Mesenchymal stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles for human diseases.

Stem cell therapy is a novel approach for treating various severe and intractable diseases, including autoimmune disorders, organ transplants, tumors, and neurodegenerative diseases. Nevertheless, the extensive utilization of stem cells is constrained by potential tumorigenicity, challenges in precise differentiation, rejection concerns, and ethical considerations. Extracellular vesicles possess the ability to carry diverse bioactive factors from stem cells and deliver them to specific target cells or tissues.

Deciphering Oxidation-Dominated Abnormal Rheology to Design Performance-Stable Liquid-Metal-Based Nanofluids for Transmission Applications.

With global decarbonization urgency for sustainability, enhancing the service stability of liquid metals (LMs) and reducing their oxidation-induced failures are crucial. The oxidation of LMs can adversely affect the fluidity required for hydraulic transmission, thermal management, and other transport scenarios. Given the importance, we have fabricated an LM-based SiC/graphene-Mo nanofluid (LMNF) and compared the rheological behavior to pure LM under an oxidative atmospheric environment.

Heterogeneous multiple soft millirobots in three-dimensional lumens.

Miniature soft robots offer opportunities for safe and physically adaptive medical interventions in hard-to-reach regions. Deploying multiple robots could further enhance the efficacy and multifunctionality of these operations. However, multirobot deployment in physiologically relevant three-dimensional (3D) tubular structures is limited by the lack of effective mechanisms for independent control of miniature magnetic soft robots.

Polymer-confined synthesis of gram-scale high-entropy perovskite fluoride nanocubes for improved electrocatalytic reduction of nitrate to ammonia.

High-entropy perovskite fluoride (HEPF) has gradually attracted attention in the field of electrocatalysis due to its unique properties. Although traditional co-precipitation methods can efficiently produce HEPF, the resulting catalysts often lack regular morphology and tend to aggregate extensively. Here, nanocubic K(CuMgCoZnNi)F HEPF (HEPF-2) was successfully prepared on a gram-scale by a polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)-confined nucleation strategy.

SMARTdb: An Integrated Database for Exploring Single-cell Multi-omics Data of Reproductive Medicine.

Single-cell multi-omics sequencing has greatly accelerated reproductive research in recent years, and the data are continually growing. However, utilizing these data resources is challenging for wet-lab researchers. A comprehensive platform for exploring single-cell multi-omics data related to reproduction is urgently needed.

Association between smoking status and the prognosis of brain metastasis in patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

Objective: This study aimed to explore the relationship between smoking status and the interval to brain metastasis in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and its impact on survival time after brain metastasis.

Methods: Data were collected from patients with NSCLC with brain metastases who were treated at our centre between January 2005 and December 2017. Clinical indices such as clinicopathological features and smoking status were recorded, and patients were followed up until 1 September 2022.

Ultrathin NiO nanosheets anchored to a nitrogen-doped dodecahedral carbon framework for aqueous potassium-ion hybrid capacitors.

Hierarchical porous structures and well-modulated interfacial interactions are essential for the performance of electrode materials. The energy storage performance can be promoted by regulating the diffusion behavior of the electrolyte and constructing a coupled interaction at heterogeneous interfaces. Herein, we have synthesized ultrathin NiO nanosheets anchored to nitrogen-doped hierarchical porous carbon (NiO/N-HPC) and applied it to construct aqueous potassium ion hybrid capacitors (APIHCs).

Clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of synchronous brain metastases from non-small cell lung cancer compared with metachronous brain metastases.

Purpose: Brain metastasis (BM) from non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a serious complication severely affecting patients' prognoses. We aimed to compare the clinicopathological features and prognosis of synchronous and metachronous BM from NSCLC.

Methods: Clinical data of 461 patients with brain metastases from NSCLC who visited the Cancer Hospital of China Medical University from 2005 to 2017 were retrospectively collected.

Clinical factors and major pathological response after neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy in potentially resectable lung squamous cell carcinoma.

Objective: Major pathological response (MPR) helps evaluate the prognosis of patients with lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC). However, the clinical factors that affect the achievement of MPR after neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy (NCIO) in patients with LUSC remain unclear. This study aimed to explore the clinical factors affecting the MPR after NCIO in patients with potentially resectable LUSC.

Calcitonin gene-related peptide-modulated macrophage phenotypic alteration regulates angiogenesis in early bone healing.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the effect of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) on the temporal alteration of macrophage phenotypes and macrophage-regulated angiogenesis duringearlybonehealing and preliminarily elucidate the mechanism.

Methods: In vivo, the rat mandibular defect models were established with inferior alveolar nerve transection (IANT) or CGRP receptor antagonist injection. Radiographicandhistologic assessments for osteogenesis, angiogenesis, and macrophage phenotypic alteration within bone defects were performed.

Langmuir-Blodgett Film Formed by Amphiphilic Molecules for Facile and Rapid Construction of Zinc-Iodine Cell.

Zinc-iodine batteries (ZIBs) are promising candidates for ecofriendly, safe, and low-cost energy storage systems, but polyiodide shuttling and the complex cathode fabrication procedures have severely hindered their broader commercial usage. Herein, a protocol is developed using phospholipid-like oleylamine molecules for scalable production of Langmuir-Blodgett films, which allows the facile preparation of ZIB cathodes in less than 1 min. The resulting inhomogeneous cathode allows for the continuous conversion of iodine.

Value of Bax and Bcl2 expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells for clinical prognosis of patients with chronic heart failure.

To investigate the expression of Bax and Bcl2 protein in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of patients with chronic heart failure (CHF), and to analyze their value for predicting major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE) in CHF patients. A total of 154 fasting venous blood samples from CHF patients were collected in our hospital from January 2017 to June 2019, and they were divided into 2 group according to whether MACE occurred during 3 years follow-up, MACE group and No-MACE group. Levels of Bax and Bcl2 protein expression in PBMC of CHF patients using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and then evaluated the predictive power of Bax and Bcl2 expression for MACE using logistic regression analysis and ROC curve.

TET2 modulates spatial relocalization of heterochromatin in aged hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells.

DNA methylation deregulation at partially methylated domains (PMDs) represents an epigenetic signature of aging and cancer, yet the underlying molecular basis and resulting biological consequences remain unresolved. We report herein a mechanistic link between disrupted DNA methylation at PMDs and the spatial relocalization of H3K9me3-marked heterochromatin in aged hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) or those with impaired DNA methylation. We uncover that TET2 modulates the spatial redistribution of H3K9me3-marked heterochromatin to mediate the upregulation of endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) and interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs), hence contributing to functional decline of aged HSPCs.

Expanding PROTACtable genome universe of E3 ligases.

Proteolysis-targeting chimera (PROTAC) and other targeted protein degradation (TPD) molecules that induce degradation by the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) offer new opportunities to engage targets that remain challenging to be inhibited by conventional small molecules. One fundamental element in the degradation process is the E3 ligase. However, less than 2% amongst hundreds of E3 ligases in the human genome have been engaged in current studies in the TPD field, calling for the recruiting of additional ones to further enhance the therapeutic potential of TPD.

Magnetically assisted soft milli-tools for occluded lumen morphology detection.

Methodologies based on intravascular imaging have revolutionized the diagnosis and treatment of endovascular diseases. However, current methods are limited in detecting, i.e.

Molecular mechanisms of tumor resistance to radiotherapy.

Background: Cancer is the most prevalent cause of death globally, and radiotherapy is considered the standard of care for most solid tumors, including lung, breast, esophageal, and colorectal cancers and glioblastoma. Resistance to radiation can lead to local treatment failure and even cancer recurrence.

Main Body: In this review, we have extensively discussed several crucial aspects that cause resistance of cancer to radiation therapy, including radiation-induced DNA damage repair, cell cycle arrest, apoptosis escape, abundance of cancer stem cells, modification of cancer cells and their microenvironment, presence of exosomal and non-coding RNA, metabolic reprogramming, and ferroptosis.

Cholesteric Liquid Crystal Polymeric Coatings for Colorful Artificial Muscles and Motile Humidity Sensor Skin Integrated with Magnetic Composites.

Structural colorful cholesterics show impressive susceptibility to external stimulation, leading to applications in electro/mechano-chromic devices. However, out-of-plane actuation of structural colorful actuators based on cholesterics and the integration with other stimulation remains underdeveloped. Herein, colorful actuators and motile humidity sensors are developed using humidity-responsive cholesteric liquid crystal networks (CLCNs) and magnetic composites.

Quantitative characterization of cell physiological state based on dynamical cell mechanics for drug efficacy indication.

Cell mechanics is essential to cell development and function, and its dynamics evolution reflects the physiological state of cells. Here, we investigate the dynamical mechanical properties of single cells under various drug conditions, and present two mathematical approaches to quantitatively characterizing the cell physiological state. It is demonstrated that the cellular mechanical properties upon the drug action increase over time and tend to saturate, and can be mathematically characterized by a linear time-invariant dynamical model.

A versatile jellyfish-like robotic platform for effective underwater propulsion and manipulation.

Underwater devices are critical for environmental applications. However, existing prototypes typically use bulky, noisy actuators and limited configurations. Consequently, they struggle to ensure noise-free and gentle interactions with underwater species when realizing practical functions.