Firing feature-driven neural circuits with scalable memristive neurons for robotic obstacle avoidance.

Neural circuits with specific structures and diverse neuronal firing features are the foundation for supporting intelligent tasks in biology and are regarded as the driver for catalyzing next-generation artificial intelligence. Emulating neural circuits in hardware underpins engineering highly efficient neuromorphic chips, however, implementing a firing features-driven functional neural circuit is still an open question. In this work, inspired by avoidance neural circuits of crickets, we construct a spiking feature-driven sensorimotor control neural circuit consisting of three memristive Hodgkin-Huxley neurons.

A bioinspired configurable cochlea based on memristors.

Cochleas are the basis for biology to process and recognize speech information, emulating which with electronic devices helps us construct high-efficient intelligent voice systems. Memristor provides novel physics for performing neuromorphic engineering beyond complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor technology. This work presents an artificial cochlea based on the shallen-key filter model configured with memristors, in which one filter emulates one channel.

Low energy consumption fiber-type memristor array with integrated sensing-memory.

The increasing growth of electronic information science and technology has triggered the renaissance of the artificial sensory nervous system (SNS), which can emulate the response of organisms towards external stimuli with high efficiency. In traditional SNS, the sensor units and the memory units are separated, and therefore difficult to miniaturize and integrate. Here, we have incorporated the sensor unit and the memory unit into one system, taking advantage of the unique properties of the ion-gel system.

Implementing in-situ self-organizing maps with memristor crossbar arrays for data mining and optimization.

A self-organizing map (SOM) is a powerful unsupervised learning neural network for analyzing high-dimensional data in various applications. However, hardware implementation of SOM is challenging because of the complexity in calculating the similarities and determining neighborhoods. We experimentally demonstrated a memristor-based SOM based on Ta/TaO/Pt 1T1R chips for the first time, which has advantages in computing speed, throughput, and energy efficiency compared with the CMOS digital counterpart, by utilizing the topological structure of the array and physical laws for computing without complicated circuits.

A Heterogeneously Integrated Spiking Neuron Array for Multimode-Fused Perception and Object Classification.

Multimode-fused sensing in the somatosensory system helps people obtain comprehensive object properties and make accurate judgments. However, building such multisensory systems with conventional metal-oxide-semiconductor technology presents serious device integration and circuit complexity challenges. Here, a multimode-fused spiking neuron (MFSN) with a compact structure to achieve human-like multisensory perception is reported.

Hyaluronic Acid Modified Curcumin-Loaded Chitosan Nanoparticles Inhibit Chondrocyte Apoptosis to Attenuate Osteoarthritis via Upregulation of Activator Protein 1 and RUNX Family Transcription Factor 2.

Hyaluronic acid (HA) and curcumin (CUR) have been previously utilized for osteoarthritis (OA) treatment. CUR-loaded chitosan nanoparticles (CUR@CS NPs) and HA CUR@CS NPs were synthesized in our research to ascertain the synergistic impacts of HA and CUR-loaded NPs on OA treatment. CUR@CS NPs and HA CUR@CS NPs were synthesized with evaluation of their particle size, potential, PDI, encapsulation efficiency, drug loading and surface coating as well as HA binding rate.

Self-powered bifunctional sensor based on tribotronic planar graphene transistors.

With the development of material science, micro-nano-fabrication and microelectronics, the higher level requirements are posed on the electronic skins (E-skin). The lower energy consumption and multiple functions are the imperative requirements to spurred scientists and mechanists to make joint efforts to meet. To achieve lower energy consumption, a promising energy-harvesting style of triboelectric nanogenerators (TENG) is incorporated into the field effect transistors (FETs) to play the important role for sensor.

Hybrid memristor-CMOS neurons for in-situ learning in fully hardware memristive spiking neural networks.

Spiking neural network, inspired by the human brain, consisting of spiking neurons and plastic synapses, is a promising solution for highly efficient data processing in neuromorphic computing. Recently, memristor-based neurons and synapses are becoming intriguing candidates to build spiking neural networks in hardware, owing to the close resemblance between their device dynamics and the biological counterparts. However, the functionalities of memristor-based neurons are currently very limited, and a hardware demonstration of fully memristor-based spiking neural networks supporting in-situ learning is very challenging.

SF2523 inhibits human chondrosarcoma cell growth in vitro and in vivo.

Developing novel therapeutic agents against chondrosarcoma is important. SF2523 is a PI3K-Akt-mTOR and bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4) dual inhibitor. Its activity in human chondrosarcoma cells is tested.

Photocatalytic Reduction of Graphene Oxide-TiO Nanocomposites for Improving Resistive-Switching Memory Behaviors.

Graphene oxide (GO)-based resistive-switching (RS) memories offer the promise of low-temperature solution-processability and high mechanical flexibility, making them ideally suited for future flexible electronic devices. The RS of GO can be recognized as electric-field-induced connection/disconnection of nanoscale reduced graphene oxide (RGO) conducting filaments (CFs). Instead of operating an electrical FORMING process, which generally results in high randomness of RGO CFs due to current overshoot, a TiO -assisted photocatalytic reduction method is used to generate RGO-domains locally through controlling the UV irradiation time and TiO concentration.

Rapamycin causes growth arrest and inhibition of invasion in human chondrosarcoma cells.

Purpose: Chondrosarcoma is a highly malignant tumor that is characterized by a potent capacity to invade locally and cause distant metastasis and notable for its lack of response to conventional chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Rapamycin, the inhibitor of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), is a valuable drug with diverse clinical applications and regulates many cellular processes. However, the effects of rapamycin on cell growth and invasion of human chondrosarcoma cells are not well known.

Gefitinib causes growth arrest and inhibition of metastasis in human chondrosarcoma cells.

Purpose: Chondrosarcomas are primary malignant cartilage-forming tumors of bone which are not responsive either to chemotherapy or radiation treatment and display potent capacity to invade locally and cause distant metastasis. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) pathway plays an important role in the development and progression of many cancers. However, the effect of EGFR inhibitor gefitinib on cell growth and metastasis in human chondrosarcoma cells is largely unknown.

Histone deacetylase inhibitors repress chondrosarcoma cell proliferation.

Purpose: Due to the high resistance to conventional therapy, there is still no convincingly effective treatment for chondrosarcoma. As a promising new treatment strategy, histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACIs) have been reported to induce cell arrest, apoptosis and differentiation in some kinds of malignancies, but how HDACi exert their effects on chondrosarcoma is not well understood yet.

Methods: We investigated the effects of HDACIs trichostatin A (TSA) and sodium valproate (VPA) on chondrosarcoma cells in vitro and in vivo.

Dispase rapidly and effectively purifies Schwann cells from newborn mice and adult rats.

In the present study, Schwann cells were isolated from the sciatic nerve of neonatal mice and purified using dispase and collagenase. Results showed that after the first round of purification with dispase, most of the Schwann cells appeared round in shape and floated in culture solution after 15 minutes. In addition, cell yield and cell purity were higher when compared to the collagenase group.

[Biological characteristics of human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells and their differentiation into chondrogenic and osteogenic cells].

Objective: To investigate the isolation and expansion of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCS) from human umbilical cord Wharton's jelly and their biological identities, and explore the possibility of inducing human umbilical cord-derived MSCS to differentiate into chondrogenic and osteogenic cells.

Methods: The hUCMSCs were isolated form human umbilical cord by tissue adherence and digested with collagenase NB4, dispase II and hyaluronidase. The morphology, proliferation and immunophenotype of the 3rd passage cells were analyzed, and then the chondrogenic and osteogenic differentiation was tested and evaluated by specific staining methods.

RNAi-mediated knockdown of cyclooxygenase2 inhibits the growth, invasion and migration of SaOS2 human osteosarcoma cells: a case control study.

Background: Cyclooxygenase2 (COX-2), one isoform of cyclooxygenase proinflammatory enzymes, is responsible for tumor development, invasion and metastasis. Due to its role and frequent overexpression in a variety of human malignancies, including osteosarcoma, COX-2 has received considerable attention. However, the function of COX-2 in the pathogenesis of cancer is not well understood.