Charge-Selective 2D Heterointerface-Driven Multifunctional Floating Gate Memory for In Situ Sensing-Memory-Computing.

Flash memory, dominating data storage due to its substantial storage density and cost efficiency, faces limitations such as slow response, high operating voltages, absence of optoelectronic response, etc., hindering the development of sensing-memory-computing capability. Here, we present an ultrathin platinum disulfide (PtS2)/hexagonal boron nitride (hBN)/multilayer graphene (MLG) van der Waals heterojunction with atomically sharp interfaces, achieving selective charge tunneling behavior and demonstrating ultrafast operations, a high on/off ratio (108), extremely low operating voltage, robust endurance (105 cycles), and retention exceeding 10 years. Additionally, we achieve highly linear synaptic potentiation and depression, and observe the reversibly gate-tunable transitions between positive and negative photoconductivity. Furthermore, we employed the VGG11 neural network for in situ trained in-sensor-memory-computing to classify the CIFAR-10 data set, pushing accuracy levels comparable to pure digital systems. This work could pave the way for seamlessly integrated sensing, memory, and computing capabilities for diverse edge computing.

[Progress in neurosurgical treatment of neurofibromatosis type 1].

Objective: To summarize the latest developments in neurosurgical treatments for neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) and explore therapeutic strategies to provide comprehensive treatment guidelines for clinicians. Methods: The recent domestic and international literature and clinical cases in the field of NF1 were reviewed. The main types of neurological complications associated with NF1 and their treatments were thorough summarized and the future research directions in neurosurgery was analyzed. Results: NF1 frequently results in complex and diverse lesions in the central and peripheral nervous systems, particularly low-grade gliomas in the brain and spinal canal and paraspinal neurofibromas. Treatment decisions should be made by a multidisciplinary team. Symptomatic plexiform neurofibromas and tumors with malignant imaging evidence require neurosurgical intervention. The goals of surgery include reducing tumor size, alleviating pain, and improving appearance. Postoperative functional rehabilitation exercises, long-term multidisciplinary follow-up, and psychosocial interventions are crucial for improving the quality of life for patients. Advanced imaging guidance systems and artificial intelligence technologies can help increase tumor resection rates and reduce recurrence. Conclusion: Neurosurgical intervention is the primary treatment for symptomatic plexiform neurofibromas and malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors when medical treatment is ineffective and the lesions progress rapidly. Preoperative multidisciplinary assessment, intraoperative electrophysiological monitoring, and advanced surgical assistance devices significantly enhance surgical efficacy and safety. Future research should continue to explore new surgical techniques and improve postoperative management strategies to achieve more precise and personalized treatment for NF1 patients.

Domain adaptive semantic segmentation by optimal transport.

Scene segmentation is widely used in autonomous driving for environmental perception. Semantic scene segmentation has gained considerable attention owing to its rich semantic information. It assigns labels to the pixels in an image, thereby enabling automatic image labeling. Current approaches are based mainly on convolutional neural networks (CNN), however, they rely on numerous labels. Therefore, the use of a small amount of labeled data to achieve semantic segmentation has become increasingly important. In this study, we developed a domain adaptation framework based on optimal transport (OT) and an attention mechanism to address this issue. Specifically, we first generated the output space via a CNN owing to its superior of feature representation. Second, we utilized OT to achieve a more robust alignment of the source and target domains in the output space, where the OT plan defined a well attention mechanism to improve the adaptation of the model. In particular, the OT reduced the number of network parameters and made the network more interpretable. Third, to better describe the multiscale properties of the features, we constructed a multiscale segmentation network to perform domain adaptation. Finally, to verify the performance of the proposed method, we conducted an experiment to compare the proposed method with three benchmark and four SOTA methods using three scene datasets. The mean intersection-over-union (mIOU) was significantly improved, and visualization results under multiple domain adaptation scenarios also show that the proposed method performed better than semantic segmentation methods.

Spatial transcriptomics reveal tumor microenvironment and SLCO2A1 correlated with tumor suppression in hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (HSCC) is a type of head and neck tumor with malignant behavior and poor prognosis. Spatial transcriptomics is a method that spatially analyzes gene expression patterns in tissues and has been used to discover tumor microenvironment and molecular markers in various tumors. However, there are no published reports on spatial transcriptomic analysis of HSCC. METHODS: In this study, spatial transcriptomic analysis was performed on tumor tissues in situ, peritumoral tissues, and lymphatic metastatic tissues of four patients with HSCC. Morphological markers, including panCK, SMA, and CD45, were used to identify epithelial, fibroblast, and immune cells, respectively. By analyzing the expression of more than 18, 000 genes within the transcriptome of all ROIs, differentially expressed genes of three cell types in different tissues were identified, and differentially expressed signaling pathways and immune infiltration were analyzed. RESULTS: The spatial distribution of cells suggests that fibroblast cells in tumor tissues may be involved in the genesis and development of tumors, and the immune infiltration of lymphatic tumor metastasis is lower than that of tumors in situ. For epithelial cells, SLCO2A1, which is a favorable prognosis marker in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), was significantly down-regulated in tumor tissues and lymphatic metastatic tissues compared with adjacent normal tissues. For immune cells, KANK3, which is a favorable prognosis markers in HNSCC, was significantly down-regulated in lymphatic metastatic tissues compared with adjacent normal tissues. For fibroblast cells, AQP1, CLEC3B and SLCO2A1, which are favorable prognosis markers in HNSCC, were significantly down-regulated in tumor tissues compared with adjacent normal tissues. ITGA8, which is a favorable prognosis markers in HNSCC, was significantly down-regulated in lymphatic metastatic tissues compared with normal lymphatic tissues. CSRP1, DES, and SLCO2A1 positively correlate with immune infiltration in HNSCC. Moreover, SLCO2A1 overexpression suppressed Fadu cells proliferation and metastasis and significantly correlated with favorable survival overcome in HSCC. CONCLUSIONS: We investigated tumor and fibroblast heterogeneity, as well as the immune microenvironment in HSCC by using spatial transcriptomics. SLCO2A1 may be a tumor suppressor gene and correlates with immune infiltration for HSCC and could serve as a potential target for its diagnosis and treatment.

In Vivo Calcium Imaging of Granule Cells in the Dentate Gyrus of Hippocampus in Mice.

Real-time approaches are typically needed in studies of learning and memory, and in vivo calcium imaging provides the possibility to investigate neuronal activity in awake animals during behavior tasks. Since the hippocampus is closely associated with episodic and spatial memory, it has become an essential brain region in this field's research. In recent research, engram cells and place cells were studied by recording the neural activities in the hippocampal CA1 region using the miniature microscope in mice while performing behavioral tasks including open-field and linear track. Although the dentate gyrus is another important region in the hippocampus, it has rarely been studied with in vivo imaging due to its greater depth and difficulty for imaging. In this protocol, we present in detail a calcium imaging process, including how to inject the virus, implant a GRIN (Gradient-index) lens, and attach a base plate for imaging the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus. We further describe how to preprocess the calcium imaging data using MATLAB. Additionally, studies of other deep brain regions that require imaging may benefit from this method.

The pulmonary-vascular-stump filling defect on CT post lung tumor resection: a predictor of cancer progression.

BACKGROUND: To explore the pulmonary-vascular-stump filling-defect on CT and investigate its association with cancer progression. METHODS: Records in our institutional database from 2018 to 2022 were retrospectively analyzed to identify filling-defects in the pulmonary-vascular-stump after lung cancer resection and collect imaging and clinical data of patients. RESULTS: Among the 1714 patients analyzed, 95 cases of filling-defects in the vascular stump after lung cancer resection were identified. After excluding lost-to-follow-up cases, a total of 77 cases were included in the final study. Morphologically, the filling-defects were dichotomized as 46 convex-shape and 31 concave-shape cases. Concave defects exhibited a higher incidence of increase compared to convex defects (51.7% v. 9.4%, P = 0.001). Among 61 filling defects in the pulmonary arterial stump, four (6.5%) increasing concave defects showed the nuclide concentration on PET and extravascular extension. The progression-free survival (PFS) time differed significantly among the concave, convex, and non-filling-defect groups (log-rank P < 0.0001), with concave defects having the shortest survival time. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards analysis indicated that the shape of filling-defects independently predicted PFS in early onset on CT (HR: 0.46; 95% CI: 0.39-1.99; P = 0.04). In follow-ups, the growth of filling-effects was an independent predictor of PFS (HR: 0.26; 95% CI: 0.11-0.65; P = 0.004). CONCLUSIONS: Certain filling-defects in the pulmonary-arterial-stump post lung tumor resection exhibit malignant growth. In the early onset of filling-defects on CT, the concave-shape independently predicted cancer-progression, while during the subsequent follow-up, the growth of filling-defects could be used independently to forecast cancer-progression.

Coronary artery wall contrast enhancement imaging impact on disease activity assessment in IgG4-RD: a direct marker of coronary involvement.

BACKGROUND: Coronary artery wall contrast enhancement (CE) has been applied to non-invasive visualization of changes to the coronary artery wall in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). This study investigated the feasibility of quantifying CE to detect coronary involvement in IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD), as well as the influence on disease activity assessment. METHODS: A total of 93 subjects (31 IgG4-RD; 29 SLE; 33 controls) were recruited in the study. Coronary artery wall imaging was performed in a 3.0 T MRI scanner. Serological markers and IgG4-RD Responder Index (IgG4-RD-RI) scores were collected for correlation analysis. RESULTS: Coronary wall CE was observed in 29 (94 %) IgG4-RD patients and 22 (76 %) SLE patients. Contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) and total CE area were significantly higher in patient groups compared to controls (CNR: 6.1 ± 2.7 [IgG4-RD] v. 4.2 ± 2.3 [SLE] v. 1.9 ± 1.5 [control], P < 0.001; Total CE area: 3.0 [3.0-6.6] v. 1.7 [1.5-2.6] v. 0.3 [0.3-0.9], P < 0.001). In the IgG4-RD group, CNR and total CE area were correlated with the RI (CNR: r = 0.55, P = 0.002; total CE area: r = 0.39, P = 0.031). RI´ scored considering coronary involvement by CE, differed significantly from RI scored without consideration of CE (RI v. RI´: 15 ± 6 v. 16 ± 6, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Visualization and quantification of CMR coronary CE by CNR and total CE area could be utilized to detect subclinical and clinical coronary wall involvement, which is prevalent in IgG4-RD. The potential inclusion of small and medium-sized vessel involvements in the assessment of disease activity in IgG4-RD is worthy of further investigation.

Wolbachia symbionts control sex in a parasitoid wasp using a horizontally acquired gene.

Host reproduction can be manipulated by bacterial symbionts in various ways. Parthenogenesis induction is the most effective type of reproduction manipulation by symbionts for their transmission. Insect sex is determined by regulation of doublesex (dsx) splicing through transformer2 (tra2) and transformer (tra) interaction. Although parthenogenesis induction by symbionts has been studied since the 1970s, its underlying molecular mechanism is unknown. Here we identify a Wolbachia parthenogenesis-induction feminization factor gene (piff) that targets sex-determining genes and causes female-producing parthenogenesis in the haplodiploid parasitoid Encarsia formosa. We found that Wolbachia elimination repressed expression of female-specific dsx and enhanced expression of male-specific dsx, which led to the production of wasp haploid male offspring. Furthermore, we found that E. formosa tra is truncated and non-functional, and Wolbachia has a functional tra homolog, termed piff, with an insect origin. Wolbachia PIFF can colocalize and interact with wasp TRA2. Moreover, Wolbachia piff has coordinated expression with tra2 and dsx of E. formosa. Our results demonstrate the bacterial symbiont Wolbachia has acquired an insect gene to manipulate the host sex determination cascade and induce parthenogenesis in wasps. This study reveals insect-to-bacteria horizontal gene transfer drives the evolution of animal sex determination systems, elucidating a striking mechanism of insect-microbe symbiosis.

Single-cell transcriptomic landscape and the microenvironment of normal adjacent tissues in hypopharyngeal carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: The cellular origin of hypopharyngeal diseases is crucial for further diagnosis and treatment, and the microenvironment in tissues may also be associated with specific cell types at the same time. Normal adjacent tissues (NATs) of hypopharyngeal carcinoma differ from non-tumor-bearing tissues, and can influenced by the tumor. However, the heterogeneity in kinds of disease samples remains little known, and the transcriptomic profile about biological information associated with disease occurrence and clinical outcome contained in it has yet to be fully evaluated. For these reasons, we should quickly investigate the taxonomic and transcriptomic information of NATs in human hypopharynx. RESULTS: Single-cell suspensions of normal adjacent tissues (NATs) of hypopharyngeal carcinoma were obtained and single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) was performed. We present scRNA-seq data from 39,315 high-quality cells in the hypopharyngeal from five human donors, nine clusters of normal adjacent human hypopharyngeal cells were presented, including epithelial cells, endothelial cells (ECs), mononuclear phagocyte system cells (MPs), fibroblasts, T cells, plasma cells, B cells, mural cells and mast cells. Nonimmune components in the microenvironment, including epithelial cells, endothelial cells, fibroblasts and the subpopulations of them were performed. CONCLUSIONS: Our data provide a solid basis for the study of single-cell landscape in human normal adjacent hypopharyngeal tissues biology and related diseases.

Effect of Halomonas titanicae on fluctuating water-line corrosion of EH40 steel.

The fluctuating water-line corrosion of EH40 steel in sterile and biotic media was investigated with a wire beam electrode. When the coupons were partially immersed in the sterile medium, the position of the low water-line acted as the cathodic zone and the area below the low water-line constantly served as the main anodic zone. The thin electrolyte layers with uneven thickness promoted the galvanic current of the region below the low water-line. Different from the sterile environment, the metabolism of Halomonas titanica with oxygen as the final electron acceptor reduced the dissolved oxygen concentration, which resulted in the position of the low water-line acting as the anodic zone.

Evaluation the relationship between myocardial fibrosis and left ventricular torsion measured by cardiac magnetic resonance feature-tracking in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy patients with preserved ejection fraction.

The relationship between left ventricular (LV) torsion and myocardial fibrosis (MF) in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) patients with preserved ejection fraction was still not well understood. New developments in cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) enable a much fuller assessment of cardiac characteristics. This study sought to assess the impact of HCM on myocardial function as assessed by LV torsion and its relationship with MF. HCM (n = 79) and healthy controls (n = 40) underwent CMR. According to whether there was late gadolinium enhancement (LGE), patients were divided into LGE+ group and LGE- group. LV torsion and torsion rate were measured by CMR feature-tracking (CMR-FT). MF was quantitatively evaluated through LGE imaging. LGE was present in 44 patients (56%). Compared with healthy controls, torsion increased in the LGE- group (P < 0.001). Compared with LGE+ group, torsion was higher in the LGE- group (P < 0.001). There was no significant difference in torsion between LGE+ group and healthy controls. Correlation analysis showed that torsion was correlated with LGE% (r = - 0.443) and LGE mass (r = - 0.435) respectively. On multivariable logistic regression analysis, LV torsion was the only feature that was independently associated with the presence of LGE (OR 0.130; 95% CI 0.040 to 0.420, P = 0.01). The best torsion value associated with MF was 1.91 (sensitivity 60.0%, specificity 77.3%, AUC = 0.733). In HCM patients with preserved ejection fraction, CMR-FT derived LV torsion analysis holds promise for myocardial fibrosis detection.

The impact of alloying element Cu on corrosion and biofilms of 316L stainless steel exposed to seawater.

Copper-containing stainless steel (SS) has been reported to mitigate biofilms in industrial and clinical environments. However, the impact of copper released from copper-containing SS in natural seawater on biofilms and corrosion is still unclear. In this study, three kinds of 316L SS were immersed in natural seawater for 6 months, and the pitting depth decreased in the order: 316L-Cu SS (annealed) > 316L SS > 316L-Cu SS (aged). The biofilm thickness and number of sessile cells on the surface of 316L-Cu SS (annealed) and 316L SS were similar but notably greater than those of 316L-Cu SS (aged). Furthermore, the results of the community analysis indicated that the addition of copper in 316L-Cu SS (aged) reduced the diversity and richness of the microbial community, resulting in a significant reduction in the number of genera constituting the biofilms. Copper ions exhibit a broad-spectrum bactericidal effect, effectively reducing the abundance of dominant populations and microbial genera in the biofilms, thereby mitigating pitting corrosion induced by microorganisms. In addition, the PCoA scatter plot showed that time also played an important role in the regulation of microbial community structure.

Antithermal Quenching Upconversion Luminescence via Suppressed Multiphonon Relaxation in Positive/Negative Thermal Expansion Core/Shell NaYF4:Yb/Ho@ScF3 Nanoparticles.

Thermal quenching (TQ) has been naturally entangling with luminescence since its discovery, and lattice vibration, which is characterized as multiphonon relaxation (MPR), plays a critical role. Considering that MPR may be suppressed under exterior pressure, we have designed a core/shell upconversion luminescence (UCL) system of α-NaYF4:Yb/Ln@ScF3 (Ln = Ho, Er, and Tm) with positive/negative thermal expansion behavior so that positive thermal expansion of the core will be restrained by negative thermal expansion of the shell when heated. This imposed pressure on the crystal lattice of the core suppresses MPR, reduces the amount of energy depleted by TQ, and eventually saves more energy for luminescing, so that anti-TQ or even thermally enhanced UCL is obtained.

In vitro differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem cells into temporomandibular joint disc like cells.

Temporomandibular joint discs (TMJ discs) are unable to repair themselves in disease states, while induced stem cell differentiation is a common method to repair tissue defects. Nowadays, kinds of stem cells are attempted for tissue regeneration of TMJ disc, but these methods have several downsides, which limit their wide application. The proliferation and differentiation ability of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC) provides a new research direction for TMJ disc tissue regeneration. In this study, we investigated the feasibility of induced differentiation of hiPSC into TMJ disc cells in vitro and the differentiation efficiency of different methods to clarify the possibility and conditions of hiPSC application in TMJ disc tissue engineering. We collected sheep TMJ disc cells cultures for adding in hiPSC culture environment and treated hiPSC by both direct induction and Transwell co-culture for 7 days, 14 days and 21 days. The secretion of extracellular matrix in TMJ disc cells was detected by Sirius Red and Safranin O staining. Collagen Ⅰ and Collagen Ⅱ were qualitatively detected by immunohistochemical staining. The expression of extracellular matrix genes (type I collagen (COL1A1), type II collagen(COL2), glycosaminoglycan (GAG)), chondrogenic differentiation gene SOX9 and pluripotency gene OCT4 were detected by RT-qPCR. Our results showed that hiPSC had the ability to differentiate to TMJ disc cells by direct induction in TMJ disc cell culture medium and by Transwell co-culture method. The highest degree of differentiation was observed after 14 days of direct induction, while Transwell co-culture showed significant differentiation at different times and with different major directions. Meanwhile, Transwell co-culture not only differentiates hiPSC but also promotes the growth and proliferation of TMJ disc cells. Our study is valuable to investigate the possibility of differentiation of hiPSC toward TMJ disc cells and to determine the time of differentiation. It provides new ideas for the selection of seed cells for TMJ disc tissue engineering.

Corrosion of Pseudomonas aeruginosa toward a Cu-Zn-Ni alloy inhibited by the simulative tidal region.

The corrosion of marine engineering equipment not only threatens human security and ecological environment but also increases energy consumption, restricting the sustainable development of marine economies and industries. The tidal region is a complex and challenging environment that can cause severe corrosion of facilities and affect microbial activities. However, the current understanding of the mechanisms underlying microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) of tidal region is insufficient. To address this issue, the effect of Pseudomonas aeruginosa on a Cu-Zn-Ni alloy in the simulative tidal region was investigated by chemical and molecular biological analysis in this study. The results demonstrated that P. aeruginosa formed thicker biofilms on the Cu-Zn-Ni alloy samples under the full exposure, accelerating corrosion compared to sterile controls. Interestingly, the corrosion of P. aeruginosa toward the Cu-Zn-Ni alloy was inhibited in the simulative tidal region. This inhibition behavior was relevant to the reduction in the quantity of sessile cells and cell activities. The expression down-regulation of genes encoding phenazines induced the decrease in electron transfer mediators and weakened the MIC of P. aeruginosa on alloy samples in the simulative tidal region. The research sheds light on the characteristics of P. aeruginosa and corrosion products on the Cu-Zn-Ni alloy, as well as their interaction mechanisms underlying corrosion in the simulative tidal region. The study will facilitate the evaluation and control of MIC in the tidal region, contributing to the development of sustainable strategies for preserving the integrity and safety of marine facilities.

PD-1 inhibitors combined with paclitaxel and cisplatin in first-line treatment of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC): a network meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The combinations of PD-1 inhibitors with paclitaxel/cisplatinum (PD-1 + TP) and fluoropyrimidine/cisplatinum (PD-1 + FP) both have been shown to improve overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with previously untreated, advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). However, there is no consensus on which chemotherapy regimen combined with PD-1 has better efficacy. To deal with this important issue in the first-line treatment of patients with ESCC, a network meta-analysis (NMA) was performed. METHODS: Data were collected from eligible studies searched in Medline, Web of Science, PubMed, the Cochrane Library and Embase. The pooled hazard ratio (HR) for the OS, and PFS, odds ratio (OR) for the objective response rate (ORR) and ≥ 3 grade treatment-related adverse events (≥ 3TRAEs) were estimated to evaluate the efficacy of PD-1 inhibitors combined with TP or FP. RESULTS: Five RCTs and one retrospective study involving 3685 patients and evaluating four treatments were included in this NMA. Compared to other treatments, PD-1 + TP was better. For the PFS, the HRs for PD-1 + TP compared to PD-1 + FP, TP and FP were 0.59 (0.44, 0.80), 0.56 (0.51, 0.61) and 0.45 (0.37, 0.56) respectively. For the OS, PD-1 + TP was also a better treatment compared to other treatments. The HRs were 0.74 (0.56, 0.96), 0.64 (0.57, 0.71), 0.53 (0.43, 0.67) respectively. For the ORR, there was no significant difference between PD-1 + TP and PD-1 + FP, and the ORs were 1.2 (0.69, 2.11). Compare with TP and FP, PD-1 + TP had an obvious advantage, ORs were 2.5 (2.04, 3.04) and 2.95 (1.91, 4.63). For ≥ 3TRAEs, PD-1 + TP compared to other treatments, ORs were 1.34 (0.74, 2.46) and 1.13 (0.92, 1.38) and 2.23 (1.35, 3.69). CONCLUSION: PD-1 + TP significantly improved both PFS and OS compared to PD-1 + FP. Taking into account both efficacy and safety, PD-1 + TP may be a superior first-line treatment option for ESCC.

Identification and validation of basic fibroblast growth factor as a prognostic biomarker for the response of lung adenocarcinoma patients to bevacizumab treatment.

Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) stimulates angiogenesis, influencing the proliferation, migration, and survival of tumour cells, which have pivotal roles in tumour progression. This study investigated the prognostic significance of bFGF expression in lung adenocarcinoma treated with bevacizumab. The expression levels of bFGF were assessed in bevacizumab-treated patients with lung adenocarcinoma using immunohistochemistry. Propensity score matching (PSM) analysis was performed to evaluate prognostic potential. bFGF expression was also investigated in another independent cohort of patients with lung adenocarcinoma treated with routinechemotherapy. We also compared the PSM value of bFGF expression levels independently and in combination with epidermal growth factor receptor and vascularendothelial growth factor expression levels. A high bFGF expression level was found to be an independent prognostic factor for disease-free survival in patients receiving bevacizumab-based chemotherapy. Similar results were not observed in patients who underwent routinechemotherapy. In conclusion, the bFGF expression level may be a clinically feasible prognostic marker and bFGF is a potential therapeutic target for patients with lung adenocarcinoma receiving routinechemotherapy.

Macrophage-hitchhiked arsenic/AB bionic preparations for liver cancer.

Macrophage-hitchhiked arsenic/AB bionic preparations were developed to improve the therapeutic effect on liver cancer by means of the tumor-targeting ability of macrophages in vivo. In vitro and in vivo cellular uptake assays demonstrated that arsenic/AB, with negatively charged particles of around 100-200 nm size, could hitchhike to macrophages. Dissolution experiments of arsenic/AB showed that arsenic/AB could delay the release of arsenic and ensure the safety of macrophages during its transport. Histological examination confirmed the safety of the preparations for major organs. In vivo distribution experiment showed that the arsenic/AB bionic preparations could rapidly accumulate in tumors, and in vivo treatment experiment showed a significant tumor inhibition of arsenic/AB. The therapeutic mechanism of liver cancer might be that the arsenic/AB bionic preparations could inhibit tumor growth by reducing inflammatory response and inhibiting CSF1 secretion to block CSF1R activation to induce more differentiation of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) towards the anti-tumor M1 phenotype. Therefore, we concluded that the arsenic/AB bionic preparations could improve the distribution of arsenic in vivo by hitchhiking on macrophages as well as make it have tumor targeting and deep penetration abilities, thus increasing the therapeutic effect of arsenic on liver cancer with reduced side effects.

Usability Evaluation of a Knowledge Graph-Based Dementia Care Intelligent Recommender System: Mixed Methods Study.

BACKGROUND: Knowledge graph-based recommender systems offer the possibility of meeting the personalized needs of people with dementia and their caregivers. However, the usability of such a recommender system remains unknown. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the usability of a knowledge graph-based dementia care intelligent recommender system (DCIRS). METHODS: We used a convergent mixed methods design to conduct the usability evaluation, including the collection of quantitative and qualitative data. Participants were recruited through social media advertisements. After 2 weeks of DCIRS use, feedback was collected with the Computer System Usability Questionnaire and semistructured interviews. Descriptive statistics were used to describe sociodemographic characteristics and questionnaire scores. Qualitative data were analyzed systematically using inductive thematic analysis. RESULTS: A total of 56 caregivers were recruited. Quantitative data suggested that the DCIRS was easy for caregivers to use, and the mean questionnaire score was 2.14. Qualitative data showed that caregivers generally believed that the content of the DCIRS was professional, easy to understand, and instructive, and could meet users' personalized needs; they were willing to continue to use it. However, the DCIRS also had some shortcomings. Functions that enable interactions between professionals and caregivers and that provide caregiver support and resource recommendations might be added to improve the system's usability. CONCLUSIONS: The recommender system provides a solution to meet the personalized needs of people with dementia and their caregivers and has the potential to substantially improve health outcomes. The next step will be to optimize and update the recommender system based on caregivers' suggestions and evaluate the effect of the application.