Follicular fluid derived exosomal miR-4449 regulates cell proliferation and oxidative stress by targeting KEAP1 in human granulosa cell lines KGN and COV434.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is characterized by ovulatory dysfunction, hyperandrogenism, and polycystic ovary morphology, affecting more and more women of reproductive age. Our study aimed to explore the molecular mechanism and effect of exosomal miR-4449 on granulosa cells (GCs). Two immortalized human ovarian granulosa cells (KGN and COV434 cells) were used for in vitro functional studies. Our study found that follicular fluid (FF) derived exosomal miR-4449 was significantly decreased in women with PCOS compared with the control patients. And exosomal miR-4449 could alleviate GCs oxidative stress (OS) and promote GCs proliferation, while the opposite trend was observed after inhibiting the expression of miR-4449. In addition, we demonstrated that Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1(KEAP1) was a direct target of miR-4449 through dual-luciferase reporter assay, and the expression patterns of KEAP1 and miR-4449 in PCOS FF-derived exosomes were exactly opposite. In addition, KEAP1/NRF2 signaling pathway may play an important role in GCs proliferation and OS. Our results demonstrated that the decreased FF-derived exosomal miR-4449 expression in PCOS might aggravate the OS of GCs and inhibit GCs proliferation via KEAP1/NRF2 signaling pathway. Exosomal miR-4449 might be a potential biomarker for the diagnosis of PCOS. Our study contributes to a new understanding of the pathogenesis of PCOS.

Prenatal diagnosis of a severe form of frontonasal dysplasia with severe limb anomalies, hydrocephaly, a hypoplastic corpus callosum, and a ventricular septal defect using 3D ultrasound: a case report and literature review.

BACKGROUND: Frontonasal dysplasia (FND) is a rare congenital anomaly resulting from the underdevelopment of the frontonasal process, and it can be syndromic or nonsyndromic. The typical features of FND include a deformed nose and ocular hypertelorism, which are sometimes associated with cleft lip and/or palate. Only approximately 10 cases of prenatally diagnosed nonsyndromic FND have been reported in the past 30 years. CASE PRESENTATION: A 33-year-old woman (G2P1) was referred to our center at 20 gestational weeks for bilateral hydrocephaly. We detected typical features of FND, including severe hypertelorism, median nasal bifidity, a minor cleft lip, and multiple limb anomalies using three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound. A hypoplastic corpus callosum, unilateral microtia, and a ventricular septal defect were also detected. Genetic testing, including karyotype analysis, copy number variation (CNV) analysis, trio-whole exome sequencing (trio-WES), and trio-whole-gene sequencing (trio-WGS), was performed; however, we did not find any de novo gene variants in the fetus as compared to the parents. Postmortem examination confirmed the prenatal diagnosis of FND. CONCLUSION: The present case expands the wide phenotypic spectrum of prenatal FND patients. 3D ultrasound is a useful tool for detecting facial and limb deformities.

Use of transrectal high-frequency ultrasound in assessment of middle compartment prolapse.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the superiority of transrectal high-frequency ultrasound (TRUS) in precise assessment of middle compartment prolapse in comparison with routine transperineal ultrasound (TPUS). METHODS: Prospectively analyzed and compared detection rates of entire cervical length and uterine descent on TPUS and TRUS in 101 patients with pelvic organ prolapse (POP). RESULTS: Detection rates of entire cervix on TRUS were significantly higher than those on TPUS both at rest and during Valsalva maneuver (90.10% VS 49.50%, 92.08% VS 9.90% respectively, both p < 0.05). Uterine descent was able to be evaluated in 92.08% of patients by TRUS and in 5.94% of patients by TPUS, which was statistically significant (p < 0.05). The interobserver repeatability for the measurements of anterior lip, cervical canal and posterior lip on TRUS was excellent. The mean lengths of anterior lip, cervical canal and posterior lip were significantly increased during Valsalva maneuver than those measured at rest (p < 0.05). And mean length of anterior lip was longer than posterior lip both at rest and during Valsalva (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: TRUS can significantly raise detection rates of entire cervix, and make the direct evaluation of uterine descent feasible. TRUS can be used as a complementary method to TPUS to attain more comprehensive and accurate presurgical imaging information in middle compartment prolapse patients.

Ultra-compact and ultra-broadband arbitrary-order silicon photonic multi-mode converter designed by an intelligent algorithm.

Multi-mode converters, which can achieve spatial mode conversion in multimode waveguide, play a key role in multi-mode photonics and mode-division multiplexing (MDM). However, rapid design of high-performance mode converters with ultra-compact footprint and ultra-broadband operation bandwidth is still a challenge. In this work, through combining adaptive genetic algorithm (AGA) and finite element simulations, we present an intelligent inverse design algorithm and successfully designed a set of arbitrary-order mode converters with low excess losses (ELs) and low crosstalk (CT). At the communication wavelength of 1550 nm, the footprint of designed TE0-n (n = 1, 2, 3, 4) and TE2-n (n = 0, 1, 3, 4) mode converters are only 1.8 × 2.2 µm2. The maximum and minimum conversion efficiency (CE) is 94.5% and 64.2%, and the maximum and minimum ELs/CT are 1.92/-10.9 dB and 0.24/-20 dB, respectively. Theoretically, the smallest bandwidth for simultaneously achieving ELs ≤ 3 dB and CT ≤ -10 dB exceeds 70 nm, which can be as large as 400 nm for the case of low-order mode conversion. Moreover, the mode converter in conjunction with a waveguide bend allows for mode-conversion in ultra-sharp waveguide bends, significantly increasing the density of on-chip photonic integration. This work provides a general platform for the realization of mode converters and has good prospect in application of multimode silicon photonics and MDM.

All-silicon polarization-independent broadband achromatic metalens designed for the mid-wave and long-wave infrared.

Metasurfaces demonstrate excellent capabilities in manipulating the phase, amplitude and polarization of light. Metalens, as a typical kind of metasurface devices, shows great prospect in simplifying imaging systems. However, like diffractive optical elements, intrinsic dispersion of metasurfaces is high. Thus, significant chromatic aberration is present in common metalenses, deteriorating imaging quality under broadband illumination condition and limiting their applications. To tackle this problem, broadband achromatic metalenses have been proposed and demonstrated in the visible and near-infrared wavelength regions so far. However, broadband achromatic metalens working in the mid-wave and long-wave infrared is still rare. In this paper, thanks to the ingenious design of meta-units that provide the required local phase and phase dispersion, several all-silicon broadband achromatic metalenses working in the mid-wave infrared (3-5 µm) or long-wave infrared (8-14 µm) wavelengths are proposed. Numerical simulation results demonstrate that the designed broadband achromatic metalenses can provide a near-constant focal length with small deviations and an average focusing efficiency of about 70% over the whole operation bandwidths. In addition, these metalenses hold near diffraction-limited focusing capability and polarization-independent focusing features. The achromatic metalenses proposed here are beneficial for improving imaging quality under broadband illumination and increasing detection efficiency of mid-wave and long-wave infrared detection systems.

Sodium Para-aminosalicylic Acid Inhibits Lead-Induced Neuroinflammation in Brain Cortex of Rats by Modulating SIRT1/HMGB1/NF-κB Pathway.

Lead (Pb) is considered to be a major environmental pollutant and occupational health hazard worldwide which may lead to neuroinflammation. However, an effective treatment for Pb-induced neuroinflammation remains elusive. The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanisms of Pb-induced neuroinflammation, and the therapeutic effect of sodium para-aminosalicylic acid (PAS-Na, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug) in rat cerebral cortex. The results indicated that Pb exposure induced pathological damage in cerebral cortex, accompanied by increased levels of inflammatory factors tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1ß). Moreover, Pb decreased the expression of silencing information regulator 2 related enzyme 1 (SIRT1) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and increased the levels of high mobile group box 1 (HMGB1) expression and p65 nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) phosphorylation. PAS-Na treatment ameliorated Pb-induced histopathological changes in rat cerebral cortex. Moreover, PAS-Na reduced the Pb-induced increase of TNF-α and IL-1ß levels concomitant with a significant increase in SIRT1 and BDNF levels, and a decrease in HMGB1 and the phosphorylation of p65 NF-κB expression. Thus, PAS-Na may exert anti-inflammatory effects by mediating the SIRT1/HMGB1/NF-κB pathway and BDNF expression. In conclusion, in this novel study PAS-Na was shown to possess an anti-inflammatory effect on cortical neuroinflammation, establishing its efficacy as a potential treatment for Pb exposures.

Enhancement of sonodynamic treatment of ovarian cancer based on Pt-B-P ternary nanoparticles.

Sonodynamic therapy (SDT) can noninvasively focus sound energy to deep tumor tissues and activate sonosensitizer (such as chlorin e6(Ce6)) to produce antitumor effects. However, due to the hypoxic microenvironment of the tumor, the effect of sonodynamic therapy is limited. In this work, we successfully synthesized Platinum-Boron-Phosphorus ternary nanoparticles (Pt-B-P NPs) for the first time to efficiently catalyze the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in tumor tissues to produce sufficient oxygen (O2) and improve the effect of sonodynamic treatment of ovarian cancer. In vitro studies, we found that compared with Platinum nanoparticles (Pt NPs), Pt-B-P NPs have the significantly increased ability to catalyze the decomposition of H2O2 to produce oxygen and thus the hypoxic environment of tumor cells could be improved efficiently. Meanwhile, the bio-distribution, therapeutic effect and bio-safety of Pt-B-P NPs in vivo were evaluated using BALB/c-nu mouse model of ovarian cancer and the desired result had been achieved.

A web-based prediction model for overall survival of elderly patients with early renal cell carcinoma: a population-based study.

BACKGROUND: The number of elderly patients with early renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is on the rise. However, there is still a lack of accurate prediction models for the prognosis of early RCC in elderly patients. It is necessary to establish a new nomogram to predict the prognosis of elderly patients with early RCC. METHODS: The data of patients aged above 65 years old with TNM stage I and II RCC were downloaded from the SEER database between 2010 and 2018. The patients from 2010 to 2017 were randomly assigned to the training cohort (n = 7233) and validation cohort (n = 3024). Patient data in 2018(n = 1360) was used for external validation. We used univariable and multivariable Cox regression model to evaluate independent prognostic factors and constructed a nomogram to predict the 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival (OS) rates of patients with early-stage RCC. Multiple parameters were used to validate the nomogram, including the consistency index (C-index), the calibration plots, the area under the receiver operator characteristics (ROC) curve, and the decision curve analysis (DCA). RESULTS: The study included a total of 11,617 elderly patients with early RCC. univariable and multivariable Cox regression analysis based on predictive variables such as age, sex, histologic type, Fuhrman grade, T stage, surgery type, tumors number, tumor size, and marriage were included to establish a nomogram. The C-index of the training cohort and validation cohort were 0.748 (95% CI: 0.760-0.736) and 0.744 (95% CI: 0.762-0.726), respectively. In the external validation cohort, C-index was 0.893 (95% CI: 0.928-0.858). The calibration plots basically coincides with the diagonal, indicating that the observed OS was almost equal to the predicted OS. It was shown in DCA that the nomogram has more important clinical significance than the traditional TNM stage. CONCLUSION: A novel nomogram was developed to assess the prognosis of an elderly patient with early RCC and to predict prognosis and formulate treatment and follow-up strategies.

The impact of self-efficacy on first onset and prognosis of major depressive disorder: findings from a longitudinal study in a sample of Chinese first-year university students.

BACKGROUND: Self-efficacy is a pivotal factor in the etiology and prognosis of major depression. However, longitudinal studies on the relationship between self-efficacy and major depressive disorder (MDD) are scarce. The objectives were to investigate: (1) the associations between self-efficacy and the 1-year and 2-year risks of first onset of MDD and (2) the associations between self-efficacy and the 1-year and 2-year risks of the persistence/recurrence of MDD, in a sample of first-year university students. METHODS: We followed 8079 first-year university students for 2 years from April 2018 to October 2020. MDD was ascertained by the Chinese version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI-3.0) based on self-report. Self-efficacy was measured by the 10-item General Self-efficacy (GSE) scale. Random effect logistic regression modeling was used to estimate the associations. RESULTS: Among participants without a lifetime MDD, the data showed that participants with high baseline GSE scores were associated with a higher risk of first onset of MDD over 2 years [odds ratio (OR) 1.04, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01-1.08]. Among those with a lifetime MDD, participants with high baseline GSE scores were less likely to have had a MDD over 2 years (OR 0.93, 95% CI 0.88-0.99) compared to others. CONCLUSIONS: A high level of GSE may be protective of the risk of persistent or recurrent MDD. More longitudinal studies in university students are needed to further investigate the impact of GSE on the first onset of MDD.

A dual-signal electrochemical immunosensor for the detection of HPV16 E6 oncoprotein based on PdBP dendritic ternary nanospheres and MBSi-Chi nanocomposites.

Cervical cancer is a common cancer in women. HPV16 E6 oncoprotein is a reliable biomarker for cervical cancer. Although there are other methods for detecting E6 oncoprotein, the electrochemical method has more advantages, such as low cost, convenience and speed. In this study, a novel dual-signal electrochemical immunosensor for quick and sensitive detection of E6 oncoprotein based on a high efficiency catalyst and signal label was developed. Herein, to achieve quick detection, palladium-boron-phosphorus dendritic ternary nanospheres (PdBP NSs) not only acted as a catalyst to catalyze H2O2, but also as a support material to capture antibodies. Moreover, to realize sensitive detection, nanocomposites of mesoporous silica nanoparticles loaded with methylene blue and coated with chitosan (MBSi-Chi) were synthesized as a signal label, which can produce electrochemical signal. Under optimal conditions, the label-free immunosensor exhibited a linear range of 100 fg mL-1 to 4 ng mL-1 with a detection limit of 72.8 fg mL-1 (S/N = 3), and the sandwich-type immunosensor presented a linear range of 50 fg mL-1 to 4 ng mL-1 with a detection limit of 34.1 fg mL-1 (S/N = 3). The as-prepared dual-signal immunosensor had desirable specificity, stability and repeatability, implying its potential applications in clinical laboratory.

Sodium para-aminosalicylic acid ameliorates lead-induced hippocampal neuronal apoptosis by suppressing the activation of the IP3R-Ca2+-ASK1-p38 signaling pathway.

Lead (Pb) is a naturally occurring heavy metal, which can damage the brain and affect learning and memory. Sodium para-aminosalicylic acid (PAS-Na), a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, can readily cross the blood-brain barrier. Our previous studies have found that PAS-Na alleviated Pb-induced hippocampal ultrastructural damage and neurodegeneration, but the mechanism has yet to be defined. Here, we investigated the molecular mechanisms that mediate Pb-induced apoptosis in hippocampal neurons, and the efficacy of PAS-Na in alleviating its effects. This work showed that juvenile developmental Pb exposure impaired rats cognitive ability by inducing apoptotic cell death in hippocampal neurons. Pb-induced neuronal apoptosis was accompanied by increased inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor (IP3R) expression and enhanced intracellular calcium [Ca2+]i levels, which resulted in increased phosphorylation of neuronal apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1) and p38. Activation of ASK1 and p38 was blocked by IP3R inhibitor and a Ca2+ chelator. Importantly, PAS-Na treatment improved the Pb-induced effects on cognitive deficits in rats, concomitant with rescued neuronal apoptosis. In addition, PAS-Na reduced the expression of IP3R and the ensuing increase in intracellular Ca2+ and decreased the phosphorylation of ASK1 and p38 in Pb-exposed neurons. Taken together, this study demonstrates that the IP3R-Ca2+-ASK1-p38 signaling pathway mediates Pb-induced apoptosis in hippocampal neurons, and that PAS-Na, at a specific dose-range, ameliorates these changes. Collectively, this study sheds novel light on the cellular mechanisms that mediate PAS-Na efficacy, laying the groundwork for future research to examine the treatment potential of PAS-Na upon Pb poisoning.

DMAG, a novel countermeasure for the treatment of thrombocytopenia.

BACKGROUND: Thrombocytopenia is one of the most common hematological disease that can be life-threatening caused by bleeding complications. However, the treatment options for thrombocytopenia remain limited. METHODS: In this study, giemsa staining, phalloidin staining, immunofluorescence and flow cytometry were used to identify the effects of 3,3'-di-O-methylellagic acid 4'-glucoside (DMAG), a natural ellagic acid derived from Sanguisorba officinalis L. (SOL) on megakaryocyte differentiation in HEL cells. Then, thrombocytopenia mice model was constructed by X-ray irradiation to evaluate the therapeutic action of DMAG on thrombocytopenia. Furthermore, the effects of DMAG on platelet function were evaluated by tail bleeding time, platelet aggregation and platelet adhesion assays. Next, network pharmacology approaches were carried out to identify the targets of DMAG. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses were performed to elucidate the underling mechanism of DMAG against thrombocytopenia. Finally, molecular docking simulation, molecular dynamics simulation and western blot analysis were used to explore the relationship between DAMG with its targets. RESULTS: DMAG significantly promoted megakaryocyte differentiation of HEL cells. DMAG administration accelerated platelet recovery and megakaryopoiesis, shortened tail bleeding time, strengthened platelet aggregation and adhesion in thrombocytopenia mice. Network pharmacology revealed that ITGA2B, ITGB3, VWF, PLEK, TLR2, BCL2, BCL2L1 and TNF were the core targets of DMAG. GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses suggested that the core targets of DMAG were enriched in PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, hematopoietic cell lineage, ECM-receptor interaction and platelet activation. Molecular docking simulation and molecular dynamics simulation further indicated that ITGA2B, ITGB3, PLEK and TLR2 displayed strong binding ability with DMAG. Finally, western blot analysis evidenced that DMAG up-regulated the expression of ITGA2B, ITGB3, VWF, p-Akt and PLEK. CONCLUSION: DMAG plays a critical role in promoting megakaryocytes differentiation and platelets production and might be a promising medicine for the treatment of thrombocytopenia.

Adaptive beam shaping for enhanced underwater wireless optical communication.

In this paper, we proposed and experimentally verified a diffraction-based optical beam shaping technique for underwater optical communication (UWOC) applications. The proposed method aimed to address the key issue in UWOC links, i.e., the high propagation loss experienced by the launched optical beam. It enabled a significantly higher portion of the launched signal to be collected by the receiver. The optimal transmission distance could also be fine-tuned by the software configuration. In a proof-of-concept demonstration based on the off-the-shelf components, 100 Mbps transmission was achieved over 15-meter distance and a significant enhancement in the transmission quality was observed. There is a huge scope for further improvement in the transmission distance and data rate when the proposed technique was used with purpose-built optical components and advanced coding schemes.

Acute and subacute inhalation toxicity assessment of WS-23 in Sprague-Dawley rats.

2-isopropyl-N,2,3-trimethylbutyramide (WS-23) is a well-known artificial synthesis cooling agent widely used in foods, medicines, and tobaccos. As a commonly cooling agent in e-cigarette liquids, WS-23 has led to concerns about the inhalation toxicity with the prosperous of e-cigarettes in recent years. Thus, the aim of this study is to assess the acute and subacute inhalation toxicity of WS-23 in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) guidelines. In the acute toxicity study, there was no mortality and behavioral signs of toxicity at the limit test dose level (340.0 mg/m3 ) in the exposure period and the following 14-day observation period. In the subacute inhalation toxicity study, there was no significant difference observed in the body weights, feed consumption, and relative organ weights. Haematological, serum biochemical, urine, and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) analysis revealed the non-adverse effects after 28-day repeated WS-23 inhalation (342.85 mg/m3 ), accompanied by slight changes in few parameters which returned to normal during the 28-day recovery period. The histopathologic examination also did not show any differences in vital organs. In conclusion, the maximum tolerated dose for WS-23 acute inhalation is not less than 340.0 mg/m3 , and the No Observed Adverse Effect Level (NOAEL) of WS-23 subacute inhalation was determined to be over 342.85 mg/m3 .

Ultra-broadband metamaterial absorber from ultraviolet to long-wave infrared based on CMOS-compatible materials.

Broadband absorption of electromagnetic waves in different wavelength regions is desired for applications ranging from highly efficient solar cells, waste heat harvesting, multi-color infrared (IR) detection to sub-ambient radiative cooling. Taper-shaped structures made up of alternating metal/dielectric multilayers offer the broadest absorption bandwidth so far, but face a trade-off between optical performance and material choice, i.e., those with the broadest bandwidth utilize exclusively CMOS-incompatible materials, hampering their large-scale applications. In this work, through careful examination of the unique material property of aluminum (Al) and zinc sulfide (ZnS), a sawtooth-like and a pyramid-like multilayer absorber is proposed, whose working bandwidth (0.2-15 µm) covers from ultraviolet (UV) all the way to long-wave infrared (LWIR) range, being compatible with CMOS technology at the same time. The working principle of broadband absorption is elucidated with effective hyperbolic metamaterial model plus the excitation of multiple slow-light modes. Absorption performance such as polarization and incidence-angle dependence are also investigated. The proposed Al-ZnS multilayer absorbers with ultra-broadband near-perfect absorption may find potential applications in infrared imaging and spectroscopy, radiative cooling, solar energy conversion, etc.

Study on the Effects of Potential Affecting Factors on the Midurethral Volume by High-Frequency 3-Dimensional Transvaginal Ultrasound.

OBJECTIVES: The anatomic integrity of the female mid urethra is an important factor for urinary continence. However, the associations between the urethral volume and potential affecting factors still remain uncertain. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of potential factors, including age, height, weight, body mass index (BMI), parity number, delivery mode, and menopause, on the midurethral volume to assist in more-accurate evaluations of urethral anatomy and urinary continence mechanisms in clinical practice. METHODS: A total of 244 women were included in this study. All patients had no incontinence symptoms and underwent transvaginal ultrasound examinations. Detailed histories and demographic data were collected. Urethral volumes were acquired, and volume parameters were measured offline, including the urethral sphincter volume (USV), midurethral complex volume (CV), and inner core volume (ICV). Correlations were analyzed by the Spearman test. For categorical variables, an analysis of variance, Mann-Whitney tests, or Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to estimate associations of potential affecting factors and volumes. RESULTS: The mean age, height, weight, and BMI ± SD of the patients were 35.42 ± 9.88 years, 161.50 ± 4.96 cm, 60.72 ± 11.42 kg, and 23.29 ± 4.20 kg/m2 , respectively. Among potential affecting factors, age had a weak correlation with the USV, CV, and ICV (P = .031, .003, and .004; r = 0.140, 0.193, and 0.187), whereas parity numbers significantly affected the USV, CV, and ICV (P = .014, .021, and .026). The urethral volume became larger with increasing parity. Height (P = .391, .637, and .647), weight (P = .077, .130, and .245), BMI (P = .583, .592, and .643), delivery mode (P = .483, .171, and .104), and menopausal status (P = .611, .717, and .830) had no significant impact on the midurethral volume data (USV, CV, and ICV). CONCLUSIONS: The midurethral volume tended to increase with age and parity in continent women.

Comparative study on the clinical application of mixed reality technology leading micro-invasive intervertebral foramen puncture location and blind puncture location.

OBJECTIVE: To discuss the function of mixed reality (MR) technology in guiding location of intervertebral foramen microscopic puncture and analyze its feasibility and clinical application value. METHODS: Sixty patients with lumbar intervertebral disc who were treated between January 2017 to October 2017 were chosen, and classified into navigation group (30 cases) and traditional control (30 cases) according to random number table. Intervertebral foramen microscopic operation was conducted for both groups. MR technology was applied for the navigation group to guide puncture and establish intervertebral foramen microscopic cannula. Traditional C-arm X-ray apparatus was used for traditional group to establish intervertebral foramen microscopic cannula. Intra-operative puncture times, fluoroscopy times, puncture time and VAS score 1d, 3m and 6m after the operation were recorded and compared. RESULTS: Postoperative waist and leg pain symptoms of both groups were relieved obviously, and straight leg raising test for the diseased limb turned to be negative. Intra-operative puncture times, fluoroscopy times, puncture time and operation time had statistical significance decrease. CONCLUSION: Mixed reality (MR) can accurately guide the establishment of intervertebral foramen microscopic cannula, solve the bottleneck problem of intervertebral foramen microscopic technology, promote puncture success rate, reduce repeated puncture times, avoid by-injury, shorten puncture time and reduce X-ray radiation quantity of operators and patients, so it deserves to be promoted and applied.

CMOS-compatible plasmonic hydrogen sensors with a detection limit of 40 ppm.

Sensing of leakage at an early stage is crucial for the safe utilization of hydrogen. Optical hydrogen sensors eliminate the potential hazard of ignition caused by electrical sparks but achieve a detection limit far higher than their electrical counterparts so far. To essentially improve the performance of optical hydrogen sensors in terms of detection limit, we demonstrate in this work a plasmonic hydrogen sensor based on aluminum-palladium (Al-Pd) hybrid nanorods. Arranged into high-density regular arrays, the hybrid nanorods are capable of sensing hydrogen at a concentration down to 40 ppm, i.e., one thousandth of the lower flammability limit of hydrogen in air. Different sensing behaviors are found for two sensor configurations, where Pd-Al nanorods provide larger spectral shift and Al-Pd ones exhibit shorter response time. In addition, the plasmonic hydrogen sensors here utilize exclusively CMOS-compatible materials, holding the potential for real-world, large-scale applications.

A label-free immunosensor for the detection of nuclear matrix protein-22 based on a chrysanthemum-like Co-MOFs/CuAu NWs nanocomposite.

In this study, a new, simple, and label-free electrochemical immunosensor was presented for the detection of nuclear matrix protein-22 (NMP-22). In order to accurately monitor very small amounts of NMP-22, it was advantageous to use highly efficient nanomaterials as signals. For this reason, we synthesized a chrysanthemum-like nanocomposite (Co-MOFs/CuAu NWs), using Co-based metal-organic frameworks (Co-MOFs) as carriers and copper gold nanowires (CuAu NWs) wrapped around their surface, which was applied for modifying a glassy carbon electrode (GCE). The Co-MOFs/CuAu NWs possessed outstanding catalytic capabilities, which served as signal materials and simultaneously carried the anti-NMP-22 antibody (Ab). When different concentrations of the NMP-22 antigen (Ag) were specifically attached to the immunosensor, the current responses decreased by varying degrees. The designed biosensor used the principle to establish a linear regression equation and achieve an accurate quantification of NMP-22. After optimization, the NMP-22 sensor exhibited a good linear response over a concentration range from 0.1 pg mL-1 to 1 ng mL-1, with a lower detection limit of 33 fg mL-1 (based on S/N = 3). The proposed biosensor demonstrated the advantages of ultra-sensitivity, high specificity and acceptable reproducibility, suggesting that the proposed strategy has the potential for the quantification of NMP-22 in human urine samples. Moreover, the novel nanocomposite Co-MOFs/CuAu NWs are promising materials for electrochemical sensors to detect other biomolecules.

Tailorable chiral optical response through coupling among plasmonic meta-atoms with distinct shapes.

Chiral plasmonic nanostructures with giant and tunable chiral optical responses hold great potential in chiral sensing applications for chemistry, biology, and pharmacy, etc. For the origin of the chiral optical response of artificial plasmonic chiral assemblies, resonant and off-resonant coupling mechanisms have been figured out. However, most existing chiral plasmonic assemblies are based on only one mechanism, where strong optical chirality always compromises with spectral tunability. To release the trade-off between the strength and spectral tunability, we employ a combination of resonant and off-resonant coupling mechanisms and demonstrate a pronounced and tailorable chiral optical response based on plasmonic meta-atoms with distinct shapes. We anticipate that our strategy provides more flexibility in designing chiral plamsonic nanostructures and promotes the field further towards customized chiral plasmonic platforms.