strain sensor based on a gourd-shaped joint multimode fibre (MMF) sandwiched between two single-mode fibres (SMFs) is described both theoretically and experimentally. The cladding layers of the two MMFs are reshaped to form a hemisphere using an electrical arc method and spliced together, yielding the required gourd shape. The gourd-shaped section forms a Fabry-Perot cavity between the ends of two adjacent but non-contacting multimode fibres' core.

RENAL ISCHEMIA REPERFUSION CAUSES BRAIN HIPPOCAMPUS OXIDATIVE DAMAGE AND INHIBITION EFFECT.

Background: The acute kidney injury (AKI) may do damage to remote organs. Objective of the study is to investigate effect of seaweed extract (SE) on brain oxidative damage in kidney ischemia/reperfusion rats.

Material And Methods: Animals were randomly divided into five groups.

Soybean isoflavone treatment induces osteoblast differentiation and proliferation by regulating analysis of Wnt/β-catenin pathway.

It has been reported that soybean isoflavones (SI) have anti-bone resorptive activity in vivo. However, little is known about the cellular and molecular mechanisms of this effect. In this study, we investigated the effects of SI on osteoblast differentiation and proliferation.

Transrectal real-time tissue elastography - an effective way to distinguish benign and malignant prostate tumors.

Background: To investigate the relationship between extracellular matrix parameters and texture of prostatic lesions evaluated by transrectal real-time tissue elastography (TRTE).

Methods: 120 patients suspicious for prostate cancer underwent TRTE. Targeted biopsies were carried out after 12-core systematic biopsy.

Quantitative ultrasonic computed tomography using phase-insensitive pyroelectric detectors.

The principle of using ultrasonic computed tomography (UCT) clinically for mapping tissue acoustic properties was suggested almost 40 years ago. Despite strong research activity, UCT been unable to rival its x-ray counterpart in terms of the ability to distinguish tissue pathologies. Conventional piezoelectric detectors deployed in UCT are termed phase-sensitive (PS) and it is well established that this property can lead to artefacts related to refraction and phase-cancellation that mask true tissue structure, particularly for reconstructions involving attenuation.

Chemical characterization and varying level of the proteoglycans.

Proteoglycans are a major component of the animal extracellular matrix, the "filler" substance existing between cells in an organism. Here they form large complexes, both to other proteoglycans, to hyaluronan and to fibrous matrix proteins (such as collagen). Proteoglycans are heavily glycosylated glycoproteins.

Cistanches Herba aqueous extract affecting serum BGP and TRAP and bone marrow Smad1 mRNA, Smad5 mRNA, TGF-β1 mRNA and TIEG1 mRNA expression levels in osteoporosis disease.

We studied molecular mechanism of Cistanches Herba aqueous extract (CHAE) in ovariectomized (OVX) rats, as an experimental model of postmenopausal osteoporosis. Female rats were either sham-operated or bilaterally OVX; and at 60 days postoperatively. The OVX group (n = 8) received an ovariectomy and treatment with normal saline for 90 days commencing from 20th post ovariectomy day.