Injectable Mesh-Like Conductive Hydrogel Patch for Elimination of Atrial Fibrillation.

Irregular electrical impulses in atrium are the leading cause of atrial fibrillation (AF), resulting in fatal arrhythmia and sudden cardiac death. Traditional medication and physical therapies are widely used, but generally suffer problems in serious physical damage and high surgical risks. Flexible and soft implants have great potential to be a novel approach for heart diseases therapy. A conductive hydrogel-based mesh cardiac patch is developed for application in AF elimination. The designed mesh patch with rhombic-shaped structure exhibits excellent flexibility, surface conformability, and deformation compliance, making it fit well with heart surface and accommodate to the deformation during heart beating. Moreover, the mechanical elastic and shape-memory properties of the mesh patch enable a minimally invasive injection of the patch into living animals. The mesh patch is implanted on the atrium surface for one month, indicating good biocompatibility and stability. Furthermore, the conductive patch can effectively eliminate AF owing to the conductivity and high charge storage capability (CSC) of the hydrogel. The proposed scheme of cardiac bioelectric signal modulation using conductive hydrogel brings new possibility for the treatment of arrhythmia diseases.

Epithelial SIRT6 governs IL-17A pathogenicity and drives allergic airway inflammation and remodeling.

Dysregulation of IL-17A is closely associated with airway inflammation and remodeling in severe asthma. However, the molecular mechanisms by which IL-17A is regulated remain unclear. Here we identify epithelial sirtuin 6 (SIRT6) as an epigenetic regulator that governs IL-17A pathogenicity in severe asthma. Mice with airway epithelial cell-specific deletion of Sirt6 are protected against allergen-induced airway inflammation and remodeling via inhibiting IL-17A-mediated inflammatory chemokines and mesenchymal reprogramming. Mechanistically, SIRT6 directly interacts with RORγt and mediates RORγt deacetylation at lysine 192 via its PPXY motifs. SIRT6 promotes RORγt recruitment to the IL-17A gene promoter and enhances its transcription. In severe asthma patients, high expression of SIRT6 positively correlates with airway remodeling and disease severity. SIRT6 inhibitor (OSS_128167) treatment significantly attenuates airway inflammation and remodeling in mice. Collectively, these results uncover a function for SIRT6 in regulating IL-17A pathogenicity in severe asthma, implicating SIRT6 as a potential therapeutic target for severe asthma.

Immunity-and-matrix-regulatory cells enhance cartilage regeneration for meniscus injuries: a phase I dose-escalation trial.

Immunity-and-matrix-regulatory cells (IMRCs) derived from human embryonic stem cells have unique abilities in modulating immunity and regulating the extracellular matrix, which could be mass-produced with stable biological properties. Despite resemblance to mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in terms of self-renew and tri-lineage differentiation, the ability of IMRCs to repair the meniscus and the underlying mechanism remains undetermined. Here, we showed that IMRCs demonstrated stronger immunomodulatory and pro-regenerative potential than umbilical cord MSCs when stimulated by synovial fluid from patients with meniscus injury. Following injection into the knees of rabbits with meniscal injury, IMRCs enhanced endogenous fibrocartilage regeneration. In the dose-escalating phase I clinical trial (NCT03839238) with eighteen patients recruited, we found that intra-articular IMRCs injection in patients was safe over 12 months post-grafting. Furthermore, the effective results of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of meniscus repair and knee functional scores suggested that 5 × 107 cells are optimal for meniscus injury treatment. In summary, we present the first report of a phase I clinical trial using IMRCs to treat meniscus injury. Our results demonstrated that intra-articular injection of IMRCs is a safe and effective therapy by providing a permissive niche for cartilage regeneration.

CNN-Bi-LSTM: A Complex Environment-Oriented Cattle Behavior Classification Network Based on the Fusion of CNN and Bi-LSTM.

Cattle behavior classification technology holds a crucial position within the realm of smart cattle farming. Addressing the requisites of cattle behavior classification in the agricultural sector, this paper presents a novel cattle behavior classification network tailored for intricate environments. This network amalgamates the capabilities of CNN and Bi-LSTM. Initially, a data collection method is devised within an authentic farm setting, followed by the delineation of eight fundamental cattle behaviors. The foundational step involves utilizing VGG16 as the cornerstone of the CNN network, thereby extracting spatial feature vectors from each video data sequence. Subsequently, these features are channeled into a Bi-LSTM classification model, adept at unearthing semantic insights from temporal data in both directions. This process ensures precise recognition and categorization of cattle behaviors. To validate the model's efficacy, ablation experiments, generalization effect assessments, and comparative analyses under consistent experimental conditions are performed. These investigations, involving module replacements within the classification model and comprehensive analysis of ablation experiments, affirm the model's effectiveness. The self-constructed dataset about cattle is subjected to evaluation using cross-entropy loss, assessing the model's generalization efficacy across diverse subjects and viewing perspectives. Classification performance accuracy is quantified through the application of a confusion matrix. Furthermore, a set of comparison experiments is conducted, involving three pertinent deep learning models: MASK-RCNN, CNN-LSTM, and EfficientNet-LSTM. The outcomes of these experiments unequivocally substantiate the superiority of the proposed model. Empirical results underscore the CNN-Bi-LSTM model's commendable performance metrics: achieving 94.3% accuracy, 94.2% precision, and 93.4% recall while navigating challenges such as varying light conditions, occlusions, and environmental influences. The objective of this study is to employ a fusion of CNN and Bi-LSTM to autonomously extract features from multimodal data, thereby addressing the challenge of classifying cattle behaviors within intricate scenes. By surpassing the constraints imposed by conventional methodologies and the analysis of single-sensor data, this approach seeks to enhance the precision and generalizability of cattle behavior classification. The consequential practical, economic, and societal implications for the agricultural sector are of considerable significance.

The HDAC10 instructs macrophage M2 program via deacetylation of STAT3 and promotes allergic airway inflammation.

Background: Perturbation of macrophage homeostasis is one of the key mechanisms of airway inflammation in asthma. However, the exact mechanisms remain poorly understood. Objectives: We sought to examine the role of histone deacetylase (HDAC) 10 as an epigenetic regulator that governs macrophage M2 program and promotes airway inflammation in asthma, and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. Methods: Peripheral blood and airway biopsies were obtained from healthy individuals and asthmatic patients. Asthma was induced by exposure to allergen in mice with myeloid-specific deletion of Hdac10 (Hdac10fl/fl-LysMCre) mice. HDAC10 inhibitor Salvianolic acid B (SAB), STAT3 selective agonist Colivelin, and the specific PI3K/Akt activator 1,3-Dicaffeoylquinic acid (DA) were also used in asthmatic mice. For cell studies, THP1 cells, primary mouse bone marrow derived macrophage (BMDMs) were used and related signaling pathways was investigated. Results: HDAC10 expression was highly expressed by macrophages and promoted M2 macrophage activation and airway inflammation in asthmatic patients and mice. Hdac10fl/fl-LysMCre mice were protected from airway inflammation in experimental asthma model. Hdac10 deficiency significantly attenuated STAT3 expression and decreased M2 macrophage polarization following allergen exposure. Mechanistically, HDAC10 directly binds STAT3 for deacetylation in macrophages, by which it promotes STAT3 expression and activates the macrophage M2 program. Importantly, we identified SAB as a HDAC10 inhibitor that had protective effects against airway inflammation in mice. Conclusions: Our results revealed that HDAC10-STAT3 interaction governs macrophage polarization to promote airway inflammation in asthma, implicating HDAC10 as a therapeutic target.

Myeloid-Specific SIRT6 Deletion Protects Against Particulate Matter (PM2.5)-Induced Airway Inflammation.

Purpose: Particulate matter (PM2.5) is a common risk factor for airway inflammation. Alveolar macrophages play a critical role in airway inflammation. Sirtuin 6 (SIRT6) is a class Ill histone deacetylase that exerts an anti-inflammatory effect in airway diseases. However, the role of SIRT6 on PM2.5-induced airway inflammation in macrophages remains unclear. We aimed to determine whether SIRT6 protects against PM2.5-induced airway inflammation in macrophages. Methods: The effect of SIRT6 on PM2.5-induced airway inflammation was assessed by using THP1 cells or bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) exposed to PM2.5 in vitro and myeloid cell-specific SIRT6 conditional knockout mice (Sirt6fl/fl-LysMCre) in vivo. Results: PM2.5 increased SIRT6 expression in THP1 cells, but SIRT6 gene silencing decreased PM2.5 induced inflammatory cytokines in THP1 cells. Moreover, the expression of SIRT6 and inflammatory cytokines was also decreased in BMDMs with myeloid-specific deletion of SIRT6 after stimulation of PM2.5. In vivo, Sirt6fl/fl-LysMCre mice substantially decreased airway inflammation in response to PM2.5 exposure. Conclusion: Our results revealed that SIRT6 promotes the PM2.5-induced airway inflammation in macrophages and indicated that inhibition of SIRT6 in macrophages may represent therapeutic strategy for airway disorders induced by airborne particulate pollution.

Radiomics Nomogram Model Based on TOF-MRA Images: A New Effective Method for Predicting Microaneurysms.

Objective: To develop a radiomics nomogram model based on time-of-flight magnetic resonance angiography (TOF-MRA) images for preoperative prediction of true microaneurysms. Methods: 118 patients with Intracranial Aneurysm Sac (40 positive and 78 negative) were enrolled and allocated to training and validation groups (8:2 ratio). Findings of clinical characteristics and MRA features were analyzed. A radiomics signature was built on the basis of reproducible features by using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression algorithm in the training group. The radiomics nomogram model was constructed by combining clinical risk factors and radiomics signature. In order to compare the classification performance of clinical models, radiomics model and radiomics nomogram model, AUC was used to evaluate them. The performance of the radiomics nomogram model was evaluated by calibration curve and decision curve analysis. Results: Eleven features were selected to develop radiomics model with AUC of 0.875 (95% CI 0.78-0.97), sensitivity of 0.84, and specificity of 0.68. The radiomics model achieved a better diagnostic performance than the clinic model (AUC = 0.75, 95% CI: 0.53-0.97) and even radiologists. The radiomics nomogram model, which combines radiomics signature and clinical risk factors, is effective too (AUC = 0.913, 95% CI: 0.87-0.96). Furthermore, the decision curve analysis demonstrated significantly better net benefit in the radiomics nomogram model. Conclusion: Radiomics features derived from TOF-MRA can reliably be used to build a radiomics nomogram model for effectively differentiating between pseudo microaneurysms and true microaneurysms, and it can provide an objective basis for the selection of clinical treatment plans.

Prediction of the Efficacy of Lumbar Sympathetic Block in Patients with Lower Extremity Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Type 1 Based on the Sympathetic Skin Response.

INTRODUCTION: Complex regional pain syndrome type 1 (CRPS-1) is prevalent after trauma, with intractable pain being the most prominent clinical symptom. The impact of sympathetic block on CRPS is unclear. The goal of this study was to explore the characteristics that predict successful symptom relief with lumbar sympathetic block (LSB) in patients with lower extremity CRPS-1. METHODS: The study was designed as a prospective cohort study. Ninety-eight patients diagnosed with lower extremity CRPS-1 between March 2021 and March 2022 were enrolled as participants. All of the patients received two LSB treatments within a month. Sympthetic skin response (SSR) and numeric rating scale (NRS) were recorded before and after LSB treatment. The procedure was judged as a clinically positive response if the patients a 50% or greater reduction in NRS scores. Patients were divided into positive response and negative response groups after LSB treatment: LSB (+) and LSB (-), and the different characteristics and examination findings of the two groups of patients were compared. Furthermore, a multivariable logistic regression model was utilized to evaluate the predictors of successful symptom relief following LSB treatment. RESULTS: A total of 43.9% (43/98) of patients experienced successful symptom relief, while 56.1% (55/98) had unsuccessful symptom relief. After LSB treatment of all subjects, the overall NRS score decreased, the SSR amplitude increased, and the SSR latency shortened in the affected extremity (P < 0.05). There was a significant difference in the change in SSR amplitude between the LSB (-) and LSB (+) groups (P = 0.000). A 12-month disease duration had an OR (odds ratio) of 4.477 (P = 0.009), and a 510-µV baseline SSR amplitude of the affected extremity had an OR of 7.508 (P = 0.000) in the multivariable analysis that included these explanatory variables. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with lower extremity CRPS-1 can experience significant pain relief after LSB treatment. The predictors of successful symptom relief after LSB treatment were a baseline SSR amplitude of the affected extremity < 510 µV and a disease duration < 12 months. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ID: ChiCTR2000037755, date of registration: September 4, 2020).

Lactate, histone lactylation and cancer hallmarks.

Histone lactylation, an indicator of lactate level and glycolysis, has intrinsic connections with cell metabolism that represents a novel epigenetic code affecting the fate of cells including carcinogenesis. Through delineating the relationship between histone lactylation and cancer hallmarks, we propose histone lactylation as a novel epigenetic code priming cells toward the malignant state, and advocate the importance of identifying novel therapeutic strategies or dual-targeting modalities against lactylation toward effective cancer control. This review underpins important yet less-studied area in histone lactylation, and sheds insights on its clinical impact as well as possible therapeutic tools targeting lactylation.

A simple and efficient protocol for transient transformation of sliced grape berries.

Grape is an economically important crop but recalcitrant to Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation and in vitro regeneration. Here, we have developed a protocol for transient transformation of grapes by investigating the effects of explant pre-culture and duration of vacuum infiltration on transformation efficiency. Using sliced grape berries of "Shine-Muscat" (Vitis labrusca × Vitis vinifera) between the end of fruit expansion phase and the mature stage as explants, we firstly compared the effect of pre-culture explants into a susceptible state (incubation on Murashige and Skoog (MS) agar plate in the dark at 25 ± 1 °C for 48 h) with no pre-culture and then tested different vacuum infiltration times on transformation efficiency using ß-glucuronidase (GUS) reporter system. Pre-culture increased the susceptibility of explants to the agrobacteria infection and increased transient transformation efficiency as assessed by histochemical GUS activity, with intense blue coloration compared with the faint staining observed in the non-susceptible explants. Using a Circulating Water Vacuum Pump system to facilitate agrobacteria entry into berry cells, we tested vacuum durations of 5, 10, and 15 min and observed that transformation efficiency increased with vacuum duration of infiltration. These results were confirmed by relative gene expression of GUS transgene as assessed by RT-qPCR and GUS activity assay. To further confirm the usefulness of our protocol, we transiently transformed grape berries with the hydrogen peroxide sensor gene VvHPCA3, and this was confirmed by gene expression analysis as well as increased sensitivity of the explants to hydrogen peroxide treatment. Overall, this study has resulted in a simple but efficient transient transformation protocol for grape berries and would be a valuable tool for the rapid testing of gene function and the study of key regulatory networks in this important crop.

Musical therapy attenuates neuroma pain by modifying leptin expression.

BACKGROUND: Accumulating evidence reveals that music therapy appears to help patients with pain. However, there is a limited understanding of the underlying mechanisms. Several studies indicate that leptin level has a crucial relationship with acute and chronic pain. Herein, we evaluated the effects of music stimulation and the potential roles of adipokines (leptin) in pain behaviors. METHODS: We used a tibial neuroma transposition (TNT) rat model to mimic neuroma pain. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to one of the three groups (n = 6):group 1 (GC), TNT with white noise; group 2(GM), TNT with music; and group 3(GH), TNT. White noise and music stimulation was given once a day following surgery until the end of the study (42nd day). Pain behavioral tests were carried out before surgery and on the 3rd, 10th, 14th, 21st, 28th, 35th, and 42nd days after surgery. At the end of the observation period, we analyzed the histological samples of blood, spinal cord, and prefrontal cortex to investigate the role of leptin in pain behaviors modulated by white noise and sound stimulation. RESULT: Music therapy might improve the pain of TNT rats. Music stimulation ameliorated paw withdrawal thermal latency (PWTL) from the 3rd day after the surgery while the mechanical pain was improved 21 days after the operation.Music stimulation also increased leptin expression in the spinal cord, prefrontal cortex.White noise had no obvious effect. CONCLUSION: Music therapy might improve the pain of TNT rats. Besides, music stimulation ameliorated TNT-induced pain behaviors and affected leptin expression.

Comparative genomics of Myxococcus and Pyxidicoccus, including the description of four novel species: Myxococcus guangdongensis sp. nov., Myxococcus qinghaiensis sp. nov., Myxococcus dinghuensis sp. nov., and Pyxidicoccus xibeiensis sp. nov.

Myxobacteria are recognized for fascinating social behaviors and producing diverse extracellular active substances. Isolating novel myxobacteria is of great interest in the exploitation of new antibiotics and extracellular enzymes. Herein, four novel strains were isolated from Dinghu Mountain Biosphere Reserve, Guangdong province, and Qinghai virgin forest soils, Qinghai province, China. The phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene and genomic sequences indicated that the four strains belong to the genera Myxococcus and Pyxidicoccus, sharing the highly similarities of 16S rRNA gene with the genera Myxococcus and Pyxidicoccus (99.3-99.6%, respectively). The four strains had average nucleotide identity (ANI) values of 82.8-94.5%, digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) values of 22.2-56.6%, average amino acid identity (AAI) values of 75.8-79.1% and percentage of conserved protein (POCP) values of 66.4-74.9% to members of the genera Myxococcus and Pyxidicoccus. Based on phylogenetic analyses, physiological and biochemical characteristics, and comparative genomic analyses, we propose four novel species of the genera Myxococcus and Pyxidicoccus and further supported the two genera above represented the same genus. Description of the four novel species is Myxococcus guangdongensis sp. nov. (K38C18041901T = GDMCC 1.2320T = JCM 39260T), Myxococcus qinghaiensis sp. nov. (QH3KD-4-1T = GDMCC 1.2316T = JCM 39262T), Myxococcus dinghuensis sp. nov. (K15C18031901T = GDMCC 1.2319T = JCM 39259T), and Pyxidicoccus xibeiensis sp. nov. (QH1ED-7-1T = GDMCC 1.2315T = JCM 39261T), respectively. Furthermore, comparative genomics of all 15 species of the genera Myxococcus and Pyxidicoccus revealed extensive genetic diversity. Core genomes enriched more genes associated with housekeeping functional classes while accessory genomes enriched more genes related to environmental interactions, indicating the former is relatively indispensable compared to signaling pathway genes. The 15 species of Myxococcus and Pyxidicoccus also exhibited great gene diversity of carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) and secondary metabolite biosynthesis gene clusters (BGCs), especially related to glycosyl transferases (GT2 and GT4), glycoside hydrolases (GH13 and GH23), non-ribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPS), and Type I polyketide synthase (PKS)/NRPS hybrids.

Establishment of a medical device adverse event management system for hospitals.

BACKGROUND: The management of medical device adverse event (MDAE) is one of the most important aspects of improving medical quality and safety management. Nonetheless, hospitals still lack standardized and unified initiatives to improve MDAE management. METHODS: This study, thus, established a MDAE monitoring system on May 1 in 2011 for suspected adverse events and designed a hospital-based dynamic warning system, aiming to standardize the process of MDAE handling and provide real-time monitoring for MDAEs in a hospital. This system was used in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine. Numbers and the compound growth rate of MDAE reports from 2010 to 2020 were compared to test the effectiveness of the MDAE monitoring system. Numbers of MDAE reported to the National Adverse Event Monitoring System were also compared over 2013 to 2020, due to the loss of data before 2013 after shutdown of the old system. Efficacy and usability of the hospital-based dynamic warning system was then verified by analyzing risk and warning levels of MDAEs in 2020. Descriptive statistics was used for data analysis in this study. RESULTS: Results showed that the compound annual growth rates of MDAE reports and those submitted to the National Adverse Event Monitoring System from 2013 to 2020 were 35.0% and 31.5%, respectively. A standardized management of MDAE with full participant, timely response and effective feedback was formed in the hospital by establishment of the MDAE system. CONCLUSIONS: This system effectively improved the monitoring level of MDAEs, helping to improve early detection, early warning, and early intervention of risk of medical device. This study may provide suggestions for medical institutions to establish a MDAE monitoring system, and may promote development of medical quality and safety management for hospitals to some extent.

High-Rate Organic Cathode Constructed by Iron-Hexaazatrinaphthalene Tricarboxylic Acid Coordination Polymer for Li-Ion Batteries.

The sluggish ion-transport in electrodes and low utilization of active materials are critical limitations of organic cathodes, which lead to the slow reaction dynamics and low specific capacity. In this study, the hierarchical tube is constructed by iron-hexaazatrinaphthalene tricarboxylic acid coordination polymer (Fe-HATNTA), using HATNTA as the self-engaged template to coordinate with Fe2+ ions. This Fe-HATNTA tube with hierarchical porous structure ensures the sufficient contact between electrolyte and active materials, shortens the diffusion distance, and provides more favorable transport pathways for ions. When employed as the cathode for rechargeable Li-ion batteries, Fe-HATNTA delivers a high specific capacity (244 mAh g-1 at 50 mA g-1 , 91% of theoretical capacity), excellent rate capability (128 mAh g-1 at 9 A g-1 ), and a long-term cycle life (73.9% retention over 3000 cycles at 5 A g-1 ). Moreover, the Li+ ions storage and conduction mechanisms are further disclosed by the ex situ and in situ characterizations, kinetic analyses, and theoretical calculations. This work is expected to boost further enthusiasm for developing the hierarchical structured metal-organic coordination polymers with superb ionic storage and transport as high-performance organic cathodes.

Parachryseolinea silvisoli gen. nov., sp. nov., isolated from forest soil, and reclassification of Chryseolinea flava as Pseudochryseolinea flava gen. nov., comb. nov.

A lemon-chiffon strain, designated QH1ED-6-2T, was isolated from a soil sample collected from Qinghai Virgin Forests, Qinghai Province, PR China. The strain was Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, rod-shaped and motile by gliding. Phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain QH1ED-6-2T belongs to the family Fulvivirgaceae, and has the highest similarity values of 93.6-92.0 % to Ohtaekwangia koreensis CCUG 58939T, Ohtaekwangia kribbensis CCUG 58938T, Chryseolinea flava SDU1-6T and Chryseolinea serpens DSM 24574T, respectively. The major cellular fatty acids included iso-C15 : 0, C16 : 1 ω5c, iso-C17 : 0 3-OH and summed feature 3. The major polar lipid was phosphatidylethanolamine. The predominant respiratory quinone was menaquinone-7. The average amino acid identity values and percentages of conserved proteins between QH1ED-6-2T and its closely related genera were 66.4-69.6 % and 58.9-64.9 %, respectively, which are interspersed in the intra-genera cutoff values. The digital DNA-DNA hybridization values were 17.6-19.2 %. The draft genome size of strain QH1ED-6-2T was 7.98 Mbp with a DNA G+C content of 51.4 mol%. Based on phenotypic, chemotaxonomic, phylogenetic data, genomic DNA G+C content, as well as AAI, POCP and dDDH results, strain QH1ED-6-2T represents a novel species of a new genus in the family Fulvivirgaceae, for which the name Parachryseolinea silvisoli sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is QH1ED-6-2T (=GDMCC 1.2318T=JCM 35041T). We also propose the reclassification of Chryseolinea flava as Pseudochryseolinea flava gen. nov., comb. nov. (type strain SDU1-6T=CGMCC 1.13492T=JCM 32520T).

The complete chloroplast genome of Rhododendron shanii W.P. Fang (Ericaceae), a endemic plant from the Southern Dabie Mountains of China.

Rhododendron shanii W.P. Fang 1983 (Ericaceae) is woody plant naturally distributed in the southwest of Anhui, China. The complete chloroplast genome sequence of R. shanii was generated by whole-genome next-generation sequencing data and assembled based on three Rhododendron species chloroplast genome. The complete chloroplast genome sequence of R. shanii was 204,170 bp and divided into four distinct regions: small single-copy region (2615 bp), large single-copy region (107,189 bp), and a pair of inverted repeat regions (47,183 bp). The genome annotation displayed 150 genes, including 95 protein-coding genes, 47 tRNA genes, and eight rRNA genes. Phylogenetic analysis with the Ericaceae reported chloroplast genomes revealed that R. shanii is sister to the clade comprising R. delavayi, R. griersonianum and R. platypodum.

Multi-channel AgNWs-doped interdigitated organic electrochemical transistors enable sputum-based device towards noninvasive and portable diagnosis of lung cancer.

Biochemical monitoring of bodily fluidics such as sweat, urine, and tears have been extensively developed, but reliable biochemical analysis of sputum biospecimens remains limited and challenging due to the low abundance of biomarkers in intrinsically viscous sputum. We reported a portable multi-channel sputum-based interdigitated organic electrochemical transistors (SiOECTs) device for noninvasive sputum diagnosis. We tailored the AgNWs-doped organic electrochemical transistors, integrating with multiplexed aptamer-antigen assays, to realize the signal amplification and simultaneous detection of biomarkers in raw sputum biospecimens from lung cancer patients. Clinical validation studies demonstrated favorable correlation coefficients between the sputum and serum biospecimens. By utilizing our portable multi-channel iOECTs devices, lung cancer patients were differentiated from health control with an optimum area under the curve (AUC) of 0.931, sensitivity of 87.0%, and specificity of 86.5%. Our miniaturized and portable device could even realize the continuous in-home tracking of the biomarkers change for lung cancer patients after radiotherapy/chemotherapy. It is envisaged that the SiOECTs will shed light on noninvasive diagnostics platforms for sputum-related diseases.

The Tourniquet Ischemia Test Effectively Predicts the Efficacy of Lumbar Sympathetic Block in Patients with Lower Extremity Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Type 1.

Background: Neuropathic pain is the most common clinical sign of complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). Currently, lumbar sympathetic block (LSB) is commonly utilized in lower extremity CRPS that has failed to respond to medication therapy and physical therapy, but its effectiveness is unknown. The tourniquet ischemia test (IT) can distinguish between two types of CRPS: IT-positive CRPS and IT-negative CRPS. Objective: The aim of the study was to investigate whether LSB improves pain scores in patients with lower extremity CRPS-1 and to screen factors to predict its efficacy. Study Design: Prospective clinical observational study. Setting: Pain management center. Subjects: Forty-three patients diagnosed with lower extremity CRPS-1 using the Budapest criteria were included as participants. Methods: Forty-three CRPS-1 patients were treated with LSB therapy, and all of them underwent a tourniquet ischemia test (IT) before undergoing LSB therapy. LSB therapy was performed using a combination of ultrasonography and fluoroscopy. Then, numeric rating scale (NRS) scores and the symptom relief rates of patients were evaluated at 1, 4, and 12 weeks. Finally, peripheral blood inflammatory cytokine samples were collected before and after the LSB treatment. Results: At 4 weeks after the treatment, the total effective symptom relief rate of LSB on CRPS-1 was 25.6% (11/43), with 52.6% (10/19) of IT(+) patients and 4.2% (1/24) of IT(-) patients. There was a significant difference between the IT(-) and IT(+) groups (P = 0.001). The multivariate binary logistic regression analysis revealed that the response to the tourniquet IT was the only significant independent predictor of sympathetic block success (p = 0.007). Conclusion: Tourniquet IT is a simple, safe and effective test to distinguish patients with lower extremity CRPS-1. The response to the tourniquet IT is a reliable predictor of LSB effectiveness in lower extremity CRPS-1 patients.

PCDE-Sync: A Time Synchronization Mechanism Based on Partial Clustering and the Doppler Effect for Underwater Acoustic Networks.

Time synchronization is the basis of coordination and cooperation in underwater acoustic networks. However, because of the propagation delay, node mobility, and Doppler shift, it is impossible to balance the accuracy and energy consumption simply in water. As a promising technology, partial clustering has high convergence and makes breakthroughs in time synchronization. This paper proposes PCDE-Sync, a novel synchronization mechanism with partial clustering and the Doppler effect. Firstly, a clustering method built on the artificial fish swarm algorithm is presented. It models the cluster construction according to fish's preying, swarming, and following behaviors. Secondly, we design a synchronization mechanism to conduct clock correction and compensation by the Doppler effect. Finally, we compare the performance of PCDE-Sync with the most advanced protocols, namely MU-Sync, MM-Sync, and DE-Sync, in terms of the cumulative error after synchronization, the mean square error under different clock skew and that under distinctive node mobility, and energy consumption. The experimental results show that PCDE-Sync makes a trade-off between accuracy and complexity, which does well in solving synchronization issues.