Pilot study of ultrasound-guided microwave ablation for inactivating excess remnant thyroid after surgery in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer.

Objectives: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of ultrasound (US)-guided microwave ablation (MWA) for inactivating excess remnant thyroid (RT) after surgery in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC).

Methods: This study was registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry under the identifier ChiCTR2200063200 on September 1, 2022. This study enrolled consecutive postsurgery DTC patients who were scheduled for radioactive iodine ablation (RAI) therapy.

Ankle proprioception in sitting and standing: Association with static and dynamic balance in subacute stroke patients.

Background: Ankle proprioception deficit is a major factor causing balance dysfunction in subacute stroke survivors. However, there is still no commonly-agreed ankle proprioception evaluation method for these patients. Whether ankle proprioception tested by the active movement extent discrimination apparatus (AMEDA) when participants are standing (AMEDA-standing) or sitting (AMEDA-sitting).

Miniaturized Designs of Implantable and Wireless Hemodynamic Pressure Monitoring Capsules.

Objective: Hemodynamic pressure (HP) monitoring is critical for managing cardiovascular diseases. Clinical Doppler echocardiography and invasive catheter monitoring cannot realize remote continuous monitoring in daily life. Current implantable wireless equipment depends on custom chips or indirect sensing, presenting challenges in cost-effective and precise applications.

Upgrading Electron Transfer with High Conductivity MOF Composites for Supercapacitors.

Supercapacitors (SCs) have emerged as promising energy storage devices, offering flexibility and smart functionalities to meet the growing demands of modern applications. However, challenges such as limited conductivity and stability continue to hinder their performance. Herein, a conductive composite was designed by forming one-dimension rod-like conductive MOFs (Ni-HHTP) on the hierarchical nickel oxalate (Ni-OA).

Multi-megawatt pulses from 1030 to 1300 nm based on soliton self-frequency shifting in a nitrogen-filled fiber.

Soliton formation and soliton self-frequency shift are investigated in a hollow-core fiber filled with N gas. With 10-µJ and 80-fs input pulses at 1030 nm, solitons with greater than 500-nJ energy and duration less than 100 fs can be generated between 1090 and 1310 nm. With peak powers above 5 MW, we expect that these pulses will be useful for applications such as nonlinear microscopy.

Ambient temperature and female infertility prevalence: an ecological study based on the 2019 global burden of disease study.

Background: The impact of climate change on human health is well established; however, its effect on the prevalence of female infertility is poorly understood. In this study, we aimed to investigate the association between ambient temperature changes and the prevalence of female infertility.

Methods: In this ecological study, 174 countries and regions were included.

The multimode coupled vibration transducer with the higher emission performances at resonant frequencies.

The majority of existing piezoelectric transducers work at a single resonant frequency, and their applications in scenarios with multi-frequency or frequency variation are not fully considered. Moreover, emitting high-energy ultrasound at different frequencies is also crucial. Here, we propose the three-frequency coupled vibration piezoelectric transducer, which exhibits higher emission performances.

Efficient, broadly tunable, hollow-fiber source of megawatt pulses for multiphoton microscopy.

Three-photon fluorescence microscopy (3PM) has driven rapid progress in deep-tissue imaging beyond the depth limit of two-photon microscopy, with impacts in neuroscience, immunology, and cancer biology. Three-photon excitation places a premium on ultrashort pulses with high peak power in the 1300- and 1700-nm wavelength bands, which allow deepest imaging. The inefficiency and cost of current sources of these pulses present major barriers to the use of 3PM in biomedical research labs.

Impacts of Human Activity and Climate Change on the Suitable Habitats for in China.

() is a highly invasive weed native to South America and distributed in 17 provinces (municipalities) of China. It has severely negative influences on ecosystems, agriculture, and husbandry. However, few studies have reported on the impact of human activity and climate change on the future distribution and centroid shift of .

Potential public health impacts of gonorrhea vaccination programmes under declining incidences: A modeling study.

Background: Gonorrhea is the second most common sexually transmitted disease notified in Singapore in 2023. Evidence suggests that the 4CMenB vaccine designed to protect against Neisseria meningitidis infection may offer partial cross-protection against gonorrhea. This generated interest in using 4CMenB for the purpose of staving gonorrhea transmission.

Trehalose enhances macrophage autophagy to promote myelin debris clearance after spinal cord injury.

Background: Myelin-laden foamy macrophages accumulate extensively in the lesion epicenter, exhibiting characteristics of autophagolysosomal dysfunction, which leads to prolonged inflammatory responses after spinal cord injury (SCI). Trehalose, known for its neuroprotective properties as an autophagy inducer, has yet to be fully explored for its potential to mitigate foamy macrophage formation and exert therapeutic effects in the context of SCI.

Results: We observed that trehalose significantly enhances macrophage phagocytosis and clearance of myelin in a dose-dependent manner in vitro.

Psoralen and Isopsoralen Activate Nuclear Factor Erythroid 2-Related Factor 2 Through Interaction With Kelch-Like ECH-Associated Protein 1.

As natural furocoumarins, psoralen and its isomer isopsoralen are widely distributed in various fruits including L., vegetables including celery, and medicinal herbs including L. Although psoralen and isopsoralen have been used as dietary supplements because of their bioactivities such as antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties; however, the potential mechanisms underlying the antioxidant activities of these two furocoumarins still need to be explored.

Glucose Sensor Design Based on Monte Carlo Simulation.

Continuous glucose monitoring based on the minimally invasive implantation of glucose sensor is characterized by high accuracy and good stability. At present, glucose concentration monitoring based on fluorescent glucose capsule sensor is a new development trend. In this paper, we design a fluorescent glucose capsule sensor with a design optimization study.

Molecular intersections of traumatic brain injury and Alzheimer's disease: the role of ADMSC-derived exosomes and hub genes in microglial polarization.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a significant contributor to global mortality and morbidity, with emerging evidence indicating a heightened risk of developing Alzheimer's disease (AD) following TBI. This study aimed to explore the molecular intersections between TBI and AD, focusing on the role of adipose mesenchymal stem cell (ADMSC)-derived exosomes and hub genes involved in microglial polarization. Transcriptome profiles from TBI (GSE58485) and AD (GSE74614) datasets were analyzed to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs).

Network pharmacology and molecular docking reveal the mechanism of action of Bergapten against non‑small cell lung cancer.

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide, necessitating new treatment approaches with minimal side effects. In the present study, the potential of Bergapten (5-methoxypsoralen), a natural furanocoumarin compound, as a therapeutic agent against NSCLC was investigated by using network pharmacology, molecular docking and validation. Bergapten targets were identified using the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform and SwissTarget databases, whilst lung cancer-related targets were sourced from GeneCards and DisGeNET.

Bioinspired balloon catheter integrated with stretchable "flounder" electrodes under high voltage for uniform pulsed field ablation.

Atrial fibrillation leads to severe diseases such as heart failure and strokes. While catheter ablation is prevalent for the treatment, existing techniques hardly can achieve both tissue selectivity and ablation uniformity. Here, we propose a bioinspired strategy for balloon-based pulsed field ablation (PFA) systems based on "flounder" electrodes.

Effects of different drying methods on the chemical components and activities of Taihang chrysanthemum (Opisthopappus taihangensis).

Although the health benefits of chrysanthemums have been widely studied, there is a paucity of knowledge regarding Taihang chrysanthemum (Opisthopappus taihangensis). This study compared indoor shade drying, heat drying and freeze drying on the chemical profile and health-related activities of O. taihangensis.

Expanded immune imprinting and neutralization spectrum by hybrid immunization following breakthrough infections with SARS-CoV-2 variants after three-dose vaccination.

Background: Despite vaccination, SARS-CoV-2 evolution leads to breakthrough infections and reinfections worldwide. Knowledge of hybrid immunization is crucial for future broad-spectrum SARS-CoV-2 vaccines.

Methods: In this study, we investigated neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) against the SARS-CoV-2 ancestral virus (wild-type [WT]), pre-Omicron VOCs, Omicron subvariants, and SARS-CoV-1 using plasma collected from four distinct cohorts: individuals who received three doses of BBIBP-CorV/CoronaVac vaccines, those who experienced BA.

Prevention of Early Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt Infection: A Long-Term Experience from Peking Union Medical College Hospital.

Preventing the early shunt infection is critical for the success of ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS) operation. Our goal was to establish a standardized protocol to prevent early shunt infection. This was a single-center retrospective study.

The multifaceted nature of diabetic erectile dysfunction: uncovering the intricate mechanisms and treatment strategies.

Background: One of the most common complications of diabetes mellitus is diabetic erectile dysfunction (DMED), a condition that has grown more common in recent years and has a significant impact on patients' daily lives. The complicated pathophysiological changes of DMED, involving vascular, neurological, muscular, and endocrine variables, have not been well addressed by any one treatment technique, and no widely approved treatment strategy has been developed.

Aim: The objective of this study was to thoroughly examine the complex nature of the pathogenic mechanism of DMED and discover new therapeutic approaches that could improve DMED symptoms.

Thermostability improvement of the glucose oxidase from Penicillium amagasakiense for efficient antimicrobial performance through computer-aided molecular design.

Glucose oxidases (GODs) induce the catalyzation from β-d-glucose to gluconic acid in an oxygen-consuming process, providing a potential antibiotic substitution strategy. However, the inadequate properties of existing GODs in parallel hinder the antimicrobial capacity for industrial applications. In this study, PaGOD (WT) from Penicillium amagasakiense was enzymatically improved through computer-aided design based on energy optimization.

Morphology and line tension of twist disclinations in a nematic liquid crystal.

We deploy optical microscopy with and without an applied magnetic field to characterize the three-dimensional morphology and measure the line tension of twist disclinations in twisted nematic liquid crystal (LC) sample cells. Twist disclinations are generated by quenching the LC, 5CB (4-cyano-4'-pentylbiphenyl), into the nematic phase; 5CB is confined between substrates with in-plane anchoring directions perpendicular to one another. The disclinations form loops separating domains of opposite twist handedness.

Add-on perceptual learning on refractive amblyopia in children.

Aim: To evaluate the visual outcomes of standard amblyopic treatment add-on training perceptual learning in refractive amblyopic children and to identify the risk factors for treatment failure.

Methods: Retrospective charts were reviewed in children with refractive amblyopia who received standard treatment and add-on Cambridge Visual Stimulator (CAM) training. The add-on CAM group that was enrolled had worn full-corrected glasses for at least 2mo before training.

Efficient temporal compression of 10-µJ pulses in periodic layered Kerr media.

Pulse compression based on periodic layered Kerr media has been demonstrated as an effective technique for femtosecond pulses with energies around 100 µJ or more. We report such a compressor designed for pulses in the 10-µJ range, which is valuable for many applications. Pulses from a fiber chirped-pulse amplifier are compressed from 300 fs to as short as 60 fs, with good pulse and beam quality.