Chitosan-based injectable porous microcarriers with enhanced adipogenic differentiation and angiogenesis for subcutaneous adipose tissue regeneration.

Chitosan is a promising biomaterial for tissue engineering, but its functionality is limited by a lack of bioactive sites. This study develops chitosan/amniotic membrane microcarriers to enhance vascularization and tissue regeneration for subcutaneous adipose tissue. The incorporation of decellularized amniotic membrane enhances the bioactivities of chitosan in promoting cell differentiation and angiogenesis.

Cancer-Associated Fibroblast-Secreted Exosomes Regulate Macrophage Polarization in Pancreatic Cancer via the NOD1 Pathway.

Metastasis is a major cause of poor prognosis of pancreatic cancer. Exosomes (Exos) regulate cancer progression by modulating macrophage polarization. This study aimed to investigate the effects of cancer-associated fibroblast (CAF)-released Exos on macrophage polarization in pancreatic cancer and the molecular mechanisms.

Waste PET bottle-derived carbon for defluorination of fluoride-polluted water.

This study synthesises expanded graphite (EG) from graphitised carbon from waste polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles. The adsorbent material was characterised using FTIR, XRF, XRD, SEM, Raman Spectroscopy, and BET surface area analysis. The synthesised EG defluorinated wastewater, utilising response surface methodology (RSM) for experimental design and optimisation.

Convenient and visual ethephon detection in fruits by enhanced fluorescence of metal-organic framework.

For the first time a novel fluorescent La@ZrMOF nanomaterial was synthesized for the convenient and visual detection of ethephon (ETH) based on the ligand-metal charge transfer process. The fluorescence signal gradually enhanced as the concentration of ETH increased, accompanied by a change in the color from colorless to blue. The assay can be completed within 75 min with a detection limit of 0.

High-Throughput Formation of Pre-Vascularized hiPSC-Derived Hepatobiliary Organoids on a Chip via Nonparenchymal Cell Grafting.

Liver organoids have been increasingly adopted as a critical in vitro model to study liver development and diseases. However, the pre-vascularization of liver organoids without affecting liver parenchymal specification remains a long-lasting challenge, which is essential for their application in regenerative medicine. Here, the large-scale formation of pre-vascularized human hepatobiliary organoids (vhHBOs) is presented without affecting liver epithelial specification via a novel strategy, namely nonparenchymal cell grafting (NCG).

Mechanical characteristics of roll crushing of ore materials based on discrete element method.

The application of high-pressure grinding rolls (HPGR) for ore crushing is considered to be one of the effective ways to save energy and reduce emissions in the ore processing industry. The crushing effect is directly determined by the forces of ore material during roll crushing. However, the mechanical state of ore material in roll crushing and the effect of roll structure, process parameters, feed particle size, on the force during the crushing of ore material needs to be expanded.

Influence of elevation angle of tundish filter on removal rate of impurity in molten steel.

To investigate the effect of the filter device on the cleanliness of molten steel and the flow field distribution within the tundish. The tundish filters were designed into five groups of pores with 20°, 25°, 30°, 35° and 40° elevation angles, and the flow field distribution and impurity removal rate of molten steel were calculated by Discrete Phase Model (DPM). The results showed that the removal rate of impurity in the molten steel could be significantly improved by using the tundish filter with elevation angle.

A small object detection model in aerial images based on CPDD-YOLOv8.

Aerial images can cover a wide area and capture rich scene information. These images are often taken from a high altitude and contain many small objects. It is difficult to detect small objects accurately because their features are not obvious and are susceptible to background interference.

Influence of coal gangue-aeolian sand aggregate gradation on rheological properties and pipeline transportation characteristics of filling slurry.

Uneven of filling aggregate gradation may cause transportation problems such as pipe blockage due to segregation and stratification of filling slurry. To study the influence of aggregate gradation on the conveying performance of filler slurry, aggregate gradation experiments were carried out, rheological tests on slurries with coal gangue/aeolian sand ratios (6:4, 5:5 and 4:6) showed that appropriately increasing the proportion of aeolian sand can improve particle gradation. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) scheme was used to simulate the pipeline transportation characteristics of the slurry under the conditions of three sets each of coal gangue/aeolian sand ratios, slurry concentrations (72%,74% and 76%), and inlet velocities (1.

Improved estimation of carbon dioxide and methane using machine learning with satellite observations over the Arabian Peninsula.

Estimating spatiotemporal maps of greenhouse gases (GHGs) is important for understanding climate change and developing mitigation strategies. However, current methods face challenges, including the coarse resolution of numerical models, and gaps in satellite data, making it essential to improve the spatiotemporal estimation of GHGs. This study aims to develop an advanced technique to produce high-fidelity (1 km) maps of CO and CH over the Arabian Peninsula, a highly vulnerable region to climate change.

Microstructure and properties of joint of Al/Cu welded by resistance element welding with an auxiliary gasket of Ni.

A rivet of aluminum and auxiliary gasket of nickel were adopted to weld A1060 aluminum plate and T2 copper plate using resistance element welding. The interfacial microstructure was analyzed and the tensile shear load of the joint was tested. A layer of AlCu and the eutectic structure of AlCu and (Al) were formed in the interfacial zone of Al/Cu.

Self-compassion as a mediator of attachment anxiety, attachment avoidance, and complex PTSD in college students with adverse childhood experiences.

Given the significant prevalence of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and their detrimental impact on mental health, this study examines the relationship between attachment anxiety, attachment avoidance, and complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) among college students with ACEs, emphasizing the mediating role of self-compassion (SC). A sample of 32,388 students from Kunming, China completed a survey including the Revised Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire (ACEQ-R), the Adult Attachment Scale (AAS), the International Trauma Questionnaire (ITQ), and the Self-Compassion Scale-Short Form (SCS-SF). Among the participants, 3,896 reported at least one ACE.

Differential regulatory effects of the N-terminal region in SYK-fusion kinases reveal unique activation-inducible nuclear translocation of ITK-SYK.

ITK-SYK and TEL-SYK (also known as ETV6-SYK) are human tumor-causing chimeric proteins containing the kinase region of SYK, and the membrane-targeting, N-terminal, PH-TH domain-doublet of ITK or the dimerizing SAM-PNT domain of TEL, respectively. ITK-SYK causes peripheral T cell lymphoma, while TEL-SYK was reported in myelodysplastic syndrome. BTK is a kinase highly related to ITK and to further delineate the role of the N-terminus, we generated the corresponding fusion-kinase BTK-SYK.

Vacuum electrospray deposition for face-on orientation and interface preservation in organic photovoltaics.

Despite recent advancements in organic photovoltaics (OPVs), further improvements in power conversion efficiency (PCE) and device lifetime are necessary for commercial viability. Strategies such as optimizing the molecular orientation and minimizing the charge traps of organic films are particularly effective in enhancing photovoltaic performance. In this study, we successfully utilized vacuum electrospray deposition (VESD) to achieve favourable face-on stacking geometries while preserving the integrity of the interfaces in poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) (P3HT): [6,6]-phenyl-C-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) bulk heterojunction (BHJ) films.

Hierarchically aligned heterogeneous core-sheath hydrogels.

Natural materials with highly oriented heterogeneous structures are often lightweight but strong, stiff but tough and durable. Such an integration of diverse incompatible mechanical properties is highly desired for man-made materials, especially weak hydrogels which are lack of high-precision structural design. Herein, we demonstrate the fabrication of hierarchically aligned heterogeneous hydrogels consisting of a compactly crosslinked sheath and an aligned porous core with alignments of nanofibrils at multi-scales by a sequential self-assembly assisted salting out method.

Statistical optimization of pectinases from thermophilic Aspergillus fumigatus BT-4 employing response surface methodology through submerged fermentation using agricultural wastes.

Background: In this study, thermophilic pectinase-producing strains were isolated. Among all the isolates, strain No. 4 was identified as Aspergillus fumigatus BT-4 based on its morphology and 18 S rDNA analysis.

The skin manifestations in end-stage renal disease patients in Jordan, single-center experience.

Introduction: Patients with end-stage renal disease usually undergo hemodialysis as a way of renal function replacement therapy which comes with a wide array of systemic and cutaneous complications. The aim of this study was to evaluate the most frequent dermatological manifestations including xerosis, pruritis and other nail, hair and oral conditions, as these are a very important aspect to be considered while managing the patients psychological and physical needs to improve their outcomes and quality of life.

Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study was performed by selecting 77 patients on hemodialysis based on a certain criteria and data was then collected on a sheet using patients database on Hakeem National E-Health Program, in addition to information from interviews with patients during their hemodialysis sessions after taking an oral informed consent and insuring patients' privacy.

Effect of radiotherapy exposure on fruquintinib plus sintilimab treatment in refractory microsatellite stable metastatic colorectal cancer: a prospective observation study.

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in combination with antiangiogenic drugs have shown promising outcomes in the third-line and subsequent treatments of patients with microsatellite stable metastatic colorectal cancer (MSS-mCRC). Radiotherapy (RT) may enhance the antitumor effect of immunotherapy. However, the effect of RT exposure on patients receiving ICIs and targeted therapy remains unclear.

Stress-induced self-assembly of hierarchically twisted stripe arrays.

Hierarchical organization is prevalent in nature, yet the artificial construction of hierarchical materials featuring asymmetric structures remains a big challenge. Herein, we report a stress-induced self-assembly strategy for the synthesis of hierarchically twisted stripe arrays (HTSAs) with mesoporous structures. A soft and thin mesostructured film assembled by micelles and TiO oligomers is the prerequisite.

Longitudinal circulating tumor DNA monitoring in predicting response to short-course radiotherapy followed by neoadjuvant chemotherapy and camrelizumab in locally advanced rectal cancer: data from a Phase Ⅲ clinical trial (UNION).

This study, conducted as part of a multicenter phase III clinical trial, aimed to assess the utility of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA)-based minimal residual disease (MRD) in comparing the efficacy of short-course and long-course chemoradiotherapy (CRT) for locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). A total of 244 plasma samples from 79 LARC patients undergoing neoadjuvant therapy (NAT) before surgery were collected at various time points. Targeted deep sequencing using a novel MRD panel was performed.

A carboxymethyl cellulose-based pH-responsive chlorine dioxide release film for strawberry preservation.

Fruit spoilage caused by microorganisms results in huge economic losses and health risks worldwide every year. To develop an intelligent antimicrobial material capable of responding to the physiological activity of postharvest fruits and releasing antibacterial agents on demand, we fabricated a pH-responsive film for the release of chlorine dioxide (ClO) using carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and sodium chlorite (NaClO) via the solution casting method, with a CMC:NaClO ratio of 1:2 w/w. An acid environment simulated by 4 % acetic acid activated 43 % of ClO released by the film within 7 days.

Blood-based diagnosis of pediatric tuberculosis: a prospective cohort study in South Africa and Dominican Republic.

Objectives: Pediatric tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis is complicated by challenges in obtaining invasive respiratory specimens that frequently contain few Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) bacilli. We report the diagnostic performance of an Mtb antigen-derived peptide (MAP-TB) assay and its ability to monitor TB treatment response.

Methods: Study cohorts enrolled children who presented with presumptive TB at two hospitals in South Africa from 2012 to 2017 (157 children aged <13 years) and at community-based clinics in the Dominican Republic from 2019 to 2023 (101 children aged <18 years).

High-order network degree revealed shared and distinct features among schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and ADHD.

Schizophrenia (SCHZ), bipolar disorder (BD), and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) share clinical symptoms and risk genes, but the shared and distinct neural dynamic mechanisms remain inadequately understood. Degree is a fundamental and important graph measure in network neuroscience, and we here extended the degree to hierarchical levels based on eigenmodes and compared the resting-state brain networks of three disorders and healthy controls (HC). First, compared to HC, SCHZ and BD patients exhibited substantially overlapped abnormalities in brain networks, wherein BD patients displayed more significant alterations.

Small molecule-driven LKB1 deacetylation is responsible for the inhibition of hepatic lipid response in NAFLD.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a progressive condition characterized by ectopic fat accumulation in the liver, for which no FAD-approved drugs currently exist. Emerging evidence highlights the role of liver kinase B1 (LKB1), a key metabolic regulator, has been proposed in NAFLD, particularly in response to excessive nutrient levels. However, few agents have been identified that can prevent the progression of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) by targeting LKB1 deacetylation.