A Modified Mason-Allen Suture Enhancement Technique (Sunglasses Loop) for Single-Row Repair of Medium-to-Large Rotator Cuffs.

We propose a single-row repair method for medium-to-large rotator cuff rotator cuff tears using a modified Mason-Allen suture enhancement technique (sunglasses loop), which uses high-tensile modified Mason-Allen sutures to close the medial rotator cuff tissues to form a sunglasses loop, resets the rotator cuff tissues via traction with the high-tensile suture, repairs the rotator cuff in a single row with triple-loaded suture anchor (anchor with 3 high-strength sutures), and finally employs an outer row of staples to secure the suture to the lateral aspect of the greater tuberosity, preventing the tendon from pulling out. This method uses a special sunglasses-shaped suture loop, which produces an increase in holding power and a reduction in tension relative to other single-row repair techniques and reduces the rate of rotator cuff retear.

Electrothermally-Driven Ultrafast Chemical Modulation of Multifunctional Nanocarbon Aerogels.

Ultrahigh-temperature Joule-heating of carbon nanostructures opens up unique opportunities for property enhancements and expanded applications. This study employs rapid electrical Joule-heating at ultrahigh temperatures (up to 3000 K within 60 s) to induce a transformation in nanocarbon aerogels, resulting in highly graphitic structures. These aerogels function as versatile platforms for synthesizing customizable metal oxide nanoparticles while significantly reducing carbon emissions compared to conventional furnace heating methods. The thermal conductivity of the aerogel, characterized by Umklapp scattering, can be precisely adjusted by tuning the heating temperature. Utilizing the aerogel's superhydrophobic properties enables its practical application in filtration systems for efficiently separating toxic halogenated solvents from water. The hierarchically porous aerogel, featuring a high surface area of 607 m2 g-1, ensures the uniform distribution and spacing of embedded metal oxide nanoparticles, offering considerable advantages for catalytic applications. These findings demonstrate exceptional catalytic performance in oxidative desulfurization, achieving a 98.9% conversion of dibenzothiophene in the model fuel. These results are corroborated by theoretical calculations, surpassing many high-performance catalysts. This work highlights the pragmatic and highly efficient use of nanocarbon structures in nanoparticle synthesis under ultrahigh temperatures, with short heating durations. Its broad implications extend to the fields of electrochemistry, energy storage, and high-temperature sensing.

Luteolin-7-diglucuronide, a novel PTP1B inhibitor, ameliorates hepatic stellate cell activation and liver fibrosis in mice.

Liver fibrosis, one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide, lacks effective therapy. The activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) is the dominant event in hepatic fibrogenesis. Luteolin-7-diglucuronide (L7DG) is the major flavonoid extracted from Perilla frutescens and Verbena officinalis. Their beneficial effects in the treatment of liver diseases were well documented. In this study we investigated the anti-fibrotic activities of L7DG and the potential mechanisms. We established TGF-ß1-activated mouse primary hepatic stellate cells (pHSCs) and human HSC line LX-2 as in vitro liver fibrosis models. Co-treatment with L7DG (5, 20, 50 µM) dose-dependently decreased TGF-ß1-induced expression of fibrotic markers collagen 1, α-SMA and fibronectin. In liver fibrosis mouse models induced by CCl4 challenge alone or in combination with HFHC diet, administration of L7DG (40, 150 mg·kg-1·d-1, i.g., for 4 or 8 weeks) dose-dependently attenuated hepatic histopathological injury and collagen accumulation, decreased expression of fibrogenic genes. By conducting target prediction, molecular docking and enzyme activity detection, we identified L7DG as a potent inhibitor of protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) with an IC50 value of 2.10 µM. Further studies revealed that L7DG inhibited PTP1B activity, up-regulated AMPK phosphorylation and subsequently inhibited HSC activation. This study demonstrates that the phytochemical L7DG may be a potential therapeutic candidate for the treatment of liver fibrosis.

Crosstalk between Lipid Metabolism and Bone Homeostasis: Exploring Intricate Signaling Relationships.

Bone is a dynamic tissue reshaped by constant bone formation and bone resorption to maintain its function. The skeletal system accounts for approximately 70% of the total volume of the body, and continuous bone remodeling requires quantities of energy and material consumption. Adipose tissue is the main energy storehouse of the body and has a strong adaptive capacity to participate in the regulation of various physiological processes. Considering that obesity and metabolic syndrome have become major public health challenges, while osteoporosis and osteoporotic fractures have become other major health problems in the aging population, it would be interesting to explore these 2 diseases together. Currently, an increasing number of researchers are focusing on the interactions between multiple tissue systems, i.e., multiple organs and tissues that are functionally coordinated together and pathologically pathologically interact with each other in the body. However, there is lack of detailed reviews summarizing the effects of lipid metabolism on bone homeostasis and the interactions between adipose tissue and bone tissue. This review provides a detailed summary of recent advances in understanding how lipid molecules and adipose-derived hormones affect bone homeostasis, how bone tissue, as a metabolic organ, affects lipid metabolism, and how lipid metabolism is regulated by bone-derived cytokines.

The nuclear matrix protein HNRNPU restricts hepatitis B virus transcription by promoting OAS3-based activation of host innate immunity.

Heterogeneous nuclear protein U (HNRNPU) plays a pivotal role in innate immunity by facilitating chromatin opening to activate immune genes during host defense against viral infection. However, the mechanism by which HNRNPU is involved in Hepatitis B virus (HBV) transcription regulation through mediating antiviral immunity remains unknown. Our study revealed a significant decrease in HNRNPU levels during HBV transcription, which depends on HBx-DDB1-mediated degradation. Overexpression of HNRNPU suppressed HBV transcription, while its knockdown effectively promoted viral transcription, indicating HNRNPU as a novel host restriction factor for HBV transcription. Mechanistically, HNRNPU inhibits HBV transcription by activating innate immunity through primarily the positive regulation of the interferon-stimulating factor 2'-5'-oligoadenylate synthetase 3, which mediates an ribonuclease L-dependent mechanism to enhance innate immune responses. This study offers new insights into the host immune regulation of HBV transcription and proposes potential targets for therapeutic intervention against HBV infection.

A nomogram for risk stratification of central cervical lymph node metastasis in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma.

Background: Whether to perform prophylactic central lymph node dissection for cN0 papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) patients is still controversial. This retrospective study aimed to develop and validate a nomogram based on ultrasound and dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) for the risk stratification of central lymph node metastasis (CLNM) in patients with PTC. Methods: A total of 525 patients from 2017 to 2019 [Tianjin First Central Hospital (Hospital A)] were retrospectively analyzed to form the training cohort and to conduct internal validation. Another group of 204 patients in 2020 (Hospital A) formed the temporal validation cohort. A total of 107 patients in 2020 [Binzhou Medical University Hospital (Hospital B)] formed the geographic validation cohort, which was a retrospective cohort study. The area under the curve (AUC), calibration curve, and decision curve were used to evaluate the performance of the nomogram. The locally weighted regression curve was used for risk stratification. Results: Diameter, taller-than-wide, calcification, capsular invasion, and iodine concentration in the arterial and venous phases were independent risk predictors of CLNM. The AUC of the nomogram was 0.922 (95% confidence interval: 0.895-0.943) in the training cohort. Two external validation cohorts demonstrated the good performance of the nomogram in predicting CLNM, with AUCs of 0.912 and 0.861. The significantly improved net reclassification index and integrated discriminatory improvement index indicated that DECT was a powerful supplement to ultrasound for predicting CLNM. The risk stratification system divided all patients into low-risk (0-50 points), intermediate-risk (51-100 points), and high-risk groups (>100 points). Conclusions: The nomogram and risk stratification system estimated the utility of CLNM to guide individualized treatment of patients with PTC.

Smart Cushions with Machine Learning-Enhanced Force Sensors for Pressure Injury Risk Assessment.

Prolonged sitting can easily result in pressure injury (PI) for certain people who have had strokes or spinal cord injuries. There are not many methods available for tracking contact surface pressure and shear force to evaluate the PI risk. Here, we propose a smart cushion that uses two-dimensional force sensors (2D-FSs) to measure the pressure and shear force in the buttocks. A machine learning algorithm is then used to compute the shear stresses in the gluteal muscles, which helps to determine the PI risk. The 2D-FS consists of a ferroelectret coaxial sensor (FCS) unit placed atop a ferroelectret film sensor (FFS) unit, allowing it to detect both vertical and horizontal forces simultaneously. To characterize and calibrate, two experimental approaches are applied: one involves simultaneously applying two perpendicular forces, and one involves applying a single force. To separate the two forces, the 2D-FS is decoupled using a deep neural network technique. Multiple FCSs are embedded to form a smart cushion, and a genetic algorithm-optimized backpropagation neural network is proposed and trained to predict the shear strain in the buttocks to prevent PI. By tracking the danger of PI, the smart cushion based on 2D-FSs may be further connected with home-based intelligent care platforms to increase patient equality for spinal cord injury patients and lower the expense of nursing or rehabilitation care.

Analyzing the topological properties of resting-state brain function network connectivity based on graph theoretical methods in patients with high myopia.

AIM: Recent imaging studies have found significant abnormalities in the brain's functional or structural connectivity among patients with high myopia (HM), indicating a heightened risk of cognitive impairment and other behavioral changes. However, there is a lack of research on the topological characteristics and connectivity changes of the functional networks in HM patients. In this study, we employed graph theoretical analysis to investigate the topological structure and regional connectivity of the brain function network in HM patients. METHODS: We conducted rs-fMRI scans on 82 individuals with HM and 59 healthy controls (HC), ensuring that the two groups were matched for age and education level. Through graph theoretical analysis, we studied the topological structure of whole-brain functional networks among participants, exploring the topological properties and differences between the two groups. RESULTS: In the range of 0.05 to 0.50 of sparsity, both groups demonstrated a small-world architecture of the brain network. Compared to the control group, HM patients showed significantly lower values of normalized clustering coefficient (γ) (P = 0.0101) and small-worldness (σ) (P = 0.0168). Additionally, the HM group showed lower nodal centrality in the right Amygdala (P < 0.001, Bonferroni-corrected). Notably, there is an increase in functional connectivity (FC) between the saliency network (SN) and Sensorimotor Network (SMN) in the HM group, while the strength of FC between the basal ganglia is relatively weaker (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: HM Patients exhibit reduced small-world characteristics in their brain networks, with significant drops in γ and σ values indicating weakened global interregional information transfer ability. Not only that, the topological properties of the amygdala nodes in HM patients significantly decline, indicating dysfunction within the brain network. In addition, there are abnormalities in the FC between the SN, SMN, and basal ganglia networks in HM patients, which is related to attention regulation, motor impairment, emotions, and cognitive performance. These findings may provide a new mechanism for central pathology in HM patients.

Clinical features associated with maternal uniparental disomy for chromosome 6.

BACKGROUND: Maternal uniparental disomy for chromosome 6 (upd(Cajaiba MM, Witchel S, Madan-Khetarpal S, Hoover J, Hoffner L, Macpherson T, et al. Prenatal diagnosis of trisomy 6 rescue resulting in paternal UPD6 with novel placental findings. Am J Med Genet Part A. 2011;155 A(8):1996-2002.)mat) has been previously reported to cause intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), but the specific clinical phenotype has not been defined. Based on clinical data from two new cases and patients from the literature, specific phenotypes and mechanisms will be discussed further. CASE PRESENTATION: In case 1, a maternal isodisomy mixed with a heterodisomy was found on chromosome 6, including a regional absence of heterozygosity between 6q23.3 and 6q27. In case 2, a homozygous SCUBE3 mutation and upd(Cajaiba MM, Witchel S, Madan-Khetarpal S, Hoover J, Hoffner L, Macpherson T, et al. Prenatal diagnosis of trisomy 6 rescue resulting in paternal UPD6 with novel placental findings. Am J Med Genet Part A. 2011;155 A(8):1996-2002.)mat, involving the 6p21.1-25.1 region were found. Clinical data related to upd(Cajaiba MM, Witchel S, Madan-Khetarpal S, Hoover J, Hoffner L, Macpherson T, et al. Prenatal diagnosis of trisomy 6 rescue resulting in paternal UPD6 with novel placental findings. Am J Med Genet Part A. 2011;155 A(8):1996-2002.)mat were also reviewed. Of all the 21 reported cases with upd(Cajaiba MM, Witchel S, Madan-Khetarpal S, Hoover J, Hoffner L, Macpherson T, et al. Prenatal diagnosis of trisomy 6 rescue resulting in paternal UPD6 with novel placental findings. Am J Med Genet Part A. 2011;155 A(8):1996-2002.)mat (including our 2 cases), 18 (85.7%) presented IUGR. CONCLUSIONS: The phenotypes of the two newly identified patients with upd(Cajaiba MM, Witchel S, Madan-Khetarpal S, Hoover J, Hoffner L, Macpherson T, et al. Prenatal diagnosis of trisomy 6 rescue resulting in paternal UPD6 with novel placental findings. Am J Med Genet Part A. 2011;155 A(8):1996-2002.)mat further suggest that IUGR is associated with upd(Cajaiba MM, Witchel S, Madan-Khetarpal S, Hoover J, Hoffner L, Macpherson T, et al. Prenatal diagnosis of trisomy 6 rescue resulting in paternal UPD6 with novel placental findings. Am J Med Genet Part A. 2011;155 A(8):1996-2002.)mat and case 2 is the first reported upd(Cajaiba MM, Witchel S, Madan-Khetarpal S, Hoover J, Hoffner L, Macpherson T, et al. Prenatal diagnosis of trisomy 6 rescue resulting in paternal UPD6 with novel placental findings. Am J Med Genet Part A. 2011;155 A(8):1996-2002.)mat patient with a homozygous SCUBE3 gene mutation. However, the specific phenotypes involved in upd(Cajaiba MM, Witchel S, Madan-Khetarpal S, Hoover J, Hoffner L, Macpherson T, et al. Prenatal diagnosis of trisomy 6 rescue resulting in paternal UPD6 with novel placental findings. Am J Med Genet Part A. 2011;155 A(8):1996-2002.)mat and the related mechanisms need to be further studied.

Influence of health education based on the transtheoretical model on kinesiophobia levels and rehabilitation outcomes in elderly patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty.

Objective: In this study, we evaluated the effectiveness of health education based on the transtheoretical model in reducing symptoms of kinesiophobia and enhancing rehabilitation outcomes among elderly patients post-total knee arthroplasty. Methods: Elderly patients post-knee replacement surgery were randomly divided into a control group, which received standard health education, and an experimental group, which received transtheoretical model-based health education. The intervention commenced on the day after surgery and continued for a duration of six months. Assessments of kinesiophobia scores, rehabilitation self-efficacy, and knee function were conducted before the intervention, and then at one, three, and six months postoperatively. Results: Between January 2022 and December 2022, 130 elderly patients who met the eligibility criteria were enrolled and subsequently randomly assigned into two groups of equal size. Comparable baseline characteristics were observed between the two groups The experimental group demonstrated lower kinesiophobia scores and higher scores in rehabilitation self-efficacy and knee function at one, three, and six months following surgery, compared to the control group. Conclusion: Health education based on a transtheoretical model reduces the symptoms of kinesiophobia and enhances rehabilitation self-efficacy and knee functions in elderly patients after knee replacement surgery.

Relationships between systemic sclerosis and atherosclerosis: screening for mitochondria-related biomarkers.

Background: Patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) are known to have higher incidence of atherosclerosis (AS). Mitochondrial injuries in SSc can cause endothelial dysfunction, leading to AS; thus, mitochondria appear to be hubs linking SSc to AS. This study aimed to identify the mitochondria-related biomarkers of SSc and AS. Methods: We identified common differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the SSc (GSE58095) and AS (GSE100927) datasets of the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Considering the intersection between genes with identical expression trends and mitochondrial genes, we used the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) as well as random forest (RF) algorithms to identify four mitochondria-related hub genes. Diagnostic nomograms were then constructed to predict the likelihood of SSc and AS. Next, we used the CIBERSORT algorithm to evaluate immune infiltration in both disorders, predicted the transcription factors for the hub genes, and validated these genes for the two datasets. Results: A total of 112 genes and 13 mitochondria-related genes were identified; these genes were then significantly enriched for macrophage differentiation, collagen-containing extracellular matrix, collagen binding, antigen processing and presentation, leukocyte transendothelial migration, and apoptosis. Four mitochondria-related hub DEGs (IFI6, FSCN1, GAL, and SGCA) were also identified. The nomograms showed good diagnostic values for GSE58095 (area under the curve (AUC) = 0.903) and GSE100927 (AUC = 0.904). Further, memory B cells, γδT cells, M0 macrophages, and activated mast cells were significantly higher in AS, while the resting memory CD4+ T cells were lower and M1 macrophages were higher in SSc; all of these were closely linked to multiple immune cells. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) showed that IFI6 and FSCN1 were involved in immune-related pathways in both AS and SSc; GAL and SGCA are related to mitochondrial metabolism pathways in both SSc and AS. Twenty transcription factors (TFs) were predicted, where two TFs, namely BRCA1 and PPARγ, were highly expressed in both SSc and AS. Conclusion: Four mitochondria-related biomarkers were identified in both SSc and AS, which have high diagnostic value and are associated with immune cell infiltration in both disorders. Hence, this study provides new insights into the pathological mechanisms underlying SSc and AS. The specific roles and action mechanisms of these genes require further clinical validation in SSc patients with AS.

DLK1 promoted ischemic angiogenesis through notch1 signaling in endothelial progenitor cells.

Delta like non-canonical Notch ligand 1 (DLK1), as a member of epidermal growth factor-like family, plays a critical role in somatic growth, tissue development and possibly tissue renewal. Though previous studies had indicated that DLK1 contributed to adipogenesis and myogenesis, it's still controversial whether DLK1 affects angiogenesis and how it interacts with Notch signaling with numerous conflicting reports from different models. Based on our preliminary finding that DLK1 expression was up-regulated in mice ischemic gastrocnemius and in the border zone of infarcted myocardium, we administered either recombinant DLK1 (rDLK1) or PBS in C57BL/6 mice after establishment of hindlimb ischemia (HLI) and myocardial infarction (MI), respectively. Exogenous rDLK1 administration significantly improved both blood perfusion of mice ischemic hindlimbs and muscle motor function on the 3rd, 7th day after HLI, by promoting neovascularization. Similar effect on neovascularization was verified in mice on the 28th day after MI as well as improvement of cardiac failure. Correspondingly, the number of CD34+KDR+ cells, indicated as endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), was significantly in mice ischemic gastrocnemius by rDLK1 administration, which was abrogated by DAPT as the specific inhibitor of Notch intracellular domain (NICD). Furthermore, bone marrow mononuclear cells were obtained from C57BL/6 mice and differentiated to EPCs ex vivo. Incubation with rDLK1 triggered Notch1 mRNA and NICD protein expressions in EPCs as exposed to hypoxia and serum deprivation, promoting EPCs proliferation, migration, anti-apoptosis and tube formation. Otherwise, rDLK1 incubation significantly decreased intracellular and mitochondrial reactive oxygen species, increased ATP content and mitochondrial membrane potential, downregulated short isoform of OPA-1 expression whereas upregulated mitofusin (-1, -2) expression in EPCs by Notch1 signaling, which were all abrogated by DAPT. In summary, the present study unveils the pro-angiogenesis and its mechanism of rDLK1 through activation of Notch1 signaling in endothelial progenitor cells.

MEN1 Deficiency-Driven Activation of the ß-Catenin-MGMT Axis Promotes Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumor Growth and Confers Temozolomide Resistance.

O6-methylguanine DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) removes alkyl adducts from the guanine O6 position (O6-MG) and repairs DNA damage. High MGMT expression results in poor response to temozolomide (TMZ). However, the biological importance of MGMT and the mechanism underlying its high expression in pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PanNETs) remain elusive. Here, it is found that MGMT expression is highly elevated in PanNET tissues compared with paired normal tissues and negatively associated with progression-free survival (PFS) time in patients with PanNETs. Knocking out MGMT inhibits cancer cell growth in vitro and in vivo. Ectopic MEN1 expression suppresses MGMT transcription in a manner that depends on ß-Catenin nuclear export and degradation. The Leucine 267 residue of MEN1 is crucial for regulating ß-Catenin-MGMT axis activation and chemosensitivity to TMZ. Interference with ß-Catenin re-sensitizes tumor cells to TMZ and significantly reduces the cytotoxic effects of high-dose TMZ treatment, and MGMT overexpression counteracts the effects of ß-Catenin deficiency. This study reveals the biological importance of MGMT and a new mechanism by which MEN1 deficiency regulates its expression, thus providing a potential combinational strategy for treating patients with TMZ-resistant PanNETs.

Silicone oil migrating into the conjunctival space and orbit after surgery for an eye-penetrating injury: A case report.

BACKGROUND: We report a case of eye-penetrating injury in which a massive silicone oil migration into the patient's subconjunctival space and orbit occurred after vitrectomy. CASE SUMMARY: A 30-year-old male patient sought medical attention at Ganzhou People's Hospital after experiencing pain and vision loss in his left eye due to a nail wound on December 9, 2023. Diagnosis of penetrating injury caused by magnetic foreign body retention in the left eye and hospitalization for treatment. On December 9, 2023, pars plana vitrectomy was performed on the left eye for intraocular foreign body removal, abnormal crystal extraction, retinal photocoagulation. Owing to the discovery of retinal detachment at the posterior pole during surgery, silicone oil was injected to fill the vitreous body, following which upper conjunctival bubble-like swelling was observed. Postoperative orbital computed tomography (CT) review indicated migration of silicone oil to the subconjunctival space and orbit through a self-permeable outlet. On December 18, 2023, the patient sought treatment at the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, China. The patient presented with a pronounced foreign body sensation following left eye surgery. On December 20, 2023, the foreign body was removed from the left eye frame and an intraocular examination was conducted. The posterior scleral tear had closed, leading to termination of the surgical procedure following supplementary laser treatment around the tear. The patient reported a significant reduction in ocular surface symptoms just one day after surgery. Furthermore, a notable decrease in the migration of silicone oil was observed in orbital CT scans. CONCLUSION: The timing of silicone oil injection for an eye-penetrating injury should be carefully evaluated to avoid the possibility of silicone oil migration.

TMSOTf-Catalyzed C2-Sulfenylation of Indole Alkaloids Using N-Sulfenylsuccinimides: An Approach for the Total Synthesis of Isatindigotindolosides.

A TMSOTf-catalyzed C2-sulfenylation of indole alkaloids with N-sulfenylsuccinimides has been developed. This straightforward, metal-free, and cost-effective catalytic system produces valuable 2-thioindole derivatives with yields ranging from moderate to excellent. The synthetic applicability demonstrated includes the total syntheses of isatindigotindolosides I-IV.

Anisotropic Effects in Local Anodic Oxidation Nanolithography on Silicon Surfaces: Insights from ReaxFF Molecular Dynamics.

Fully understanding the anisotropic effect of silicon surface orientations in local anodic oxidation (LAO) nanolithography processes is critical to the precise control of oxide quality and rate. This study used ReaxFF MD simulations to reveal the surface anisotropic effects in the LAO through the analysis of adsorbed species, atomic charge, and oxide growth. Our results show that the LAO behaves differently on silicon (100), (110), and (111) surfaces. Specifically, the application of an electric field significantly increases the quantity of surface-adsorbed -OH2 while reducing -OH on the (111) surface, and results in a higher charge on a greater number of Si atoms on the (100) surface. Moreover, the quantity of surface-adsorbed -OH plays a pivotal role in influencing the oxidation rate, as it directly correlates with an increased formation rate of Si-O-Si bonds. During bias-induced oxidation, the (111) surface appears with a high initial oxidation rate among three surfaces, while the (110) surface underwent increased oxidation at higher electric field strengths. This conclusion is based on the analysis of the evolution of Si-O-Si bond number, surface elevation, and oxide thickness. Our findings align well with prior theoretical and experimental studies, providing deeper insights and clear guidance for the fabrication of high-performance nanoinsulator gates using LAO nanolithography.

One Stone, Three Birds: Feasible Tuning of Barrier Heights Induced by Hybridized Interface in Free-Standing PEDOT@Bi2Te3 Thermoelectric Films.

Converting low-grade thermal energy into electrical energy is crucial for the development of modern smart wearable energy technologies. The free-standing films of PEDOT@Bi2Te3 prepared by tape-casting hold promise for flexible thermoelectric technology in self-powered sensing applications. Bi2Te3 nanosheets fabricated by the solvothermal method are tightly connected with flat-arranged PEODT molecules, forming an S-Bi bonded interface in the composite materials, and the bandgap is reduced to 1.63 eV. Compared with the PEDOT film, the mobility and carrier concentration of the composite are significantly increased at room temperature, and the conductivity reaches 684 S/cm. Meanwhile, the carrier concentration decreased sharply at 360 K indicating the creation of defect energy levels during the interfacial reaction of the composites, which increased the Seebeck coefficient. The power factor was improved by 68.9% compared to PEDOT. In addition, the introduction of Bi2Te3 nanosheets generated defects and multidimensional interfaces in the composite film, which resulted in weak phonon scattering in the conducting polymer with interfacial scattering. The thermal conductivity of the film is decreased and the ZT value reaches 0.1. The composite film undergoes 1500 bending cycles with a 14% decrease in conductivity and has good flexibility. This self-supporting flexible thermoelectric composite film has provided a research basis for low-grade thermal energy applications.

Research trends in functionalized Fe3O4 composites based on affinity recognition systems for targeted extraction of natural products.

In recent years, target-specific affinity recognition systems based on Fe3O4-based composites have proven to be an effective method for screening natural products. Herbal medicines contain a wide range of natural products and are considered to be a major source for the development of novel drugs. However, the process of isolating and obtaining these bioactive components for the production of novel drugs is complex. Meanwhile, the complexity and diversity of herbal constituents have posed a great challenge to the screening studies of herbal active ingredients. Currently, traditional extraction and screening studies of active ingredients in herbal medicine include extraction and chromatographic separation technology development, serum medicinal chemistry, metabolomics and computerized virtual screening. In order to achieve integrated targeting of Fe3O4 for extraction and separation of natural products from herbs, various Fe3O4-based composites need to be synthesized so that the composites can be further functionalized and modified. Composites such as Fe3O4@SiO2, Fe3O4-based magnetic graphene oxide and Fe3O4-based magnetic carbon nanotubes were used to achieve targeted extraction and isolation of natural products from herbal medicines. The main extraction techniques involved based on these Fe3O4-based composites are molecularly imprinted techniques, immobilized ligand fishing techniques, and cell membrane-coated bionanotechnology methods. This article will present recent advances in the synthesis and modification of Fe3O4 composites and their applications for the extraction of natural products in conjunction with molecular imprinting, immobilization-targeted fishing, and cell-membrane-coated biomimetic techniques, as well as the future goals and challenges of functionalized modification of Fe3O4 composites for the targeted extraction of natural products, like protein overexpression modification, doping of fluorescent substances and genetic engineering development. A deeper understanding of the multi-level, multidisciplinary, and applied studies in materials science and phytochemistry will be provided by this article.

Comparison among different preclinical models derived from the same patient with a non-functional pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor.

Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors are the second most common tumors of the pancreas, and approximately half of patients are diagnosed with liver metastases. Currently, the improvement in the efficacy of relevant treatment methods is still limited. Therefore, there is an urgent need for in-depth research on the molecular biological mechanism of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. However, due to their relatively inert biology, preclinical models are extremely scarce. Here, the patient-derived organoid, and patient-derived xenograft were successfully constructed. These two models and the previously constructed cell line named SPNE1 all derived from the same patient with a grade 3 non-functional pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor, providing new tumor modeling platforms, and characterized using immunohistochemistry, whole-exome sequencing, and single-cell transcriptome sequencing. Combined with a tumor formation experiment in immunodeficient mice, we selected the model that most closely recapitulated the parental tumor. Overall, the patient-derived xenograft model most closely resembled human tumor tissue.