Spontaneous snapping-induced jet flows for fast, maneuverable surface and underwater soft flapping swimmer.

Manta rays use wing-like pectoral fins for intriguing oscillatory swimming. It provides rich inspiration for designing potentially fast, efficient, and maneuverable soft swimming robots, which, however, have yet to be realized. It remains a grand challenge to combine fast speed, high efficiency, and high maneuverability in a single soft swimmer while using simple actuation and control.

Reprogrammable and reconfigurable mechanical computing metastructures with stable and high-density memory.

Mechanical computing encodes information in deformed states of mechanical systems, such as multistable structures. However, achieving stable mechanical memory in most multistable systems remains challenging and often limited to binary information. Here, we report leveraging coupling kinematic bifurcation in rigid cube-based mechanisms with elasticity to create transformable, multistable mechanical computing metastructures with stable, high-density mechanical memory.

Fully 3D-Printed Miniature Soft Hydraulic Actuators with Shape Memory Effect for Morphing and Manipulation.

Miniature shape-morphing soft actuators driven by external stimuli and fluidic pressure hold great promise in morphing matter and small-scale soft robotics. However, it remains challenging to achieve both rich shape morphing and shape locking in a fast and controlled way due to the limitations of actuation reversibility and fabrication. Here, fully 3D-printed, sub-millimeter thin-plate-like miniature soft hydraulic actuators with shape memory effect (SME) for programable fast shape morphing and shape locking, are reported.

Defected twisted ring topology for autonomous periodic flip-spin-orbit soft robot.

Periodic spin-orbit motion is ubiquitous in nature, observed from electrons orbiting nuclei to spinning planets orbiting the Sun. Achieving autonomous periodic orbiting motions, along circular and noncircular paths, in soft mobile robotics is crucial for adaptive and intelligent exploration of unknown environments-a grand challenge yet to be accomplished. Here, we report leveraging a closed-loop twisted ring topology with a defect for an autonomous soft robot capable of achieving periodic spin-orbiting motions with programmed circular and re-programmed irregular-shaped trajectories.

Physically intelligent autonomous soft robotic maze escaper.

Autonomous maze navigation is appealing yet challenging in soft robotics for exploring priori unknown unstructured environments, as it often requires human-like brain that integrates onboard power, sensors, and control for computational intelligence. Here, we report harnessing both geometric and materials intelligence in liquid crystal elastomer-based self-rolling robots for autonomous escaping from complex multichannel mazes without the need for human-like brain. The soft robot powered by environmental thermal energy has asymmetric geometry with hybrid twisted and helical shapes on two ends.

Blue laser imaging combined with JNET (Japan NBI Expert Team) classification for pathological prediction of colorectal laterally spreading tumors.

Background: Blue laser imaging (BLI) can provide useful information on colorectal laterally spreading tumors (LSTs) by visualizing the surface and vessel patterns in detail. The present research aimed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of BLI-combined JNET (Japan NBI Expert Team) classification for identifying LSTs.

Methods: This retrospective, multicenter study included 172 LSTs consisted of 6 hyperplastic polyps/sessile serrated polyps, 94 low-grade dysplasias (LGD), 60 high-grade dysplasias (HGD), 6 superficial submucosal invasive (m-SMs) carcinomas, and 4 deep submucosal invasive carcinomas.

Submucosal Tunnel Endoscopic Resection for Esophageal Submucosal Tumors: A Multicenter Study.

Background: Submucosal tumors (SMTs) are primarily benign tumors, but some may have a malignant potential. Endoscopic submucosal dissection that has been used for removing esophageal SMTs could cause perforation. Submucosal tunnel endoscopic resection (STER) is an improved and an effective technique for treating esophageal SMTs.

Snail/FOXK1/Cyr61 Signaling Axis Regulates the Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition and Metastasis in Colorectal Cancer.

Background/aims: Metastasis is the primary cause of colorectal cancer (CRC)-related death. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying metastasis in CRC remain unclear.

Methods: We evaluated mRNA and protein expression levels by quantitative real-time reverse transcription PCR, western blotting, immunofluorescence, tissue microarrays, and immunohistochemistry assays.

Endoscopic mucosa-sparing lateral dissection for treatment of gastric submucosal tumors: a prospective cohort study.

Background: In our previous work, we developed a modified method for the removal of gastric submucosal tumors (SMTs), called endoscopic mucosa-sparing lateral dissection (EMSLD). This prospective study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and postoperative outcomes of EMSLD.

Methods: We prospectively enrolled 25 consecutive patients with gastric SMTs, who received EMSLD treatment.

Comparison of endoscopic submucosal tunneling dissection and thoracoscopic enucleation for the treatment of esophageal submucosal tumors.

Background And Aims: Endoscopic submucosal tunneling dissection (ESTD) has been proved to be safe and effective for removal of esophageal submucosal tumors (SMTs) and can maintain the mucosal integrity compared with other endoscopic methods. The aim of the study was to estimate the safety and efficacy of ESTD as well as compare its efficacy with thoracoscopic enucleation for esophageal SMTs, which is used increasingly as a minimally invasive approach.

Methods: We retrospectively collected the clinical data of patients with esophageal SMTs <40 mm who underwent ESTD or thoracoscopic enucleation at Nanfang Hospital between January 2008 and August 2016.

CD24 promoted cancer cell angiogenesis via Hsp90-mediated STAT3/VEGF signaling pathway in colorectal cancer.

CD24 is involved in tumor progression of various cancers, but the effects of CD24 on tumor angiogenesis in colorectal cancer are still unknown. We aimed to investigate the underlying mechanism and role of CD24 on colorectal cancer (CRC) angiogenesis. Our data showed that the microvessal density (MVD) was related to the expression of CD24 in primary and metastasis CRC.

Co-expression of XIAP and cyclin D1 complex correlates with a poor prognosis in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors in the world. Despite improved diagnosis and treatment, the prognosis for HCC patients remains poor. The goal of this study was to identify key regulatory proteins and signaling pathways important for cell apoptosis and proliferation as biomarkers for prognostication and targeted therapy.

PAK1-dependent MAPK pathway activation is required for colorectal cancer cell proliferation.

P21-activated protein kinase1 (PAK1), a main downstream effector of small Rho GTPases, Rac1, and Cdc42, plays an important role in the regulation of cell morphogenesis, motility, mitosis, and angiogenesis. Despite its importance, the molecular mechanisms of PAK1 that contributed to colorectal carcinogenesis remain unclear. Our immunohistochemistry showed that PAK1 expression was increased with colorectal cancer (CRC) progression through the adenoma to carcinoma sequence.

[Changes in the biological behaviors of colon cancer cells under simulated hypoxia in vitro].

Objective: To investigate the reactivity of colon cancer cell line SW480 and CD133(+) SW480 subsets to hypoxia in vitro and the changes in the expressions of anti-apoptosis and angiogenesis genes.

Methods: SW480 cells was subjected to CoCl(2) exposure at varying concentrations and for different time lengths to induce hypoxia, and the protein expression of hypoxia induced factor 1α (HIF-1α) was detected by Western blotting. The CD133(+) SW480 cells were sorted by magnetic activated cell sorting (MACS) and their proportion was assayed by flow cytometry (FCM).

p21-activated kinase 5 inhibits camptothecin-induced apoptosis in colorectal carcinoma cells.

p21-activated kinase 5 (PAK5) is a recently identified member of the group B PAK family. The PAK proteins are effectors of the small GTPase Cdc42 and Rac1 and are known to regulate cell motility and activate cell-survival signaling pathways. Especially, the mitochondrial localization of PAK5 is vital to its effects on apoptosis and cell survival.

CD24-dependent MAPK pathway activation is required for colorectal cancer cell proliferation.

CD24 is a glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored membrane protein reported to be overexpressed in human tumorigenesis and progression. Our purpose was to determine the role of CD24 in the proliferation of colorectal cancer cells and the potential mechanisms in this process. Our data showed that CD24 promoted cell growth and induced activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases, Raf-1, and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase.