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OBJECTIVES: To determine the imaging details and diagnostic information of the treatment response to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) of rectal adenocarcinoma at 9.4T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) by ex vivo. METHODS: Fifteen cases with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) followed by radical surgery after nCRT between September 2022 and February 2023 were recruited. Resected specimens were fixed in a perfluoropolyether-filled test tube and scanned with a 3.0T and 9.4T MRI system ex vivo. The residual tumor depth and MRI-based tumor regression grade (TRG) were subjectively assessed and then compared with the pathological findings. RESULTS: The ex vivo 9.4T T2WI without fat suppression clearly differentiated tumor tissue, fibrosis and normal rectal wall, which clearly corresponded to the pathologic tissues of the rectal specimens. The TRG could be accurately assessed on ex vivo 9.4T images in 13/15 specimens (86.7%), while in 11/15 specimens (73.3%) on ex vivo 3.0T images. CONCLUSION: Ex vivo 9.4T MR imaging clearly displayed the components of rectal wall and proved excellent diagnostic performance for evaluating the treatment response to nCRT, which allow radiologists to understand and then assess more accurately the TRG of LARC after nCRT.
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Adenocarcinoma , Imagen por Resonancia Magnética , Terapia Neoadyuvante , Neoplasias del Recto , Humanos , Neoplasias del Recto/terapia , Neoplasias del Recto/diagnóstico por imagen , Neoplasias del Recto/patología , Terapia Neoadyuvante/métodos , Imagen por Resonancia Magnética/métodos , Masculino , Femenino , Adenocarcinoma/terapia , Adenocarcinoma/diagnóstico por imagen , Adenocarcinoma/patología , Persona de Mediana Edad , Anciano , Adulto , Resultado del Tratamiento , Recto/diagnóstico por imagen , Recto/patología , Recto/cirugía , Quimioradioterapia/métodosRESUMEN
Hydrogen polysulfides (H2Sn) have emerged as critical physiological mediators that are closely associated with hydrogen sulfide (H2S) signaling. H2Sn exhibit greater nucleophilicity than H2S while also having electrophilic characteristics, enabling unique activities such as protein S-persulfidation. Despite their physiological importance, mechanisms and reactivities of H2Sn remain inadequately explored due to their inherent instability in aqueous environments. Consequently, there is a need to develop biocompatible methods for controlled H2Sn generation to elucidate their behaviors in biological contexts. Herein, we present a dual enzyme system (containing glucose oxidase (GOx) and chloroperoxidase (CPO)) with thioglucose as the substrate to facilitate the controlled release of H2Sn. Fluorescence measurements with SSP4 and the trapping studies allowed us to confirm the production of H2Sn. Such a method may be useful in elucidating the reactivity of hydrogen polysulfides in biological systems as well as provide a potential delivery of H2Sn to target sites for biological applications.
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Cloruro Peroxidasa , Glucosa Oxidasa , Sulfuros , Glucosa Oxidasa/metabolismo , Glucosa Oxidasa/química , Cloruro Peroxidasa/metabolismo , Cloruro Peroxidasa/química , Sulfuros/química , Sulfuros/metabolismo , Sulfuro de Hidrógeno/metabolismo , Sulfuro de Hidrógeno/química , Aspergillus niger/enzimologíaRESUMEN
Polar dielectrics with low crystal symmetry and sharp phonon resonances can support hyperbolic shear polaritons, which are highly confined surface modes with frequency-dependent optical axes and asymmetric dissipation features. So far, these modes have been observed only in bulk natural materials at midinfrared frequencies, with properties limited by available crystal geometries and phonon resonance strength. Here, we introduce hyperbolic shear metasurfaces, which are ultrathin engineered surfaces supporting hyperbolic surface modes with symmetry-tailored axial dispersion and loss redistribution that can maximally enhance light-matter interactions. By engineering effective shear phenomena in these engineered surfaces, we demonstrate geometry-controlled, ultraconfined, low-loss hyperbolic surface waves with broadband Purcell enhancements applicable across a broad range of the electromagnetic spectrum.
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The higher-order topological phases have attracted intense attention in the past years, which reveals various intriguing topological properties. Meanwhile, the enrichment of group symmetries with projective symmetry algebras redefines the fundamentals of topological matter and makes Stiefel-Whitney (SW) classes in classical wave systems possible. Here, we report the experimental realization of higher-order topological nodal loop semimetal in an acoustic system and obtain the inherent SW topological invariants. In stark contrast to higher-order topological semimetals relating to complex vector bundles, the hinge and surface states in the SW topological phase are protected by two distinctive SW topological charges relevant to real vector bundles. Our findings push forward the studies of SW class topology in classical wave systems, which also show possibilities in robust high-Q-resonance-based sensing and energy harvesting.
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BACKGROUND: Alopecia significantly affects the mental health and social relationship of women since childbearing age, highlighting the need for a safe, effective, and convenient treatment. METHODS: The authors have conducted a prospective self-controlled trial involving 15 female patients at childbearing age with alopecia. These patients received a subcutaneous scalp injection of platelet-rich plasma once every 4 weeks for 3 treatments in total. Outcome measurements were included below: changes in hair density (hair/cm2), hair follicle density (hair follicle/cm2), and overall photographic assessment (improved or not) at 4, 12, and 24 weeks right after the first treatment. RESULTS: Comparing the photographs taken before and after the intervention, 67% of patients' hair density increased from 151 ± 39.82 hairs/cm2 (preintervention) to 170.96 ± 37.14 hairs/cm2 (at 24-week follow-up), representing an approximate increase of 19 hairs/cm2. Meanwhile, hair follicle density increased by approximately 15 follicles/cm2 after 24 weeks since the first treatment, rising from 151.04 ± 41.99 follicles/cm2 to 166.72 ± 37.13 follicles/cm2. The primary adverse reactions observed were local swelling and pain due to injections. CONCLUSION: Local injection of nonactivated platelet-rich plasma with low leukocytes concentration could be an effective strategy to alleviate alopecia symptoms in female patients.
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Photocatalytic technology is an attractive option for environmental remediation because of its green and sustainable nature. However, the inefficient utilization of solar energy and powder morphology currently impede its practical application. Here, we designed a floatable photocatalyst by anchoring 0D Cu2(OH)PO4 (CHP) nanoparticles on 2D graphene to construct 0D/2D CHP/reduced graphene oxide (rGO) aerogels. The CHP/rGO aerogels have interconnected mesopores that provide a large surface area, promoting particle dispersion and increasing the number of active sites. Moreover, the optical response of the CHP/rGO aerogel has been significantly expanded to cover the full spectrum of the solar light. Notably, the 20%CHP/rGO aerogel displayed a high degradation rate (k = 0.178 min-1) taking methylene blue (MB) as a model pollutant under light irradiation (λ > 420 nm). The enhanced photocatalytic activity is ascribed to the rapid electron transfer in the CHP/rGO heterostructures, as supported by the DFT theoretical calculations. Our research highlights the utilization of full spectrum responsive photocatalysts for the elimination of organic pollutants from wastewater under solar light irradiation, as well as the potential for catalyst recovery using floatable aerogels to meet industrial requirements.
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A general strategy for confining Pd, Ti-bimetallic sites in the MFI zeolite by crystal epitaxy was developed. The tailored spatial intimacy of the bimetallic sites demonstrated distinct catalytic performance for the oxidation of benzylalcohol. The related mechanism was clarified and afforded a valuable pathway for rational catalyst design.
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Litter input triggers the secretion of soil extracellular enzymes and facilitates the release of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) from decomposing litter. However, how soil extracellular enzyme activities were controlled by litter input with various substrates is not fully understood. We examined the activities and stoichiometry of five enzymes including ß-1,4-glucosidase, ß-D-cellobiosidase, ß-1,4-N-acetyl-glucosaminidase, leucine aminopeptidase and acidic phosphatase (AP) with and without litter input in 10-year-old Castanopsis carlesii and Cunninghamia lanceolata plantations monthly during April to August, in October, and in December 2021 by using an in situ microcosm experiment. The results showed that: 1) There was no significant effect of short-term litter input on soil enzyme activity, stoichiometry, and vector properties in C. carlesii plantation. In contrast, short-term litter input significantly increased the AP activity by 1.7% in May and decreased the enzymatic C/N ratio by 3.8% in August, and decreased enzymatic C/P and N/P ratios by 11.7% and 10.3%, respectively, in October in C. lanceolata plantation. Meanwhile, litter input increased the soil enzymatic vector angle to 53.8° in October in C. lanceolata plantations, suggesting a significant P limitation for soil microorganisms. 2) Results from partial least squares regression analyses showed that soil dissolved organic matter and microbial biomass C and N were the primary factors in explaining the responses of soil enzymatic activity to short-term litter input in both plantations. Overall, input of low-quality (high C/N) litter stimulates the secretion of soil extracellular enzymes and accelerates litter decomposition. There is a P limitation for soil microorganisms in the study area.
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Carbono , Cunninghamia , Fagaceae , Nitrógeno , Fósforo , Microbiología del Suelo , Suelo , Suelo/química , Cunninghamia/crecimiento & desarrollo , Cunninghamia/metabolismo , Carbono/metabolismo , Carbono/análisis , Nitrógeno/metabolismo , Nitrógeno/análisis , Fósforo/metabolismo , Fósforo/análisis , Fagaceae/crecimiento & desarrollo , Fagaceae/metabolismo , Leucil Aminopeptidasa/metabolismo , Celulosa 1,4-beta-Celobiosidasa/metabolismo , Ecosistema , Hojas de la Planta/metabolismo , Hojas de la Planta/química , Acetilglucosaminidasa/metabolismo , Fosfatasa Ácida/metabolismo , beta-Glucosidasa/metabolismo , ChinaRESUMEN
Infertility affects approximately 10-15% of couples worldwide who are attempting to conceive, with male infertility accounting for 50% of infertility cases. Male infertility is related to various factors such as hormone imbalance, urogenital diseases, environmental factors, and genetic factors. Owing to its relationship with genetic factors, male infertility cannot be diagnosed through routine examination in most cases, and is clinically called 'idiopathic male infertility.' Recent studies have provided evidence that microRNAs (miRNAs) are expressed in a cell-or stage-specific manner during spermatogenesis. This review focuses on the role of miRNAs in male infertility and spermatogenesis. Data were collected from published studies that investigated the effects of miRNAs on spermatogenesis, sperm quality and quantity, fertilization, embryo development, and assisted reproductive technology (ART) outcomes. Based on the findings of these studies, we summarize the targets of miRNAs and the resulting functional effects that occur due to changes in miRNA expression at various stages of spermatogenesis, including undifferentiated and differentiating spermatogonia, spermatocytes, spermatids, and Sertoli cells (SCs). In addition, we discuss potential markers for diagnosing male infertility and predicting the varicocele grade, surgical outcomes, ART outcomes, and sperm retrieval rates in patients with non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA).
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Infertilidad Masculina , MicroARNs , Humanos , Masculino , MicroARNs/genética , Semen , Infertilidad Masculina/diagnóstico , Infertilidad Masculina/genética , Espermatogénesis/genética , Fenotipo , BiomarcadoresRESUMEN
The discovery of higher-order topological insulator metamaterials, in analogy with their condensed-matter counterparts, has enabled various breakthroughs in photonics, mechanics, and acoustics. A common way of inducing higher-order topological wave phenomena is through pseudo-spins, which mimic the electron spins as a symmetry-breaking degree of freedom. Here, this work exploits degenerate orbitals in acoustic resonant cavities to demonstrate versatile, orbital-selective, higher-order topological corner states. Type-II corner states are theoretically investigated and experimentally demonstrated based on tailored orbital interactions, without the need for long-range hoppings that has so far served as a key ingredient for Type-II corner states in single-orbital systems. Due to the orthogonal nature of the degenerate p orbitals, this work also introduces a universal strategy to realize orbital-dependent edge modes, featuring high-Q edge states identified in bulk bands. These findings provide an understanding of the interplay between acoustic orbitals and topology, shedding light on orbital-related topological wave physics, as well as its applications for acoustic sensing and trapping.
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SMARCA4-deficient undifferentiated thoracic tumor is extremely invasive. This tumor with poor prognosis is easily confused with SMARCA4-deficent non-small cell lung cancer or sarcoma. Standard and efficient treatment has not been established. In this review, we summarized the etiology, pathogenesis and diagnosis, reviewed current and proposed innovative strategies for treatment and improving prognosis. Immunotherapy, targeting tumor microenvironment and epigenetic regulator have improved the prognosis of cancer patients. We summarized clinicopathological features and immunotherapy strategies and analyzed the progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) of patients with SMARCA4-UT who received immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). In addition, we proposed the feasibility of epigenetic regulation in the treatment of SMARCA4-UT. To our knowledge, this is the first review that aims to explore innovative strategies for targeting tumor microenvironment and epigenetic regulation and identify potential benefit population for immunotherapy to improve the prognosis.
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ADN Helicasas , Epigénesis Genética , Inmunoterapia , Neoplasias Torácicas , Factores de Transcripción , Microambiente Tumoral , Humanos , Microambiente Tumoral/genética , Microambiente Tumoral/inmunología , Inmunoterapia/métodos , ADN Helicasas/genética , Factores de Transcripción/genética , Factores de Transcripción/metabolismo , Neoplasias Torácicas/genética , Neoplasias Torácicas/terapia , Neoplasias Torácicas/patología , Proteínas Nucleares/genética , Proteínas Nucleares/metabolismo , PronósticoRESUMEN
Parity-time (PT) symmetry has been unveiling new photonic regimes in non-Hermitian systems, with opportunities for lasing, sensing and enhanced light-matter interactions. The most exotic responses emerge at the exceptional point (EP) and in the broken PT-symmetry phase, yet in conventional PT-symmetric systems these regimes require large levels of gain and loss, posing remarkable challenges in practical settings. Floquet PT-symmetry, which may be realized by periodically flipping the effective gain/loss distribution in time, can relax these requirements and tailor the EP and PT-symmetry phases through the modulation period. Here, we explore Floquet PT-symmetry in an integrated photonic waveguide platform, in which the role of time is replaced by the propagation direction. We experimentally demonstrate spontaneous PT-symmetry breaking at small gain/loss levels and efficient control of amplification and suppression through the excitation ports. Our work introduces the advantages of Floquet PT-symmetry in a practical integrated photonic setting, enabling a powerful platform to observe PT-symmetric phenomena and leverage their extreme features, with applications in nanophotonics, coherent control of nanoscale light amplification and routing.
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Meso- or micro-scale(or insect-scale) robots that are capable of realizing flexible locomotion and/or carrying on complex tasks in a remotely controllable manner hold great promise in diverse fields, such as biomedical applications, unknown environment exploration, in situ operation in confined spaces, and so on. However, the existing design and implementation approaches for such multifunctional, on-demand configurable insect-scale robots are often focusing on their actuation or locomotion, while matched design and implementation with synergistic actuation and function modules under large deformation targeting varying task/target demands are rarely investigated. In this study, through systematical investigations on synergistical mechanical design and function integration, we developed a matched design and implementation method for constructing multifunctional, on-demand configurable insect-scale soft magnetic robots. Based on such a method, we report a simple approach to construct soft magnetic robots by assembling various modules from the standard part library together. Moreover, diverse soft magnetic robots with desirable motion and function can be (re)configured. Finally, we demonstrated (re)configurable soft magnetic robots shifting into different modes to adapt and respond to varying scenarios. The customizable physical realization of complex soft robots with desirable actuation and diverse functions can pave a new way for constructing more sophisticated insect-scale soft machines that can be applied to practical applications soon.
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Hydrogen sulfide (H2 S) is an endogenous gasotransmitter that plays important roles in redox signaling. H2 S overproduction has been linked to a variety of disease states and therefore, H2 S-depleting agents, such as scavengers, are needed to understand the significance of H2 S-based therapy. It is known that elevated H2 S can induce oxidative stress with elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation, such as in H2 S acute intoxication. We explored the possibility of developing catalytic scavengers to simultaneously remove H2 S and ROS. Herein, we studied a series of selenium-based molecules as catalytic H2 S/H2 O2 scavengers. Inspired by the high reactivity of selenoxide compounds towards H2 S, 14 diselenide/monoselenide compounds were tested. Several promising candidates such as S6 were identified. Their activities in buffers, as well as in plasma- and cell lysate-containing solutions were evaluated. We also studied the reaction mechanism of this scavenging process. Finally, the combination of the diselenide catalyst and photosensitizers was used to achieve light-induced H2 S removal. These Se-based scavengers can be useful tools for understanding H2 S/ROS regulations.
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Gasotransmisores , Sulfuro de Hidrógeno , Selenio , Especies Reactivas de Oxígeno , Estrés Oxidativo , Peróxido de Hidrógeno/farmacologíaRESUMEN
Topological phases of matter have attracted significant attention in recent years, due to the unusual robustness of their response to defects and disorder. Various research efforts have been exploring classical and quantum topological wave phenomena in engineered materials, in which different degrees of freedom (DoFs) - for the most part based on broken crystal symmetries associated with pseudo-spins - induce synthetic gauge fields that support topological phases and unveil distinct forms of wave propagation. However, spin is not the only viable option to induce topological effects. Intrinsic orbital DoFs in spinless systems may offer a powerful alternative platform, mostly unexplored to date. Here we reveal orbital-selective wave-matter interactions in acoustic systems supporting multiple orbital DoFs, and report the experimental demonstration of disorder-immune orbital-induced topological edge states in a zigzag acoustic 1D spinless lattice. This work expands the study of topological phases based on orbitals, paving the way to explore other orbital-dependent phenomena in spinless systems.
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Modulating anisotropic phonon polaritons (PhPs) can open new avenues in infrared nanophotonics. Promising PhP dispersion engineering through polariton hybridization has been demonstrated by coupling gated graphene to single-layer α-MoO3. However, the mechanism underlying the gate-dependent modulation of hybridization has remained elusive. Here, using IR nanospectroscopic imaging, we demonstrate active modulation of the optical response function, quantified in measurements of gate dependence of wavelength, amplitude, and dissipation rate of the hybrid plasmon-phonon polaritons (HPPPs) in both single-layer and twisted bilayer α-MoO3/graphene heterostructures. Intriguingly, while graphene doping leads to a monotonic increase in HPPP wavelength, amplitude and dissipation rate show transition from an initially anticorrelated decrease to a correlated increase. We attribute this behavior to the intricate interplay of gate-dependent components of the HPPP complex momentum. Our results provide the foundation for active polariton control of integrated α-MoO3 nanophotonics devices.
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ABSTRACT: A 51-year-old woman with a history of IgA nephropathy was found to have a mass in the right lobe of the liver by abdominal ultrasound. The PET/CT scan revealed elevated 68 Ga-FAPI-04 uptake in the aforementioned lesion, indicating the potential presence of liver cancer. However, subsequent histopathological analysis confirmed it to be an arteriovenous malformation. This case illustrates that 68 Ga-FAPI-04 uptake can occur in arteriovenous malformation and is a benign cause of 68 Ga-FAPI-04 uptake.
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Malformaciones Arteriovenosas , Glomerulonefritis por IGA , Quinolinas , Femenino , Humanos , Persona de Mediana Edad , Tomografía Computarizada por Tomografía de Emisión de Positrones , Fluorodesoxiglucosa F18RESUMEN
Achilles tendon (AT) injury is one of the most common tendon injuries, especially in athletes, the elderly, and working-age people. In AT injury, the biomechanical properties of the tendon are severely affected, leading to abnormal function. In recent years, many efforts have been underway to develop effective treatments for AT injuries to enable patients to return to sports faster. For instance, several new techniques for tissue-engineered biological augmentation for tendon healing, growth factors (GFs), gene therapy, and mesenchymal stem cells were introduced. Increasing evidence has suggested that GFs can reduce inflammation, promote extracellular matrix production, and accelerate AT repair. In this review, we highlighted some recent investigations regarding the role of GFs, such as transforming GF-ß(TGF-ß), bone morphogenetic proteins (BMP), fibroblast GF (FGF), vascular endothelial GF (VEGF), platelet-derived GF (PDGF), and insulin-like GF (IGF), in tendon healing. In addition, we summarized the clinical trials and animal experiments on the efficacy of GFs in AT repair. We also highlighted the advantages and disadvantages of the different isoforms of TGF-ß and BMPs, including GFs combined with stem cells, scaffolds, or other GFs. The strategies discussed in this review are currently in the early stages of development. It is noteworthy that although these emerging technologies may potentially develop into substantial clinical treatment options for AT injury, definitive conclusions on the use of these techniques for routine management of tendon ailments could not be drawn due to the lack of data.
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Hydrogel adhesion that can be easily modulated in magnitude, space, and time is desirable in many emerging applications ranging from tissue engineering and soft robotics to wearable devices. In synthetic materials, these complex adhesion behaviors are often achieved individually with mechanisms and apparatus that are difficult to integrate. Here, we report a universal strategy to embody multifaceted adhesion programmability in synthetic hydrogels. By designing the surface network topology of a hydrogel, supramolecular linkages that result in contrasting adhesion behaviors are formed on the hydrogel interface. The incorporation of different topological linkages leads to dynamically tunable adhesion with high-resolution spatial programmability without alteration of bulk mechanics and chemistry. Further, the association of linkages enables stable and tunable adhesion kinetics that can be tailored to suit different applications. We rationalize the physics of polymer chain slippage, rupture, and diffusion at play in the emergence of the programmable behaviors. With the understanding, we design and fabricate various soft devices such as smart wound patches, fluidic channels, drug-eluting devices, and reconfigurable soft robotics. Our study presents a simple and robust platform in which adhesion controllability in multiple aspects can be easily integrated into a single design of a hydrogel network.
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Introduction: Poly(1,3-trimethylene carbonate) (PTMC) is a flexible amorphous polymer with good degradability and biocompatibility. The degradation of PTMC is critical for its application as a degradable polymer, more convenient and easy-to-control cross-linking strategies for preparing PTMC are required. Methods: The blends of poly(trimethylene carbonate) (PTMC) and cross-linked poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) were prepared by mixing photoactive PEGDA and PTMC and subsequently photopolymerizing the mixture with uv light. The physical properties and in vitro enzymatic degradation of the resultant PTMC/cross-linked PEGDA blends were investigated. Results: The results showed that the gel fraction of PTMC/cross-linked PEGDA blends increased while the swelling degree decreased with the content of PEGDA dosage. The results of in vitro enzymatic degradation confirmed that the degradation of PTMC/cross-linked PEGDA blends in the lipase solution occurred under the surface erosion mechanism, and the introduction of the uv cross-linked PEGDA significantly improved the resistance to lipase erosion of PTMC; the higher the cross-linking degree, the lower the mass loss. Discussion: The results indicated that the blends/cross-linking via PEGDA is a simple and effective strategy to tailor the degradation rate of PTMC.