Prediction of Prostate Cancer Risk Stratification Based on A Nonlinear Transformation Stacking Learning Strategy.

PURPOSE: Prostate cancer (PCa) is an epithelial malignancy that originates in the prostate gland and is generally categorized into low, intermediate, and high-risk groups. The primary diagnostic indicator for PCa is the measurement of serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) values. However, reliance on PSA levels can result in false positives, leading to unnecessary biopsies and an increased risk of invasive injuries. Therefore, it is imperative to develop an efficient and accurate method for PCa risk stratification. Many recent studies on PCa risk stratification based on clinical data have employed a binary classification, distinguishing between low to intermediate and high risk. In this paper, we propose a novel machine learning (ML) approach utilizing a stacking learning strategy for predicting the tripartite risk stratification of PCa. METHODS: Clinical records, featuring attributes selected using the lasso method, were utilized with 5 ML classifiers. The outputs of these classifiers underwent transformation by various nonlinear transformers and were then concatenated with the lasso-selected features, resulting in a set of new features. A stacking learning strategy, integrating different ML classifiers, was developed based on these new features. RESULTS: Our proposed approach demonstrated superior performance, achieving an accuracy of 0.83 and an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve value of 0.88 in a dataset comprising 197 PCa patients with 42 clinical characteristics. CONCLUSION: This study aimed to improve clinicians' ability to rapidly assess PCa risk stratification while reducing the burden on patients. This was achieved by using artificial intelligence-related technologies as an auxiliary method for diagnosing PCa.

Childhood maltreatment and resting-state network connectivity: The risk-buffering role of positive parenting.

Unraveling the neurobiological foundations of childhood maltreatment is important due to the persistent associations with adverse mental health outcomes. However, the mechanisms through which abuse and neglect disturb resting-state network connectivity remain elusive. Moreover, it remains unclear if positive parenting can mitigate the negative impact of childhood maltreatment on network connectivity. We analyzed a cohort of 194 adolescents and young adults (aged 14-25, 47.42% female) from the Neuroscience in Psychiatry Network (NSPN) to investigate the impact of childhood abuse and neglect on resting-state network connectivity. Specifically, we examined the SAN, DMN, FPN, DAN, and VAN over time. We also explored the moderating role of positive parenting. The results showed that childhood abuse was linked to stronger connectivity within the SAN and VAN, as well as between the DMN-DAN, DMN-VAN, DMN-SAN, SAN-DAN, FPN-DAN, SAN-VAN, and VAN-DAN networks about 18 months later. Positive parenting during childhood buffered the negative impact of childhood abuse on network connectivity. To our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate the protective effect of positive parenting on network connectivity following childhood abuse. These findings not only highlight the importance of positive parenting but also lead to a better understanding of the neurobiology and resilience mechanisms of childhood maltreatment.

Incidence of dreaming during ciprofol anesthesia for painless gastroscopy.

BACKGROUND: Dreaming is often reported by patients who undergo propofol-based sedation, but there have not been any studies to date focused on the incidence of dreaming and factors associated therewith following the administration of ciprofol anesthesia in patients undergoing painless gastroscopy. The present study was thus developed with the goal of assessing the incidence of dreaming. METHODS: In total, this study enrolled 200 patients undergoing painless gastroscopy. During the procedure, patients' electroencephalographic Bispectral Index (BIS), blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), blood oxygen saturation (SpO2), and PETCO2 were monitored. When their MOAA/S score reached five after the procedure, patients were administered questionnaires including the Brice questionnaire and a five-point Likert Scale, and the content of any recalled dreams was also recorded. RESULTS: Overall, 27.5% of the participants in this study reported dreaming during the procedure, with most having experienced simple, pleasant dreams about everyday life. Identified predictors of dreaming during painless gastroscopy included lower ASA grade, preoperative knowledge of painless examination, a higher frequency of dreams in the month before the procedure, poor sleep quality during the month before the procedure, and shorter awakening time. Dreamers showed significantly lower BIS values at 2 min after endoscope insertion and following endoscope removal, and also showed lower minimum BIS values compared with non-dreamers. CONCLUSIONS: The postoperative dream recall incidence in this study was 27.5% among patients undergoing painless gastroscopy under ciprofol sedation anesthesia.

Identification of benzo[b]thiophene-1,1-dioxide derivatives as novel PHGDH covalent inhibitors.

The increased de novo serine biosynthesis confers many advantages for tumorigenesis and metastasis. Phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase (PHGDH), a rate-limiting enzyme in serine biogenesis, exhibits hyperactivity across multiple tumors and emerges as a promising target for cancer treatment. Through screening our in-house compound library, we identified compound Stattic as a potent PHGDH inhibitor (IC50 = 1.98 ± 0.66 µM). Subsequent exploration in structural activity relationships led to the discovery of compound B12 that demonstrated the increased enzymatic inhibitory activity (IC50 = 0.29 ± 0.02 µM). Furthermore, B12 exhibited robust inhibitory effects on the proliferation of MDA-MB-468, NCI-H1975, HT1080 and PC9 cells that overexpress PHGDH. Additionally, using a [U-13C6]-glucose tracing assay, B12 was found to reduce the production of glucose-derived serine in MDA-MB-468 cells. Finally, mass spectrometry-based peptide profiling, mutagenesis experiment and molecular docking study collectively suggested that B12 formed a covalent bond with Cys421 of PHGDH.

Effect of subclavian vein diameter combined with perioperative fluid therapy on preventing post-induction hypotension in patients with ASA status I or II.

BACKGROUND: Perioperative hypotension is frequently observed following the initiation of general anesthesia administration, often associated with adverse outcomes. This study assessed the effect of subclavian vein (SCV) diameter combined with perioperative fluid therapy on preventing post-induction hypotension (PIH) in patients with lower ASA status. METHODS: This two-part study included patients aged 18 to 65 years, classified as ASA physical status I or II, and scheduled for elective surgery. The first part (Part I) included 146 adult patients, where maximum SCV diameter (dSCVmax), minimum SCV diameter (dSCVmin), SCV collapsibility index (SCVCI) and SCV variability (SCVvariability) assessed using ultrasound. PIH was determined by reduction in mean arterial pressure (MAP) exceeding 30% from baseline measurement or any instance of MAP < falling below 65 mmHg for ≥ a duration of at least 1 min during the period from induction to 10 min after intubation. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was employed to determine the predictive values of subclavian vein diameter and other relevant parameters. The second part comprised 124 adult patients, where patients with SCV diameter above the optimal cutoff value, as determined in Part I study, received 6 ml/kg of colloid solution within 20 min before induction. The study evaluated the impact of subclavian vein diameter combined with perioperative fluid therapy by comparing the observed incidence of PIH after induction of anesthesia. RESULTS: The areas under the curves (with 95% confidence intervals) for SCVCI and SCVvariability were both 0.819 (0.744-0.893). The optimal cutoff values were determined to be 45.4% and 14.7% (with sensitivity of 76.1% and specificity of 86.7%), respectively. Logistic regression analysis, after adjusting for confounding factors, demonstrated that both SCVCI and SCVvariability were significant predictors of PIH. A threshold of 45.4% for SCVCI was chosen as the grouping criterion. The incidence of PIH in patients receiving fluid therapy was significantly lower in the SCVCI ≥ 45.4% group compared to the SCVCI < 45.4% group. CONCLUSIONS: Both SCVCI and SCVvariability are noninvasive parameters capable of predicting PIH, and their combination with perioperative fluid therapy can reduce the incidence of PIH.

Co-delivery of siBcl-2 and PTX with mitochondria-targeted functions to overcoming multidrug resistance.

Multidrug resistance (MDR) poses a significant impediment to the efficacy of chemotherapy in clinical settings. Despite Paclitaxel (PTX) being designated as the primary pharmaceutical agent for treating recurrent and metastatic breast cancer, the emergence of PTX resistance frequently results in therapeutic shortcomings, representing a substantial obstacle in clinical breast cancer management. In response, we developed a delivery system exhibiting dual specificity for both tumors and mitochondria. This system facilitated the sequential administration of small interfering B-cell lymphoma-2 (siBcl-2) and PTX to the tumor cytoplasm and mitochondria, respectively, with the aim of surmounting PTX resistance in tumor cells through the activation of the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway. Notably, we employed genetic engineering techniques to fabricate a recombinant ferritin containing the H-subunit (HFn), known for its tumor-targeting capabilities, for loading siBcl-2. This HFn-siBcl-2 complex was then combined with positively charged Triphenylphosphine-Liposome@PTX (TL@PTX) nanoparticles (NPs) to formulate HFn/siBcl-2@TL/PTX. Guided by HFn, these nanoparticles efficiently entered cells and released siBcl-2 through the action of triphenylphosphine (TPP)-mediated "proton sponge," thereby precisely modulating the expression of Bcl-2 protein. Simultaneously, PTX was directed to the mitochondria through the accurate targeting of TL@PTX, synergistically initiating the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway and effectively suppressing PTX resistance both in vitro and in vivo. In conclusion, the development of this dual-targeting delivery system presents a promising therapeutic strategy for overcoming PTX resistance in the clinical treatment of breast cancer.

Neutrophil-Based Bionic Delivery System Breaks Through the Capillary Barrier of Liver Sinusoidal Endothelial Cells and Inhibits the Activation of Hepatic Stellate Cells.

The capillarization of hepatic sinusoids resulting from the activation of hepatic stellate cells poses a significant challenge, impeding the effective delivery of therapeutic agents to the Disse space for liver fibrosis treatment. Therefore, overcoming these barriers and achieving efficient drug delivery to activated hepatic stellate cells (aHSCs) are pressing challenge. In this study, we developed a synergistic sequential drug delivery approach utilizing neutrophil membrane hybrid liposome@atorvastatin/amlisentan (NCM@AtAm) and vitamin A-neutrophil membrane hybrid liposome @albumin (VNCM@Bai) nanoparticles (NPs) to breach the capillary barrier for targeted HSC cell delivery. Initially, NCM@AtAm NPs were successfully directed to the site of hepatic fibrosis through neutrophil-mediated inflammatory targeting, resulting in the normalization of liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) and restoration of fenestrations under the combined influence of At and Am. Elevated tissue levels of the p-Akt protein and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) indicated the normalization of LSECs following treatment with At and Am. Subsequently, VNCM@Bai NPs traversed the restored LSEC fenestrations to access the Disse space, facilitating the delivery of Bai into aHSCs under vitamin A guidance. Lastly, both in vitro and in vivo results demonstrated the efficacy of Bai in inhibiting HSC cell activation by modulating the PPAR γ/TGF-ß1 and STAT1/Smad7 signaling pathways, thereby effectively treating liver fibrosis. Overall, our designed synergistic sequential delivery system effectively overcomes the barrier imposed by LSECs, offering a promising therapeutic strategy for liver fibrosis treatment in clinical settings.

The effect of different endotracheal tube cuff pressure monitoring systems on postoperative sore throat in patients undergoing tracheal intubation: a randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative sore throat (POST) is an unpleasant outcome that can occur as a result of tracheal intubation in adults. Increased pressure from the endotracheal tube (ETT) cuff often leads to local mucosal injury, resulting in sore throat. The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of two different ETT cuff pressure monitoring systems vs. no cuff pressure monitoring on the incidence and severity of POST in adults. METHODS: One hundred and fourteen ASA I-III patients of either gender, aged 18-65 years, and undergoing surgery requiring endotracheal intubation were included in this study. Patients were randomized into three groups: control (C), cuff pressure gauge (G), and automated cuff controller (A). The ETT cuff pressure was not monitored intraoperatively in group C but was monitored using a cuff pressure gauge and an automated cuff controller in groups G and A, respectively. Postoperatively, patients were assessed at 2, 24, and 48 h for the presence and severity of POST, hoarseness and cough. RESULTS: One hundred and eleven patients completed the study. POST occurred in 40.5% of the patients in group G (n = 37) (p = 0.013) and 23.7% of the patients in group A (n = 38) (p < 0.001) within 48 h after surgery, compared to 69.4% in group C (n = 36). There were no significant differences in hoarseness, coughing, and dysphagia across the groups at any time. When comparing groups A and C, individuals in group A exhibited a lower occurrence of significant (grade ≥ 2) POST and hoarseness (10.5% vs. 41.7%, p = 0.002; 26.3% vs. 58.3%, p = 0.005). The incidence of significant cough and dysphagia did not differ substantially across the patient groups within 48 h after surgery. POST scores in group A at 2, 24 h postoperatively were both 0 (0-0), which was significantly lower than those in group C (1 (0-2) at 2 h, p < 0.001 ; 1 (0-1) at 24 h, p = 0.001). POST in group G at 2 h postoperatively was graded as 0 (0-1.5) which was milder than group C (P = 0.024). The severity of hoarseness in group A with scores of 0 (0-2) was superior to that in group C (2 (0-2), p = 0.006) at 2 h postoperatively. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, the findings of this study indicated that the occurrence of POST can be reduced by using either the cuff pressure gauge approach or the automated cuff controller method. The automated cuff controller monitoring can potentially decrease the severity of POST and hoarseness. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, identifier: ChiCTR2100054089, Date: 08/12/2021.

The effect of haloperidol's perioperative application on postoperative delirium in elderly patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: To systematically review the evidence about the effect of haloperidol on postoperative delirium in elderly patients. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library and China National Knowledge Infrastructure were used to find concerned studies for meta-analysis. The main outcome was the incidence of postoperative delirium, and the secondary outcomes were side effects of haloperidol and the length of hospital stay. The meta-analyses were conducted using the Review Manager Version 5.1. This study was conducted based on the PRISMA statement. RESULTS: Eight RCTs (1569 patients) were included in the meta-analysis. There was a significant difference in the incidence of postoperative delirium between haloperidol and control groups (OR = 0.62, 95%CI 0.48-0.80, P = 0.0002, I2 = 20%). In addition, side effects of haloperidol and the duration of hospitalization were comparable (OR = 0.58, 95%CI 0.25-1.35, P = 0.21, I2 = 0%; MD =-0.01, 95%CI -0.16-0.15, P = 0.92, I2 = 28%). Subgroup analysis implied the effect of haloperidol on postoperative delirium might vary with the dose (5 mg daily: OR = 0.40, 95%CI 0.22-0.71, P = 0.002, I2 = 0%; <5 mg daily: OR = 0.72, 95%CI 0.42-1.23, P = 0.23, I2 = 0%). CONCLUSIONS: The meta-analysis revealed perioperative application of haloperidol could decrease the occurrence of postoperative delirium without obvious side effects in elderly people, and high-dose haloperidol (5 mg daily) possessed a greater positive effect.

Trp207 regulation of voltage-dependent activation of human Hv1 proton channel.

In voltage-gated Na+ and K+ channels, the hydrophobicity of noncharged residues in the S4 helix has been shown to regulate the S4 movement underlying the process of voltage-sensing domain (VSD) activation. In voltage-gated proton channel Hv1, there is a bulky noncharged tryptophan residue located at the S4 transmembrane segment. This tryptophan remains entirely conserved across all Hv1 members but is not seen in other voltage-gated ion channels, indicating that the tryptophan contributes different roles in VSD activation. The conserved tryptophan of human voltage-gated proton channel Hv1 is Trp207 (W207). Here, we showed that W207 modifies human Hv1 voltage-dependent activation, and small residues replacement at position 207 strongly perturbs Hv1 channel opening and closing, and the size of the side chain instead of the hydrophobic group of W207 regulates the transition between closed and open states of the channel. We conclude that the large side chain of tryptophan controls the energy barrier during the Hv1 VSD transition.

Near-room temperature ferromagnetism and a tunable anomalous Hall effect in atomically thin Fe4CoGeTe2.

Itinerant ferromagnetism at room temperature is a key factor for spin transport and manipulation. Here, we report the realization of near-room temperature itinerant ferromagnetism in Co doped Fe5GeTe2 thin flakes. The ferromagnetic transition temperature TC (∼323 K-337 K) is almost unchanged when the thickness is as low as 12 nm and is still about 284 K at 2 nm (bilayer thickness). Theoretical calculations further indicate that the ferromagnetism persists in monolayer Fe4CoGeTe2. In addition to the robust ferromagnetism down to the ultrathin limit, Fe4CoGeTe2 exhibits an unusual temperature- and thickness-dependent intrinsic anomalous Hall effect. We propose that it could be ascribed to the dependence of the band structure on thickness that changes the Berry curvature near the Fermi energy level subtly. The near-room temperature ferromagnetism and tunable anomalous Hall effect in atomically thin Fe4CoGeTe2 provide opportunities to understand the exotic transport properties of two-dimensional van der Waals magnetic materials and explore their potential applications in spintronics.

Material Hardship Predicts Response Bias in Loss-Averse Decisions: The Roles of Anxiety and Cognitive Control.

Income poverty is associated with an enhanced tendency to avoid losses in economic decisions, which can be driven by a response bias (risk avoidance) and a valuation bias (loss aversion). However, the impact of non-income dimensions of poverty on these biases remains unclear. The current study tested the impact of material hardship on these biases, and the mediating effects of anxiety, depression, and cognitive control in these associations. Healthy adults (N = 188) completed questionnaire and behavioral measures of the variables. Results of regression-based analyses showed that participants who reported higher material hardship exhibited greater response bias, but not valuation bias. This effect was mediated by anxiety. Although material hardship predicted lower cognitive control, cognitive control did not mediate the association between material hardship and either type of bias. These findings suggest that material hardship may lead to economic decision-making biases because it impacts emotional states rather than cognitive control.

Adaptive advantages of restorative RNA editing in fungi for resolving survival-reproduction trade-offs.

RNA editing in various organisms commonly restores RNA sequences to their ancestral state, but its adaptive advantages are debated. In fungi, restorative editing corrects premature stop codons in pseudogenes specifically during sexual reproduction. We characterized 71 pseudogenes and their restorative editing in Fusarium graminearum, demonstrating that restorative editing of 16 pseudogenes is crucial for germ tissue development in fruiting bodies. Our results also revealed that the emergence of premature stop codons is facilitated by restorative editing and that premature stop codons corrected by restorative editing are selectively favored over ancestral amino acid codons. Furthermore, we found that ancestral versions of pseudogenes have antagonistic effects on reproduction and survival. Restorative editing eliminates the survival costs of reproduction caused by antagonistic pleiotropy and provides a selective advantage in fungi. Our findings highlight the importance of restorative editing in the evolution of fungal complex multicellularity and provide empirical evidence that restorative editing serves as an adaptive mechanism enabling the resolution of genetic trade-offs.

ncRNADrug: a database for validated and predicted ncRNAs associated with drug resistance and targeted by drugs.

Drug resistance is a major barrier in cancer treatment and anticancer drug development. Growing evidence indicates that non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), especially microRNAs (miRNAs), long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and circular RNAs (circRNAs), play pivotal roles in cancer progression, therapy, and drug resistance. Furthermore, ncRNAs have been proven to be promising novel therapeutic targets for cancer treatment. Reversing dysregulated ncRNAs by drugs holds significant potential as an effective therapeutic strategy for overcoming drug resistance. Therefore, we developed ncRNADrug, an integrated and comprehensive resource that records manually curated and computationally predicted ncRNAs associated with drug resistance, ncRNAs targeted by drugs, as well as potential drug combinations for the treatment of resistant cancer. Currently, ncRNADrug collects 29 551 experimentally validated entries involving 9195 ncRNAs (2248 miRNAs, 4145 lncRNAs and 2802 circRNAs) associated with the drug resistance of 266 drugs, and 32 969 entries involving 10 480 ncRNAs (4338 miRNAs, 6087 lncRNAs and 55 circRNAs) targeted by 965 drugs. In addition, ncRNADrug also contains associations between ncRNAs and drugs predicted from ncRNA expression profiles by differential expression analysis. Altogether, ncRNADrug surpasses the existing related databases in both data volume and functionality. It will be a useful resource for drug development and cancer treatment. ncRNADrug is available at http://www.jianglab.cn/ncRNADrug.

Fractionated lignin as a polyol in polyurethane fabrication.

The main purpose of this paper was to systematically evaluate the effect of lignin, which was fractioned by green solvents into different molecular weights and used as polyol in the production of polyurethane foams (PUF). The results indicated that the foams prepared with the lower molecular weight lignin had uniform and complete pore structure and improved the mechanical strength. However, the higher molecular weight fraction lignin improved the density and thermal stability of the foam more significantly at the expense of inferior mechanical strength and pore structure deficiency. When the substitution degree of lignin in the PUF was 2 %-30 %, 99.13 % of the lowest molecular weight lignin was participated in the reaction to produce PUF, which improved the elongation at break (Eb) and tensile strength (Ts) of PUF to 834 % and 0.90 MPa, respectively. Also, thermal stability and the amount of unreacted lignin in PUF were increased at a higher substitution degree of lignin in PUF.

Functional-structural decoupling in visual network is associated with cognitive decline in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: evidence from a multimodal MRI analysis.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and cognitive dysfunction are highly prevalent disorders worldwide. Although visual network (VN) alteration and functional-structural coupling are potential warning factors for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in T2DM patients, the relationship between the three in T2DM without MCI is unclear. Thirty T2DM patients without MCI and twenty-nine healthy controls (HC) were prospectively enrolled. Visual components (VC) were estimated by independent component analysis (ICA). Degree centrality (DC), amplitude of low frequency fluctuation (ALFF) and fractional anisotropy (FA) were established to reflect functional and structural characteristics in these VCs respectively. Functional-structural coupling coefficients were further evaluated using combined FA and DC or ALFF. Partial correlations were performed among neuroimaging indicators and neuropsychological scores and clinical variables. Three VCs were selected using group ICA. Deteriorated DC, ALFF and DC-FA coefficients in the VC1 were observed in the T2DM group compared with the HC group, while FA and ALFF-FA coefficients in these three VCs showed no significant differences. In the T2DM group, DC in the VC1 positively correlated with 2 dimensions in the California Verbal Learning Test, including Trial 4 and Total trial 1-5. The impaired DC-FA coefficients in the VC1 markedly affected the Total perseverative responses % of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test. These findings indicate that DC and DC-FA coefficients in VN may be potential imaging biomarkers revealing early cognitive deficits in T2DM.

Abnormalities in brain structure following childhood unpredictability: a mechanism underlying depressive and anxiety symptoms.

BACKGROUND: Childhood adversity is associated with abnormalities in brain structure, but this association has not been tested for childhood unpredictability, one form of adversity. We studied whether abnormalities in gray matter volume (GMV) could be a mechanism linking childhood unpredictability and psychopathology, over and above the effect of childhood trauma. METHODS: Participants were 158 right-handed healthy young adults (aged 17-28 years, M = 22.07, s.d. = 2.08; 66.46% female) who underwent structural magnetic resonance imaging measurements and provided retrospective reports of childhood unpredictability. The anxiety and depression subscales of the self-report Brief Symptom Inventory-53 were used to index psychopathology. RESULTS: Whole-brain voxel-based morphometric analyses showed that after controlling for the effect of childhood trauma, childhood unpredictability was correlated with greater GMV in bilateral frontal pole, bilateral precuneus, bilateral postcentral gyrus, right hemisphere of fusiform, and lingual gyrus, and left hemisphere of ventrolateral prefrontal cortex as well as occipital gyrus. Greater GMV in bilateral frontal pole, bilateral precuneus, and bilateral postcentral gyrus mediated associations between unpredictability and symptoms of depression and anxiety. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that childhood unpredictability could exact unique effects on neural development, over and above the effect of childhood trauma. These findings are relevant for understanding the occurrence of psychopathology following childhood unpredictability and have implications for intervention.

A novel injectable sericin hydrogel with strong fluorescence for tracing.

Hydrogel systems with strong fluorescence, as convenient tracers or bio-probes, have attracted much attention in biomedical engineering. Currently, most hydrogels endowed fluorescent properties due to modifying additional fluorophores. However, these fluorophores owing to photobleaching and toxicity limit the practical applications of hydrogels. Herein, we prepared a novel self-luminescence hydrogel through double crosslinking glutaraldehyde and hydrogen peroxide/horseradish peroxidase (H2O2/HRP) with sericin protein. The double cross-linked sericin hydrogel exhibits strong green and red intrinsic fluorescence which can be excited over a wide range of wavelengths. Moreover, this hydrogel with strong intrinsic fluorescence could penetrate thick pigskin tissue, which has potential application in implantable bio-tracer areas. In addition to the above unique properties, this sericin hydrogel possesses two types of micropore structures with high porosity, swelling properties, pH-responsive degradability, super elasticity, injectability, viscosity, and excellent biocompatibility. The investigation could significantly expand the scope of protein hydrogels in biomedical applications.

Broadband Photodetector Based on FePS3/WS2 van der Waals Type II Heterostructure.

In order to understand broadband photodetectors from ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) to the near-infrared range, one needs to find novel two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals (vdW) materials with broadband optoelectronic performance. Transition metal phosphorus sulfides (TMPSs) have been reported as a new type of vdW material with generally broadband and p-type conductivity. Here, we report a high-performance and broadband photodetector consist of p-type FePS3 and n-type WS2 with a working range of 405-785 nm. The maximum values of responsivity and specific detectivity are 32.5 mA/W and 1.73 × 1012 jones at 405 nm and 2 V bias, which are better than those of its individual constituents and many other 2D vdW heterostructures. The high performance of the FePS3/WS2 photodetector is attributed to the built-in electric field in the FePS3/WS2 p-n heterostructure and type II band alignment. Present study demonstrates that the material family of TMPSs could be a promising platform for broadband photodetector applications.

Commonalities and distinctions between the type 2 diabetes mellitus and Alzheimer's disease: a systematic review and multimodal neuroimaging meta-analysis.

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are aging related diseases with high incidence. Because of the correlation of incidence rate and some possible mechanisms of comorbidity, the two diseases have been studied in combination by many researchers, and even some scholars call AD type 3 diabetes. But the relationship between the two is still controversial. Methods: This study used seed-based d mapping software to conduct a meta-analysis of the whole brain resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) study, exploring the differences in amplitude low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) and cerebral blood flow (CBF) between patients (AD or T2DM) and healthy controls (HCs), and searching for neuroimaging evidence that can explain the relationship between the two diseases. Results: The final study included 22 datasets of ALFF and 22 datasets of CBF. The results of T2DM group showed that ALFF increased in both cerebellum and left inferior temporal gyrus regions, but decreased in left middle occipital gyrus, right inferior occipital gyrus, and left anterior central gyrus regions. In the T2DM group, CBF increased in the right supplementary motor area, while decreased in the middle occipital gyrus and inferior parietal gyrus. The results of the AD group showed that the ALFF increased in the right cerebellum, right hippocampus, and right striatum, while decreased in the precuneus gyrus and right superior temporal gyrus. In the AD group, CBF in the anterior precuneus gyrus and inferior parietal gyrus decreased. Multimodal analysis within a disease showed that ALFF and CBF both decreased in the occipital lobe of the T2DM group and in the precuneus and parietal lobe of the AD group. In addition, there was a common decrease of CBF in the right middle occipital gyrus in both groups. Conclusion: Based on neuroimaging evidence, we believe that T2DM and AD are two diseases with their respective characteristics of central nervous activity and cerebral perfusion. The changes in CBF between the two diseases partially overlap, which is consistent with their respective clinical characteristics and also indicates a close relationship between them. Systematic review registration: PROSPERO [CRD42022370014].