An Ultrasensitive Ti3C2Tx MXene-based Soft Contact Lens for Continuous and Nondestructive Intraocular Pressure Monitoring.

Wearable soft contact lens sensors for continuous and nondestructive intraocular pressure (IOP) monitoring are highly desired as glaucoma and postoperative myopia patients grow, especially as the eyestrain crowd increases. Herein, a smart closed-loop system is presented that combines a Ti3C2Tx MXene-based soft contact lens (MX-CLS) sensor, wireless data transmission units, display, and warning components to realize continuous and nondestructive IOP monitoring/real-time display. The fabricated MX-CLS device exhibits an extremely high sensitivity of 7.483 mV mmHg-1, good linearity on silicone eyeballs, excellent stability under long-term pressure-release measurement, sufficient transparency with 67.8% transmittance under visible illumination, and superior biocompatibility with no discomfort when putting the MX-CLS sensor onto the Rabbit eyes. After integrating with the wireless module, users can realize real-time monitoring and warning of IOP via smartphones, the demonstrated MX-CLS device together with the IOP monitoring/display system opens up promising platforms for Ti3C2Tx materials as the base for multifunctional contact lens-based sensors and continuous and nondestructive IOP measurement system.

Diagnostic efficiency of [68 Ga]Ga-DOTA-FAPI-04 in differentiating periprosthetic hip joint infection and aseptic failure.

PURPOSE: To assess the efficiency of [68 Ga]Ga-DOTA-FAPI-04 in diagnosing periprosthetic hip joint infection and establish a diagnostic standard of clinical significance based on uptake pattern. METHODS: [68 Ga]Ga-DOTA-FAPI-04 PET/CT was performed in patients with symptomatic hip arthroplasty from December 2019 to July 2022. The reference standard was based on the 2018 Evidence-Based and Validation Criteria. Two diagnostic criteria, SUVmax and uptake pattern, were used to diagnose PJI. Meanwhile, original data were imported into IKT-snap to draw the view of interest, A.K. was used to extract features of clinical cases, and unsupervised clustering analysis was applied according to the groups. RESULTS: A total of 103 patients were included, 28 of whom had PJI. The area under the curve of SUVmax was 0.898, which was better than that of all of the serological tests. The cutoff value of SUVmax was 7.53, and the sensitivity and specificity were 100 and 72%, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of the uptake pattern were 100, 93.1 and 95%, respectively. In radiomics analysis, the features of PJI were significantly different from those of aseptic failure. CONCLUSION: The efficiency of [68 Ga]Ga-DOTA-FAPI-04 PET/CT in diagnosing PJI showed promising results, and the diagnostic criteria of the uptake pattern were more clinically instructive. Radiomics also showed certain application prospects in the field of PJI. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: Trial registration: ChiCTR2000041204. Registered 24 September 2019.

Efficacy and Safety of Coronary Intervention via Distal Transradial Access (dTRA) in Patients with Low Body Mass Index.

The study aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of coronary intervention via distal transradial access (dTRA) in patients with low body mass index (BMI). A total of 67 patients with low BMI who underwent coronary intervention, comprising 29 patients via dTRA and 38 patients via conventional transradial access (cTRA), were retrospectively included. There was no significant difference in the puncture success rate between the two groups (dTRA 96.6%, cTRA 97.4%, P=0.846). Compared with the cTRA group, the success rate of one-needle puncture in the dTRA group was lower (51.7% vs. 81.6%, P=0.020). The compression haemostasis time in the dTRA group was shorter than that in the cTRA group (P < 0.001). However, the incidence of radial artery occlusion was lower in the dTRA group than in the cTRA group (4.0% vs. 33.3%, P=0.007). In conclusion, coronary intervention via dTRA was safe and effective in patients with low BMI.

Safety and efficacy of coronary angiography and percutaneous coronary intervention via distal transradial artery access in the anatomical snuffbox: a single-centre prospective cohort study using a propensity score method.

BACKGROUND: This study investigated the safety and efficacy of coronary angiography (CAG) and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) via distal transradial artery access (d-TRA). METHODS: For this single-centre prospective cohort study, a total of 1066 patients who underwent CAG or PCI procedures from September 2019 to November 2020 were included. Patients were divided into two groups: the d-TRA group (346) and the conventional transradial artery access (c-TRA) group (720) based on access site. A total of 342 pairs of patients were successfully matched using propensity score matching (PSM) for subsequent analysis. RESULTS: No significant differences in puncture success rate, procedural method, procedural time, sheath size, contrast dosage or fluoroscopy time were noted between the two groups. The puncture time in the d-TRA group was longer than that in the c-TRA group (P < 0.01), and the procedure success rate was lower than that in the c-TRA group (90.94% vs. 96.49%, P = 0.01). The haemostasis time in the d-TRA group was shorter than that in the c-TRA group (P < 0.01), and the visual analogue scale (VAS) was lower than that in the c-TRA group (P < 0.01). In addition, the prevalence of bleeding and haematoma in the d-TRA group was lower than that in the c-TRA group (1.75% vs. 7.31%, P < 0.01; 0.58% vs. 3.22%, P = 0.01, respectively). No significant difference in the incidence of numbness was noted between the two groups. No other complications were found in two groups. CONCLUSION: d-TRA is as safe and effective as c-TRA for CAG and PCI. It has the advantages of improved comfort and fewer complications. Trail registration Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR1900026519.

Mechanism of traumatic heterotopic ossification: In search of injury-induced osteogenic factors.

Heterotopic ossification (HO) is a pathological condition of abnormal bone formation in soft tissue. Three factors have been proposed as required to induce HO: (a) osteogenic precursor cells, (b) osteoinductive agents and (c) an osteoconductive environment. Since Urist's landmark discovery of bone induction in skeletal muscle tissue by demineralized bone matrix, it is generally believed that skeletal muscle itself is a conductive environment for osteogenesis and that resident progenitor cells in skeletal muscle are capable of differentiating into osteoblast to form bone. However, little is known about the naturally occurring osteoinductive agents that triggered this osteogenic response in the first place. This article provides a review of the emerging findings regarding distinct types of HO to summarize the current understanding of HO mechanisms, with special attention to the osteogenic factors that are induced following injury. Specifically, we hypothesize that muscle injury-induced up-regulation of local bone morphogenetic protein-7 (BMP-7) level, combined with glucocorticoid excess-induced down-regulation of circulating transforming growth factor-ß1 (TGF-ß1) level, could be an important causative mechanism of traumatic HO formation.

CTRP3 inhibits high glucose-induced human glomerular mesangial cell dysfunction.

C1q/tumour necrosis factor-related protein-3 (CTRP3) is a member of CTRP family, and its blood level is reduced in human and rodent models of obesity and diabetes. However, the role of CTRP3 in diabetic nephropathy remains unclear. This study was designed to examine the effects of CTRP3 on cell proliferation and extracellular matrix (ECM) accumulation in human glomerular mesangial cells (MCs) in response to high glucose (HG), and explore the potential molecular mechanisms. Our results demonstrated that the expression of CTRP3 was significantly decreased by HG stimulation in MCs. In addition, CTRP3 overexpression inhibited MCs proliferation, reactive oxygen species level, and ECM production in HG-stimulated MCs. Mechanistically, CTRP3 overexpression inhibited the activation of the Janus kinase 2/signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 (JAK2/STAT3) pathway in HG-stimulated MCs. Taken together, these findings indicated that CTRP3 attenuated HG-induced MC proliferation and ECM production through the inactivation of the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway. Thus, CTRP3 may be a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of diabetic nephropathy.

A Highly Conductive MOF of Graphene Analogue Ni3 (HITP)2 as a Sulfur Host for High-Performance Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries have been considered as one of the most promising energy storage systems owing to their high theoretical capacity and energy density. However, their commercial applications are obstructed by sluggish reaction kinetics and rapid capacity degradation mainly caused by polysulfide shuttling. Herein, the first attempt to utilize a highly conductive metal-organic framework (MOF) of Ni3 (HITP)2 graphene analogue as the sulfur host material to trap and transform polysulfides for high-performance Li-S batteries is made. Besides, the traditional conductive additive acetylene black is replaced by carbon nanotubes to construct matrix conduction networks for triggering the rate and cycling performance of the active cathode. As a result, the S@Ni3 (HITP)2 with sulfur content of 65.5 wt% shows excellent sulfur utilization, rate performance, and cyclic durability. It delivers a high initial capacity of 1302.9 mAh g-1 and good capacity retention of 848.9 mAh g-1 after 100 cycles at 0.2 C. Highly reversible discharge capacities of 807.4 and 629.6 mAh g-1 are obtained at 0.5 and 1 C for 150 and 300 cycles, respectively. Such kinds of pristine MOFs with high conductivity and abundant polar sites reveal broad promising prospect for application in the field of high-performance Li-S batteries.

Recent Advances in Flexible/Stretchable Supercapacitors for Wearable Electronics.

The popularization of personalized wearable devices has accelerated the development of flexible/stretchable supercapacitors (SCs) that possess remarkable features of miniaturization, high security, and easy integration to build an all-in-one integrated system, and realize the functions of comfortable, noninvasive and continuous health monitoring, motion records, and information acquisition, etc. This Review presents a brief phylogeny of flexible/stretchable SCs, represented by planar micro-supercapacitors (MSCs) and 1D fibrous SCs. The latest progress and advantages of different flexible/stretchable/self-healing substrate, solid-state electrolyte and electrode materials for the fabrication of wearable SCs devices are summarized. The various configurations used in planar MSCs and 1D fibrous SCs aiming at the improvement of performance are also discussed. In addition, from the viewpoint of practical value and large-scale production, a survey of integrated systems, from different types of SC powered wearable sensing (gas, pressure, tactile…) systems, wearable all-in-one systems (including energy harvest, storage, and functional groups), to device packaging is presented. Finally, the challenges and future perspectives of wearable SCs are also considered.

Visible-Light-Promoted Intermolecular Oxidative Dearomatization of ß-Naphthols with N-Hydroxycarbamates.

An intermolecular oxidative dearomatization of ß-naphthols with N-hydroxycarbamates promoted by visible light was realized by means of photogenerated ß-naphthol radical cation intermediates. With a commercially available organic dye, the naphthalenones bearing a fully substituted stereogenic center were obtained with up to 92 % yield under aerobic conditions (26 examples). In addition, the rearrangement of C-O coupling products to C-N coupling compounds could be achieved merely in the presence of Cs2 CO3 . This transformation simultaneously provides an attractive and synthetically useful approach to access the aminative dearomatization compounds.

Recent Progress of Self-Powered Sensing Systems for Wearable Electronics.

Wearable/flexible electronic sensing systems are considered to be one of the key technologies in the next generation of smart personal electronics. To realize personal portable devices with mobile electronics application, i.e., wearable electronic sensors that can work sustainably and continuously without an external power supply are highly desired. The recent progress and advantages of wearable self-powered electronic sensing systems for mobile or personal attachable health monitoring applications are presented. An overview of various types of wearable electronic sensors, including flexible tactile sensors, wearable image sensor array, biological and chemical sensor, temperature sensors, and multifunctional integrated sensing systems is provided. Self-powered sensing systems with integrated energy units are then discussed, separated as energy harvesting self-powered sensing systems, energy storage integrated sensing systems, and all-in-on integrated sensing systems. Finally, the future perspectives of self-powered sensing systems for wearable electronics are discussed.

Neuroprosthetic contact lens enabled sensorimotor system for point-of-care monitoring and feedback of intraocular pressure.

The wearable contact lens that continuously monitors intraocular pressure (IOP) facilitates prompt and early-state medical treatments of oculopathies such as glaucoma, postoperative myopia, etc. However, either taking drugs for pre-treatment or delaying the treatment process in the absence of a neural feedback component cannot realize accurate diagnosis or effective treatment. Herein, a neuroprosthetic contact lens enabled sensorimotor system is reported, which consists of a smart contact lens with Ti3C2Tx Wheatstone bridge structured IOP strain sensor, a Ti3C2Tx temperature sensor and an IOP point-of-care monitoring/display system. The point-of-care IOP monitoring and warning can be realized due to the high sensitivity of 12.52 mV mmHg-1 of the neuroprosthetic contact lens. In vivo experiments on rabbit eyes demonstrate the excellent wearability and biocompatibility of the neuroprosthetic contact lens. Further experiments on a living rate in vitro successfully mimic the biological sensorimotor loop. The leg twitching (larger or smaller angles) of the living rat was demonstrated under the command of motor cortex controlled by somatosensory cortex when the IOP is away from the normal range (higher or lower).

Iliopsoas fibrosis after revision of total hip arthroplasty revealed by 68Ga-FAPI PET/CT: a case report.

Background: Total hip arthroplasty (THA) is a well-established surgical procedure that has been extensively validated to alleviate pain, enhance joint function, improve the ability to perform daily activities, and enhance overall quality of life. However, this procedure is associated with certain complications, among which skeletal muscle fibrosis is a frequently overlooked but significant complication that can lead to persistent pain. Currently, there is no effective method for diagnosing skeletal muscle fibrosis following total hip arthroplasty. Case report: We report a 75-year-old male patient who complained of left groin pain after revision total hip arthroplasty. Serological examinations, X-rays, and bone scan results were all normal. However, during the 68Ga-FAPI PET/CT examination, we observed significant radiotracer uptake along the iliopsoas muscle. This abnormal uptake pattern suggested potential biological activity in this specific area. Combined with physical examination, the patient was diagnosed with iliopsoas fibrosis. Conclusions: The presented images indicated that the uptake pattern was an important indicator for diagnosis, and the prospect of fibroblast activation protein in the diagnosis of skeletal muscle fibrosis has shown certain application value.

Diagnostic and evaluative efficiency of 68Ga-FAPI-04 in skeletal muscle injury.

BACKGROUND: Skeletal muscles are vital for daily function, yet assessing their injuries remain challenging. We aimed to elucidate the effectiveness of 68Ga-FAPI-04 in evaluating skeletal muscle remodeling. RESULTS: C2C12 cells were subjected to graded H2O2 stimulation in vitro, revealing an initial rise and subsequent decline in fibroblast activation protein (FAP) expression as H2O2 concentration increased. In vivo, a murine triceps surae injury model was created using various solutions to simulate normal repair, mild repair failure, and severe repair failure. Assessments were conducted on days 1, 3, 7, and 14 using PET, MRI, and ultrasound. With 68Ga-FAPI-04, the normal and mild repair failure groups showed significantly higher SUVmax and T/B ratios on day 1 compared to the severe repair failure group. These values gradually decreased in the normal repair group, becoming negligible after day 7. MRI results for the normal repair group showed low to moderate signal intensity by day 7. A clinical study retrospectively evaluated post-hip arthroplasty patient images at intervals of 1 month, 2-3 months, 5-6 months, and over 7 months. In these patients, 18F-FDG SUVmax and volume remained relatively stable over time, while 68Ga-FAPI-04 SUVmax initially increased, then decreased, with a consistent reduction in volume. CONCLUSION: In skeletal muscle injuries, FAP demonstrates a distinctive mechanism of action, and 68Ga-FAPI-04, in comparison to other tests, more precisely captures alterations in lesion site uptake intensity and volume. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Trial registration: ChiCTR2000041204. Registered 22 December 2020, https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.html?proj=66211.

Downregulation of TGF-ß1 in fibro-adipogenic progenitors initiates muscle ectopic mineralization.

In previous studies, we have demonstrated that stress response-induced high glucocorticoid levels could be the underlying cause of traumatic heterotopic ossification (HO), and we have developed a glucocorticoid-induced ectopic mineralization (EM) mouse model by systemic administration of a high dose of dexamethasone (DEX) to animals with muscle injury induced by cardiotoxin injection. In this model, dystrophic calcification (DC) developed into HO in a cell autonomous manner. However, it is not clear how DC is formed after DEX treatment. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to explore how glucocorticoids initiate muscle EM at a cellular and molecular level. We showed that DEX treatment inhibited inflammatory cell infiltration into injured muscle but inflammatory cytokine production in the muscle was significantly increased, suggesting that other non-inflammatory muscle cell types may regulate the inflammatory response and the muscle repair process. Accompanying this phenotype, transforming growth factor ß1 (TGF-ß1) expression in fibro-adipogenic progenitors (FAPs) was greatly downregulated. Since TGF-ß1 is a strong immune suppressor and FAP's regulatory role has a large impact on muscle repair, we hypothesized that downregulation of TGF-ß1 in FAPs after DEX treatment resulted in this hyperinflammatory state and subsequent failed muscle repair and EM formation. To test our hypothesis, we utilized a transgenic mouse model to specifically knockout Tgfb1 gene in PDGFRα-positive FAPs to investigate if the transgenic mice could recapitulate the phenotype that was induced by DEX treatment. Our results showed that the transgenic mice completely phenocopied this hyperinflammatory state and spontaneously developed EM following muscle injury. On the contrary, therapeutics that enhanced TGF-ß1 signaling in FAPs inhibited the inflammatory response and attenuated muscle EM. In summary, these results indicate that FAPs-derived TGF-ß1 is a key molecule in regulating muscle inflammatory response and subsequent EM, and that glucocorticoids exert their effect via downregulating TGF-ß1 in FAPs.

Heterotopic ossification (HO) is abnormal bone formation in soft tissue. Glucocorticoids, which have strong anti-inflammatory properties, have usually been used as HO therapeutics. However, our findings suggest that glucocorticoids can also promote HO formation. In this study, we tried to explain the underlying reason for these seemingly contradictory observations. We showed that glucocorticoids, in addition to exerting an anti-inflammatory effect on inflammatory cells, can also target another type of muscle cell to exert a proinflammatory effect. These cells are called fibro-adipogenic progenitors (FAPs), and we demonstrated that FAPs played a master regulatory role in the muscle inflammatory response by modulating the expression of transforming growth factor ß1 (TGF-ß1), a well-known immune suppressor. In summary, our findings highlighted the importance of FAP TGF-ß1 levels in affecting the progression and regression of muscle HO and provided new treatment options for HO based on their ability to elevate TGF-ß1 levels in FAPs.

6'-Sialyllactose Alleviates Muscle Fatigue through Reduced Blood Lactate Level after Treadmill Exercise in Mice.

6'-Sialyllactose (6'-SL), found in human breast milk, exhibits anti-inflammatory, immune function-enhancing, brain development-promoting, and gut health-improving effects. However, its effects on muscle fatigue remain unknown. Here, we aimed to investigate the effects of 6'-SL on blood lactate level, muscle fiber type, and oxidative phosphorylation protein complexes (OXPHOS) in muscle after exercise using C57BL/6J male mice. C57BL/6J mice were randomly assigned to control or 100 mg/kg 6'-SL. After 12 weeks of 6'-SL administration, the mice were made to perform treadmill exercise; their blood lactate and glucose levels were measured at the basal level (rest) and 0, 5, and 10 min after treadmill exercise. Results showed that 6'-SL treatment in C57BL/6J mice significantly reduced blood lactate level and improved blood glucose level. Moreover, 6'-SL increased the expression of slow-myosin heavy chain (MHC) and OXPHOS in gastrocnemius muscle. In addition, 6'-SL treatment for 12 weeks did not affect food intake, serum biomarkers of tissue injury, and lipid profiles compared with those of the controls. These findings indicate that non-toxic 6'-SL suppressed muscle fatigue during exercise by promoting protein expression of muscle fibers, especially slow-twitch muscle fibers characterized by abundant OXPHOS complexes and decreased blood lactate level. This study suggests that 6'-SL holds promise as a nutritional supplement in exercise and clinical settings, subject to further validation.

6'-Sialyllactose Enhances Exercise Performance via Increased Muscle Mass and Strength.

Sialyllactose (SL) is a functional human milk oligosaccharide essential for immune support, brain development, intestinal maturation, and antiviral defense. However, despite its established health benefits, the effect of SL on exercise performance and muscle mass in mice remains unknown. Here, we aimed to investigate, for the first time, the effects of 6'-SL on muscle functions. Seven-week-old male C57BL/6J mice were administered 100 mg/kg 6'-SL for 12 weeks, after which exhaustive treadmill performance was conducted. Moreover, muscle strength was examined by grip strength, and muscle phenotype characteristics such as muscle mass, muscle fiber size, and muscle protein expression were also examined. The administration of 6'-SL significantly improved exhaustive treadmill performance metrics, including distance and exhaustion time. Grip strength was also increased by 6'-SL administration. Additionally, 6'-SL increased muscle mass in both the gastrocnemius (GAS) and soleus. 6'-SL administration led to an increase in the minimum Feret's diameter and the protein expression of total myosin heavy chain in the GAS muscle. In conclusion, 6'-SL administration in vivo led to increased running distance and time by increasing muscle mass and strength. These findings collectively indicate that 6'-SL is a potential agent for improving muscle health and exercise performance.

MXene based flexible photodetectors: progress, challenges, and opportunities.

The growing interest in applying 2D transition-metal carbides and nitrides (MXenes) to diverse application fields such as energy storage and harvesters, catalysts, sensors, optoelectronics, electromagnetic interference shielding and antennas since its first discovery in 2011 is clearly evident. Their intrinsic high conductivity limits the development of MXenes in photodetectors that rely on the semiconducting properties of active materials, while the abundant functional groups on the surface of MXenes provide opportunities for using MXenes as sensing materials in the fabrication of flexible photodetectors. Considerable studies on MXene based photodetectors have been carried out, but the main obstacles include seeking novel semiconducting materials in MXene families, the manufacturing technology, etc. This review highlights the progress, challenges and opportunities in MXene based flexible photodetectors and discusses novel materials, architectures, and approaches that capitalize on our growing understanding of MXenes.

A Ti3C2Tx MXene cathode and redox-active electrolyte based flexible Zn-ion microsupercapacitor for integrated pressure sensing application.

Frequently used aqueous electrolytes in MXene-based Zn-ion hybrid microsupercapacitors (MSCs) limit their cycling and rate stability. The use of metal and nonmetal additives in electrolytes for the performance improvement of Zn-ion MSCs is considered a valid method. Herein, we propose an additive assisted Zn(CF3SO3)2 electrolyte as a redox-active electrolyte to prepare a flexible MXene-based Zn-ion hybrid MSC by a facile spraying method, and it consists of a conductive Ti3C2Tx-LiCl current collector and a Ti3C2Tx-DMSO cathode. In the process of the current density change (from 5 A cm-3 to 30 A cm-3 and then to 5 A cm-3), the capacity retention of the as-fabricated MSC with K3Co(CN)6 additive is over 99.0%, which is higher than 96.7% for the MSC with CKNSe additive and 82.3% for the MSC without an additive. Moreover, the designed MSC with the redox-active K3Co(CN)6 electrolyte exhibits a maximal capacitance retention of 70% after 5000 cycles. Furthermore, the flexible Zn-ion MSC with the Ti3C2Tx MXene cathode and a redox-active electrolyte was used to power a Ti3C2Tx based pressure sensor; the excellent press response of the integrated system not only provides insights into the development of large capacity and long-period stable energy storage devices, but also paves a new way for the development of capacitor-sensor integrated systems.

The development of a mouse model to investigate the formation of heterotopic ossification.

BACKGROUND: Muscle injury and concomitant bone injury are important drivers to induce heterotopic ossification (HO). However, the related roles of muscle and concomitant bone injury in HO formation are still unclear. This study aims to develop a mouse model through the combination of hindlimb amputation (Am) and cardiotoxin (CTX) injection to investigate the mechanism of HO formation. METHOD: The mice were randomly divided into Am group (Am of right hindlimb, n = 12), CTX group (CTX injection in the calf muscle of left hindlimb, n = 12) and Am + CTX group (the combination of Am of right hindlimb and CTX injection of left hindlimb, n = 18). MicroCT was used to evaluate the incidence of HO. Histology was used to investigate the progression of HO. RESULTS: The MicroCT showed that only Am or CTX injection failed to induce HO while the combination of Am and CTX injection successfully induced HO. The incidence of HO was significant in Am + CTX group on day 7 (0% vs 0% vs 83.3%, p = 0.001) and day 14 (0% vs 0% vs 83.3%, p = 0.048). HO was located on the left hindlimb where CTX was injected. Moreover, the bone volume and bone density on day 14 were higher than those on day 7 in Am + CTX group. Histology revealed the evidence of calcification and expression of osteogenic markers in calcification sites in Am + CTX group. CONCLUSION: In summary, the combination of Am and CTX injection could successfully induce dystrophic calcification/HO, which occurs in the location of muscle injury.