Finite element models of intervertebral disc: recent advances and prospects.

Objectives: The incidence rate of intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) is increasing year by year, which brings great harm to our health. The change of biomechanical factors is an important reason for IVDD. Therefore, more and more studies use finite element (FE) models to analyze the biomechanics of spine.

Biomedical applications of the engineered AIEgen-lipid nanostructureand.

Since the concept of aggregation-induced emission (AIE) was first coined by Tang and co-workers, AIE-active luminogens (AIEgens) have drawn widespread attention among chemists and biologists due to their unique advantages such as high fluorescence efficiency, large Stokes shift, good photostability, low background noise, and high biological visualization capabilities in the aggregated state, surpassing conventional fluorophores. A growing number of AIEgens have been engineered to possess multifunctional properties, including near-infrared emission, two-photon absorption, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and photothermal conversion, making them suitable for deep-tissue imaging and phototherapy. AIEgens show great potential in biomedical applicationsand.

A new target for treating intervertebral disk degeneration: gut microbes.

Intervertebral disk degeneration (IDD) is a common clinical spinal disease and one of the main causes of low back pain (LBP). Generally speaking, IDD is considered a natural degenerative process with age. However, with the deepening of research, people have discovered that IDD is not only related to age, but also has many factors that can induce and accelerate its progression.

NIR-II AIE Liposomes for Boosting Type-I Photodynamic and Mild-Temperature Photothermal Therapy in Breast Cancer Treatment.

Phototheranositcs has recently aroused extreme attention due to its exceptional advantages. However, the poor photothernostic efficiency, limited penetration depth, strong oxygen-dependence, and inevitable damage to normal tissue of conventional photothernostic materials severely hindered their total theranostic efficacy. Herein, a series of near-infrared second (NIR-II) photosensitizers (PSs) featuring aggregation-induced emission (AIE), NIR-II fluorescence imaging (FLI), type I photodynamic therapy (PDT) and mild-temperature photothermal therapy (PTT) are constructed through dual-strategy methods combining donor group engineering and fluorination engineering.

Biomimetic Nanosystem Loading Aggregation-Induced Emission Luminogens and SO Prodrug for Inhibiting Insufficient Photothermal Therapy-Induced Breast Cancer Recurrence and Metastasis.

Photothermal therapy (PTT) holds considerable clinical promise. However, insufficient PTT-induced tumor recurrence and metastasis is an urgent practical problem that needs to be solved. Herein, a biomimetic mesoporous organosilicon nano-system called PSAB is designed to precisely deplete cancer stem cells (CSCs) and prevent tumor recurrence and metastasis after PTT.

Ocular TB in Western Australia.

This was a retrospective chart review in Western Australia, Australia.To describe the diagnosis, management, and treatment outcomes of ocular TB in Western Australia (WA).This was a retrospective review of ocular TB cases in WA from 2007 to 2018 with a minimum 2-year follow-up upon completion of anti-TB therapy (ATT).

The Application of Surface Electromyography Technology in Evaluating Paraspinal Muscle Function.

Surface electromyography (sEMG) has emerged as a valuable tool for assessing muscle activity in various clinical and research settings. This review focuses on the application of sEMG specifically in the context of paraspinal muscles. The paraspinal muscles play a critical role in providing stability and facilitating movement of the spine.

Modeling 0.6 million genes for the rational design of functional -regulatory variants and de novo design of regulatory sequences.

Rational design of plant -regulatory DNA sequences without expert intervention or prior domain knowledge is still a daunting task. Here, we developed PhytoExpr, a deep learning framework capable of predicting both mRNA abundance and plant species using the proximal regulatory sequence as the sole input. PhytoExpr was trained over 17 species representative of major clades of the plant kingdom to enhance its generalizability.

Can self-powered piezoelectric materials be used to treat disc degeneration by means of electrical stimulation?

Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) due to multiple causes is one of the major causes of low back pain (LBP). A variety of traditional treatments and biologic therapies are currently used to delay or even reverse IDD; however, these treatments still have some limitations. Finding safer and more effective treatments is urgent for LBP patients.

Standardisation is the key to the sustained, rapid and healthy development of stem cell-based therapy.

Background: Stem cell-based therapy (SCT) is an important component of regenerative therapy that brings hope to many patients. After decades of development, SCT has made significant progress in the research of various diseases, and the market size has also expanded significantly. The transition of SCT from small-scale, customized experiments to routine clinical practice requires the assistance of standards.

Impact of multimorbidity patterns on outcomes and treatment in patients with coronary artery disease.

Aims: With an aging population and better survival rates, coronary artery disease (CAD) with multimorbidity has become more prevalent, complicating treatment and impacting life quality and longevity. This study identifies multimorbidity patterns in CAD patients and their effect on clinical outcomes, emphasizing treatment strategies.

Methods And Results: The study analysed data from the DCEM registry (173 459 patients) and BleeMACS cohort (15 401 patients) to categorize CAD patients into three multimorbidity patterns.

Estimated Pulse Wave Velocity and Cognitive Outcomes: A Post hoc Analysis of SPRINT-MIND.

Background: Arterial stiffness has been confirmed to be associated with cognitive impairment. Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) is widely regarded as the gold standard for assessing arterial stiffness, yet it is not readily accessible. In response, the use of estimated pulse wave velocity (ePWV) has been proposed as a more accessible and cost-effective alternative.

Strategies to improve the performance of polyetheretherketone (PEEK) as orthopedic implants: from surface modification to addition of bioactive materials.

Polyetheretherketone (PEEK), as a high-performance polymer, is widely used for bone defect repair due to its homogeneous modulus of elasticity of human bone, good biocompatibility, excellent chemical stability and projectability. However, the highly hydrophobic surface of PEEK is biologically inert, which makes it difficult for cells and proteins to attach, and is accompanied by the development of infections that ultimately lead to failure of PEEK implants. In order to further enhance the potential of PEEK as an orthopedic implant, researchers have explored modification methods such as surface modification by physical and chemical means and the addition of bioactive substances to PEEK-based materials to enhance the mechanical properties, osteogenic activity and antimicrobial properties of PEEK.

Biomimetic Nano-Cancer Stem Cell Scavenger for Inhibition of Breast Cancer Recurrence and Metastasis after FLASH-Radiotherapy.

Compared to conventional radiotherapy (RT), FLASH-RT delivers ultra-high dose radiation, significantly reducing damage to normal tissue while guaranteeing the effect of cancer treatment. However, cancer recurrence and metastasis frequently occur after all RT due to the existence of intractable cancer stem cells (CSCs). To address this, a biomimetic nanoplatform (named TAFL) of tumor-derived exosome fusion liposomes is designed by co-loading aggregation-induced emission photothermal agents, TPE-BBT, and anti-cancer drugs, aspirin, aiming to clear CSCs for inhibiting cancer recurrence and metastasis after FLASH-RT therapy .

Miniaturized Laser Probe for Exosome-Based Cancer Liquid Biopsy.

Exosomes have been established as a valuable tool for clinical applications for the purpose of liquid biopsy and therapy. However, the clinical practice of exosomes as cancer biopsy markers is still to a very low extent. Active mode optical microcavity with microlaser emission has aroused as a versatile approach for chemical and biological sensing due to its benefits of larger photon population, increased effective -factor, decreased line width, and improved sensitivity.

Microglia Modulate Neurodevelopment in Autism Spectrum Disorder and Schizophrenia.

Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) include various neurological disorders with high genetic heterogeneity, characterized by delayed or impaired cognition, communication, adaptive behavior, and psychomotor skills. These disorders result in significant morbidity for children, thus burdening families and healthcare/educational systems. However, there is a lack of early diagnosis and effective therapies.

Platelet to albumin ratio: A risk factor related to prognosis in patients with non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention.

Background: Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCAD) is recognized as a chronic subclinical systemic inflammatory condition. The platelet-albumin ratio (PAR) has shown promise in prognosticating various inflammation-related disorders. Our study aimed to assess the connection between PAR and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)-treated patients with non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS).

An Activated Dendritic-Cell-Related Gene Signature Indicative of Disease Prognosis and Chemotherapy and Immunotherapy Response in Colon Cancer Patients.

Accumulating evidence has underscored the prognostic value of tumor-infiltrating immune cells in the tumor microenvironment of colon cancer (CC). In this retrospective study, based on publicly available transcriptome profiles and clinical data from the Gene Expression Omnibus and The Cancer Genome Atlas databases, we derived and verified an activated dendritic cell (aDC)-related gene signature (aDCRS) for predicting the survival outcomes and chemotherapy and immunotherapy response of CC patients. We quantified the infiltration abundance of 22 immune cell subtypes via the "CIBERSORT" R script.

Staphylococcus aureus α-toxin impairs early neutrophil localization via electrogenic disruption of store-operated calcium entry.

The pore-forming S. aureus α-toxin (Hla) contributes to virulence and disease pathogenesis. While high concentrations of toxin induce cell death, neutrophils exhibit relative resistance to lysis, suggesting that the action of Hla may not be solely conferred by lytic susceptibility.

Can extracellular vesicles be considered as a potential frontier in the treatment of intervertebral disc disease?

As a global public health problem, low back pain (LBP) caused by intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) seriously affects patients' quality of life. In addition, the prevalence of IDD tends to be younger, which brings a huge burden to individuals and society economically. Current treatments do not delay or reverse the progression of IDD.

Incidence and risk factors of surgical site infection following cervical laminoplasty: A retrospective clinical study.

There are many debates regarding the risk factors of surgical site infection (SSI) following posterior cervical surgery in previous studies. And, till now there is no such a study to examine cervical laminoplasty surgery. From January 2011 through October 2021, a total of 405 patients who were treated with unilateral open-door laminoplasty surgeries were enrolled in this study.

The association between morphological characteristics of paraspinal muscle and spinal disorders.

Background: Spinal disorders affect millions of people worldwide, and can cause significant disability and pain. The paraspinal muscles, located on either side of the spinal column, play a crucial role in the movement, support, and stabilization of the spine. Many spinal disorders can affect paraspinal muscles, as evidenced by changes in their morphology, including hypertrophy, atrophy, and degeneration.