A Biomimetic Sweeping Microrobot for Active Therapy of Ulcerative Colitis.

Overproduction of pathogenic cell-free DNA (cfDNA) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) plays crucial roles in the onset and perpetuation of ulcerative colitis (UC). Inspired by sweeping robots, a magnesium@polylactic acid-glycolic acid copolymer@polyethylenimine (Mg@PLGA@PEI) microswimmer capable of cleaning off deleterious disease triggers along its path of progress is designed. Mg@PLGA@PEI is successfully synthesized by adopting a core-shell structure with a small opening which allows for Mg-water reaction.

Bedside cerebral microvascular imaging of patients with disorders of consciousness: a feasibility study.

Background: Efficient bedside neurofunctional monitoring is crucial for managing disorders of consciousness (DoC). Ultrafast Power Doppler Imaging (uPDI) outperforms traditional Ultrasound in bedside for assessing the microcirculatory system. However, intracranial blood flow imaging traditionally faces limitations due to the skull's impedance.

High-Pressure Stability and Electronic Properties of Sodium-Rich Nitrides: Insights from First-Principles Calculations.

Using first-principles structure search calculations, we investigated the phase stability of sodium-nitrogen (Na-N) compounds under high pressure. Our study reveals that increasing pressure promotes the formation of Na-rich nitrides, leading to the prediction of three previously unreported stoichiometries: NaN, NaN, and NaN. Notably, the electride NaN undergoes a pressure-induced structural transition from a P6/mmm to a P6/mmc phase.

Past, present and future epidemiology of echinococcosis in China based on nationwide surveillance data 2004-2022.

Objectives: We evaluated the epidemiological characteristics of echinococcosis, a global public health threat, in China to inform global control efforts.

Methods: Descriptive, statistical, cluster, spatial, and trend analyses were used to evaluate the epidemiology at national, provincial, and county levels based on 2004-2022 nationwide surveillance data from China.

Results: Between 2004 and 2022, China recorded 72,676 cystic echinococcosis (CE) cases, 11,465 alveolar echinococcosis (AE) cases, and 5703 others, with an average annual cases per million (ANpM) of 3.

Rational Design of Aqueous Na Ion Batteries Toward High Energy Density and Long Cycle Life.

Prussian blue analogues (PBAs) are promising cathode candidates for aqueous Na ion batteries (ANIBs) considering their low-carbon and cost-effective features. However, it is still a huge challenge to achieve desirable energy density coupled with long cycle life due to inherent Na defects in PBAs and the unstable solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer. Herein, we design NaCO additives as sodium supplements to compensate for Na defects in PBAs, while utilizing the CO products decomposed from NaCO to construct a robust SEI layer containing NaCO species.

Bioprinted Fibroblast Mediated Heterogeneous Tumor Microenvironment for Studying Tumor-Stroma Interaction and Drug Screening.

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are crucial stromal cells in the tumor microenvironment, affecting cancer growth, angiogenesis, and matrix remodeling. Developing an effective in vitro tumor model that accurately recapitulates the dynamic interplay between tumor and stromal cells remains a challenge. In this study, a 3D bioprinted fibroblast - mediated heterogeneous breast tumor model was created, with tumor cells and fibroblasts in a bionic matrix.

Three-Level Nanoparticle Rocket Strategy for Colorectal Cancer Therapeutics in Photothermal Therapy, Inflammation Modulation, and Cuproptosis Induction.

Disturbances in intracellular copper (Cu) homeostasis can trigger cuproptosis, a new form of cell death, which, when combined with photothermal therapy (PTT), offers a promising solution to the persistent challenges in colorectal cancer (CRC) treatment. In this study, a "three-level nanoparticle rocket" strategy is developed by engineering CuO, a multifunctional Cu-based nanoenzyme that is photothermal and has electron transfer properties and antioxidant efficiency. CuO effectively remodels the inflammatory environment by scavenging reactive oxygen species, thereby overcoming the traditional limitations of PTT.

VCSAP: Online reinforcement learning exploration method based on visitation count of state-action pairs.

In the domain of online reinforcement learning, strategies that leverage inherent rewards for exploration tend to achieve commendable outcomes within contexts characterized by deceptive or sparse rewards. Counting through the visitation of states is an efficient count-based exploration method to get the proper intrinsic reward. However, only the novelty of the states encountered by the agent is considered in this exploration method, resulting in the over-exploration of a certain state-action pair and falling into a locally optimal solution.

A new method to predict refracture risk after locking compression plate removal of clavicle shaft.

Background: The incidence rate of subsequent refracture after removal of the implant in mid-shaft clavicle fracture patients is relatively high. This can lead to additional medical costs and cause doctor-patient dispute. This study tries to introduce a new method to predict the refracture risk of the clavicle after hardware removal.

Tumor Microenvironment Targeted by Polysaccharides in Cancer Prevention: Expanding Roles of Gut Microbiota and Metabolites.

Since the development of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), immunotherapy has been widely used as a novel cancer treatment. However, the efficacy of tumor immunotherapy is largely dependent on the tumor microenvironment (TME). The high degree of heterogeneity within TME remains a major obstacle to acquire satisfactory therapeutic.

Microglia in morphine tolerance: cellular and molecular mechanisms and therapeutic potential.

Morphine has a crucial role in treating both moderate to severe pain and chronic pain. However, prolonged administration of morphine can lead to tolerance of analgesia, resulting in increased doses and poor treatment of pain. Many patients, such as those with terminal cancer, require high doses of morphine for long periods.

Application of dielectric properties for identification of normal and malignant gastrointestinal tumors and lymph nodes ex vivo.

A need exists for a quick, simple method to accurately assess resection margins and lymph node metastases in gastrointestinal cancer surgeries. We aimed to develop a real-time, non-destructive technique to differentiate between normal and cancerous tissues using dielectric properties. Dielectric properties of tissues from 50 gastric and 120 colorectal cancer patients were measured during surgery using an open-ended coaxial probe, spanning frequencies from 10 MHz to 4 GHz.

HASTF: a hybrid attention spatio-temporal feature fusion network for EEG emotion recognition.

Introduction: EEG-based emotion recognition has gradually become a new research direction, known as affective Brain-Computer Interface (aBCI), which has huge application potential in human-computer interaction and neuroscience. However, how to extract spatio-temporal fusion features from complex EEG signals and build learning method with high recognition accuracy and strong interpretability is still challenging.

Methods: In this paper, we propose a hybrid attention spatio-temporal feature fusion network for EEG-based emotion recognition.

Assessment of quality and antioxidant capacity of peach in response to different UV-C dose irradiation.

The effects of different doses of UV-C irradiation (0, 0.5, 1.0, 2.

Chiral Hydrogel Nerve Conduit Boosts Peripheral Nerve Regeneration via Regulation of Schwann Cell Reprogramming.

The Schwann cell (SC) is essential in peripheral nerve regeneration by reprogramming into a stem-like "repair Schwann cell" (rSC) phenotype; however, maintaining the rSC stemness remains an unmet challenge. Chirality is a fundamental factor controlling cell fate, and its potential role in regulation of SC reprogramming has long been ignored and remains poorly understood. Herein, inspired by natural chiral components in the SC microenvironment, chiral hydrogel nerve conduits are prepared by supramolecular assembly of l/d-phenylalanine derivatives (l/d-Phe) in polymeric chitosan-gelatin conduits.

Strategies for exploring mechanisms of polydatin against NSCLC based on experimentally validated network pharmacology and prognostic prediction of lipid metabolism gene expression.

Background: Polydatin (PD) is a glucan extracted from the plant Polygonum cuspidatum that possesses a wide range of pharmacological activities. However, the mechanism underlying its the influence of PD on NSCLC is not clear.

Objective: To explore the mechanism of action of PD against non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) using a combination of bioinformatics and experimental validation.

Analysis of metastasis‑related risk factors and clinical relevance in adult soft‑tissue sarcoma.

Metastasis occurs in nearly 50% of cases of adult soft-tissue sarcoma (ASTS), leading to a dismal prognosis, with a 2-year survival rate of ~30%. Consequently, a prognostic model that incorporates metastatic characteristics may be instrumental in predicting survival time and in crafting optimal personalized therapeutic strategies for patients with ASTS. In the present study, a prognostic prediction model for ASTS was developed by examining genes that are differentially expressed between non-metastatic and metastatic patients in the Gene Expression Omnibus dataset.

Interference of FZD2 suppresses proliferation, vasculogenic mimicry and stemness in glioma cells via blocking the Notch/NF‑κB signaling pathway.

Frizzled family protein 2 (FZD2) is widely associated with tumor development and metastasis. The present study aimed to gain an insight into the role and regulatory mechanism of FZD2 in glioma. The expression level of FZD2 in normal astrocyte and glioma cells was determined by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR and western blotting, and cell transfection was conducted for FZD2 expression knockdown.

Ultrasonic Imaging of Deeper Bone Defect Using Virtual Source Synthetic Aperture with Phased Shift Migration: A Phantom Study.

Ultrasound imaging for bone is a difficult task in the field of medical ultrasound. Compared with other phase array techniques, the synthetic aperture (SA) has a better lateral resolution but a limited imaging depth due to the limited ultrasonic energy emitted by the single emitter in each transmission. In contrast, the virtual source (VS) synthetic aperture allows a simultaneous multi-element emission and could provide a higher ultrasonic incident energy in each transmission.

Genetically supported causality between gut microbiota, immune cells, and ischemic stroke: a two-sample Mendelian randomization study.

Background: Previous studies have highlighted a robust correlation between gut microbiota/immune cells and ischemic stroke (IS). However, the precise nature of their causal relationship remains uncertain. To address this gap, our study aims to meticulously investigate the causal association between gut microbiota/immune cells and the likelihood of developing IS, employing a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis.