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Rapid technological revolution produces a wide range of convenient tools, while, in particular, the production and consumption of batteries lead to various issues including environmental pollution. Although efforts to solve such problems increase interest in green and dissolvable batteries, their short service life is still recognized as a major obstacle due to limited options of materials. Here, we propose materials and system designs for eco-friendly and biodegradable magnesium alloy–tungsten (AZ31–W) batteries that offer long-term stability with enhanced corrosion resistance. Materials and electrochemical inspections confirm the superior electrochemical tolerance and stable, reliable potentials of the AZ31 anode and W cathode. The assembly of an individual cell into a commercially available pouch battery yields a high capacity of ∼430 mA h g−1, suitable for high-energy applications. The integration of alginate-based soft, elastic electrolytes with the electrodes enables the achievement of completely eco-resorbable solid-state batteries that maintain performance under diverse physical deformations. The results suggest potential for biomedical and eco-friendly applications where commercial batteries pose risks to the environment or human body. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the demand for power systems, including portable ones, is growing at an ever‐faster pace, many studies are approaching to discover innovative materials for current battery technology or replace the existing ones with new systems through mimicking living things or nature. Here, a soft, solid‐state power storage system featuring electric eel‐inspired artificial electric organs capable of converting the chemical potential of an ionic gradient into electricity is introduced. These organs are constructed through the assembly of low and high ion‐concentrated zwitterionic gel films with cation‐ and anion‐selective intermembranes, which generate a rechargeable open‐circuit voltage of ≈135 mV. Combined use of a chemically synthesized room‐temperature ionic liquid and a high‐boiling point organic solvent as ion‐conducting electrolyte allows electric organs to withstand extreme temperatures ranging from −20 and 100 °C, while the thin and stretchable constituent layers facilitate mechanical flexibility without compromising electrical performance. Scalable integration of electric organs in series and parallel configurations achieves high levels of voltage and current outputs, and employment of origami folding geometry enables on‐demand discharge upon self‐registered folding, paving the way for portable, high‐voltage energy sources in the fields of wearable electronics and soft robotics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background The prediction of response to treatment would be valuable for managing cervical carcinoma with neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Methods To this end, the expression of VEGF was analyzed by immunohistochemistry using paraffin-embedded pre-treatment cervical biopsy tissues. This study included 29 patients with bulky IB to IIA cervical squamous cell carcinoma treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Results Fifteen (51.7%) of 29 patients were scored as VEGF-positive. Response to chemotherapy (complete response or residual tumor with less than 3 mm stromal invasion) was observed in eight patients (27.6%), and it was negatively associated with VEGF expression (P = 0.009). With logistic regression analysis, VEGF positivity continued to be an independent predictor for poor response (P = 0.032). In addition, the progression-free survival rate was significantly lower in patients with VEGF-positive tumors (P = 0.033). Conclusion Pretreatment assessment of VEGF expression may provide additional information for identification of patients with cervical cancer who had a low likelihood of response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy and an unfavorable prognosis.

As the regenerative mechanisms of biological organisms, self-healing provides useful functions for soft electronics or associated systems. However, there have been few examples of soft electronics where all components have self-healing properties while also ensuring compatibility between components to achieve multifunctional and resilient bio-integrated electronics. Here, we introduce a stretchable, biodegradable, self-healing conductor constructed by combination of two layers: (i) synthetic self-healing elastomer and (ii) self-healing conductive composite with additives. Abundant dynamic disulfide and hydrogen bonds of the elastomer and conductive composite enable rapid and complete recovery of electrical conductivity (~1000 siemens per centimeter) and stretchability (~500%) in response to repetitive damages, and chemical interactions of interpenetrated polymer chains of these components facilitate robust adhesion strength, even under extreme mechanical stress. System-level demonstration of soft, self-healing electronics with diagnostic/therapeutic functions for the urinary bladder validates the possibility for versatile, practical uses in biomedical research areas.