Polysaccharide-based biomaterials for regenerative therapy in intervertebral disc degeneration.

Intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration represents a significant cause of chronic back pain and disability, with a substantial impact on the quality of life. Conventional therapeutic modalities frequently address the symptoms rather than the underlying etiology, underscoring the necessity for regenerative therapies that restore disc function. Polysaccharide-based materials, such as hyaluronic acid, alginate, chitosan, and chondroitin sulfate, have emerged as promising candidates for intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) therapy due to their biocompatibility, biodegradability, and ability to mimic the native extracellular matrix (ECM) of the nucleus pulposus (NP).

Interfacial coupling effects in two-dimensional ordered arrays for microwave attenuation.

With the development of nanotechnology, nano-functional units of different dimensions, morphologies, and sizes exhibit the potential for efficient microwave absorption (MA) performance. However, the multi-unit coupling enhancement mechanism triggered by the alignment and orientation of nano-functional units has been neglected, hindering the further development of microwave absorbing materials (MAMs). In this paper, two typical ZIF-derived nanomaterials are self-assembled into two-dimensional ordered polyhedral superstructures by the simple ice template method.

Differentiating reactive and neoplastic gamma-delta (γδ) T-cell expansions in the peripheral blood and bone marrow.

The clinical and immunophenotypic attributes of reactive γδ T-cell expansions are less well characterized than their malignant counterparts, which can pose diagnostic challenges. This study aims to investigate the characteristics and long-term clinical outcomes of reactive γδ T-cell expansions. A retrospective review was performed to identify patients with expanded γδ T-cell population (>15% of T-cells) by flow cytometry in peripheral blood and/or bone marrow specimens over a 17-year period.

New insight of electrogenerated HO into oxychlorides inhibition and decontamination promotion: From radical to nonradical pathway during anodic oxidation of high Cl-laden wastewater process.

Anodic oxidation (AO) has been extensively hailed as a robust and promising technology for pollutant degradation, but the parasitic formation of oxychlorides (ClO) would induce a seriously over-evaluated electrochemical COD removal performance and dramatical biotoxicity increasement of the AO-treated Cl-laden effluents. Herein, we shed new light on the roles of HO high-efficiently electrogenerated in three-dimensional (3D) reactor in inhibiting ClO production and promoting pollutant degradation, which has been overlooked in previous literature. Total yield of ClO in phenol simulated wastewater containing 30 mM Cl was dropped from 25 mM and 24.

Regulating Growth Kinetics of Carbon Nanotubes Toward Efficient Microwave Absorption.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) show great promise for microwave absorption (MA) due to their excellent electrical conductivity and lightweight properties, which are conferred by the one dimensional hollow tubular structure. However, the ambiguous intrinsic motivations behind the formation of CNTs and the intricate growth processes have resulted in a lack of a systematic methodology for precisely controlling their electromagnetic properties. Herein, a flexible CNTs regulation strategy is designed to develop, with the core focus being the directional growth of carbon atoms and the differential catalysis of metal sources.

Image-Based Auto-Focus Microscope System with Visual Servo Control for Micro-Stereolithography.

Micro-stereolithography (μSL) is an advanced additive manufacturing technique that enables the fabrication of highly precise microstructures with fine feature resolution. One of the primary challenges in μSL is achieving and maintaining precise focus throughout the fabrication process. For the successful application of μSL, it is essential to maintain the sample surface within a focal depth of several microns.

Rapid hemostatic covered stent with drug-loaded gelatin-alginate/PVDF Janus composite membrane for coronary artery perforation.

The implantation of covered stents has significantly contributed much to the rescue treatment of coronary artery perforation (CAP). The ability to achieve rapid hemostasis in cases of severe coronary artery perforation using covered stents alone has so far been elusive. Here, we investigate a Janus composite covered stent for rapid hemostasis in CAP.

Parental Hesitancy toward Seasonal Influenza Vaccination for Children under the Age of 18 Years and Its Determinants in the Post-Pandemic Era: A Cross-Sectional Survey among 1175 Parents in China.

Children's susceptibility to influenza increased after COVID-19 control measures were lifted. This study investigated parental hesitancy toward seasonal influenza vaccination (SIV) for children and its determinants in the post-pandemic era. An online survey of full-time adult factory workers was conducted in Shenzhen, China in December 2023.

Unilateral Biportal Endoscopic Discectomy versus Percutaneous Endoscopic Lumbar Discectomy in the Treatment of Lumbar Disc Herniation Linked with Posterior Ring Apophysis Separation: A Retrospective Study.

Objectives: Posterior ring apophysis separation (PRAS) associated with lumbar disc herniation (LDH) is a relatively rare form of disc herniation. This study aims to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of unilateral biportal endoscopic discectomy (UBE) and percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy (PELD) in the treatment of PRAS with LDH.

Methods: We enrolled 41 patients who met the inclusion criteria to undergo either UBE (15 cases) or PELD (26 cases) between October 2022 and October 2023.

Analysis of the peripheral refraction in myopic adults using a novel multispectral refraction topography.

Purpose: To determine the distribution and characteristics of peripheral refraction in adults with myopia using the novel multispectral refraction topography.

Method: A total of 187 adults with myopia were recruited for this study. This study was conducted in two stages.

Integrated Piezoelectric/Pyroelectric Sensing from Organic-Inorganic Perovskite Nanocomposites.

Flexible ferroelectric materials are in high demand in emerging energy harvesting and self-powered sensing electronics. However, current flexible ferroelectric polymers, such as poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) and P(VDF--trifluoroethylene) [P(VDF-TrFE)], cannot fulfill the requirement of emerging applications because of their low piezoelectric/pyroelectric performance. In this work, using organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite [(4-aminotetrahydropyran)PbBrCl] ferroelectric nanorods as reinforcement and P(VDF-TrFE) as the matrix, we prepared flexible core-sheath piezoelectric nanofibers and pyroelectric nanocomposite films.

Tunicate cellulose nanocrystal reinforced multifunctional hydrogel with super flexible, fatigue resistant, antifouling and self-adhesive capability for effective wound healing.

Hydrogels as skin wound dressings have been extensively studied owing to their good flexibility and biocompatibility. Nevertheless, the mechanical performance, adhesive capability, antifouling and antibacterial properties of conventional hydrogels are still unsatisfactory, which hinder the application of hydrogel for cutaneous healing. Here, we developed a novel biocompatible multifunctional hydrogel with super flexible, fatigue resistant, antifouling and self-adhesive capability for effective wound healing, where naturally rigid polymers including quaternized chitosan (QCS) and Tunicate cellulose nanocrystals (TCNCs) are used as bioactive cross-linkers and reinforcers to endow the hydrogel with excellent mechanical and antibacterial property, and the synergistic contributions from the poly(acrylic acid/methacrylate anhydride dopamine/sulfobetaine methacrylate) (poly(AA/DMA/SBMA)) chains and QCS endow the hydrogel with excellent adhesive property, antioxidant, antifouling and pH-responsive sustained drug release capabilities.

A Highly Sensitive Dual-Drive Microfluidic Device for Multiplexed Detection of Respiratory Virus Antigens.

Conventional microfluidic systems that rely on capillary force have a fixed structure and limited sensitivity, which cannot meet the demands of clinical applications. Herein, we propose a dual-drive microfluidic device for sensitive and flexible detection of multiple pathogenic microorganisms antigens/antibodies. The device comprises a portable microfluidic analyzer and a dual-drive microfluidic chip.

Intelligent Tunable Wave-Absorbing CNTs/VO/ANF Composite Aerogels Based on Temperature-Driving.

The development of new electromagnetic absorbing materials is the main strategy to address electromagnetic radiation. Once traditional electromagnetic wave-absorbing materials are prepared, it is difficult to dynamically change their electromagnetic wave-absorbing performance. Facing the complexity of the information age and the rapid development of modern radar, it is significant to develop intelligent modulation of electromagnetic wave-absorbing materials.

Effects of antidiabetic agents on platelet characteristics with implications in Alzheimer's disease: Mendelian randomization and colocalization study.

Background: Observational studies have found a potential link between the use of thiazolidinediones (TZDs) and a lower risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD) development. Platelets were the great source of amyloid-β (Aβ) and involved in the development of AD. This study aimed to assess the correlation between antidiabetic agents and platelet characteristics, hoping to provide a potential mechanism of TZDs neuroprotection in AD.

Study on the material basis of Zhujing pill in treating fundus lesions through component analysis and network pharmacology.

Zhujing pill (ZP) is a famous Chinese herbal formula that has been widely used to treat diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration, retinitis pigmentosa and other fundus lesions. In this study, the material basis and mechanism of ZP in the treatment of fundus lesions were evaluated via the high-performance liquid chromatography fingerprint, ultra-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry, network pharmacology and molecular docking. A total of 32 common components were found and 31 components were identified in 15 batches of ZP samples.

In Situ Integration of a Flame Retardant Quasisolid Gel Polymer Electrolyte with a Si-Based Anode for High-Energy Li-Ion Batteries.

Silicon (Si) stands out as a promising high-capacity anode material for high-energy Li-ion batteries. However, a drastic volume change of Si during cycling leads to the electrode structure collapse and interfacial stability degradation. Herein, a multifunctional quasisolid gel polymer electrolyte (QSGPE) is designed, which is synthesized through the in situ polymerization of methylene bis(acrylamide) with silica-nanoresin composed of nanosilica and a trifunctional cross-linker in cells, leading to the creation of a "breathing" three-dimensional elastic Li-ion conducting framework that seamlessly integrates an electrode, a binder, and an electrolyte.