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Abstract There is still a paucity of research on the relationship between triglyceride-glucose-body mass index (TyG-BMI) and long-term all-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The objective of this study was to explore the relationship between the TyG-BMI index and mortality rate and to determine valuable predictive factors for the survival status of this population. Data were obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES 2001–2018) and the National Death Index (NDI). We used multivariate Cox regression and restricted cubic spline (RCS) to analyze the link between the TyG-BMI index and all-cause and CVD mortality. Subgroup analysis was conducted according to age, gender, race, education and poverty. In addition, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were utilized to assess the differentiation of the TyG-BMI index in predicting mortality. A total of 3089 individuals were enrolled. Over a median follow-up period of 81 months, 1097 individuals passed away. The RCS analysis revealed a U-shaped link between the TyG-BMI index and all-cause and CVD mortality. The ROC curve indicated that the TyG-BMI index has a stronger diagnostic effect than the TyG index. Subgroup analysis results demonstrated that the TyG-BMI index was more significantly correlated with all-cause and CVD mortality rates in elderly patients. In the American population, a U-shaped association was discovered between the baseline TyG-BMI index and all-cause and cardiovascular mortality rates in CKD patients. The thresholds for all-cause and CVD mortality were found to be 299.31 and 294.85, respectively.

Spheroids and organoids have attracted significant attention as innovative models for disease modeling and drug screening. By employing diverse types of spheroids or organoids, it is feasible to establish microphysiological systems that enhance the precision of disease modeling and offer more dependable and comprehensive drug screening. High-throughput microphysiological systems that support optional, parallel testing of multiple drugs have promising applications in personalized medical treatment and drug research. However, establishing such a system is highly challenging and requires a multidisciplinary approach. This study introduces a dynamic Microphysiological System Chip Platform (MSCP) with multiple functional microstructures that encompass the mentioned advantages. We developed a high-throughput lung cancer spheroids model and an intestine-liver-heart-lung cancer microphysiological system for conducting parallel testing on four anti-lung cancer drugs, demonstrating the feasibility of the MSCP. This microphysiological system combines microscale and macroscale biomimetics to enable a comprehensive assessment of drug efficacy and side effects. Moreover, the microphysiological system enables evaluation of the real pharmacological effect of drug molecules reaching the target lesion after absorption by normal organs through fluid-based physiological communication. The MSCP could serves as a valuable platform for microphysiological system research, making significant contributions to disease modeling, drug development, and personalized medical treatment.

Abstract Phenolic compounds have long captivated the interest of organic synthesis, particularly in their quest for selective hydroxylation of arenes using H2O as a hydroxyl source. However, the inherent high reactivity and low redox potential of phenols often lead to undesirable overoxidation byproducts. To address this challenge, herein, we develop an electrophotochemical approach, finetuning substrate oxidative potential and enabling para-selective hydroxylation of anilides. This method showcases versatility, accommodating a wide array of substrates, while revealing high regional selectivity and compatibility with diverse functional groups. Moreover, the protocol allows facile late-stage functionalization of biologically active molecules. Mechanistic investigations demonstrate the activation of anilides by the excited state photocatalyst, effectively decreasing their oxidative potential and enhancing regional selectivity during hydroxylation. By using this protocol, important drug molecules such as Paracetamol, Fenretinide, Practolol, and AM404 could be synthesized, demonstrating the applicability of this approach in drug synthesis and late-stage functionalization.

BackgroundRegulated cell death (RCD) is a genetically controlled form of cell death that plays an important role in organogenesis, tissue remodeling, and pathogenesis of cancers. Transforming growth factor-beta-activation kinase 1 (TAK1) is a member of the serine/threonine protein kinase family, which can respond to internal and external stimuli and participate in inflammatory responses through multiple signaling pathways and cellular processes. In the last two decades, the regulatory roles of TAK1 at the crossroads of multiple RCD pathways, including apoptosis, necroptosis, pyroptosis, and PANoptosis were revealed by 801 articles retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection database. To analyze global research trends and hotspots concerning the role of TAK1 in RCD, the bibliometric and visualized analysis were applied in the current study.MethodsThe data for this bibliometrics study were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection database. The search formula was (TS=(Apoptosis) OR TS=(pyroptosis) OR TS=(Necroptosis) OR TS=(PANoptosis) OR TS=(Autophagy) OR TS=(Ferroptosis) OR TS=(cuproptosis)) AND ((TS=(TAK1)) OR TS=(MAP3K7)). The co-occurrence and co-cited analysis on basic bibliometric parameters were conducted by VOSviewer. The dual-map overlay of journals, citation bursts, keyword timelines, and keyword bursts were analyzed by CiteSpace.ResultsA total of 801 articles from 46 countries have been included in the analysis. The number of publications demonstrates a consistent increase from 1999 to 2024. The primary research institutions driving this field are Osaka University Notably, the Journal of Biological Chemistry stands out as the most popular journal in this domain. These publications collectively involve contributions from 4663 authors, with Jun Tsuji emerging as a prolific author. Jun Tsuji also gains the highest co-citation frequency. Emerging research hotspots are encapsulated by keywords, including apoptosis, NF-κB, inflammation, autophagy, and TNFα.ConclusionThis is the first bibliometric and visualized study to analyze the global trends and hotspots of TAK1 in RCD. Based on the analysis of 801 articles, the results provide a retrospective and comprehensive visualized view of the research hotspots and frontiers of TAK1 at the crossroads of multiple RCD signaling pathways and propose ideas for guiding their future investigations in molecular mechanisms and therapeutic strategies in this field.

Background: Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been demonstrated to be useful in assessing the prognosis of cancer patients. However, few studies have focused on 5-methylcytosine-related lncRNAs (m5C-lncRNAs) in gastric cancer (GC). In this study, we aimed to establish a m5C-lncRNAs prognostic signature (m5C-LPS) and explore its potential impact on guiding clinical practice for GC. Methods: RNA-sequence and clinicopathological data were retrieved from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, while the coexpression of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) was determined using Pearson's correlation analysis. A m5C-LPS model was constructed using univariate and Lasso Cox regression, and its prognostic value and accuracy were subsequently validated. Subsequently, the expression of 11 m5C-lncRNAs was verified via quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) in gastric cancer (GC) cell lines. The potential biological mechanism of this signature was elucidated using Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA). Based on the GSEA findings, CIBERSORT and ESTIMATE algorithms were utilized to conduct a comprehensive investigation of the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) in GC. Additionally, pRRophetic and TIDE algorithms were employed to predict drug sensitivity and the efficacy of immunotherapy for GC patients. Results: 280 lncRNAs were identified as m5C-lncRNAs, including RHPN1-AS1, AC093752.3, TSC22D1-AS1, AL391152.1, MAGI2-AS3, AC048382.2, AL033527.3, AC007405.2, AC036103.1, CCDC183-AS1, and ADORA2A-AS1. Their prognostic value was validated, and the expression of these 11 lncRNAs was confirmed in four gastric cancer cell lines using quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR). A nomogram incorporating a risk score was developed to provide more precise clinical decision-making. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) showed that many classical signaling pathways related to tumor progression were enriched in this signature. Analyses related to immunity and drug sensitivity demonstrated distinct differences in features between high-risk and low-risk subgroups. Conclusion: The m5C-LPS can predict the survival of gastric cancer (GC) patients, provide novel therapeutic targets, and thus offer more thoughtful perspectives for future clinical decisions regarding GC.

Abstract The morphologies of two-dimensional (2D) crystals, nucleated, grown, and integrated within 2D elastic fluids, for instance in giant vesicle membranes, are dictated by an interplay of mechanics, permeability, and thermal contraction. Mitigation of solid strain drives the formation of crystals with vanishing Gaussian curvature (i.e., developable domain shapes) and, correspondingly, enhanced Gaussian curvature in the surrounding 2D fluid. However, upon cooling to grow the crystals, large vesicles sustain greater inflation and tension because their small area-to-volume ratio slows water permeation. As a result, more elaborate shapes, for instance, flowers with bendable but inextensible petals, form on large vesicles despite their more gradual curvature, while small vesicles harbor compact planar crystals. This size dependence runs counter to the known cumulative growth of strain energy of 2D colloidal crystals on rigid spherical templates. This interplay of intra-membrane mechanics and processing points to the scalable production of flexible molecular crystals of controllable complex shape.

This study employs two-temperature molecular dynamics simulations to investigate swift heavy ion irradiation of SiO2 substrate-supported two-dimensional material graphene. Material-dependent electronic and thermal properties are integrated into each region to model the energy transfer between the electronic and atomic subsystems of the studied materials. Simulations of interactions with Xe heavy ions are performed with ion kinetic energies ranging from 0.5 to 25 GeV with electronic stopping powers from ∼2.6 to 17.7 keV/nm. With the studied ion energy range, nanopores with a diameter of up to 5 nm can be formed in graphene due to the thermally driven sputtering effect, while amorphization occurs along the ion track in the SiO2 substrate. The coupling between the substrate and two-dimensional material significantly impacts the structural change due to heat transfer and atomic interactions among different layers of materials. The method applied in this work provides a valuable tool for modeling and understanding the structural modifications induced by ion irradiation in layered structures.

Abstract Aggressive nature of colon cancer and current imprecise therapeutic scenarios simulate the development of precise and effective treatment strategies. To achieve this, a tumor environment‐activated photosensitized biomimetic nanoplatform (PEG2000‐SiNcTI‐Ph/CpG‐ZIF‐8@CM) is fabricated by encapsulating metal‐organic framework loaded with developed photosensitizer PEG2000‐SiNcTI‐Ph and immunoadjuvant CpG oligodeoxynucleotide within fusion cell membrane expressing programmed death protein 1 (PD‐1) and cluster of differentiation 47 (CD47). By stumbling across, systematic evaluation, and deciphering with quantum chemical calculations, a unique attribute of tumor environment (low pH plus high concentrations of adenosine 5′‐triphosphate (ATP))‐activated photodynamic effect sensitized by long‐wavelength photons is validated for PEG2000‐SiNcTI‐Ph/CpG‐ZIF‐8@CM, advancing the precision of cancer therapy. Moreover, PEG2000‐SiNcTI‐Ph/CpG‐ZIF‐8@CM evades immune surveillance to target CT26 colon tumors in mice mediated by CD47/signal regulatory proteins α (SIRPα) interaction and PD‐1/programmed death ligand 1 (PD‐L1) interaction, respectively. Tumor environment‐activated photodynamic therapy realized by PEG2000‐SiNcTI‐Ph/CpG‐ZIF‐8@CM induces immunogenic cell death (ICD) to elicit anti‐tumor immune response, which is empowered by enhanced dendritic cells (DC) uptake of CpG and PD‐L1 blockade contributed by the nanoplatform. The photodynamic immunotherapy efficiently combats primary and distant CT26 tumors, and additionally generates immune memory to inhibit tumor recurrence and metastasis. The nanoplatform developed here provides insights for the development of precise cancer therapeutic strategies.

Abstract Background Suicide was an important cause of death in prostate cancer. This study intended to investigate trends in suicide mortality among prostate cancer (PCa) survivors from 1975 to 2019 in the United States. Method We identified PCa survivors from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program from January 1975 to December 2019. Standardized mortality rate (SMR) was calculated d to assess the relative risk of suicide in PCa survivors compared with the general men population. Poisson regression model was performed to test for trend of SMRs. The cumulative mortality rate of suicide was calculated to assess the clinical burden of suicide mortality. Results 7108 (0.2%) cases were death from suicide cause, and 2,308,923(65.04%%) cases recorded as dying from non-suicidal causes. Overall, a slightly higher suicide mortality rate among PCa survivors was observed compared with general male population (SMR: 1.15, 95%CI: 1.09–1.2). The suicide mortality rate declined significantly relative to the general population by the calendar year of diagnosis, from an SMR of 1.74(95%CI: 1.17–2.51) in 1975–1979 to 0.99(0.89–1.1) in 2015–2019 (Ptrend 0.05). The cumulative suicide mortality during 1975–1994 was distinctly higher than in 1995–2019(P

Abstract Background This study aimed to investigate the relationship between serum testosterone levels and the risk of congestive heart failure (CHF) in adult males. Previous research has suggested a potential link between serum testosterone and cardiovascular health, but the findings have been inconclusive. Methods This study was cross-sectional, and the data were obtained from the 2011–2016 cycle of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), which included a sample of 6,841 male participants. Serum testosterone levels were measured using a standardized assay, and CHF status was assessed through self-reporting. Covariates such as age, ethnicity, lifestyle factors, and health conditions were considered in the analysis. Results Among the participants, 242 individuals had a documented history of CHF. We observed a linear correlation between serum testosterone levels and CHF occurrence, with higher serum testosterone levels associated with a decreased risk of CHF (Q4 vs. Q1, OR = 0.29, 95% CI: 0.19–0.47, P

Abstract Purpose To investigate prognostic values of prostatic urethra involvement (PUI) and construct a prognostic model that estimates the probability of cancer-specific survival for T1 bladder cancer patients. Method and materials We investigated the national Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database (2004–2015) to get patients diagnosed with T1 bladder cancer. An external validation cohort was obtained from the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University. The Kaplan–Meier method with the log-rank test was applied to assess cancer-specific survival (CSS) and overall survival (OS). Moreover, the propensity score matching (PSM) and multivariable Cox proportional hazard model were performed. All patients were randomly divided into the development cohort and validation group at the ratio of 7:3. The performance of the model was internally validated by calibration curves and the concordance index (C-index). Results The PUI group had a lower survival rate of both CSS and overall survival OS before and after PSM when compared to non-involved patients (All P

Odors existing in natural environment are typically mixtures of a large variety of chemical compounds in specific proportions. It is a challenging task for an electronic nose to recognize the gas mixtures. Most current research is based on the overall response of sensors and uses relatively simple datasets, which cannot be used for complex mixtures or rapid monitoring scenarios. In this study, a novel electronic nose (E-nose) using a spiking neural network (SNN) model was proposed for the detection and recognition of gas mixtures. The electronic nose integrates six commercial metal oxide sensors for automated gas acquisition. SNN with a simple three-layer structure was introduced to extract transient dynamic information and estimate concentration rapidly. Then, a dataset of mixed gases with different orders of magnitude was established by the E-nose to verify the model’s performance. Additionally, random forests and the decision tree regression model were used for comparison with the SNN-based model. Results show that the model utilizes the dynamic characteristics of the sensors, achieving smaller mean squared error (MSE < 0.01) and mean absolute error (MAE) with less data compared to random forest and decision tree algorithms. In conclusion, the electronic nose system combined with the bionic model shows a high performance in identifying gas mixtures, which has a great potential to be used for indoor air quality monitoring in practical applications.

In this paper, the instantaneous rock burst test of Beishan granite is carried out by using a deep rock burst simulation test system and an acoustic emission monitoring system. The acoustic emission data were monitored in real time during the test. The variation of the number and energy of acoustic emission events was studied, and the distribution characteristics of rock burst debris were analyzed. Based on plate and shell mechanics, the failure process of surrounding rock is discussed from the perspective of structural stability. The results show that (1) when the vertical stress reaches 171.31 MPa, the specimen is destroyed and the number of acoustic emission events and cumulative absolute energy before the specimen is destroyed increase sharply. (2) The debris generated by rock burst is mainly composed of slab debris, flaky debris, and thin flaky debris, accounting for 93.53% of the total debris. (3) When the length or height of the rock slab is constant, the maximum tensile stress in the rock slab decreases nonlinearly with the increase of rock slab thickness. For the same size of the rock slab, the farther away from the roadway wall, the greater the maximum tensile stress in the rock slab. (4) When the thickness of the rock slab is constant, the maximum tensile stress in the rock slab increases nonlinearly with the increase of height to thickness ratio K. When the ratio of height to thickness K is constant, the maximum tensile stress in the rock slab increases with the increase of rock slab thickness h. (5) With the increase of covering depth, the critical failure thickness of the rock slab decreases nonlinearly and the surplus energy increases nonlinearly.

Ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury constitutes a significant risk factor for a range of diseases, including ischemic stroke, myocardial infarction, and trauma. Following the restoration of blood flow post-tissue ischemia, oxidative stress can lead to various forms of cell death, including necrosis, apoptosis, autophagy, and necroptosis. Recent evidence has highlighted the crucial role of mitochondrial dysfunction in I/R injury. Nevertheless, there remains much to be explored regarding the molecular signaling network governing cell death under conditions of oxidative stress. Voltage-dependent anion channel 1 (VDAC1), a major component in the outer mitochondrial membrane, is closely involved in the regulation of cell death. In a cellular model of oxygen-glucose deprivation and reoxygenation (OGD/R), which effectively simulates I/R injury in vitro, our study reveals that OGD/R induces VDAC1 oligomerization, consequently exacerbating cell death. Furthermore, we have revealed the translocation of mixed lineage kinase domain-like protein (MLKL) to the mitochondria, where it interacts with VDAC1 following OGD/R injury, leading to an increased mitochondrial membrane permeability. Notably, the inhibition of MLKL by necrosulfonamide hinders the binding of MLKL to VDAC1, primarily by affecting the membrane translocation of MLKL, and reduces OGD/R-induced VDAC1 oligomerization. Collectively, our findings provide preliminary evidence of the functional association between MLKL and VDAC1 in the regulation of necroptosis.

Summary: Although three-dimensional (3D) tumor models feature more accurate responses to drugs, the Matrigel scaffold affects the drug diffusion effect. Obtaining accurate drug spatiotemporal response characteristics is of great significance in the drug screening domain. However, the conventional cell-based sensors are difficult to perform spatiotemporal dynamics impedance monitoring of 3D cells and evaluate the anti-cancer pharmacological effect. Here, we proposed a biosensing platform involving a vertical impedance electrode array (VIEA) chip and a multichannel detection system. The platform can dynamically record 3D cell impedance in the vertical direction, which is consistent with time- and location-dependent drug penetration, closely related to spatiotemporal cell viability under drug effects. The subtle changes of impedance signals in different locations induced by drug diffusion can be detected, which demonstrates its high performance in drug systematic evaluation. The universal and high-content 3D cell biosensing platform is believed to have promising potential in pharmacodynamics investigation and preclinical drug screening.

Abstract Diagnostic and therapeutic illumination on internal organs and tissues with high controllability and adaptability in terms of spectrum, area, depth, and intensity remains a major challenge. Here, we present a flexible, biodegradable photonic device called iCarP with a micrometer scale air gap between a refractive polyester patch and the embedded removable tapered optical fiber. ICarP combines the advantages of light diffraction by the tapered optical fiber, dual refractions in the air gap, and reflection inside the patch to obtain a bulb-like illumination, guiding light towards target tissue. We show that iCarP achieves large area, high intensity, wide spectrum, continuous or pulsatile, deeply penetrating illumination without puncturing the target tissues and demonstrate that it supports phototherapies with different photosensitizers. We find that the photonic device is compatible with thoracoscopy-based minimally invasive implantation onto beating hearts. These initial results show that iCarP could be a safe, precise and widely applicable device suitable for internal organs and tissue illumination and associated diagnosis and therapy.

Abstract Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide. Although epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) have dramatically improved the life expectancy of patients with NSCLC, concerns about TKI-induced cardiotoxicities have increased. AC0010, a novel third-generation TKI, was developed to overcome drug resistance induced by EGFR-T790M mutation. However, the cardiotoxicity of AC0010 remains unclear. To evaluate the efficacy and cardiotoxicity of AC0010, we designed a novel multifunctional biosensor by integrating microelectrodes (MEs) and interdigital electrodes (IDEs) to comprehensively evaluate cell viability, electrophysiological activity, and morphological changes (beating of cardiomyocytes). The multifunctional biosensor can monitor AC0010-induced NSCLC inhibition and cardiotoxicity in a quantitative, label-free, noninvasive, and real-time manner. AC0010 was found to significantly inhibit NCI-H1975 (EGFR-L858R/T790M mutation), while weak inhibition was found for A549 (wild-type EGFR). Negligible inhibition was found in the viabilities of HFF-1 (normal fibroblasts) and cardiomyocytes. With the multifunctional biosensor, we found that 10 μM AC0010 significantly affected the extracellular field potential (EFP) and mechanical beating of cardiomyocytes. The amplitude of EFP continuously decreased after AC0010 treatment, while the interval decreased first and then increased. We analyzed the change in the systole time (ST) and diastole time (DT) within a beating interval and found that the DT and DT/beating interval rate decreased within 1 h after AC0010 treatment. This result probably indicated that the relaxation of cardiomyocytes was insufficient, which may further aggravate the dysfunction. Here, we found that AC0010 significantly inhibited EGFR-mutant NSCLC cells and impaired cardiomyocyte function at low concentrations (10 μM). This is the first study in which the risk of AC0010-induced cardiotoxicity was evaluated. In addition, novel multifunctional biosensors can comprehensively evaluate the antitumor efficacy and cardiotoxicity of drugs and candidate compounds.

Abstract Background Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) survival has improved due to recent developments in RCC treatment. Therefore, other co-morbid conditions may have a more critical role. This study aims to explore the common causes of death in patients with RCC to improve the management and survival of RCC. Method We used the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) (1992–2018) database to get patients with RCC. We calculated the percentage of total deaths of six kinds of the cause of death (COD) and the cumulative incidence of death for each selected cause over survival time. The joinpoint regression was utilized to present the trend of mortality rate by COD. Results We enrolled 107,683 cases with RCC. RCC was the leading cause of death in patients with RCC [25376(48.3%)], followed by cardiovascular diseases [9023(17.2%)], other cancers [8003 (15.2%)], other non-cancer diseases [4195 (8%)], non-disease cause [4023 (7.7%)], and respiratory diseases [1934 (3.6%)]. The proportion of patients who died of RCC decreased gradually over survival time, and this value decreased from 69.71% in 1992–1996 to 38.96% in 2012–2018. The non-RCC cause mortality rate showed an increasing trend, whereas a slight decrease was observed in RCC specific mortality rate. The distribution of such conditions varied across different patient populations. Conclusion RCC was still the primary COD of patients with RCC. However, non-RCC cause death was increasingly important among RCC patients in recent two decades. Cardiovascular disease and other cancers were crucial co-morbidities that required significant attention in the management of RCC patients.

Biomedical sensing technology is developing at a tremendous pace and is expected to become an effective clinical tool for the diagnosis and monitoring of human health. The development of sensing devices has successfully transformed the specific sensor prototype designed in the laboratory into a commercially feasible clinical disease detection device. Recently, sensing devices have been accelerated and extended to various fields beyond disease detection, including the measurement of gastrointestinal physiological parameters such as pH, VOC detection, small-molecule gas sensing, and noninvasive screening of oral and lung diseases such as oral cancer, gastric cancer, and other major diseases. In this review, the applications of sensors and electronic nose devices in the diagnosis and monitoring of oral, pulmonary, and gastrointestinal diseases are reviewed, as well as the design and application of sensor materials in disease markers and in situ detection. This article also introduces the practical application of sensing devices in human disease detection, critically analyzes their detection mechanisms and clinical utility, and discusses their future development in medicine. We believe that this review will help readers, especially practitioners in the medical field, provide ideas for the development of sensing devices.

Abstract Background The aging of China's population has led to an increase in the incidence rate of osteoporosis, which indirectly increases the risk of OVCF in osteoporosis patients. Low back pain is the main symptom of OVCF, and severe patients can further develop kyphosis. Although the conservative treatment of OVCF can effectively control the patient's condition, long-term bed rest will increase the risk of OVCF complications. Minimally invasive surgery is a common solution for OVCF. Methods 100 OVCF patients admitted to our hospital from January 2021 to January 2022 are selected for analysis and randomly divided into PVP group and PKP group, 50 cases in each group. The PVP group and the PKP group undergo PVP and PKP operations respectively. The differences in efficacy indicators and adverse reactions are compared, and the multivariate Logistic regression method is used to analyze the influencing factors of postoperative secondary fractures in patients with vertebral compression fractures. Results Compared with the PVP group, the total effective rate of PKP group is significantly increased, and the VAS, ODI score, kyphotic Cobb Angle, lateral distribution rate of bone cement and bone cement leakage rate are significantly decreased (P

PANoptosis is a newly identified type of regulated cell death that consists of pyroptosis, apoptosis, and necroptosis, which simultaneously occur during the pathophysiological process of infectious and inflammatory diseases. Although our previous literature mining study suggested that PANoptosis might occur in neuronal ischemia/reperfusion injury, little experimental research has been reported on the existence of PANoptosis. In this study, we used in vivo and in vitro retinal neuronal models of ischemia/reperfusion injury to investigate whether PANoptosis-like cell death (simultaneous occurrence of pyroptosis, apoptosis, and necroptosis) exists in retinal neuronal ischemia/reperfusion injury. Our results showed that ischemia/reperfusion injury induced changes in morphological features and protein levels that indicate PANoptosis-like cell death in retinal neurons both in vitro and in vivo. Ischemia/reperfusion injury also significantly upregulated caspase-1, caspase-8, and NLRP3 expression, which are important components of the PANoptosome. These results indicate the existence of PANoptosis-like cell death in ischemia/reperfusion injury of retinal neurons and provide preliminary experimental evidence for future study of this new type of regulated cell death.

Abstract The lattice‐oxygen‐mediated mechanism is considered as a reasonable mechanism for the electrochemical catalytic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) of NiFe layered double hydroxides (LDHs). A NiFe LDH with distinct lattice contraction and microcrystallization was synthesized via a simple one‐step method using sodium gluconate. The lattice contraction is attributed to the interaction of carbon in sodium gluconate and iron in NiFe LDH. The NiFe LDH with optimized microcrystallization and lattice contraction shows a low overpotential of 217 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm−2 and excellent durability of 20 h at a high current density of 100 mA cm−2. The results revealed that a contractive metal–oxygen bond could boost the intrinsic activity of active sites and the microcrystallization promotes an increase in the number of active sites in terms of unit area. The chemical environment of oxygen elemental characterization and resistance at different chronopotentiometry times confirm that the lattice oxygen element is indeed involved in the process of OER, supporting the lattice‐oxygen‐mediated mechanism of NiFe LDH. Density functional theory calculations reveal that contractive metal–oxygen bonds induced a reduction of the adsorption energy barrier of intermediate products, thus improving the intrinsic catalytic activity. The special characteristics of microcrystallization and lattice contraction of NiFe LDH provide a strategy to improve both the number and the intrinsic activity of active sites in a versatile manner.

Abstract Single‐atom catalysts (SACs) have attracted extensive interest owing to their maximized atomic utilization, low cost as well as outstanding catalytic activity, selectivity, and stability for diverse applications. Due to their excellent performance in electrocatalysis, SACs can be applied to electrochemical sensors, which have been a predominant tool employed in biosensing. In very recent studies, SAC‐based electrochemical biosensors have demonstrated enhanced sensing performances in biomarker detection and in vivo analysis. However, a comprehensive review of SAC‐based electrochemical biosensors has not been reported yet. Herein, we present a summary of the synthesis methods of SACs with their application in electrochemical sensor establishment and electrochemical characterization methods in electrochemical sensing. Biomedical applications utilizing SAC‐based electrochemical biosensors are introduced. Finally, the existing challenges and future prospects of SACs in the field of electrochemical biosensing are discussed.

Visualization techniques are effective tools in diagnosis and therapy for biomedical applications. Due to the unavoidable shortcomings of single optical or magnetic resonance imaging, the introduction of dual functional imaging system is of great significance. Herein a new Gd1-xNdx(CO3)OH@SiO2 core–shell nanostructure were developed to fulfill the corresponding demands. Uniform nanospheres were acquired with surface modification and coated with thickness tunable silica shells. The samples presented strong luminescence penetrating biological tissue, due to the wide spectral region covering NIR I & II window of Nd3+ under 808 nm laser excitation. On the other hand, distinct contrast enhancement could be viewed for in vitro and in vivo MRI trials, which generates from high paramagnetic relaxation of Gd3+ and well dispersibility caused by silica shells. Along with the non-toxicity proved by the low concentration of leaching Gd3+ and nice biocompatibility of silica coated nanospheres, it is a superior candidate for NIR and MRI dual functional imaging platform in biological applications.

Calcium ions participate in the regulation of almost all biological functions of the body, especially in cardiac excitation–contraction coupling, acting as vital signaling through ion channels. Various cardiovascular drugs exert their effects via affecting the ion channels on the cell membrane. The current strategies for calcium ion monitoring are mainly based on fluorescent probes, which are commonly used for intracellular calcium ion detection (calcium imaging) and cannot achieve long-term monitoring. In this work, an all-solid-state silicone–rubber ion-sensitive membrane was fabricated on light-addressable potentiometric sensors to establish a program-controlled field-effect-based ion-sensitive light-addressable potentiometric sensor (LAPS) platform for extracellular calcium ion detection. L-type calcium channels blocker verapamil and calcium channel agonist BayK8644 were chosen to explore the effect of ion channel drugs on extracellular calcium ion concentration in HL-1 cell lines. Simultaneously, microelectrode array (MEA) chips were employed to probe the HL-1 extracellular field potential (EFP) signals. The Ca2+ concentration and EFP parameters were studied to comprehensively evaluate the efficacy of cardiovascular drugs. This platform provides more dimensional information on cardiovascular drug efficacy that can be utilized for accurate drug screening.

Abstract Integrated electrochemical sensing platforms in wearable devices have great prospects in biomedical applications. However, traditional electrochemical platforms are generally fabricated on airtight printed circuit boards, which lack sufficient flexibility, air permeability, and conformability. Liquid metals at room temperature with excellent mobility and electrical conductivity show high promise in flexible electronics. This paper presents a miniaturized liquid metal-based flexible electrochemical detection system on fabric, which is intrinsically flexible, air-permeable, and conformable to the body. Taking advantage of the excellent fluidity and electrical connectivity of liquid metal, a double-layer circuit is fabricated that significantly miniaturizes the size of the whole system. The linear response, time stability, and repeatability of this system are verified by resistance, stability, image characterization, and potassium ferricyanide tests. Finally, glucose in sweat can be detected at the millimolar level using this sensing system, which demonstrates its great potential for wearable and portable detection in biomedical fields, such as health monitoring and point-of-care testing.

To effectively alleviate the ever-increasing energy crisis and environmental issues, clean and sustainable energy-related materials as well as the corresponding storage/conversion devices are in urgent demand. Silicon (Si) with the second most elemental abundance on the crust in the form of silicate or silica (SiO2) minerals, is an advanced emerging material showing high performance in energy-related fields (e.g. batteries, photocatalytic hydrogen evolution). For the improved performance in industry-scale applications, Si materials with delicate nanostructures and ideal compositions in a massive production are highly cherished. On account of the reserve, low cost and diverse micro-nanostructures, silicate minerals are proposed as promising raw materials. In the article, crystal structures and the reduction approaches for silicate minerals, as well as recent progress on the as-reduced Si products for clean energy storage/conversion, are presented systematically. Moreover, some cutting-edge fields involving Si materials are discussed, which may offer deep insights into the rational design of advanced Si nanostructures for extended energy-related fields.

Abstract 2D MXene-Ti3C2Tχ has demonstrated promising application prospects in various fields; however, it fails to function properly in biosensor setups due to restacking and anodic oxidation problems. To expand beyond these existing limitations, an effective strategy to for modifying the MXene by covalently grafting first-generation poly(amidoamine) dendrimers onto an MXene in situ (MXene@PAMAM) was reported herein. When used as a conjugated template, the MXene not only preserved the high conductivity but also conferred a specific 2D architecture and large specific surface areas for anchoring PAMAM. The PAMAM, an efficient spacer and stabilizer, simultaneously suppressed the substantial restacking and oxidation of the MXene, which endowed this hybrid with improved electrochemical performance compared to that of the bare MXene in terms of favorable conductivity and stability under anodic potential. Moreover, the massive amino terminals of PAMAM offer abundant active sites for adsorbing Au nanoparticles (AuNPs). The resulting 3D hierarchical nanoarchitecture, AuNPs/MXene@PAMAM, had advanced structural merits that led to its superior electrochemical performance in biosensing. As a proof of concept, this MXene@PAMAM-based nanobiosensing platform was applied to develop an immunosensor for detecting human cardiac troponin T (cTnT). A fast, sensitive, and highly selective response toward the target in the presence of a [Fe(CN)6]3−/4− redox marker was realized, ensuring a wide detection of 0.1–1000 ng/mL with an LOD of 0.069 ng/mL. The sensor’s signal only decreased by 4.38% after 3 weeks, demonstrating that it exhibited satisfactory stability and better results than previously reported MXene-based biosensors. This work has potential applicability in the bioanalysis of cTnT and other biomarkers and paves a new path for fabricating high-performance MXenes for biomedical applications and electrochemical engineering.

Identification of major fractures is a common problem in underground engineering. Research on the identification and evolutionary characteristics of major fractures are mainly based on high-level waste underground repositories. In this paper, a triaxial acoustic emission (AE) experiment was carried out, and methods such as fractal theory and machine learning were utilized to analyze the AE characteristics during rock failure. The evolution of fracture clusters within the rock was studied, and the AE characteristics of different fracture clusters were analyzed. The results show that as the confining pressure increases, fracture categories reduce, the proportions of major and non-major fractures decrease, and the proportion of outlier fractures increases. During the initial phase of AE, the proportion of major fractures significantly fluctuates, while during the active phase of AE, the proportion of major fracture acoustic emissions generally increases. The proportion of major fracture acoustic emissions remains relatively constant during the calm phase, and in the destructive phase, the proportion of major fractures slightly decreases. The variations in the b-value can be divided into three stages: increase, decrease, and secondary increase. A rock major fracture identification model was established based on BP neural network, and the model’s accuracy rate of major fracture identification was 87.22%.

AimPrimary liver cancer is usually diagnosed at advanced stages with distant metastasis, underlying the high metastatic rate and mortality in patients. This study aimed to analyse the metastatic patterns and prognosis of primary liver cancer, and its relationship with age and several other factors, such as histological variants, TNM stage, and grade.MethodsWe included data from 5274 patients from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database of the American National Cancer Institute diagnosed with primary liver cancer with metastatic disease between 2010 and 2015. The correlation between the metastatic patterns of primary liver cancer and age was evaluated. The hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for overall survival were calculated by applying univariate Cox analysis, while the correlation between the metastatic patterns and age was analysed by applying multivariate Cox analysis. We also plotted Kaplan-Meier curves to illustrate the correlation between overall survival (OS) and various factors.ResultsSeveral factors were associated with poorer prognosis, including age>60 years, histologic type of spindle cell variant, higher grade, no surgery, tumour size ≥ 1 cm, and lung metastasis. The rate of metastasis increased with age. Older patients (> 50 years) were prone to bone metastasis, while less likely to have lung metastasis compared with younger patients (< 50 years). Patients with lung metastasis had a higher risk of being diagnosed with metastasis in other locations. Furthermore, surgery significantly reduced mortality and primary site surgery in particular, mitigated the risk of bone and lung metastases.ConclusionsOur study shows the correlation of prognosis and metastatic patterns with age and several other factors. The findings can hopefully provide knowledge that will allow a better diagnosis and management of elderly patients with primary liver cancer.

With the continuous expansion of power infrastructure scale and the ceaseless growth of project funding, problems such as the opaque flow of capital, the arrears of workers’ wages and project funds, and the lack of a sound management mechanism become more and more serious. Therefore, a credit management method for infrastructure contractors of power systems based on blockchain is proposed. First, a blockchain-based framework of contractor credit management is designed for solving the infrastructure problems above. On this basis, a credit evaluation system is constructed for infrastructure contractors of power systems. Then, a credit behavior analysis method based on cross-chain technology and the credit result query mechanism based on proxy signature is proposed to realize the data interaction and the credit result query. Finally, the effectiveness and accuracy of the proposed method are illustrated by the case study. The simulation results show that the method proposed in this work can effectively reflect the credit status of power infrastructure contractors and the wages payment has the highest weight of 0.2240 among all the third level indicators with its obvious important role in power infrastructure management.

Biosensing has emerged as a powerful tool for exploring biomedical mechanisms [...]

BackgroundThe effect of lymph node resection on the prognosis of bladder cancer (BLCA) patients receiving radical cystectomy should not be ignored. Our aim was to explore the prognostic value of the log odds of negative lymph nodes/T stage (LONT) and construct a more effective nomogram based on LONT to predict cancer-specific survival (CSS) in postoperative BLCA patients.MethodsPatients diagnosed with BLCA after radical cystectomy between 2004 and 2015 in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database were enrolled. We randomly split (7:3) these patients into the primary cohort and internal validation cohort. 86 patients from the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University were collected as the external validation set. Univariate and multivariate cox regression analyses were carried out to seek prognostic factors of postoperative BLCA patients. According to these significantly prognostic factors, a simple-to-use nomogram was established for predicting CSS. Their performances were evaluated by using calibration curves, the concordance index (C-index), the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, and decision curve analysis (DCA). In addition, different risk groups were tested by Kaplan-Meier curves and log-rank tests.ResultWhether in cancer-specific survival (CSS) or overall survival (OS), LONT was an independent and significant prognostic factor. Through further screening, the ultimate nomogram of CSS was composed of nine independent prognostic factors including LONT, age, race, tumor size, histologic type, T stage, N stage, summary stage and chemotherapy. The C-index of nomogram in the primary cohort, internal and external validation cohort were 0.734, 0.720 and 0.728, respectively. The AUC of predicting CSS at 3 and 5 years were 0.783 and 0.774 in the primary cohort and 0.781 and 0.781 in the validation cohort. The results of calibration and DCA showed good concordance and clinical applicability. Significant differences (P < 0.05) were displayed in CSS among different risk groups.ConclusionLONT was regarded as a novel and reliable prognostic factor. Compared with the AJCC staging system, the established nomogram based on LONT can more effectively predict the prognosis of BLCA patients after radical cystectomy.

Abstract Cardiovascular diseases have emerged as a significant threat to human health. However, drug development is a time-consuming and costly process, and few drugs pass the preclinical assessment of safety and efficacy. The existing patch-clamp, Ca2+ imaging, and microelectrode array technologies in cardiomyocyte models for drug preclinical screening have suffered from issues of low throughput, limited long-term assessment, or inability to synchronously and correlatively analyze electrical and mechanical signals. Here, we develop a high-content, dose-quantitative and time-dependent drug assessment platform based on an electrical-mechanical synchronized (EMS) biosensing system. This microfabricated EMS can record both firing potential (FP) and mechanical beating (MB) signals from cardiomyocytes and extract a variety of characteristic parameters from these two signals (FP–MB) for further analysis. This system was applied to test typical ion channel drugs (lidocaine and isradipine), and the dynamic responses of cardiomyocytes to the tested drugs were recorded and analyzed. The high-throughput characteristics of the system can facilitate simultaneous experiments on a large number of samples. Furthermore, a database of various cardiac drugs can be established by heat map analysis for rapid and effective screening of drugs. The EMS biosensing system is highly promising as a powerful tool for the preclinical development of new medicines.

In this study, Anoectochilus formosanus polysaccharide (AFP) was acquired a via water extraction and alcohol precipitation method. The immunoregulatory activity of AFP was first evaluated on cyclophosphamide (Cy)-treated mice. Galacturonic acid, glucose and galactose were confirmed to be the main components of AFP. AFP demonstrated the ability to stimulate the production of TNF-α and IL-6 in RAW 264.7 macrophages. Not surprisingly, the activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway by AFP was validated via Western blot analysis. Furthermore, AFP could alleviate Cy-induced immunosuppression, and significantly enhance the immunity of mice via increasing the thymus index and body weight, stimulating the production of cytokines (IgA, IgG, SIgA, IL-2, IL-6 and IFN-γ). The improvement in the intestinal morphology of immunosuppressed mice showed that AFP could alleviate Cy-induced immune toxicity. These results have raised the possibility that AFP may act as a natural immunomodulator. Overall, the study of AFP was innovative and of great significance for AFP’s further application and utilization.

Due to the importance of SCN-containing heteroarenes, developing novel and green synthetic protocols for the synthesis of SCN-containing compounds has drawn much attention over the last decades. We reported here an electrochemical oxidative cyclization of ortho-vinyl aniline to access various SCN-containing benzoxazines. Mild conditions, an extra catalyst-free and oxidant-free system, and good tolerance for air highlight the application potential of this method.

Numerical research is carried out on the cooling performance of an aircraft electromechanical actuator (EMA) using heat pipes. The theoretical model is established to describe the heat transfer processes in the EMA, which is validated by comparing the numerical and experimental results. The heat transfer characteristics of the EMA using two different cooling methods, heat pipes-fuel and heat pipes-ram air, are studied by numerical simulation. For the heat pipes-fuel cooling method, impact of the coolant flow velocity (0–0.015 m/s) on the cooling performance of the EMA is studied, based on which fins are designed on the condenser of heat pipes to improve the cooling performance. The results show that it is an efficient way to cool the electromechanical actuator with heat pipes-fuel cooling method and the heat dissipation rate of the EMA can be improved by 28.8% by using fins. In addition, the heat pipes-ram air cooling method could cool the EMA efficiently with the ram air temperature properly controlled.

Immunoglobulins have a pivotal role in disease regulation. Therefore, it is vital to accurately identify immunoglobulins to develop new drugs and research related diseases. Compared with utilizing high-dimension features to identify immunoglobulins, this research aimed to examine a method to classify immunoglobulins and non-immunoglobulins using two features, FC* and GC*. Classification of 228 samples (109 immunoglobulin samples and 119 non-immunoglobulin samples) revealed that the overall accuracy was 80.7% in 10-fold cross-validation using the J48 classifier implemented in Weka software. The FC* feature identified in this study was found in the immunoglobulin subtype domain, which demonstrated that this extracted feature could represent functional and structural properties of immunoglobulins for forecasting.

The transportation of heavy equipment in nuclear engineering has always been the focus of engineers, especially those transfer devices with the characteristics of small geometric size and heavy load. According to this kind of compact heavy-load transfer device and its engineering tasks, the core problems caused by excessive vertical and horizontal forces in the design process were analyzed. By introducing the theory of inventive problem solving (TRIZ) design method, these problems were creatively solved by the contradiction theory and substance-field model in TRIZ, and an innovative design scheme of the compact heavy load-independent transfer device was obtained. Through the analysis of the design scheme and the stability and rapidity of its hydraulic system, some key parameters were determined. The power of the transfer device was all from the hydraulic system, and it can carry up to 300 t weight of reactor equipment, while its geometric size was only 1600 × 400 × 500 mm. It was of great significance to improve the efficiency of the nuclear engineering system.

A new method for simultaneous determination of puerarin, daidzin, daidzein and genistein in Radix puerariae by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography was established. The target analytes were extracted from Radix puerariae by 70% ethylene glycol with the assistance of ultrasonication, purified by the absorption of N-propyl ethylenediamine (PSA), and separated on a Supersil ODS column (4.6 mm × 250 mm × 2.5 μm). Gradient elution in 12 min was performed with the mobile phase 0.1% formic acid(A)–acetonitrile(B). The column temperature was 25 °C and the flow rate was 1 mL/min. The detection wavelength of the four target analytes was 250 nm. The limits of detection (LODs) of puerarin, daidzin, daidzein and genistein were 0.086 mg/L, 0.020 mg/L, 0.027 mg/L and 0.037 mg/L, respectively, and limits of quantitation (LOQs) were 0.29 mg/L, 0.065 mg/L, 0.090 mg/L and 0.12 mg/L, respectively. The recovery of the four substances ranged from 90.5% to 109.6%, and the relative standard deviation (n = 6) was less than 7.7%. With the established methods, puerarin, daidzin, daidzein and genistein in Radix puerariae from 11 origins were determined. The contents of the four compounds varied with the origin and variety. It provides basic data and technical means for quality control and regulation of Radix puerariae.

Cell death is a fundamental pathophysiological process in human disease. The discovery of necroptosis, a form of regulated necrosis that is induced by the activation of death receptors and formation of necrosome, represents a major breakthrough in the field of cell death in the past decade. Z-DNA-binding protein (ZBP1) is an interferon (IFN)-inducing protein, initially reported as a double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) sensor, which induces an innate inflammatory response. Recently, ZBP1 was identified as an important sensor of necroptosis during virus infection. It connects viral nucleic acid and receptor-interacting protein kinase 3 (RIPK3) via two domains and induces the formation of a necrosome. Recent studies have also reported that ZBP1 induces necroptosis in non-viral infections and mediates necrotic signal transduction by a unique mechanism. This review highlights the discovery of ZBP1 and its novel findings in necroptosis and provides an insight into its critical role in the crosstalk between different types of cell death, which may represent a new therapeutic option.

Abstract Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest malignancies with few early detection tests or effective therapies. PI3K‐AKT signaling is recognized to modulate cancer progression. We previously identified that a genetic variant in PKN1 increased pancreatic cancer risk through the PKN1/FAK/PI3K/AKT pathway. In order to investigate the associations between genetic variations in that pathway and pancreatic cancer prognosis, we conducted a two‐stage survival analysis in a total of 547 Chinese pancreatic cancer patients. Consequently, a variant, rs13167294 A>C in PIK3R1, was significantly associated with poor survival in both stages and with hazard ratio being 1.32 (95% CI = 1.13‐1.56, P = 0.0007) in the combined analysis. Function annotation and prediction suggested that genetic variants in this locus might affect overall survival of pancreatic cancer patients by regulating PIK3R1 expression.

Conventional immunocolorimetric sensing of biomolecules continues to be challenged with low sensitivity although its wide application as a diagnostic tool in medicine and biotechnology. Herein, we present a multifunctional immunocolorimetric sensing system for sensitive and high-throughput detection of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) with carbon-gold nanocomposite (CGNs) amplification. Using a “green” strategy, monodisperse carbon nanospheres (CNs) were successfully synthesized by glucose carbonization. A simple and efficient hydrothermal method was developed to assemble abundant gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) onto the surfaces of CNs. The resulting CGNs were characterized and utilized for biomarker detection with superior properties of easy manufacturing, good biocompatibility, satisfactory chemical stability, and high loading capacity for biomolecules. As a proof of concept, the as-prepared CGNs were conjugated with horseradish peroxidase-labeled antibody against BNP (CGNs@AntiBNP-HRP) functioning as the carrier, signal amplifier, and detector for the sensitive detection of BNP. Under optimal conditions, the established CGNs@AntiBNP-HRP immunoprobe remarkably enhanced the detection performance of BNP, achieving signal amplification of more than 9 times compared to the conventional method. Based on our self-developed bionic electronic eye (e-Eye) and CGNs@AntiBNP-HRP immunoprobe, the multifunctional sensing system displayed a wide dynamic linear range of 3.9–500 ng/mL and a LOD of 0.640 ng/mL for BNP detection with high specificity, good accuracy and reproducibility. This portable sensing system with enhanced performance demonstrates great potential for BNP detection in point of care applications, and offers a universal and reliable platform for in vitro biomarker detection.

Background: In neonatal rats, MK-801 treatments can produce schizophrenia-like symptoms. Crocin is a water soluble carotenoid in Saffron that exerts potent neuroprotective effects. This work aimed to demonstrate the function of crocin in the alleviation of motor and cognitive impairments elicited by MK-801 in a neonatal rodent schizophrenia model, and to illustrate the underlying molecular mechanisms. Methods: Rats were treated with vehicle, MK-801 (1 mg/kg), MK-801 + 25 mg/kg crocin, or MK-801 + 50 mg/kg crocin. Motor learning and coordination, locomotion and exploratory activities, as well as spatial memory were assessed using the rotarod test, pen field test, and the Morris water maze test, respectively. Relative mRNA and protein levels of genes of interest were analyzed using qRT-PCR and Western blot assays, respectively. Results: In the hippocampus of rats with MK-801-elicited schizophrenia, administration of crocin elevated the expression of silent information regulator-1 (SIRT1) and brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and relieved the oxidative stress. The learning deficits and motor perturbations caused by MK-801 treatments were also alleviated by the crocin administration. Conclusion: Collectively, crocin has exerted neuroprotective effects in the rat model of MK-801-elicited schizophrenia, via regulations of SIRT1 and downstream BDNF expression in the hippocampus.

The effect of heat treatment on the microstructure and thermal fatigue properties were studied by means of optical microscope (OM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). Energy dispersive X-ray detector (EDX) was used to analyze the role of phase composition in fatigue crack propagation. The results show that after heat treatment, the ultimate tensile strength increased from 285 MPa to 368 MPa and the elongation increased from 5.8 % to 6.5 %. During the initiation of fatigue crack, the crack was mainly propagated through eutectic Si area. With the long needles of eutectic Si particles spherodized after heat treatment, the split action from brittle Si particles to α-Al matrix was reduced and prolonged the fatigue crack initiation period. After aging for 6 h, the dispersed precipitation of secondary phases (Al2Cu, Mg2Si) elevated the driving force of crack propagation, blocked the spread of crack in the grain boundary, decreased the rate of fatigue crack growth and improved the fatigue resistance of alloy at the same time. In the process of crack initiation, the surplus-phase around the grain boundary fell off from α-Al matrix under thermal cycling stresses. The combination of interfaces was weaken by cycling stress and the fatigue crack was finally grown up in the weakness area between matrix and secondary phase.

Imaging in the second near-infrared window has attracted attention due to superior penetration depth and low signal interference. Here, the authors describe a new organic nano fluorophore with high quantum yield and demonstrate its use for in vivo imaging.

Chronic wounds that are difficult to heal can cause persistent physical pain and significant medical costs for millions of patients each year. However, traditional wound care methods based on passive bandages cannot accurately assess the wound and may cause secondary damage during frequent replacement. With advances in materials science and smart sensing technology, flexible wearable sensors for wound condition assessment have been developed that can accurately detect physiological markers in wounds and provide the necessary information for treatment decisions. The sensors can implement the sensing of biochemical markers and physical parameters that can reflect the infection and healing process of the wound, as well as transmit vital physiological information to the mobile device through optical or electrical signals. Most reviews focused on the applicability of flexible composites in the wound environment or drug delivery devices. This paper summarizes typical biochemical markers and physical parameters in wounds and their physiological significance, reviews recent advances in flexible wearable sensors for wound detection based on optical and electrical sensing principles in the last 5 years, and discusses the challenges faced and future development. This paper provides a comprehensive overview for researchers in the development of flexible wearable sensors for wound detection.

Fluorescence imaging in the near-infrared window between 1500–1700 nm (NIR-IIb window) offers superior spatial resolution and tissue penetration depth, but few NIR-IIb probes exist. Here, the authors synthesize rare earth down-converting nanocrystals as promising fluorescent probes for in vivo imaging in this spectral region.

Since the desire for real-time human health monitoring as well as seamless human-machine interaction is increasing rapidly, plenty of research efforts have been made to investigate wearable sensors and implantable devices in recent years. As a novel 2D material, graphene has aroused a boom in the field of sensor research around the world due to its advantages in mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties. Numerous graphene-based sensors used for human health monitoring have been reported, including wearable sensors, as well as implantable devices, which can realize the real-time measurement of body temperature, heart rate, pulse oxygenation, respiration rate, blood pressure, blood glucose, electrocardiogram signal, electromyogram signal, and electroencephalograph signal, etc. Herein, as a review of the latest graphene-based sensors for health monitoring, their novel structures, sensing mechanisms, technological innovations, components for sensor systems and potential challenges will be discussed and outlined.

Spatio-temporal context algorithm is commonly used in geology and has been introduced into the field of target tracking in recent years. The algorithm improved the robustness of visual tracking through dense contextual information around the target and thus achieved great tracking results. However, updating errors may occur in spatio-temporal context algorithm when the target has rapid changes in scale and appearance, resulting in the algorithm cannot extract the target area accurately and completely. In order to overcome this problem, this article proposes an improved spatio-temporal context algorithm based on scale correlation filter. First of all, the algorithm extracts samples of different scales around the target after the target is settled by spatio-temporal context algorithm and then forms the pyramid of scale characteristics through samples extracted by histogram of oriented gradients operator. Second, the best scale parameter will be achieved by means of scale correlation filter to update the scale model. Finally, the results show that the algorithm has good tracking effect and robustness through two experiments which are contrast experiment before and after the improvement of algorithm and comparison experiment with other advanced algorithms.