Bioprinted Fibroblast Mediated Heterogeneous Tumor Microenvironment for Studying Tumor-Stroma Interaction and Drug Screening.

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are crucial stromal cells in the tumor microenvironment, affecting cancer growth, angiogenesis, and matrix remodeling. Developing an effective in vitro tumor model that accurately recapitulates the dynamic interplay between tumor and stromal cells remains a challenge. In this study, a 3D bioprinted fibroblast - mediated heterogeneous breast tumor model was created, with tumor cells and fibroblasts in a bionic matrix.

Comparison of ticagrelor and clopidogrel in primary percutaneous coronary intervention patients: a single-center retrospective study.

Background: It is uncertain whether ticagrelor is more effective and safer than clopidogrel in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients in the East Asian population in the real world. This study compared the clinical outcomes of ticagrelor and clopidogrel in STEMI patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Methods: We retrospectively enrolled 1124 patients diagnosed with STEMI in Nanjing First Hospital from July 2011 to April 2019.

Study of Histotripsy With Subsequent Heating on In Vitro VX2 Cancer Cells.

Objective: Focused ultrasound has emerged as a precise and minimally invasive modality for effective cancer treatment. In this study, we propose a novel method that integrates the mechanical effects of focused ultrasound, known as histotripsy, with heating to enhance both the immediate and sustained cytotoxic effects on cancer cells.

Methods: Our investigation focused on VX2 cancer cells in suspension, examining five experimental groups: blank control, negative control, heating alone, histotripsy alone, and histotripsy with subsequent heating.

Stress Relaxation for Lead Iodide Nucleation in Efficient Perovskite Solar Cells.

Porous lead iodide (PbI) film is crucial for the complete reaction between PbI and ammonium salts in sequential-deposition technology so as to achieve high crystallinity perovskite film. Herein, it is found that the tensile stress in tin (IV) oxide (SnO) electron transport layer (ETL) is a key factor influencing the morphology and crystallization of PbI films. Focusing on this, lithium trifluoromethanesulfonate (LiOTf) is used as an interfacial modifier in the SnO/PbI interface to decrease the tensile stress to reduce the necessary critical Gibbs free energy for PbI nuclei formation.

Impact of EML4-ALK Variants and TP53 Status on the Efficacy of ALK Inhibitors in Patients With Non-small Cell Lung Cancer.

Background: The clinical implications of different EML4-ALK fusion variants remain poorly elucidated in the era of second-generation ALK inhibitors.

Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study, wherein patients diagnosed with locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer harboring EML4-ALK fusion were stratified into two cohorts based on their first-line treatment: Cohort 1 received alectinib, while Cohort 2 received crizotinib. Statistical analysis was employed to investigate the impact of different EML4-ALK variants and TP53 status on the efficacy of first-line ALK-TKIs.

Ultrafast Preparation of High-Entropy NASICON Cathode Enables Stabilized Multielectron Redox and Wide-Temperature (-50-60 °C) Workability in Sodium-Ion Batteries.

Avoiding severe structural distortion, irreversible phase transition, and realizing the stabilized multielectron redox are vital for promoting the development of high-performance NASICON-type cathode materials for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). Herein, a high-entropy NaVFeTiMnCr(PO) (HE-NaTMP) cathode material is prepared by ultrafast high-temperature shock, which inhibits the possibility of phase separation and achieves reversible and stable multielectron transfer of 2.4/2.

Polyprenylated Xanthones Isolated from Resins and Their Beneficial Effects on Rice Blast Disease.

Five undescribed polyprenylated xanthones (, , , , and ) and 27 known compounds were isolated from resins, and the antifungal activities of 15 of them were investigated. Compound exhibited notable in vitro antifungal effects against with an IC value of 3.54 μg/mL, superior to isoprothiolane (10.

Diagnostic value of fasting insulin and insulin-like growth factor-1 levels in girls with central precocious puberty.

Objectives: The gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) provocation test is crucial for diagnosing central precocious puberty (CPP). However, due to its invasion and high cost, it is essential to find a simpler biomarker. This study aimed to investigate the feasibility of fasting insulin (FINS) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) as potential biomarkers for diagnosing girls with CPP and to analyze their effects on puberty development.

Combining Hard Shell with Soft Core to Enhance Enzyme Activity and Resist External Disturbances.

Immobilizing enzymes onto solid supports having enhanced catalytic activity and resistance to harsh external conditions is considered as a promising and critical method of broadening enzymatic applications in biosensing, biocatalysis, and biomedical devices; however, it is considerably hampered by limited strategies. Here, a core-shell strategy involving a soft-core hexahistidine metal assembly (HmA) is innovatively developed and characterized with encapsulated enzymes (catalase (CAT), horseradish peroxidase, glucose oxidase (GOx), and cascade enzymes (CAT+GOx)) and hard porous shells (zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF), ZIF-8, ZIF-67, ZIF-90, calcium carbonate, and hydroxyapatite). The enzyme-friendly environment provided by the embedded HmA proves beneficial for enhanced catalytic activity, which is particularly effective in preserving fragile enzymes that will have been deactivated without the HmA core during the mineralization of porous shells.

CTB6 Confers Cold Tolerance at the Booting Stage by Maintaining Tapetum Development in Rice.

Rice is highly sensitive to cold stress, particularly at the booting stage, which significantly threatens rice production. In this study, we cloned a gene, CTB6, encoding a lipid transfer protein involved in cold tolerance at the booting stage in rice, based on our previous fine-mapped quantitative trait locus (QTL) qCTB10-2. CTB6 is mainly expressed in the tapetum and young microspores of the anther.

Global Protein Interactome Mapping in Rice Using Barcode-Indexed PCR Coupled with HiFi Long-Read Sequencing.

Establishing the protein-protein interaction network sheds light on functional genomics studies by providing insights from known counterparts. However, the rice interactome has barely been studied due to the lack of massive, reliable, and cost-effective methodologies. Here, the development of a barcode-indexed PCR coupled with HiFi long-read sequencing pipeline (BIP-seq) is reported for high throughput Protein Protein Interaction (PPI)identification.

Self-Immobilizing Fluorogenic Probe for In Situ Labeling of Granzyme B Activity in Host Immune Response to Bacterial Infections.

Bacterial infections, particularly those caused by drug-resistant bacteria, represent a pressing global health challenge. During the interaction between pathogen infection and host defense, bacterial infections initiate the host's immune response, which involves the activation of proteases that play a critical role in antibacterial defense. Granzyme B (GzmB), a key immune-related biomarker associated with cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), plays a pivotal role in this process.

A Homozygous Variant in HSD17B1 Identified in Women With Poor Ovarian Response.

An increasing number of patients utilizing in vitro fertilization (IVF) and assisted reproductive technology (ART) are characterized as impaired or poor ovarian responders (PORs). Owing to its unclear molecular etiology, the management of patients with age-related ovarian characteristics remains a controversial and complex clinical concern. Therefore, it is important to identify and understand the etiological causes behind POR to develop more effective and efficient management strategies for these patients.

Photobiomodulation Combined With Human Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cells Modulates the Polarization of Microglia.

Neuroinflammation plays a key role in the development of neurodegenerative diseases, with microglia regulating this process through pro-inflammatory M1 and anti-inflammatory M2 phenotypes. Studies have shown that human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUCMSCs) modulate neuroinflammation by secreting anti-inflammatory cytokines. Photobiomodulation (PBM), a non-invasive therapy, has demonstrated significant potential in alleviating neuroinflammation.

3D-Printed Myocardium-Specific Structure Enhances Maturation and Therapeutic Efficacy of Engineered Heart Tissue in Myocardial Infarction.

Despite advancements in engineered heart tissue (EHT), challenges persist in achieving accurate dimensional accuracy of scaffolds and maturing human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs), a primary source of functional cardiac cells. Drawing inspiration from cardiac muscle fiber arrangement, a three-dimensional (3D)-printed multi-layered microporous polycaprolactone (PCL) scaffold is created with interlayer angles set at 45° to replicate the precise structure of native cardiac tissue. Compared with the control group and 90° PCL scaffolds, the 45° PCL scaffolds exhibited superior biocompatibility for cell culture and improved hiPSC-CM maturation in calcium handling.

Improved Efficacy of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Immunotherapy via Hydrogel-Based Co-Delivery of CAR-T Cells and Mitophagy Agonist.

Leaky and structurally abnormal blood vessels and increased pressure in the tumor interstitium reduce the infiltration of CAR-T cells in solid tumors, including triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Furthermore, high burden of tumor cells may cause reduction of infiltrating CAR-T cells and their functional exhaustion. In this study, various effector-to-target (E:T) ratio experiments are established to model the treatment using CAR-T cells in leukemia (high E:T ratio) and solid tumor (low E:T ratio).

ZnFe Layered Double Hydroxide Nanosheets Loaded with Cu Single-Atom Nanozymes with Multi-Enzyme-Like Catalytic Activities as an Effective Treatment for Bacterial Keratitis.

Bacterial keratitis (BK) is a type of corneal inflammation resulting from bacterial infection in the eye. Although nanozymes have been explored as promising materials in corneal wound healing, currently available nanozymes lack sufficient catalytic activity and the ability to penetrate bacterial biofilms, limiting their efficacy against the treatment of BK. To remedy this, ZnFe layered double hydroxide (ZnFe-LDH) nanosheets are loaded with Cu single-atom nanozymes (Cu-SAzymes) and aminated dextran (Dex-NH), resulting in the formation of the nanozyme DT-ZnFe-LDH@Cu, which possesses peroxidase (POD)-, oxidase (OXD)-, and catalase (CAT)-like catalytic activities.

Nanodrugs Targeting Key Factors of Ferroptosis Regulation for Enhanced Treatment of Osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a globally prevalent degenerative joint disease. Recent studies highlight the role of ferroptosis in OA progression. Targeting ferroptosis regulation presents a promising therapeutic strategy for OA; however, current research primarily focuses on single targets associated with ferroptosis.

Advances on Defect Engineering of Niobium Pentoxide for Electrochemical Energy Storage.

The reasonable design of advanced anode materials for electrochemical energy storage (EES) devices is crucial in expediting the progress of renewable energy technologies. NbO has attracted increasing research attention as an anode candidate. Defect engineering is regarded as a feasible approach to modulate the local atomic configurations within NbO.

Carbene-induced ring-opening reactions of five-/six-membered cyclic ethers: expanding the frontiers of functional group introduction and molecular architecture construction.

The multi-component ring-opening reactions of cyclic ethers offer an efficient strategy for the rapid introduction of multiple functional groups and the construction of complex molecular architectures. Despite the minimal ring strain in five- and six-membered rings presenting a significant challenge for ring-opening, advancements have been made. Traditional acid-catalyzed pathways have been complemented by a novel approach involving carbene-induced oxonium intermediate formation, which has emerged in recent years and expanded the selectivity of ring-opening reactions.

Ferroelectric and Optoelectronic Coupling Effects in Layered Ferroelectric Semiconductor-Based FETs for Visual Simulation.

Controlling polarization states of ferroelectrics can enrich optoelectronic properties and functions, offering a new avenue for designing advanced electronic and optoelectronic devices. Here, ferroelectric semiconductor-based field-effect transistors (FeSFETs) are fabricated, where the channel is a ferroelectric semiconductor (e.g.

Characterization of the Micro-Morphology and Compositional Distribution of Chang'e-5 Lunar Soil Mineral Surfaces Using TOF-SIMS.

The lunar soil samples returned by China's Chang'e-5 (CE-5) contain valuable information on geological evolutions on the Moon. Herein, by employing high-resolution time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS), five rock chip samples from the CE-5 lunar soil are characterized in-depth, which reveal micro-morphological and compositional features. From the elemental/molecular ion distribution images, minerals such as pyroxene, ilmenite, feldspar, K-rich glass, silica, and silicate minerals are identified, along with their occurrence states and distribution results.

Thyroid-Targeted Nano-Bombs Empower HIFU for Graves' Disease.

Graves' disease (GD) is an autoimmune disorder with a high incidence rate, particularly affecting women of reproductive age. Current treatment modalities for GD carry significant disadvantages, especially for pregnant or nursing women. As a novel extracorporeal therapeutic technique, high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) shows great promise for treating GD; however, its low treatment efficacy impedes clinical application.

Drug-Drug Interaction Between Rifampicin and Albuvirtide: A Phase 1, Randomized, Open-Label Study.

Albuvirtide (ABT) is a novel long-acting fusion inhibitor for human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), and may be co-administered with rifampicin (RIF) in patients concurrent with tubercle bacillus and HIV-1. This study was conducted to investigate the pharmacokinetic effect of co-administration of the two drugs. In the study, 24 healthy volunteers were randomized to receive ABT alone or with RIF.

Efficient Carbon-Based Optoelectronic Synapses for Dynamic Visual Recognition.

The human visual nervous system excels at recognizing and processing external stimuli, essential for various physiological functions. Biomimetic visual systems leverage biological synapse properties to improve memory encoding and perception. Optoelectronic devices mimicking these synapses can enhance wearable electronics, with layered heterojunction materials being ideal materials for optoelectronic synapses due to their tunable properties and biocompatibility.