A 3D decoupling Alzheimer's disease prediction network based on structural MRI.

Purpose: This paper aims to develop a three-dimensional (3D) Alzheimer's disease (AD) prediction method, thereby bettering current predictive methods, which struggle to fully harness the potential of structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI) data.

Methods: Traditional convolutional neural networks encounter pressing difficulties in accurately focusing on the AD lesion structure. To address this issue, a 3D decoupling, self-attention network for AD prediction is proposed.

Robust, transparent, self-healable, recyclable all-starch-based gel with thermoelectric capability for wearable sensor.

Conventional all-starch-based (ASB) gels are weak and lack ductility. The preparation of a robust ASB gel with multi-functionalities e.g.

Preparation and Microwave-Absorbing Properties of FeCo Alloys by Condensation Reflux Method.

Five groups of FeCo alloy samples with different atomic ratios of Fe/Co (3:7, 4:6, 5:5, 6:4, 7:3) were prepared using the condensation reflux method. The results indicate that varying the atomic ratios of Fe/Co has a significant impact on the microstructure, electromagnetic parameters, and microwave absorption properties of FeCo alloys. As the Fe atom content increases, the morphology of the FeCo alloys transitions from irregular flower-shaped to uniformly spherical and eventually to lamellar.

Exploring the Cocktail Factor Approach to Generate Salivary Gland Progenitors through Co-Culture Techniques.

Background: The derivation of salivary gland (SG) progenitors from pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) presents significant potential for developmental biology and regenerative medicine. However, the existing protocols for inducing SG include limited factors, making it challenging to mimic the in vivo microenvironment of embryonic SGs.

Methods: We reported a cocktail factor approach to promote the differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cell (mESC)-derived oral epithelium (OE) into SG progenitors through a three-dimensional co-culture method.

Alzheimer's disease prediction algorithm based on de-correlation constraint and multi-modal feature interaction.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by various pathological changes. Utilizing multimodal data from Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography(FDG-PET) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging(MRI) of the brain can offer comprehensive information about the lesions from different perspectives and improve the accuracy of prediction. However, there are significant differences in the feature space of multimodal data.

Differentiation and Characterization of Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator Knockout Human Pluripotent Stem Cells into Salivary Gland Epithelial Progenitors.

The differentiation of pluripotent stem cells has been used to study disease mechanisms and development. We previously described a method for differentiating human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) into salivary gland epithelial progenitors (SGEPs). Here, cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) knockout hPSCs were differentiated into SGEPs derived from CFTR knockout hESCs (CF-SGEPs) using the same protocol to investigate whether the hPSC-derived SGEPs can model the characteristics of CF.

Novel Preparation of Graphene Foam with Adjustable Dielectric Properties for Efficient Microwave Absorption.

Graphene foams (GFs) prepared a hydrothermal method can be vacuum-dried directly without the need for freezing by adding naphthalene to the graphene hydrogels. By optimizing the GF preparation process, it is also possible to adjust the GF's dielectric properties by varying the amount of naphthalene added. Based on the comparison results, it was observed that controlling the addition of naphthalene could also modify the internal structure of GF and effectively regulate its dielectric properties.

Functionalized hydrogel-microsphere composites stimulating neurite outgrowth for vascularized bone regeneration.

Neurovascularized bone regeneration remains an enormous challenge in the clinic. Biomaterials mimicking the developmental microenvironment might be promising tools to enhance tissue regeneration. In this study, functionalized hydrogel-microsphere composites are developed to enhance bone regeneration a recapitulating neurovascularized microenvironment.

MPS-FFA: A multiplane and multiscale feature fusion attention network for Alzheimer's disease prediction with structural MRI.

Structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI) is a popular technique that is widely applied in Alzheimer's disease (AD) diagnosis. However, only a few structural atrophy areas in sMRI scans are highly associated with AD. The degree of atrophy in patients' brain tissues and the distribution of lesion areas differ among patients.

Application of functionalized hyaluronic acid hydrogel with the activity of regulating the behaviors of stem cells in repairing rabbit knee articular cartilage.

Using injectable hydrogels loaded with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to repair chondral defects is a new trend of cartilage tissue engineering in recent years. In this study, hyaluronic acid (HA) hydrogels containing the system of sustained-release Kartogenin (KGN) and modified by RGD and HAV peptides were used to facilitate repair of cartilage defect in the knee joint of rabbits. Different groups of implants were injected into osteochondral defects, and samples were taken 4 weeks after operation.

Orchestrating Chemical and Physical Cross-Linking in Protein Hydrogels to Regulate Embryonic Stem Cell Growth.

Protein hydrogels are ideal candidates for next-generation biomaterials due to their genetically programmable properties. Herein, we report an entirely protein-based hydrogel as an artificial extracellular matrix (ECM) for regulating the embryonic stem cell growth. A synergy between chemical and physical cross-linking was achieved in one step by SpyTag/SpyCatcher reaction and P zipper association at 37 °C.

Multi-model adaptive fusion-based graph network for Alzheimer's disease prediction.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a common cognitive disorder. Recently, many computer-aided diagnostic techniques have been used for AD prediction utilizing deep learning technology, among which graph neural networks have received increasing attention owing to their ability to model sample relationships on large population graphs. Most of the existing graph-based methods predict diseases according to a single model, which makes it difficult to select an appropriate node embedding algorithm for a certain classification task.

Controlling the electrochemical activity of dahlia-like β-NiS@rGO by interface polarization.

Transition metal sulfides have become more and more important in the field of energy storage due to their superior chemical and physical properties. Herein, dahlia β-NiS with a rough surface and β-NiS@reduced graphene oxide (rGO) have been green synthesized by a one-step hydrothermal method. The interface characteristics of β-NiS@ rGO composites have been systematically studied by XPS, Raman, and first-principles calculations.

A non-heat-source process for preparing graphene oxide with low energy consumption.

As the most widely used method for preparing graphene oxide (GO), Hummers' method always involves a key step, that is adding water to concentrated sulfuric acid. We found that if this process is cancelled, the oxidation degree of GO will be significantly reduced. This means that the heat released during concentrated sulfuric acid dilution will promote further oxidation of GO.

Starch-Based Ion-Conductive Organo-Hydrogels with Self-Healing, Anti-Freezing, and High Mechanical Properties toward Strain Sensors.

Fully bio-based ion-conductive organo-hydrogels with multi-functionalities such as high mechanical properties, self-healing, anti-freezing, and non-drying capabilities are still extremely rare so far, and achieving it remains a great challenge. In this work, a starch/natural rubber composite hydrogel is first obtained by a simple one-pot method, and then an ion-conductive organo-hydrogel composed of starch, natural rubber, lithium chloride, and glycerol with adjustable mechanical properties (ultimate tensile stress of 0.15-2.

A DUSP6 inhibitor suppresses inflammatory cardiac remodeling and improves heart function after myocardial infarction.

Acute myocardial infarction (MI) results in loss of cardiomyocytes and abnormal cardiac remodeling with severe inflammation and fibrosis. However, how cardiac repair can be achieved by timely resolution of inflammation and cardiac fibrosis remains incompletely understood. Our previous findings have shown that dual-specificity phosphatase 6 (DUSP6) is a regeneration repressor from zebrafish to rats.

Functionalized Microscaffold-Hydrogel Composites Accelerating Osteochondral Repair through Endochondral Ossification.

Osteochondral regeneration remains a key challenge because of the limited self-healing ability of the bone and its complex structure and composition. Biomaterials based on endochondral ossification (ECO) are considered an attractive candidate to promote bone repair because they can effectively address the difficulties in establishing vascularization and poor bone regeneration via intramembranous ossification (IMO). However, its clinical application is limited by the complex cellular behavior of ECO and the long time required for induction of the cell cycle.

Improved antitumor immunity of chemotherapy in OSCC treatment by Gasdermin-E mediated pyroptosis.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a malignant tumor with high mortality and poor prognosis. Many OSCC patients have low response rate to current treatments including immunotherapies largely due to the immune-suppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). Chemotherapy could induce immunogenic cell death (ICD), a type of cell death such as pyroptosis and necroptosis, which has proved to be capable to alter the immune-suppressive TME and beneficial for better anti-tumor effect.

Estimation of mechanical properties of Mg-5Zn-0.5Al-xSn alloy based on virtual crystal approximation.

First-principles calculations of multi-component alloys have been studied in detail. Herein, the first-principles calculations of Mg-5Zn-0.5Al-xSn alloys were performed by using the virtual crystal approximation (VCA) method.

Alzheimer's Disease Prediction Algorithm Based on Group Convolution and a Joint Loss Function.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) can effectively predict by 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (18F-FDG PET) of the brain, but current PET images still suffer from indistinct lesion features, low signal-to-noise ratios, and severe artefacts, resulting in poor prediction accuracy for patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and unclear lesion features. In this paper, an AD prediction algorithm based on group convolution and a joint loss function is proposed. First, a group convolutional backbone network based on ResNet18 is designed to extract lesion features from multiple channels, which makes the expression ability of the network improved to a great extent.

Advances and Challenges of Self-Healing Elastomers: A Mini Review.

In the last few decades, self-healing polymeric materials have been widely investigated because they can heal the damages spontaneously and thereby prolong their service lifetime. Many ingenious synthetic procedures have been developed for fabricating self-healing polymers with high performance. This mini review provides an impressive summary of the self-healing polymers with fast self-healing speed, which exhibits an irreplaceable role in many intriguing applications, such as flexible electronics.

Derivation of Human Salivary Epithelial Progenitors from Pluripotent Stem Cells via Activation of RA and Wnt Signaling.

Derivation of salivary gland epithelial progenitors (SGEPs) from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) has great potential in developmental biology and regenerative medicine. At present, no efficient method is available to generate salivary gland cells from hPSCs. Here, we described for the first time a robust protocol for direct differentiation of hPSCs into SGEPs by mimicking retinoic acid and Wnt signaling.

Retinoic acid and FGF10 promote the differentiation of pluripotent stem cells into salivary gland placodes.

Background: Salivary glands produce saliva that play essential roles in digestion and oral health. Derivation of salivary gland organoids from pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) provides a powerful platform to model the organogenesis processes during development. A few studies attempted to differentiate PSCs into salivary gland organoids.

Doping-driven electronic structure and conductivity modification of nickel sulfide.

The lack of electrical conductivity limits the electrochemical kinetic rate of the electrode material, resulting in the inability to reach its theoretical capacity. A facile method is adopted to improve the intrinsic conductivity of binary NiS/NiS hybrid nickel sulfide, with the doping of transition metal atoms Co, Mn and Ag. Through the introduction of heteroatoms, the electronic structure of the electrode material is modified and the electrical conductivity is significantly improved, thus enhancing its electrochemical performance.

Strategy of Stem Cell Transplantation for Bone Regeneration with Functionalized Biomaterials and Vascularized Tissues in Immunocompetent Mice.

The use of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs) to regenerate and repair bone tissue defects is a complex research field of bone tissue engineering; nevertheless, it is a hot topic. One of the biggest problems is the limited survival and osteogenic capacity of the transplanted cells within the host tissue. Even for hBMSCs with their low immunogenicity, the body will still cause a local immune-inflammatory response directed against the allogeneic cells and thereby reduce the activity of the transplanted cells.