Diagnostic value of procalcitonin, hypersensitive C-reactive protein and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio for bloodstream infections in pediatric tumor patients.

OBJECTIVES: Bloodstream infection (BSI) is one of the major causes of death in pediatric tumor patients. Blood samples are relatively easy to obtain and thus provide a ready source of infection-related biological markers for the prompt evaluation of infection risk. METHODS: A total of 259 pediatric tumor patients were included from May 2019 to March 2022. Patients were divided into BSI group (n=70) and control group (n=189). Clinical and biological data were collected using electronic medical records. Differences in biological markers between BSI group and control group and differences before and during infection in BSI group were analyzed. RESULTS: The infected group showed higher levels of procalcitonin (PCT) and hypersensitive C-reactive-protein (hsCRP), and lower prealbumin (PA) than the uninfected group. Area under the receiver-operating curve (ROC) curves (AUC) of PCT, hsCRP and NLR (absolute neutrophil count to the absolute lymphocyte count) were 0.756, 0.617 and 0.612. The AUC of other biomarkers was ≤0.6. In addition, PCT, hsCRP, NLR and fibrinogen (Fg) were significantly increased during infection, while PA and lymphocyte (LYM) were significantly decreased. Antibiotic resistant of Gram-positive bacteria to CHL, SXT, OXA and PEN was lower than that of Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus. Resistant of Gram-positive bacteria to CHL was lower, while to SXT was higher than that of Gram-negative bacteria. CONCLUSIONS: This study explored the utility of biomarkers to assist in diagnosis and found that the PCT had the greatest predictive value for infection in pediatric tumor patients with BSI. Additionally, the PCT, hsCRP, NLR, PA, LYM and Fg were changed by BSI.

Polycrystalline Few-Layer Graphene as a Durable Anticorrosion Film for Copper.

Corrosion of metals in atmospheric environments is a worldwide problem in industry and daily life. Traditional anticorrosion methods including sacrificial anodes or protective coatings have performance limitations. Here, we report atomically thin, polycrystalline few-layer graphene (FLG) grown by chemical vapor deposition as a long-term protective coating film for copper (Cu). A six-year old, FLG-protected Cu is visually shiny and detailed material characterizations capture no sign of oxidation. The success of the durable anticorrosion film depends on the misalignment of grain boundaries between adjacent graphene layers. Theoretical calculations further found that corrosive molecules always encounter extremely high energy barrier when diffusing through the FLG layers. Therefore, the FLG is able to prevent the corrosive molecules from reaching the underlying Cu surface. This work highlights the interesting structures of polycrystalline FLG and sheds insight into the atomically thin coatings for various applications.

Precise Phase Control of Large-Scale Inorganic Perovskites via Vapor-Phase Anion-Exchange Strategy.

Anion exchange offers great flexibility and high precision in phase control, compositional engineering, and optoelectronic property tuning. Different from previous successful anion exchange process in liquid solution, herein, a vapor-phase anion-exchange strategy is developed to realize the precise phase and bandgap control of large-scale inorganic perovskites by using gas injection cycle, producing some perovskites such as CsPbCl3 which has never been reported in thin film morphology. Ab initio calculations also provide the insightful mechanism to understand the impact of anion exchange on tuning the electronic properties and optimizing the structural stability. Furthermore, because of precise control of specific atomic concentrations, intriguing tunable photoluminescence is observed and photodetectors with tunable photoresponse edge from green to ultraviolet light can be realized accurately with an ultrahigh spectral resolution of 1 nm. Therefore, a new, universal vapor-phase anion exchange method is offered for inorganic perovskite with fine-tunable optoelectronic properties.

Atomic-Layer Deposition-Assisted Double-Side Interfacial Engineering for High-Performance Flexible and Stable CsPbBr3 Perovskite Photodetectors toward Visible Light Communication Applications.

Self-powered photodetectors (PDs) based on inorganic metal halide perovskites are regarded as promising alternatives for the next generation of photodetectors. However, uncontrollable film growth and sluggish charge extraction at interfaces directly limit the sensitivity and response speed of perovskite-based photodetectors. Herein, by assistance of an atomic layer deposition (ALD) technique, CsPbBr3 perovskite thin films with preferred orientation and enlarged grain size are obtained on predeposited interfacial modification layers. Thanks to improved film quality and double side interfacial engineering, the optimized CsPbBr3 (Al2 O3 /CsPbBr3 /TiO2 , ACT) perovskite PDs exhibit outstanding performance with ultralow dark current of 10-11 A, high detectivity of 1.88 × 1013 Jones and broad linear dynamic range (LDR) of 172.7 dB. Significantly, excellent long-term environmental stability (ambient conditions >100 d) and flexibility stability (>3000 cycles) are also achieved. The remarkable performance is credited to the synergistic effects of high carrier conductivity and collection efficiency, which is assisted by ALD modification layers. Finally, the ACT PDs are successfully integrated into a visible light communication system as a light receiver on transmitting texts, showing a bit rate as high as 100 kbps. These results open the window of high performance all-inorganic halide perovskite photodetectors and extends to rational applications for optical communication.

PADI3 plays an antitumor role via the Hsp90/CKS1 pathway in colon cancer.

BACKGROUND: CKS1 is highly expressed in colon cancer tissues, and is essential for cancer cell proliferation. The downstream molecular mechanism of CKS1 has been fully studied, but the upstream regulatory mechanism of it is still unclear. Earlier research found that PADI3 plays its anti-tumor roles via suppress cell proliferation, in this study, we found that the expression pattern of PADI3 and CKS1 are negatively correlated in colon cancer tissues, and overexpression of PADI3 can partly reverse CKS1 induced cancer cell proliferation. However, the regulatory mechanism of PADI3 and CKS1 in the tumorigenesis of colon cancer is still unclear and need to do further research. METHODS: Western blot and real-time PCR were used to detect the expression levels of genes. CCK-8 and colony formation assays were used to examine cell proliferation and colony formation ability. Overexpression and rescue experiments were used to study the molecular mechanism of CKS1 in colon cancer cells, BALB/c nude mice were used to study the function of CKS1 in vivo. RESULTS: CKS1 is highly expressed in colon cancer tissues, and the overexpression of CKS1 promotes cell proliferation and colony formation in both HCT116 (originating from primary colon cancer) and SW620 (originating from metastatic tumor nodules of colon cancer) cells. CKS1-expressing HCT116 cells produced larger tumors than the control cells. The expression pattern of PADI3 and CKS1 are negatively correlation in clinical samples of colon cancer, further study indicates that PADI3 can significantly decrease Hsp90 and CKS1 expression, and Hsp90 is essential for PADI3 to downregulate CKS1expression in colon cancer cells. CONCLUSIONS: PADI3 exerts its antitumor activity by inhibiting Hsp90 and CKS1 expression, and Hsp90 is essential for PADI3 to suppress CKS1 expression.

Interaction at the silicon/transition metal oxide heterojunction interface and its effect on the photovoltaic performance.

The interfacial reaction and energy level alignment at the Si/transition metal oxide (TMO, including MoO3-x, V2O5-x, WO3-x) heterojunction are systematically investigated. We confirm that the interfacial reaction appears during the thermal deposition of TMO, with the reaction extent increasing from MoO3-x, to V2O5-x, and to WO3-x. The reaction causes the surface oxidation of silicon for faster electron/hole recombination, and the reduction of TMO for effective hole collection. The photovoltaic performance of the Si/TMO heterojunction devices is affected by the interface reaction. MoO3-x are the best hole selecting materials that induce least surface oxidation but strongest reduction. Compared with H-passivation, methyl group passivation is an effective way to reduce the interface reaction and improve the interfacial energy level alignment for better electron and hole collection.

Gelatin/Dopamine/Zinc-Doped Ceria/Curcumin nanocomposite hydrogels for repair of chronic refractory wounds.

Chronic wound healing is a common clinical challenge, characterized by bacterial infection, protracted inflammatory response, oxidative stress, and insufficient neovascularization. Nanozymes have emerged as a promising solution for treating skin wounds due to their antioxidant, antibacterial, and angiogenic properties. In recent years, combining nanozymes with hydrogels to jointly promote wound healing has attracted increasing research interest. However, most of the current nanocomposite hydrogels are still not effective in simultaneously controlling inflammatory, oxidative stress and bacterial invasion in wound healing. Improving the therapeutic functional diversity and efficacy of nanocomposite hydrogels remains a problem that needs to be addressed. In this study, we prepared nanocomposite hydrogels (GelMD-Cur@ZHMCe) by combining methylacrylated gelatin modified with dopamine (GelMD) with Zinc-doped hollow mesoporous cerium oxide nanoparticles loaded with curcumin (Cur@ZHMCe). The resulting hydrogels exhibited excellent water absorption, adhesion, and biocompatibility. In vitro and in vivo studies have demonstrated that GelMD-Cur@ZHMCe has excellent antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and vasculature-promoting properties, which enable it to rapidly promote wound repair. The wound healing rate of the rat total skin defect infection model treated with GelMD-Cur@ZHMCe reached 98.5±4.9 % after 14 days of treatment. It was demonstrated that this multifunctional nanocomposite hydrogel provides a promising therapeutic strategy for skin repair.

Inter-rater reliability and test-retest reliability of the foot posture index (FPI-6) for assessing static foot posture in elderly female patients with knee osteoarthritis and its association with quadriceps muscle tone and stiffness.

Objective: 1. To assess the Inter-rater reliability and test-retest reliability of FPI-6 total score and individual scores in static foot posture evaluation among elderly female patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA), aiming to establish the reliability of the FPI-6 scale. 2. To investigate the disparity between dominant and non-dominant quadriceps characteristics in elderly female KOA patients, as well as explore the correlation between quadriceps characteristics and abnormal foot posture, thereby offering novel insights for the prevention and treatment of KOA. Methods: The study enrolled a total of 80 lower legs of 40 participants (all female) with unilateral or bilateral KOA, who were assessed by two raters at three different time points. The inter-rater and test-retest reliability of the FPI-6 was evaluated using the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC), while the absolute reliability of FPI-6 was examined using the standard error of measurement (SEM), minimum detectable change (MDC), and Bland-Altman analysis. The internal consistency of FPI-6 was assessed using Spearman's correlation coefficient. Additionally, MyotonPRO was employed to assess quadriceps muscle tone and stiffness in all participants, and the association between quadriceps muscle tone/stiffness and the total score of FPI-6 was analyzed. Result: Our study found excellent inter-rater and test-retest reliability (ICC values of 0.923 and 0.931, respectively) for the FPI-6 total score, as well as good to excellent reliability (ICC values ranging from 0.680 to 0.863 and 0.739-0.883) for individual items. The SEM and MDC values for the total score of FPI-6 among our study inter-rater were 0.78 and 2.15, respectively. and the SEM and MDC values for the test-retest total score of FPI-6 were found to be 0.76 and 2.11, respectively. Furthermore, the SEM and MDC values between inter-rater and test-retest across six individual items ranged from 0.30 to 0.56 and from 0.84 to 1.56. The Bland-Altman plots and respective 95% LOA showed no evidence of systematic bias. In terms of the mechanical properties of the quadriceps on both sides, the muscle tone and stiffness of rectus femoris (RF), vastus medialis (VM), and vastus lateralis (VL) were significantly higher in the non-dominant leg compared to the dominant leg. Additionally, in the non-dominant leg, there was a significant positive correlation between the muscle tone and stiffness of VM, VL, RF and the total score of FPI-6. However, in the dominant leg, only VM's muscle tone and stiffness showed a significant positive correlation with the total score of FPI-6. Conclusion: The reliability of the FPI-6 total score and its six individual items was good to excellent. Our findings offer a straightforward and dependable approach for researchers to assess foot posture in elderly female patients with KOA. Furthermore, we observed significantly greater quadriceps tension and stiffness in the non-dominant leg compared to the dominant leg. The FPI-6 total score exhibited a significant correlation with changes in quadriceps muscle performance among KOA patients. These observations regarding the relationship between changes in quadriceps muscle performance and foot posture in elderly female KOA patients may provide novel insights for disease prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation.

The Differences in Parameters in Ultrasound Imaging and Biomechanical Properties of the Quadriceps Femoris with Unilateral Knee Osteoarthritis in the Elderly: A Preliminary Observational Study.

Purpose: Our study aims to evaluate differences in muscle parameters of the quadriceps muscles in patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA) in older adults. Methods: The study included 40 patients diagnosed with unilateral knee osteoarthritis in the KOA group (KG) and 40 asymptomatic elderly individuals in the control group (CG). Muscle ultrasonic mean echo intensity and shear modulus, as well as tone and stiffness of the rectus femoris (RF), vastus medialis (VM), and vastus lateralis (VL) were analyzed. Additionally, clinical correlations were performed. Results: In the KG group, there were significant differences in echo intensity, shear modulus, and tone between the affected and unaffected sides for RF (p=0.003, 0.019, 0.014), while VM showed significant differences in shear modulus and tone (p=0.006, 0.002). Additionally, VL exhibited significant differences in echo intensity, shear modulus, and stiffness (p=0.007, 0.006, 0.010). Compared to the CG group, the KG group showed significant differences in echo intensity of the affected side RF (p=0.001). VM exhibited statistically significant differences in echo intensity and shear modulus (p < 0.001, p=0.008), while VL showed statistically significant differences in echo intensity, tone, and stiffness (p < 0.001, p=0.028, p < 0.001). The correlation results showed that patients with unilateral KOA, VM, and VL echo intensity were correlated with K-L grade (r = 0.443, p=0.004; r = 0.469, p=0.002). The tone of VL was correlated with VAS and WOMAC (r = 0.327, p=0.039; r = 0.344, p=0.030). Conclusion: The parameters of the quadriceps femoris muscle exhibit asymmetry between the affected and unaffected sides in patients with unilateral KOA, as well as a difference between the dominant side of healthy older individuals and the affected side of KOA.

Hypothesis paper: GDF15 demonstrated promising potential in Cancer diagnosis and correlated with cardiac biomarkers.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular toxicity represents a significant adverse consequence of cancer therapies, yet there remains a paucity of effective biomarkers for its timely monitoring and diagnosis. To give a first evidence able to elucidate the role of Growth Differentiation Factor 15 (GDF15) in the context of cancer diagnosis and its specific association with cardiac indicators in cancer patients, thereby testing its potential in predicting the risk of CTRCD (cancer therapy related cardiac dysfunction). METHODS: Analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs), including GDF15, was performed by utilizing data from the public repositories of the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). Cardiomyopathy is the most common heart disease and its main clinical manifestations, such as heart failure and arrhythmia, are similar to those of CTRCD. Examination of GDF15 expression was conducted in various normal and cancerous tissues or sera, using available database and serum samples. The study further explored the correlation between GDF15 expression and the combined detection of cardiac troponin-T (c-TnT) and N-terminal prohormone of brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), assessing the combined diagnostic utility of these markers in predicting risk of CTRCD through longitudinal electrocardiograms (ECG). RESULTS: GDF15 emerged as a significant DEG in both cancer and cardiomyopathy disease models, demonstrating good diagnostic efficacy across multiple cancer types compared to healthy controls. GDF15 levels in cancer patients correlated with the established cardiac biomarkers c-TnT and NT-proBNP. Moreover, higher GDF15 levels correlated with an increased risk of ECG changes in the cancer cohort. CONCLUSION: GDF15 demonstrated promising diagnostic potential in cancer identification; higher GDF15, combined with elevated cardiac markers, may play a role in the monitoring and prediction of CTRCD risk.

Integrated platform for multiscale molecular imaging and phenotyping of the human brain.

Understanding cellular architectures and their connectivity is essential for interrogating system function and dysfunction. However, we lack technologies for mapping the multiscale details of individual cells and their connectivity in the human organ-scale system. We developed a platform that simultaneously extracts spatial, molecular, morphological, and connectivity information of individual cells from the same human brain. The platform includes three core elements: a vibrating microtome for ultraprecision slicing of large-scale tissues without losing cellular connectivity (MEGAtome), a polymer hydrogel-based tissue processing technology for multiplexed multiscale imaging of human organ-scale tissues (mELAST), and a computational pipeline for reconstructing three-dimensional connectivity across multiple brain slabs (UNSLICE). We applied this platform for analyzing human Alzheimer's disease pathology at multiple scales and demonstrating scalable neural connectivity mapping in the human brain.

Boosting photodetection performance of Cs2AgBiBr6 through A-site Rb substitution and interfacial engineering.

Bismuth-based double perovskite Cs2AgBiBr6 shows promise as a photodetection material. However, its detection performance and application are limited by high-exciton binding energy and poor carrier mobility. In this study, we address these limitations by delicately designing a solution-based method for incorporating A-site Rubidium (Rb) substitution into Cs2AgBiBr6 double perovskite films. The introduction of Rb resulted in a significant decrease in trap defect density and an improvement in film quality. The trap-filled limit voltage (VTFL) of pure and Rb-doped CABB film is determined to be 1.71 V and 0.48 V, respectively. Subsequently, by introducing an ultrathin atomic-layer-deposited (ALD) TiO2 films, the fabricated CABB photodetectors exhibit significantly improved photoresponse performance. The response speed and -3dB bandwidth are boosted from ∼93 ms to ∼350 µs and broadened from 1.4 kHz to 17 kHz, respectively. Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations indicate Rb-substitution shortens the bond length and weaken exciton binding energy. Furthermore, we demonstrate a wireless near ultraviolet (UV) light communication system using CABB photodetectors as light receivers. Our findings provide an efficient approach to utilize A-site cation substitution as a tuning parameter for photodetection in high-exciton binding energy perovskite materials, thereby extending the potential applications of other functional perovskites.

YY1 modulates the radiosensitivity of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma through KIF3B-mediated Hippo signaling pathway.

Radiotherapy is an important strategy in the comprehensive treatment of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). However, effectiveness of radiotherapy is still restricted by radioresistance. Herein, we aimed to understand the mechanisms underlying ESCC radioresistance, for which we looked into the potential role of YY1. YY1 was upregulated in radioresistant tissues and correlated with poor prognosis of patients with ESCC. YY1 depletion enhanced the radiosensitivity of ESCC in vitro and in vivo. Multi-group sequencing showed that downregulation of YY1 inhibited the transcriptional activity of Kinesin Family Member 3B (KIF3B), which further activated the Hippo signaling pathway by interacting with Integrin-beta1 (ITGB1). Once the Hippo pathway was activated, its main effector, Yes-associated protein 1 (YAP1), was phosphorylated in the cytoplasm and its expression reduced in the nucleus, thus enhancing the radiosensitivity by regulating its targeted genes. Our study provides new insights into the mechanisms underlying ESCC radioresistance and highlights the potential role of YY1 as a therapeutic target for ESCC.

Perovskite-based color camera inspired by human visual cells.

There are two primary types of photoreceptor cells in the human eye: cone cells and rod cells that enable color vision and night vision, respectively. Herein, inspired by the function of human visual cells, we develop a high-resolution perovskite-based color camera using a set of narrowband red, green, blue, and broadband white perovskite photodetectors as imaging sensors. The narrowband red, green, and blue perovskite photodetectors with color perceptions mimic long-, medium-, and short-wavelength cones cells to achieve color imaging ability. Also, the broadband white perovskite photodetector with better detectivity mimics rod cells to improve weak-light imaging ability. Our perovskite-based camera, combined with predesigned pattern illumination and image reconstruction technology, is demonstrated with high-resolution color images (up to 256 × 256 pixels) in diffuse mode. This is far beyond previously reported advanced perovskite array image sensors that only work in monochrome transmission mode. This work shows a new approach to bio-inspired cameras and their great potential to strongly mimic the ability of the natural eye.

Perovskite Wide-Angle Field-Of-View Camera.

Researchers have attempted to create wide-angle field-of-view (FOV) cameras inspired by the structure of the eyes of animals, including fisheye and compound eye cameras. However, realizing wide-angle FOV cameras simultaneously exhibiting low distortion and high spatial resolution remains a significant challenge. In this study, a novel wide-angle FOV camera is developed by combining a single large-area flexible perovskite photodetector (FP-PD) using computational technology. With this camera, the proposed single-photodetector imaging technique can obtain high-spatial-resolution images using only a single detector, and the large-area FP-PD can be bent further to collect light from a wide-angle FOV. The proposed camera demonstrates remarkable features of an extraordinarily tunable wide FOV (greater than 150°), high spatial resolution of 256 × 256 pixels, and low distortion. It is believed that the proposed compatible and extensible camera prototype will promote the development of high-performance versatile FOV cameras.

Achieving dual-color imaging by dual-band perovskite photodetectors coupled with algorithms.

Dual-color or multispectral imaging based on conventional optical imaging techniques is suffering from the bottleneck of complex manufacturing and time consumption caused by multiple imaging. Herein, we develop a dual-color computational imaging system combining a vertically stacked dual-channel dual-band perovskite photodetectors (PDs) and the advanced Fourier imaging algorithm. Significantly, our imaging system bypasses the complex fabrication process of high-density dual-band PD arrays and is enabled to capture two high-resolution spectral images at the same time. Based on the experiments and simulations, we confirm that the spectral overlap of dual-band PDs will cause detrimental effect for color identification, and optimizing the bandwidth spectrum is beneficial for achieving much better spectral imaging. Moreover, we have further improved the imaging quality by increasing the sampling rate and suppressing current fluctuations. We suggest that these results provide important interesting insights for the development of advanced imaging systems, including IR imaging, THz imaging, multispectral/hyperspectral imaging, etc.

Low-Temperature Vapor-Phase Anion-Exchange Strategy for Wide-Bandgap Double-Perovskite Cs2AgBiCl6 Films toward Weak Ultraviolet Light Imaging.

Low-temperature synthesis of high-quality, high-stability, wide-bandgap perovskite films by solution methods is still challenging. Herein, large-scale wide-bandgap Cs2AgBiCl6 (CABC) double perovskite films are synthesized by a vapor-phase anion-exchange strategy. By dedicatedly designing an ultrathin TiO2 modification layer between the substrate and double perovskites, high-quality heterojunctions with matched energy band alignment are formed, contributing to a remarkably enhanced ON/OFF ratio of 2.4 × 104 (86 times) and a responsivity of 16 mA W-1 (12 times). Additionally, the ultraviolet photodetectors (UV PDs) exhibit an excellent UV detection limit of 1.18 µW cm-2 (20 nW), a broad linear dynamic range of 146 dB, and a high specific detectivity of 2.06 × 1011 Jones, as well as long-term stability. Finally, we further demonstrate a weak UV imaging system using CABC UV PDs as imaging sensors. The system is capable of imaging weak UV signals as low as 2.94 µW cm-2 (50 nW). Our results provide a feasible approach for low-temperature fabrication of wide-bandgap perovskite UV PDs and explore the promising application for weak UV detection and imaging.

Underwater Multispectral Computational Imaging Based on a Broadband Water-Resistant Sb2Se3 Heterojunction Photodetector.

Exploration, utilization, and protection of marine resources are of great significance to the survival and development of mankind. However, currently classical optical cameras suffer information loss, low contrast, and color distortion due to the absorption and scattering nature for the underwater environment. Here, we demonstrate an underwater multispectral computational imaging system combined with single-photodetector imaging algorithm technology and a CdS/Sb2Se3 heterojunction photodetector. The computational imaging technology coupled with an advanced Fourier algorithm can capture a scene by a single photodetector without spatial resolution that avoids the need to rely on high-density detectors array and bulky optical components in traditional imaging systems. This convenient computational imaging method provides more flexible possibilities for underwater imaging and promises to give more imaging capabilities (such as multispectral imaging, antiscattering imaging capability) to meet ever-changing demand of underwater imaging. In addition, the water-resistant CdS/Sb2Se3 heterojunction photodetector fabricated by the close spaced sublimation (Sb2Se3) and chemical bath deposition (CdS) shows excellent self-powered photodetection performance at zero bias with high LDR of 128 dB, broadband response spectrum range of 300-1050 nm, high responsivity up to 0.47 A/W, and high specific detectivity over 5 × 1012 jones. Compared with the traditional optical imaging system, our designed computational imaging system that combines the advanced Fourier algorithm and a high-performance CdS/Sb2Se3 heterojunction photodetector exhibits outstanding antiscattering imaging capability (shielded by frosted glass), weak light imaging capability (∼0.2 µW/cm2, corresponding to moonlight intensity), and multispectral imaging capability. Therefore, we believe that this work will boost the progress of marine science.

Asymmetries and relationships between muscle strength, proprioception, biomechanics, and postural stability in patients with unilateral knee osteoarthritis.

Background: The pathological mechanism of knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is unknown. KOA degeneration may be associated with changes in muscle strength, proprioception, biomechanics, and postural stability. Objective: This study aimed to assess asymmetries in muscle strength, proprioception, biomechanics, and postural stability of bilateral lower limbs in patients with unilateral KOA and healthy controls and analyze correlations between KOA and these parameters. Methods: A total of 50 patients with unilateral KOA (age range: 50-70) and 50 healthy subjects were recruited as study participants (age range: 50-70). Muscle strength, proprioception, femorotibial angle (FTA), femoral condylar-tibial plateau angle (FCTP), average trajectory error (ATE), and center of pressure (COP) sways areas were accessed in study participants, and the correlation between these variables was investigated. Results: In patients with unilateral KOA, lower limb muscle strength was significantly lower on the symptomatic side than on the asymptomatic side (p < 0.01), while the proprioception (degree error), FTA, FCTP, and ATE were substantially higher compared to the asymptomatic side (p < 0.01). However, no significant difference was observed in the healthy controls (p > 0.05). Patients with unilateral KOA had lower muscle strength than healthy controls (p < 0.05), but their proprioception (degree error: the difference between the target and reproduction angles), ATE, and COP sway areas were higher (p < 0.05). Muscle strength was found to be negatively correlated with ATE and COP sways areas (p < 0.05), whereas proprioception (degree error) was positively correlated with ATE and COP sways areas (p < 0.05) in all study participants. However, no correlation was found between FTA, FCTP, and ATE, COP sways areas in patients with unilateral KOA (p > 0.05). Conclusion: In patients with unilateral KOA, muscle strength, proprioception, biomechanics, and postural stability of bilateral limbs are asymmetrical in unilateral KOA patients. Muscle strength, proprioception, and postural stability are significantly associated variables, and changes in these variables should be considered in KOA prevention and rehabilitation.

Interfacial Gradient-Energy-Band-Alignment Modulation via a Vapor-Phase Anion-Exchange Reaction toward Lead-Free Perovskite Photodetectors with Excellent UV Imaging Capability.

Bi-based inorganic perovskites have attracted great attention in optoelectronics, as they feature similar photoelectric properties but have high stability and lead-free merits. Unfortunately, due to the high exciton binding energy and small Bohr radius, their photodetection performance still largely lags behind that of Pb-based counterparts. Herein, using a vapor-phase chloride ion-substitution strategy, Cs3Bi2Br9 photodetectors (PDs) with gradient energy band alignment were delicately modulated, contributing to a high carrier separation/collection efficiency. The optimized Bi-based perovskite ACCT (Al2O3/Cs3Bi2Br9/Cs3Bi2ClxBr9-x/TiO2) PDs exhibit outstanding performance, the ON/OFF ratio and linear dynamic range (LDR) are significantly improved by 20 and 2.6 times, respectively. Significantly, we further demonstrate the high-SNR (signal-to-noise ratio) UV imaging based on the optimized device, which shows 21.887 dB higher than that of the pristine device. Finally, the vapor-phase anion-exchange modified perovskite PDs show long-term stability and high UV resistance. Vapor-phase ion-substitution is a promising approach for the synergistic effect of matched energy band alignment and interface passivation, which can be applied to other perovskite-based optoelectronic devices.