Wide-direct-band-gap monolayer carbon nitride CN2: a potential metal-free photocatalyst for overall water splitting.

Two dimensional metal-free semiconductors with high work function have attracted extensive research interest in the field of photocatalytic water splitting. Herein, we have proposed a kind of highly stable monolayer carbon nitride CN2 with an anisotropic structure based on first principles density functional theory. The calculations of electronic structure properties, performed using the HSE06 functional, indicate that monolayer CN2 has a wide direct band gap of 2.836 eV and a high work function of 6.54 eV. And the suitable band edge alignment, high electron mobility (∼103 cm2 V-1 s-1) and visible-light optical absorption suggest that monolayer CN2 has potential on visible-light photocatalytic water splitting at pH ranging from 0 to 14. Moreover, we have observed that uniaxial strain can effectively control the electronic structure properties and optical absorption of monolayer CN2, which can further improve its solar to hydrogen efficiency from 9.6% to 16.02% under 5% uniaxial tension strain along the Y direction. Our calculations have not only proposed a new type of potential metal-free photocatalyst for water splitting but also provided a functional part with high work function for type-I and scheme-Z heterojunction applied in photocatalytic water splitting.

Coptisine alleviates colitis through modulating gut microbiota and inhibiting TXNIP/NLRP3 inflammasome.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a disease involving the enteric canal which is characterised by chronisch inflammatory reaction. Coptisine (COP), the distinctive component of Coptis chinensis Franch., is famous for its anti-inflammation, antioxidation, anti-bacteria, and anti-cancer. Earlier researches certified that COP is a prospective remedy for colitis, but the mechanism of colitis and the therapeutical target of COP are deficiently elucidated. AIM OF THIS STUDY: In this follow-up study, we adopted dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-elicited UC model to further elucidate the possible mechanism of COP on UC in mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: COP and the positive drug sulfasalazine (SASP) were administered by oral gavage in DSS-induced colitis mouse model. Oxidative stress, inflammatory cytokines, intestinal barrier permeability, protein expression of the TXNIP/NLRP3 inflammasome pathway and intestinal microbiome structure were assessed. RESULTS: Among this investigation, our team discovered that COP could mitigate DSS-elicited UC in murines, with prominent amelioration in weight loss, disease activity index, intestinal permeability (serum diamine oxidase and D-lactate), contracted colonal length and histologic alterations. Furthermore, COP greatly lowered the generation of pro-inflammatory factors, malondialdehyde (MDA) activity and reactive oxygen species (ROS) level, while increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in colonal tissues. Additionally, COP downmodulated the proteic expressions of thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP), NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3), apoptosis-associated speck-like protein (ASC), caspase-1, IL-1ß and IL-18. Enteric microbiome sequencing displayed that DSS and COP tremendously influenced the constitution and diversity of enteric microbes in DSS-elicited UC murines. Besides, COP elevated the abundance of probiotic bacteria Bacteroidota, Akkermansia_muciniphila and Bacteroides_acidifaciens, lowered the proportions of potential pathogenic bacteria, such as Lachnospiraceae, Acetatifactor_muris, Clostridium_XlVa, Alistipes and Oscillibacter, and reduced the ratio of Bacillota/Bacteroidota, which vastly helped to reverse the enteric microbiome to a balanceable condition. Alterations in these bacteria were strongly correlated with the colitis relative index. CONCLUSION: The mechanism of COP against UC is connected with the suppression of TXNIP/NLRP3 inflammasome signalling pathway and the adjustment of the enteric microbiome profiles. The proofs offer new understandings upon the anti-UC function of COP, which might be a prospective candidate against UC.

The identification of heterogeneous reactive oxygen subtypes in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma to aid patient prognosis and immunotherapy.

Introduction: Esophageal cancer is increasingly recognized as a significant global malignancy. The main pathological subtype of this cancer is esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), which displays a higher degree of malignancy and a poorer prognosis. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play a critical role in modulating the immune response to tumors, and understanding the regulation of ROS in ESCC could lead to novel and improved therapeutic strategies for ESCC patients. Methods: A consensus matrix derived from genes involved in the ROS pathway revealed two subtypes of ROS. These subtypes were categorized as ROS-active or ROS-suppressive based on their level of ROS activity. The heterogeneity among the different ROS subtypes was then explored from various perspectives, including gene function, immune response, genomic stability, and immunotherapy. In order to assess the prognosis and the potential benefits of immunotherapy, a ROS activity score (RAS) was developed using the identified ROS subtypes. In vitro experiments were performed to confirm the impact of core RAS genes on the proliferative activity of esophageal cancer cell lines. Results: Two distinctive subtypes of ROS were identified. The first subtype, referred to as ROS-active, exhibited elevated ROS activity, enhanced involvement in cancer-associated immune pathways, and increased infiltration of effector immune cells. The second subtype, named ROS-suppressive, demonstrated weaker ROS activity but displayed more pronounced dysregulation in the cell cycle and a denser extracellular matrix, indicating malignant characteristics. Genomic stability, particularly in terms of copy number variation (CNV) events, differed between the two ROS subtypes. By developing a RAS model, reliable risk assessment for overall survival (OS) in patients with ESCC was achieved, and the model demonstrated strong predictive capabilities in real-world immunotherapy cohorts. Moreover, the core gene LDLRAD1 within the RAS model was found to enhance proliferative activity in esophageal cancer cell lines. Conclusion: Based on the ROS pathway, we successfully identified two distinct subtypes in ESCC: the ROS-active subtype and the ROS-suppressive subtype. These subtypes were utilized to evaluate prognosis and the sensitivity to immunotherapy.

Causal effect of obesity and adiposity distribution on the risk of pressure ulcers and potential mediation by type 2 diabetes mellitus: insights from multivariable mendelian randomization and mediation analysis.

Previous observational studies have identified a link between obesity, adiposity distribution, type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM), type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM), and the risk of pressure ulcers (PUs). However, the definitive causality between obesity and PUs, and potential DM mediators remains unclear. Univariable, multivariable, and mediation Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses were conducted to explore the mediating role of T1DM or T2DM in the association between obesity, adiposity distribution, and PUs. Instrumental variables for obesity and adiposity distribution, including Body Mass Index (BMI), waist circumference, hip circumference, trunk fat mass, whole body fat mass, trunk fat percentage, and body fat percentage, were selected from two genome-wide association studies (GWAS). In univariable MR analysis, BMI, hip circumference, and obesity were associated with PUs using inverse variance weighted (IVW) regression. These findings were further corroborated by the replication cohorts and meta-analysis (BMI: OR = 1.537, 95% CI = 1.294-1.824, p < 0.001; Hip circumference: OR = 1.369, 95% CI = 1.147-1.635, p < 0.001; Obesity: OR = 1.235, 95% CI = 1.067-1.431, p = 0.005), respectively. Even after adjusting for confounding factors such as T1DM and T2DM, BMI and hip circumference remained statistically significant in multivariable MR analyses. T2DM may mediate the pathogenesis of BMI-related (OR = 1.106, 95% CI = 1.054-1.160, p = 0.037) and obesity-related PUs (OR = 1.053, 95% CI = 1.034-1.973, p = 0.004). These findings provide insights for the prevention and treatment of PUs, particularly in patients with obesity or DM.

Diagnostic performance of Node-RADS score for mesorectal lymph node metastasis in rectal cancer.

PURPOSE: To explore the diagnostic performance of the Node-RADS scoring system on preoperative assessment of mesorectal lymph node metastasis (LNM) status in rectal cancer, in comparison with the ESGAR category and size of lymph node (LN). METHODS: Preoperative clinical and MRI data of 154 rectal adenocarcinoma patients treated with radical resection surgery were retrospectively analyzed. The differences in the clinical, pathological and imaging characteristics between the pN- and pN + groups were surveyed. The correlations of Node-RADS score and ESGAR category to pN stage, LNM number and lymph node ratio (LNR) were investigated. The performances on assessing pathological LNM were compared among individual approaches. A nomogram combined the imaging and clinical features was also established and evaluated. RESULTS: Significant differences in CEA, tumor maximum diameter, tumor location, LN short-axis diameter, Node-RADS score and ESGAR category were found between the pN- and pN + groups. Node-RADS correlated significantly with pN stage, LNM number, and LNR (r = 0.665, 0.685, and 0.675, p < 0.001). Node-RADS had the highest AUC (0.862) for predicting pN + status, surpassing ESGAR (AUC = 0.797, p = 0.040) and LN size (AUC = 0.762, p = 0.015). The nomogram had the best diagnostic performance (AUC = 0.901), significantly outperforming Node-RADS alone (p = 0.037). CONCLUSIONS: The Node-RADS scoring system is comparable to the ESGAR category and surpasses short-axis diameter in preoperatively predicting LNM in rectal cancer. Integrating imaging and clinical features will lead to an enhancement in diagnostic performance. Moreover, a clear relationship was demonstrated between the Node-RADS score and the quantity-dependent pathological characteristics of LNM.

Optimizing tradeoff strategies of soil microbial community between metabolic efficiency and resource acquisition along a natural regeneration chronosequence.

The tradeoff between community-level soil microbial metabolic efficiency and resource acquisition strategies during natural regeneration remains unclear. Herein, we examined variations in soil extracellular enzyme activity, microbial metabolic quotient (qCO2), and microbial carbon use efficiency (CUE) along a chronosequence of natural regeneration by sampling secondary forests at 1, 10, 20, 30, 40, and 100 years after rubber plantation (RP) clearance. The results showed that the natural logarithms of carbon (C)-, nitrogen (N)-, and phosphorus (P)-acquiring enzyme activities were 1:1.68:1.37 and 1:1.54:1.38 in the RP and secondary forests, respectively, thus demonstrating that microbial metabolism was co-limited by N and P. Moreover, the soil microbial C limitation initially increased (1-40 years) and later decreased (100 years). Overall, the qCO2 increased, decreased, and then increased again in the initial (< 10 years), middle (10-40 years), and late (100 years) successional stages, respectively. Except for specific P-acquiring enzyme activities, the changes in other indicators with natural regeneration were consistent in the dry and wet seasons. Both qCO2 and CUE were mainly predicted by microbial community composition and physiological traits. These results indicate that soil microbial communities could employ tradeoff strategies between metabolic efficiency and resource acquisition to cope with variations in resources. Our findings provide new information on tradeoff strategies between metabolic efficiency and resource acquisition during natural regeneration.

Mid-upper arm circumference predicts the risk of gestational diabetes in early pregnancy.

BACKGROUND: The present work aimed to assess the value of mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) at 8 to 12 weeks in predicting the occurrence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). METHODS: According to eligibility criteria, 328 women with singleton pregnancies who underwent routine antenatal check-ups at Qinhuangdao Maternal and Child Health Hospital from September 2017 to September 2020 were included. The patients were divided into the gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and non-GDM groups according to oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) data from gestation weeks 24 to 28. Clinical data were compared between the two groups. Logistic regression analysis was performed to determine factors independently predicting GDM. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was employed to analyze the value of MUAC in predicting the occurrence of GDM. The optimal cut-off points were calculated. RESULTS: In logistic regression analysis, pre-pregnancy weight, waist circumference, MUAC, UA, TG, and HDL-C independently predicted the occurrence of GDM (P < 0.05). MUAC retained statistical significance upon adjustment for various confounders (OR = 8.851, 95%CI: 3.907-20.048; P < 0.001). ROC curve analysis revealed good diagnostic potential for MUAC in GDM (AUC = 0.742, 95%CI: 0.684-0.800, P < 0.001), with a cut-off of 28.5 cm, sensitivity and specificity were 61% and 77%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Pregnant women with MUAC >28.5 cm are prone to develop GDM during pregnancy, indicating that MUAC as an important predictive factor of GDM in early pregnancy.

Recovering high-quality glass fibers from end-of-life wind turbine blades through swelling-assisted low-temperature pyrolysis.

The recycling of end-of-life wind turbine blades has become a global environmental challenge driven by the rapid growth of wind power. Pyrolysis is a promising method for recovering glass fibers from these discarded blades, but traditional pyrolysis is often operated at high temperatures, which degrades the mechanical properties of recovered fibers. To address this issue, a swelling-assisted pyrolysis method was proposed to recover high-quality glass fibers from end-of-life wind turbine blades at low temperatures. The results confirmed that the decomposition of the resin matrix within the blade was significantly promoted at low temperatures in the swelling-assisted pyrolysis process, achieving a resin decomposition ratio of 76.8 % at 350 °C. This improvement was attributed to enhanced heat transfer and co-pyrolysis with acetic acid. Swelling could physically disrupt the cross-linked structure of the blade, creating a more porous and layered structure, thereby enhancing heat transfer during the pyrolysis process. Simultaneously, the co-pyrolysis with acetic acid could generate hydrogen radicals, which promoted the cracking of macromolecular oligomers into lighter products or gaseous alkanes. Consequently, the formation of pyrolysis char within the solid pyrolysis product was reduced, shortening the oxidation duration to 30 min. In comparison to traditional pyrolysis, the swelling-assisted pyrolysis process effectively suppressed the diffusion of surface defects over the recovered fibers, leading to promising improvements in their flexibility, elasticity, and mechanical properties, with tensile strength notably increased by 27.5 %. These findings provided valuable insights into recovering high-quality glass fibers from end-of-life wind turbine blades.

Cross-circulation combined with rapidly deployable veno-venous bypass grafts for multi-organ biosystemic support in liver failure: Experimental studies.

BACKGROUND: Liver failure remains a critical clinical challenge with limited treatment options. Cross-circulation, the establishment of vascular connections between individuals, has historically been explored as a potential supportive therapy but with limited success. This study investigated the feasibility of combining cross-circulation with a rapidly deployable veno-venous bypass (VVB) graft for multi-organ support in a rat model of total hepatectomy, representing the most severe form of liver failure. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A Y-shaped VVB graft was fabricated using coaxial electrospinning of PLCL/heparin nanofibers and magnetic rings for rapid anastomosis. After total hepatectomy in rats, the VVB graft was implanted to divert blood flow. Cross-circulation was then established between anhepatic and normal host rats. Hemodynamics, biochemical parameters, blood gases, and survival were analyzed across three groups: hepatectomy with blocked vessels (block group), hepatectomy with VVB only (VVB group), and hepatectomy with VVB and cross-circulation (VVB/cross-circulation group). RESULTS: The VVB graft exhibited suitable mechanical properties and hemocompatibility. VVB rapidly restored hemodynamic stability and mitigated abdominal congestion post-hepatectomy. Cross-circulation further ameliorated liver dysfunction, metabolic derangements, and coagulation disorders in anhepatic rats, significantly prolonging survival compared to the VVB group (mean 6.56±0.58 vs 4.05±0.51 h, P<0.05) and the block group (mean 1.01±0.05 h, P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Combining cross-circulation with a rapidly deployed VVB graft provided effective multi-organ biosystemic support in a rat model of total hepatectomy, substantially improving the biochemical status and survival time. This approach holds promise for novel liver failure therapies and could facilitate liver transplantation procedures.

Revealing the Synergistic Effect of Cation and Anion Vacancies on Enhanced Fenton-Like Reaction: The Electron Density Modulation of O 2p-Co 3d Bands.

Defect engineering is considered as a flexible and effective mean to improve the performance of Fenton-like reactions. Herein, a simple method is employed to synthesize Co3O4 catalysts with Co-O vacancy pairs (VP) for peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation. Multi-scaled characterization, experimental, and simulation results jointly revealed that the cation vacancies-VCo contributed to enhanced conductivity and anion vacancies-VO provided a new active center for the 1O2 generation. Co3O4-VP can optimize the O 2p and Co 3d bands with the strong assistance of synergistic double vacancies to reduce the reaction energy barrier of the "PMS → Co(IV) = O → 1O2" pathway, ultimately triggering the stable transition of mechanism. Co3O4-VP catalysts with radical-nonradical collaborative mechanism achieve the synchronous improvement of activity and stability, and have good environmental robustness to favor water decontamination applications. This result highlights the possibility of utilizing anion and cation vacancy engineering strategies to rational design Co3O4-based materials widely used in catalytic reactions.

An NIR Type I Photosensitizer Based on a Cyclometalated Ir(III)-Rhodamine Complex for a Photodynamic Antibacterial Effect toward Both Gram-Positive and Gram-Negative Bacteria.

Type I photosensitizers offer an advantage in photodynamic therapy (PDT) due to their diminished reliance on oxygen levels, thus circumventing the challenge of hypoxia commonly encountered in PDT. In this study, we present the synthesis and comprehensive characterization of a novel type I photosensitizer derived from a cyclometalated Ir(III)-rhodamine complex. Remarkably, the complex exhibits a shift in absorption and fluorescence, transitioning from "off" to "on" states in aprotic and protic solvents, respectively, contrary to initial expectations. Upon exposure to light, the complex demonstrates the effective generation of O2- and ·OH radicals via the type I mechanism. Additionally, it exhibits notable photodynamic antibacterial activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, demonstrated through in vitro and in vivo experiments. This research offers valuable insights for the development of novel type I photosensitizers.

Crystal structure characterization, Hirshfeld surface analysis, and DFT calculation studies of 1-(6-amino-5-nitro-naphthalen-2-yl)ethanone.

The title compound, C12H10N2O3, was obtained by the de-acetyl-ation reaction of 1-(6-amino-5-nitro-naphthalen-2-yl)ethanone in a concentrated sulfuric acid methanol solution. The mol-ecule comprises a naphthalene ring system bearing an acetyl group (C-3), an amino group (C-7), and a nitro group (C-8). In the crystal, the mol-ecules are assembled into a two-dimensional network by N⋯H/H⋯N and O⋯H/H⋯O hydrogen-bonding inter-actions. n-π and π-π stacking inter-actions are the dominant inter-actions in the three-dimensional crystal packing. Hirshfeld surface analysis indicates that the most important contributions are from O⋯H/H⋯O (34.9%), H⋯H (33.7%), and C⋯H/H⋯C (11.0%) contacts. The energies of the frontier mol-ecular orbitals were computed using density functional theory (DFT) calculations at the B3LYP-D3BJ/def2-TZVP level of theory and the LUMO-HOMO energy gap of the mol-ecule is 3.765 eV.

Correlation between vertebral bone mineral density and multi-level virtual non-calcium imaging parameters from dual-layer spectral detector computed tomography.

Background: Virtual non-calcium (VNCa) imaging based on dual-energy computed tomography (CT) plays an increasingly important role in diagnosing spinal diseases. However, the utility of VNCa technology in the measurement of vertebral bone mineral density (BMD) is limited, especially the VNCa CT value at multiple calcium suppression levels and the slope of VNCa curve. This retrospective cross-sectional study aimed to explore the correlation between vertebral BMD and new VNCa parameters from dual-layer spectral detector CT. Methods: The dual-layer spectral detector CT and quantitative CT (QCT) data of 4 hydroxyapatite (HAP) inserts and 667 vertebrae of 234 patients (132 male and 102 female) who visited a university teaching hospital between April and May 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. The BMD values of 3 vertebrae (T12, L1, and L2) and inserts were measured using QCT, defined as QCT-BMD. The VNCa CT values and the slope λ of the VNCa attenuation curve of vertebrae and inserts were recorded. The correlations between VNCa parameters (VNCa CT value, slope λ) and QCT-BMD were analyzed. Results: For the vertebrae, the correlation coefficient ranged from -0.904 to 0.712 (all P<0.05). As the calcium suppression index (CaSI) increased, the correlation degree exhibited a decrease first and then increased, with the best correlation (r=-0.904, P<0.001) observed at the index of 25%. In contrast, the correlation coefficient for the inserts remained relatively stable (r=-0.899 to -1, all P<0.05). For the vertebrae, the values of 3 slopes λ (λ1, λ2, and λ3) derived from the VNCa attenuation curve were 6.50±1.99, 3.75±1.15, and 2.04±0.62, respectively. Regarding the inserts, the λ1, λ2, and λ3 values were 11.56 [interquartile range (IQR): 2.40-22.62], 6.68 (IQR: 1.39-13.49), and 3.63 (IQR: 0.75-7.8), respectively. For the vertebrae, all 3 correlation coefficients between 3 slopes λ and QCT-BMD were 0.956 (all P<0.05). For the inserts, the 3 correlation coefficients were 0.996, 0.998, and 1 (all P<0.05), respectively. Conclusions: A promising correlation was detected between VNCa CT parameters and QCT-BMD in vertebrae, warranting further investigation to explore the possibility of VNCa imaging to assess BMD.

MRI-based radiomics models predict cystic brain radionecrosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma after intensity modulated radiotherapy.

Objective: To construct radiomics models based on MRI at different time points for the early prediction of cystic brain radionecrosis (CBRN) for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Methods: A total of 202 injured temporal lobes from 155 NPC patients with radiotherapy-induced temporal lobe injury (RTLI) after intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) were included in the study. All the injured lobes were randomly divided into the training (n = 143) and validation (n = 59) sets. Radiomics models were constructed by using features extracted from T2WI at two different time points: at the end of IMRT (post-IMRT) and the first-detected RTLI (first-RTLI). A delta-radiomics feature was defined as the percentage change in a radiomics feature from post-IMRT to first-RTLI. The radiomics nomogram was constructed by combining clinical risk factors and radiomics signatures using multivariate logistic regression analysis. Predictive performance was evaluated using area under the curve (AUC) from receiver operating characteristic analysis and decision curve analysis (DCA). Results: The post-IMRT, first-RTLI, and delta-radiomics models yielded AUC values of 0.84 (95% CI: 0.76-0.92), 0.86 (95% CI: 0.78-0.94), and 0.77 (95% CI: 0.67-0.87), respectively. The nomogram exhibited the highest AUC of 0.91 (95% CI: 0.85-0.97) and sensitivity of 0.82 compared to any single radiomics model. From the DCA, the nomogram model provided more clinical benefit than the radiomics models or clinical model. Conclusion: The radiomics nomogram model combining clinical factors and radiomics signatures based on MRI at different time points after radiotherapy showed excellent prediction potential for CBRN in patients with NPC.

Clinical practice of the transrectal shear-wave elastography in benign prostatic hyperplasia.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the practical value of the transrectal two-dimensional shear-wave elastography (SWE) in benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). METHODS: Consecutive male participants with and without BPH constituted the BPH and control group respectively were enrolled prospectively between March and December 2022. Transrectal conventional ultrasound and SWE examinations for the prostate were performed on these participants. Data of quantitative stiffness of the transitional zone (TZ) and peripheral zone (PZ) of prostate, volume of prostate (VP) and volume of TZ (VTZ) and prostate specific androgen (PSA), etc., were collected. Linear regression analyses were used to investigate the associations between quantitative stiffness data and other clinical parameters. RESULTS: There were 200 participants evaluated, including 100 healthy participants and 100 BPH patients. For every one-year increment in age, it was correlated with 0.50 kPa increasement of TZ stiffness. VP and VTZ were correlated with TZ stiffness. Higher TZ stiffness was associated with higher free prostate specific antigen (PSA) and total PSA. CONCLUSIONS: The prostate is stiffer and larger in BPH group compared to control group. Quantitative stiffness of the TZ was related with age, VP, VTZ and PSA.

Diagnostic performance of Node Reporting and Data System (Node-RADS) for assessing mesorectal lymph node in rectal cancer by CT.

BACKGROUND: To compare the diagnostic performance of the Node-RADS scoring system and lymph node (LN) size in preoperative LN assessment for rectal cancer (RC), and to investigate whether the selection of size as the primary criterion whereas morphology as the secondary criterion for LNs can be considered the preferred method for clinical assessment. METHODS: Preoperative CT data of 146 RC patients treated with radical resection surgery were retrospectively analyzed. The Node-RADS score and short-axis diameter of size-prioritized LNs and the morphology-prioritized LNs were obtained. The correlations of Node-RADS score to the pN stage, LNM number and lymph node ratio (LNR) were investigated. The performances on assessing pathological lymph node metastasis were compared between Node-RADS score and short-axis diameter. A nomogram combined the Node-RADS score and clinical features was also evaluated. RESULTS: Node-RADS score showed significant correlation with pN stage, LNM number and LNR (Node-RADS of size-prioritized LN: r = 0.600, 0.592, and 0.606; Node-RADS of morphology-prioritized LN: r = 0.547, 0.538, and 0.527; Node-RADSmax: r = 0.612, 0.604, and 0.610; all p < 0.001). For size-prioritized LN, Node-RADS achieved an AUC of 0.826, significantly superior to short-axis diameter (0.826 vs. 0.743, p = 0.009). For morphology-prioritized LN, Node-RADS exhibited an AUC of 0.758, slightly better than short-axis diameter (0.758 vs. 0.718, p = 0.098). The Node-RADS score of size-prioritized LN was significantly better than that of morphology-prioritized LN (0.826 vs. 0.758, p = 0.038). The nomogram achieved the best diagnostic performance (AUC = 0.861) than all the other assessment methods (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The Node-RADS scoring system outperforms the short-axis diameter in predicting lymph node metastasis in RC. Size-prioritized LN demonstrates superior predictive efficacy compared to morphology-prioritized LN. The nomogram combined the Node-RADS score of size-prioritized LN with clinical features exhibits the best diagnostic performance. Moreover, a clear relationship was demonstrated between the Node-RADS score and the quantity-dependent pathological characteristics of LNM.

A reversible implantable memristor for health monitoring applications.

Conventional implantable electronics based on von Neumann architectures encounter significant limitations in computing and processing vast biological information due to computational bottlenecks. The memristor with integrated memory-computing and low power consumption offer a promising solution to overcome the computational bottleneck and Moore's law limitations of traditional silicon-based implantable devices, making them the most promising candidates for next-generation implantable devices. In this work, a highly stable memristor with an Ag/BaTiO3/MnO2/FTO structure was fabricated, demonstrating retention characteristics exceeding 1200 cycles and endurance above 1000 s. The device successfully exhibited three-stage responses to biological signals after implantation in SD (Sprague-Dawley) rats. Importantly, the memristor perform remarkable reversibility, maintaining over 100 cycles of stable repetition even after extraction from the rat. This study provides a new perspective on the biomedical application of memristors, expanding the potential of implantable memristive devices in intelligent medical fields such as health monitoring and auxiliary diagnostics.

Revolution in Cancer Treatment: How Are Intelligently Designed Nanostructures Changing the Game?

Nanoparticles (NPs) are extremely important tools to overcome the limitations imposed by therapeutic agents and effectively overcome biological barriers. Smart designed/tuned nanostructures can be extremely effective for cancer treatment. The selection and design of nanostructures and the adjustment of size and surface properties are extremely important, especially for some precision treatments and drug delivery (DD). By designing specific methods, an important era can be opened in the biomedical field for personalized and precise treatment. Here, we focus on advances in the selection and design of nanostructures, as well as on how the structure and shape, size, charge, and surface properties of nanostructures in biological fluids (BFs) can be affected. We discussed the applications of specialized nanostructures in the therapy of head and neck cancer (HNC), which is a difficult and aggressive type of cancer to treat, to give an impetus for novel treatment approaches in this field. We also comprehensively touched on the shortcomings, current trends, and future perspectives when using nanostructures in the treatment of cancer.

Coupling Relationships between the Brain and the Central Pattern Generator Based on a Fractional-Order Extended Hindmarsh-Rose Model.

BACKGROUND: The states of the central nervous system (CNS) can be classified into subcritical, critical, and supercritical states that endow the system with information capacity, transmission capabilities, and dynamic range. A further investigation of the relationship between the CNS and the central pattern generators (CPG) is warranted to provide insight into the mechanisms that govern the locomotion system. METHODS: In this study, we established a fractional-order CPG model based on an extended Hindmarsh-Rose model with time delay. A CNS model was further established using a recurrent excitation-inhibition neuronal network. Coupling between these CNS and CPG models was then explored, demonstrating a potential means by which oscillations generated by a neural network respond to periodic stimuli. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: These simulations yielded two key sets of findings. First, frequency sliding was observed when the CPG was sent to the CNS in the subcritical, critical, and supercritical states with different external stimulus and fractional-order index values, indicating that frequency sliding regulates brain function on multiple spatiotemporal scales when the CPG and CNS are coupled together. The main frequency range for these simulations was observed in the gamma band. Second, with increasing external inputs the coherence index for the CNS decreases, demonstrating that strong external inputs introduce neuronal stochasticity. Neural network synchronization is then reduced, triggering irregular neuronal firing. Together these results provide novel insight into the potential mechanisms that may underlie the locomotion system.

Recovering carbon fibers from waste CFRPs via pyrolysis-oxidation method: Implications for reuse in remanufactured materials.

Carbon fiber-reinforced polymer composites (CFRPs) have gained widespread usage due to their promising physiochemical properties, while this causes large amounts of waste CFRPs worldwide. In this study, carbon fibers were successfully recovered from waste CFRPs through the pyrolysis-oxidation method, and the recovered fibers were reused in remanufacturing the secondary generation CFRPs. Moreover, the individual and interactive effects of pyrolysis-oxidation recovering parameters on the mechanical strength of the resulting remanufactured CFRPs (reCFRPs) were investigated. The recovered carbon fibers displayed surface chemical structures similar to virgin fibers but with high contents of oxygen-containing bonds. The tensile strength retention (TSR) of the reCFRPs was primarily influenced by oxidation temperature. Notably, a higher oxidation temperature, especially exceeding 560 °C, amplified the impact of oxidation duration on the TSR value. Similarly, concerning interlaminar shear strength retention (ISSR), the oxidation stage had a more substantial effect compared to the pyrolysis stage. As the oxidation temperature increased from 500 °C to 600 °C, the ISSR value initially increased and then decreased, irrespective of variations in pyrolysis parameters. Additionally, through integrating the response surface methodology (RSM) analysis and multi-island genetic algorithm (MIGA) global optimization, three recovery strategies, along with the corresponding processing parameters, were proposed to meet diverse requirements. The conclusions could provide valuable insights for optimizing the recovery and reuse of carbon fibers from waste CFRPs.