Natural Fat Nanoemulsions for Enhanced Optical Coherence Tomography Neuroimaging and Tumor Imaging in the Second Near-Infrared Window.

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging mainly uses backscattered light to visualize the structural and functional information on biological tissues. In particular, OCT angiography can not only map the capillary networks but also capture the blood flow in the tissue microenvironment, making it a good candidate for neuroimaging and tumor imaging in vivo and in real time. To further improve the detection accuracy of cancer or brain disorders, it is essential to develop a natural and nontoxic contrast agent for enhanced OCT imaging in the second near-infrared (NIR-II) window. In this study, a superior biocompatible and highly scattering NIR-II fat nanoemulsion was constructed to improve OCT imaging contrast and depth for monitoring the vascular network changes of the cerebral cortex or tumor. In vivo experimental results demonstrated that a natural fat nanoemulsion can serve as an excellent probe for enhanced OCT neuroimaging and tumor imaging.

Simulation Analysis of Frog-Inspired Take-Off Performance Based on Different Structural Models.

The frog-inspired jumping robot is an interesting topic in the field of biomechanics and bionics. However, due to the frog's explosive movement and large range of joint motion, it is very difficult to make their structure completely bionic. To obtain the optimal jumping motion model, the musculoskeletal structure, jumping movement mechanism, and characteristics of frogs are first systematically analyzed, and the corresponding structural and kinematic parameters are obtained. Based on biological characteristics, a model of the articular bone structure is created, which can fully describe the features of frog movement. According to the various factors affecting the frog's jumping movement, mass and constraints are added, and the complex biological joint structure is simplified into four different jumping structure models. The jumping ground reaction force, velocity, and displacement of the center of mass, joint torque, and other motion information of these four models are obtained through ADAMS simulation to reveal the jumping movement mechanism and the influencing factors of frogs. Finally, various motion features are analyzed and compared to determine the optimal structural model of the comprehensive index, which provides a theoretical basis for the design of the frog-inspired jumping robot.

Downregulation of PDIA3 inhibits gastric cancer cell growth through cell cycle regulation.

OBJECTIVE: Protein disulfide isomerase A3 (PDIA3) promotes the correct folding of newly synthesized glycoproteins in the endoplasmic reticulum. PDIA3 is overexpressed in most tumors, and it may become a biomarker of cancer prognosis and immunotherapy. Our study aims to detect the expression level of PDIA3 in gastric cancer (GC) and its association with GC development as wells as the underlying mechanisms. METHODS: GC cell lines with PDIA3 knockdown by siRNA, CRISPR-cas9 sgRNAs or a pharmacological inhibitor of LOC14 were prepared and used. PDIA3 knockout GC cells were established by CRISPR-cas9-PDIA3 system. The proliferation, migration, invasion and cell cycle of GC cells were analyzed by cell counting kit-8 assay, wound healing assay, transwell assay and flow cytometry, respectively. Immunodeficient nude mice was used to evaluate the role of PDIA3 in tumor formation. Quantitative PCR and western blot were used for examining gene and protein expressions. RNA sequencing was performed to see the altered gene expression. RESULTS: The expressions of PDIA3 in GC tissues and cells were increased significantly, and its expression was negatively correlated with the three-year survival rate of GC patients. Down-regulation of PDIA3 by siRNA, LOC14 or CRISPR-cas9 significantly inhibited proliferation, invasion and migration of GC cells TMK1 and AGS, with cell cycle arrested at G2/M phase. Meanwhile, decreased PDIA3 significantly inhibited growth of tumor xenograft in vivo. It was found that cyclin G1 (encoded by CCNG1 gene) expression was decreased by downregulation of PDIA3 in GC cells both in vitro and in vivo. In addition, protein levels of other cell cycle related factors including cyclin D1, CDK2, and CDK6 were also significantly decreased. Further study showed that STAT3 was associated with PDIA3-mediated cyclin G1 regulation. CONCLUSION: PDIA3 plays an oncogenic role in GC. Our findings unfolded the functional role of PDIA3 in GC development and highlighted a novel target for cancer therapeutic strategy.

Effect of L5 spinal canal type on pedicle screw placement based on CT imaging: a retrospective clinical study.

PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to investigate the optimal entry point and pedicle camber angle for L5 pedicle screws of different canal types. METHODS: CT imaging data were processed by Mimics for simulated pedicle screw placement, and PD (Pedicle diameter), PCA (Pedicle camber angle), LD (Longitudinal distance), TD (Transverse distance), and PBG (Pedicle screw breach grade) were measured. Then they were divided into the Round group and Trefoil group according to the type of spinal canal. When comparing PD, PCA, LD, TD, and PBG, the two sides of the pedicle were compared separately, so they were first divided into the round-type pedicle group and the trefoil-type pedicle group. RESULTS: In the round-type pedicle group (n = 134) and the trefoil-type pedicle group (n = 264), there was no significant difference in PD and LD, but there was a significant difference in PCA between the two groups (t = - 4.072, P < 0.05). A statistically significant difference in the distance of the Magerl point relative to the optimal entry point (t = - 3.792, P < 0.05), and the distance of the Magerl point relative to the optimal entry point was greater in the trefoil-type pedicle group than in the round-type pedicle group. CONCLUSION: The optimal entry point for L5 is more outward than the Magerl point, and the Trefoil spinal canal L5 is more outwardly oriented than the Round spinal canal L5, with a greater angle of abduction during pedicle screw placement.

Review of Theoretical and Computational Studies of Bulk and Single Atom Catalysts for H2 S Catalytic Conversion.

Catalytic conversion of hydrogen sulfide (H2 S) plays a vital role in environmental protection and safety production. In this review, recent theoretical advances for catalytic conversion of H2 S are systemically summarized. Firstly, different mechanisms of catalytic conversion of H2 S are elucidated. Secondly, theoretical studies of catalytic conversion of H2 S on surfaces of metals, metal compounds, and single-atom catalysts (SACs) are systematically reviewed. In the meantime, various strategies which have been adopted to improve the catalytic performance of catalysts in the catalytic conversion of H2 S are also reviewed, mainly including facet morphology control, doped heteroatoms, metal deposition, and defective engineering. Finally, new directions of catalytic conversion of H2 S are proposed and potential strategies to further promote conversion of H2 S are also suggested: including SACs, double atom catalysts (DACs), single cluster catalysts (SCCs), frustrated Lewis pairs (FLPs), etc. The present comprehensive review can provide an insight for the future development of new catalysts for the catalytic conversion of H2 S.

A lung-selective delivery of mRNA encoding broadly neutralizing antibody against SARS-CoV-2 infection.

The respiratory system, especially the lung, is the key site of pathological injury induced by SARS-CoV-2 infection. Given the low feasibility of targeted delivery of antibodies into the lungs by intravenous administration and the short half-life period of antibodies in the lungs by intranasal or aerosolized immunization, mRNA encoding broadly neutralizing antibodies with lung-targeting capability can perfectly provide high-titer antibodies in lungs to prevent the SARS-CoV-2 infection. Here, we firstly identify a human monoclonal antibody, 8-9D, with broad neutralizing potency against SARS-CoV-2 variants. The neutralization mechanism of this antibody is explained by the structural characteristics of 8-9D Fabs in complex with the Omicron BA.5 spike. In addition, we evaluate the efficacy of 8-9D using a safe and robust mRNA delivery platform and compare the performance of 8-9D when its mRNA is and is not selectively delivered to the lungs. The lung-selective delivery of the 8-9D mRNA enables the expression of neutralizing antibodies in the lungs which blocks the invasion of the virus, thus effectively protecting female K18-hACE2 transgenic mice from challenge with the Beta or Omicron BA.1 variant. Our work underscores the potential application of lung-selective mRNA antibodies in the prevention and treatment of infections caused by circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants.

Anti-oxidative activities and anti-ferroptosis of conditioned medium from umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells.

The therapeutic effect of MSC is closely related to its antioxidant capacity. There is no uniform standard for evaluating the antioxidant capacity of MSC. In this study, we compared the antioxidant capacity of control medium (CON) and conditioned medium (CM) from umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells cultured for 48 h, about total antioxidant capacity, DPPH scavenging capacity, O2- and hydroxyl radical inhibiting capacity, and the detection of antioxidant enzymes including superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and catalase, and resistance to cellular oxidative damage caused by H2O2, SNAP, erastin, and RSL3. The results showed that CM had better DPPH scavenging capacity than CON. No significant differences were observed in antioxidant enzymes. CM did not resist the oxidative damage induced by H2O2 and SNAP, but it had a strong resistance to ferroptosis induced by erastin and RSL3, indicating that CM had excellent resistance to cell lipid peroxidation. CM could improve the cell shrinkage morphology induced by ferroptosis and reduce the production of lipid ROS. qPCR experiments proved that CM improved and regulated multiple pathways of ferroptosis, including genes related to iron metabolism such as FPN, FTH1, TFRC, and IREB2, and redox regulatory genes such as GPX4, AIFM2, DHODH, and TP53, and increased the antioxidant-related transcription factors NRF2 and ATF4.

Inhibition of phase transition from δ-MnO2 to α-MnO2 by Mo-doping and the application of Mo-doped MnO2 in aqueous zinc-ion batteries.

MnO2 is an oxide with many crystalline phases and is often used as a cathode material for aqueous zinc-ion batteries. However, its poor electrical conductivity and structural instability limit its further application. In the present work, Mo-doped MnO2 microflowers are successfully prepared by a facile hydrothermal method. Interestingly, it is found that the doping of Mo inhibits the phase transition from δ-MnO2 to α-MnO2, which may be related to the low crystallinity of Mo doped MnO2. Compared with undoped MnO2, Mo-doped MnO2 maintains two-dimensional morphology with a large specific surface area and mesoporous structure. In addition, the electronic conductivity and reversibility of Zn2+ insertion/extraction are improved in Mo doped MnO2. Therefore, Mo-doped MnO2 exhibits high reversible capacity and long cycling stability. For example, a high reversible capacity of 72.6 mA h g-1 can be achieved at a current density of 2000 mA g-1 after 2500 cycles.

Crocin Ameliorates Diabetic Nephropathy through Regulating Metabolism, CYP4A11/PPARγ, and TGF-ß/Smad Pathways in Mice.

INTRODUCTION: Crocin is one of the main components of Crocus sativus L. and can alleviate oxidative stress and inflammation in diabetic nephropathy (DN). However, the specific mechanism by which crocin treats DN still needs to be further elucidated. METHOD: In the present study, a mouse model of DN was first established to investigate the therapeutic effect of crocin on DN mice. Subsequently, non-targeted metabolomics techniques were used to analyze the mechanisms of action of crocin in the treatment of DN. The effects of crocin on CYP4A11/PPARγ and TGF-ß/Smad pathway were also investigated. RESULT: Results showed that crocin exhibited significant therapeutic and anti-inflammatory, and anti-oxidative effects on DN mice. In addition, the non-targeted metabolomics results indicated that crocin treatment affected several metabolites in kidney. These metabolites were mainly associated with biotin metabolism, riboflavin metabolism, and arachidonic acid metabolism. Furthermore, crocin treatment upregulated the decreased levels of CYP4A11 and phosphorylated PPARγ, and reduced the increased levels of TGF-ß1 and phosphorylated Smad2/3 in the kidneys of DN mice. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, our study validated the considerable therapeutic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidative impacts of crocin on DN mice. The mechanism of crocin treatment may be related to the regulation of biotin riboflavin and arachidonic acid metabolism, the activation of CYP4A11/PPARγ pathway, and the inhibition of TGF-ß/Smad pathway in the kidney.

CFD-Based Simulation Analysis for Motions through Multiphase Environments.

The motion process and force of the jumper crossing a multiphase environment are of great significance to the research of small amphibious robots. Here, CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics)-based simulation analysis for motions through multiphase environments (water-air multiphase) is successfully realized by UDF (user-defined function). The analytical model is first established to investigate the jumping response of the jumpers with respect to the jump angle, force, and water depth. The numerical model of the jumper and its surrounding fluid domain is conducted to obtain various dynamic parameters in the jumping process, such as jumping height and speed. Satisfactory agreements are obtained by comparing the error of repeated simulation results (5%). Meanwhile, the influence of the jumper's own attributes, including mass and structural size, on the jumping performance is analyzed. The flow field information, such as wall shear and velocity when the jumper approaches and breaks through the water surface, is finally extracted, which lays a foundation for the structural design and dynamic underwater analysis of the amphibious robot.

Dysregulation of immunity by cigarette smoking promotes inflammation and cancer: A review.

Smoking is a serious global health issue. Cigarette smoking contains over 7000 different chemicals. The main harmful components include nicotine, acrolein, aromatic hydrocarbons and heavy metals, which play the key role for cigarette-induced inflammation and carcinogenesis. Growing evidences show that cigarette smoking and its components exert a remarkable impact on regulation of immunity and dysregulated immunity promotes inflammation and cancer. Therefore, this comprehensive and up-to-date review covers four interrelated topics, including cigarette smoking, inflammation, cancer and immune system. The known harmful chemicals from cigarette smoking were summarized. Importantly, we discussed in depth the impact of cigarette smoking on the formation of inflammatory or tumor microenvironment, primarily by affecting immune effector cells, such as macrophages, neutrophils, and T lymphocytes. Furthermore, the main molecular mechanisms by which cigarette smoking induces inflammation and cancer, including changes in epigenetics, DNA damage and others were further summarized. This article will contribute to a better understanding of the impact of cigarette smoking on inducing inflammation and cancer.

Ambipolar to Unipolar Conversion in C70/Ferrocene Nanosheet Field-Effect Transistors.

Organic cocrystals, which are assembled by noncovalent intermolecular interactions, have garnered intense interest due to their remarkable chemicophysical properties and practical applications. One notable feature, namely, the charge transfer (CT) interactions within the cocrystals, not only facilitates the formation of an ordered supramolecular network but also endows them with desirable semiconductor characteristics. Here, we present the intriguing ambipolar CT properties exhibited by nanosheets composed of single cocrystals of C70/ferrocene (C70/Fc). When heated to 150 °C, the initially ambipolar monoclinic C70/Fc nanosheet-based field-effect transistors (FETs) were transformed into n-type face-centered cubic (fcc) C70 nanosheet-based FETs owing to the elimination of Fc. This thermally induced alteration in the crystal structure was accompanied by an irreversible switching of the semiconducting behavior of the device; thus, the device transitions from ambipolar to unipolar. Importantly, the C70/Fc nanosheet-based FETs were also found to be much more thermally stable than the previously reported C60/Fc nanosheet-based FETs. Furthermore, we conducted visible/near-infrared diffuse reflectance and photoemission yield spectroscopies to investigate the crucial role played by Fc in modulating the CT characteristics. This study provides valuable insights into the overall functionality of these nanosheet structures.

Joint Calibration Method for Robot Measurement Systems.

Robot measurement systems with a binocular planar structured light camera (3D camera) installed on a robot end-effector are often used to measure workpieces' shapes and positions. However, the measurement accuracy is jointly influenced by the robot kinematics, camera-to-robot installation, and 3D camera measurement errors. Incomplete calibration of these errors can result in inaccurate measurements. This paper proposes a joint calibration method considering these three error types to achieve overall calibration. In this method, error models of the robot kinematics and camera-to-robot installation are formulated using Lie algebra. Then, a pillow error model is proposed for the 3D camera based on its error distribution and measurement principle. These error models are combined to construct a joint model based on homogeneous transformation. Finally, the calibration problem is transformed into a stepwise optimization problem that minimizes the sum of the relative position error between the calibrator and robot, and analytical solutions for the calibration parameters are derived. Simulation and experiment results demonstrate that the joint calibration method effectively improves the measurement accuracy, reducing the mean positioning error from over 2.5228 mm to 0.2629 mm and the mean distance error from over 0.1488 mm to 0.1232 mm.

A Graph-Based Hybrid Reconfiguration Deformation Planning for Modular Robots.

The self-reconfigurable modular robotic system is a class of robots that can alter its configuration by rearranging the connectivity of their component modular units. The reconfiguration deformation planning problem is to find a sequence of reconfiguration actions to transform one reconfiguration into another. In this paper, a hybrid reconfiguration deformation planning algorithm for modular robots is presented to enable reconfiguration between initial and goal configurations. A hybrid algorithm is developed to decompose the configuration into subconfigurations with maximum commonality and implement distributed dynamic mapping of free vertices. The module mapping relationship between the initial and target configurations is then utilized to generate reconfiguration actions. Simulation and experiment results verify the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.

The association of the serum levels of aldehydes with diabetes-related eye diseases: a cross-sectional population-based study.

Diabetes could impact many ocular tissues. However, the association of the serum aldehydes with diabetes-related eye diseases (DED) remains unclear. Thus, we aimed to examine the above relationship from the general US population of 2013-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). The multivariable logistic regression and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) were used to analyze the effect of serum aldehydes on the risk of DED. Pearson's correlation analysis, the restricted cubic spline (RCS) model, and the linear regression were performed to explore the association between the serum aldehydes and other parameters. The multivariable linear regression was conducted to further underlie the relationship between the serum aldehydes and the glycohemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) in DED participants. Although no significant association was observed between the serum aldehydes and the risk of DED by the multivariable logistic regression and BKMR, the Pearson correlation revealed a positive association between the HbA1c level and the serum level of heptanaldehyde and isopentanaldehyde in DED participants. The RCS model confirmed the above linear correlation. After adjusting for the cofounding factor of smoking, the multivariable linear regression revealed a significant association between the serum level of heptanaldehyde and the HbA1c level in DED participants. Our results suggest that aldehyde exposure did not significantly increase the risk of DED, while heptanaldehyde was the risk factor for increased HbA1c in DED population.

Research on a New Rehabilitation Robot for Balance Disorders.

The treatment of patients with balance disorders is an urgent problem to be solved by the medical community. The causes of balance disorders are diverse. An aging population, traffic accidents, stroke, genetic diseases and so on are all possible factors. It has brought great pain and inconvenience to patients and their families. At present, there are two main types of assisted rehabilitation training robots for patients with balance disorders: exoskeleton robots and end robots. The exoskeleton robot is generally installed on the outside of the patient's body to follow their movement, which can support the weight of the body and provide power support to help the patient train and recover lower limb ability. The use of end robots is usually to secure the patient's foot to the motion platform and control the pedal to drive the lower limbs to conduct gait training. Such passive training is more suitable for patients with severe disorders. The patient has low awareness of active participation. This paper focuses on research on end rehabilitation training robots for balance disorders. In this paper, a robotic system for rehabilitation training of patients with balance disorders is invented. The robot body is a 9 degree of freedom (DOF) redundant series-parallel hybrid motion platform. Two sets of motion platforms with symmetrical mirror images are used together to simulate different motion modes of the human body and drive the human body to move. Each set of motion platforms is composed of a 6-DOF vestibular parallel device and a 3-DOF proprioception parallel device. It has the advantages of DOF decoupling and fast response, proposing a new structural form for the design of proprioceptive and vestibular simulation platforms. The robot's functional level can be divided into a vestibular sense module and a proprioception module according to the structure. The two modules can work independently to achieve different functions or work together to achieve complex motion and multisensory fusion. This robot is a redundant mechanism device with 9 DOFs. Through a reasonable distribution of DOF and motion, the robot's working space can be increased, and the robot's flexibility and motion performance can be improved. In this paper, a trajectory tracking control algorithm for vestibular and proprioceptive simulation is proposed, which can provide unlimited body sense training for patients within the robot's limited motion range.

A Novel Human Intention Prediction Approach Based on Fuzzy Rules through Wearable Sensing in Human-Robot Handover.

With the use of collaborative robots in intelligent manufacturing, human-robot interaction has become more important in human-robot collaborations. Human-robot handover has a huge impact on human-robot interaction. For current research on human-robot handover, special attention is paid to robot path planning and motion control during the handover process; seldom is research focused on human handover intentions. However, enabling robots to predict human handover intentions is important for improving the efficiency of object handover. To enable robots to predict human handover intentions, a novel human handover intention prediction approach was proposed in this study. In the proposed approach, a wearable data glove and fuzzy rules are firstly used to achieve faster and accurate human handover intention sensing (HIS) and human handover intention prediction (HIP). This approach mainly includes human handover intention sensing (HIS) and human handover intention prediction (HIP). For human HIS, we employ wearable data gloves to sense human handover intention information. Compared with vision-based and physical contact-based sensing, wearable data glove-based sensing cannot be affected by visual occlusion and does not pose threats to human safety. For human HIP, we propose a fast handover intention prediction method based on fuzzy rules. Using this method, the robot can efficiently predict human handover intentions based on the sensing data obtained by the data glove. The experimental results demonstrate the advantages and efficacy of the proposed method in human intention prediction during human-robot handover.

A Hierarchical Motion Planning Method for Mobile Manipulator.

This paper focuses on motion planning for mobile manipulators, which includes planning for both the mobile base and the manipulator. A hierarchical motion planner is proposed that allows the manipulator to change its configuration autonomously in real time as needed. The planner has two levels: global planning for the mobile base in two dimensions and local planning for both the mobile base and the manipulator in three dimensions. The planner first generates a path for the mobile base using an optimized A* algorithm. As the mobile base moves along the path with the manipulator configuration unchanged, potential collisions between the manipulator and the environment are checked using the environment data obtained from the on-board sensors. If the current manipulator configuration is in a potential collision, a new manipulator configuration is searched. A sampling-based heuristic algorithm is used to effectively find a collision-free configuration for the manipulator. The experimental results in simulation environments proved that our heuristic sampling-based algorithm outperforms the conservative random sampling-based method in terms of computation time, percentage of successful attempts, and the quality of the generated configuration. Compared with traditional methods, our motion planning method could deal with 3D obstacles, avoid large memory requirements, and does not require a long time to generate a global plan.